1. How to keep standards when injury and setbacks remove excuses
2. How ownership replaces emotion in recovery and daily action
3. How discipline built before crisis determines outcomes after impact

1. What’s Next Rule: Forces forward action instead of reflection
2. Standards Don’t Change Principle: Maintains discipline regardless of damage
3. Team Before Self Rule: Sustains performance through shared responsibility

Website: https://johnnieyellock.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jyellock2 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonsOfTheFlag 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnieyellock

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonsOfTheFlag 

Twitter/X: https://x.com/sonsoftheflag 

1. How to set hard turnaround rules and keep them.
2. How to use fear as a signal, not a weakness.
3. How to train in discomfort so performance holds under pressure.

1. Pre-Set Rules: Decide at sea level. Execute at 8,000 meters.
2. Hard Turnaround Time: Summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.
3. Discomfort Training: Train tired. Train cold. Train when you don’t feel like it.

Website: https://david-goettler.de/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_goettler/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/David.Goettler.alpinist/?locale=es_LA 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@david_goettler 

• How discipline holds when pressure removes comfort and control
• How to regain momentum after injury, anger, and identity loss
• How ownership replaces self-pity during prolonged adversity

• Ownership Under Pressure: Staying accountable when things go wrong
• Discipline Without Motivation: Doing the right thing when you don’t feel like it
• Rebuilding Purpose: Using action to find direction after loss

Winning early often creates weak habits later. Veteran coach and founder of Changing the Game Project, John O’Sullivan, joins Joe De Sena to explain how coaches and parents lose athletes by lowering expectations, misusing recovery, and chasing short-term wins. They lay out simple rules for building resilient competitors, setting non-negotiable standards, and letting kids struggle without stepping in. This conversation delivers clear, experience-based guidance for developing athletes who can handle discomfort, take ownership, and perform under pressure.

Things You Will Learn:

• How standards drive long-term athlete development
• Why struggle and loss are necessary for resilience
• How parents and coaches should enforce accountability

Tools & Frameworks Covered:

• Standards-First Coaching: creates clarity and accountability
• Purpose vs. Outcome Thinking: keeps development ahead of winning
• Recovery Discipline: balances effort without lowering standards

Resilience isn’t taught through speeches. It’s built through standards, repetition, and discomfort. Start there. No more excuses. Spartan.com.

John O’Sullivan spent decades inside competitive sport as a player, coach, and team leader, experiencing firsthand the physical pressure, emotional strain, and identity challenges that shape athletes over time.

After seeing how ego, fear, and external pressure erode performance and joy, he committed his career to rebuilding sport around discipline, purpose, and long-term development.

His work represents three core themes: resilient leadership, mindset-driven performance, and building character through intentional struggle.

Connect to John:

Website: https://changingthegameproject.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctgprojecthq/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChangingTheGameProject
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjohnosullivan
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel
Twitter/X: https://x.com/CTGProjectHQ

We gave you the tools, now use them during your next SPARTAN RACE! Use codeword PODCAST on checkout for 10% your next race. 

👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race

👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/ Rise and Thrive with Essentia. Don’t just sleep, recover, perform, and wake up ready for anything. Essentia’s certified organic Beyond Latex™ mattresses provide deep, restorative sleep without toxic chemicals, allergens, or compromises. Use code SPARTAN25 at myessentia.com. 

🎧 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 me directly: @realjoedesena 

The Hard Way Podcast With Joe De Sena, Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast delves into the principles of resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to establishing a successful Wall Street trading firm showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2001, he transitioned from finance to operate an organic farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, where his passion for endurance events like ultramarathons and adventure races flourished. This led to the creation of Spartan, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace challenges and push their limits.