The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

When Amelia Boone isn't pulling i-beams out of frigid Vermont rivers for the Death Race or winning Spartan Races, she working as a highly competitive attorney. Every day she's up at 4:07, running trails at 5 and at her desk by 7. Has she always been that way? Yes. As a child, in what must have seemed odd to observers, her family was encouraging her to relax and not take things so seriously. She believes perseverance and drive can be a habit, don't let them lapse. It's harder to start or start again than just keep going. Lessons: 1. Make success part of your routine as regular as brushing your teeth, not allowing yourself to opt out. 2. The difficult path is where the growth happens. Choose it often. 3. Make one small change a day and let it build into something great. CREDITS Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra, Col. Tim Nye, Delle & David DeLuca Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2016 Spartan

US Pentathletes Nathan Schrimsher and Dennis Bowsher. The pentathlon has been an Olympic sport for over a century, but chances are most people don't know much about it. What are the skills a messenger would have needed in wartime? Riding, swimming,running fencing and shooting. It has recently been given a modern upgrade: the guns shoot lasers instead of the original bullets. Joe talks to two of the best American pentathletes to discover what it takes to excel at this intriguing discipline - one on the current Team competing in Rio in a few weeks. Trust us, there are 4 or 5 key lessons that will carry over to whatever challenge you face on the way to your goals. Lessons: 1. Run your own race, the race of life. 2. There is no substitute for the internal motivation to practice EVERY day. 3. Don't underestimate the value of wisdom and patience. 4. Set aside your wins and your losses, focus only on what is in front of you now.

One hundred episodes in, Joe, Delle, Johnny, Colonel Nye and Sefra talk about the guests that resonated with them the most. Spartan UP! has interviewed writers, athletes, generals, monks, CEOs, entrepreneurs, nutritionists, farmers, lawyers, doctors, explorers...to garner their unique spin on what it takes to succeed. There have been one hundred different answers, one hundred stories on how to live a fulfilling life, but many common threads. These inspiring people are telling us it's okay to be afraid, but not to live in fear, to have a why, but live in the moment, and to find a passion (or passions) and follow it with all we got. Lessons from 100 Episodes: 1. Have a why. 2. Life is a series of moments. Live each one. 3. A challenging life is a satisfying life. 4. The first step to success is getting off the couch. 5. Surround yourself with good, supportive people. Lose those who aren't. 6. Persevere, but if you find yourself on the wrong path, be prepared to go a different direction. 7. Aim to be a whole person, mind, body and soul. 8. Those who succeed aren't afraid to fail, often. 9. Experiences are much more valuable than things. 10. Whatever you are doing, no matter how big or small, commit to it wholly.

Alan Jope, president of Unilever's Personal Care business, understands how to live. With such an high position many would not be surprised if Jove was a man completely consumed by his work. Though his commitment to his job is complete, it is not the source of his identity. He and four friends are riding stretches of a world spanning motorcycle trip with its share of mishaps and broken bones. What he does is not who he is, but enables him to become the person he always dreamed he could be. In this episode Jope also discusses the benefits of mission driven brands. Lessons: 1. Where you are in the world is more important than what you're doing in it. 2. Concentrate most of your energy into what you're doing now, not worrying about the future, and opportunities will open up as a matter of course. 3. In life, follow the packing rule: put the big thing in first.

Masha Gordon, a mountaineer who completed the seven summits and both poles in record time, ventured to take lessons in grit from the boardroom to the most challenging terrain on earth. Thirty minutes from the summit of Everest she was faced with an executive decision: should she risk getting caught in a storm and possibly putting her life in peril or divest and live to see another day? Luckily the risk was worth taking, but the tough mindedness she earned in business made her decision a sound one. Learn how doing great things has taught Gordon how little it actually takes to be happy and successful. Lessons: 1. Even when you invested a large amount in an experience the smartest thing could be to divest if it means living to see another day. 2. Move counter to stereotypes so that they no longer define you. 3. Let a healthy fear and respect complement the excitement of your expeditions.

The sole survivor in a vehicle obliterated by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, Earl Granville had to find a way to get up again, but with only one leg remaining. This interview transpired after Granville completed the seventy+ mile, sixty hour adventure known as Spartan Agoge, so clearly he is well on his way. As if the accident weren't bad enough, Granville's twin brother took his own life, but in his greatest tragedy he also found his redemption. As a motivational speaker, he has used his misfortune to be in service to others. Granville's life so far is a testament to the Nietzsche truism, "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." Lessons: 1. Sometimes the most unfortunate people are the ones who are never tested. 2. We should honor the privilege of being alive by giving back. 3. The upside of adversity is that it can be harnessed to find your passion.

