Business Lessons From a Mountain Biking Crash

By Joe Peoples

As a Performance Development Coach and Real Estate Professional with over 20 years of experience, I empower individuals to create freedom and live their lives more fully. Whether my clients desire a more successful business, flexibility in their schedule, more work-life balance , or all of the above, I work side by side with them to embolden my clients to build the businesses and lives they are craving.

I’d like to share a story about a mountain biking trip I took with my sons in Utah in 2021. It happened just after I had completed coach training for Working Success and had been selected to join the group of master coaches. It was an exciting time, and to celebrate, I took my boys out to spend the remainder of the weekend mountain biking.

I introduced my kids to mountain biking back in 2014 after an epic motorcycle trip up to Colorado. Back then, we rode all the backroads and thought that it was something that we needed to do more often. Fast forward to 2021, and they were joining me in Utah for a great time.

On the first day, we spent time on some simple trails, jumping rocks, and enjoying typical mountain biking activities. That evening, we went out for dinner and met another motorcyclist. He proudly showed us a picture of his brand new and massive Triple Black Rocket Three with a 2500cc motor. During our conversation, he offered me the opportunity to ride his motorcycle.

The next morning, we planned to do downhill rides. For those unfamiliar, downhill riding involves being driven to the top of a trail and then coasting down, enjoying the ride. Knowing my skill level, I chose the inner line—the beginner line. I watched my boys go down the intermediate line right next to it. Feeling confident, I decided to try the intermediate line on our next run.

As we started down the intermediate trail, I successfully cleared the first jump, which was exciting and gave me more confidence. I approached the second jump; however, in a split second, everything changed. I went over my handlebars and found myself on the ground, which in Utah is essentially just rocks. I can’t explain the pain I was in. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t.

As I lay there, several people approached, sharing their own stories of crashing at that very spot. It turned out I had broken six bones in my back. The rescue team had to bring a special buggy to transport me down the mountain for X-rays, where we discovered the extent of my injuries.

Why is this story important? This experience taught me a valuable lesson about decision-making, which is crucial in business as well. Throughout this adventure, I had multiple opportunities to make different choices. The business choices we make in real-time impact our outcomes. For instance, my commitment to coaching and the work I had done led to my selection as a master coach.

My decision to attempt an intermediate trail without recent practice led to a painful outcome. The truth is, I hadn’t been mountain biking for years. Living in Michigan, where the terrain is predominantly flat, I wasn’t prepared enough for the challenges of Utah’s mountainous trails. This lack of preparation directly impacted my performance and safety.

I want you to remember that in business, you have great opportunities to influence certain outcomes through the small choices you make along the way. How I describe it is to be where your feet are and make the choice. That’s the opportunity to continue to build, build, and build. Now, had I been mountain biking regularly, there’s a really good chance I may not have gone over the handlebars. However, because I hadn’t invested time in maintaining and improving my skills, I faced unfortunate consequences.

Three years on, my back still aches a bit, but I’ve gone through the healing process, and now I’m a little bit smarter. The key takeaway is this: be where your feet are at the same time. Make all the best choices to end up where you want to be. If you have questions or want to connect, reach out to me by phone or email at joe@joepeoples.com. I’ll be happy to help.