“If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start.” —Charles Bukowski
Who i am
A writer with a fighting spirit.
What I do
Whether in a meeting room or on a mat, I strive to lead by the example I want the next generation of women to see: tough, resilient women who are claiming their power in the world, especially in traditionally male-dominated fields and spaces.
What i’m currently up to (last updated: December 2024)
Ramping up into a new job
Planning my BJJ comeback after recovering from ACL surgery
Researching and pitching new pieces on female athletes
Planting seeds for a fruitful and fulfilling 2025
personal bio (Last updated: December 2024)
Erica Zendell is a triple threat living at the crossroads of technology, writing, and martial arts.
A product management leader by day and athlete by night, I live life at the intersection of technology, martial arts, and personal transformation.
In the wake of my father’s death, my 30th birthday, and the COVID-19 pandemic, I took a year-long professional sabbatical to train Jiu-Jitsu full-time. That year of my life would become the most important year of my professional career. It reshaped more than my understanding of physical strength and what it takes to “go pro” in a growing sport. It fundamentally forged belief in myself, showing me the extent of heart, courage, and grit required to create “a life worth fighting for.”
Today, I bridge these worlds of product management and martial arts through my work and writing, showing others – especially women – how to find power in unexpected practices and places. Whether I'm leading tech teams, training on the mat, or sharing stories of transformation (my own or that of fellow athletes), my mission remains the same: inspiring others to step beyond their comfort zones, envision what’s possible in their lives, and redefine what success means on their own terms.
“Stop trying to teach the world something and instead refuse to be boring.” —George Saunders
Selected Writing and Publications
2024
"It's ATL Versus the World" | 3 Atlanta Athletes Headed To ADCC 2024 (FloGrappling)
Catching up with Atlanta’s ADCC 2024-bound athletes on ambitions for themselves and for Atlanta’s jiu-jitsu at the ADCC World Championship and beyond.
Seizing The Moment: Alex Enriquez' Up & Down Journey To An ADCC 2024 Invite (FloGrappling)
After challenging journey, Alex Enriquez enters the big show, looking to make history in new -55kg Division in already-historic ADCC 2024
Who Is Dima Murovanni? The B-Team's ADCC Camp Coach (FloGrappling)
Dima surfaced during Jozef Chen's ADCC Trials run, and has coached Owen Jones, Brianna Ste-Marie & Margot Ciccarelli. Now he's running B-Team's ADCC camp.
Patrimony (Substack)
in the wake of acl surgery, What I now understand about my father's post-operative anger by experiencing my own
Grappling With Change (Substack)
A long weekend reflection on the unexpected detours of 2024, reevaluating goals, navigating setbacks, and shifting priorities.
2023
From "Down Under" To The Top Of The Game: Rising Star Adele Fornarino (FloGrappling)
The ADCC veteran has her sights set at the top of the mountain, and has put together a solid 2023 headed into her first try at a No-Gi World title this year
Reflecting on losing in a major jiu-jitsu competition and what really got lost along the way
Family Business: Jasmine & Achilles Reinstate Rocha Name For A New Era (FloGrappling)
Jasmine and Achilles Rocha follow in their father Vagner’s footsteps, but carve their own paths.
Zuck vs Musk: Match of the Year?
Extensive thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg's adventures in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), his technical acumen, and his potential MMA matchup with Elon Musk from someone who actually trains BJJ
A rambling analysis of my bachelorette party weekend: how it came to be and what it means to me
As Competition Career Winds Down, Márcio André Is Building A Larger Legacy (FloGrappling)
André remains a competitive threat. But his vision of legacy lies less in his personal success & more in the home-grown winning team he's built in Arizona.
One Brown Belt's Perspective, Six Years Later
on a changing relationship with jiu-jitsu and how finding balance led to the biggest victories of all
reflecting on an emerging practice in pistol shooting
2022
One Purple Belt's Perspective, Five Years Later
on five years of training bjj and the education in the hurting business from a year of traveling and training on the road
”Forsan et hac olim meminesse iuvabit.”
inspired by virgil’s aeneid on tuning out the haters
One Writer's Attempt at "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Her Email Inbox)."
on trying to kon-mari my email SUBSCRIPTIONS and getting sentimental in the process
2021
on entering a mma gym, re-entering a karaoke dive bar, and embarking on a road less traveled
One Blue Belt’s Perspective, Four Years Later
ON leaving Boston to train and write full-time from the open road
on my father, my shoes, and living in the moment
BJJ Competition: A Beginner’s Guide from an Intermediate Student
“brain-dump” survival guide for new female BJJ competitors
2020
Re-stoking the Fire: Part I and Part II
on recovering from bjj burnout through a mentorship and mexico trip with bjj world champion, margot ciccarelli
Fight, Write, Love: A Capsule Newsletter
newsletter documenting a spontaneous bjj adventure from mexico city to masters worlds in late 2020
Anything but Zen in the Art of Writing
on grappling with creative Frustration
how to run the classic agile/scrum meeting like a pro
3 Lessons Learned from My Dad about Life and Business
in memoriam of my father
a brief eulogy for my father
2017-2019
5 Years Out: A More Candid Reflection on My MBA Experience
everything I was really feeling while in my elite mba program
application essay for yale summer writers’ program
princeton alumni weekly essay on being in the groom’s party of my best friend from college—in shelbina, MO
One White Belt’s Perspective, One Year Later
eleven great things about my first year in jiu-jitsu
2014-2016
The Remarkable Mr. Springsteen
in anticipation of getting “born to run” signed by “The Boss”
the economist, “which mba?” blog
on fitting in (or not) in B-school
Nothing will move unless you do
lessons from destroying a turd-like beanbag
MBA FOR HIRE: OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES, UNWILLING TO SETTLE
on MBA recruiting and not caving to the allure of Big 3 consulting
2012-2014
Various Case Studies and Teaching Notes
harvard business school/harvard business review
princeton senior thesis, 2012 winner of the Leigh Buchanan Bienen and Henry Bienen thesis prize
“Become a voice.” — Sappho