Bob Roth, transcendental meditation teacher of 45 years, has seen the progression of the practice go from a fringe activity to a scientifically backed technique taught widely in such institutions as schools and prisons. As Roth describes it, transcendental meditation allows one to be a better warrior, whether on the OCR circuit or in facing daily life, by bringing you to a state of level headed calm where you can make the best decisions. A large part of building resilience, after all, is finding ways to put the tumultuous highs and lows into the proper frame of reference so you can sail easily past life's obstacles. Lessons: 1. No matter how much turmoil exists on the surface of the ocean it is insignificant compared to the depths of calmness that lie underneath. The mind is like an ocean. 2. Meditation is Spartan in that it gets to the essentials of your body and mind. 3. To the mind that is still, the universe surrenders--Lao Tzu. I.e., If you have a complicated mind, you'll be a victim to life's obstacles.

The eastern philosophies that influence the school headed by Master Xi Qi Ling provide a valuable counterbalance to our western ones. In our individualistic culture we often forget that in order for our lives to function optimally we need to consider how they can harmonize with the greater whole. For example, the school realizes that if they merely teach the students and neglect what happens when they go home, then the teachings are at risk of being lost; therefore they teach the parents as well. In short, the universe is more powerful than any one person and if we nurture it, it will nurture us right back. Lessons: 1. Health and well being depend on harmonizing your physical, mental and spiritual being. 2. Everything is connected. 3. Some problems can be solved very quickly while others can only be solved slowly. Knowing the difference is important.

Tim Morris, adaptive athlete and SGX coach, didn't need to get off the couch, his quest for the Spartan Trifecta started from a wheelchair. He powers through a course relying on the strength of his upper body. If, for some bizarre reason, this doesn't impress you, try the same across your living room floor. He trains an increasing number of adaptive athletes as well as the able bodied. He can teach both groups much about grit. But his teaching by no means ends there--he demonstrates that by the simple act of living passionately those around you will learn what it means to be fully alive. Lessons: 1.Talking about things merely kicks the can into the future; you have to do them. 2. Build your life around the three "p"s: passion, perspective, and perseverance. 3. Always be aware that your reality affects others and act accordingly.

Jennifer Gilbert, a wildly successful events entrepreneur, was assaulted to an inch within her life outside her friend's New York apartment. Not only did she survive but she went on to live a very rich and fulfilling life. How? The struggle was all too real. It wasn't an overnight transformation. She was able to recognize the vast, and sometimes elusive, source of resilience that she discovered that day and draw on it to create the kind of life she always wanted. Her story is jarring, graphic, visceral, enraging, senseless, but at the same time life affirming, hopeful, and deeply important. Lessons: 1. The resilient person that you are in your most challenging moments is there for life to aid you whenever the need should arise. 2. Fear is the worst feeling to make a decision from. 3. Beautiful things often grow from dark, ugly places like flowers from compost. 4. You cannot control one thing in the world except who you are afterwards, whether you move towards the light or wallow in the darkness.

Before retiring Sgt. Major Frank Grippe was the senior enlisted Soldier for US Central Command in charge of military operations in 20 countries in Northern Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. He came out of the subzero weather of the Spartan Agoge to share his wisdom of grit hard earned through his 30 years as a ranger in the army. His is decidedly a no nonsense approach. Grippe knew what he wanted and simply did the job day in and day out, learned all he could from the best mentors he could find and when the opportunities to advance presented themselves, he was ready. He has gone through life with a single minded purpose and one might come away with the impression that he hasn't entertained the idea of an alternative livelihood, even for a second. Lessons: 1. Knowing exactly what you want makes getting it that much easier. 2. Force of will is everything. 3. Positions of responsibility demand complete transparency.

According to Col. Liam Collins, Phd., Special Forces Qualified Officer, West Point Professor,and past winner of the Best Ranger Competition - approximately one percent of prospective candidates persist to become members of the special forces. Joe's always looking for these people but, alas, they are elusive. They may not not linger long by the waterfalls, but are always eyeing the craggy terrain just ahead. Understandably, it is difficult to find those who will consciously fling themselves into relative peril. How does Col. Collins find them and train them? That's what we want to find out. Lessons: 1. The true test of character is the decisions you make under duress. 2. You develop your mental fortitude like developing muscles: push to the limit of your capacity; recover, then push to the new limit. 3. The key to success in a highly competitive environment is not to wallow in your comfort zone.

