Spartan Up! - A Spartan Race For The Mind!

What does it take to mentally conquer any challenge? This week Claudio Alessi, a man with a seemingly endless list of championships and achievements, tells Joe that all of it boils down to service.  Joe Desena talk with the Swiss Ski team’s team mental coach who has over 50 years of martial arts training and is a 7 time world champion - he even won the Arm Wrestling World Cup in 1996. The principles and tactics he’s learned he adapted to create mental and biomechanics martial arts training for people with disabilities to conquer their goals. If you want results you need to balance your mental and physical and most importantly have passion! And whatever your goal - just start NOW.   LESSONS: Balance the mental and physical aspects of your life You must have passion to have results Align your mentality with your challenge It’s all about perseverance, KEEP GOING! Set a target and go for it, then surpass it If you believe in yourself, it’s all possible If you have an objective, start NOW Do something bigger than

I was 19 years old and had just started working at Price Club. I was working for less than a month and was awarded “Employee of the Month”. How did it happen? Simple. I went above and beyond “normal” effort. This is something you can apply to ALL areas of life, not just your work or career. Good enough is the death of greatness.   LESSONS: Complacency is when you find yourself saying, That’s not my job. To achieve more in life you must be willing to do more, even if the pay off is not immediate. Normal actions = normal results. This is also known as average. You’re a Spartan and Spartans don’t do anything with average effort or intentions. Get out there and be AWESOME. LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach:   Spartan

Our values are a set of principles by which we choose to live our life. Values can not only help guide us towards what we want but they can also be used as a barometer for what truly matters to us. Sometimes, however, we lose sight of our values and find ourselves engaging in behaviors that are not in alignment with our values. This can not only create a general sense of discontent but can also lead to depression, anxiety, addiction, and other significant struggles. Evaluating whether or not our behaviors are in alignment with our values is a key step to ensuring that our integrity is intact and that we are being true to what matters to us.   LESSONS: Values: A set of principles by which you choose to live your life.   Evaluating whether or not your behaviors are in alignment with your values can help determine whether there may be internal conflict that is creating discontent. Follow these three steps to evaluate whether or not you are in alignment: Identify three values that matter most to you. Ask yours

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 countr

During an interview I heard with Yanik Silver and Gary Vaynerchuk MANY years ago, I learned a favorite lesson from Gary. It had nothing to do with how fancy your website looks, how awesome your logo is, etc. It’s ALL about genuinely caring. That is the foundation and overall essence of what you do . You can’t fake it. Never take for granted the work you do and the people you impact. LESSONS:   Take the focus off yourself and focus on helping others. Genuinely care. You can’t fake this so there is no trick to caring. Don’t underestimate how much you can impact someone’s life simply by being kind. It’s always nice to be nice :) LINKS:   Gary Vaynerchuk Interview https://youtu.be/UXALV1L3Gjs Yanik Silver Interview https://youtu.be/AMWhfhKdpL4 More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://

Readiness is the state of being prepared to take on a new challenge at any given time. There are two key components of being ready, 1. Your capacity to manage change, and 2. Your willingness to try new things. In this episode, learn about the stories and beliefs that you have about yourself as it relates to these two things and how they may be creating a barrier to being ready.   LESSONS: Readiness is built from two key components: Your capacity to manage change. Your willingness to try new things.   Understanding the stories/beliefs that you have about yourself as it relates to these two components will help identify it there are barriers to you being ready. You can easily shift your mindset about being ready by using more positive language about both change and trying new things. “I don’t do well with change” --> “I don’t like change but I can manage it.”   SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW

She was run over TWICE & still runs with a smile, Amanda Sullivan will teach you to be the candle that banishes darkness.  Amanda is someone who runs into the fire, she has worked with little girls who have been sex trafficked, orphans and refugees from areas of natural disaster and conflict, and was hit by a car … twice. Her previous experiences fortified her with a remarkably resilient baseline, her infectious smile and enthusiasm reminds us to  “be the hero your waiting for,” and that we all must rise above our circumstances and reignite our inner flames.   LESSONS: Stop waiting be be rescued, rescue yourself! Don’t live in the glory days of the past, be present Live on your own terms You are in control of your attitude and what you fuel your mind/ body/ soul with Fight back again adversity Rise above your circumstances Ignite your inner flame, fight the darkness You’re capable of far more than you think Train your soul by training your mind   Teeter has a special offer just for our listeners. Get th

Want to change your life? Books can, especially GREAT books. If you have the common thought of I’m too busy to read, try this simple rule: Just read 2 pages a day. I prefer reading at night but morning, afternoon or night is up to you. 2 pages takes less than 5 minutes and will calm you before going to sleep. LESSONS:   Read daily or almost daily. If reading at night, do not read books that cause you to overthink or stress. Choose books that are calming and help you fall asleep easily and more relaxed. Set a goal of 2 pages minimum. Don’t wait to take action only when you finish the book. Take action the next day if you read at night. If you read in the morning, take action that day.   LINKS: Education of a Bodybuilder  http://a.co/ehzOYOw    Awaken The Giant Within  http://a.co/ey2VbHj More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTu

We all carry around wounds, grievances, and past hurts. Some of these are from decades ago while others may be more recent. If we aren’t paying attention what these are they can weigh us down - impacting our choices, behaviors, and relationships. In this episode, learn how to take a look at what’s in your sandbag, understand and explore the wounds and grievances that may be impacting you the most, and identify ways to attend to them carefully.     LESSONS: Your past wounds and grievances can impact your choices and relationships in the present, especially if you are not paying attention and trying to ignore them.   When you pay attention to these wounds and grievances they are less likely to weigh you down. A good technique to use to understand what’s in your sandbag is to ask yourself these three questions: What wounds am I carrying around with me? Which wounds might I need to let go of? Is there someone I need to loop in so that I can begin to heal?   SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/Spartan

7-7-7 World Marathon Challenge: Seven marathons, seven continents in seven days and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this sixty-six year old! Robert and Johnny talk this week about what it means to build a “win” into each day and when faced with struggles and challenges do you “suck your thumb, or suck it up?!” As a former Special Ops Pararescueman, Owens has lived his life for others and along the way has inspired everyone that the older you get the fitter you can be and the harder challenges you can conquer.   LESSONS: You don’t have to age decrepitly Who your friends are influences your future A strong why keeps you going Program a “win” into each day Help people and let them help you Have “encouragers” in your life Everyday we have choices - ask: does it make you or break you? Don’t run from the pain, it helps you grow. There is no victory without struggle. Do you suck your thumb or suck it up?   This episode of “Spartan Up!”  is sponsored by Athletic Greens.  Get 20 travel packs free when you ord

You’ve heard the phrase, You are the average of your 5 closest friends. Well, this isn’t news. It’s been implemented in the business world, the Military and even Presidents have used this “mastermind principle” to make one another better. Here’s how:   LESSONS:   Surround yourself with people who make you better and vice versa. Invest in yourself. This creates “skin in the game” and you are more willing to take action with your new information. Do a self audit. Is your environment supporting your goals and helping you achieve more in life? LINKS: Joe Polish Interview https://youtu.be/yDGu8k0XyHk More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book   “Think and Grow Rich” http://a.co/h3XqppW     SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com

Failure is part of the human experience. We all fail. When we see failure as negative, we are not only less likely to challenge ourselves but we are also more likely to get weighed down by the experience. If you begin to consider failure as both purposeful and positive, you can gain extraordinary wisdom and growth. In this episode, learn which questions can help you flip failure upside down so that the experience works to refine you rather than define you.   LESSONS: • Failure happens to all of us.   • When you see failure as purposeful you can learn and grow from it. • Ask yourself these three questions when you experience failure so that you can gain the most from the experience: 1. What wisdom can I gain from this? 2. What does this failure mean about me that I need to pay attention to? 3. How does this failure refine me?   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

Find out why Joe De Sena calls this executive coach, the Human Whisperer. Jason helps people to gain self-awareness, to discover blind spots and identify past traumas that are hindering that leap from being a 1 billion dollar company to a 5 billion dollar company. What simple adjustments can you make in your life and in your corporations to stop living in peaks and valleys? Here are some “recipes and anecdotes to avoid rock bottom,” and realize your true potential.   LESSONS: Ask others to rate your relationships with them on a scale from 1-10 Note your external vs. internal scoreboard Listening is as important as being heard Try talking last in a meeting Share, open up and interact with people Trace back to time you didn’t feel “enough,” understand it. Ask yourself, when your doing anything, why you’re doing it? Get to “emotional core,” stop hiding, ask questions The only bad workout is the one you don’t do Take a leap of faith in your life   This episode of “Spartan Up!” is sponsored by Athletic Greens. Get

Joe and Zach get together to record the first ever Spartan Way episode while discussing a favorite topic at Spartan, Finding Your True North. Your True North is all about discovering your WHY? Why were you put on this earth? What is the 1 thing you are so passionate and excited about that you can keep doing for the next 25 years?   If you’re unsure what your True North is, don’t worry! Zach & Joe discuss the different ways you can discover your True North. Sometimes you find your True North and other times, it finds you. Enjoy the show! LESSONS: What are The Questions & Lessons to ask yourself to help find your True North? What is Joe’s “shotgun approach” to finding your True North? Finding your True North requires getting out there and doing work, making mistakes and experimenting. What is the The BIG lesson Zach learned from Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach? Ask yourself the question, What will keep you excited for the next 5, 10 or 25 years? LINKS: Dan Sullivan Strategic Coach https://www.strate

