What The Olympics, Grammys & Super Bowl Reveal About Focus | EP 570

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Heaviness And Collective Humanity

Excellence On Global Stages

Recognition Of Devotion

Bad Bunny And Artistic Conviction

Saying No To Misaligned Sales

Music As Anchor In Dark Times

Team Human And Platform Responsibility

Olympics And The Power Of Focus

Fragmented Energy In Business

Life Devotion And Compounding Love

Consistency, Health, And Quiet Leadership

An Invitation To Go Deeper

Notes, Intensives, And Closing

Sheila 0:01

At a certain level, growth is not about adding more. It's about choosing what you're willing to go all in on. This episode is about the kind of excellence that compounds, the kind that builds legacy, the kind that feels clean in your body. Let's talk about it. Hi, welcome to the podcast. I'm Sheila Botelho, and I believe true success is built from the inside out. There is something in the air right now. And I don't know if you feel it too. We're in this time where there's a lot of heaviness going on around the world. I mean, there always is, there always has been, but it feels like we're reaching this crescendo point. And I'm seeing at the same time so many people coming together in a way like I've never seen before, where they are baking it into their daily life, into the art they perform, into their work. And it's really beautiful to see. And I'm seeing people come together. And at the same time, there's this cultural moment we're in in February of 2026, where excellence is also on display everywhere. We have the Olympics, we have the Super Bowl, we have the Grammys, and you know, there's many other things to come this year. And you turn on the television if you watch TV, or you may scroll YouTube for a few minutes or Instagram and see little snippets. And what you're witnessing is people who have devoted years of their lives to a craft, stepping into their moment, their moment to shine, literally. And I found myself watching all of these things differently, not just for entertainment or admiring the spectacle because, like, that's really, really special. But I'm studying the energy. And what I'm seeing is something deeper than the arts. I'm seeing people devoted to their craft, but I'm also seeing people's humanity coming to the surface and people standing firmly and rooted in their belief systems. And it seems like there are so many parallels among different artists and athletes and et cetera, where like everybody just wants love, peace, harmony, joy. Like these are the things we want. These are the hallmarks of what a life to be enjoyed feels like. And helping, being of service in some way, whether that's in their case, using their platforms to share how they're feeling about what's going on in the world, which I deeply respect. And I know that's controversial because I think a lot of people think, well, you know, stay in your lane, you're an artist, or stay in your lane, you're you're an athlete. But I feel like we're humans and we're living in this world together. And even though we see people for a moment on a stage, then they go home and they live in the world, just like the rest of us. And we're all humans who are being impacted by things going on around us. And so I'm seeing this convergence of people navigating this tricky world we find ourselves in while still going after their big, bold, beautiful dreams, competing for medals, competing to maybe just against themselves, to see like how much better can I get? Sharing their art on stages for people to enjoy, sharing their art on stages for people to see them perform because they've been listening in their earbuds all along. And it's just something really beautiful to see someone on stage actually delivering something live, even if it's televised. And so I've been looking at all of these things. And I wanted to talk about all of this because when you watch someone operating at that high level, something in you might respond that is not a comparison type of thing, but it's something deeper. It's a recognition. It's a recognition that you may feel in your body that is what devotion feels like. And that word also comes to me alongside of another word. And I like to say devoted excellence, because devoted excellence is it's not hierarchical, it's not competitive or cold. It is something that, you know, we each can focus on in and of ourselves. And it's something that's built over time, it's shaped by your conviction and the kind that is really truly earned as you move through expanding your craft. And so I was watching the Grammys, uh, well, replays of the Grammys on YouTube, because that's typically what I do. And I was also watching, I watched the halftime show from the Super Bowl with Bad Bunny. Um, I really love Latin music. I've been listening to Latin music since I think 2016, 20, no, 2014. I just absolutely love having Latin music on in the evening. It just lights me up. And Bad Bunny is one of them. And his story, of course, is very inspiring also. If you haven't heard it, you should take a look online and learn what his story is. But what really stood out to me when I watched that Super Bowl performance, among many, many things, because it was really interesting how it was put together. And you could see kind of the heart of him as an artist and of someone who loves where he's from sharing. It was the fact that he was so clear about honoring the body of work that he created exactly as it was created, because he had spoken somewhere else about being asked to only sing or to maybe sing some songs in English to appeal to the wider audience. And of course, he's a Latin singer. So why would he sing in anything other than Spanish, which is what his words were recorded in? And I will say, like, singing is my background way back. And as someone who's also for fun played with writing music and