En Guard, Prêt, Allez – Jamie Douraghy (Entrepreneur & Competitive Foil Fencer)

Jamie Douraghy is an entrepreneur and competitive foil fencer. He’s been fencing for 35 years and over time he’s come to the realization that there is a lot of overlap between fencing and business. In his Paper Napkin Wisdom, Jamie shares this philosophy. He says: “The art of business is like the sport of fencing; you always have to be strategic, mentally engaged, physically prepared, trusting of your abilities and focused.”
As a sport, Jamie explains, fencing is both a team effort and an individual sport. It’s a team effort in that you work with your coach, the other members of your club, and it involves the support of your friends and family. There’s a team behind you but when it comes to the competition itself, you are there on your own and can’t pass the ball to someone else. You have to perform. Jamie points out how similar that dynamic is to the business world. Like fencing, you’re sometimes working as part of a team and sometimes you’re on your own and have to fend for yourself.
Part of the reason the fencing works as a comparative model for business is that the two endeavors benefit from similar structures. In fencing, you have a coach to lead you through challenges and provide you with guidance. In business, you often have a mentor there to provide a similar role. In business you rely upon your colleagues in the same way a fencer relies on his fellow club members; they are people to learn from and improve with. In both roles, as with most things in life, you’re always going to rely on the support of your friends and family.
As he describes the relationship he’s discovered between business and fencing, Jamie emphasizes the importance of mental clarity and focus. It’s clarity that allows us to focus on the process we’re in and, as we’ve talked about in previous Napkins, it’s the process that leads to results. Jamie also speaks to the problem of fear and mental back-talking, aspects that clutter our minds and prevent us from moving forward. When the mind isn’t focused, he says, you risk becoming distracted and you risk losing. If your mind is clear, you can recognize distractions and actively say “No” to them. “Fear and stress hold people back,” says Jamie “pressure pushes people forward.”
How do we avoid the trap of falling into fear and stress? Jamie says that we need to learn to put that fear aside and focus on the process itself. We need to trust in our abilities and prepare ourselves in business, the same way we would prepare ourselves for a fencing match. “Preparation is the key to success,” he says “because it gives you the confidence to trust in your abilities.”
Are you prepared for the direction you want to take your business in? Do you have the abilities, the support, and the level of focus you need? If so, there should be nothing holding you back. You need to enter the fray, because if you don’t you simply won’t have the chance to succeed.
Listen to my conversation with Jamie here: