Have you seen the iconic photos of Iceland's Blue Lagoon? On the way back from the Spartan Ultra World Championship we found Grimur Saemundsen, the doctor, and entrepreneur who founded the Icelandic spa visited by more than half of the country's tourists. Use his exceptional business success story as a parable to guide your own success. The indigo tint of the water comes from naturally therapeutic substances including silica and blue-green algae. Saemundsen worked with existing strengths in his ...
Jan 16, 2018•21 min•Ep. 178
What would you pay for a 10x improvement to everything in your life? One small change to improve your health, your relationships, your career. Ruari Fairbarns has found that ONE simple thing, and now he's sharing it with us!What would you pay for a 10x improvement to everything in your life? One small change to improve your health, your relationships, your career. Ruari Fairbarns has found that ONE simple thing, and now he's sharing it with us!Is it dropping sugar? Burpees? Quitting carbs? Daily...
Jan 09, 2018•29 min•Ep. 177
Has fear been a problem in your life? Do you use terms like “overcome” or “suppress” in your relationship with fear? pioneering extreme skier Kristen Ulmer talks with guest host Amelia Boon about learning to love fear. They teach you a new way to relate to your own fear. Embrace it. If you want to live a full life of creativity, vitality, adventure, and success, it’s what you must do. Most people don’t and fear manifests itself in the forms of anxiety, anger, boredom, and mental exhaustion. What...
Jan 02, 2018•44 min•Ep. 176
There are no valid excuses for staying on the couch, all 52 Spartan Up guests of 2017 agree. The panel is on site in Iceland for the Spartan Ultra & Agoge 007 on the cusp of winter solstice, in the midst of a brutal storm, and in imminent peril from an active volcano. In other words, the perfect race scenario and an ideal backdrop for the theme of this week’s episode: no excuses. Which 2017 podcast stories epitomize this the best and why? How can you eliminate excuses for 2018 and beyond? Li...
Dec 26, 2017•27 min•Ep. 175
What is the secret to longevity? For many athletes, their sports tenure ends, through injury or burnout, earlier than they hope. Through decades Mark Sisson participated in hundreds of endurance challenges including ultras and Ironmans. What helped him avoid that fate? What compelled him to switch from these grueling tests to sports like stand up paddling and ultimate frisbee? Known for his paleo nutrition blog Mark's Daily Apple, and books "Primal Blueprint" and "Primal Endurance" Sisson will e...
Dec 19, 2017•19 min•Ep. 174
Underground strength coach Zach Even-Esh has a unique distinction, the only guest to be interviewed three times in Spartan Up! During the insane weekend that in Pittsfield, Vermont (birthplace of Spartan Race,) that contained the Spartan Wrestling Camp, Spartan Agoge and a series of Podcasts, Col. Nye made time to check in with with Spartan up regular Zach Even-Esh. Meanwhile the Summer Agoge class is fire walking at Spartan’s own Area 51. They talk about how Zach trains youth, not just for wres...
Dec 12, 2017•26 min•Ep. 173
Bruce Lee’s legacy was so powerful that it lives on through his daughter, Shannon, and the foundation named for him. He passed when she was just four, but his legend reverberates through books, writings, students, fans and of course films. We’ve all heard the famous quote “Be like water, my friend…” but do you know the story behind it? It arose at an epiphanic time in his life when he was not very water like. It took a trial for him to make the decision that his followers are all benefitting fro...
Dec 05, 2017•29 min•Ep. 172
To climb Everest wasn’t quite enough for climber and documentarian Jimmy Chin. He had to ski it. Even the sherpas urged him not to do it. Despite the appearance of being a free spirit who may have lost control, this is far from who Chin really is. By his own description, he is someone who grew up being very disciplined. His life is about managing risk. What was his biggest risk? It was not encountered on Everest or El Capitan, or any other iconic mountain. In this episode he’ll describe it, and ...
Nov 28, 2017•33 min•Ep. 171
https://www.spartan.com/170 The story begins at age 5, he remembers the garbage man got to the best toy in the dumpster before he could get to it. He didn't understand until he was an adult how that moment formed him. Today Chris practices what he calls "venture philanthropy." He's left the world of finance and embraced his mission in life, his true "why." Stay tuned to the end to hear the take aways and lessons gleaned by our Spartan Up hosts Joe DeSena, "Doctor" Johnny, Sefra the Seedhuntress,...
Nov 21, 2017•23 min•Ep. 170
If Jack Lalanne is the godfather of modern fitness, Elaine “Lala” Lalanne is the Queen! Jack Lalanne revolutionized the way we work out and inspired a generation to embrace fitness and good diet. At 90 his widow, Lala, is still at it - riding skateboards and earning her breakfast with a daily workout. She’s living proof that their lifelong passion for a fit lifestyle pays off! Lala shares time-honored wisdom on how to live a healthy and successful life and continues the mission to help people he...
