How Spartan Race Founder Joe Desena found his PURPOSE | Daily EDGE: Emotional intelligence Podcast
This week, it was my honor and privilege to have Joe Desana, the founder of the Spartan Race, as my first guest on the Raul Villacis Experience, a long-form companion podcast to The Daily Edge. Joe has been a best-selling author, a key note speaker, and of course the founder and organizer of the Spartan Race.
Joe grew up on what many of us would call “the wrong side of the tracks.” He essentially grew up as a background actor in a real-life mob movie. But his mother made sure he wouldn’t follow that path, and set him up for later success in life. Several times in life, he became successful, then risked everything he had to start over and pursue greatness. His interest in physical fitness and his desire to test his own toughness lead him to create the Spartan Death Race. In this interview, Joe tells me how and why he chose the life he has now.
Show Notes:
0:40 Intro
1:14 What is Joe’s story? / Origin story
6:15 Joe met a guy at Cornell…
8:32 Joe takes a big risk by taking a new job
11:2 2 Many of Joe’s friends ended up in jail, but Joe stayed straight
14:12 “Was I tough enough?”
10:06 When was the threshold?
21:27 Bird discussion
22:48 Joe talks about the transition from wall street to organizing races.
25:32 You can find your purpose. You can also find a new purpose as you grow
28:57 The tunnel
31:15 Money can fuel purpose until your purpose is profitable
32:34 You better figure it out…
34:42 Married bliss
36:54 What attitudes are necessary to succeed?
38:38 What is the next step?
Joe shows off his kettle bells and home gym
43:20 Joe promotes his favorite tea
44:44 When is the next race?
47:00 end
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