We were lucky to catch up with Meg Stolt recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Meg, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Owning a business is a risk.
Being a coach can be a safe place.
Embracing the fact that I am the CEO of my business, and not just a triathlete that coaches runners, marathon swimmers and triathletes, is the game changer.
As an athlete turned business owner, I have learned how to take calculated risks, as I do when racing. It feels like I should move now. Go! Learning to adapt in the midst of competition is sometimes intuitive and is part of the decision making that athletes need to learn. When to push forward, when to hold back. If I go now, will I have enough in the tank to beat the competition. Do I work with my competitor and pull ahead in the final stretch? That is all risk.
Staying safe rarely gets you on the podium.
And as a business owner, I have learned how to embrace that I am the CEO, and owner of my team. I have to make decisions that impact not only the team, but my livelihood. That is the risk.
But I keep learning, make the choice to GO….. and the brain figures it out.
Some decisions I have made have been the right choice, albeit scary and yet calculated.
A mantra I have embraced for my business and my training and coaching is, ‘The Process is Fearless.’
And so, I strive to challenge myself to go.
I think the bigger risk is sitting on the sideline watching everyone else embrace their success.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I founded MSJ Athletics in 1996, then named Meg-A-Life. The brand was for teaching swim lessons and coaching runners who want to swim or learn to become triathletes. At the time, I was living in Atlanta, GA in graduate school. I studied and ran, studied some more and swam. I was double-dog dared to enter the world of triathlon, and well….. I can’t let a double-dog dare go to the wayside.
Fast forward: I have raced and coached triathlon, and founded OtterTriTeam and the Racing River Otters. These teams are my youth programs and are performance (AND FUN) focused. There are two age-groups: 8-10years, focusing on learning to be better competitors and about the sport; and 11-19 years, who are stepping toward Draft-Legal racing. We are currently ramping up toward our 2026 season for Draft-Legal.
Through these teams, I also host RunClubs for kids preparing for Cross-Country Season, a HighSchool Triathlon Club Team, and various clinics throughout the year to improve skills for training and racing.
Additionally, I work with seasoned women who are seeking to begin a triathlon journey, or are looking to find their performance again. These women may be navigating business, work, family and are seeing their health fall to the wayside. Or they may be losing the competitive edge.
Coaching is either remote or local. Through training platforms and local meet ups, I guide individuals through training and preparing for their first or next race. Training can be in a private or group setting.
I am currently finalizing the 2026 group training and racing schedule. I am excited to see 2026 unfold.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I love reading. And wildly enough, I am not a fan of podcasts. I have listened to a few incredible podcasts, but I rarely subscribe to any. I take what I need and go. I guess I am the same with business books. I take what I need, whether a chapter or paragraph and move forward. Sometimes, I know the remainder of the text while valuable is not for me. And that is OK.
Books that have influenced my philosophy in coaching and in business:
The Book of Joe, by Joe Madden,
The Blue Ocean Strategy, Kim and Mauborgne,
Building a Story Brand, by Donald Miller,
Do Hard Things, by Steve Magness,
The Obvious Choice, by Jon Goodman
The Monk of Mokha, by Dave Eggers
and Domestique by Charly Wegelius.
These are books that I have read or referenced multiple times along the way.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My youth team went through a paradigm shift a couple years ago.
I lost team members to another program.
At the time, I felt defeated. I felt betrayed.
It took effort to keep going.
And through it, I chose to excel. I reevaluated the program. I reevaluated my coaching skill set.
I learned. I gained more abilities through the learning process.
I am currently rebuilding the program. When I look back now, I have peace.
The situation needed to happen, as the team was managing me.
Now, I am managing the team.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msjathletics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmeg2367
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmeg-triathlon-coffee-nutrition-strength/
