Venus Williams Shares Her Strategies for Success in New Book

When I interview Venus Williams just before the release of her health and wellness book, Strive, she’s genuinely warm. This affable quality contributes to the tennis superstar’s success as a multifaceted businesswoman, who turned two of her personal passions—interior design and wellness—into thriving professional pursuits. Among the most accomplished players in the history of tennis, Williams began competing professionally at age 14 and has achieved seven Grand Slam titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals.

Venus Williams as Wimbledon champion, 2008 / Photo: Simon Bruty/Any Chance/Getty Images

Williams may have spent hours a day on the court during the peak of her career, but she always had an eye on design. After becoming a certified decorator, she founded her firm, V Starr, in 2002. Most recently, she has merged decor and technology by launching an AI-powered design platform, Palazzo. Williams also established Happy Viking, a plant-based protein powder brand, and indulges her love for art by curating exhibitions and supporting artists. Impressively, she manages all of these endeavors while grappling with Sjögren’s syndrome, an auto-immune disorder that can cause fatigue, swelling, dry mouth and a host of other symptoms. “I try to get enough sleep, which is hard because I love to work,” Williams tells me. Lately, that includes Strive, on sale September 10.

Why Strive and Why Now

Strive doesn’t mark Williams’ first foray as an author. She published a motivational book, Come to Win, in 2010, which hit number five on The New York Times Best Seller list. Fast-forward 14 years to this new release, and the theme of inspiring others continues. Strive details a life-improvement program founded on eight tenets such as “observe,” “believe” and “balance.” Every chapter guides readers through applying these principles to their diets, activities and environments. “It takes a lot of time to write a book, and you’re putting all of your emotions into it,” Williams explains. “I was getting an incredible itch to share what I have learned since I wrote my last book.”

She says that she wants nothing more than to see people living their best lives. “I love seeing people happy and thrive. Strive is about activating toward your best life and making it easy to do so. It doesn’t have to be complicated or scary.” As is usually the case with any worthwhile self-help read, Williams’ own experiences have informed her book and shaped its writing, with her tennis career leading the way. “Everything I have learned on the court plays into Strive,” she says.

In the book, she reflects on her semifinal match at the US Open when she was 19. “I was too nervous and afraid, and it got in the way. Serena was playing too and ended up winning the tournament,” Williams says. “That match showed me I had to change. I was going to be a good player and get far by listening to my coaches and not holding back by playing it safe. I was going to make the right move. If the right move was to go to the net, then that’s what I would do.

“At the end of the day,” she continues, “greatness isn’t luck—it’s execution. I had to learn it.”

A Healthier Body and Mind

The most valuable lesson from Williams’ own life that she hopes to impart to others in Strive is that it’s okay and even helpful to be uncomfortable. “You want to embrace being uncomfortable and not keeping it easy, not just in tennis but in life,” she says. “Challenges are an opportunity to build skills. I don’t remember the easy matches I played. I remember the hard ones.”

Further, she believes that honesty and communication are important in cultivating these skills. “If you’re in a relationship and not communicating with that person about the things you need because you’re afraid of a breakup or won’t tell your boss that you need a raise for fear of what will happen, the truth eventually busts out,” Williams says. “At that point, you’ve exploded.” And given that Strive is a service book centered on wellness, Williams offers plenty of advice on how people can be healthier, both mentally and physically.

Many of us, for instance, struggle with getting enough exercise. Counter this, Williams suggests, by moving your body every day but doing it in a way that’s enjoyable. “Do what you like—dancing, pickleball or anything else,” she says. “Of course, days off are fine, but I encourage every person to move.” With respect to diet, Williams says that eating the right foods to meet your specific goals is key. “What we put in our body fuels us or breaks us, whether you’re training for a marathon or looking to drop a few pounds.”

Williams says her own objective at this point in her life is to gain muscle and reduce inflammation—the latter being a side effect of Sjögren’s syndrome. “I haven’t been eating as much because I have been running around and traveling, but I need to eat more to put on muscle and have to observe that,” she says.

Eliminating sugar and increasing her fruit and vegetable intake have been two of the most significant steps she has taken to set herself up for success. “I have been off sugar for about 90 days now. I feel better, and the mental freedom is exhilarating,” Williams says. “My favorite candy is SweeTarts, and I’m not thinking about when I can get my next fix because I don’t have the cravings I had.”

Williams also believes that meditating is a road map to wellness. “Meditate on your goals through visualization, journaling or actual meditation. Put the mental effort into it,” she says. As she embarks on a tour for Strive and meets her fans at signings, Williams says she’s most looking forward to hearing the stories of readers who are applying the book’s principles to their lives. “When you do healthy things, you feel on top of the world and good about yourself, and I want everyone to feel that.”

A Love for Design

V Starr design for Modera Coral Springs, Florida / Photo: Ryan Loco

Williams’ inclination toward fashion and design was the impetus for V Starr, a firm that is noted for its impressive projects in the hotel and residential spaces. Her company imagines interiors with a fresh style, bringing in a global perspective and having a distinct voice for each job, which could be a large development or a luxury private home. V Starr’s clients include Brookfield, Hilton, Related, Terra Group and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Palazzo, Williams says, is her mark in the technical aspect of interior design and a collaboration with entrepreneurs Raffi Holzer and Edward Lando.

Palazzo allows users to upload photos of the areas in their homes they want to design. An AI chatbot, Vinci, analyzes the images and suggests ideas for the rooms.

“I’ve spent my whole life in interior design, but now I’m involved with AI because I want to be a part of the future, and the innovation is incredible,” Williams says. “When the opportunity came, I couldn’t resist.”

The Art of Success

With her portrait by Robert Pruitt at the Portrait of a Nation Gala at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. / Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Portrait Gallery

“Art is my happy place,” Williams tells me, and being a part of the arts landscape is a priority for her. In 2022, she received the Portrait of a Nation Award for her outstanding contributions to the United States and selected the renowned artist Robert Pruitt to create her portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Last year, Williams cocurated an auction exhibition with Pace gallery and artist Adam Pendelton for the Nina Simone Childhood Home preservation project, an initiative to save the namesake singer’s former residence

Williams is also excited about her new six-episode Widening the Lens podcast, in partnership with the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. The series highlights 20 notable artists, writers and scholars, many of whom are featured in the museum’s exhibition on photography and the environment.

Besides art, Williams enjoys travel and says Paris is her “other happy place.” “I love Europe and would live in Europe if I could, but it might be too late.” Other favorite diversions include karaoke, movies and escape rooms: “I’m an escape-room junkie and just did a virtual one with my niece.”

But ultimately Williams is passionate about working and considers her career a hobby. I ask her secret to becoming a high-achieving entrepreneur who juggles multiple roles.

“It’s about trusting your instincts and having a great team,” Williams says. “Entrepreneurship evokes the idea of risk, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can test in small ways to minimize the risk and pivot if you need to.” She pauses and adds, “Oh, and you should always have a plan B.”