Most men train their bodies, few train their minds. From cold plunges to carrying rocks uphill, this episode explores mastering the space between chaos and control. Joe De Sena talks with Will Schneider, mindfulness coach, former actor, and meditation teacher, on building strength through breath, stillness, and doing hard things, creating discipline under pressure, and transforming habits into resilience.

What You Will Learn:

• How to use daily breath and stillness practices to strengthen your mind.

• Why embracing discomfort drives real mental and physical growth.

• How to integrate mindfulness and simple routines for resilience and discipline.

Episode Highlights:

• [01:50] Why helping only men is central to Will’s mission.

• [05:36] From acting to teaching mindfulness: the journey explained.

• [08:01] Starting with the breath as the foundation of mental training.

• [13:19] Physical challenges as tools for mental resilience.

• [19:26] Doing hard things to soften the ego and grow discipline.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned:

• Breathwork: Techniques for calmness under stress.

• Mind-Body Connection: Aligning physical actions with mental clarity.

• Small Daily Practices: Habits that compound into long-term resilience.

Closing Insight or Key Takeaway:
Drop the excuses. Breathe deeper. Get calm enough to crush anything.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:24 Meet Will Schneider
01:50 Why helping only men
03:10 What led him to meditation
04:23 Joe’s 70s yogi story
05:36 From acting to teaching mindfulness
07:12 Will’s meditation classes in practice
08:01 Start with the breath
11:03 Yoga as mental training
13:19 Physical challenges for mental resilience
15:13 Calming down to know yourself
16:52 Understand anger, habits & emotions
19:26 Doing hard things soften the ego
21:01 Mind, body, and breath connection
22:30 Three practices for transformation
24:38 Where to find Will

Connect to Will:
🌐 Website: willnotfear.com
📸 Instagram: @willnotfear
💼 LinkedIn: Will Schneider
📘 Facebook: Will at Will Not Fear
✖️ Twitter/X: @willnotfear

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt

📲 Short, Impactful Content:
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From host directly: @realjoedesena

💥 Join the Spartan Community:
👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race
👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

About The Hard Way Podcast:
Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast explores resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena’s journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to Wall Street success, then running an organic farm and creating Spartan, showcases how embracing challenges and endurance can transform life.

He served multiple deployments, faced injury, and returned to duty with discipline and focus. Pain is the best teacher, and failure is where real growth begins. Joe De Sena talks with Ryan Hendrickson, retired Green Beret and landmine removal advocate, on mental toughness, navigating hardship, and rebuilding life through ownership and daily discipline.

What You Will Learn:

• How failure and pain accelerate real growth.

• Why ownership and discipline matter more than medals.

• Daily routines and habits that reinforce resilience.

Episode Highlights:

• [01:43] Ryan’s military background and joining the Green Berets.

• [02:50] Surviving a landmine and continuing multiple deployments.

• [04:28] Mental health struggles and strategies for recovery.

• [08:11] Three lessons for overcoming hardship.

• [12:45] Using failure as a tool for growth and learning.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned:

• Pain as Teacher: Using difficult experiences to build toughness.

• Failure Utilization: Reframing setbacks as learning opportunities.

• Daily Discipline: Habits that reinforce resilience and mental clarity.

Closing Insight or Key Takeaway:
Real toughness isn’t about muscles or medals. It’s about getting up when life keeps trying to bury you.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:26 Meet Ryan Hendrickson, retired Green Beret
01:43 Ryan’s background & joining the military
02:50 A 22-year military career & stepping on IED
04:28 Mental health struggles & rebuilding life
08:11 Three lessons for overcoming hardship
12:45 Failure as a tool for growth and learning
15:13 Ryan’s daily routine
16:24 How to support Ryan’s organization
16:59 The most heavily mined country in the world
18:20 The dangers of untracked minefields

Connect to Ryan:
🌐 Website: ryanmhendrickson.com
📸 Instagram: @ryanmhendrickson.tipofthespear
📘 Facebook: Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal
💼 LinkedIn: Ryan Hendrickson
▶️ YouTube: Ryan Hendrickson – Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal
✖️ Twitter/X: @tipofthespear42

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt

📲 Short, Impactful Content:
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From host directly: @realjoedesena

💥 Join the Spartan Community:
👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race
👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

About The Hard Way Podcast:
Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast explores resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena’s journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to Wall Street success, then running an organic farm and creating Spartan, showcases how embracing challenges and endurance can transform life.

What happens when the toughest person you know completely breaks? The Queen of Pain crashed, hit her head, and lost everything that made her strong: drive, purpose, momentum. Rebecca Rusch talks about rebuilding from zero, letting go of ego, and finding strength through movement again. No fluff, no fake motivation, just raw lessons on how to get up when your mind quits first. Watch it, then move.

What You Will Learn:

• How to rebuild discipline and resilience after major setbacks.

• Why movement and small wins are critical for recovery.

• How to reframe success and purpose after life-altering events.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:33] The bike accident and post-concussion symptoms.

• [02:04] Losing mental health, motivation, and momentum.

• [06:43] Movement as medicine and letting go of ego.

• [10:10] Reframing what winning truly means.

• [14:21] Building a new mission and helping others heal.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned:

• Movement as Medicine: Using physical activity to restore mental and emotional balance.

• Small Wins: Leveraging incremental progress to rebuild confidence and momentum.

• Reframing Success: Adjusting mindset to align purpose with current reality.

Closing Insight or Key Takeaway:
Strength comes from getting up when your mind quits first.

Timestamps:
00:00 Meet Rebecca Rusch, Queen of Pain
00:33 The Bike Accident & Post-Concussion Symptoms
02:04 Losing Mental Health & Motivation
04:45 Physical vs. Emotional Resilience
06:43 Movement as Medicine & Letting Go of Ego
10:10 Reframing What Winning Is
11:54 Finding Joy in Small Wins
13:33 Reflect, Move, Connect
14:21 New Mission: Helping Others Heal
15:30 Building Resources for Concussion Recovery
16:46 Thinking About Her First Spartan Race
18:06 Rebecca’s Athletic Background

Connect to Rebecca:
🌐 Website: rebeccarusch.com
📸 Instagram: @rebeccarusch
📘 Facebook: Rebecca Rusch
💼 LinkedIn: Rebecca Rusch – Rusch Ventures
▶️ YouTube: Rebecca Rusch

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt

📲 Short, Impactful Content:
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From host directly: @realjoedesena

💥 Join the Spartan Community:
👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race
👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

About The Hard Way Podcast:
Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast explores resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena’s journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to Wall Street success, then running an organic farm and creating Spartan, showcases how embracing challenges and endurance can transform life.