The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena

Paradigms are made to be broken. Question everything. But do it in such a way that is data driven and informed by the best possible research. That means question the gut instincts, question what you’ve “always done,” and question the ideas you see on social media. This is the way Jack Easdale has maintained the prominence of a billion dollar business. How can you apply this to your life? Find out on this week’s podcast.

Lessons:

1. The two most dangerous statements are--that’s the way we’ve always done it and that’s just the way it is. Always challenge the existing paradigm. 


2. Utilize good, vetted research.


3. Winging it is not going to suffice when there’s a lot at stake.


CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 143_Sup_edit_Jack_EASDALE-LIBSYN.mp3
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Kombucha, heard of it? If you have, GT Dave is the reason. He says Kombucha, and restores an essential balance to your body. The Kombucha King dropped out of high school to spread his love of this drink after seeing it’s positive effect on his mother’s recovery from cancer. In the process he created a $600 million category--one that he still dominates. In this episode you’ll hear the story behind his love of Kombucha, and how he blazed his own path.

Lessons:

1. Gradual, organic growth can yield authentic and powerful results.


2. Health is often about restoring balance in your body, not about the total eradication of threats.


3. If it feels true, focus on your particular journey without being unduly swayed by outside pressures. 


CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 142_SUP_edit_GT_Dave_LIBSYN.mp3
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This mountain warfare instructor accepts no excuses; just learn and do. He speaks with the same force of confidence that he hopes to instill in others. First growing up gaining woodsman skills in Maine and then later through a 36 year tenure in the military, Smith always sought and found strong role models from who to learn. That learning soon transitioned into leadership and mentoring. His methods are deceptively simple, but are you strong enough to see them through?

Lessons:

1. In order to see yourself in new ways you need to change your exposure.


2. Give one tool at a time; don’t overwhelm them with the whole kit.


3. Do the job; do your best; pay attention.


CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 141-SUP-Jared_Smith-LIBSYN.mp3
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What is a “Not to do” list and why would you need one? Dean Graziosi found business success at a young age. It was a way to gain control in his own life in what felt like an out of control world. He has been doling out, through books and television, the techniques and wisdom that worked for him for nearly twenty years. It’s the mindset, he says, not the medium. The principles are the same whether you’re selling real estate, flipping cars, or building Spartan Race. He shares a few surprising concepts in this interview:


Lessons:

1. Make a not to do list.

2. Don’t drive without putting the settings in the GPS.

3. Your “why” may change, but always have one.



CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 140_SUP_Dean_Graziosi-FULL_01.mp3
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When feeling stuck, what do you do to get back in the game? What’s the one thing you can do right now? Mordechai Winer discovered a series of simple steps that changed his life. A self-made success in business, he had been unable to control his eating or his weight. What he discovered was that it wasn’t about restrictions, shame, and punitive measures, but a few simple steps. Learn what those things were and the best way to apply them in this week’s episode. Lessons: 1. Eliminate excuses.
 2. Look for successful moments ins your life to apply to your current struggles.
 3. Commit to simple daily rituals that will make positive change a matter of course. 
 CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan


Lessons:

1. Eliminate excuses.


2. Look for successful moments ins your life to apply to your current struggles.


3. Commit to simple daily rituals that will make positive change a matter of course.


 CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 139_SUP_MORDACHAI_WEINER-LIBSYN.mp3
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One of the most successful women in the venture capital field and dedicated runner, Elizabeth took her cue from her mother. Come hell or high water her mother would be out the door at 4 am to swim or run, and in her 70s she’s still at it. Similarly, Weil never stops driving toward success. Within her hectic schedule of career, and raising twins, she stresses the importance of “non-negotiables.” They are key to a successful career and happy life.  She describes them and her three keys to success in this interview. Weil shows us how it is possible to achieve balance even when you build your life to precipitous heights.

Lessons:

1. Life’s too short. Work in a location you love. 


2. Make the important parts of your life non-negotiable then commit. 


3. Create a personal advisory committee.

CREDITS

Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.

Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca

Synopsis – Matt Baatz

© 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 138_SUP_edit_Elizabeth_Weil-LIBSYN.mp3
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Olympic marathoner Rod Dixon believes in the transformative power of physical activity so much that he started the Kids Marathon program. He won the New York Marathon in 1983 and an Olympic Bronze, now his program trains kids to run as soon as they enter school. The schools are realizing that keeping kids active brings test scores up, improves student’s focus and brain power, and reduces the reliance on pharmaceuticals to keep the more rambunctious kids in line. What Dixon also found through his program is that the healthy habits percolate up to the adults.

Lessons:

1. Instead of medicating kids in school, keep them active.

2. Physical and nutritional education are essential.

3. Kids are capable.


Links: Rod Dixon's KiDSMARATHON http://www.kidsmarathonfoundation.org/

CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 137-SUP_Rod_Dixon-LIBSYN.mp3
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Is it possible to develop a surfing culture without an ocean? What would that mean? Keno Knieriem left the navy and to developing surf parks on man made lakes that simulate Hawaiian waves with his company Honokea. It is either the best thing or worst thing to happen to surfing. Will it nurture a whole new generation of surfers who would not experience the sport otherwise? Will introducing the sport to the masses allow for the proper amount of respect to grow around it? The company hopes to spread not only surfing but the traditional values that com with it.

Lessons:

1. In the spirit of aloha, give all that you can.
      

2. Start at zero, carrying no expectations, everyday.      

3. You must go through a rite of passage to appreciate what you have.

Honokea Surf Parks http://honokea.com/

CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 136_SUP_Keno_Knieriem-LIBSYN.mp3
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You excel in ANY situation. Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University Dr. Greg Eells explains how. In this interview describes how Viktor Frankl created meaning out of senseless and horrific circumstances. Frankl was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp and not only maintained his wits but retained the wherewithal to help the other prisoners. This shows the vital role that an imperturbable set of values can have in directing a productive life. Eels discusses some easy to follow guidelines to build this same sense of resilience. They may not be as easy to execute and incorporate into a routine, but that’s on you,

Lessons:

1. To be resilient remember SAVES: Social connections, Attitude, Values, Emotional Acceptance, and Silliness.

2. We are not punished for our attitudes we are punished by them.

3. You can make meaning out of even the most trying circumstances and in so doing persist. 


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 135_SUP_Dr_Greg_Eells-LIBSYN.mp3
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His doctor forbade world champion power lifter Robert Herbst to lift anything when he was a child with scoliosis. Eighteen world championships and twenty one consecutive national championships later, what compelled him to rebel? Herbst believes in managing risk but errs on the side of throwing caution to the wind. It’s paid off spectacularly. His MO in all his successes, including his Clark Kentian day job as a lawyer, is that as soon as he identifies a challenge, he burns his ships. He makes an irrevocable commitment. Period.


Lessons:
1. Better to fail on the stage, than fail by staying home.

2. Make an irrevocable commitment to your goal.

3. Be physically active enough that it becomes a need. 



Links:
Make America Fit Again (TM). http://w8lifterusa.com
Robert Herbst on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIT0iclJGOGQ68uKvFgJu1uvYjo50amBu


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 134_SUP_Edit_Robert_Herbst-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Demali Elliott mentors young women in challenging situations through creative and introspective activities to redirect their stories onto a positive trajectory with her program Petals-N-Belles. It is a rigorous program designed to help those ready to receive that help, sixty- eight young women at last count. The organization, largely staffed by volunteers, utilizes physical and mental challenges like rock climbing, trapeze and yoga to build emotional wellness and resilience. In this podcast Elliott describes three qualities she’s seen in the girls that have most inspired her own success.

Lessons:


1. Model energy that will energize those around you.

2. Bounce back. Be inspired by the ability of children, they fall and get up every day.

3. Dream big, you can fill in the details later.


Link:
Petals-N-Belles http://petalsnbelles.org/


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 133_SUP_Damali_ELLIOTT_LIBSYN.mp3
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Musical prodigy Ray Ushikubo emulated what he saw on television and, contrary to what you might fear, discovered his passion. At five years old and with the help of supportive parents he his calling. Are there days he doesn’t want to practice? Or course. But he practices without fail and is fast approaching the theoretical 10,000 hours of study to reach virtuosity. Ushikubo is already well on his way. Find out what it takes to go so far so fast so young. This young man has advice we can all learn from.

Lessons:

To alleviate anxiety, focus 100% on the task.
Many times when setting out to accomplish a big task it’s beneficial not to know what exactly you’re getting into.
An appreciative audience is a great motivator.


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

 

Direct download: 132-SUP-Ray_Ushikubo-LIBSYN.mp3
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Direct download: 131_SUP_Edit_Devereux_Branson-LIBSYN.mp3
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Marcello (an author and physics professor at Dartmouth College) and Kari (with a Ph.D focussed on trauma and PTSD,)decided to build an obstacle course in their backyard. What’s the connection? Marcelo, the physicist, sees OCR and physics as a way to go beyond the known boundaries. Kari, the psychologist, sees it as a way to get out of our heads and connect with the physical, a vital way to get past anxiety. Both agree it’s a great way for their family to develop life skills that translate into our personal and professional lives and transcend the inevitable resistance we face each day.

Lessons:
    1.    Get in touch with your physical side to become a whole person.

    2.    Introduce mystery, possibility and the unknown into your world in order to transcend your boundaries.

    3.    The important thing is not to meet your goal but keep trying to meet your goal.

LINKS:
Marcello Gleiser http://marcelogleiser.com/
Kari Gleiser https://www.aedpinstitute.org/faculty/kari-gleiser-phd/

CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 130-SUP_Marcello_Kari_Gleiser-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Son of pioneering Hawaiian surfer “Buffalo” and a living legend in his own right, Brian Keaulana had two mentors. The first was his father who taught him to share the ocean’s bounty. The second was the ocean itself which served as a playground, school and church. Before he and his siblings could walk their father would toss them into the surf. Keaulana, who calls himself a “Waterman,” uses this wisdom as a stunt coordinator on projects like Hawaii-Five-O, teaching ocean risk management and mentoring at risk kids.