Nov 14, 2017•23 min•Ep. 169
Successful but searching, entrepreneur Phil Randazzo renewed his purpose by helping veterans transition into successful civilian careers through a foundation that eventually became American Dream U. It fulfills two sets of needs: veterans need assistance transitioning into civilian life and the work world needs the unique skill set and drive that these veterans possess. Randazzo and Joe discuss what in their upbringing instilled their drive, and how to pass it on to their kids. Find out how to f...
Nov 07, 2017•27 min•Ep. 168
Attacked by a Grizzly bear, twice, Todd Orr survived a modern day version of The Revenant. He not only lived through dual brutal attacks from a grizzly mother, but was conscientious enough attempt writing a warning note to hunters before driving himself to the emergency room. The extent of his injuries made this impossible. His survival was not due solely to luck, but to forethought and preparation. It gave him the best chance to walk away from these dire attacks. Orr is a true Spartan and his s...
Oct 31, 2017•26 min•Ep. 167
When Georgina Pazcoguin witnessed the second tower fall on 9/11, it codified her commitment to her ballet, something she had been practicing since preschool. Her mother urged her to quit and come home, but she doubled down knowing that the world needed the art that she could contribute to heal. In this episode, she describes the dedication and physical hardship it takes to make it into the New York City Ballet company. Despite what many people think of ballet, this is an endeavor that requires a...
Oct 24, 2017•19 min•Ep. 166
Win battles through trust, good stories, and building relationships - this is the surprising and refreshing approach of this paradigm shifting green beret, Scott Mann. He introduced “rooftop leadership” in Afghanistan to a skeptical NATO crowd, but his courage to live it and its subsequent success changed minds. In this episode, Mann shows us his methods and how to work them at in all of our challenges. We need this type of leadership more than ever and it’s within our capabilities. Listen and l...
Oct 17, 2017•20 min•Ep. 165
What can a member of the Royal Family teach us about grit? Does a privileged background make it tougher to acquire the passion to succeed? Peter Phillips, eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth, was brought up to make sure he didn’t take his good fortune for granted. As you’ll learn in this episode, there were several strategies to ensure that he would be a team player who had the tools to DIY. They also discuss the ways most people think versus the way successful people think. Find out which cate...
Oct 10, 2017•24 min•Ep. 164
Interviewed during labor, Rose Wetzel proves her mettle! We’ve always said Spartan women are tough, maybe tougher than the men. How many would be able to maintain composure and be interviewed for a podcast between painful contraction? We are so grateful that Rose did! Rose is an accomplished athlete known for her success in American Ninja Warrior and in Spartan Race and now for her composure, strength and grace while giving birth. We highly suggest you make the time to watch this one. Tune in to...
Oct 03, 2017•19 min•Ep. 163
Two hundred fractures before the age of 18 from a rare bone disease involuntarily made Sean Stephenson an expert in navigating through pain and adversity. But, he insists, it wasn’t the disability that made him a better person, but the choices he made despite it. He is an advocate of working on all aspects of the self, everyday. In this episode, Stephenson talks about how to distinguish good pain from bad and to invite the former into your life while extinguishing the latter. Good pain tends to ...
Sep 26, 2017•24 min•Ep. 162
To be your best, get still. In this episode Onnit wellness company founder, Aubrey Marcus, explains why this is not a paradox. Nor, he says, is it contradictory to say that to optimize yourself and your mission you need to focus on others, or to overcome obstacles you need to seek them out. Marcus will guide you through the contrasts in life to highlight your warrior spirit. He is tooled by the example of high achieving parents, shamans and philosophers and is setting a worthy precedent in his o...
Sep 19, 2017•33 min•Ep. 161
Your life is a story, that means it can be re-written. A profound childhood loneliness prompted Jeff Gomez to seek solace in story which in turn connected him back to people and became his livelihood. His storytelling skills have been put to use by the media giants and even the US Government. His method of storytelling, inspired by anime, is transmedia and fleshes out a story across multiple media platforms. In this episode, Gomez explains how each of our lives is a story which you can shape in ...
Sep 12, 2017•36 min•Ep. 160
10,752 is the number Jesse Itzler had at the time of this interview, and on each of these he challenges himself to hack his mind into living a more productive and meaningful life. How do you get the most out of each day? Challenge yourself. Itzler believes in immersing himself in new worlds, changing his frame of reference. He turned over his life for a month to an ultra running Navy SEAL. This interview is so engaging we made Jesse Itzler keep talking with us all the way to our next meeting! Le...
