Joe De Sena Spartan Race Founder & CEO - Exclusive: Near Death Wipeouts in Life & Business
Oct 25, 2023
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Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race and creator of the Death Race, shares about the financial catastrophe during the pandemic, near-death experiences in sports, seeking new challenges, and the difficulty of disconnecting from technology.
Despite facing the possibility of bankruptcy, the Spartan organization secured financial support from a wealthy family during the pandemic.
Joe DeCina's transformative experience in extreme racing inspired him to create Spartan, aiming to change 100 million lives through physical and mental challenges.
Deep dives
The Financial Catastrophe Faced During the Pandemic
During the pandemic, the Spartan organization found themselves in a dire financial situation. They had borrowed a significant amount of money through the Main Street Lending Program, but with events being shut down and expenses piling up, they struggled to make ends meet. They reached a point where they couldn't pay their bills and faced the possibility of bankruptcy. Despite the challenges, they fought through and managed to secure the help of a wealthy family who believed in their mission and offered financial support.
The Transformative Experience in Northern Quebec
A defining moment for Joe DeCina was being stranded in the Quebec wilderness during an extreme race. They encountered treacherous conditions, including facing freezing temperatures, hallucinations, and being stuck on the side of a mountain. In that moment, Joe realized he wanted to have a bigger impact and change lives. This experience inspired him to start Spartan and create events that challenge and transform individuals, pushing them to their limits physically and mentally.
The Vision to Change 100 Million Lives
Joe DeCina's vision is to change 100 million lives through Spartan and other physical challenges. He believes that by offering a variety of challenging experiences like obstacle races, mountain biking, and paddleboarding, they can attract people who want to push themselves and make positive changes in their lives. The goal is to create a community where individuals can gather and inspire each other to overcome their limits and achieve their full potential.
The Impact of Social Media and Technology
Social media and technology have played a critical role in growing Spartan's reach and attracting participants. Platforms like social media have allowed them to showcase the thrill and transformation that comes with participating in their events. However, Joe acknowledges the harmful effects of technology addiction and the diminishing amount of time people spend outdoors. He emphasizes the importance of finding a healthy balance and experiencing real-life challenges rather than relying solely on digital experiences.
Joe De Sena is the founder and CEO of Spartan and creator of the Spartan Race and the infamous Death Race. After he created a hugely successful Wall Street trading firm, Joe left finance behind in 2001 to build a new life and a new business from a farm in rural Vermont. His goal was to change 100 million lives through experiences like those he had competing in Ironmans, 300-mile runs and adventure races around the world. Joe has created a lot of success, a lot of wealth and a lot of transformation. And there’s more to the story. In this interview, for the first time he shares about the financial catastrophe the Spartan Race faced during the pandemic, the brushes with death he has had in his sporting endeavors, why he continually seeks new challenges and how he deals with one of the most difficult challenges in the human experience--getting someone to use the off button on a phone. Thank you to my friend Randy Hetrick, the founder and chairman of the human performance company TRX and now founder and CEO of OutFit for connecting me to Joe to make this interview happen. You can learn more about Joe and Spartan Race at www.jodesena.com and @spartan on social.