212: Be better than yesterday - Joe DeSena and David Labistour, CEO OF MEC

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), is the REI of Canada whose founder wants you to be part of the company, find your purpose and GET OUTSIDE! Raised in South Africa and served in active combat in Angola, his toughest challenge was actually finding a job once he moved to Canada. In this episode we will learn how to define ourselves in difficult moments, find our purpose and how going through tough situations actually fortifies you with a more full life to "suck the marrow out of every experience."

LESSONS:

• The worst thing you're going through in your life turns out to be the best
• Structure your organization to give customers what they need
• Get off the couch and out the door!
• Use your profits to give back and improve your community
• Success is not necessarily measured in dollars
• Evaluate yourself against who you were yesterday
• Be better than you were yesterday
• Come out of experiences with a positive frame of mind
• As a young person seek a right of passage- embrace discipline and hardship
• Be of value to your country community and family
• It's not about finding happiness, FIND PURPOSE
• Don't be too scared to fail
• Learn how to define yourself in difficult moments
• Be able to handle tough situations and stress to have a full life
• Suck the marrow out of every experience
• Be ready and open for the opportunity, it's about timing and luck
• Appreciate today
• Design your company to caretake the environment

This episode of "Spartan Up!" is sponsored by Athletic Greens. Get 20 travel packs free when you order at https://athleticgreens.com/spartan

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Joe Desena tells you why you need to listen

0:23 Athletic Greens

0:38 Sefra, Johnny, Col. Nye and Joe get you ready

1:28 Interview with David Labistour CEO of MEC

2:15 Customers as owners of the organization

3:30 What is co-op structure

4:00 putting money back into the community to get people outdoors

4:50 stop evaluating yourself against other people

6:00 active combat in Angola

7:40 what is purpose?

8:20 how do you find passion?

9:40 how do you define yourself in difficult moments?

10:00 how handling stress leads to a more full life

10:37 Athletic Greens Break

16:55 during hard time: gas in car or buy food? ?

18:35 be ready and open for the opportunity

20:45 designing your company with ecological values

21:04 Sefra, Johnny, Col. Nye and Joe De Sena discuss the interview

LINKS:

MEC https://www.mec.ca/en/

SUBSCRIBE:

Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow

YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT

Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay

FOLLOW SPARTAN UP:

Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/

Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod

CREDITS:

Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.

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

Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra

© 2018 Spartan