We wanted Nike to be the world's best sports and fitness company.

Host: The evening had settled in, the quiet hum of the world outside blending with the stillness inside the room. The light from the window had softened, casting a gentle glow across the room. Jeeny sat at the edge of the couch, a book lying forgotten in her lap, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Jack, standing by the window, looked out at the darkening sky, his arms crossed, lost in thought. The air between them seemed to hum with a kind of anticipation, as if something important was about to be said.

Finally, Jeeny spoke, her voice calm, yet filled with a quiet determination.

Jeeny: “I came across something today by Phil Knight that really struck me. He said, ‘We wanted Nike to be the world’s best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don’t end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: (pauses, his voice thoughtful) “I get it. It’s about focus, right? When you define what you want to be, it gives you direction. You stop spreading yourself too thin, trying to be everything to everyone. By setting that clear vision—Nike as the best sports and fitness company—you can stay on course and build everything around that single goal.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her voice steady) “Exactly. The clarity of focus gives you the freedom to say no to everything else. It’s so easy to get distracted by new opportunities, by shiny things that pull you off course. But once you define what you’re trying to achieve, it simplifies everything. It lets you focus all your energy on being the best at what you truly care about.”

Host: The soft light in the room seemed to deepen as the conversation settled in, as if the weight of the words had begun to open up a new line of thinking. Jack’s expression softened as he processed the depth of what Jeeny had just shared, while the world outside seemed to quiet, waiting for the next part of the conversation to unfold.

Jack: (his voice quieter now) “It’s easy to forget the power of saying no. We live in a world where there’s so much noise, so many opportunities, that it feels like saying yes to everything is the way to succeed. But Nike didn’t become the best by being all things to all people—they became the best by committing to their vision, to their focus.”

Jeeny: (with a slight smile) “Yes. The moment you define your mission, you cut away everything that doesn’t serve it. You stop chasing every opportunity and start building the one thing you’ve decided is most important. It’s about being clear enough to know where you belong and where you don’t.”

Jack: (pauses, a small smile forming) “So, it’s not about doing everything—it’s about doing one thing better than anyone else.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her voice calm but full of conviction) “Exactly. By saying ‘we want to be the best sports and fitness company,’ they made a choice. They chose to dedicate themselves to that one thing, and everything they did after that decision served that purpose. And the result was something extraordinary. Focus is what allows you to make your mark.”

Host: The room seemed to settle into a quiet understanding, the words lingering in the air like a soft truth. The light had grown dimmer now, the world outside moving through the stillness of the night. But inside, there was a clarity that came with defining what you truly wanted—cutting through the distractions and finding the one thing that mattered most.

Jack: (smiling slightly, voice soft) “It’s funny—Nike didn’t try to be everything. They just focused on being the best at one thing.”

Jeeny: (smiling back) “And by doing so, they became everything. The power of focus, of commitment to a single vision, is what sets you apart from the rest.”

Host: The world outside had grown dark, but the room felt full of quiet light—a sense of clarity that had settled between Jeeny and Jack. The understanding that, sometimes, the key to success is in the ability to say no to everything that doesn’t align with your vision, and to say yes to the one thing that drives you forward. The conversation, simple yet profound, had left behind a quiet truth: in focus, there is freedom—and in that freedom, greatness is born.