Episodes

  • How a Four-Time Cancer Survivor Rebuilt His Life With Spartan Races

    How a Four-Time Cancer Survivor Rebuilt His Life With Spartan Races
    Nov 11 2025
    How do you rebuild purpose after life knocks you down four times? Nick Klingensmith shares how cancer, addiction, and chronic illness didn't break him. They forged him. Nick explains how hitting rock bottom led him to sobriety, discipline, and the Spartan Race community that reignited his purpose. He reflects on ownership, gratitude, and the power of taking the first step, signing up, even when you're not ready. His story is proof that resilience isn't motivation; it's daily action, built one uncomfortable decision at a time. What You Will Learn: How to shift from a victim mindset to one of ownership and action. Why signing up, before you feel ready, is the first step toward real change. How community and accountability transform recovery into resilience. Episode Highlights: 01:15 The first cancer diagnosis and the choice between living and dying. 03:06 Hitting rock bottom and choosing sobriety as an act of survival. 05:02 How a single Spartan Race broke years of self-limiting beliefs. 09:58 The power of the Spartan community to restore purpose and belonging. 13:44 Redefining setbacks through perspective, gratitude, and daily standards. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned: The "Sign-Up First" Rule: Commit before you feel ready, discipline follows action. Ownership Mindset: Replace self-pity with accountability for every obstacle. Gratitude as Reset: Daily gratitude breaks the cycle of frustration and defeat. Community Strength Model: Surround yourself with people who live by earned standards. Closing Insight or Key Takeaway: "Progress is addictive, but only when you start moving." Listen & Subscribe: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt Short, Impactful Content: Instagram: @thehardwaypodcast From host directly: @realjoedesena Join the Spartan Community: Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/
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    20 mins
  • Navy Pilot Kegan Gill Rebuilds Life After Mach 0.95 F/A-18 Ejection

    Navy Pilot Kegan Gill Rebuilds Life After Mach 0.95 F/A-18 Ejection
    Nov 4 2025
    After surviving a 695-mph ejection, Navy pilot Kegan Gill faced paralysis, addiction, and a broken system. He strips the story down to its core, discipline, ownership, and grit. This isn't motivation; it's survival through standards. Learn how to rebuild your mind, body, and purpose when everything else is gone. Timestamps: [01:33] The mindset that separates doers from talkers. [06:15] Stepping into the F-18 cockpit, pressure and precision. [09:03] The 695-mph ejection, real endurance revealed. [19:15] How simple habits became the mission. [21:17] Fighting back against pain, pills, and the system. What You Will Learn: How daily effort rebuilds discipline and grit. Why ownership, not pills, drives true recovery. How to apply military discipline to everyday life. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned: Daily Discipline: Small, consistent actions compound into recovery and long-term resilience. Ownership of Outcomes: Taking responsibility for rehabilitation, mental health, and career decisions. Physical Rehabilitation Principles: Structured nutrition, exercise, and rest to restore function. Opioid Weaning Strategy: Gradual reduction under self-discipline or physician guidance to regain autonomy. Holistic Healing Modalities: Integrating sleep, nutrition, exercise, nature, and alternative therapies for nervous system recovery. "Consistent effort, disciplined action, and ownership of recovery can rebuild life beyond what seems possible." Watch now on Youtube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheHardWayJDS 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SpartanRaceTube 📲 Short, Impactful Content: 👉 From me directly: @realjoedesena) 💥 Join the Spartan Community: 👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race 👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/ The Hard Way Podcast With Joe De Sena, Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast delves into the principles of resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to establishing a successful Wall Street trading firm showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2001, he transitioned from finance to operate an organic farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, where his passion for endurance events like ultramarathons and adventure races flourished. This led to the creation of Spartan, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace challenges and push their limits.
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    26 mins
  • The Underutilized Tool To Turn Your Anger Into Raw Power

    The Underutilized Tool To Turn Your Anger Into Raw Power
    Oct 28 2025

    Most men train their bodies, few train their minds. From cold plunges to carrying rocks uphill, this episode explores mastering the space between chaos and control. Joe De Sena talks with Will Schneider, mindfulness coach, former actor, and meditation teacher, on building strength through breath, stillness, and doing hard things, creating discipline under pressure, and transforming habits into resilience.

    What You Will Learn:

    • How to use daily breath and stillness practices to strengthen your mind.

    • Why embracing discomfort drives real mental and physical growth.

    • How to integrate mindfulness and simple routines for resilience and discipline.

    Episode Highlights:

    • [01:50] Why helping only men is central to Will's mission.

    • [05:36] From acting to teaching mindfulness: the journey explained.

    • [08:01] Starting with the breath as the foundation of mental training.

    • [13:19] Physical challenges as tools for mental resilience.