Not too long ago every self respecting long distance runner was toting a dog eared copy of Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, reconsidering their choice of footwear or forgoing shoes altogether. McDougall's current explorations have led him to ask new questions such as: what makes a hero, are our vast human skills learned formally or innate and suppressed by culture? Is the ability to survive in dire circumstances unique or is it present in all of us and awaiting the opportunity to be unleashed? You may know Joe's take on these questions, and in this episode learn if McDougall agrees. Lessons: 1. To be compassionate can also mean to help someone with their problem while it's small and before it comes back to affect the community at large. 2. Many skills are latent, lurking just below the surface, and our mass culture has limited their full expression. 3. Being successful often means identifying and taking that one extra step that no one else is taking.

Kevin Cleary, CEO of Clif Bar, has his company on the right track if not the most trodden one. Whereas most companies only think of maximizing their quarterly profits, Clif bar is planning decades ahead and profiting from the foresight. Whereas most companies focus on satisfying their shareholders, Clif Bar has a firm social and environmental mission that strengthens the company and community at large. They're one of the few, but important examples that doing good, yet remaining lucrative, are not as mutually exclusive as many believe. Lessons: 1. It's much better motivation to tell someone they're a hard worker than to tell them that they're smart. 2. A company that can focus on long term goals, despite the pressure to show quarterly profits, will ultimately make better decisions. 3. A purpose driven business keeps those involved with it engaged and passionate.

Wrestling requires a mindset that transcends sport. What can you learn from them? Everything. It's a sport with no excuses. It's just you and your competitor and if you fail, there is no one else to blame. The sport by its very nature develops mental toughness. Joe talks to three promising young wrestlers, Nate Carr Jr., an Olympic hopeful in a legendary family of wrestling greats, and All Americans from Cornell, Gabe Dean and Nahshon Garrett. They discuss the unique aspects of the sport that prepare its participants to excel in life. The thing that they all share in common is their sense of drive and moving forward no matter what. The very tools that'll help you grapple with life's inevitable adversities. Lessons: 1. If nothing changes, nothing changes. 2. Sometimes to master adversity you need to create it. 3. Treat people to your gift.

Biohacking ground breaker Dave Asprey, got the controversial trend of adding butter to coffee going and it turns out that’s just one of many hacks espoused by this alternative health entrepreneur. He believes that by gathering the right data, our bodies can be optimized through unconventional methods. Asprey himself has been hacking his mitochondria for many years. Besides the things we can monitor, Asprey describes the confounding array of activity that occurs without our conscious awareness. Yet this state that is most difficult to pin down turns out to be the one in which human performance peaks.Lessons: 1. Recovery is a vital part of training but often gets neglected. 2. The flow state is elusive but when we reach it we do amazing things. 3. Biohacking attempts to understand when your body is helping you and when it’s betraying you.

While running the Boston Marathon, clinical social worker Jeffrey Zeizel had to call up all his expertise and coping mechanisms when a bomb went off at the finish line. His son was ahead of him and there was a chance he was caught in the fray. Though nobody would blame him for panicking, he immediately went into action administering psychological first aid reassuring others that the worst case scenario is not the most likely one and in the process helping himself to cope as well. Zeizel has a wellspring of insight on what it takes to be resilient and the good news for humanity is that, in short, it involves bringing all of our best qualities to the forefront. Lessons: 1. The last stage of going through grief is not really acceptance but developing the tools to cope. 2. Remember AAA: action alleviates anxiety. 3. It's easy to fulfill mundane responsibilities, but to do the things that give life meaning is difficult yet worthwhile. 4. To be resilient optimism is crucial but it must be tempered with a healthy dose of realism.

Reno Rolle, to paraphrase Hippocrates, let food be his medicine when seeking ways to ameliorate his son’s ADD. It worked so well Rolle pivoted his successes into a company, Boku Superfoods. He harnessed the power of nutritionally dense foods, popularly known as “superfoods,” to create a line of foods. In his years long effort to develop a superior product, Rolle not only fulfilled his mission of having a positive impact on people, but gained some valuable insights into a productive life as well. Obstacles are a part of life and a few successes in pursuit of a lofty goal provide the impetus to overcome them.Lessons: 1. Nutrition is a key factor in meeting challenges. 2. In starting a business, focus on having a positive impact and the money will eventually take care of itself. 3. A taste of success may be all you need to provide the impetus to overcoming great obstacles.

If Ned Spieker is a typical billionaire real estate mogul, then the path to success isn’t what you might expect. According to Spieker, it’s not about being an autocrat, but being a servant, not creating a hierarchy, but sharing responsibility, and not about wanting it all, but starting small and working very hard. Serendipity, Spieker admits, plays a big part, but that’s out of our hands regardless. It often takes a little luck to get past seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But in the meantime we have to lay the groundwork that effectively loads the dice in our favor.Lessons: 1. When you’re going through difficult episodes they’re crises; but in hindsight they’re blips. 2. Self esteem is earned; you can’t give it. 3. Good leaders eat last: when you serve your people and build trust they will work harder and smarter as a result.

