Every morning I slip on running shoes before I even slide toothpaste on my toothbrush.

To maximize time, I work out while I brush my teeth. Yes, some might call me a fitness freak, and others (like my sister) would just say “freak.” I could utilize my “teeth time” to stare at my mug in the mirror, but I choose to go healthy and get active while I brush my choppers. Overall, this makes me proactive in my approach to health, and I feel, literally within my bones, much more entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurialism is about being proactive, and if you practice a proactive, healthy lifestyle, then that spirit will inevitably spill over to other challenges in life.

I believe you can tell a lot about a person’s entrepreneurial spirit—and her overall approach to life—by how she exercises. Just recently I went to see the Winkelvoss twins—yes, those twins from Facebook and The Social Network fame—and they imparted that the disciplines and life lessons they learned preparing to row for the Olympics transferred over to their approach to entrepreneurship.

Team sports, like rowing, teach you dedication, cooperation and respect. When I swam twice a week at 5:30 a.m. in the middle of December, I felt the bitter cold in my bones. That gut-shrinking frigidness leaves an impression on your psyche and your approach to life. When you participate in a sport or just dedicate 15 minutes per day to exercise, you internalize the discipline necessary to be entrepreneurial.

Really, I am a freak. Yes, my momma warned me never to run with scissors, and despite this I still traverse flights of stairs with a toothbrush swirling in my mouth. I fear an accident on the horizon. However, that’s what it takes to be entrepreneurial. You must risk committing something “crazy” for badass results.

Strides of exercise and craziness strengthen badass entrepreneurial spirit.