Five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White knows a lot about success. He shared his tips for credit union leaders during a keynote fireside chat with emcee Mia Perez to close out general sessions at the Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) Wednesday.
To illustrate how he got to where he is today, White started at the beginning. His career in snowboarding began at a young age, despite adversity. “It took a lot of fighting to get where I wanted to go,” he said. “And asking to be taken seriously.”
Now, there’s a whole career path for snowboarders – undoubtedly paved in part by White’s contributions to the sport.
Perez asked White to share some of his key habits that keep him “on his A game” when facing adversity or when it feels like not many people understand. “Something we, as credit unions, often feel as the ‘small fish’ in financial services,” added Perez.
“Creating consistency,” answered White. He explained that he would often work to build a routine that was successful and then repeated it over and over again. “I would ask myself: how can I always show up in an optimal state?”
At a certain point, that consistency pays off and you’ll end up running the loop almost out of habit, he said.
In addition, White talked about the importance of remaining focused and continuing to challenge yourself to raise the bar. “Rather than looking at what each competitor was doing, I was always looking at what they weren’t doing.” Then, he would capitalize on those opportunities. “I started to stand out because I was doing different things,” added White.
In closing, White highlighted his brand, WHITESPACE, which is helping to foster an interest in snowboarding for the younger generation – bringing his whole career full circle. “I’m hoping to change the future of the sport in a positive way.”
America’s Credit Unions’ 2024 GAC concludes today as attendees continue to meet with lawmakers directly on Capitol Hill. This week in Washington, D.C., nearly 6,000 credit union advocates came together for the first time as America’s Credit Unions to tout the credit union difference and elevate industry priorities.
Access coverage from the full event online, or follow #GAC2024 on social media.
