Joe De Sena shares how he created the world’s leading obstacle race, and what he did when COVID canceled it all. Join Laura Gassner Otting as she hosts this episode of LGOtv with special guest, Joe De Sena – Obstacle Crusher, Burpee Enthusiast, Spartan.
Time Stamps:
0:40 – “On time is LATE.”
2:12 – Growing up in Queens and starting a pool cleaning business.
4:25 – “Wherever you grow up, no matter who you are, there is some North Star. Some person that you aspire to be as a kid.”
8:02 – “This was a hobby.”
12:15 – I’m raising soft kids.
15:05 – “Mom, Dad, I can’t believe you sent me here…This is like being in prison.”
18:50 – “The standards don’t change.”
19:30 – “When this is all over, I don’t think we would be as excited saying, ‘Man Joe, I can’t believe you binged watched 120 shows on Netflix.’”
24:10 – The burden of your potential is only as big as your ego.
27:18 – “Let’s change a bunch of lives. Let’s put on a really cool event name Spartan.”
32:25 – How do you keep going?
35:50 – I think the True North is ‘What is your Calling?’
37:00 – “Seek the Hard Way”
38:39 – “If you ever can’t find any gratitude, just remember you’re alive, so find it there.”
45:00 – Is it addiction?
48:13 – “This text comes in on my phone and says, ‘Hey you got to get 10,124 burpees done sometime this week.’”
52:36 – “My younger boy said, ‘Mom, I think I’m in the wrong family.’”
55:52 – “We want to get a hundred million people healthy. The fastest way there is to do burpees.”
58:15 – Why Spartan? Why Ancients?
1:00:15 – When do races come back?
Links
https://www.instagram.com/spartan
https://www.spartan.com/
Email: Joe@spartan.com
Washington Post Best Selling Author and Motivational Keynote Speaker, Laura Gassner Otting, inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo because her presentations make listeners think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their limited scope of belief.
She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares listeners to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges. She leads them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others.
