Victorious in Last Place: The Winning Mindset with Holly Joint 

They say life is a race. We must run towards our dreams before our time on earth ends. So, we set deadlines for our goals, and if we don’t meet them, we feel frustrated and hopeless. We are in such a hurry to reach the finish line that we lose ourselves in the process. But here is the truth: life was never about who comes in first. Success is an attitude; the winning mindset is about enjoying one’s journey to success no matter how long it takes. 

In this episode, Holly Joint shares all about her experiences that led to her success. She details how coming last in an ultramarathon became one of the proudest moments of her life. She also talks about how framing problems as opportunities can reduce stress. Finally, Holly discusses how being open to unexpected opportunities can lead to success.

Listen to this episode to discover how staying curious and keeping a winning mindset on your journey can bring success.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

  1. Discover Holly’s three proudest moments and gather wisdom from them. 
  2. Learn Holly’s winning mindset and secret to success.
  3. Know what it takes to thrive in the digital industry. 

Resources 

Episode Highlights 

[4:27] Proudest Moment # 1: Coming Last in an Ultramarathon 

  • Back in 2019, Holly decided to join an ultramarathon in Kazakhstan five weeks before the event.  
  • She did not have the right gear or training. To make things worse, she was recovering from a running injury.
  • Holly felt most proud of herself during the second marathon when she was determined to keep going despite the pain and humiliation she felt. 
  • Holly placed last, but she was still proud of herself.  The experience of coming last and not being the best was humbling.
  • Listen to the whole episode to know the surprising ending to Holly’s ultramarathon experience!  

[11:06] Finding the Resilience to Keep Going

  • Seeing someone come last and still feel proud of it sets an example of a winning mindset for children.
  • Holly kept going because she wanted to share her ultramarathon story with her children. 
  • Your suffering is more mental than physical. 
  • If you dig deep and believe you can accomplish something, you will succeed.  
  • Tune in to the full episode to hear more about Holly’s personal life and her need for adventure!

[13:26] Proudest Moment # 2: Reframing Problems as Opportunities

  • Holly had to balance long working hours and taking care of her kids during the lockdown. 
  • She was under a huge amount of pressure and found herself lashing out at her kids. 
  • She later realised that the lockdown was not a burden but an opportunity to spend time with her children. 
  • Everyone needs to learn to adapt to the circumstances.
  • By understanding all this and letting some things go, Holly realised she is also capable of helping her team with the pressure they’re also feeling.

[18:06] About Holly’s Family and Adapting During the Lockdown

  • Holly’s husband has a food business called Serves Gourmet.
  • The lockdown gave her children an opportunity to become independent. They needed to manage their own things and time. 
  • It also created a space to explore their creativity. 

[21:44] Proudest Moment # 3: Not Being Intentional About Her Career

  • To cultivate a winning mindset, we must be intentional about our careers. But we must also be open to unexpected opportunities. 
  • We must challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zones. 
  • Holly started in Accenture, where she could have had a linear progression up the ladder. But since then, she has tried out all sorts of opportunities.
  • To feel authentic in her career, Holly had to change and be uncomfortable. Looking back at her whole journey, she feels proud. 
  • Listen to the whole podcast and learn why Holly’s career was like a roller coaster ride: from participating in the 2022 World Cup bid to working for a start-up to setting up a whole business from scratch! 

[26:16] How to Thrive in the Digital Industry as a Woman  

  • Be open and excited about learning emerging technologies. 
  • Do your research. 
  • Stay open-minded and curious. 
  • Value diversity and the opportunity it gives for innovation. Be fascinated with people and their origins.
  • Tune in to the full episode to hear more insights from Holly’s journey!

[30:21] What Holly Had to Work on 

  • Holly is sometimes overly driven. Holly had to learn not to be a bulldozer. 
  • The journey to change takes time and can be enormously frustrating. 
  • Patience is an important lesson to learn.  

[32:15] The Winning Mindset: Holly’s Secret to Success

  • Success is a journey rather than a destination. 
  • Put curiosity first before judgment. Curiosity leads to new opportunities. 
  • You can be empathetic about someone if you’re curious about them.
  • The scarcity mindset is counterintuitive to being successful. Think from a place of abundance, not fear.
  • Self-awareness also opens you up to growth. Stay humble and keep your feet on the ground.

5 Powerful Quotes 

[10:36] ‘You can take part in something and know that you can come last and still feel really proud about it.’

[11:59] ‘When you dig deep and believe that you have the mindset to do it, you can actually do it.’

[22:38] ‘It’s important not to be too intentional sometimes because I think you have to be open to slightly crazy opportunities.’

[29:05] ‘Many of us don’t realise that there is a perspective other than ours that is worth listening to and worth noting.’

[32:20] ‘Success [is] a journey rather than a destination.’

 

About the Guest 

Holly Joint is a woman who delivers transformation. She’s the head of the Major Programmes Office in Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and leads the group by focusing on ecosystems, disruption, innovation and governance. 

Her leadership skills and vast experience in customer-centred digital transformations helped build and grow multiple businesses. She understands the change necessary for adapting to the world and the response and needs of customers. Currently, Holly resides in the United Arab Emirates with her husband and two children. 

If you want to know more about Holly, you can connect with her via LinkedIn.

Enjoy this Podcast?

As Holly looks back into her experiences, she realises how staying curious and being open to unexpected opportunities led her to success. If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets…, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can cultivate a winning mindset by looking at their origins and building new connections.

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To meeting inspiration,

Angela