Nike's So Win message (and how it can all be applied to how we work)

Let’s be honest, the Nike Superbowl ad was exactly what we needed right now.  A reminder of the fierce tenacity, unwavering grit and unapologetic brilliance of some of the world’s leading athletes.  Their success is 100% ai-unassisted, built on dedication, commitment, and talent. 

In an environment where being quiet is safe, where ambition is scorned, and where strength puts a target on your back, Nike’s commandments are a powerful reminder to us all.  It’s time to wake up, shake up and bring our best selves every single day.  

At Phase, we believe how we work has many parallels with how great athletes train.  Our brain is like a muscle.  We can train ourselves to think more creatively, to focus longer, to understand quicker.  Feed it junk (like an endless social media scroll) and it will start to deteriorate.  And, like our bodies, brains need rest, fuel and nurture to perform.  Athletes and knowledge workers alike must all tend to their brains, bodies and minds.  

And in the competitive echelons of the corporate or start-up world (wherever you play), there are game rules that we have come to follow.  We are working in teams, beating off the competition and pushing to do something new or better every day.  

Just as we have begun to see the rightful recognition of some amazing female athletes, so too we also need to start recognizing the determination, skill and potential of more women at work.   And it’s why, at Phase, we believe that Nike’s message can be applied as much to work as it can be to athletes.  

Here’s our guide to applying Nike’s principles to how you work.  Let us know: What are we missing? Which commandments are most important to you? How are you showing up at work this week?

You can’t be demanding.  You can’t be relentless.  You can’t put yourself first. So put yourself first. 

• Know what you want.  Put a stake in the ground.  Make it clear to others and ask for what you need.  This transparency will pay dividends.  

• Never give up.  Follow-up, chase-up, keep believing in your dream. We go by the rule of 6 follow-ups before you give up.  If it was easy, everyone would do it, but tenacity pays.  

• Look after number 1.  Because if you fall, so do all the building blocks that exist around you.  Your team, your family, your friends.  You owe it to them to look after yourself.  

You can’t be confident. So be confident.

• If you don’t back yourself, no one else will. If the people around you can’t take it, they are from a different level of team.  When your confidence is born from experience and skill, own it.  

You can’t challenge. So challenge.  You can’t dominate. So dominate. You can’t flex.  So flex.

• We are here to make a difference.  AI is here to tow the line. It will pump out average, in vast volumes, at great speeds.   It is our job to provide the creativity, personality and humanity to challenge, push and refine. 

• Flex your schedule to fit your hormones, your life, your needs.   Flex your goals, your priorities, you approach.  Never flex on your values.  

You can’t fill a stadium. So fill that stadium.  You can’t be emotional. So be emotional.  You can’t take credit.  

• Newsflash - if you don’t take the credit you deserve, someone else will.    Build the audience and team to support you.  Your network is one of your most valuable assets.

• Be emotional. But understand those emotions, know what drives them and use them in a way to make life richer.  Use them to know yourself better, to listen more and to understand others.  

You can’t speak up.  You can’t be so ambitious.  You can’t break records. 

• Why not?  Who said so?  You have one life.  Think about what you believe, what you truly believe and share it.  Think about what you want, what you really want.  And go for it.  Afterall, if you never try you will never know.  

You can’t have any fun.

• If it’s not fun (at least some of the time), then just stop.  Life is just too short.  Relax, cut loose, make mistakes.  Be silly.  

You can’t make demands.  You can’t be proud.   You can’t keep score. You can’t stand out. 

• Be proud.  You have already achieved so much.  Believe in who you are.  Celebrate the kindness, comradery and joy that you bring to this world. 

• When you’re winning, tell yourself, and if you like, tell the world.  Because being able to celebrate success, and to celebrate the success of others is one of life’s most precious gifts. 

Whatever you do, you can’t win.  So win. 

• Remember, there is greatness in us all, if we’d only let it show.

Phase exists to help women power up their productivity by working inline with their natural hormonal changes.  Register for the waitlist here.  

Image & words thanks to the Nike You Can Win Campaign 2025.