From ’92-'08, ANNIKA SORENSTAM cemented her legacy on the golf course, piling up 72 LPGA Tour wins and 10 major championships in a HOF career. But in ’08, Sorenstam had a different legacy she wanted to build -- one based in business. Stepping away from competitive golf at the age of 38, Sorenstam launched brand ANNIKA, which led to the creation of a training academy, course design business, financial group and Cutter & Buck clothing line. Now, Sorenstam is set to make her NBC broadcast booth debut as an analyst for the U.S. Women’s Open this weekend. With all she has going on, she says it is the busiest time of her life. But she added, "When you enjoy doing something, you don’t really think of it as work." Sorenstam recently spoke with THE DAILY about how IBM and GE influenced her business acumen, the growth challenges facing women’s golf, and what she might be throwing on her backyard grill this weekend.
What women’s golf needs more of…
What we need is exposure. We need to be on national TV on a regular basis. There are some great players, and I think sometimes they don’t get the attention they deserve. These ladies work really hard and contribute a lot to their communities, but sometimes I don’t think it comes across. On the women’s side for sure, it’s about exposure and getting to know the players, because if you don’t know them, you don’t see them.
Best advice I've ever received…
I’ve been able to use a lot of my golf experience in business. The patience, the work ethic is very similar. But I admire a lot of business men. (Former GE CEO) JACK WELCH, I’ve read his book, he’s been very successful. Some of the leaders in IBM -- my dad worked for them -- they stick to the values and the morals. We have a business promise, and we try to deliver to that all the time. I think that’s the key. I mean, who in their right mind would start a business in 2008, which is what I did. Believing in those principles, I think we’ve been able to sustain our business through those ups and downs.
Smartphone of choice…
I have an iPhone. I guess I’m an Apple person, which my dad didn’t like very much being with IBM. It was a PC growing up. He sent me to computer schools, they taught me how to write programs -- in the early 80s, that’s what you did, you wrote them. That’s obviously unheard of now. I love the simplicity, I love taking photos. My iPhone, my iPad and my MacBook is what I use a lot.
Technology that has changed my work life…
Social media in general. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the list goes on. We use that all the time to share with the fans what I’m up to business-wise or personally. Share golf tips, it’s a great informational tool to share. I love following people’s news because I think we’re in this informational age where we want news all the time.
Latest music download…
I like COLDPLAY, but my latest thing that I downloaded was probably from TRAIN, one of their songs, possibly MAROON 5. Another app I use a lot is Pandora. I hook it up to our house speakers and will have it playing throughout the day. I guess like easy listening, modern music. I do love the '80s as well, but that’s probably what I listen to the most.
What ya got cooking…
I really don’t go out unless I have to. I actually love to cook, so we spend a lot of our nights at home together with my husband, we have friends over. So we don’t really go out. I love seafood and vegetables and grilling. Yesterday we had some portabella mushrooms that I grilled. I like a good cheese and a glass of wine. Once in a while I’ll have a little pie that I make.
