Confidence, human performance & sports tech | Women in VC | CiCi Bellis

In this episode of the Bee Formless™ Flow Driven CEO & VC Podcast, I connected with CiCi Bellis, Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital, former professional tennis player and Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, to explore life, leadership, venture capital, human performance, women in VC, confidence, reinvention and what happens when one high performance chapter ends and another begins.CiCi reached a career-high ranking of World No. 35 as a professional tennis player before injuries forced her to step away. I loved the way CiCi has carried the discipline, antifragility, preparation and competitive intelligence from tennis into venture capital.As Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital, CiCi now invests in sports, health and performance technology companies helping people move, recover, perform and live healthier lives. CiCi knows what it feels like to train, compete, recover, manage pressure, work through injury and rebuild when the path changes.We discussed how performance shifts when the scoreboard changes, why confidence matters in sport, business and investing, and how the habits built through elite competition can become powerful foundations for company building and capital allocation.CiCi spoke about the underrepresentation of women across VC, the early analyst and associate levels where many leave before reaching leadership positions. She also reflected on the strength of female founders, the importance of backing women, and why more pathways are needed for young women to see venture capital as a place where they can lead, invest and shape the future.THE SHAPE SHIFT IN MOTIONAt the heart of this conversation was a shift from elite athlete to investor, and the realisation that performance, confidence and identity can move with us into new arenas.This is how that shift unfolded through the Bee Formless™ methodology:LEARN (LETTING GO)✨ The belief that one identity defines the whole journey✨ The assumption that starting again means starting from nothing✨ The idea that performance only belongs in sportUNLEARN (CREATE, REIMAGINE & RESHAPE)✨ Reimagine confidence as something built through preparation and repetition✨ Create new pathways for women in venture capital and capital allocation✨ Reshape performance around movement, recovery, health and long-term human potentialRELEARN (TEST & IMPLEMENT)✨ Carry discipline from one arena into the next✨ Trust the skills built through pressure, competition and reinvention✨ Keep learning when the field, rules and scoreboard changeACTIVE RECOVERY (REFLECT & RESET)✨ What strengths are you carrying from a previous chapter into your next arena?✨ Where are you underestimating the discipline you have already built?✨ What would shift if confidence came from preparation rather than certainty?🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/cici-bellis-750926182/🌐 https://www.cartancapital.com/💭 What strengths are you already carrying into your next chapter?If something is shifting in your life, leadership, business or growth journey, start with a Strategic Shape Shift Diagnostic:https://calendly.com/beeformless/strategicshapeshiftdiagnostic#beeformless #flowdrivenvc #cartancapital #womeninvc #humanperformance #sportstech #reinvention #eliteperformance #confidence #founderjourney #insideouttransformation