Ever wonder what it takes to thrive on Wall Street? Two powerhouse executives from Goldman Sachs and KKR share their surprising secret: the resilience honed on soccer fields and ballet stages. Learn how bouncing back from rejection became their ultimate career advantage. Are you ready to discover your own unique edge?

The highly competitive world of Wall Street often demands more than just financial acumen; it requires an extraordinary capacity for resilience, a quality often forged in unexpected arenas. This compelling narrative explores how two titans of finance, Lizzie Reed of Goldman Sachs and Alisa Wood of KKR, cultivated their remarkable ability to rebound from rejection, crediting their foundational experiences in soccer and ballet as pivotal to their enduring success in demanding Wall Street Careers.

Lizzie Reed, a formidable figure in Financial Leadership, commands Goldman Sachs’ US equity syndicate, a team instrumental in pricing a significant portion of recent global IPOs. Her leadership philosophy, she explains, was deeply influenced by her time on the soccer field. There, she learned the invaluable lesson that missteps—a missed shot or a stolen ball—were not failures but opportunities for immediate learning and strategic pivots, forming the bedrock of her tenacious approach.

Similarly, Alisa Wood, a distinguished partner and co-CEO of KKR Private Equity Conglomerate, one of the $686 billion asset manager’s flagship businesses, attributes her enduring spirit to the rigorous discipline of ballet. The demanding art form instilled in her a profound understanding of perseverance and the critical importance of meticulous preparation, qualities that proved indispensable as she navigated the cutthroat financial landscape.

Both executives articulate that Professional Resilience has consistently been their most potent advantage in the high-stakes environment of finance. They shared with Business Insider how the discipline and mental fortitude cultivated through their early pursuits allowed them to transform setbacks into catalysts for growth. Reed succinctly captured this ethos, viewing each ‘no’ as a challenge, an indication that the eventual triumph would be all the more rewarding for the struggle.

Wood’s journey to KKR exemplifies this very principle. Despite sending a blind CV and pitch book only to be initially rejected by co-founder Henry Kravis, her persistence paid off. Another partner, recognizing her potential, extended an invitation for a meeting, ultimately paving the way for her illustrious Goldman Sachs KKR career. This episode highlights how embracing initial rejection can open unforeseen pathways to monumental achievement.

The meticulousness demanded by ballet profoundly shaped Wood’s Success Strategies on Wall Street. She emphasizes that by the time a dancer steps onto the stage, every movement should be ingrained, a matter of “muscle memory.” This translates directly into her professional life, advocating for a level of preparation and mastery that allows for seamless execution, leaving no room for doubt when the pressure is highest.

Reed’s experience with soccer taught her the essence of rapid recovery. She recognized that dwelling on mistakes only hinders progress, advocating instead for a quick recalibration and growth-oriented mindset. This immediate pivot from error, rather than prolonged self-reproach, became a foundational aspect of her Financial Leadership, enabling her to maintain momentum and focus despite inevitable professional challenges.

Even after nearly two decades at the pinnacle of finance, Reed affirms that rejection never truly ceases to sting. However, the crucial difference lies in the recovery time, which significantly shortens with experience. This demonstrates that Professional Resilience is not about avoiding pain, but about accelerating the bounce-back, a vital skill for anyone aspiring to or thriving in Wall Street Careers.

Reflecting on her journey, Reed’s key piece of Career Advice to her younger self would be to “think less” and “be very present.” This wisdom underscores the importance of fully engaging with the moment and trusting one’s developed capabilities, rather than overthinking, a sentiment that resonates deeply with the broader pursuit of Success Strategies in any demanding field.