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With a guest like Joe De Sena, you know this week’s podcast is going to be an unfiltered blast of pure motivation, inspiration, and insight. Discover how Joe founded one of the most revolutionary sports movements of this century and innovate around the world as we dive deep on his “no retreat” mindset.
GUEST BIO:
Joe De Sena is the founder and CEO of Spartan, the world's leading endurance sports brand. From Wall Street to rural Vermont, Joe turned his passion for adventure races and endurance events into the Spartan Race— one of the most respected adventure events on earth. Now a multiple-time New York Times bestselling author and host of CNBC’s new show No Retreat: Business Bootcamp, Joe’s work has been featured in Business Insider, Men’s Health, Inc., Forbes, ESPN, and the Joe Rogan Experience.
[2:30] - The No Retreat Mindset
What Joe wants his viewers and listeners to know
Joe has built his life on the idea that we all can go so much further than we think we can. When we begin to feel ourselves getting pushed, we retreat. But what if we took that feeling of discomfort as a sign to push even further? What if we never retreated? Who knows what we might accomplish, individually and as a human race.
[5:03] - Want Toughness? Practice It.
Why toughness is like a muscle
The science agrees— mental toughness isn’t something you’re simply born with, and it’s not generational. Babies born in the 1800s were evolutionarily identical to us today. They survived without the internet, without AC or heat, without the ability to have whatever food they wanted anytime. And yet, they survived. Identify the things in your life that are causing your mental toughness to atrophy, and develop exercises that will help you strengthen it.
[11:09] - Marks on the Brain
The effects of facing challenges in children
Neuroscientists have shown that between the ages of 7 to 20 years old, kids that willingly take on hard challenges in life leave marks on their brain. These lines look like train tracks— and they’re the result of making permanent changes to the parts of your brain that determine resilience. When you practice resilience— and help young people in your life practice it— you create a generation of resilient, driven individuals.
[17:22] - Put a Fight on the Calendar
Advice from legendary boxer Mickey Ward
Mickey Ward once told Joe De Sena that while he’s always in pretty good shape, whenever there’s a fight on his calendar it inspires him to take his fitness to a whole other level. What’s the ‘fight’ you can put on your calendar to inspire you to stay resilient, stay tough, and stick to your goals and systems?
[24:43] - Purpose & Resilience
Two principles connected by grit
Purpose and resilience are closely tied together. When you live your life with purpose, allowing it to drive your decisions, it strengthens your resilience because you have the confidence of knowing that the path you’re heading in is the right one for you— even if it's all uphill, through the pelting rain, with no shoes. Find your purpose and you’ll find your resilience. Develop your resilience and it will help you stick to your purpose.