Lessons:

    1.    The ocean, through its unpredictability, teaches you to be in a state of constant readiness.

    2.    Transcend fear is through knowledge.

    3.    He shares the brilliant acronym S.S.A.F.E. - protection from any danger.

CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 129_SUP_Brian_Keaulana_LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Starting Health Warrior, a business borne out of a passion for health and fitness, moved Daniel Gluck away from Wall Street. He seized the opportunity to fill a niche in a food industry dominated by overly processed and high sugar offerings with healthful chia based alternatives. He was inspired by the legendary Tarahumara Indians who, fueled with chia seeds, are the ultra endurance runners described in the book “Born To Run.” Gluck talks about what it takes to build something from scratch and how building this business changed his life for the better.

Lessons:

    1.    Follow your passion even if it means struggling through hardship to find it.

    2.    Celebrate the wins; don’t dwell on the losses. 

    3.    Focus on the big picture of how it’s going to work without getting mired in the day to day problems.


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 128_sup_Daniel_Gluck-FULL-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Battling addiction late in the Vietnam era, the US Army’s Deputy Chief of Chaplains Brigadier General Thomas Solhjem found redemption through his faith and other’s mentorship. As he realizes now, isolation, though a common strategy, is the worst way to deal with adversity. Reaching out to others and sharing your experiences is an admission of strength. He has spent an extremely long time in the military, forty years with thirty of those as a chaplain, helping others cope with the rigors of battle and drawing strength from trying circumstances. Solhjem sources his vast experiences to tell us how to be better people.

Lessons:
    1.    The person who overcomes adversity is the person who is able to channel strength from outside theirself.

    2.    Post traumatic order  is finding a positive context for hardship and becoming stronger as a result.

    3.    Resilience is the integration of elements into your life that enable you to be flexible.

CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan


Direct download: 127_SUP_Thomas_Solhjem_LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Running across the Sahara, all 4600 miles, 50 miles a day for 111 consecutive days. That’s what Ultrarunner Charlie Engle did to raise 6 million dollars for H20 Africa (now Water.org). In doing so he took his passion and did good with it. Engle overcame addiction and an unexpected jail sentence, but instead of running away from adversity, he embraced it.  He started running marathons which turned into a gateway for more daunting races like ecochallenges. All told he’s been racing for 30 years. His top piece of advice: attempting to make your life easier is a mistake.

Lessons:
    1.    Welcome some suffering when it enters your life, some of the greatest lessons are from hardship.

    2.    Keep forward momentum going. 

    3.    Find a way to use what you love to improve the world. 



CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: S126-UP-Charlie_Engle-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Behavioral scientist & expert on adventure, Jon Levy knows what makes Spartans tick. He wrote a book about it, The 2AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure.  A big reason why people undertake challenges outside their comfort zone is to reach flow state, a zen like sense of timelessness, total absorption in an activity, and sense of mastery. The IKEA effect, loving an activity according to the amount of effort you invested in it, also explains how Spartans are made. But the real gift of adventure, Levy explains, is it’s transformative power. In this episode, Levy explains how to live a fun and exciting life and gain success in the process.

Lessons:
    1.    Say yes to experiences.
    2.    Do something a little outside your comfort zone to help induce a state of flow.
    3.    Take advantage of the winner effect by getting some easy victories and building momentum for larger challenges.



CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2017 Spartan

Direct download: 125_SUP_EDIT_Jon_Levy-LIBSYN.mp3
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Not wanting to spend his life on the sidelines, blind athlete Pete Cossaboon started participating in Spartan events.  He sought out and found a way to achieve this seemingly impossible goal. Nelson Diaz has dedicated himself to facilitating the implausible achievements of adaptive athletes through compassion and action. The events only have meaning and purpose to the degree that they can be applied to life at large and to what extent the athletes can use them to tell their unique story to the world.

Lessons:
- Any new situation, when confronted, evolves from fear to adaptation.
- If life is a dash between you birthday and your death day, measure your value by the lives you have you changed in the interim.
- Avoid distractions to the degree that they are diverting you from the main purpose of your life.



CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 124_SUP_Pete_Cassaboon_and_Nelson_Diaz-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Trauma care is a creative process for Dr, Jeffrey Upperman. He mentors young surgeons by throwing them in a room together with very little to work with  and let their ingenuity and communication skills come to the fore to solve a problem under duress. He points out that these skills are becoming a lost art in the age of texting and tweeting but they are no less vital in forming a successful person. Upperman in his years as a general surgeon took cues from his father, a man who prided himself in working with his hands, and stresses the importance of upbringing, yet acknowledges that the whole community bears responsibility for nurturing a success.  

Lessons:

    1.    Creativity is key in emergencies, and it can be learned.
    2.    We are all responsible to hold each other accountable.
    3.    We need rites of passage to learn to cope under duress.

Direct download: 123-SUP-Dr._Jeffery_Upperman-FULL_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Cal Fussman, author as well as a writer for Esquire, went on a ten year worldwide journey with little money to his name. He subsisted on the good will of others, most often on those he met on the bus ride to his next destination. It was the perfect way to satisfy his insatiable curiosity and hone his interviewing skills. In this episode Fussman will talk about how to make everyday an opportunity for adventure and connection.

Lessons:
    1.    Ask a canned question and you’ll get a canned answer. Talk to people with authenticity.
    2.    When starting a big project don’t reflect long enough to talk yourself out of it; just keep going forward.
    3.    Treat each day like a unique experience.


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 122_SUP_Cal_Fussman_LIBSYN_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

When your business is in trouble, this is the guy you need. Tim Gentry develops people to motivate his own success. As an Ironman competitor he exemplifies strengthening the body as a way to maintain a powerful mind, something he believes many business people neglect to their detriment. His suggestion: keep it simple and do just one thing every day. Listen for more tried and true methods to persevere and thrive. Gentry shares some gems on this week’s podcast.

Lessons:

    1.    Focused on the people in your business,and let hurdles dissolve to white noise.
    2.    To revive someone who is lagging, put them in charge of others.
    3.    Write down all the great things that are happening in your life and read them when you need inspiration.

Direct download: 121-SUP-Tim_Gentry-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Mortgage officer and part of a Vermont family maple sugaring business, Ray Morvan found extreme multi day racing at random, after a battle with alcohol and opiate addiction. By helping him find community and a way to exert and build mental resilience it’s exactly what the doctor ordered . He  went on to compete in nine Peak Death Races which is almost certainly a record. We spoke with him at the Spartan Winter Agoge. Morvan credits stoicism for getting through life challenges that would break a lesser man. He is now championing  the issue of addiction by assisting anyone who is willing to reach out to him. Morvan’s phone line is open.

Lessons:

    1.    Figure it out. There’s always a way.
    2.    Simply put yourself out there, everyday, and have faith that it will get better.
    3.    In addition to PTSD think about PTSG - Post Traumatic Growth.


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Col. Tim Nye, Dr. Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
Copyright - 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 120-SUP-Ray_Morvan-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Damion Hahn came a hair’s breadth away from making the Olympics and advises those not achieving there goals “be mad about it, then turn your attention to tomorrow.” He channels that drive training a team that has been  near dynasty for the last quarter century of Ivy League wrestling. They got there by honing raw talent. The best persist, the rest need to find their niche elsewhere. Hahn has seen this success translate into the wrestler’s everyday lives and he shares the methods that have built such consistent winners.

Lessons:

    1.    Everybody’s motivated differently; adjust your approach accordingly.
    2.    Enter each day with a purpose!
    3.    Be part of a community that motivates you achieve.

Direct download: 119-SUP-Damion-Hahn-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

This week’s podcast features two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Christian Johnson and Chad Grills, disrupting the world of business. Johnson started Fotition a platform to unite brands people and charities to create a positive social outcome. He arrived at this idea by following  his lifelong mantra, “creativity will save the world,” which lead him to a vocation that will leave a legacy. Grills, a former Army infantryman, took note of better ways to do things during deployments in Egypt and Iraq and channeled them into a sharing and trading service for business assets called Twist.com. He discusses the ways he has used the challenges of the military and life to overcome obstacles.

Lessons:

1, The problem is the solution (permaculture principle).
2, Learn to love the word no. Turn it into an opportunity to overcome challenge.
3. Ask yourself if you are living up to your life’s mantra and serving the greater good.

CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra, Col. Tim Nye, Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 118-SUP_Grills_and_Johnson-LIBSYN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Nini Meyer created Positive Tracks as a way to get kids moving and involved with a cause through athletics. She has witnessed it not only helping the causes, but connecting the youth with each other and teaching them to manage risk, take on challenges and get active. Since not every child enters the program with the same resources, it also teaches them the vital lesson of using what they got at the moment and building from there. A lifelong volunteer who adopted ultra-endurance running well into her adulthood, Meyer found a way to combine the two into something exceedingly positive.

Lessons:

    1.    Whenever you see the hazy outlines of a starting line begin to form, don’t turn away. Run straight towards it.
    2.    You can’t cross the ocean by staring at the sea.
    3.    Achieving challenging acts with groups creates a sense of shared struggle and perseverance propelling you towards your goal through

Direct download: 117-SUP-Nini_Meyers-FULL-LIBSYN_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Helping runners move faster and injury free is the mission of Nathan Helming. A former Ironman qualifier, Nathan Helming runs programming for San Francisco Crossfit with a focus on helping runners and triathletes become better rounded athletes. He’s taking this passion into a startup called The Run Experience which guides athletes through strength, conditioning and problem solving to reach their goals through online webinars. Frustration with chronic injury spurred by a too narrow focus on conditioning caused Helming to seek out SF crossfit with its philosophy of a more balanced approach. He is now adapting his experience to propel athletes past their limitations.