Aiden Chase, a spiritual healer for Hollywood types, entrepreneurs and regular folks, takes a holistic approach to success in life: we approach our highest selves through a balance of mind, body and spirit. Fanciful as it sounds, there's common sense behind it. The mind functions optimally when allowed to reflect clearly and honestly in the quiet places that are growing scarce. Importantly, he guides clients to identify their biggest obstacles, their fears, and no longer repress them, and then do it anyway. Chances are they won't become billionaires, but then again it probably won't matter. They'll have obtained something far more valuable. Lessons: 1. Success is achieved through a holistic integration of mind, body and spirit. 2. Fear is the biggest obstacle we need to transform to move forward. 3. Nature is the best place for quiet contemplation in order to envision your direction in life.

Zhong Lou’s path to MMA prominence was never in doubt. He started practicing karate not long after he learned to walk and talk and has mastered a strikingly diverse number of disciplines, from Chinese acrobatics to Mongolian wrestling, since. Forty years later Lou is determined to leave a legacy with his San Francisco gym, Dragon House MMA. The money to keep it up and running is not easy to come by, and it’s not unheard of for a student to sweep the floors in exchange for training. But the bottom line for Luo is human transformation, and in that he is making a tidy profit.Lessons: 1. Even in solitary endeavors, mastery often requires a team effort. 2. When money isn’t quite cutting it, passion will keep the doors open. 3. Fitness priorities shift with age; training for invincibility while young must gradually shift to training for health if one is to remain viable.

Human guinea pig and journalist A.J. Jacobs has lived according Old Testament rules, outsourced his entire life, and subjected himself to every diet and fitness program he could find to he could to see what he could learn. Besides the more obvious lessons, like sheep don’t do well in New York apartments and long beards are itchy, he gained valuable takeaways that he shares in his books which include “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy.” He provides a whole other angle to the trope, “fake it til you make it.” Through his interesting experiments Jacobs proves that some of the best adventures can be conjured up in the mind.Lessons: 1. Expressing gratitude for everything develops awareness of just how many things we have to be thankful for. 2. It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking then to think your way into a new way of acting. 3. In terms of genealogy, we are all one large extended family, so be kind.

Col. Nye spent the weekend at the very first Spartan Winter Agoge to to get a taste of the lessons shared by instructors there. We’ve also included a special message about Agoge’s meaning from Joe De Sena. The Spartan Agoge is a 48 or 60 Hour test of mental and physical endurance. The goal is not just to break you down but to build you back up with greater purpose, resilience, commitment and knowledge of yourself. The winter Agoge includes the practical survival skills you’ll need to complete the event safely even in the brutal sub zero conditions this year’s participants faced. This is Col. Nye’s first time doing solo field interviews for Spartan Up, let us know what you think. PS- this is an episode we suggest you WATCH.

Hoby Darling, CEO of Skullcandy, in pursuit of his success, got out over his skis and accelerated through the turns, got up early every day, set the bar high for his community, and built up obstacle resistance by challenging himself on a regular basis. Darling demonstrates the wisdom of leading by example, not by decree. He shows that one of the most crucial aspects of motivation is redefining what is possible thereby opening the door for others to excel. In this episode, Darling will reveal what it takes to dream big and turn that dream into a reality.Lessons: 1. Leaning into yes makes life a lot more fun and interesting. 2. The best way to motivate others is to set a great example and let those you’re trying to influence figure out their path. 3. The best way to advance in life is to concentrate on doing your best everyday and the bigger picture will often take care of itself.

Synopsis: Which diet will optimize your obstacle resistance-- Paleo, raw foods, clean eating or some emerging trend? According to Cornell head nutritionist Clint Wattenberg, there is a time and a place for almost any kind of food as long as you eat it in moderation and your grandma would recognize it. Trying to be “perfect” with your diet will often drive you to the other extreme or, worse, to an eating disorder. If you love food and eating, then Wattenberg has some great news.Lessons:1. Be moderate with your diet, not extreme.2. Only eat foods that your grandma would recognize and as many whole foods as possible.3. Nutrition is the foundation to build a performance, not the golden key.

Bart Yasso earned the title of Chief Running Officer at Runner's World magazine through a rugged initiation that involved life altering missteps in his adolescence. It took a stark confrontation with his own mortality via the loss of a close friend to jolt him onto his path of pursuing his passion. This experience upheaved his frame of reference from a toxic one to one of redemption. It's a running theme in our tales of grit: climbs to great heights very often begin at rock bottom. Yasso's love for running and for life shines through in this episode. Lessons: 1. You are the average of your five closest friends, so choose wisely. 2. You need to think like a champion before you can become one. 3. Say yes often to new experiences; embrace and love them.

