What a Mountain Biker Taught Me About Career Momentum

You already know more than you think you do about navigating career transitions. Think about it: You've learned new systems, built professional relationships, and solved problems that once seemed impossible. You've already proven you can adapt and grow.

The challenge isn't your capability—it's that you're comfort braking through the turns instead of trusting the skills you've already developed to maintain momentum."

For the podcast, I recently interviewed Liz Donahey, author of "The 23 Principles of Mountain Biking" and founder of MTB Girls Magazine. What fascinated me wasn't just her success in being both a marketing professional and magazine publisher—it was how she used the exact same principles that help her navigate treacherous mountain trails.

Here are the five principles that can transform how you approach your career journey:

Principle 1: Don't Be Afraid to Ride

"Nothing can begin if you're too afraid to start," Liz told me. At four years old, she crashed her Tonka truck trying to follow her siblings down a hill. Instead of developing fear, she developed curiosity about how to do it better next time.

Your career application: Taking that first pedal stroke means you'll finally stop losing months (or years) to overthinking. This helps you bypass the endless research phase and start gathering real-world data about what actually works for you. And you'll know within 90 days whether this path is right, instead of wondering for another year.

And ask yourself: What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?

Principle 2: Ride With People Better and Faster Than You

When Liz wanted to get faster, her coach gave her a piece of advice that changed everything: "You need to ride with people that are better and faster than you because you don't know how fast you can actually be."

One young rider on her team explained his rapid improvement simply: "When you ride with people that fast, you have to keep up."

Your career application: Don’t worry about being the smartest person in your professional circle. Join that mastermind that scares you a little bit. Apply for that position that feels just out of reach. Attend that conference where you might be the least experienced person in the room.

Ask yourself: Who is out there in my field who’s just ahead of me, and how can I get closer to their orbit?

Principle 3: Master Your Switchbacks

"You're only as good as your switchback," Liz explained. In mountain biking, switchbacks are those sharp, technical turns on climbs. They're where most people lose momentum, brake too hard, or simply get off and walk.

But here's the thing: The switchback is where the real skill development happens. It's where good riders separate from great ones.

Your career application: Mastering your career switchbacks means you'll navigate transitions with confidence instead of panic. This helps you maintain income, relationships, and momentum during change—while others stall out or have to start over. You'll turn what most people see as career-ending disruptions into career-accelerating opportunities.

Principle 4: Prepare to Go the Distance Alone

For her 8-hour endurance race, Liz trained to complete 40 miles solo, even though it's a team event. "Just like with business," she explained, "we lose partners, we lose funds, something doesn't go our way—we're still able to win in the end."

This isn't pessimism. It's preparation. When you're ready to carry the full load, you become invaluable to any team.

Your career application: Build skills and resilience that don't depend on perfect conditions. Develop multiple revenue streams. Create systems that work even when support structures fail. Be the professional everyone wants on their team because you're prepared for anything.

Ask yourself: If all my support systems disappeared tomorrow, could I still reach my goal?

Principle 5: Turn Competitors Into Partners

"Kind and smart wins, dumb and mean loses," Liz tells her daughters. On the trail, she lets faster riders pass. In business, she celebrates other women, even those who might be seen as "competition."

"You're going to have competitors that actually end up being your partners if you play it well," she observed.

Your career application: This approach multiplies your opportunities exponentially. Instead of fighting for the same small pie, you'll create bigger opportunities together. That way, you’ll gain more referrals, more collaborative projects, and access to networks that would have taken years to build alone. Plus, you'll actually enjoy your industry instead of constantly looking over your shoulder.

Ask yourself: Which "competitor" could become my best partner if I approached them differently?

Your Technical Line Awaits

Here's what I want you to know: The easy path isn't actually easier—it's just longer. And the safe route you've been taking? It's costing you time, energy, and momentum you can't afford to lose.

Liz went from journalism to digital marketing to magazine publishing, using these same principles at every switchback. When Mountain Bike Action wasn't ready for her vision, she didn't take the rejection as a speed limit. She saw it as an invitation to create something bigger.

Now she's telling stories that have waited decades to be told, partnering with the biggest brands in the industry, and inspiring 4 million women mountain bikers.

I'm curious—which principle hit you right between the eyes? And which one made you think, 'Yeah, but that won't work for me because...'? Share both in the comments. Sometimes our resistance points us toward our biggest breakthroughs.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach specializing in helping mid-stage professionals gain clarity on their career journey. I’ve written a guide on how to escape the work hamster wheel. Click here to download yours.