Lessons:

    1.    Be process focused: set aside fear of the outcome and engage in the task at hand.
    2.    Understand that you have a choice at every moment.
    3.    Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Direct download: 116-SUP-Nathan_Helming-FULL_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

The founder of Charity Water, Scott Harrison was a successful nightclub promoter living a life of decadence many might envy. He found himself hobnobbing with the beautiful people on a daily basis, but he had an epiphany on the beaches of Uruguay. Though he didn’t lack materially he was morally, spiritually and emotionally bereft.  He sold everything, took up residence in a friend’s closet and volunteered in war torn Liberia, paying for the privilege. While there he found his mission: He would use his influence to help remediate the lack of clean water that often leads to disease for the 660 million people in third world nations who are affected.

Lessons:

    1.    To change your life, and the life of others, it may be necessary to step into a new story of your life and scrap the old one.
    2.    The best way to motivate change is through the promise of positive action with tangible results and not through shame or guilt.
    3.    Do not compromise your values and morality; maintain your tenacity and you will find a way through the challenge.

Direct download: 115forLibsyn-Scott-Harrison.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

With a military career spanning 26 years, retired Col. Fellinger has become a model of resilience and fitness. He asks that you bring him the hardest problems you have because he lives to overcome them. As he explains, it’s a process and one that can be practiced but not necessarily mastered. After all, if you’re not at least a little off balance, how are you challenging yourself and growing stronger? Joe and he discuss the most vital element to fitness--building mental strength through motivation, risk taking, mental agility and mental resilience.


Lessons:

    1.    Remember the French Paratrooper’s Prayer (to paraphrase): Give me Lord what others don’t want, uncertainty, doubt, torment and battle, but also the courage, the  energy and spirit to face them.
    2.    To stay motivated take the first step and you will soon create irreversible momentum, inertia that will take on a life of it’s own.
    3.    Build mental resilience through facing challenges you didn’t anticipate and generalizing the resultant confidence throughout your life.

Direct download: 114-SUP-Col_Fellinger_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

The “man whisperer” Mammarella-D'Cruz runs men’s groups that set them on a course to fulfillment. Clients, even billionaires, find they need help understanding how to achieve happiness. His ability was honed by the dire circumstances of his own childhood. After his family was placed on the death list in Uganda, Mammarella-D'Cruz spent a significant portion of his formative years on the run. This summoned his survival instincts, which were vital at the time, but when the threat eased were not helping him live the life he had dreamed. After a string of successful endeavours that left him wanting, he learned to live life to it’s fullest and is helping others do the same.

Lessons:

    1.    Find how your life’s “script” impedes you, to move on.
    2.    It’s more efficient to learn from other’s mistakes than to make them yourself.
    3.    If your life is entirely run by your internal protector you are surviving and not living.

Direct download: 113-SUP-Mamma_Rella_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Adaptive athlete Amy Winters, is so resilient she was chosen to help struggling athletes complete the brutal 60+ hour Spartan endurance event Agoge. If you ask her, she won’t credit rugged individualism for her perseverance. She relies on the strength of others to buoy her up as she does the same for them. It may be that the wellspring of grit that her loss summoned helped her to recognize and rouse that same potential in others.

Lessons:

    1.    When you see something different about a person, smile with them.
    2.    Working as a team, as a community, you bring to the fore each other’s strengths and lift each other towards completing the improbable.
    3.    To connect with people, disconnect from the screen.

LINKS:
One Step Ahead Foundation https://onestepaheadfoundation.wordpress.com/
One Step Ahead Foundation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OneStepAheadFoundation/

Direct download: 112-SUP-Amy_Winters_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Coach of the highly successful wrestling program at Cornell, Rob Koll wasn’t an overnight success. His virtuosity was years in the making, working hard and surrounding himself with the kind of motivating people that would eventually transform the program into a powerhouse. When asked, Koll denies that his methods involve any mystique. He simply doles out his nose to the grindstone, meat and potatoes work ethic with devastating consistency. Those who don’t have the discipline to endure it fall by the wayside. Those who do, find themselves competing with the best and winning often.

Lessons:
    1.    It’s not how much you want to win that day; it’s how much you want to win on all the days leading up to that day.
    2.    Even a mildly active wrestler is going to go through more pain, hardship and sacrifice than the average person on the street.
    3.    A supportive upbringing that instills good values is crucial.

 

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Direct download: 111-SUP-Rob_Koll_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

A restaurateur with 7 NYC restaurants and a passion for fitness, his restaurants have succeeded in large part due to Chernow’s keen sense of emotional intelligence. One of the unique ways he keeps his staff happy is the emphasis he places on fitness in the workplace and the program he started to cultivate this. The interview takes place in Seamore’s which specializes in locally caught species that are delectable but often overlooked. Dogfish, for example, is just as tasty as trendier fare. Chernow is working new projects with a voracious diligence Chernow can trace back to his childhood. As a kid he walked dogs and delivering food to transcend his family’s modest lifestyle.

Lessons
    1.    Don’t underestimate anyone. There’s no way of gauging how valuable a relationship will be down the line.
    2.    Don’t “want,” “need,” or “wish” …. “do.”
    3.    Cultivate a happy, cohesive team and the guests will be made happy as a matter of course.

Direct download: 110-SUP-Michael-Chernow-FULL-for-Libsyn_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

UFC fighter “The Spaniard” and lifelong wrestler, Charlie grew up in normal circumstances. As he puts it “I’m just like you,” he didn’t have to overcome a great deprivation or trauma, he just worked hard and went on to great successes. Brenneman dispels the myth that you must follow a Rocky type trajectory to compete with the best. Instead he shares the simple steps he took, including surrounding himself with good mentors and Consistency. He arrived by realizing that in a sport like wrestling in which “heartbreak far outweighs the triumph” the journey is what matters.

Lessons:
    1.    Being in a normal family that provides good core values and a supportive environment is an underestimated advantage. It doesn’t take extraordinary circumstances to do extraordinary things.
    2.    Every opportunity, no matter how small, counts. Things add up.
    3.    If you don’t move the proverbial line in the sand, you’re never going to get best.

Direct download: 109-Charlie_Brenneman_VOTAG_Audio_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

A former infantry officer Josh Mantz was shot by a sniper in Baghdad.  He flatlined, and his life was in the hands of a nineteen year old medic in the heat of battle. Mantz was revived ten minutes after the period that’s considered survivable. When asked why, the medic said simply that he never gives up.  Mantz moved on to Tesla, pioneers in electric vehicles. The atmosphere there is in some ways as intense as the military.  Why? They too are mission driven. Outside of Tesla Mantz has harnessed his healing to help veterans heal from their trauma.

Lessons:

    1.    You can’t do it all alone, sometimes even your very life is in the hands of others.
    2.    Recognizing and absolving yourself of guilt and shame is the first step in overcoming trauma.
    3.    A solid sense of mission and purpose precedes any great accomplishment.


CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra, Col. Tim Nye, Delle & David Deluca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 108-SUP-Joshua_Mantz-FULL-AUDIOV_01REV.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Former Olympic downhill skier Doug Lewis decided at 8 he’d compete on the Wold Cup level. Success came very early, but during his first World Cup race at age 17 he broke his back.  Failure, he now says, is critical to building confidence. He went on to win World Cup Bronze and represent the US in 3 Olympic games. The problem with peaking early is the looming question of what to do next - and will anyone care. Lewis chose to pass on the lessons he learned by creating a youth development program called Eliteam. He also chose to stayed close to ski racing and is a Skiing analyst for NBC for World Cup and Olympic games. Lewis is content with his life, but continues every day to look for new adventures and inspire kids to set lofty goals then dig deep to achieve them.

Lessons:
    1.    Good coaches set goals challenging enough to spur growth but not so overwhelming they create despair.
    2.    Students should set goals they may never reach, they will provide direction and inspiration.
    3.    Confidence requires failure.
    4.    In any meaningful life path, ebbs and flows are inevitable.

Direct download: 107_Doug_lewis-FULL-EXP-A_1_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

The founder of a massive sports promotion company Matchroom Sport, started off without a clear direction. He says just start, take a scattershot approach and eventually you’ll find your direction by the process of elimination. Aim high, then adjust. Hearn wanted to be a heavyweight boxing champion, but his path lead him to be a promoter instead. His own passion could comes across as draconian, but that’s only testament to how strongly he believes in the power of the individual to create a meaningful life.

Lessons:
    1.    At first take a scattergun approach in life; don’t set limits and then adjust to find your place.
    2.    Start an hour earlier and end an hour later.
    3.    Champions are impressive, but the people at the back of the field who refuse to give in may be even more impressive.

Direct download: 106-SUP-Bary-Hearn_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

His first memory is the moment his mother gave him away. Former NFL player, Anthony Trucks, wants to matter because his first memory in life was feeling like he didn’t. At 14 a harsh remark by a girl in school shocked him into self awareness. Sheer force of will it set him on a course that has defined his life to the present day as a successful business owner, athlete speaker & author.

Lessons:
    1.    Live a life that will produce a huge turn out at your funeral.
    2.    If you think the hand you’ve been dealt is an excuse, think again.
    3.    Practice effortless effort--that activity that resonates so deeply with you that the work you do starts to feel effortless.

Direct download: 105-SUP-AnthonyTrucks_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Explorer and mountain biker Shannon Galpin brings cycling to Afghan women.  The 2014 National Geographic Explorer believes bicycles are a vehicle for transformation in a society where this simple freedom and pleasure is denied to women and girls. This simple act, easily taken for granted in the West, provides them with a stronger voice so vital in what often appears like an insurmountable obstacle--positioning Afghan women in a place of greater equality.

