EP62: Joe De Sena - Spartan Founder, Mobster Neighbor, and not That Pool Guy!

Obstacles are inevitable, whether you run a business, hold down a job, or simply just try to get through your day. Who would want to face them if we didn't need to? Well, I know a few people who can't wait! Spartan Founder and CEO Joe De Sena is one of them! My #MakeYourMark Podcast guest is the true definition of a badass! "Rather than wrapping the kids up in bubble wrap like most of us parents do, you wrap them up in barbed wire. You give kids obstacles and make it harder for them. You make them take the stairs and walk to school. We're not looking to put them in danger but we are looking for them to learn how to navigate the world. Because once we're gone they are expected to have the tools necessary to know how to survive." Barbed wire, mud, medicine balls, burpees, climbing, and sprinting are just some of the obstacles you will face as a participant in a Spartan race. It goes without saying that once having completed a Spartan race course you will feel nothing short of a badass yourself! "If business were a sport it would be rugby. Our goal is to keep growing, because if you aren't growing you're dying! I want it to be a healthy growth, and anything we bolt onto the Spartan brand has to be rugged and has to be hard." Make sure to catch the next Spartan Race in your neck of the woods, sign up, and find that moment where everything lines up, and you'll have a new level of excitement you've never felt! Go here to get all the info you would need about the races, and my favorite barbed wire-loving guest, Joe De Sena! Go here: https://www.spartan.com/en If you see Joe tell him I say hiya! Thanks Mat Guido and his Decibel Studios for hosting the podcast, top of the field sound studios! "I decided to start my own business, and it didn't work on the first try, because you know at some point the student thinks they're smarter than the teacher, and I thought I knew too much. I made some fatal mistakes but recovered, and then built a thriving business for the following decade."   Some Topics we talk about in this episode:    2.00 - Welcome to the Big Kahuna 2:20 - The first time recording a podcast in a studio  4:40 - My mom was the original Spartan! 8:40 - "Going to the Army" in a mob neighborhood  9:40 - Fireworks and gasoline on the street! 12:00 - The mobster was killing the architect because he asked for money 12:30 - Had 700 customers from Brooklyn all the way to the Hamptons 16:00 - The journey to Wall Street  17:00 - Taking on multiple roles in the finance world 17:30 - Starting my own business didn't work on the first try 19:00 - The first version of a Spartan race 21:00 - The first "the real survivor"- Sports Illustrated 22:45 - If business was a sport it would be rugby 26:30 - That incomparable top of your game feeling 27:50 - It has to be tough! 29:15 - I like to suffer  29:45 - Huge Surprise for the Listener Here! 30:30 - How to train like a Spartan 32:15 - Celebrities in Spartan  34:30 - Launching Deka in the cities 37:30 - Favorite places to live 41:00 - Did the Iditarod by foot through Alaska 42:15 - Doing a full feature film 45:00 - Wrap your kids in barbed wire 45:50 - Mom locked me out of the house 48:00 - Society today has made us weak, we are learning helplessness 49:00 - Hit Your Mark!  How to get involved Be sure to connect with me on Social Media @MarkMoyerCoach and go to my website, www.markmoyer.com to get access to the tips and strategies that my coaching clients get directly.   If you would like to be a guest on the Make Your Mark podcast and/or know someone else who has either been an athlete, in a role within the sports industry, or a military veteran, and have made a successful transition into a new role, I'd love to hear from you! Just send me an email [email protected] and we'll discuss!   If you would like more information on how I can get you unstuck and moving forward with your transition, let's talk. We can see whether it makes sense to work directly with me, or I can give you other options, but don't let your transition wait another day, let's connect!   Be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life, business and career!   How are YOU going to Make Your Mark today? Go get 'em!