INTERVIEW

VIEW Interview

INTER Venus Williams: On and Off the Court

An Interview with Venus Williams

doubles at the same Olympic Games. With 49 When you look at the clothing line, singles titles, Williams is behind only her sis- EleVen, who is your target market? ter Serena among active players on the WTA My line is targeted to a number of peo- Tour. Her 35-match winning streak from the ple. Although I’m looked at as a tennis player, 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 I’m also an athlete and I move my body. This Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the line is targeted towards tennis but also toward longest since January 1, 2000. She is also one people who want to do positive things for of only three active WTA players to have made their bodies off the court, as well as for those the finals of all four Grand Slams. Venus and who want to push themselves past their limits Serena have also won 14 Grand Slam dou- to an EleVen. bles titles playing as a team and are unde- You’re known as a hands-on person. feated in Grand Slam finals. Williams is also How deeply engaged do you get in regard to the Creative Director and the vision behind product development and design? the line EleVen, and she started VStarr 10 The product is my baby, and I’m very years ago with a goal to create timeless beau- focused on the product itself and the marketing. tiful interiors. Williams earned her A.A. in I always travel with a sketch book to put my Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Fort ideas down quickly before I forget them. I don’t Lauderdale and is working towards her B.A. have a mind that retains things forever. I have to in Business Administration from Indiana sketch ideas quickly. I follow the product until Venus Williams modeling her own fashions (all photos) University. it’s delivered, so that’s a whole cycle that takes a year or more. In terms of other parts of the EDITORS’ NOTE Professional tennis player You’re known for your successes in ten- business, it’s my job to be able to understand Venus Williams is a former World number one nis, but you have also taken to business what is happening. I also always encourage my ranked player and is currently ranked World and are an entrepreneur in your own right. team to run with things and to be their best, and number six in singles. She was ranked World Will you discuss your business ventures? it makes me better. number one in singles by the Women’s Tennis Growing up, my dad and my mom got us Association on three occasions for a total of interested in sports and, of course, we played a 11 weeks. The first came in February 2002, lot of tennis, but it was really important for them making her the first black American woman that we got our education; as my dad said, “I’m to achieve this feat during the Open era. Her not raising any dummies.” seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her twelfth We had to get good grades in order to stay on the all-time list, more than any other on the court or my dad would have pulled us active female player except for her younger out of the game. We would do things like learn sister Serena Williams. She also has 14 Grand about a foreclosure on the way to practice. We Slam titles in women’s doubles and two in were only eight years old and listening to books mixed doubles. Her five Wimbledon singles on tape in the car about things like this. titles tie her with two other women for eighth We didn’t understand it at that age, but it place on the all-time list. Venus Williams is was about teaching us to think, about how to one of four women in the Open era to have be entrepreneurs, and how to open our minds won five or more Wimbledon singles titles. and be original. Between the 2000 Wimbledon Championships Are the areas you focus on with your and the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of businesses primarily an extension of sports the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held. or are they looked at differently? She is one of only five women in the Open Do I look at things differently? No, I see era to win 200 or more main draw Grand them all as very connected. I recently wrote Slam singles matches. Williams has won four a book called Come to Win and it shows the Olympic gold medals, one in singles and correlation of how people play sports and three in women’s doubles, along with a sil- become very successful later in life. They ver medal in mixed doubles. She and her sis- didn’t necessarily play professional sports – ter Serena have won more Olympic gold two of them did that but the rest played in medals than any other tennis players, male college and they went on to rule within dif- or female. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, ferent industries, or become political leaders. I Williams became only the second player to do see them as very connected. Sports can win Olympic gold medals in both singles and really teach people lessons. 150 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2016 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 39, NUMBER 4 tough sport because you’re on your own. the same mentality even if they are no longer We play all year every year until we retire. playing at a high level. It’s all-consuming. As to the game itself, Serena and you Players have to love the challenge and feel have carried it to where U.S. women’s ten- like they have something to give. I feel I have nis is getting much more attention. Do you that, and that speaks to my longevity. see the next generation coming up within How challenging is it to learn the the U.S. to compete globally? game of tennis? Yes, defi nitely. The U.S. is used to hav- Tennis is a difficult sport. One doesn’t ing champions. We’ve had them from the 1920s. get good at it right away. When one starts We’ve had a bit of a lull, and I think it was our playing, it’s almost impossible to hit the ball. turn to not be in the winner’s circle. We’ll come Anyone can pick up a basketball or a hockey around again. stick and fi gure out a way to get a point but, in You’ve had so much success in your tennis, one is generally hitting the ball out for a tennis career and on the business side, long time if the person can hit it at all. but you’re still always looking at improving It’s an intensely challenging and tough and at what’s next. Do you take moments to sport and there is no instant gratifi cation. enjoy the process and refl ect on the type For young people who pick this sport, they of career you’ve had or is it always about need to have something special. the next challenge? What is it about your relationship I’m grateful because I have been able to with Serena that has been so special? do what I love at a high level and continue to There is such a respect and admira- do it. There is a part of me that feels that way tion between you two. What has made it because I’ve been able to live my dreams and At the same time, my job is to watch work so well? How do you remain close I’m happy for that. However, there is also the over everything and I agree with most of through the competition? other part of me that feels it isn’t enough to just what is going on 99 percent of the time We’ve always been like that and have never be grateful. I have to make even more dreams even. There is just that 1 percent where I changed. It’s the easiest explanation. We never come true.• might do it a different way and that’s when let anything change I say something. us. Our relationship is More than anything, I like to have people more important than around me who are better than me because it anything and it has been makes me better. a lot of fun. How important has it been to build Do you ever think a team you trust and what do you look for about slowing down? when you hire people? Is it more about No, I can’t be happy expertise and experience or more about going slow. I like to go how they will culturally fit into your fast. When I slow organization? down in tennis, I will It’s all of that. One has to have the skills speed up in other areas. but also to walk the walk and talk the talk. There are things I haven’t We’re a very entrepreneurial group. All of us had the chance to do work very hard but, at the same time, we’re in terms of charitable laid back because I have a low-key personality endeavors because I and I’m laid-back, while also being very much barely have time to type A. Whoever we hire has to fi t into that even see my family. I environment. would love to get more Do you look forward to creating involved in giving back. additional companies or will you pri- When your play- marily focus on growing what you have ing days are over, will already created? it be important for you It’s interesting, as we grow and change and to remain tied to the learn more, we see areas we can touch and be game? effective in within our own industry. I do like to I don’t know. I invest in others as well. I see myself becoming always talk to Serena about more of a mentor going forward. I’m not really that. I won’t be able to thinking about expanding my businesses but as handle playing tourna- I get older, I get wiser about things so who ments if I’m terrible. knows. In business, everyone says you have to I will always have spend the fi rst 18 years with the pedal to the fun hitting the ball metal, but I’ve spent 36 years of my life like that. around. I just don’t I’m extremely happy with what I have done on know if I can ever play the court, and what I’m doing off the court. a champions or legends That’s all I need. event because it would Those who go pedal to the metal for upset me too much. I long periods often experience burn- will take a break from the out or fatigue, but you talk about tennis game and you won’t see today with the same passion as you did me at tournaments for a when you started. What makes it stay while because I will be fresh for you? sad if I’m not out there I adore the game and that is the first playing at the highest part. Second, one has to love the chal- level. Professional ath- lenge of playing other tennis players. It’s a letes always tend to have VOLUME 39, NUMBER 4 POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2016 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. LEADERS 151