studying voice, like it really hit something in me. Because when you write a song, that's the song. It carries your breath, your phrasing, the way it was born. You don't bend it because it might make someone else more comfortable. You don't dilute it to make it more palatable. You honor it in the way you create it. And I thought, wow, that's conviction. That is devoted excellence. That's the willingness to say, this is the work, this is how it lives, this is how it moves through me. And I've had my own version of that. There was a season in my life where I was in a sales role and I was encouraged to shift the way I was selling in order to increase revenue. And on paper, it was really the smart thing to do. It would have meant bigger commissions, faster growth, and more status in the organization. But in my body, it felt misaligned because it would have required selling high-ticket programs to people who weren't truly ready or qualified. And I could feel it in my nervous system. I could feel the subtle contraction. And so I walked away. And I'm so glad a decade ago that I did that because that decision shaped everything that came next. And I'm so glad because what emerged from that was my feminine sales framework, a way of selling that feels like service, a way of inviting that feels grounded and honoring the person in front of me as a whole human being, not just a transaction. Because we've all felt that way sometimes, right? When we're being sold something, even if it's something we need. I recently bought five new appliances. They were awesome. And the gentleman was wonderful. It didn't feel transactional. It felt really, really good. But we've all been sold things where it has felt transactional. Even if it's something we've needed, there's something to honoring the person as a human, right? And over the years, I've turned people away when it wasn't aligned. I've had conversations that ended in referrals instead of contracts. And every time it strengthened my integrity, that is devoted excellence with sales. It's the steady energy and the kind of leadership that compounds. And then I watched the Grammys. And again, by watching the Grammys, I mean scrolling on YouTube, searching my favorite acceptance speeches and performances, because that's how I do it. I like to go to bed early. And so that was really spectacular. Again, in this time that we're in right now, I could see that everyone was tuned into what was happening in the world. And while it was a beautiful evening, I'm sure, of for people to be able to perform and to connect with each other, and for all of us who enjoy music to watch our favorite artists perform and receive recognition for the things that they've created. It's also an example that art is such an important part of our lives, especially when things are looking dark, because music takes us through challenge and struggle. It's what we turn to and use when we're celebrating, when we're grieving, when we are getting ourselves motivated, exercising, wanting to rest. And sometimes we just want to feel melancholy because we are the rainbow of emotions and music really helps us do that. And so I thought it was beautiful that everyone was shining brightly that evening, but also turning the spotlight away from themselves onto some important things that are happening in the world and that they had a viewpoint to share. And frankly, they've earned the platform because they have so many people buying their music and really enjoying who they are as artists. And that can, for some people, be very controversial because some people think, well, you know, you're a musician or you're an actor or you're a sports celebrity. You shouldn't be talking about anything other than that. And I really disagree because all of the power structures in the world impact every single one of us. And while some of us have more influence and more access and more wealth than others, I believe that all of us get to have a voice for the things that are important to us. And on that night, I saw something really beautiful. And I felt like so many people were on the same page. It was like, I love to say, I'm on team human. I felt like everyone was pulling together for peace and for everybody to be okay. And that that's really the deepest desire we all have as human beings. And I also saw, from the musical standpoint, the excellence of people coming together to create works of art in their own right. And I loved watching Kendrick Lamar be on stage surrounded by a group of other artists that came together to do a song called Luther for someone he highly respected, Luther Vandros, who is an artist who I've loved for many, many years since I was a little girl. I love singing. I've always been a singer. And as a result, a lot of RB was very much a part of my life growing up. And so watching them talk and watching Sizza share what she shared, and just like the humility they they came together with, talking about their art, that's again, devoted excellence came up for me. And then you watch the Olympics. You watch someone stand on the starting line, knowing that they've trained for years for this moment. Years of early mornings, years of repetition, years of refining a single movement until it becomes muscle memory. Whether it's the speed skating, whether it is the incredible feats people are doing on skis on mountains that freak me right out, but it is so cool to watch, or any of the other sports, you know, the ice dancing, the figure skating, the like, oh my gosh, so many great sports. These years of early mornings and repetition, years of refining those single movements, like those athletes who appear alone, even, are surrounded by support, their families, number one, coaches, mentors, teams. And it struck me once again, no one arrives where they get in isolation. And what moves me the most though is the focus. At some point, they