Recorded at Idea Week 2026 in South Bend, this episode of Rooted & Reaching brings host Kris Priemer together with Priscilla Loomis, a former Olympian and entrepreneur whose career has been defined by grit, persistence, and resilience. With a background in television and film, Priscilla transitioned into entrepreneurship after retiring from the Olympics, focusing on storytelling, media, and building her own ventures. In this conversation, she traces the winding path from a childhood lawn-mowing business to competing on the world's biggest stage to building a motivational speaking career and nonprofit from the ground up.
Priscilla opens up about the parts of entrepreneurship most people never talk about: failing at multiple nine-to-five jobs, hearing "this is going to fail" from the very people she asked for help, and learning the hard way that ideas are a dime a dozen while execution is everything. She explains how she applies the Olympic discipline of training backwards from a fixed deadline to running a business, why she refuses to block her blessings, and how knowing her lane, staying creative in Canva while hiring out the taxes, kept her moving when things got hard.
This is a candid, funny, and deeply practical conversation about resilience for anyone building something of their own. Whether you are a creative, a founder, or a community builder in Michiana and beyond, Priscilla's message lands: expect the no's, protect your boundaries, get in new rooms, and keep going, because you are only one yes away.
Key Takeaways:
● Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has an idea; the real work is execution and planning, and Priscilla admits she "was not ready" and "was not prepared" when she started.
● Train backwards from the deadline. The Olympics taught Priscilla to set a fixed goal and reverse-engineer the plan yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly, adjusting for setbacks while still executing toward the target.
● Know your lane and hire out the rest. Priscilla leans into her creative strengths and refuses to do her own taxes, a lesson Kris echoes after doing his books manually in Excel for years before switching to QuickBooks.
● Be ready for the blessing you asked for. As a mentor reminded Kris, if there is no real problem and everything is going well, you asked for a full plate and you got it, so be prepared to carry it.
● Boundaries are non-negotiable. Athletes have to be "selfish" about their mindset, body, and time, and Priscilla brings that same protective discipline to family, friends, and business.
● Know the difference between a mentor, an advisor, and a coach. A mentor supports you, an advisor pushes you to go, and a coach holds you accountable even when it is uncomfortable.
● Get in new rooms. Growth requires meeting new people in new places; staying in your bubble means nothing grows.
● Expect the no's. Priscilla has been told no many times, which she reads as a sign her asks are big, and reminds entrepreneurs that when people do not see your value, it does not lessen your value, you are just in the wrong room.
● You are one yes away. Resilience and persistence are the throughline from the track to entrepreneurship: "I can fail 10,000 times and I will, then 10,001, I will get it."
Connect:
● Rooted & Reaching Podcast: https://www.southbendelkhart.org
● Host: Kris Priemer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopherpriemer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristopherpriemer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCL3lsN7A878BtyvR5Y1xQLw
● Guest: Priscilla Loomis, Former Olympian and Entrepreneur - [LinkedIn TK]
Website: https://priscillaloomis.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-loomis-oly/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priscilla_frederick/
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