Lessons:
    1.    Simply doing something right can a powerful form of activism since it will inspire others to mirror you.
    2.    Hope and change prevail over fear.
    3.    Don’t take even the simplest things for granted.

Direct download: 104-SUP-Shannon_Galpin_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

www.spartan.com/103
As a professional recruiter and founder of Executive Athletes Ken Lubin knows what it takes to build a career. As one of the ultra endurance athletes that built the epic Stone Steps in Pittsfield, Vermont he knows grit and hard work too. He says it’s what will get you hired, and what will make you successful once you land a job. Knowing the company culture, offering them what they need is crucial too. Become the indispensable lynch. Building a massive network that includes all types of people, not just those who can obviously help you may be the most important step of all. Garner lots of career development gems in this week’s episode.

Lessons:
    1.    Be the guy that does the hard thing and you’ll distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack.
    2.    Know the culture of where you want to work and find out how you can fit in.
    3.    Realize the power of the network: even when it doesn’t look like a connection has any benefit at the time it may prove to be beneficial down the line.

Direct download: 103-SUP-Ken-Lubin_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

When Amelia Boone isn’t pulling i-beams out of frigid Vermont rivers for the Death Race or winning Spartan Races, she working as a highly competitive attorney. Every day she’s up at 4:07, running trails at 5 and at her desk by 7. Has she always been that way? Yes. As a child, in what must have seemed odd to observers, her family was encouraging her to relax and not take things so seriously.  She believes perseverance and drive can be a habit, don’t let them lapse. It’s harder to start or start again than just keep going.
Lessons:

    1.    Make success part of your routine as regular as brushing your teeth, not allowing yourself to opt out.
    2.    The difficult path is where the growth happens. Choose it often.
    3.    Make one small change a day and let it build into something great.

 

CREDITS
Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.
Host: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra, Col. Tim Nye, Delle & David DeLuca
Synopsis – Matt Baatz
© 2016 Spartan

Direct download: 102-SUP-Amelia_Boone_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

US Pentathletes Nathan Schrimsher and Dennis Bowsher.
The pentathlon has been an Olympic sport for over a century, but chances are most people don’t know much about it. What are the skills a messenger would have needed in wartime? Riding, swimming,running fencing and shooting. It has recently been given a modern upgrade: the guns shoot lasers instead of the original bullets. Joe talks to two of the best American pentathletes to discover what it takes to excel at this intriguing discipline - one on the current Team competing in Rio in a few weeks. Trust us, there are 4 or 5 key lessons that will carry over to whatever challenge you face on the way to your goals.

Lessons:

    1.    Run your own race, the race of life.
    2.    There is no substitute for the internal motivation to practice EVERY day.
    3.    Don’t underestimate the value of wisdom and patience.
    4.    Set aside your wins and your losses, focus only on what is in front of you now.
 

Direct download: 101-SUP-Pentathlon-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

One hundred episodes in, Joe, Delle, Johnny, Colonel Nye and Sefra talk about the guests that resonated with them the most. Spartan UP! has interviewed writers, athletes, generals, monks, CEOs, entrepreneurs, nutritionists, farmers, lawyers, doctors, explorers...to garner their unique spin on what it takes to succeed. There have been one hundred different answers, one hundred stories on how to live a fulfilling life, but many common threads. These inspiring people are telling us it’s okay to be afraid, but not to live in fear, to have a why, but live in the moment, and to find  a passion (or passions) and follow it with all we got.

Lessons from 100 Episodes:

    1.    Have a why.
    2.    Life is a series of moments. Live each one.
    3.    A challenging life is a satisfying life.
    4.    The first step to success is getting off the couch.
    5.    Surround yourself with good, supportive people. Lose those who aren’t.
    6.    Persevere, but if you find yourself on the wrong path, be prepared to go a different direction.
    7.    Aim to be a whole person, mind, body and soul.
    8.    Those who succeed aren’t afraid to fail, often.
    9.    Experiences are much more valuable than things.
    10.    Whatever you are doing, no matter how big or small, commit to it wholly.

Direct download: 100-SUP-100th-episode-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Alan Jope, president of Unilever’s Personal Care business, understands how to live. With such an high position many would not be surprised if Jove was a man completely consumed by his work. Though his commitment to his job is complete, it is not the source of his identity. He and four friends are riding stretches of a world spanning motorcycle trip with its share of mishaps and broken bones. What he does is not who he is, but enables him to become the person he always dreamed he could be. In this episode Jope also discusses the benefits of mission driven brands.

Lessons:

    1.    Where you are in the world is more important than what you’re doing in it.
    2.    Concentrate most of your energy into what you’re doing now, not worrying about the future, and opportunities will open up as a matter of course.
    3.    In life, follow the packing rule: put the big thing in first.

Direct download: 099-SUP-Alan_Jope_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Masha Gordon, a mountaineer who completed the seven summits and both poles in record time, ventured to take lessons in grit from the boardroom to the most challenging terrain on earth. Thirty minutes from the summit of Everest she was faced with an executive decision: should she risk getting caught in a storm and possibly putting her life in peril or divest and live to see another day? Luckily the risk was worth taking, but the tough mindedness she earned in business made her decision a sound one. Learn how doing great things has taught Gordon how little it actually takes to be happy and successful.  

Lessons:
    1.    Even when you invested a large amount in an experience the smartest thing could be to divest if it means living to see another day.
    2.    Move counter to stereotypes so that they no longer define you.
    3.    Let a healthy fear and respect complement the excitement of your expeditions.

Direct download: 098-SUP-Masha_Gordon_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

The sole survivor in a vehicle obliterated by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, Earl Granville had to find a way to get up again, but with only one leg remaining. This interview transpired after Granville completed the seventy+ mile, sixty hour adventure known as Spartan Agoge, so clearly he is well on his way.  As if the accident weren’t bad enough, Granville’s twin brother took his own life, but in his greatest tragedy he also found his redemption. As a motivational speaker, he has used his misfortune to be in service to others. Granville’s life so far is a testament to the Nietzsche truism, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”

Lessons:

    1.    Sometimes the most unfortunate people are the ones who are never tested.
    2.    We should honor the privilege of being alive by giving back.
    3.    The upside of adversity is that it can be harnessed to find your passion.

Direct download: 097_SUPEarlGranville_Audio_Revised.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Bob Roth, transcendental meditation teacher of 45 years, has seen the progression of the practice go from a fringe activity to a scientifically backed technique taught widely in such institutions as schools and prisons. As Roth describes it, transcendental meditation allows one to be a better warrior, whether on the OCR circuit or in facing daily life, by bringing you to a state of level headed calm where you can make the best decisions. A large part of building resilience, after all, is finding ways to put the tumultuous highs and lows into the proper frame of reference so you can sail easily past  life’s obstacles.

Lessons:
    1.    No matter how much turmoil exists on the surface of the ocean it is insignificant compared to the depths of calmness that lie underneath. The mind is like an ocean.
    2.    Meditation is Spartan in that it gets to the essentials of your body and mind.
    3.    To the mind that is still, the universe surrenders--Lao Tzu. I.e., If you have a complicated mind, you’ll be a victim to life’s obstacles.

Direct download: 096-SUP-BobRoth-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

The eastern philosophies that influence the school headed by Master Xi Qi Ling provide a valuable counterbalance to our western ones. In our individualistic culture we often forget that in order for our lives to function optimally we need to consider how they can harmonize with the greater whole. For example, the school realizes that if they merely teach the students and neglect what happens when they go home, then the teachings are at risk of being lost; therefore they teach the parents as well. In short, the universe is more powerful than any one person and if we nurture it, it will nurture us right back.

Lessons:
    1.    Health and well being depend on harmonizing your physical, mental and spiritual being.
    2.    Everything is connected.
    3.    Some problems can be solved very quickly while others can only be solved slowly. Knowing the difference is important.

Direct download: 095-SUP-XingQilin_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Tim Morris, adaptive athlete and SGX coach, didn’t need to get off the couch, his quest for the Spartan Trifecta started from a wheelchair. He powers through a course relying on the strength of his upper body. If, for some bizarre reason, this doesn’t impress you, try the same across your living room floor. He trains an increasing number of adaptive athletes as well as the able bodied. He can teach both groups much about grit. But his teaching by no means ends there--he demonstrates that by the simple act of living passionately those around you will learn what it means to be fully alive.

Lessons:

1.Talking about things merely kicks the can into the future; you have to do them.
2. Build your life around the three “p”s: passion, perspective, and perseverance.
3. Always be aware that your reality affects others and act accordingly.

Direct download: 094-SUP-Tim-Morris-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Jennifer Gilbert, a wildly successful events entrepreneur, was assaulted to an inch within her life outside her friend’s New York apartment. Not only did she survive but she went on to live a very rich and fulfilling life. How? The struggle was all too real. It wasn’t an overnight transformation. She was able to recognize the vast, and sometimes elusive, source of resilience that she discovered that day and draw on it to create the kind of life she always wanted. Her story is jarring, graphic, visceral, enraging, senseless, but at the same time life affirming, hopeful, and deeply important.

Lessons:
    1.    The resilient person that you are in your most challenging moments is there for life to aid you whenever the need should arise.
    2.    Fear is the worst feeling to make a decision from.
    3.    Beautiful things often grow from dark, ugly places like flowers from compost.
    4.    You cannot control one thing in the world except who you are afterwards, whether you move towards the light or wallow in the darkness.

