The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Latest Episodes:

048: Gary Vaynerchuk | Self Awareness Aug 11, 2015

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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/048Lessons: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.”

047: Kris Hallenga Has Advice that Could Save Your Life Aug 04, 2015

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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.

046: Marc Von Musser | Find the Why and Everything Else Follows Jul 28, 2015

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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.

045: Will Roseman | Inside the Legendary Explorers Club Jul 21, 2015

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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 Churchill2. But, on the other hand, go into an endeavor mindfully: Assess risk. Do your homework. Be prepared.3. The will to survive is indomitable.

044: Levison Wood | Walked the Entire Nile Jul 14, 2015

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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.

043: Tyler Wren | What pro cycling teaches about winning Jul 07, 2015

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The span of Tyler Wren's 13 year pro cycling career included a time when doping was rampant. Giving in to the status quo, while risky, could almost certainly have landed Wren a coveted spot in the Tour de France. He was too well grounded in his values: To him success was not about his position relative to others, but becoming the best person he could be. Learn about his journey which has taken him, currently, to directing bucolic, community oriented cycling events, the next of which takes place at the birthplace of Spartan Race in Pittsfield, Vermont.Lessons: 1. Success is personal. It's about focusing on and achieving your own goals without being diverted by other's opinions.2. Align your values with your actions by writing them down and hanging them in easy view.3. Just stepping out the door is simultaneously the simplest and hardest action you can take in service of success.

042: Howard Chang | Embrace Failure to Succeed Jun 30, 2015

Show notes

Howard Chang was a karate champion at 17, but he derives more satisfaction from being bad at something than he does from being a master. At 17 he completely switched gears to endurance racing, a sport which he admits no natural affinity towards. He eventually excelled at that as well. Learning to fail and get back up, Chang believes, is the key to success in any endeavor, and he is eager to practice this at every opportunity. Not content with the everyday challenges of life, Chang seeks out adversity. This gritty strategy has propelled him to high places. He is currently CEO of a Toronto ad agency which is renowned for its high standards of environmental and social responsibility.Lessons:1. The fast track to growth is to take on a challenge you're not necessarily good at and let adversity be your teacher.2. The ability to fail, pick back up and rebuild is essential in business.3. Don't coddle your kids. Teach them a work ethic while still allowing them the freedom to have adventures. Don't shield them from difficulties.

041: Carl Quintanilla | Why You Should Say Yes Jun 23, 2015

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Carl Quintanilla, weekend NBC Nightly News anchor, decided to make the jump from The Wall Street Journal to Television when the future of print looked uncertain. Though he has secured a coveted position, he initially paid his dues by always saying yes to opportunities, including reporting in Iraq, where by that time, fortunately, hostilities were on the wane. The resilience he built up in such an ambitious career track explains why he coasted through the Spartan course prior to the interview. Joe and Carl discuss what they have learned through their interactions with the successful as well techniques that have helped them in their own lives.Lessons:1. Set a limited time to reflect on failure (3 days max) then move forward.2. In general, yes is the best answer. Don't build walls.3. The key to success is surviving long enough to get lucky.

040: FATHERS DAY BONUS | Dr. Joe Galasso Jun 18, 2015

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Dr. Galasso has, in his work with developmentally disabled Spartans, motivated some 2000 gritty children across the finish line. This endeavor is a great model for the no less formidable challenge parents face in setting a worthy course for their own kids. In this episode Galasso describes a strategy framed by hope, healing, empowerment and connection. Celebrate Father's Day by striving to be the type of parent that enables his children to thrive in the face of life's obstacles.1.Support children in a way that instills the belief that they are capable of anything.2. Notice the things you like about your kids, even in the teen years.3. Being a strong father figure is the will increase the chance that your children follow a righteous path.

039: Dick Costolo | Twitter CEO says Business is like a Forest Fire Jun 16, 2015

Show notes

Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter, is an extreme example of the high school reunion paradox. We all have seen it. Homecoming kings and queens who have sunk into mediocrity while awkward "nobodies" have somehow made it big. Costello, the one who was always picked last for the team, is now CEO of Twitter. He describes how he used his perpetual outsider status to scrap his way to the top. His strategy is surprisingly simple; it's only the execution that's difficult.1. With enough perseverance even the most unlikely to succeed may find themselves on top.2. Simply being willing to put yourself in uncomfortable situations is the best way to build resilience.3. Success in business is like forestry management: you may be surrounded by wildfires, but the key is to identify and extinguish the most urgent ones first.

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