Thom Beers, successful producer of shows including Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers & Monster Garage has taken a treacherous path to achieve his success himself. Starting at the bottom he worked his way up through grit, persistence and staying one step ahead of everyone else. His passion, apparently very much alive, propelled him through the rough patches. He has some valuable tips on how to navigate those icy roads and stormy seas that one will inevitably encounter along the way to any achievement worth pursuing. Lessons: 1. Passion is the most important thing in the world: If it doesn't make your heart pump Kool-Aid, it's not worth doing. 2. Develop an optimal business culture by gathering together people with the same passion as you. 3. Hire really good people and then let them run.

What could Dandapani, a Hindu monk turned adviser to entrepreneurs, have to offer to a world seemingly far removed from the monastic life? Plenty it turns out. Through his practice he has come to personify the calm in the midst of the storm, and if there is one way of being that would be a boon in the tumultuous climate of the business world, this would have to be it. Calm reflection is the key to creating positive habits of the mind and Dandapani has mastered this in his many years of practice. He has built a solid foundation of wisdom which he will touch on in this week’s podcast.Lessons: 1. Motivation requires a lot of energy, therefore it is important to let go of the things that drain your energy including negative media, tv, toxic friends and sometimes even family. 2. One of the greatest gifts you can provide yourself is taking a few moments each day to clarify your direction in life; once you do that, you can overcome almost every obstacle. 3. Use positive affirmations to shape and change your mind in order to attract good things into your life.

Entrepreneur and athlete Sami Inkinen, along with his wife, rowed 2,750 miles over 45 days without using any of the traditional “athlete foods” conventional knowledge says are essential: sugars and carbs. They didn’t starve, far from it. They came out of it healthier than can be expected from such an endeavor. Why? As fit as Inkinen is, he developed prediabetes by following the standard diet and surmised that sugar was the culprit. If someone like Inkinen is vulnerable, we should all be aware. Inkinen recounts his amazing journey from California to Hawaii.Lessons: 1. The key to success is anything is a growth mindset: Don’t go through an experience, grow through it. 2. Sometimes you have to face a challenge as if you were eating an elephant, one piece at a time, slowly, as best you can. 3. The only way to escape an unpleasant experience is to embrace it fully, not fight it.

As Outside Magazine Editor, Mike Roberts has access to the stories of the top outdoor athletes in the world and to their wisdom as well. He's seen Kelly Slater, "the Michael Jordan of surfing," heal his life through the zen of the water, and age gracefully through his sport. He has also seen top climbers act boldly, but with a skill honed through the culmination of years of dedicated practice. Through these stories we can garner how to be a better human, how to risk without risking it all, how to truly be alive and not just live. Lessons: 1. In tough times you can either be afraid or think "what an interesting time to be in" and seek creative solutions. 2. Use the lessons that you find in pursuit of your passion in the other areas of your life to help make you a whole person. 3. Excellence in sport doesn't necessarily have to waver once you reach middle age: for one thing, you often gain the wisdom to keep going, to learn to suffer a bit better.

Spartan pro Isaiah Vidal, through the rough circumstances of his life, took the road less traveled to success: He saw the troubled path of his father and didn’t take it. Sons often repeat the mistakes of their fathers, how did Vidal manage to turn things around? In a nutshell, it was a combination of will, determination, and an orientation towards positivity as well as turning towards other strong role models in his life like his mom and grandfather for inspiration. Their influences, as Vidal will describe, laid the foundation for his transformation.Lessons: 1. When proceeding with your life, think of the legacy you want to leave, the example for your children to follow. 2. Take measures to guard against negativity in your life. 3. If you want to get back on your feet, first you have to get off of your ass.

No one should ever wish tragedy into their own or other’s lives, but it has the potential to lead to some incredibly beneficial life changes. Chris Kresser transformed a decade long struggle with a rare chronic disease into something that benefits society. He was able to restore himself to health and is now doing the same for others. His main piece of advice, “eat real food,” is deceptively simple until you look at the food trends in American culture and realize that the majority of the people the majority of the time are doing no such thing. It may be the single most important thing you can do for your well being. Kresser explains why.Lessons: 1. To stay focused, create a pointed mission in life; do everything that delivers you towards that mission, eliminate those things that don’t. 2. In order to accomplish your goals, you have to be a whole person: if you don’t optimize your physical and mental well being, then you’re not much help to others. 3. Eat real food. Maximize nutrient dense whole foods and minimize those that come from a box, bag or can or use sugar, white flour or seed oils.