Direct download: 093-SUP-JenniferGilbert_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Before retiring Sgt. Major Frank Grippe was the senior enlisted Soldier for US Central Command in charge of military operations in 20 countries in Northern Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. He came out of the subzero weather of the Spartan Agoge to share his wisdom of grit hard earned through his 30 years as a ranger in the army. His is decidedly a no nonsense approach. Grippe knew what he wanted and simply did the job day in and day out, learned all he could from the best mentors he could find and when the opportunities to advance presented themselves, he was ready. He has gone through life with a single minded purpose and one might come away with the impression that he hasn’t entertained  the idea of an alternative livelihood, even for a second.

Lessons:
    1.    Knowing exactly what you want makes getting it that much easier.
    2.    Force of will is everything.
    3.    Positions of responsibility demand complete transparency.

Direct download: 092-SUP-Sgt_Major_Frank_Grippe_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

According to Col. Liam Collins, Phd., Special Forces Qualified Officer, West Point Professor,and past winner of the Best Ranger Competition - approximately one percent of prospective candidates persist to become members of the special forces. Joe’s always looking for these people but, alas, they are elusive. They may not not linger long by the waterfalls, but are always eyeing the craggy terrain just ahead. Understandably, it is difficult to find those who will consciously fling themselves into relative peril. How does Col. Collins find them and train them? That’s what we want to find out.

Lessons:

    1.    The true test of character is the decisions you make under duress.
    2.    You develop your mental fortitude like developing muscles: push to the limit of your capacity; recover, then push to the new limit.
    3.    The key to success in a highly competitive environment is not to wallow in your comfort zone.

Direct download: 091-SUP-LIAMCollins_Audio1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Not too long ago every self respecting long distance runner was toting a dog eared copy of Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, reconsidering their choice of footwear or forgoing shoes altogether. McDougall’s current explorations have led him to ask new questions such as: what makes a hero, are our vast human skills learned formally or innate and suppressed by culture? Is the ability to survive in dire circumstances unique or is it present in all of us and awaiting the opportunity to be unleashed? You may know Joe’s take on these questions, and in this episode learn if McDougall agrees.

Lessons:

    1.    To be compassionate can also mean to help someone with their problem while it’s small and before it comes back to affect the community at large.
    2.    Many skills are latent, lurking just below the surface, and our mass culture has  limited their full expression.
    3.    Being successful often means identifying and taking that one extra step that no one else is taking.

Direct download: 090_SUP-ChristopherMcDougall_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Kevin Cleary, CEO of Clif Bar, has his company on the right track if not the most trodden one. Whereas most companies only think of maximizing their quarterly profits, Clif bar is planning decades ahead and profiting from the foresight. Whereas most companies focus on satisfying their shareholders, Clif Bar has a firm social and environmental mission that strengthens the company and community at large. They’re one of the few, but important examples that doing good, yet remaining lucrative, are not as mutually exclusive as many believe.

Lessons:

    1.    It’s much better motivation to tell someone they’re a hard worker than to tell them that they’re smart.
    2.    A company that can focus on long term goals, despite the pressure to show quarterly profits, will ultimately make better decisions.
    3.    A purpose driven business keeps those involved with it engaged and passionate.

Direct download: 089-SUP-Kevin_Cleary_audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Wrestling requires a mindset that transcends sport. What can you learn from them? Everything. It’s a sport with no excuses. It’s just you and your competitor and if you fail, there is no one else to blame. The sport by its very nature develops mental toughness. Joe talks to three promising young wrestlers, Nate Carr Jr., an Olympic hopeful in a legendary family of wrestling greats, and All Americans from Cornell, Gabe Dean and Nahshon Garrett. They discuss  the unique aspects of the sport that prepare its participants to excel in life.  The thing that they all share in common is their sense of drive and moving forward no matter what.  The very tools that’ll help you grapple with life’s inevitable adversities.


Lessons:
    1.    If nothing changes, nothing changes.
    2.    Sometimes to master adversity you need to create it.
    3.    Treat people to your gift.

Direct download: 088-SUP-Carr-Garrett-Dean_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Biohacking ground breaker Dave Asprey, got the controversial trend of adding butter to coffee going and it turns out that’s just one of many hacks espoused by this alternative health entrepreneur. He believes that by gathering the right data, our bodies can be optimized through unconventional methods. Asprey himself has been hacking his mitochondria for many years. Besides the things we can monitor, Asprey describes the confounding array of activity that occurs without our conscious awareness. Yet this state that is most difficult to pin down turns out to be the one in which human performance peaks.

Lessons:

    1.    Recovery is a vital part of training but often gets neglected.
    2.    The flow state is elusive but when we reach it we do amazing things.
    3.    Biohacking attempts to understand when your body is helping you and when it’s betraying you.

Direct download: 087-SUP-Dave_Asprey_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

While running the Boston Marathon, clinical social worker Jeffrey Zeizel had to call up all his expertise and coping mechanisms when a bomb went off at the finish line. His son was ahead of him and there was a chance he was caught in the fray. Though nobody would blame him for panicking, he immediately went into action administering psychological first aid reassuring others that the worst case scenario is not the most likely one and in the process helping himself to cope as well. Zeizel has a wellspring of insight on what it takes to be resilient and the good news for humanity is that, in short, it involves bringing all of our best qualities to the forefront.  

Lessons:
    1.    The last stage of going through grief is not really acceptance but developing the tools to cope.
    2.    Remember AAA: action alleviates anxiety.
    3.    It’s easy to fulfill mundane responsibilities, but to do the things that give life meaning is difficult yet worthwhile.
    4.    To be resilient optimism is crucial but it must be tempered with a healthy dose of realism.

Direct download: 086-SUP-JeffreyZiezel_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Reno Rolle, to paraphrase Hippocrates, let food be his medicine when seeking ways to ameliorate his son’s ADD. It worked so well Rolle pivoted his successes into a company, Boku Superfoods. He harnessed the power of nutritionally dense foods, popularly known as “superfoods,” to create a line of foods. In his years long effort to develop a superior product, Rolle not only fulfilled his mission of having a positive impact on people, but gained some valuable insights into a productive life as well. Obstacles are a part of life and a few successes in pursuit of a lofty goal provide the impetus to overcome them.

Lessons:
    1.    Nutrition is a key factor in meeting challenges.
    2.    In starting a business, focus on having a positive impact and the money will eventually take care of itself.
    3.    A taste of success may be all you need to provide the impetus to overcoming great obstacles.

Direct download: 085-SUP-Reno_Rolle_Audio_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

If Ned Spieker is a typical billionaire real estate mogul, then the path to success isn’t what you might expect. According to Spieker, it’s not about being an autocrat, but being a servant, not creating a hierarchy, but sharing responsibility, and not about wanting it all, but starting small and working very hard. Serendipity, Spieker admits, plays a big part, but that’s out of our hands regardless. It often takes a little luck to get past seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But in the meantime we have to lay the groundwork that effectively loads the dice in our favor.

Lessons:
    1.    When you’re going through difficult episodes they’re crises; but in hindsight they’re blips.
    2.    Self esteem is earned; you can’t give it.
    3.    Good leaders eat last: when you serve your people and build trust they will work harder and smarter as a result.  

Direct download: 084-SUP-Ned_Spieker_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Aiden Chase, a spiritual healer for Hollywood types, entrepreneurs and regular folks, takes a holistic approach to success in life: we approach our highest selves through a balance of mind, body and spirit. Fanciful as it sounds, there’s common sense behind it.  The mind functions optimally when allowed to reflect clearly and honestly in the quiet places that are growing scarce. Importantly, he guides clients to identify their biggest obstacles, their fears, and no longer repress them, and then do it anyway. Chances are they won’t become billionaires, but then again it probably won’t matter. They’ll have obtained something far more valuable.

Lessons:
    1.    Success is achieved through a holistic integration of mind, body and spirit.
    2.    Fear is the biggest obstacle we need to transform to move forward.
    3.    Nature is the best place for quiet contemplation in order to envision your direction in life.

Direct download: 083-SUP-Aiden_Chase_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Zhong Lou’s path to MMA prominence was never in doubt. He started practicing karate not long after he learned to walk and talk and has mastered a strikingly diverse number of disciplines, from Chinese acrobatics to Mongolian wrestling, since. Forty years later Lou is determined to leave a legacy with his San Francisco gym, Dragon House MMA. The money to keep it up and running is not easy to come by, and it’s not unheard of for a student to sweep the floors in exchange for training. But the bottom line for Luo is human transformation, and in that he is making a tidy profit.

Lessons:
    1.    Even in solitary endeavors, mastery often requires a team effort.
    2.    When money isn’t quite cutting it, passion will keep the doors open.
    3.    Fitness priorities shift with age; training for invincibility while young must gradually shift to training for health if one is to remain viable.

Direct download: 082-SUP-Zhong_Luo_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Human guinea pig and journalist A.J. Jacobs has lived according Old Testament rules, outsourced his entire life, and subjected himself to every diet and fitness program he could find to he could to see what he could learn.  Besides the more obvious lessons, like sheep don’t do well in New York apartments and long beards are itchy, he gained valuable takeaways that he shares in his books which include “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy.” He provides a whole other angle to the trope, “fake it til you make it.” Through his interesting experiments Jacobs proves that some of the best adventures can be conjured up in the mind.

Lessons:
    1.    Expressing gratitude for everything develops awareness of just how many things we have to be thankful for.
    2.    It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking then to think your way into a new way of acting.
    3.    In terms of genealogy, we are all one large extended family, so be kind.

