Editor’s note: Nancy Cox is the founder of Research Story Consulting and former CPG corporate researcher. Her work and play include words, sketchpads, cooking (not baking) and the occasional sock puppet.
Passions, hobbies, healthy distractions and even guilty pleasures – discover how the research community plays and how that plays out in their work life. In the Venn diagram of work and play, what happens when work and play overlap? Research colleagues share their work and play stories in this interview series by Nancy Cox.
Hello to Eric Santos, co-founder and chief operations officer, HUBUX
What is the “play” in your life?
I’ve been boxing for the past decade. Obviously not a lifelong thing. I didn’t start out as the most athletic type – I skateboarded in high school as an outlet, something to do with friends but also just by myself. Not competitive, and more of an activity than I would say a sport. Then in college a friend wanted to try kickboxing. A cardio class – again not competitive. He left after the first lesson, I think he was more interested in going to meet girls, but I was intrigued. I stayed. And I got into kickboxing – my first foray into training, going to the gym. I kept going to classes, I started watching YouTube videos and then one day the instructor said, “Would you like to come to our advanced class?” So, I did. I trained then I started doing amateur fights as a kickboxer. But as a college senior facing not only the stress of graduation but an upcoming fight, I realized I could not do both. I cancelled the fight. And I quit going to the gym because, to be honest, I felt a bit ashamed of canceling the fight.
I did keep the training discipline, lifting then adding running. One morning, another runner who was also a boxing instructor invited me to stop by the gym and step inside the ring. Once again, I fell in love with combat sports only this time with boxing not kickboxing.
While I have not competed, I’ve trained every day for the last three years. During that time, I also co-founded a gym, Big Brother Boxing, that started as a business but has evolved into its true mission as a nonprofit. Our focus is training at-risk youth here in Fresno. Boxing can turn lives around and while that’s not my boxing story, that story honors the experience of many, including my co-founders.
And I’m still running. I ran a half-marathon in June. I did a Spartan race earlier in 2022. Spartan races are 5K and above but instead of a flat track, you run on terrain with elevation gain. Plus, there are obstacles, points in the course where you will do rope climbing, jumping over a wall, throwing spears. If you can’t do an obstacle, you can do burpees. In my first race, I got in the top 5% in a field of over one thousand racers. I find Spartan racing more exciting than running in a straight line and it’s for all ages. I ran alongside a guy that was 61.
How has your play influenced your research work?
In combat sports, you must be willing to learn. In boxing, your coaches physically hit you. While you don’t get physically hit at work, being able to take constructive feedback and direction – having that coachable mentality – definitely helps. Being a coachable boxing student makes you a more coachable entrepreneur.
Then there’s rolling with the punches. We’ve all heard “roll with the punches” but it’s not just a saying, it’s an actual boxing technique you use when a fist comes at you. You roll your body or head with it vs. toward it. You’re minimizing the force. There are two parts of that saying to think about – the one that might get underplayed is understanding you are going to get hit. Nobody boxes without getting hit. Same with any person at a profession level – it’s not all wins. You’re going to take punches along the way. But the second part is that I can be loose, I can roll with it.
In boxing, mental toughness is about overcoming an opponent. In running, mental toughness about overcoming adversity. Dealing with physical and emotional taxation – your legs are getting floppy and you’re telling yourself, “Don’t quit!”
What would you tell readers who want to know more about your area of play?
The best way is going to your local gym. Look at Yelp and look at the reviews. Make sure it’s a reputable gym. What does that gym specialize in? Is it for kids? Before our gym was a nonprofit, we specialized in boxing training for doctors, lawyers and professionals who just wanted to work out. The gyms that focus on training professional fighters as their business model – probably not your best choice as a beginner.
Boxing is not as scary or formidable as you might think. Pick an intro class. You’ll find people very much like yourself. A diverse mix of beginners. Interestingly, we had such a variety of people at our gym, such as city council members, that they ended up helping us build our nonprofit. People who were hit by their coaches are now part of our nonprofit board.