When Karina LeBlanc takes the stage at VenueConnect in Portland, OR, “the conversation is going to be about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and living a life of purpose.”
LeBlanc’s VC24 keynote address on Monday, July 29, will intertwine her experiences as an Olympian, a mother who had a near-death experience at childbirth, and a professional in women’s soccer who is currently general manager of the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, as well as President of Thorns Operations. “I use different moments in my life to figure out who I want to be as leader, mother, and friend and how I want to exist on this earth,” she said of her style.
Into her third season in Portland, there are plenty of current discomforts to add to the list of moments, but the Olympic bronze medalist also draws from her 18-year career playing goalie in international soccer and her role as Head of Women’s Football (Soccer) for CONCACAF where she helped change the landscape for women’s sports in 41 countries in North and Central America and the Caribbean. She spent a lot of time convincing heads of state that there were “a lot of me’s in your country. Let them at it. This is an impact you can have…a why.”
Having a “why” to your life and career is important to LeBlanc. “People may see I’m an Olympic medalist, but that’s not the focus of my speech. My speech is about life, how we show up every day for ourselves and for others, and how we can reignite that superpower within ourselves of who we’re meant to be on this earth…The most important thing in life is truly living life, showing love and being loved and mattering.”
In her executive position in Portland, she works “to create a culture that I think helps people enjoy coming to work today. They feel alive in what they do. They realize it’s not about a job but part of their journey on this earth. And making sure they are impacting other people, not just doing a job. The greatest thing we can do is be of service to others. Our time on this earth is not as much about our accomplishments, but it’s the impact we can leave.”
LeBlanc and her husband moved to Portland three years ago from the Bahamas, where they spent the COVID years, and she nearly died giving birth to four-year-old Paris. It was an opportunity to be closer to “home,” which is Vancouver, B.C., where they grew up, met, and married.
Her first year with the Portland Thorns, the team won the championship; last year, they were second in the league, almost winning the shield, and this is her third year back. She had played one season for the team in 2013.
“In Portland, we’ve had a lot of transition. The team recently sold to new ownership. It’s a journey stepping into this new era. The Portland Thorns get 20,000 [attendance] every week for women’s games. We see the trajectory of women’s sports, made obvious in this year’s Final Four. Over two million walk through the doors to watch women’s soccer, which is game changing and groundbreaking.”
When VenueConnectors get to Portland, they’ll find a city where just about everybody has heard of or been to a Thorns game, she said. “It’s why I’m excited to have this conversation in Portland – to celebrate the incredible human beings and women who play in the city.”
LeBlanc promises her conversation will be specific to making the IAVM audience of venue professionals realize the benefits of being comfortable being uncomfortable. “For me, it’s bringing my authentic self to the conversation and helping people walk away feeling and thinking differently of the powers they have within themselves.”
When she retired from professional sports, LeBlanc took some good advice and went to visit businesspeople she knew, shadowing them and asking why they did what they did. “I realized quickly that in the 18 years I played soccer for my country and traveled the world, I was surrounded by like-minded people. I missed that. I needed to get back in an environment where I was surrounded by like-minded people who were connected on something bigger than themselves, even if they were selling cars.”
They weren’t selling cars, they were really helping people transport their loved ones from point A to point B, she decided. “If you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing, then of course you’re not going to do it to the best of your ability. People were coasting through life. Why are people doing that? That’s why they hit snooze five times in the morning. I’m like whew, let’s go, today I get to be the best version of myself, and if I “fail,” it’s because I’m living life, not just being average. Failure hurts, it’s a gut punch, but for me, it’s an opportunity to learn more.”
A lot will happen between now and July, some of which will end up in LeBlanc’s conversation, along with significant past experiences. “Three months from now, our team will be in a completely different place. In my life, it’s ever-changing, always adapting. In life, things change quickly, rapidly. Who would have thought we’d go through a pandemic? In live arenas, people are coming more than ever but their expectations are different. The more you can get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the better you are in this thing called life.”
Introduced to soccer at age 11, after moving from the Caribbean to Canada; watching her first Olympics and deciding to become an Olympian; not making the cut at the first team she tried out for at age 14; being advised by her dad to put in the time and effort, not just count on potential … all those steps helped her in “finding my people. Feeling ignited by my people. I was goalkeeper. Very quickly I had to realize that one moment would never define me.”
If you’re comfortable and stay there, you’re stuck. “To become an Olympian, if I did what everybody else did, I would never get there. I had to surround myself with like-minded people. Do things differently. I did not want to be average.”
“Why can’t we live life where we’re staying in the best versions of ourselves rather than allowing ourselves to just be where we are,” she asks. “Every human being on this earth is meant to live in that space of their greatness.”
LeBlanc admits she loves the chaos and pressure that define the best version of her life, but someone else’s version might be to take care of people’s dogs and do it the best they can.
“I love doing these conversations because I may have the ability to impact at least one person in that audience. That they will know they are meant to live a life that is impactful, powerful and the best version of themselves.”
The best question ever from an audience member after one of her conversations was very basic — “How do I find out my why?”
Her answer: “What lights you up in life? Start living in that space and impacting the people around you. Be of service to other people and you find out what you are meant to do in this world.”
