Time to Lock In

What's your walk-up song?

Last week, during Parent Shadow Day at my twin boys’ middle school, I had just sat down in Alex’s Spanish class when the teacher asked his students who had nominated their parents.

When Alex’s hand went up, I whispered, “What is this? What’s happening? Nominated for what?”

Alex shrugged.

The teacher said the students and parents, paired up, would compete to see who could count to 20 in Spanish fastest, alternating turns. Child: Uno, Parent: Dos, Child: Tres, etc.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I hissed.

Alex shrugged again, nonplused. “I forgot,” he whispered back. “Just lock in, Mom.”

For the uninitiated to Gen Z and Gen Alpha speak, “lock in” means entering a state of focused concentration to execute the task at hand. For my son and me, music helps us lock in. More on that soon, but for now, back to the classroom.

First up was a native speaker and her bi-lingual son, which set the bar high. Alex and I were second. I locked in. He locked in.

Then we watched as about 10 other parent-child duos stood up and counted to 20. As each time was called our eyes darted to the whiteboard to see how close it came to ours.

Alex and I ended up second in the class, behind the native speaker and her son.

Next was a game of Simon Says, or Simon Dice in Spanish, with rapid-fire commands given in Spanish. Anyone who acted without Simon Dice preceding the command was sent to the room’s perimeter.

“Lock in, Alex. Just do what I do!” I said, emboldened by our counting performance.

I was a Political Science and Spanish double major in undergrad, but now the only people I feel at ease speaking Spanish with are the 4-year-old students enrolled in my organization’s preschool programs.

We were among the few left in the center of the room when the teacher said we were out of time.

I was on a high for a few hours after, thrilled I could “lock in” and perform on the spot without my usual process of preparation for a high-stakes moment.

As a CEO, there are moments every week when I am called to think, act, or speak with little time for deep reflection, and as an introvert, I have had to grow more comfortable stepping up in the moment.

The routine I follow to lock in for a speech always includes exercise and hype music.

But for big moments, like a keynote speech, an important presentation to my board, or an interview on a podcast, I follow a process to lock in. The steps can vary depending on what I’m preparing for, but the process always involves music.

As a baseball parent, I am a huge fan of walk-up songs. They psyche up the players and give fans a glimpse into their personalities.

For several seasons of Little League and travel ball, Alex’s walk-up song was The Business by Tiesto, a track that had been on heavy rotation in my car as I’d ferry him to school and practice or run errands together.

I loved how the announcer would say Alex’s name, and as Alex would walk to the plate, we’d hear: “Let’s get down, let’s get down to business…”

Yes, he was only 8 or 9, but I thought that while psyching him up, the song also put some fear into the pitcher. And every time I’d hear it, I’d think of our car rides together. I was always loading him up with House music, and the anthems popular in the 1990s when I was a college grad living in London and spending every spare moment at Ministry of Sound—an iconic nightclub and the first dedicated solely to House music.

After Alex grew tired of The Business, he chose Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Pregunto” and quickly memorized the lyrics.

His current travel ball team doesn’t do walk-up songs. They also don’t wear their hats backwards and can’t wear their uniforms with slides—only cleats. They’re really The Business.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t psyche up with music anymore. The car rides to practices and tournaments are when we carefully select the songs that get Alex’s heart pumping and make him feel confident, joyful, and loose.

Alex on the mound, in his flow, joyful and loose, and locked in on the task at hand.

We are at our best when we are those things, and there’s nothing better than music – except exercise—to get us out of our heads and into our bodies.

I recently bought a new car with the best stereo system I’ve ever experienced. There are even speakers in the headrests.

So, when Alex and I drive to practice or a game, we turn up the volume, rest our heads back, and get into the flow so he can perform.

When I have to perform, I follow a pretty standard schedule that starts with an intense workout, usually a Peloton ride with thumping music that lowers my anxiety and also gives me a burst of endorphins and confidence.

I have music on while I shower, do my makeup, and get dressed. And then the car ride: Drive quietly for a few minutes. Give the speech out loud once. Twice if I truly need it.

And then it’s time for the music. The lineup is always evolving, but currently these are my go-tos, depending on my mood and intended mindset.

If I want to feel:

Connected: Feel the Love by Rudimental

Ebullient: Hard Times by Paramore

Emo: Ceremony by New Order

Locked In: Insomnia by Faithless

What is your walk-up song? I’d love to hear how you prepare when you need to lock in. Please tell me in the comments.