Casey Taker on Fear, Resilience, and Building OCEANMAN USA with Greg McDonough - Episode # 128
What can endurance sports teach leaders about fear, risk, and resilience? Casey Taker has spent her career shaping endurance sports around the globe, from her time as Global Director of Athlete Development at the IRONMAN Group to her current role as Executive Vice President of Operations and Community Development at OCEANMAN. She’s also the co-founder of Salty Sports Society, where she continues to expand access to open water swimming. In this episode, Casey shares how an endurance mindset translates into leadership, community, and personal growth.
Key Takeaways for Leaders:
- Redefine fear as information. Casey explains how breaking down fear into pride, ego, or risk gives you clarity and helps you move forward instead of freezing.
- Recognize emotional states before making decisions. Leaders who can pause and step back during moments of heightened emotion make clearer, more strategic choices.
- Embrace risk-taking communities. Surrounding yourself with others who push boundaries helps normalize risk and makes growth less intimidating.
- Lead with storytelling, not just outcomes. Casey highlights how Ironman grew when stories shifted from elite athletes to everyday participants, a reminder that authentic stories build culture.
- Start small and build confidence. Whether it’s open water swimming or a new business challenge, incremental wins compound into transformative outcomes.
- Create sustainable structures. True growth comes when big goals can be integrated into life, not forced in ways that create friction or burnout.
Quote of the Show:
- " We're quick to set something to the side because it may be big and scary, whereas the more we can learn to face big and scary, the less scary it is." - Casey Taker
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taker/
- Company website: http://www.saltysportssociety.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takerbythewater/?hl=en
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/580aLDKac1ld031W4nWDtp
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-endurance-officer/id1680214218?uo=4
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NoaWVmLWVuZHVyYW5jZS1vZmZpY2Vy
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c96880f-8dcd-4a6e-b1c8-fda816f872a9
- Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4340732
- Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/5897357
- Player FM: https://player.fm/series/series-3462719
- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-5250102
- Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-ringmaster-KMdv2I8XwkN/
Keep up to date on our social accounts:
- Check out our Website: http://enduranceofficer.com/
- Community Discount Link: https://ceopodcast.myezrewards.com/signup/chief-endurance-officer-podcast
- Join my Endurance Leadership Community: https://endurance-leadership-community.mn.co/share/_C3ZDRz7OX2vbCme?utm_source=manual
Chief Endurance Officer is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Creators and Guests
Host
Gregory McDonough
Greg McDonough is a seasoned executive who has owned and operated businesses in the professional services sector, navigating them through both good and tough times. He brings his personal experience of knowing what it’s like to be ‘in the owner’s seat’ when working with clients, taking time to ask the questions others may not.
