6 Inspiring Things To Learn From Triathlete, Entrepreneur & Investor Lara Morgan
‘I Plan To Live Until I’m 127’ & 6 Inspiring Things To Learn From Triathlete, Entrepreneur & Investor Lara Morgan
As a founder, investor, mother of 3, and an ex-top ten world triathlete, one might assume that Lara Morgan might not have any time left for herself.
But given that one of her current challenges is cycling the world in stages, taking on 100 miles per day for 5 or 6 days at a time, well, one’s assumption would be wrong.
As someone who is always busy with a successful career as a Founder and Investor, she also places a huge priority on travel and recovery. This led to the creation of two innovative brands - Scentered and Kitbrix - which are the perfect complements to MLA’s workshops and retreats. Lara is someone who embodies the core values of MLA. She moves (a lot!), connects constantly, and is always exploring and doing a little bit of good in the world. In fact, she took our call from a coffee shop in Tbilisi where she’s with 90 other people and midway through one of the charity cycles for 1moreChild, having raised almost £1.5 million so far.
For some context, she started her first business at the age of 23, and seventeen years later sold her 99% majority share for £20 million. Since then, she has invested in multiple businesses in predominantly the wellbeing and hospitality sphere, launched a number of successful new businesses of her own, continues to mentor and train businesses, and is a full-time wife, mother, daughter and friend. We definitely missed some things there, but you get the picture.
We were fortunate to steal an hour with Lara to talk about her journey as a multi-hyphenate, why certain words are banned from her life, and how Kitbrix and Scentered are changing the game in the fitness and recovery worlds.
Below are the six key takeaways from our conversation, in Lara’s own words, which will leave you feeling inspired across your work, health and fitness.
1. Create New Habits & Disciplines, And Commit To Excel
A triathlon is no casual race. A swim, followed by a cycle, followed by a run. So imagine giving a triathlon a go, and coming in third place on your very first race. That’s exactly what Lara did and it’s what thrust her into the world of endurance sport. And her mindset when it comes to training and being one of the best is the same mindset she applies to the rest of her life: if you commit, you can excel. In Lara’s own words:
‘For years I built the habit of getting up at 5am to train. As a mother of three and whilst running a business, it was the only way to ensure I got my triathlon training in. At my peak I was training for eighteen or nineteen hours a week, and I would bulk around 50% of those together at the weekend. But the rest I had to fit into my working week and 5am was the only option.
Over time I competed less, so I then built in the habit of recovery, and was committed to going to yoga sessions which still to this day really help me. And then I discovered the power of scent when it comes to recovery, and wellbeing overall, and that’s a habit that was so beneficial that I built a company around it.
Health always has and always will come first for me, and the recovery element of health is a fundamental priority. When I was in the throes of a life that ran at 100 miles an hour, I needed to make a change but had no idea where to turn for help. My mum came to the rescue - she’s an aromatherapist so gave me a selection of bath oils which would help me relax, sleep and stay in control. However, the practicality of bath oils didn’t work for me. I couldn’t just simply use them as and when I needed them, and that’s how Scentered was born. I made the oils available in a portable format so that people can stop, inhale and reset whenever they need and easily build that habit into their lives.’
2. Learn To Say No
‘When it comes to having a work/life balance, I see it as a seesaw. It’s a never ending challenge. There are different stages of how you approach work as you go through life, but I will say that from day one, I committed to never allowing the word guilt into my life. Even now, it’s not part of my vocabulary. When we’re feeling overwhelmed, it does not add any value to our lives to start bringing in words that can only contribute to the overwhelm.
The only word I highly encourage adding, is the word “no”. Learn to say no. This way you can set frameworks and ground rules for yourself, and be clear about what’s important to you and your family. Once you’ve set them, ring fence them and protect them. For me it was always sports days and the nativity plays - anything else that fell on those days I would always say no to.’
3. Follow Your Gut
‘Both Scentered and Kitbrix were built on a fundamental need that I’d seen in myself and those around me. But throughout the journey of building each business, there were times where big decisions had to be made, and sometimes the only way to make those decisions is by following your gut.
One of those was when we decided to launch our new Kitbrix Tote Bag in different colourways. I had a gut feeling to create a bright orange and teal bag, and I was the only one that wanted to push forward with it. My gut feeling was so strong with it, and it turned out to be our best seller by far. It’s not to say your gut is always going to be right, and you can deal with that if it doesn’t happen, but it’s important to listen to it and follow it.
It was a similar story with Scentered. I knew I couldn’t be the only one struggling to find accessible ways to take a breather during busy and stressful times. After I looked more into essential oils and discovered that scent is the only one of our senses directly linked to the brain, my gut told me this was something I had to do. That this was a way to bring a touch of focus and kindness to someone’s day by giving them an affordable and accessible moment of calm.
Scent really is so powerful and because it’s linked directly to the brain, it can help you go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ in a matter of moments.’
4. Set Goals And Celebrate The Wins
‘The highest high for me was becoming a great triathlete and being the tenth best in the world at the time, and I loved the entire process of getting there which was all about having a goal and learning how to get there. There’s a high that comes from teaching yourself new things, and I always want to be learning. Even if I don’t have a singular goal such as a triathlon, as long as I’m learning, I’m happy.
It’s so important to keep track of the learnings and goals achieved along the way too. And not just the big things like a race or sporting event. Regularly write a list of all the things you’ve achieved and celebrate the gains and all the new little progresses you’ve accomplished.’
5. Health Always Comes First
‘No matter what happens, health is always my priority. I plan to live until I’m 127 - specifically, I know - so I make sure I am constantly moving and doing things that will help me stay healthy for as long as possible. I am constantly exploring ways of being fit and agile because I want to still be able to put my own seatbelt on when I’m 100 years old.
I’m forever working my core and balance - whether it’s when I’m in the shower and standing on one leg at a time, or when I’m out walking the dog and make myself balance on one leg while I wait for my Mum. And then I get her to do it too and we just end up laughing, which in itself is one of the best things for health. Movement is such a huge part of longevity so we need to make use of all the opportunities we have to move our bodies.’
6. Don’t Give An Opinion, Share An Experience
‘Kitbrix and Scentered were both created out of personal experience. When triathlon as a sport was booming, we saw a need for a piece of kit that was a technical genius. When I was competing I didn’t have a bag that did all the things I needed it to: store wet kit separately from dry kit all day long, be able to leave it on a wet or muddy surface and know the contents are fine, have keys tucked away and know they won’t fall out or get lost, and be able to quickly grab what I needed, when I needed it.
When we introduced the Kitbrix Tote, which was our first lifestyle luggage design, Paula Radcliffe stepped in to help, as we could draw on her wealth of knowledge and experience here. And this is what I’ve found so valuable throughout my personal and professional life - when people share their experiences rather than just an opinion. The majority of the time, people aren’t looking for you to give your opinion, they’re looking for shared experiences.
In the way that we worked with Paula so we could learn from her, I’m a big believer in constantly connecting with people you can learn from. And never be afraid to ask for help!’
We’re huge fans of the CityBrix bag - think of it as a backpack that’s perfect for hopping to Crete for one of our summer retreats. Functional and spacious, yet still super stylish and doesn’t look like you’re about to take on a military workout!. As for Scentered, we love the Happy & Sleep Well Duo to help us sleep and recover better. As part of the MLA community, you can get 15% off their products to help you travel and recover better using the code MLA15.
Once you’ve got your CityBrix sorted and want to put it to good use, join us at one of our Summer 2024 retreats to put it to the ultimate adventure test.