    • [19:26] Doing hard things to soften the ego and grow discipline.

    Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned:

    • Breathwork: Techniques for calmness under stress.

    • Mind-Body Connection: Aligning physical actions with mental clarity.

    • Small Daily Practices: Habits that compound into long-term resilience.

    Closing Insight or Key Takeaway:
    Drop the excuses. Breathe deeper. Get calm enough to crush anything.

    Timestamps:
    00:00 Intro
    01:24 Meet Will Schneider
    01:50 Why helping only men
    03:10 What led him to meditation
    04:23 Joe's 70s yogi story
    05:36 From acting to teaching mindfulness
    07:12 Will's meditation classes in practice
    08:01 Start with the breath
    11:03 Yoga as mental training
    13:19 Physical challenges for mental resilience
    15:13 Calming down to know yourself
    16:52 Understand anger, habits & emotions
    19:26 Doing hard things soften the ego
    21:01 Mind, body, and breath connection
    22:30 Three practices for transformation
    24:38 Where to find Will

    Connect to Will:
    🌐 Website: willnotfear.com
    📸 Instagram: @willnotfear
    💼 LinkedIn: Will Schneider
    📘 Facebook: Will at Will Not Fear
    ✖️ Twitter/X: @willnotfear

    🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
    👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
    👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt

    📲 Short, Impactful Content:
    👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
    👉 From host directly: @realjoedesena

    💥 Join the Spartan Community:
    👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race
    👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

    About The Hard Way Podcast:
    Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast explores resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to Wall Street success, then running an organic farm and creating Spartan, showcases how embracing challenges and endurance can transform life.
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    26 mins
  • Build an Indestructible Mindset With This Green Beret's Journey

    Build an Indestructible Mindset With This Green Beret's Journey
    Oct 20 2025

    He served multiple deployments, faced injury, and returned to duty with discipline and focus. Pain is the best teacher, and failure is where real growth begins. Joe De Sena talks with Ryan Hendrickson, retired Green Beret and landmine removal advocate, on mental toughness, navigating hardship, and rebuilding life through ownership and daily discipline.

    What You Will Learn:

    • How failure and pain accelerate real growth.

    • Why ownership and discipline matter more than medals.

    • Daily routines and habits that reinforce resilience.

    Episode Highlights:

    • [01:43] Ryan's military background and joining the Green Berets.

    • [02:50] Surviving a landmine and continuing multiple deployments.

    • [04:28] Mental health struggles and strategies for recovery.

    • [08:11] Three lessons for overcoming hardship.

    • [12:45] Using failure as a tool for growth and learning.

    Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned:

    • Pain as Teacher: Using difficult experiences to build toughness.

    • Failure Utilization: Reframing setbacks as learning opportunities.

    • Daily Discipline: Habits that reinforce resilience and mental clarity.

    Closing Insight or Key Takeaway:
    Real toughness isn't about muscles or medals. It's about getting up when life keeps trying to bury you.

    Timestamps:
    00:00 Intro
    01:26 Meet Ryan Hendrickson, retired Green Beret
    01:43 Ryan's background & joining the military
    02:50 A 22-year military career & stepping on IED
    04:28 Mental health struggles & rebuilding life
    08:11 Three lessons for overcoming hardship
    12:45 Failure as a tool for growth and learning
    15:13 Ryan's daily routine
    16:24 How to support Ryan's organization
    16:59 The most heavily mined country in the world
    18:20 The dangers of untracked minefields

    Connect to Ryan:
    🌐 Website: ryanmhendrickson.com
    📸 Instagram: @ryanmhendrickson.tipofthespear
    📘 Facebook: Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal
    💼 LinkedIn: Ryan Hendrickson
    ▶️ YouTube: Ryan Hendrickson – Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal
    ✖️ Twitter/X: @tipofthespear42

    🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
    👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
    👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt

    📲 Short, Impactful Content:
    👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
    👉 From host directly: @realjoedesena

    💥 Join the Spartan Community:
    👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race
    👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

    About The Hard Way Podcast:
    Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast explores resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to Wall Street success, then running an organic farm and creating Spartan, showcases how embracing challenges and endurance can transform life.
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    21 mins
  • Admit You're Broken. Then Begin Again.