Direct download: 081-SUP-AJ_Jacobs_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Col. Nye spent the weekend at the very first Spartan Winter Agoge to to get a taste of the lessons shared by instructors there.  We’ve also included a special message about Agoge’s meaning from Joe De Sena.  The Spartan Agoge is a 48 or 60 Hour test of mental and physical endurance. The goal is not just to break you down but to build you back up with greater purpose, resilience, commitment and knowledge of yourself.  The winter Agoge includes the practical survival skills you’ll need to complete the event safely even in the brutal sub zero conditions this year’s participants faced.  This is Col. Nye’s first time doing solo field interviews for Spartan Up, let us know what you think. PS- this is an episode we suggest you WATCH.

Direct download: 080-BONUS-Agoge_Spartan_up_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Hoby Darling, CEO of Skullcandy, in pursuit of his success, got out over his skis and accelerated through the turns, got up early every day, set the bar high for his community, and built up obstacle resistance by challenging himself on a regular basis. Darling demonstrates the wisdom of leading by example, not by decree. He shows that one of the most crucial aspects of motivation is redefining what is possible thereby opening the door for others to excel. In this episode, Darling will reveal what it takes to dream big and turn that dream into a reality.

Lessons:

    1.    Leaning into yes makes life a lot more fun and interesting.
    2.    The best way to motivate others is to set a great example and let those you’re trying to influence figure out their path.
    3.    The best way to advance in life is to concentrate on doing your best everyday and the bigger picture will often take care of itself.

Direct download: 079-SUP-Hoby_Darling_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Synopsis: Which diet will optimize your obstacle resistance-- Paleo, raw foods, clean eating or some emerging trend? According to Cornell head nutritionist Clint Wattenberg, there is a time and a place for almost any kind of food as long as you eat it in moderation and your grandma would recognize it. Trying to be “perfect” with your diet will often drive you to the other extreme or, worse, to an eating disorder. If you love food and eating, then Wattenberg has some great news.

Lessons:
1. Be moderate with your diet, not extreme.
2. Only eat foods that your grandma would recognize and as many whole foods as possible.
3. Nutrition is the foundation to build a performance, not the golden key.

Direct download: 078-SUP-Clint_Wattenberg_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Bart Yasso earned the title of Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World magazine through a rugged initiation that involved life altering missteps in his adolescence. It took a stark confrontation with his own mortality via the loss of a close friend to jolt him onto his path of pursuing his passion. This experience upheaved his frame of reference from a toxic one to one of redemption. It’s a running theme in our tales of grit: climbs to great heights very often begin at rock bottom. Yasso’s love for running and for life shines through in this episode.  


Lessons:
    1.    You are the average of your five closest friends, so choose wisely.
    2.    You need to think like a champion before you can become one.
    3.    Say yes often to new experiences; embrace and love them.

Direct download: 077-SUP-Bart_Yasso_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Thom Beers,  successful producer of shows including Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers & Monster Garage has taken a treacherous path to achieve his success himself.  Starting at the bottom he worked his way up through grit, persistence and staying one step ahead of everyone else. His passion, apparently very much alive, propelled him through the rough patches. He has some valuable tips on how to navigate those icy roads and stormy seas that one will inevitably encounter along the way to any achievement worth pursuing.

Lessons:

    1.    Passion is the most important thing in the world: If it doesn’t make your heart pump Kool-Aid, it’s not worth doing.
    2.    Develop an optimal business culture by gathering together people with the same passion as you.
    3.    Hire really good people and then let them run.

Direct download: 076-SUP-Thom_Beers_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:13am EST

What could Dandapani, a Hindu monk turned adviser to entrepreneurs, have to offer to a world seemingly far removed from the monastic life? Plenty it turns out. Through his practice he has come to personify the calm in the midst of the storm, and if there is one way of being that would be a boon in the tumultuous climate of the business world, this would have to be it. Calm reflection is the key to creating positive habits of the mind and Dandapani has mastered this in his many years of practice. He has built a solid foundation of wisdom which he will touch on in this week’s podcast.

Lessons:

    1.    Motivation requires a lot of energy, therefore it is important to let go of the things that drain your energy including negative media, tv, toxic friends and sometimes even family.
    2.    One of the greatest gifts you can provide yourself is taking a few moments each day to clarify your direction in life; once you do that, you can overcome almost every obstacle.
    3.    Use positive affirmations to shape and change your mind in order to attract good things into your life.

Direct download: 075-SUP-Dandapani-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Entrepreneur and athlete Sami Inkinen, along with his wife, rowed 2,750 miles over 45 days without using any of the traditional “athlete foods” conventional knowledge says are essential: sugars and carbs. They didn’t starve, far from it. They came out of it healthier than can be expected from such an endeavor. Why? As fit as Inkinen is, he developed prediabetes by following the standard diet and surmised that sugar was the culprit. If someone like Inkinen is vulnerable, we should all be aware. Inkinen recounts his amazing journey from California to Hawaii.


Lessons:

    1.    The key to success is anything is a growth mindset: Don’t go through an experience, grow through it.
    2.    Sometimes you have to face a challenge as if you were eating an elephant, one piece at a time, slowly, as best you can.
    3.    The only way to escape an unpleasant experience is to embrace it fully, not fight it.

Direct download: 074-SUP-Sami_Inkinen_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

As Outside Magazine Editor, Mike Roberts has access to the stories of the top outdoor athletes in the world and to their wisdom as well. He’s seen Kelly Slater, “the Michael Jordan of surfing,” heal his life through the zen of the water, and age gracefully through his sport. He has also seen top climbers act boldly, but with a skill honed through the culmination of years of dedicated practice. Through these stories we can garner how to be a better human, how to risk without risking it all, how to truly be alive and not just live.

Lessons:
    1.    In tough times you can either be afraid or think “what an interesting time to be in” and seek creative solutions.
    2.    Use the lessons that you find in pursuit of your passion in the other areas of your life to help make you a whole person.
    3.    Excellence in sport doesn’t necessarily have to waver once you reach middle age: for one thing, you often gain the wisdom to keep going, to learn to suffer a bit better.

Direct download: 073-SUP-MIchael_Roberts_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Spartan pro Isaiah Vidal, through the rough circumstances of his life, took the road less traveled to success: He saw the troubled path of his father and didn’t take it. Sons often repeat the mistakes of their fathers, how did Vidal manage to turn things around? In a nutshell, it was a combination of will, determination, and an orientation towards positivity as well as turning towards other strong role models in his life like his mom and grandfather for inspiration. Their influences, as Vidal will describe, laid the foundation for his transformation.

Lessons:

    1.    When proceeding with your life, think of the legacy you want to leave, the example for your children to follow.
    2.    Take measures to guard against negativity in your life.
    3.    If you want to get back on your feet, first you have to get off of your ass.

Direct download: 072-SUP-Isaiah_Vida_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

No one should ever wish tragedy into their own or other’s lives, but it has the potential to lead to some incredibly beneficial life changes. Chris Kresser transformed a decade long struggle with a rare chronic disease into something that benefits society. He was able to restore himself to health and is now doing the same for others. His main piece of advice, “eat real food,” is deceptively simple until you look at the food trends in American culture and realize that the majority of the people the majority of the time are doing no such thing. It may be the single most important thing you can do for your well being. Kresser explains why.

Lessons:
    1.    To stay focused, create a pointed mission in life; do everything that delivers you towards that mission, eliminate those things that don’t.
    2.    In order to accomplish your goals, you have to be a whole person: if you don’t optimize your physical and mental well being, then you’re not much help to others.
    3.    Eat real food. Maximize nutrient dense whole foods and minimize those that come from a box, bag or can or use sugar, white flour or seed oils.

Direct download: 071-SUP-ChrisKresser-Audio1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Jay Jackson is the subject of Joe’s ultimate wrestling story, but you’ll have to wait to the very end of the episode to hear it. Jackson,assistant principal and wrestler, recognizes a need to nudge students into uncomfortable situations that will develop their grit, but that are often absent in an increasingly bubble wrapped society. He got his grit from his parents. His father, as a wrestling coach, would push his physical boundaries and his mom had clever strategies to develop his social skills. Jackson shares some valuable advice about how to advance towards your goals with a smile on your face.

Lessons:
    1.    To raise your children to be resilient, practice pushing them out of their comfort zone gradually through time, but not without building a solid foundation of security and love when they’re young.
    2.    Since a majority of your life is spent getting to a destination it is vital to find a way to enjoy the process.
    3.    If you can persist in every area of your life, physically, mentally, morally, you’ll succeed.

Direct download: 070-SUP-Jay-Jackson_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

In world renowned ultra runner Dean Karnazes, Joe tracked down a real Spartan by both disposition and bloodline. Does he eat gruel for breakfast, take cold showers, and run wearing a hundred pounds of armor? Maybe. He’s run marathons in every state and is now setting out to do the same in every country. Certainly that falls within the same spirit. So you might be taken aback to hear that Karnazes tells us that we should set out not only to fail, but to fail big. His advice is backed up by a life changing experience that he will describe in this episode.

Lessons:

    1.    To achieve great things take small steps and ask yourself at every step if you’re conducting yourself with discipline.
    2.    Never stop exploring: don’t be afraid to try new things and eventually you’ll discover your passion/s.
    3.    Fail boldly: the most useful lessons are learned from the most dramatic failures.

Direct download: 069-SUP-Dean_Karnazes_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

According to writer Andrew Marantz, if you want to have a fulfilling life, take the largely accepted wisdom “live each day as if it were your last” with a large grain of salt. On the road to success, merely satisfying every desire as it appears will get you nowhere. In a philosophical conversation on the Spartan Cruise Joe and Andrew discuss the the crossover between perseverance and success in artists and athletes, the importance of future memory, the strong drive towards innovation and a variety of other topics. They also attempt to answer whether human achievement is driven by chemical releases in the brain or something more complex.

