I’m an Olympic Gymnast-Turned-Investor Sean Johnson East, and This Is How I Work
Nine years after winning four silver and gold medals in gymnastics at the Beijing Olympics, Sean Johnson East joins CNBC’s Adventure Capitalist investor team. In the meantime, she has released a memoir and a YA novel, won an ESPY and Teen Choice Award, and also appeared in Dancing With the Stars , The Celebrity Apprentice, and the charity episode Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? We asked her how she does it all.
Location: Nashville, Tennessee. Current Job Title: Influencer / Entrepreneur and Investor on CNBC’s Adventure Capitalists (Tuesday at 10:00 PM ET / PT). One word that best describes how you work: Driven Current mobile device: iPhone 7 Plus, pending X Current computer: MacBook Pro
First of all, tell me a little about your past and how you became who you are today.
I am an Olympic gymnast who has become an influencer. I competed in the Olympics at the age of 16 and over the years I have learned a lot about marketing, branding and business, and have developed a strong interest and passion for the world of influencers. This is not what I have ever imagined; I have always dreamed of becoming a doctor. But it is not easy, unique and keeps me in good shape all the time.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
Instagram, YouTube, YouTube TV, Boomerang , Final Cut Pro, Bitly
How is your workplace arranged?
It looks more like a workplace on the road. Since I travel at least once a week, I seem to have mastered the office in a bag. I travel with my laptop, bluetooth headphones, Canon 70D and lenses, and all the lanyards to connect.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
Don’t procrastinate and make your working time as efficient as possible. I realized early on, doing gymnastics that the more effective I was, the more free time I had. So in my work I do the same.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
Old school paper diary, to be honest. There is something about writing my tasks that makes it easier for me to understand and digest. If I write this, I will not forget it, and there is nothing better than deleting it when I’m done.
What are some of the things you do best in everyday life? What’s your secret?
Adapting to change. My schedule, my home, my day to day responsibilities tend to change daily or hourly, so learning to just adapt and follow it is something I’ve pretty much mastered.
What do you listen to while you work? Have a favorite playlist? Maybe we can talk on the radio? Or do you prefer silence?
Either country or Freakonomics … I need them.
What are you reading now? Or what would you recommend?
Malcolm Gladwell’s Whatever! I can read each of his books a hundred times. Continuing on how I learned to adapt to change, my favorite book that talks about it is Who Moved My Cheese .
How do you replenish? What do you do when you want to forget about work?
Silence and training!
What’s your favorite side project?
Coaching and Mentoring – I love working with children and seeing them learn. Children have the purest form of passion and drive, and it’s inspiring to be around them.
What is your sleep pattern? Are you a night owl or get up early?
Oh god … I’m 10,000% owl and definitely not a morning person. I love my sleep and leisurely mornings filled with coffee and silence. I do all my work in the afternoon and then alone in the evening.
Fill in the blank: I would like ______________ to answer these same questions.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It’s more of a mindset than anything else, but one day my coach told me that no matter what I believe … whether I believe that I am capable or not … I will always be right. It just taught me at a young age that no matter what, believing in yourself and believing in your goal is 99% of the battle.
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
I would say that if I went back to high school and told you what my life will be like 10-20 years from now, I would tell you that I am going to go to Stanford University and become an orthopedic surgeon. Now my career could not be different, but it makes me happy and challenges me every day. The point is to say that many of us get caught up in the belief that we know what our path is, what we should do, and we get discouraged or blinded when our paths change. Rather than letting change confuse you, embrace it and flourish!