SERENA WILLIAMS: THE MINDSET THAT MADE HER THE GOAT BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENTS, NIKE & HER COMEBACK

**Serena Williams** (0:00)
When someone tells you every day that you're gonna be great, at some point you start to believe it.

**Rashad Bilal** (0:04)
Talk about the mental fortitude that it takes to maintain that level of excellence for over 25 years.

**Serena Williams** (0:10)
You guys are looking at the biggest companies, and you're looking at what are the best in class doing. But as an athlete, have so many people look at you and say, okay, she's the best, what do I need to do to be the best, and to beat the best, and I have nothing to lose while I'm doing it.

**Troy Millings** (0:25)
13 unicorns you invested in?

**Serena Williams** (0:27)
16

**Troy Millings** (0:27)
That means that company's valuation reached a billion dollars. I thought my little thousand percent was nice. What was it like when you saw the first company reach that billion dollar mark?

**Serena Williams** (0:37)
Well, I remember I was on the court and I was thinking, why am I still on the court?

**Rashad Bilal** (0:40)
What inspired you to actually get into the VC world?

**Serena Williams** (0:43)
My main thing is just letting people know, hire women, hire people of color, hire us, think differently.

**Rashad Bilal** (0:48)
Is there a story of a company that you may have missed out on, that later on it was like, wow, I wish I would have actually invested in that one.

**Serena Williams** (0:54)
Losing is a way to learn how to win the next time. We all need to have those losses to better ourselves.

**Troy Millings** (1:01)
What are you looking at when you're evaluating a company?

**Serena Williams** (1:04)
Is there a need for this company in the marketplace? If the answer is yes, then we go on to step two. Who needs it? How many people need it?

**Rashad Bilal** (1:13)
Serena, what's up?

**Serena Williams** (1:15)
Hey, I never had pyrotechnics.

**Rashad Bilal** (1:18)
Yes, yes, that's the word.

**Serena Williams** (1:19)
That was cool.

**Rashad Bilal** (1:21)
How you feeling?

**Serena Williams** (1:22)
I'm feeling good. Thanks for having me.

**Rashad Bilal** (1:25)
Hey, everyone.

**Serena Williams** (1:27)
This is fun.

**Troy Millings** (1:29)
This is kind of like a center stage.

**Serena Williams** (1:33)
What?

**Troy Millings** (1:33)
This is center stage, center court, very similar.

**Serena Williams** (1:36)
Yes, very similar.

**Troy Millings** (1:39)
So this is interesting because you're our first female headliner at a Vest Fest. Clap it up for that.

**Serena Williams** (1:49)
That's awesome. Yay.

**Rashad Bilal** (1:50)
Yeah.

**Serena Williams** (1:51)
We can do it too. I've been saying that for decades.
We're just as good, right?

**Rashad Bilal** (1:57)
Her name is Serena also. So I see you, son.

**Serena Williams** (2:01)
Love.

**Rashad Bilal** (2:02)
Your name is Serena. I see it.

**Troy Millings** (2:03)
Your name is Serena too.

**Serena Williams** (2:04)
My name is Serena too.

**Rashad Bilal** (2:08)
Thank you.

**Troy Millings** (2:09)
Thank you.

**Rashad Bilal** (2:09)
Thank you.

**Serena Williams** (2:10)
Love you back. Love.

**Rashad Bilal** (2:13)
Okay. Before we start, what are your words?
What does this feel to see this crowd of us that's here to hear you speak? What's your words to the crowd?

**Serena Williams** (2:25)
It feels great. Thank you all for being here and coming out. And it feels good that I'm able to talk to people that look like me and give some, hopefully, you guys get some good advice too. It feels even better for that reason.

**Rashad Bilal** (2:39)
I want to start with just the mindset, right? Growing up Compton and working your way, childhood sensation and fulfilling the prophecy. What is the mental fortitude that it takes? You know, 23-time Grand Slam champion, like, it's very rare that we get an opportunity to speak to somebody that has done it at the highest level possible, right? It's just like, no, for sure.
When I think of you, I think of Kobe, Michael Jordan, and, you know, that's the highest level. So, talk about the mental fortitude that it takes to maintain that level of excellence for over 25 years.

**Serena Williams** (3:20)
It's not easy, for sure. You have to be either extremely mentally tough or a couple chips loose.
I'm not sure which one it was with me.
But it takes a lot because when you are playing at a high level, and you're doing something at a high level, people want to play you. They want to be you. They want to face the best and see how they measure up. They have absolutely nothing to lose. And it's like any company as well. We all out here, some of you guys are entrepreneurs. Probably most of you are entrepreneurs. When you think about it, you guys are looking at the biggest companies. And you're looking at what are the best in class doing. And so to have that always as an athlete, a different level, obviously, but as an athlete, have so many people look at you and say, okay, she's the best. What do I need to do to be the best and to beat the best? And I have nothing to lose while I'm doing it. So it takes a lot of mental strength, but it also, you know, I've been reading a lot of motivational quotes lately. It's also how you look at it. If you look at things in a negative way, then you'll see things in a negative way. But if you look at things in a positive way, with a positive spin, then you'll see it positively. Or I can say, okay, well, gosh, everyone is so hyped to play me, you know, and it sucks. Or I can say, you know what, everyone is so hyped to play me and it's great because they're making me better. And eventually I started to think and look at it like that.