As part of the Israeli AWS Sales Organization’s SKO, we had the privilege of hosting a true champion—Arik Ze’evi.
For those who may not be familiar:
Arik is considered one of Israel’s greatest judokas of all time. He competed in the under-100kg category and has an impressive list of achievements, including an Olympic bronze medal (Athens 2004), a World Championship silver medal, four European Championship titles, and multiple Israeli championship wins.
His session was designed to help us kick off the year as strongly as possible, and he shared powerful insights that can help anyone develop the mindset of an Olympic champion:
• Set ambitious goals – High goals create motivation.
• Your environment matters – Surround yourself with professionalism, as excellence breeds excellence.
• It’s not all in your head, but a strong mindset helps – Always strive to be the best you can be.
• Dealing with failure – When you’re backed into a corner, you have a choice: push forward stronger or give up. That decision happens in a split second.
• Sometimes, you find yourself in a position you didn’t choose – That’s the moment to take responsibility. It’s natural to feel like giving up, but that’s exactly when you need to keep pushing forward.
• Self-belief is critical – When aiming for big goals, people around you might tell you not to even try—out of concern. But sometimes, you have to trust your instincts.
• Opportunities are everywhere – Your job is to be ready and recognize them when they appear.
• Don’t fear uncertainty – That’s where your next success lies.
• If you have an internal fire to do something, go for it – No one can advise you on that because no one else truly knows what that drive feels like.
• You choose the lens through which you see life – Does something happen to you or for you? It’s all about the story you tell yourself. As the saying goes:
“You don’t see the world as it is, you see the world as you are.”
• Your career is a full video, not just a collection of highlight photos – Always take a step back to see the bigger picture and keep things in perspective.
Arik’s words left a strong impression, reminding us that success—whether in sports, career, or life—is built on mindset, resilience, and continuous growth.
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