chose their lane. They chose their event and they went deep. They didn't chase novelty. Like maybe they did at first. Maybe it took them a few tries to find the thing that was really theirs, but they weren't pivoting every season into something new. They didn't dilute their attention across five different sports. You know, they committed, and that commitment created the refinement, and that refinement created excellence. And I see that parallel so clearly in business, especially with founders who are brilliant, capable, visionary, and stretched across too many directions at once. And I've been there personally. I've seen what happens when energy gets fragmented. There was a client I had who had a mastermind focused on feminine leadership, as well as a boutique social media strategy business, as well as live networking events. And all of them were beautiful, all of them were meaningful. And her energy was divided across all of it. And she never felt like she was getting to where she wanted to go with either of them because she was so divided. Eventually, she stepped away from entrepreneurship altogether and moved into the corporate world where she found a new rhythm and a new path. And really, her fire was ignited. And I remember thinking, wow, does clarity ever change everything? Devoted excellence really requires depth and it asks us to choose. And when I look back at my own life, I can see the moments, so many of them, where devotion shaped the outcome. When I met Peter, I was 20 years old. And it was not the plan to find someone at 20 who I would spend the rest of my life with. Certainly, it was just not the timeline I imagined. There were other possibilities, other interesting paths for my life. And something in me just knew. There was a depth there. It was like we had a soul contract early on. And I chose. I went all in. And now, decades later, we celebrate 30 years married in July. And, you know, oh my goodness. And we've been together for 33, 34 years. That devotion has compounded into something I would never trade. My goodness. Like it's shaped my family, my sense of safety, my resilience, my identity. It's been so exciting seeing who we've both become in this time together. And we're excited about who we are becoming from this point forward. And that's truly my hope for anyone in their individual life and whether you're in a relationship. I also noticed in terms of that devotion to creating and continuing my podcast with two episodes a week for five and a half years, like that kind of devotion has created so much for me because there were seasons where it would have been very easy to pause to redirect and say, you know, things are either working fast enough or I've got too many other things going on. But instead, I refined and I clarified the focus. And that devotion has opened doors, created connections, and generated opportunities that didn't exist when I started. Even during the variety of challenges over the last decade, with various loved ones passing away and being ill and my own health journey that I've been on over the past year, devotion has been the threat. Staying committed to my wellness and to my growth, staying committed to leadership, even when my body was asking for gentleness. And over time, that devotion has created so much beauty. It created leadership that expanded beyond me. And it created impact that rippled outward. So when I watch athletes honoring their competitors, and when I watch artists standing in their truth and celebrating each other, when I witness leaders using their platforms to speak about humanity and responsibility, it really doesn't feel separate from business. It feels like a mirror. Because we are in a time where conversations about power and wealth and leadership are louder than ever, where division is so incredibly visible, and where we're seeing how much weight our influence is carrying. And in the middle of all that, I keep returning to this. Devoted excellence is leadership. Whether it's self-leadership or devoted excellence of leading a team or leading the world, it's caring deeply about your craft. It's caring about the people that your work touches. It's building wealth in a way that feels clean in your body and staying in your lane long enough to deepen instead of scattering your energy across every opportunity that glistens. And it's celebrating the people who win alongside of you because you understand what it took for them to get there. And maybe the most important part is asking yourself where you are being invited into deeper devotion right now. And by devotion, I don't mean hustling and just expanding for expansion's sake, but like the depth of devotion in, for instance, your message, your vision, your marriage, your health. Um is there one offer in your life that wants your full attention? Or is there some art in your life that you keep circling back to? Devoted excellence doesn't shout. It really feels like a quiet, unrushed steadiness that builds legacies. What is it for you? I'd love to hear reach out and let me know. And if something in this conversation is really stirring something for you, if you feel like there's a recognition, um, like an invitation to refine or focus or to deepen, I'd love to continue it with you. Inside Sheila's notes, I share reflections beneath the strategy, the leadership lens, the recalibration. And if you're in a season where you want a full day devoted to clarity and alignment, I offer Private Founder Intensives, which are spaces for you to refine your lane, strengthen your conviction, and build from a place of integrity and depth. And you can reach out to me in the show notes if you're interested in looking into that. Because devoted excellence deserves devoted support. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you have a beautiful rest of your week, and I will see you on the next episode.