Lessons:

    1.    “Live each day as if it were your last” may be a misleading aphorism: There are clearly many things you must do to achieve long term fulfillment that don’t involve instant gratification.
    2.    The thing that often gives you the most satisfaction, your life’s passion, is paradoxically the thing you frequently don’t enjoy doing at all, but after all is said and done, love regardless.
    3.    On one extreme are virtuosos, those who strive for mastery, on the other are innovators, those who create change. We need both equally, and often we ARE both.

Direct download: 068-SUP-Andrew-Marantz-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Growing up as the child of holocaust survivors, Broadway director Jerry Zaks, often found himself overprotected with his family wanting him to enter a “real” profession. At the moment he found his true passion and was happiest his family felt sorriest for him and that he had thrown his life away. But he had inherited from them a ferocious will to live that enabled him to take nothing for granted and propelled him in a vocation in which the odds are stacked up against you. Though not apparent on the surface, performers and directors are Spartans and in this episode Zaks will describe why.


Lessons

    1.    Seek out the roles in which you best fit and then make fulfilling them a matter of life or death.
    2.    Getting the part, whether it be the leading actor or position in a dream job, involves translating your talent into behavior that’s unforgettable.
    3.    Protect the possibility of a happy ending for as long as possible.

Direct download: 067-SUP-JerryZaks-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Xand Van Tulleken, a doctor who practices in hostile regions, had a taste of the easy life growing up, but it did not sate his appetite for adventure. He has worked in such places as Sudan, Uganda and Peru and the excitement of the challenge has made it difficult to go back to a conventional existence. He and his brother have even started a TV show in which they immerse themselves in traditional indigenous medicine with no other recourse. The takeaway? Western medicine has a lot to learn.

Lessons:
1. When things go badly wrong it's because of indecisiveness and uncertainty, therefore, be prepared.
2. People can live quite well without western medicine. It has little to offer to the indigenous way of life, for example.
3. Some of life's happiest moments are in the midst of doing difficult things.

Direct download: 066-SUP-Xander-Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

To say the least, Lewis Howes had a focused vision. He wanted to make the Olympics and figured that the best way in was by joining the national handball team. There was a slight problem, he never played the game. He brought his athleticism and Arena Football experience to New York City, practiced intensely and now finds himself tantalizingly close to his daunting goal after an incredibly brief quest. He has some sage advice for the longer road to greatness as well.


Lessons:

1. Live in the moment, in the flow and take tiny steps.
2. The health and performance benefits of quitting, or limiting, simple carbs and sugar are a game changer.
3. If you lack natural talent, you must seek out alternative means to gain an edge.

Direct download: 065-SUP-Lewis_Howes_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Tucker Max is an author who pioneered the genre known as “fratire,” an irreverent,  tongue in cheek description of his testosterone and beer fueled exploits that gained a decent following about a decade ago. Now CEO of Bookinabox.com, his life appears to have taken on a decidedly different tack as he stands head to head with Joe in the MMA octagon. By his own admission, he’s only achieved modest success in the ring, but what he has learned is priceless. In the ring, as in life, there is no such thing as “losing.” There is only winning and learning.

Lessons:

    1.    There’s no reason to worry about losing. There’s only winning or learning.
    2.    Great mentors shorten the learning curve and speed the way to mastery. Take the effort to find one.
    3.    If you want something, make sure you have something to offer first.

Direct download: 064-SUP_Tucker_Max_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

Unwittingly paddling into hippo infested waters on the Zambezi was the perfect, if unintentional, predictor of later success for Juliet Starrett who co-owns the San Francisco Crossfit with her husband Kelly. After the most lethal mammal to man upended her canoe, she was already strategizing her plan to survive midair. This is the perfect metaphor for making it in business: peril will gauge a sneak attack at the most inconvenient times and you gotta summon up the fortitude and flexibility to adjust your strategy when suspended at the height of danger. There is simply no time to lick your wounds.

Lessons:

    1.    Taking risks in your day to day life helps prepare you for the risks in business.
    2.    Be or recruit someone who is highly organized as an essential member of your team.
    3.    To retain quality staff, create enough space for them in the company to diversify and grow.

Direct download: 063-SUP_Juliet_Starrett_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

“Chefrepreneur” Jeffrey Zurofsky, co-founder of Wichcraft sandwich shop and judge on Bravo’s “Best New Restaurant,” suggests the obstacles of running an efficient kitchen and a successful restaurant should be a model for entrepreneurship. A high quality restaurant is like a virtuoso pianist playing a finely tuned piano: a great deal of talent, coordination and practice goes into an end result that appears graceful, effortless and exquisite. As paradoxical as it seems, for him creativity thrives within the bounds of a certain amount of discipline. In this episode Joe and Jeff discuss some of the finer points of applying these lessons to your business and life.  

Lessons:

    1.    To get the job done effectively, follow the kitchen inspired concept of mise en place--organize everything into its proper place before getting down to work.
    2.    In it’s essence, service is a well crafted method of preparation that ensures that the results are consistent and high quality. It is well worth honing this technique.
    3.    Avoid the big mistakes but accept the small ones as necessary obstacles to shape the unique character of your business.

Direct download: 062-SUP_Jeff_Zurofsky_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EST

John Durant, author of the Paleo Manifesto, dispels the myth that Paleo is a meat intense, monolithic diet. There are many indigenous cultures, he explains, with different levels of meat consumption, and therefore many models to choose from. What he doesn’t accept, however, is that vegetarianism exists in our nature. In his research, Durant could not identify even one xexample. He does agree that the most important aspect of this and any other health conscious diet is the elimination of processed foods.  He describes how our cultural shift towards expediency and convenience has made us sick.

Lessons:
    1.    Vegetarian and vegan diets are not noted in indigenous diets and are largely grew out of our industrial cultures.
    2.    The most important aspect of the paleo diet is not to increase meat consumption, but rather to eliminate processed foods from our plate.
    3.    We are products of our habitat. To effectively change your diet, change your surroundings.

Direct download: 061-SUP-John_Durant_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

In this episode, Dr. Fred Bisci tells us how to cut out processed foods from our diet to vastly improve health and athletic performance. In his case, though, “processed” also means any form of cooking. Bisci has found through fifty years of eating a raw vegan diet that meat and cooked foods are optional - and may even be detrimental. Incredibly active at age 85, Bisci certainly makes a good case. Yet he urges us not to follow his and Joe’s example: instead of taking the extreme measure of going 100% raw from the start, try making a more gradual transition.

Lessons:
    1.    In Bisci’s experience, athletic performance can be amazing on a diet of only raw fruits and vegetables.
    2.    If switching to a purely raw diet is too extreme, the most important way to improve your diet is to eliminate processed food, anything from a can or a box.
    3.    When coming off of the standard American diet onto this one, it’s common to go through a detox period in which you’ll feel ill. Persist through it and you’ll feel great eventually.

Direct download: 060-SUP-Fred_Bisci_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Becoming the only person to win the Boston and New York marathons AND medal in the Olympics, Meb Keflezighi stepped up to the challenge by remembering his father’s sacrifice. His father fled war torn Eritrea carrying only a canteen, stick, sack of barley and matches to ward of hyenas; Keflezighi is grateful for regular aid stations to ease his way. He and his family made it to the United States via Italy and through hard work and perseverance all became successes in their respective ways. Keflezighi details his inspiring journey in this episode.

Lessons:

    1.    Frame of reference can push you towards your goals. Running a marathon with the luxury of aid stations is nothing compared to hiking hundreds of miles through hostile lands to save your family.
    2.    A goal bigger than yourself, that impacts people in a positive way, is an excellent motivator.
    3.    It’s not about winning, but getting the best out of yourself.

Direct download: 059-SUP_Meb_Kerflezighi_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

How does one, like Evan Dollard, become an American Gladiator? The frank answer, according to him, is that you don’t. Instead you make all the preparations within your power; go where the action is; pursue your passion to the fullest; make yourself known and talk to the right people and do everything to put the odds in your favor. If it doesn’t work out chances are that you’ve created an environment where something else, maybe even something better, will. This is the way to live a fully realized life, one without regrets. Dollard is living it and he has some valuable wisdom to help you live it too.

Lessons:

    1.    It’s worth laying the groundwork when pursuing an opportunity because even if it doesn’t pan out, you’ll be ready for the unexpected opportunity that may be around the corner.
    2.    The riskier path is worth it even if you don’t meet your goal since it means eliminating the “what ifs” and “if onlys” and living a life without regret.
    3.    Always move forward: If you see a stagnant pond you don’t drink from it but instead seek out the fast flowing stream with the freshest water.

Direct download: 058-SUP_Evan_Dollard_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Mike Reilly is the voice of the Ironman. He has lent his voice to over 1000 events and his declaration, you are an ironman, has helped transform lives. Reilly takes great care in choosing his words because he knows they’ll have not just an impact on the racer’s life, but everyone around him as well. Reilly is a firm believer in the power of the individual to shape their own experience, but this doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t benefit from some words of encouragement to propel them towards the next finish line.

Lessons:

    1.    If you live by the adage, “you’re the cause of your own experience,” you’re on the right path.
    2.    Experiences, unlike things, permeate to other people which makes them more valuable.
    3.    Live from the inside out and everything else falls into place.

Direct download: 057-SUP_Mike_Reilly_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am EST

As one might expect from the author of the “Four Hour Work Week,” Tim Ferriss has a solid, well established routine. He awakes, meditates, exercises, journals, blocks off four hours for creative work, then frees himself for meetings and phone calls. This well balanced approach has taken him far.  When the inevitable drudging task comes around he slogs himself through it by building momentum with “Scooby snacks,” short, fun activities preceding the boring ones.  From the start of this interview it quickly becomes apparent that Ferris is a wellspring of great advice for anyone who is aiming to build a successful business or life.


