Business Athletes: Oliver Yonchev

Hello and welcome to Business Athletes everyone! 

Each week, we’ll explore the athlete-like habits behind a different business leader. In just 5-minutes, we aim to provide you with practical tactics that you can quickly apply in your day-to-day.⚡️

In our first edition of this newsletter, we sat down with Oliver Yonchev, co-founder and CEO of Flight Story, a company he co-founded with Steven Bartlett in 2021.

Read time: 4 minutes 46 seconds

Pre-Game Preparation

Morning & Evening Routines

I wake up around 8am, but I often find myself overestimating my time, getting up just 20 minutes before hitting the door.

I also typically go to bed too late. I end up going on YouTube binges - binging on random documentaries about space, some obscure business, or something about venture capital, which doesn't really lend itself to a great morning routine. 

Tech Habits

But I've recently been using Whoop as a sleep tracker. Turns out that if I skip the late-night snacks, get a workout in, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule – I have the secret sauce for me.

I also intentionally create friction by placing my phone outside the bedroom. My relationship with technology is also a bit of a rollercoaster, so doing that has been a game-changer.

Nutrition Powering Mental Clarity

Another thing is food. I also fast a couple of times a week, not eating from 8-9pm up to 12-1pm the next day. It's like a sharpening tool for my mind, especially on days filled with speaking engagements or demanding cognitive tasks.

But most importantly, I listen to my body. For example, I love breakfast. It's my favourite meal of the day. I think well-being is also about enjoying certain indulgences, so I don't optimise for being perfect. We have to enjoy ourselves as well.

Gameplay Set-Up

Structure Leads To Clarity

I try to structure my day as much as I can. Mornings are for deep thinking, afternoons for performative tasks, and evenings for autopilot stuff. 

But just like in sports, the day doesn’t always go according to plan. 

Lately, I've been over-scheduling, so I've carved out Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings for zero meetings – a breather from the chaos. I’ve noticed a lot more creativity and clarity of thinking during those days.

Decision Fatigue & Mental Models

Decision fatigue is real, so I try to rely on mental models. I think the more structure you can put around how you make those simple decisions, the more objective you can be.

People often call these values. Aligning decisions with values, and creating simple frameworks, help me stay objective. Especially when things get hectic.

Preparation for High-Stakes Situations

When I'm about to engage in a high-pressure situation, I try to create a bit of space for myself. I'll often listen to music. Music is great escapism for me.

So, if I’m going to speak, I like something kind of upbeat and uplifting. Like a Biggie Essentials playlist. But I’m also an indie boy at heart, so I like a lot of indie music.

Secondly, I like to prepare the day before. I don't like to prepare on the day.

So, if I have a meeting or keynote, I'll have some thoughts the day before, but I’d rarely  prepare on the actual day. Sometimes I wouldn't even look at the material on the day. For me, the best presenters are usually the most present and instinctive ones.

Gameday

Intentionality To Get Into The Flow

The only times I ever get into a flow is when I intentionally try to. Meaning, I won't look at my phone, I won’t be online, nothing. I'll engage in a task fully, and see that task through.

I then also try and break that task into chunks - like 20, 30 minutes chunks. I tend to find I have spurts of productivity in these 20-30 minute segments.

Then I go away, walk, do something to detach, and come back. 

Sharpening Your Skills Through Writing

Writing has been one of the most significant things I've introduced into my life in the last six months.

I have mild dyslexia, so I always resisted writing. But by forcing myself to write consistently, I've found that my speaking skills have also improved.

Through repetition and consistency, I've kind of removed that resistance that I once had for writing and started to actually enjoy it. And this is something anyone can apply to learning or improving in any activity or skill.

Post-Game

Rest Is Crucial

When you run a business, you’re truly always attached, working, ideating.

So, what I do to recharge are a few things.

Every so often I will look for an escape by going down a rabbit hole and binge watching Netflix or YouTube. That's really good escapism for me. Some people would see that as a waste of time, but for me, it's a 100% rest that I need. 

I also sleep a lot on weekends. I’ll also try to do outdoorsy things, get some fresh air. 

Then when I have my moments, like Christmas, I go all in. I usually go on a holiday. I take a break, get some sunshine, recharge, and then I’m back fresh.

The Business Athlete Mindset

Sports That Inspire

To me, it’s been Muay Thai and combat sports.

The reason is simple - it's so infrequent that we're truly present in daily life, but when someone is trying to kick you in the head, you’re forced to be very present. 

I’ll share a quick story. ​​I remember once getting my jaw broken after getting kicked in the head. I remember feeling this sense of gratitude afterwards where, when facing something tough, I now think to myself - “at least I'm not getting kicked in the head.” This has helped me feel grounded whenever I’m in a stressful situation. 

From Anecdote To A Mindset 

Lastly, I'll leave you with one anecdote. 

My Dad had a really big influence in my life growing up. From being two, three years old, he’d tell me - “you're mentally tough, you're resilient.” He’d used the expression “mentally tough”. And it's a weird thing to say to a two, three year old. So, throughout my entire life I grew up believing that.

The truth is everything that's worthy is usually really difficult. So, resilience is a cornerstone of anything that you do.

And there is no way of finding out if you're resilient without doing uncomfortable, difficult things. 

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