178: Grimur Saemundsen found success in an unforgiving climate

Have you seen the iconic photos of Iceland's Blue Lagoon? On the way back from the Spartan Ultra World Championship we found Grimur Saemundsen, the doctor, and entrepreneur who founded the Icelandic spa visited by more than half of the country's tourists.

Use his exceptional business success story as a parable to guide your own success. The indigo tint of the water comes from naturally therapeutic substances including silica and blue-green algae. Saemundsen worked with existing strengths in his environment, the natural volcanic springs and rugged landscape, to create something new. Even as the spa grows the new architecture follows the natural landscape. Do that yourself by identifying and adapting to the strengths in yourself and your environment. Make them work for you. Iceland took what many might see as negative, the attention a volcano brought to them by stopping air travel worldwide and made it a positive. The used the attention to springboard for their tourism campaigns.

Is it something in the water? We're willing to check for you ...

Lessons:

1. To build success use and emphasize existing strengths - in this case adapting to the local ecology and environment.

2. Create a passion around what you're doing and others on your team will follow suit.

3. To succeed you ned three keys: vision, endurance, and to remain open to outside opinion.

Link: Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa http://www.bluelagoon.com/

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CREDITS:

Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.

Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye.

Synopsis – Matt Baatz

© 2018 Spartan