Interview Quotes

Time Management and Balancing Life

"I think that what's a little bit misunderstood about me is that because my three things, like the fashion world, skiing, and school, they're like kind of geographically disparate. So it's not like I wake up in the morning and like ski for three hours and then go to my like seminar in the afternoon and then go shoot a campaign at night. But realistically, what I'm really good at is less doing everything at the same time and more pivoting with very low emotional toll."

— Eileen Gu • 00:34:04

"Yeah. And it's like when you're doing one thing, it's rest from another thing. So, for example, if I'm training or if I'm working out, like that's a physical toll. But if I'm sitting in a classroom, my body is repairing itself while I'm doing something else. So it's like I have all these tasks running in the background."

— Eileen Gu • 00:35:04

Post-Olympic Depression and Burnout

"There's this thing called post-Olympic depression, and it's like very common among athletes, pretty well-known phenomenon. But the interesting thing is it's not at all correlated to result. And I think that's what's kind of surprising to people is like you can win the Olympics and still just enter the deepest rut of your life and just really be questioning everything."

— Eileen Gu • 00:36:09

"And I was no exception. Right. So like I'm talking to my friends who had this huge disappointment at the Olympics. And in a way, they're like, you know, I mean, talking to you is kind of making me feel better because you literally had the, you know, quote unquote, perfect Olympics. You broke all these records and you're still feeling this way. You're feeling the same way. And so it's almost makes them feel better in a way."

— Eileen Gu • 00:37:47

Navigating Career and Contracts

"I've always made a point of reading my own contracts. I think that's super important to anybody out there. Like young people, seriously, read your own contracts. Do not trust anyone with the final read. I don't care who they are. Read the final cut. Really, really important."

— Eileen Gu • 01:05:48

"So don't be afraid to ask. I would say it's like number one. Go and do the work beforehand. So like have a sense of your value. I would say that's super important. What differentiates you? Why do you deserve what you think you deserve? And then how to ask. So those are, I think, the two the two steps. But the biggest thing is honestly, don't be afraid to try because the worst someone can say is no."

— Eileen Gu • 01:09:11

The Importance of Self-Reflection and Solitude

"I feel like it's so valuable to take time and just be alone. And you don't even have to be doing anything. You don't need to have a crazy itinerary. It's just the sense of being alone in the world and building up that self-confidence of, hey, I am a capable person. I have good critical thinking skills. I can take care of myself. If everything blows up tomorrow, I can survive."

— Eileen Gu • 01:29:01

"And I think part of that is like the only way to really get to know yourself is by being alone. Otherwise, you just become a combination of everyone around you. And then you don't learn to think about like, what do I actually care about? Like, what do I want to see?"

— Eileen Gu • 01:30:30

Building a Personal Brand and Authenticity

"But it actually is just me. Like I actually just like these things. And if nobody knew who I was, if I didn't get paid to do any of it, these would be the things that I would want to be doing. As far as the building a brand thing, I think the biggest thing is knowing myself and knowing what I stand for."

— Eileen Gu • 01:38:07

"And it's easy to know that because I know myself. So I went in, I wanted to embody strength. I wanted to embody femininity and the intersection of beauty and power. I actually wrote my college essay on that."

— Eileen Gu • 01:51:06

Embracing Dual Identity

"I'm not fully one. I'm actually both. And there's no shame in that. Like, I'm fully both. And that's even better. My world is even bigger. I've expanded my worldview. And I get to play this unique role as a bridge and bring all this joy that I get to experience from both of these places to one another. And that's the most powerful and awesome and exciting thing that I could possibly think of."

— Eileen Gu • 02:08:37

"I felt so misunderstood. And I first I think it was sadness. It was disappointment. And then it was anger. I felt really angry."

— Eileen Gu • 02:13:45

The Value of "Nerd" Culture and Academic Pursuits

"And I'm so happy. We're all nerds, let's be honest. I mean, the older you get, the cooler it is. And then everyone wishes they were a nerd when they were younger."

— Eileen Gu • 02:52:57

"So if I've taken physics class and if I know how the trick feels in the air and I put those two things together, I feel like that gives me a unique edge. Also, when it comes to competition mentality, if I've taken a psychology class, if I learn about fear, if I know how to learn and know when to practice, almost like studying, that gives me an edge."

— Eileen Gu • 02:59:38

The Fragility of the Male Ego and Healthy Partnerships

"The male ego is such an interesting thing, but it's a very fragile one. And it's, the danger around the male ego is that it's, people don't study it. People aren't aware of it. And so you can't even point to it and be like, oh, that's X, Y, Z. It's just this like inherent thing that if a guy is insecure, if he hasn't done the self-work, it shows."

— Eileen Gu • 03:12:08

"And, like, you shouldn't feel small. I don't know. I feel like there's two kind of, like, approaches to this where it's like, okay, there's the kind of relationship where it's, like, truly a partnership where it's like you and whoever you're with, whether you're with a lady or a dude, it's like you're sitting down every two months, you're like, okay, like, where are you struggling? Where am I struggling? What are our goals for the next couple months? Let's, like, be a team here."

— Eileen Gu • 03:15:07

The Importance of Rest and Slowing Down

"And so, I think eventually, like, my mom, mentors, people I really respected were coming to me and being like, look, Eileen, the best time of our life was really in college. Like, we had so much fun. We didn't have these crazy responsibilities that we have now. Like, the real world hasn't really hit yet, but we get to go around and learn for fun, be around like-minded people, be in this beautiful place. Like, why are you rushing to get out?"

— Eileen Gu • 03:25:35

"And, like, people don't understand the emotional and physical toll that injury takes on athletes. And it's just, like, absolutely debilitating on all levels. Like, so brutal."

— Eileen Gu • 03:30:45

Navigating Perceptions and Preconceived Notions

"Another thing, for example, could be, like, oh, you're actually really XYZ. That's the classic. Ew. Wait, you're actually really smart. Wait. Wait. You actually really know what's going on in this class. You're actually really well prepared for this final."

— Eileen Gu • 03:33:55