Being one of the greatest athletes of all time is obviously a monumental accolade. But when Serena and I sat down, we didn’t just talk about kick-ass serves and Grand Slam wins. Like you, I wanted to know how she wins at life, not just on the court. When it comes to learning life skills – our theme for June – Serena is the perfect powerhouse woman to turn to.

I loved hearing about Serena’s relationship with her sister, Venus, and how her family’s support has played such a huge part of who she is. From her own experience, she recognises the power of supporting dreams, and now, as a mother, she’s committed to standing behind what her daughter wants to do. (Even if these days it’s just eating an apple REALLY loudly.)

Serena opened up about her determination to win, the importance of having plans and goals, and standing up for yourself. She spoke about how she’s (in her own words) “freakishly good” at maths, how she always speaks the truth, questions why people never ask a man “how do you manage family life and having a career?” And when she’s not playing tennis, she’s passionate about using her business, Serena Ventures, to help start-ups founded by women and minorities.

It really is such an exciting episode, it was a great experience talking to a warm, resilient and empowering woman. I’m now all revved up to watch Serena at Wimbledon! So, enjoy listening, and as always, mad, mad love.

You can follow Serena on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/serenawilliams/?hl=en

Read about Serena and business https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/06/03/inside-serena-williams-plan-to-ace-venture-investing/#551a979e7787

And find out the latest on all things Wimbledon https://www.wimbledon.com/index.html

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The Gurls Talk Podcast