Jay Jackson is the subject of Joe’s ultimate wrestling story, but you’ll have to wait to the very end of the episode to hear it. Jackson,assistant principal and wrestler, recognizes a need to nudge students into uncomfortable situations that will develop their grit, but that are often absent in an increasingly bubble wrapped society. He got his grit from his parents. His father, as a wrestling coach, would push his physical boundaries and his mom had clever strategies to develop his social skills. Jackson shares some valuable advice about how to advance towards your goals with a smile on your face.Lessons: 1. To raise your children to be resilient, practice pushing them out of their comfort zone gradually through time, but not without building a solid foundation of security and love when they’re young. 2. Since a majority of your life is spent getting to a destination it is vital to find a way to enjoy the process. 3. If you can persist in every area of your life, physically, mentally, morally, you’ll succeed.

In world renowned ultra runner Dean Karnazes, Joe tracked down a real Spartan by both disposition and bloodline. Does he eat gruel for breakfast, take cold showers, and run wearing a hundred pounds of armor? Maybe. He’s run marathons in every state and is now setting out to do the same in every country. Certainly that falls within the same spirit. So you might be taken aback to hear that Karnazes tells us that we should set out not only to fail, but to fail big. His advice is backed up by a life changing experience that he will describe in this episode.Lessons: 1. To achieve great things take small steps and ask yourself at every step if you’re conducting yourself with discipline. 2. Never stop exploring: don’t be afraid to try new things and eventually you’ll discover your passion/s. 3. Fail boldly: the most useful lessons are learned from the most dramatic failures.

According to writer Andrew Marantz, if you want to have a fulfilling life, take the largely accepted wisdom “live each day as if it were your last” with a large grain of salt. On the road to success, merely satisfying every desire as it appears will get you nowhere. In a philosophical conversation on the Spartan Cruise Joe and Andrew discuss the the crossover between perseverance and success in artists and athletes, the importance of future memory, the strong drive towards innovation and a variety of other topics. They also attempt to answer whether human achievement is driven by chemical releases in the brain or something more complex.Lessons: 1. “Live each day as if it were your last” may be a misleading aphorism: There are clearly many things you must do to achieve long term fulfillment that don’t involve instant gratification. 2. The thing that often gives you the most satisfaction, your life’s passion, is paradoxically the thing you frequently don’t enjoy doing at all, but after all is said and done, love regardless. 3. On one extreme are virtuosos, those who strive for mastery, on the other are innovators, those who create change. We need both equally, and often we ARE both.

Growing up as the child of holocaust survivors, Broadway director Jerry Zaks, often found himself overprotected with his family wanting him to enter a “real” profession. At the moment he found his true passion and was happiest his family felt sorriest for him and that he had thrown his life away. But he had inherited from them a ferocious will to live that enabled him to take nothing for granted and propelled him in a vocation in which the odds are stacked up against you. Though not apparent on the surface, performers and directors are Spartans and in this episode Zaks will describe why.Lessons 1. Seek out the roles in which you best fit and then make fulfilling them a matter of life or death. 2. Getting the part, whether it be the leading actor or position in a dream job, involves translating your talent into behavior that’s unforgettable. 3. Protect the possibility of a happy ending for as long as possible.

Xand Van Tulleken, a doctor who practices in hostile regions, had a taste of the easy life growing up, but it did not sate his appetite for adventure. He has worked in such places as Sudan, Uganda and Peru and the excitement of the challenge has made it difficult to go back to a conventional existence. He and his brother have even started a TV show in which they immerse themselves in traditional indigenous medicine with no other recourse. The takeaway? Western medicine has a lot to learn.Lessons:1. When things go badly wrong it's because of indecisiveness and uncertainty, therefore, be prepared.2. People can live quite well without western medicine. It has little to offer to the indigenous way of life, for example.3. Some of life's happiest moments are in the midst of doing difficult things.

To say the least, Lewis Howes had a focused vision. He wanted to make the Olympics and figured that the best way in was by joining the national handball team. There was a slight problem, he never played the game. He brought his athleticism and Arena Football experience to New York City, practiced intensely and now finds himself tantalizingly close to his daunting goal after an incredibly brief quest. He has some sage advice for the longer road to greatness as well.Lessons:1. Live in the moment, in the flow and take tiny steps.2. The health and performance benefits of quitting, or limiting, simple carbs and sugar are a game changer.3. If you lack natural talent, you must seek out alternative means to gain an edge.

