Thrive Global: Ilana Golan's Journey to the Finish Line

Earlier this week, I attended the Women’s Leadership Conference of Northeast Ohio (WLCNEO). Networking with 575 like-minded career-focused women and learning from world-class speakers was an uplifting and inspiring experience. For those of you who couldn’t attend, I am going to share throughout the week what I learned on Slaydy.

For my first blog regarding WLCNEO, I wanted to focus on Ilana Golan. Ilana is a serial entrepreneur, mother of 2, tech investor, and motivational speaker. To top off all those impressive credentials, she was the first woman to become an F-16 flight instructor commander in the Israeli Air Force simulator. During her keynote, Ilana shared wisdom about the importance of traveling alone for personal development, how to determine your audience when launching a business, and the importance of celebrating small wins. I could easily write 5 blog posts regarding the topics she discussed. However, one story she told the audience resonated with me and that’s what I’d like to share with you.

Important Lessons from the Second Loop

During her keynote, Ilana shared the story of her first Ironman Triathlon. For those of you aren’t familiar, the race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a marathon raced consecutively without breaks. It’s an impressive feat to even attempt to train for this massive race, let alone finish it! Ilana prepared tirelessly and felt confident that she would complete the race. She painted the picture of the race day vividly. Her 2.4 swim started out slow and steady. When it was time for the bike ride, she picked up the pace and was passing many of her competitors. Finally, it was time for the marathon. The run started off strong but while she trained well, there was one thing she hadn’t prepared for: completing the second loop. During the marathon portion of the race, the loop was exactly ½ a marathon, so it needed to be run twice. After finishing the first loop, she was thrown off by seeing her competitors crossing the finish line as their friends and family cheered. To add salt to the wound, the race volunteers handed Ilana a glow stick, reminding her that by the time she would finish the race, it would be dark outside.

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