Charlie Mechem sits down with professional women’s golfer Annika Sörenstam to discuss her career as a Hall-of-Fame golfer and business woman, and life as a wife and mother. To tell her story, Annika reacts to the anecdotes from Charlie’s book, “Total Anecdotal: A Fun Guide to Help You Become a Better Speaker and Writer,” which can be found available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and our publisher.
No Shortcuts
Annika learned early on that there are no shortcuts to success, she knew that if she wanted to be the best of the best, she would have to work through rain, snow, and wind. This kind of commitment would lead her to over 100 golf victories worldwide, make her the first female player to shoot a 59, and the first female to play in a men’s PGA tour event since 1945. After a nearly career ending injury, Annika had to make the hard decision to stop and heal. But, just because Annika had to put her professional golfing career on pause, did not mean she was going to stop being a professional. While she recovered from her injury, Annika set forth to develop her Annika brand and ANNIKA Foundation; she took something negative and sprouted something positive out of it.
The Course and the Environment
Global warming and climate change are huge issues today. Many worry that golf courses, with their use of large amounts of water and fertilizers, may have an effect on the environment. Annika is an advocate for environmental conservation, and believes that time on the golf course is actually a great way to come up with new ideas to save the planet.
Annika and Arnold
Annika worked with her friend Arnold Palmer to develop a domestic golf course in Minneapolis. Annika designed the front 9, while Arnold designed the back 9. They call the course the King and the Queen. This course was a great way to develop Annika and Arnold’s relationship as friends and fellow golfers, as well as a way to promote communication on the golf course. Annika believes that there is no better way to get to know someone than to play a round or two of golf with them.
Women on the Course
Women’s careers and wages in professional sports, as well as off the course, has been a prevailing topic for a long time. Recently, great strides have been made to level the playing field—or rather, course—between men and women. Annika has had a huge part in promoting equality on the course. Annika is confident that their hard work toward equality will pay off, and open many opportunities for the next generation of golfers.
Recipes for Success
Golf played a huge factor in Annika’s life to inspire her to be the very best, it helped her learn to always push for what she wanted. Golf promotes imagination and communication, two key ingredients to any recipe for success—though it should be noted that there are innumerable recipes. Annika Sörenstam is an inspiring example of doing what it takes to be successful and working through the negatives to come out with grand positives. When Annika and her family were faced with the difficult early delivery of her son, Will, there was no way they could have known what the future would hold. However, Annika did what she always has, and that is push forward. Annika knows to take every opportunity that she is presented with, as she can never know what that opportunity, and the future in general, may hold.
If you’d like to listen to more episodes of “15 Minutes With Charlie,” please visit charliemechem.com or search for “15 Minutes With Charlie” in your podcasting app. If you are enjoying the show you should check out “Total Anecdotal: A Fun Guide to Help You Become a Better Speaker and Writer.” Learn more at charliemechem.com/book, or find it available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and our publisher.