As a freshman on Brown University’s rowing team, Cameron Janes was grinding through brutal six-day-a-week practices under the relentless eye of Coach Scott Roop—yet he still wasn’t in the top boat. He was frustrated. He was exhausted. And he was at an all-time low.
One day at a particularly tough practice, as the crew found themselves rowing even further away from their starting point with no relief in sight, Roop looked at the team and said something that stuck with Janes for the rest of his life: “If you have to dig a ditch, you might as well whistle while you’re doing it.”
Janes, now the Chief Operating Officer at REI, overseeing $3.7 billion in annual sales across more than 190 stores, shared this pivotal moment on a recent episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast. At the time, he didn’t want to hear it. In fact, he admitted, “I almost jumped out of the boat and tried to kill him at that moment.” But later, the lesson sank in.
What Coach Roop was teaching wasn’t just about rowing—it was about leadership, resilience, and finding joy in the process. The team put in the work, and the results followed. The next year every boat in every race went undefeated, earning the entire team a place in the Brown University Sports Hall of Fame.
For Janes, that lesson didn’t stay on the water—it shaped his leadership philosophy in business. “I cannot tell you how much when I’m in moments where I have to work really hard, and work is challenging, or life is challenging, I think back to that moment,” he shared on the podcast. “I think, okay, you might as well find some joy in what you’re doing.”
At REI, Janes has carried forward the principles he learned in that boat, which he shares on the podcast, including:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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