As much as you may want to, you can’t actually control which emotions arrive at any given time. You can, however, control how you respond to them when you are tuned in and paying attention. Becoming more aware of your emotional state gives you greater agency over your choices, behaviors, and ways of relating. In this episode, learn a simple three-step process that can help you increase your emotional acuity and become more intentional with how you choose to respond.   LESSONS: We must be increase our emotional acuity if we want to be intentional with our choices. Tuning in to your emotional state is similar to tuning in to your physical state. A three step-process can help to increase your emotional awareness: Where Am I Feeling? : a full body scan to check-in with the physical sensations of your emotions. What Am I Feeling? : expand your emotional vocabulary and use more descriptive words to identify which feeling is arriving. How Do I Want to Respond? : make intentional choices with how to move forward w

What does it take to hunt an antelope barefoot in the Kalahari Desert? Run 3,100 miles around the same ½ mile block in Queens, New York for 52 days straight? Or become a Marathon Monk that must complete 1,000 days of consecutive running or be put to death? Find out how this inspired Joe to start Spartan and the persistence and perseverance witnessed through the lens of documentary filmmaker Sanjay Rawal who believes our “first form of prayer was with our feet- when we hunted, we followed animals, we tracked, we foraged…” learn from these cultures of endurance  how inner progress can lead you to transcendence.   LESSONS:   Get joy from the pain Humans have a primal connection to the earth through movement- running, hunting, hiking was a part of everyday life- KEEP MOVING ! Self transcendence comes through perseverance and persistence Track your inner patterns - choose trajectories to catch what your hunting for   “Happiness is solely dependent on your physicality - if you’re not challenging yourself physicall

Can you change the way you think? This week’s conversation is all about how to change the way you think about what is possible and how to create “the most empowering place on earth.” Joe on his perpetual QUEST to rip people off the couch, talks with Impact Theory’s Tom Bilyeu about creating a media platform that empowers people to leverage their behaviors. The idea is to meet you where you are - with your nutrition and your mind.  In this episode explore the “why” of suffering, the disruptive power of narrative and remind you that “you are what you do habitually.” Find out how Tom plans to make you better.   LESSONS: Dont be less of what you could be- work your way to success Utilize the Growth Mindset: learn, grow, get better and read a lot Impact takes time Intelligence isn’t a static unchangeable thing Build something you are all passionate about Building a community is the best marketing of all time Leverage people’s behavior rather than trying to change it IT’S ALL ABOUT MINDSET What you build your self

Feed your mind, shoot for the long odds, look for mentors and draw your ideas out with us at Dodgers Stadium. What does it take to succeed in the software industry? Peter thinks it’s “timing, tenacity, execution and when you’re getting out.”  We explore what an infinite blank canvas for intuitive collaboration on the cloud looks like with the founder of Bluescape.  It has revolutionized the way that the federal government, movie, real estate industry and nomadic remotely located entrepreneurs all over the world collaborate digitally. Like Peter said, “when your an entrepreneur you have to think like your going to the majors- get up earlier than everyone else and come home later!” LESSONS: Learn how to read people using ALL your senses It’s all about timing, tenacity, execution and demand You are the brand of your organization Feed your mind to be a good leader Design your business to decrease turnover Collaboration is key - technology can help when working remote You need mentors Think like your going to t

Founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, You Move Me, and Shack Shine- Brian shifted the paradigm of “ordinary home services and turns them into exceptional experiences.” This week Joe discusses some shady junk removal of his own, learns the Painted Picture Method of envisioning your vision &  how a high school dropout stuck with his not so sexy business to disrupt a market and make it a multimillion-dollar franchise. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure !   LESSONS: Things take time ! Be relentless Believe in a future vision Utilize free press Systematize, franchise & scale   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: 2:00 Do you take your dad’s advice? 5:20 How to systematize, franchise & scale 6:25 The Painted Picture 7:30 The Age of Storytelling   LINKS: https://www.o2ebrands.com/   https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianscudamore/#19e5588e70d3   SUBSCRIBE:   Apple Podcas

  From the art of the trade on Wall Street to the trade of art beyond canvas - Brendan Murphy entices you with his positive energy, imagery and outlook on life.  A prior professional basketball player in Europe and member of the elite Malibu Mob, he believes his greatest currency is his network of friends.   LESSONS:   Don’t be afraid to pivot Think broadly Embrace the unknown LIFE IS LIQUID Get rid of devices and be in the moment 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: 2:50 The currency of friendship 9:00 A broad pivot: Wall Street to wall art 13:00 Jump in and take the next steps 15:30 To get clarity put your devices down   LINKS:   https://www.brendanmurphyart.com/ 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/spartanuppod