Sep 05, 2017•37 min•Ep. 159
Eleven seconds was all it took. Eleven seconds stopped cold a promising hockey career scarcely before it started - all on live television. Travis Roy was a promising 20-year-old hockey star, moments into his first collegiate game as a B.U. freshman, a freak accident cracked his fourth vertebra left him paralyzed from the neck down. One misdirected check in the most important hockey game of his life sent Travis Roy crashing into the boards and ended his dreams of hockey greatness. Instead of fulf...
Aug 29, 2017•26 min•Ep. 158
Wearing a pageant sash did not come naturally to Neely Fortune, that’s why she did it. Her challenges with social anxiety, especially in public speaking, were what spurred her into the pageant world in the first place. Then she used the platform to promote PTSD awareness, a cause close to her heart. Through a number of happy coincidences it lead her to Spartan Race, the Death Race all eventually to a role as Race Director of a Spartan Agoge. In this episode Neely talks about the qualities that e...
Aug 22, 2017•26 min•Ep. 157
He’s faced death more than once on his adventures, but ask him which was the toughest and he’ll always answer “the last one.” It’s always the freshest in his mind. Ray believes in the possible and started a foundation called Impossible to Possible. i2P brings his expeditions to classrooms, sharing his journeys and his lessons with kids in an interactive way. Zahab uses these experiences to inspire kids to see possibilities in their own lives. He wasn’t always adventurous, hear how he went from a...
Aug 15, 2017•27 min•Ep. 156
Naval tells Joe De Sena It all boils down to desire. Is it possible to tame your monkey mind ever distracted by desires and pleasures that only soothe you in the short term? Naval Ravikant, the founder of Angel List, says to reach a true sense of happiness, it is not only possible but necessary. Ravikant explains how to find your true calling and why doing so gifs you the upper hand in any business or personal venture. You become unbeatable. Success may involve years of hard work, but paradoxica...
Aug 08, 2017•20 min•Ep. 155
http://spartan.com/154 A marketing genius, a renowned connector of the elite, carpet cleaning taught Joe Polish everything he needed to know about business. But there’s much more to the story. Joe is best known for his his Genius Network, a meeting of industry transformers. He is known as the master connector. In the interview he also discusses his path from a troubled childhood of addiction and abuse in which connection was hard to come by and what he’s doing now to help addicts of all kinds. L...
Aug 01, 2017•53 min•Ep. 154
Will lessons learned behind the desk transfer to physical challenges? This week’s guest says yes! When you stop climbing corporate ladders, what do you climb next? For Vanessa O’Brien the answer is almost everything! The more difficult the better. She applied what she learned in the challenging environment of the Fortune 500 to the natural environment in a dramatic way. The extreme conditions taught her valuable lessons about happiness and success. Growing up, she was thrust into a challenging s...
Jul 25, 2017•27 min•Ep. 153
The founder of Bar beverage has 5 tenets for success: be audacious, authentic, tenacious, obsessive and inspire others to be great. No wonder he built a company that just sold for 1.8 billion. A company that uses the civet to represent the highest achieving employees, has to be a little different. Bai has bucked many beverage company trends and has been incredibly successful. See the quirky company tour in this week’s episode, the secret Bag basement, and hear how he built the company and drives...
Jul 18, 2017•26 min•Ep. 152
What’s the point? Is it money? Is it something more? Roman gathers today’s most influential icons and leaders to do what’s NBDB (Never Been Done Before.) How can we drive culture in a positive direction? Roman Tsunder thinks he’s found a way. In this episode, he explains his mission with PTTOW (Plan To Take On the World) and WORLDZ, and tells Joe how he carved out success from rejection. When he received 73 rejection letters in response to 72 applications, it just meant “yes” must be coming soon...
Jul 11, 2017•39 min•Ep. 151
Dan Pena is an F-ing maniac! He lives in a castle in Scotland, has run ultra-marathons, has made and lost fortunes, never uses a cell phone and his motto is just F-ing do it (obviously). He’s a living contradiction. He speaks at Oxford but you can still hear the echoes of his gritty upbringing on the streets of East L.A. in his voice. He can dance the waltz, play tennis and golf, but you wouldn’t want to mess with him. He knows how to make money, fast. And he’ll tell you and you had better liste...
Jul 04, 2017•44 min•Ep. 150
“Love is the answer” is the conclusion you might expect from a new age guru not a successful internal medicine doctor and trauma center director as Dr. Erika Schwartz was. But she always went against the grain of conventional protocol. Only now are her views starting to be vindicated. She urges doctors to connect with their patients and for patients to take greater responsibility for their health. How can they do this? Joe and Dr. Erika Schwartz discuss the ways modern medicine has gone astray a...
Jun 27, 2017•31 min•Ep. 149
