Serena Williams became a professional tennis player at the age of 14, and for more than two decades she has consistently trained and followed a healthy diet to help her win 23 Grand Slam titles.
But besides her strenuous workout routine and vegan diet, Williams, 38, says she has two non-negotiable strategies — whether she’s training for a tennis match or not — to help her stay productive while also juggling motherhood and multiple business ventures.
“Something I do every day is [to] completely turn my brain off, which sounds weird but because I work so much between tennis and running my other properties—Serena Ventures and Serena Clothing. But it’s a lot so I just need to turn my brain off and not think about anything,” Williams tells CNBC Make It.
Williams says she finds little ways zone out, no matter what’s on her schedule.
“Sometimes it’s mediation. Sometimes it’s watching a program [on TV] that has nothing to do with anything, like something that is silly or fun,” Williams says.
Williams says having her 2-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., also helps when it comes to clearing her mind.
“It’s a lot easier now because I can just watch my baby,” Williams says. “It really helps me to focus on her and focus on the moment and not think about anything else. And I purposely do that with her because I know that I just need to shut off.”
Giving her brain a rest allows Williams to “reset and get more energized to go train the next day or take more work calls,” she says.
In addition to clearing her mind, Williams also drinks at least a gallon of water a day, even outside of training. “That is one thing that I make sure that I always do,” Williams says. (Dehydration can make you feel tired or sluggish. Water intake varies, especially for active people like Williams, but Harvard kidney specialist Dr. Julian Seifter recommends four-to-six cups a day for most healthy individuals.)
Wiliams’ tennis star sister Venus, 39, told CNBC Make It in October that her go-to tricks for peak performance include getting eight hours of sleep and laying off junk food like her favorite pancakes and honey buns.
Serena Williams Joins The Mom Project as Strategic Advisor
Tennis legend Serena Williams has joined The Mom Project, a leading career destination connecting moms with world-class companies, as a strategic advisor, according to a press release from the company. The Mom Project currently serves a community of 200,000+ professionals, while connecting them to over $50M in economic opportunity since its inception in 2016.
Some of the companies working with The Mom Project currently include Facebook, Nike, Invesco, Etsy, JLL, Gap, Delta, Uber, Twitter, Apple and Georgia Pacific. Williams commented as part of the announcement, “I’m calling on CEOs, Heads of People and Business Leaders big and small.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a team of 1 or 100,000; if you’re hiring, are you considering hiring moms? Together, we can influence how work gets done and build a better workplace for the future.” Allison Robinson, CEO and Founder of The Mom Project, commented, “It is a dream to welcome Serena to our team; she is truly the embodiment of The Mom Project’s mission and what we aspire to.
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Serena is a role model to so many moms, reminding us that when we recognize our own strength — we are unstoppable. By joining forces, we will be able to accelerate change for moms in America and champion the support needed in the workplace and through public policy to ensure they can thrive According to Forbes, one of The Mom Project’s biggest investors is Initialized Capital, the venture fund of Reddit Co-Founder, Alexis Ohanian, who is Serena’s husband.
While the terms of the arrangement with The Mom Project were not disclosed, Forbes says it is likely that Williams will be receiving equity in the company. Serena is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion in tennis is chasing Margaret Court’s all time record of 24 Grand Slams in singles.
The former World No. 1 is currently ranked No. 9 in the world rankings.