    Admit You're Broken. Then Begin Again.
    Oct 15 2025
    What happens when the toughest person you know completely breaks? The Queen of Pain crashed, hit her head, and lost everything that made her strong: drive, purpose, momentum. Rebecca Rusch talks about rebuilding from zero, letting go of ego, and finding strength through movement again. No fluff, no fake motivation, just raw lessons on how to get up when your mind quits first. Watch it, then move. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Rebecca Rush, Queen of Pain 00:33 The Bike Accident & Post-Concussion Symptoms 02:04 Losing Mental Health & Motivation 04:45 Physical vs. Emotional Resilience 06:43 Movement as Medicine & Letting Go of Ego 10:10 Reframing What Winning Is 11:54 Finding Joy in Small Wins 13:33 Reflect, Move, Connect 14:21 New Mission: Helping Others Heal 15:30 Building Resources for Concussion Recovery 16:46 Thinking About Her First Spartan Race 18:06 Rebecca's Athletic Background Connect to Rebecca: Website: rebeccarusch.com Instagram: @rebeccarusch Facebook: Rebecca Rusch LinkedIn: Rebecca Rusch – Rusch Ventures YouTube: Rebecca Rusch
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    18 mins
  • Antifragile Mindset: Lessons from Quadruple Amputee Tom Nash

    Antifragile Mindset: Lessons from Quadruple Amputee Tom Nash
    Oct 7 2025
    Summary: Most people break under pressure. Tom Nash didn't. At 19, he lost all four limbs to meningococcal septicemia. Instead of giving up, he built resilience, mental toughness, and a mindset stronger than steel. Tom reveals how he turned pain into purpose, why antifragility beats resilience, and what anyone can do to grow stronger through adversity. Watch now to learn how to build unshakable resilience. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:19 Meet Tom Nash, quadruple amputee 01:41 Early Life & Upbringing 02:15 Meningococcal Septicemia Diagnosis 05:07 Hospitalization & Life Support 06:47 Appreciating Small Things 07:37 Anti-Fragile Mindset 09:28 Practicing Anti-Fragility Daily 11:08 Amputations & Choosing Life over Death 15:07 Depression & Physical Pain 16:29 Stop Comparing Yourself to Others 17:53 Tom's "Last Meal" Project 19:36 Big Guests & Global Conversations 20:05 Three Everyday Mindset Tools 21;46 The Importance of Momentum 23:41 Where to Find Tom Connect to Tom: Website: https://www.tomnash.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djhookie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomnash LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomnash YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TomNashTalks
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    24 mins
  • Brotherhood and Grit Forged in Combat

    Brotherhood and Grit Forged in Combat
    Sep 30 2025
    Ryan Pitts didn't quit when it mattered most. Outnumbered, wounded, and under relentless fire, this Medal of Honor recipient kept fighting. Ryan shares what combat taught him about grit, why brotherhood beats fear, and how to build real toughness in life outside the battlefield. Raw lessons on resilience, sacrifice, leadership, and mental strength, straight from someone who's lived it. No excuses. Listen, learn, and get tougher. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:25 Meet Ryan, Medal of Honor recipient 01:48 Growing up in New England 02:47 Joining military service 03:56 Enlisting at age 17 04:20 Early Army struggles 04:55 The crucial battle in Afghanistan 06:38 Wounded under heavy fire 08:47 Training instincts kick in 10:58 Incredible acts of heroism 12:32 Challenges of coming home 14:49 Mental health culture shift 16:01 Medal of Honor explained 18:36 Life after military service 19:54 Hard things worth doing 20:49 Coaching kids and values 21:24 Contact details shared 21:30 Upcoming Spartan races 22:09 Closing final notes Connect to Ryan: Website: https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/pitts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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    23 mins
  • Addicted to the Suck: Navy SEAL Rules for Mental Toughness

    Addicted to the Suck: Navy SEAL Rules for Mental Toughness
    Sep 23 2025
    What happens when a Navy SEAL, a Spartan founder, and a Murph workout collide? You get hard truths about grit, discipline, and why your circle determines your ceiling. Jacob Werksman, Navy SEAL, author, and leadership coach at Harvard, breaks down the "meal to meal" mindset from SEAL Hell Week, the power of positive peer pressure, and how to turn suffering into fuel. "From finding people who force you to level up to sharpening self-awareness and presence, this talk rips success down to the basics that actually matter. If you're serious about growth, press play and get uncomfortable. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Navy SEAL Jacob Werksman 00:20 Early Murph start & peer pressure 01:38 SEAL culture & leveling up 03:08 Positive tension in life & work 04:14 Community sets your limits 04:46 Lessons from Joe's family life 05:22 Energy givers vs. takers 06:33 Harvard & Victory Strategies 08:29 what separates great leaders 09:46 Books: Leadership of Life Sport & Mastering Your Gap 12:50 Can anyone be a SEAL? 15:43 Therapy in endurance challenges 16:39 Addicted to the "suck" 17:10 Three tips for a great life 20:50 Getting teams to do hard things Connect to Jacob: Website: https://www.victory-strategies.com/aboutjacob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacob_werksman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwerksman/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXGyuRzeve0&ab_channel=VictoryStrategies
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    22 mins