Tucker Max is an author who pioneered the genre known as “fratire,” an irreverent, tongue in cheek description of his testosterone and beer fueled exploits that gained a decent following about a decade ago. Now CEO of Bookinabox.com, his life appears to have taken on a decidedly different tack as he stands head to head with Joe in the MMA octagon. By his own admission, he’s only achieved modest success in the ring, but what he has learned is priceless. In the ring, as in life, there is no such thing as “losing.” There is only winning and learning.Lessons: 1. There’s no reason to worry about losing. There’s only winning or learning. 2. Great mentors shorten the learning curve and speed the way to mastery. Take the effort to find one. 3. If you want something, make sure you have something to offer first.

Unwittingly paddling into hippo infested waters on the Zambezi was the perfect, if unintentional, predictor of later success for Juliet Starrett who co-owns the San Francisco Crossfit with her husband Kelly. After the most lethal mammal to man upended her canoe, she was already strategizing her plan to survive midair. This is the perfect metaphor for making it in business: peril will gauge a sneak attack at the most inconvenient times and you gotta summon up the fortitude and flexibility to adjust your strategy when suspended at the height of danger. There is simply no time to lick your wounds.Lessons: 1. Taking risks in your day to day life helps prepare you for the risks in business. 2. Be or recruit someone who is highly organized as an essential member of your team. 3. To retain quality staff, create enough space for them in the company to diversify and grow.

“Chefrepreneur” Jeffrey Zurofsky, co-founder of Wichcraft sandwich shop and judge on Bravo’s “Best New Restaurant,” suggests the obstacles of running an efficient kitchen and a successful restaurant should be a model for entrepreneurship. A high quality restaurant is like a virtuoso pianist playing a finely tuned piano: a great deal of talent, coordination and practice goes into an end result that appears graceful, effortless and exquisite. As paradoxical as it seems, for him creativity thrives within the bounds of a certain amount of discipline. In this episode Joe and Jeff discuss some of the finer points of applying these lessons to your business and life. Lessons: 1. To get the job done effectively, follow the kitchen inspired concept of mise en place--organize everything into its proper place before getting down to work. 2. In it’s essence, service is a well crafted method of preparation that ensures that the results are consistent and high quality. It is well worth honing this technique. 3. Avoid the big mistakes but accept the small ones as necessary obstacles to shape the unique character of your business.

John Durant, author of the Paleo Manifesto, dispels the myth that Paleo is a meat intense, monolithic diet. There are many indigenous cultures, he explains, with different levels of meat consumption, and therefore many models to choose from. What he doesn’t accept, however, is that vegetarianism exists in our nature. In his research, Durant could not identify even one xexample. He does agree that the most important aspect of this and any other health conscious diet is the elimination of processed foods. He describes how our cultural shift towards expediency and convenience has made us sick.Lessons: 1. Vegetarian and vegan diets are not noted in indigenous diets and are largely grew out of our industrial cultures. 2. The most important aspect of the paleo diet is not to increase meat consumption, but rather to eliminate processed foods from our plate. 3. We are products of our habitat. To effectively change your diet, change your surroundings.

In this episode, Dr. Fred Bisci tells us how to cut out processed foods from our diet to vastly improve health and athletic performance. In his case, though, “processed” also means any form of cooking. Bisci has found through fifty years of eating a raw vegan diet that meat and cooked foods are optional - and may even be detrimental. Incredibly active at age 85, Bisci certainly makes a good case. Yet he urges us not to follow his and Joe’s example: instead of taking the extreme measure of going 100% raw from the start, try making a more gradual transition.Lessons: 1. In Bisci’s experience, athletic performance can be amazing on a diet of only raw fruits and vegetables. 2. If switching to a purely raw diet is too extreme, the most important way to improve your diet is to eliminate processed food, anything from a can or a box. 3. When coming off of the standard American diet onto this one, it’s common to go through a detox period in which you’ll feel ill. Persist through it and you’ll feel great eventually.

Becoming the only person to win the Boston and New York marathons AND medal in the Olympics, Meb Keflezighi stepped up to the challenge by remembering his father’s sacrifice. His father fled war torn Eritrea carrying only a canteen, stick, sack of barley and matches to ward of hyenas; Keflezighi is grateful for regular aid stations to ease his way. He and his family made it to the United States via Italy and through hard work and perseverance all became successes in their respective ways. Keflezighi details his inspiring journey in this episode.Lessons: 1. Frame of reference can push you towards your goals. Running a marathon with the luxury of aid stations is nothing compared to hiking hundreds of miles through hostile lands to save your family. 2. A goal bigger than yourself, that impacts people in a positive way, is an excellent motivator. 3. It’s not about winning, but getting the best out of yourself.