Lessons:

    1.    Narrow things down to one or two things to focus on daily.
    2.    Volunteer for great organizations then go the extra mile to stand out.
    3.    Find a small but fast growing company to work for and observe the deal makers at work. Note the kind of questions they ask to get ahead. Example: “I know its impossible, but if there was a way to make it work, what would it be?”
    4.    When things start going well in business, to maintain focus, separate the great opportunities from the potentially overwhelming number of good ones. Ask yourself, what it the one step that will make all the others irrelevant.

Direct download: SUP-56_Tim_Ferris_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EST

Forget what your first grade teacher told you, according to Kelly Starrett, owner and cofounder of Mobility WOD, children should never sit still in class. He believes that we learn better, are healthier, and by burning more calories are starting to reverse the obesity epidemic when we are standing. Even healthy adults who work out regularly suffer from the negative affects of too much sitting. Starrett, through his crossfit gym, encourages the type of holistic practice that will prepare an elite athlete, or a normal person, for any situation. In this episode, he describes how in depth.

Lessons:

    1.The benefit of having a good conditioning program is not learning how to suffer but learning how to problem solve in the face of discomfort.
    2.There’s no way to solve the obesity epidemic without tackling sitting and inactivity.
    3.If we can’t use the lessons of elite sport to help the layman, then sport is just folly.

Direct download: 055-SUP-KellyStarrett-MixedAudioExp-C.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Travis Macy, an avid ultrarunner, wrote The Ultra Mindset after he learned a valuable lesson himself. He was working to become a school principal, a respectable position and by all means a sensible decision, but stopped in his tracks to write the book. Pushing forward in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons would’ve left Macy unfulfilled. Raw perseverance without deep purpose is not enough. Lucky for us, Macy channeled his mental toughness into the right endeavor and he shares a number of strategies for you to do the same in this podcast. 


Lessons:

1.When things get tough it’s helpful to focus on why you’re doing something and not on the drudgery of the task.
2.Training is equally important for developing a strong mind as it is for getting fit.
3.Quitting is okay when you find yourself on a path that doesn’t align with your values, but if you are on the right path, don’t give up.

Direct download: 054-SUP_TravisandMarkMacyAudioRevised.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

To be a success, or even to survive, emotional intelligence often trumps raw IQ, as Jordan Harbinger discovered while being detained and interrogated in Serbia. He used his humanity to escape. Similarly, being empathetic and genuine is just as important in finding and keeping friends and lovers as it is in advancing in your chosen field. Harbinger taught this through his Art of Charm podcasts and life coaching, and now on his "Jordan Harbinger Show.". As he describes in this episode, it’s not so much the skills you add that are important, but the bad habits that you subtract in order to expose your best self.

Lessons:
    1.    Unless you are at the top of your field or a workhorse, relationship skills are the key to advancement.
    2.    If you want to present your best self you need to silence the self criticism.
    3.    External sources of validation (fancy cars, houses, etc.) are not as impressive to emotionally healthy people as displaying your true self.
    4.    If you’re not creating good habits you’re creating bad habits, but you’re creating habits no matter what. 

 

LINKS:

http://www.jordanharbinger.com/podcast/

Direct download: 053-SUP_Jordan_Harbinger_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Adventure race champion Robyn Benincasa delved into her paddling passion by entering and excelling in a kayak ultra endurance race several hundred miles long. Several world records and hip replacements later, she is still going strong. It is her core philosophy that once you find something that you’re good at, pursue  it with every ounce of your being. Since she’s channeled much of her boundless energy into her foundation, Project Athena, that helps women who’ve survived medical setbacks, this is great news for them. Benincasa will describe the transformative power of adventure and persistence in this episode.


Lessons:

    1.    Make the effort to find your strengths and continue down that path.
    2.    To bypass the victim mentality, always be working towards a big goal.
    3.    Success is driven, not by money, but the desire to fully realize what you’re capable of.

Direct download: 052-SUP_Robyn_Benicasa_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

After successful real estate businesses in Lebanon and Iran, Karim Jaude arrived in Los Angeles in 1979 with only $17 in his pocket and not a friend within a thousand miles. By merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he lost almost everything … twice.  He was kidnapped, tortured and forced to flee the country, but, in an extraordinary display of resilience, he got up and thrived again and again. Jaude’s determination started early in life and pushed him through the rough spots, of which there were many. He recounts his extraordinary journey in this podcast. http://www.spartanuppodcast.com/051

Lessons:

    1.There will never be justice in the world but we have the ability to reduce people’s suffering and not add to it.
    2.Adversity teaches you to float over the small hassles in life.
    3.What happens to you doesn’t matter as much as how you react to it.
    4. Help one person every day.

Direct download: 051-SUP_Karim20_Jaude_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Austin Malleolo is a formidable CrossFit competitor and level three trainer, but he says there was not much indication earlier in his life that he would achieve what he has. He was a troubled youth who was making many bad decisions that ultimately lead him to his path and passion. Instead of allowing him to continue down a trajectory that was aimed straight at a life of dead ends and possible prison, his father wisely opted to derail that destiny. In this podcast Mallelollo describes how this change in his frame of reference got him back on the track to a fulfilling life.

Lessons:

    1.    Physical disadvantages just mean that you have to work harder than everyone else to succeed.
    2.    Everybody needs someone in their corner.
    3.    Practice with someone better than you.
    4.    You control your own destiny.

Direct download: 050-SUP-Austin_Malleolo.Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Joe navigated his way through tough neighborhoods, a broken family life, organized crime, a near hopeless bid to enter the Ivy League, Wall Street, a human Iditarod, and daunting business prospects in backwater Vermont until he found his true calling.  As usual, Joe insists he isn’t special and outlines how you can do it too.  
 
Lessons:

1.  Commit: Say what you’re going to do and do what you say.
2. Go above and beyond.
3. Never complain. Practice gratitude.
4. Choose your path and stick to it.
5. Persevere and persist.
6. Practice upside/downside decision making.
7. Change your frame of reference and develop grit.
8. Do something you’re passionate about and it will no longer be work.
9. Road blocks are obstacles to overcome.

Direct download: 049-Mastermind_JoeDesena_Audio.wav
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

According to the Entrepreneur, Investor & Best-Selling Author Gary Vaynerchuk, he was bad at many things. But what he was good at was crucial for his successes: he knew himself very well and acted on his strengths, intensely. He was equally adept at reading others and is living proof that EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is as important as IQ in the world of business. His grit was shaped by a tough Eastern European upbringing tempered by compassion. In this episode,  Vaynerchuck explains what obstacle resistance means from a humanistic perspective.
http://www.spartanuppodcast.com/048

Lessons:
1. If you know who you are, by nature you’ll bet on your strengths, and if you bet on your strengths, you’ll win.
2. You must be willing to invest several years ahead of time to realize a payoff.
3. Almost anything you do is good as long as you’re “all in.”

Direct download: 048_SUP_Gary_Vanerchuck20Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

How did Kris Halenga, diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at 23, with no business experience, manage to become such an admired and inspirational charity CEO?  Her version of grit was a mix of passion and taking small steps that eventually added up to something spectacular. She was kind to herself along the way and is now extending that kindness to others by raising breast cancer awareness. Just as compelling is the story of how she was able to take a potentially devastating condition and use it as a foundation to build a life she loves.

Lessons:
1. Passion and a willingness to learn along the way can stand in for business skills in entrepreneurship.
2. Don't let a challenging situation consume you but change it into something good that can help others.
3. Achieving small things each day can make you happy and will soon build into a big thing.

Direct download: 04720SUP20Kris_Hallenga_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Marc Von Musser, the director of coaching for Tony Robbins, says find the why and the how will follow closely behind. He shares the secret in this interview.  If you're like most people, you've been lulled into complacency, seduced by the sirens of comfort and convenience. But Marc Von Musser says that you're wasting your precious life. So what do you do to get out of this predicament? Work harder? That will only take you so far and will prove to be a partial solution. Work smarter? Naturally, but again this doesn't probe deep enough. As Von Musser elucidates, we're asking the entirely wrong question: We should be asking why and the rest will follow closely behind.


Lessons:
1. If a person has a big enough why, they can do anything.
2. Once you find a why, backload it with intelligence and inspired action.
3. To find your why ask yourself what you would do if money wasn't an issue.
4. Don't question the price of success; pay it gladly and success will come to you in droves.
5. Most people who play it safe are bored to death. And most people play it safe.

Direct download: SUP2020046_Marc_Von_Musser_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Explorer Club members have ventured to the bottom of the deepest ocean, the top of the highest mountain, to both poles and to the moon and back. Next stop for their iconic flag - Mars. According to executive director Will Roseman, members of this venerated organization have undertaken extraordinary expeditions that have significantly advanced the cause of humankind, they’ve also used extraordinary means to survive everything from panther attacks to avalanche burials. Counted in their number are a US president, a hugely successful movie director, astronauts and many legendary explorers. Roseman tells their stories and reveals some of their secrets.

Lessons: 
1. "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." Winston Churchill
2.  But, on the other hand, go into an endeavor mindfully: Assess risk. Do your homework. Be prepared.
3.  The will to survive is indomitable.

Direct download: SUP2045_Will_Roseman_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST

Levison Wood just finished walking the full length of the Nile. Walking, that is, when he wasn't running from charging buffalos, elephants and crocs or wading through python infested swamps, or dodging bullets... Yet for this seasoned explorer it was well worth the risk, not only for the exhilaration of being the first, but also for the richness of the experience. Often the biggest obstacle was not escaping the perilous but enduring the mundane. Wood describes how he developed the grit to push through.

Lessons:
1. Manage risk; don't avoid it. No risk no reward.
2. We need much less stuff than we realize. Simplify your life.
3. You're the only one who determines what you're capable of, so persist through the naysayers.

Direct download: SUP2044_20Levinson20Wood_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EST