Joe De Sena: Founder and CEO of Spartan

Joe is the founder and CEO of Spartan, the largest obstacle racing series in the world. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, and most recently The Spartan Way.

 

Some interesting insights from this episode: 

• The most grueling endurance event he’s ever done is running a business. 

• “Death is the price we pay for life so make it worth it.” 

• Learn how he built the largest participatory endurance sport in the world with over a million annual participants and 275 events spread across 42 countries. 

• It took over a decade of losing money and tweaking the product until he finally figured out a formula that worked. He stuck with it for so long because he knew it was his true north. 

• Branding matters. They’re probably 10x more successful because of the name Spartan. 

• Intermittent fasting can make you feel better and it increases performance. 

• The best way to physically train is to focus on flexibility and mobility. 

• The ambitious mission of Spartan is to change 100 million lives. 

• “Excellence is giving it everything you’ve got. When you’re up against a wall and you refuse to give up, that’s excellence.”