How does one, like Evan Dollard, become an American Gladiator? The frank answer, according to him, is that you don’t. Instead you make all the preparations within your power; go where the action is; pursue your passion to the fullest; make yourself known and talk to the right people and do everything to put the odds in your favor. If it doesn’t work out chances are that you’ve created an environment where something else, maybe even something better, will. This is the way to live a fully realized life, one without regrets. Dollard is living it and he has some valuable wisdom to help you live it too.Lessons: 1. It’s worth laying the groundwork when pursuing an opportunity because even if it doesn’t pan out, you’ll be ready for the unexpected opportunity that may be around the corner. 2. The riskier path is worth it even if you don’t meet your goal since it means eliminating the “what ifs” and “if onlys” and living a life without regret. 3. Always move forward: If you see a stagnant pond you don’t drink from it but instead seek out the fast flowing stream with the freshest water.

Mike Reilly is the voice of the Ironman. He has lent his voice to over 1000 events and his declaration, you are an ironman, has helped transform lives. Reilly takes great care in choosing his words because he knows they’ll have not just an impact on the racer’s life, but everyone around him as well. Reilly is a firm believer in the power of the individual to shape their own experience, but this doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t benefit from some words of encouragement to propel them towards the next finish line.Lessons: 1. If you live by the adage, “you’re the cause of your own experience,” you’re on the right path. 2. Experiences, unlike things, permeate to other people which makes them more valuable. 3. Live from the inside out and everything else falls into place.

As one might expect from the author of the “Four Hour Work Week,” Tim Ferriss has a solid, well established routine. He awakes, meditates, exercises, journals, blocks off four hours for creative work, then frees himself for meetings and phone calls. This well balanced approach has taken him far. When the inevitable drudging task comes around he slogs himself through it by building momentum with “Scooby snacks,” short, fun activities preceding the boring ones. From the start of this interview it quickly becomes apparent that Ferris is a wellspring of great advice for anyone who is aiming to build a successful business or life.Lessons: 1. Narrow things down to one or two things to focus on daily. 2. Volunteer for great organizations then go the extra mile to stand out. 3. Find a small but fast growing company to work for and observe the deal makers at work. Note the kind of questions they ask to get ahead. Example: “I know its impossible, but if there was a way to make it work, what would it be?” 4. When things start going well in business, to maintain focus, separate the great opportunities from the potentially overwhelming number of good ones. Ask yourself, what it the one step that will make all the others irrelevant.

Forget what your first grade teacher told you, according to Kelly Starrett, owner and cofounder of Mobility WOD, children should never sit still in class. He believes that we learn better, are healthier, and by burning more calories are starting to reverse the obesity epidemic when we are standing. Even healthy adults who work out regularly suffer from the negative affects of too much sitting. Starrett, through his crossfit gym, encourages the type of holistic practice that will prepare an elite athlete, or a normal person, for any situation. In this episode, he describes how in depth.Lessons: 1.The benefit of having a good conditioning program is not learning how to suffer but learning how to problem solve in the face of discomfort. 2.There’s no way to solve the obesity epidemic without tackling sitting and inactivity. 3.If we can’t use the lessons of elite sport to help the layman, then sport is just folly.

Travis Macy, an avid ultrarunner, wrote The Ultra Mindset after he learned a valuable lesson himself. He was working to become a school principal, a respectable position and by all means a sensible decision, but stopped in his tracks to write the book. Pushing forward in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons would’ve left Macy unfulfilled. Raw perseverance without deep purpose is not enough. Lucky for us, Macy channeled his mental toughness into the right endeavor and he shares a number of strategies for you to do the same in this podcast. Lessons:1.When things get tough it’s helpful to focus on why you’re doing something and not on the drudgery of the task.2.Training is equally important for developing a strong mind as it is for getting fit.3.Quitting is okay when you find yourself on a path that doesn’t align with your values, but if you are on the right path, don’t give up.

To be a success, or even to survive, emotional intelligence often trumps raw IQ, as Jordan Harbinger discovered while being detained and interrogated in Serbia. He used his humanity to escape. Similarly, being empathetic and genuine is just as important in finding and keeping friends and lovers as it is in advancing in your chosen field. Harbinger taught this through his Art of Charm podcasts and life coaching, and now on his "Jordan Harbinger Show.". As he describes in this episode, it's not so much the skills you add that are important, but the bad habits that you subtract in order to expose your best self. Lessons: 1. Unless you are at the top of your field or a workhorse, relationship skills are the key to advancement. 2. If you want to present your best self you need to silence the self criticism. 3. External sources of validation (fancy cars, houses, etc.) are not as impressive to emotionally healthy people as displaying your true self. 4. If you're not creating good habits you're creating bad habits, but you're creating habits no matter what. LINKS: http://www.jordanharbinger.com/podcast/