Crafting Passion - Kris Swarthout - Chief Endurance Officer with Greg McDonough - Episode # 117

What can endurance athletes teach us about staying calm under pressure in leadership? In this episode of The Chief Endurance Officer, host Greg McDonough sits down with Kris Swarthout, a competitive athlete, coach, business owner, mentor, and retired police officer whose diverse career path offers powerful lessons in mindset, preparation, and adaptability. From high-stakes moments in law enforcement to training athletes for race day, Kris shares how endurance principles shape his leadership approach. He also dives into his entrepreneurial ventures, including Final K Sports Services and Minnesota Hockey Lockers, highlighting how combining passion and purpose can fuel sustainable success.Key Takeaways for LeadersVisualize and prepare. Coaching athletes with scenario planning and visualization mirrors how effective leaders prep teams for the unexpected.Lead with purpose. Knowing your “why” creates focus and clarity, whether you're coaching athletes or guiding a business.Support your team by offloading burdens. Final K enables coaches to focus on their strengths by removing administrative friction. Leaders should do the same for their people.Explore passion projects. Kris’s custom hockey locker business started as therapy but became a creative, revenue-generating outlet. Leaders benefit from fulfilling side ventures.Don’t obsess over the data. Execution matters more than perfection. Leaders should focus on the big picture and not get derailed by minor deviations.Quote of the Show:" Don't try to be everything to everybody." - Kris SwarthoutLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-swarthout-5914035/  Company website: https://finalk.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kris.swarthout/  Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/580aLDKac1ld031W4nWDtp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-endurance-officer/id1680214218?uo=4Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NoaWVmLWVuZHVyYW5jZS1vZmZpY2Vy Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c96880f-8dcd-4a6e-b1c8-fda816f872a9 Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4340732 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/5897357 Player FM: https://player.fm/series/series-3462719 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-5250102 Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-ringmaster-KMdv2I8XwkN/ Keep up to date on our social accounts:Check out our Website: http://enduranceofficer.com/ Community Discount Link: https://ceopodcast.myezrewards.com/signup/chief-endurance-officer-podcast  Join my Endurance Leadership Community: https://endurance-leadership-community.mn.co/share/_C3ZDRz7OX2vbCme?utm_source=manual Chief Endurance Officer is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/