🥍 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧. 🥍

A couple of weeks ago, I sat under the Florida sun watching my daughter’s lacrosse team warm up. It was my first real exposure to the sport — fast, unpredictable, and full of energy. I didn’t fully understand the rules, but I could feel the rhythm, the teamwork, the way they moved as one.

And then I noticed a tent on the sidelines with bold white letters that said: “Work hard. Get better. Have fun.”

Three short lines. But I couldn’t stop thinking about them.

They felt like a quiet reminder about something bigger — not just about sports, but about how we live, lead, and grow.

I thought of the women I work with — accomplished, multicultural leaders who’ve built remarkable lives. They’ve worked hard their entire careers, often harder than most, navigating industries that weren’t always designed for them. They’ve balanced high performance at work with responsibilities at home, carried the weight of multiple identities, and kept showing up — even when it cost them parts of themselves.

But at some point, something shifts. Success stops feeling like success. The energy that once fueled them starts draining them. They’re still delivering, still leading, but the spark that made it all meaningful starts to fade.

That’s what those words — work hard, get better, have fun — made me think of. Because they’re not just steps to win a game. They’re the ingredients of a fulfilled life.

Working hard isn’t the problem. It’s how we define it. Too often, we equate working hard with overextending ourselves — pushing past what’s sustainable, proving our worth through exhaustion. But real hard work has clarity. It’s guided by purpose, not pressure. It’s not about doing everything — it’s about doing what matters, with focus and heart.

Getting better is another one we’ve complicated. We’ve turned growth into an endless cycle of comparison — the next promotion, the next milestone, the next box checked. But growth isn’t about proving; it’s about refining. It’s about getting better at being yourself — more present, more grounded, more intentional in how you lead and live.

And then there’s having fun. The part we forget most easily. Somewhere between the long hours, the expectations, and the endless responsibilities, joy slips quietly to the bottom of the list. But joy isn’t a luxury; it’s fuel. It’s what makes the rest possible.

As I watched the girls on the field — laughing after mistakes, cheering for each other, playing full-out — I thought, they’ve got it right. They were working hard, getting better, and having fun, all at once. None of those things canceled out the others. They were just… integrated.

That’s what I want for the women I work with — not balance, but integration. Not choosing between ambition and peace, but learning to hold both. Because when you work with clarity, grow with intention, and allow joy back in, you start leading from a place that feels real — not performative. You start remembering who you are.

This year has reminded me of that lesson too — in work, in motherhood, in life. I’ve seen how easy it is to slip into striving, and how necessary it is to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what actually gives meaning to all of it.

So to the team at Stealth Lacrosse — thank you for the unexpected wisdom. You captured in six words what so many of us spend years trying to relearn.

Work hard. Get better. Have fun.

 That’s not just a great motto for the field.

 It’s a great one for life.