The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

With eight thousand characters in Marvel Comics' universe, even if you're a rabid comic fan, you probably haven't scratched the surface of their offerings. We talk with Mindy Hamilton, the SVP of global partnerships at this time honored brand, now under the mega company Disney. She started on her career track at a very young age when she assumed the editorial responsibilities of a newspaper she started with her friends. That love of collaboration and a passionate curiosity, helped drive her on the meandering and unexpected path to her current position. She shares what she's learned along the way: Lessons: 1. To effectively connect to your work, get tactile with it. 2. Don't live in shame; move on. 3. Be a receptive listener; don't always try to push your agenda, a common mistake. LINKS: Link: Marvel.com SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

Will OCR be an Olympic sport? Ian Adamson wants to change lives and he approaches the Olympic initiative as an "incredible opportunity", not as the "insurmountable Everest" it could appear to be. As Adamson is also one of the most successful adventure racers of all time, the challenge is in capable hands. This week, we ask Adamson what it takes to be exceptional, why some are driven to be, how a team can exceed the ability of its weakest member and more. It's not in the genes. It's not in the stars. It's something within everyone's reach. Find out what this week. Lessons: 1. A good team is FASTER than its weakest link. 2. Excelling at sport is about summoning the innate abilities that make you human, and not exceptional. 3. Mastering a sport is a kind of path to enlightenment: the journey starts out physical but evolves into emotional and, at its highest level, spiritual. LINKS: About Ian Link: https://ianadamson.com/ About World OCR https://worldocr.org/ This episode is brought to you by FOUR SIGMATIC. Join the mushroom coffee revolution and save 15% using promo code SPARTAN http://foursigmatic.com/spartan Spartan Life article from this episode "Is Eathing Fat Bad for You? Or Good?" https://life.spartan.com/post/should_you_eat-fat SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

In sports and energy drinks Lance Collins is the top of the heap. How did he get there? By being fast, funded, cutting edge, and well branded for the last three decades. And, critically, by being passionate enough to have a near single minded purpose. He has made great fortunes and launched successful products time and again. What keeps him coming back for more? Listen and learn what makes Lance tick this week on Spartan Up! Lessons: 1. It's not the big that eat the small, it's the fast that eat the slow. 2. Whatever your million dollar idea is, it must be disruptive. Don't be a me too. 3. Above all, if a product isn't eye catching the rest doesn't matter. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

He sailed around the world, twice; the second voyage with his young family in tow. And in spite of starting a crabbing business in his teens and several other ventures throughout his adulthood, his expeditions are where Caspar Craven learned, along with his family, some of the most vital lessons in life, not the least of which is how to be alive. The most important skill they learned on the high seas through their many adventures is emotional resilience. Hear how they cultivated that resilience and how you can too on this episode of Spartan Up. Lessons: 1. Teach resilience by modeling resilience. 2. Integrative learning through following a passion through all its aspects (math, science, humanities, etc.) can be a more effective teaching tool than learning each discipline in isolation and without context. 3. Talk about what you want to do all the time until it becomes vivid and real to you, then figure out how to do it. Link: Caspar Craven http://www.casparcraven.com/ READ his book"Where the Magic Happens" : http://amzn.to/2GnlmCh Caspar Craven on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasparSpeaking/ Caspar Craven on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/casparcraven/ Caspar Craven on Twitter https://twitter.com/casparcraven This episode is brought to you by FOUR SIGMATIC. Join the mushroom coffee revolution and save 15% using promo code SPARTAN www.foursigmatic.com/spartan SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. GUEST VIDEOGRAPHY - IRONHEART STUDIOS Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

At age 70 she tried her first Spartan Race. At seventy two years old, 16.7 miles, five thousand feet of climbing at nearly two miles above sea level, she crossed the Lake Tahoe Spartan Race Championship finish line. For Marla Sweeney, this was the twenty third time in almost as many months of crossing that line. She started this endeavor while still managing pain from a head on car accident. Is that inspiring enough for you? Marla doesn't consider herself special and will crush all your excuses. We celebrate her and all other strong women on International Women's Day on March 8th! Lessons: 1. Compartmentalize. Find a way to break down big goals in tiny ones and tick them off one by one. Repeat. 2. There's always a way to adapt but you won't find it sitting down. 3. Get your whole family involved. You'll strengthen bonds and have a support system. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay http://spartan.com/185 FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye AND guest host this week Amelia Boone Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

Want to find your purpose? Go outside! That's the sage advice from Steve Lulek, wilderness survival expert and adventure guide. Are we meant to live the bulk of our lives cloistered in cubicles, driving in steel boxes and staring at screens? How can we reverse these cultural norms in order to reconnect to the outdoors and ourselves in the process? This week Joe and Steve explore our true natures. Lessons: 1. When you find who you are, it's easy to let go of the things that don't fit. 2. Reframe adverse outdoor conditions into something to enhance the adventure. There's no excuse not to go outside. 3. Feel overwhelmed? Sit silent in nature and observe to reground yourself. Links: Green Mountain Rock Climbing http://www.vermontadventuretours.com/ This episode is brought to you by FOUR SIGMATIC. Join the mushroom coffee revolution and save 15% using promo code SPARTAN www.foursigmatic.com/spartan SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

Just move! That's the bottom line for these three members of Oscar Mike and Operation Enduring Warrior, both organizations designed to get wounded veterans on the move! "Oscar Mike" means "on the move" in military parlance. These three adaptive Spartans, Jonathan Lopez, Noah Currier, and Earl Granville, have sought out the race as a way of eradicating any perception that they are victims. They are, instead, comrades in the human wide struggle to help one another excel at life. According to one of the athletes the greatest thing he witnessed during the race was not the elite athletes crushing the course or even adaptive athletes and veterans doing the improbable; it was seeing someone fall down face first and be picked up by his teammates, showing that Spartans fall, bleed and find the strength to go on, "just like us." Lessons: 1. Seek out the obstacle, the struggle, for the valuable lessons it can teach you. 2. More or less visibly, we're all adapting to and trying to overcome something. 3. Accomplishment and happiness can be dependent on finding a strong community. Links: Oscar Mike https://www.oscarmike.org/ Operation Enduring Warrior OEW https://www.enduringwarrior.org/ This episode is brought to you by FOUR SIGMATIC. Join the mushroom coffee revolution and save 15% using promo code SPARTAN https://foursigmatic.com/spartan SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

From house arrest to the NFL pro bowl in seven years, retired 49er Brian Jennings transformed his life in dramatic fashion. Then, after thirteen years of football success, like all star athletes, he was forced to start over again. As Jenning describes, "athletes are the only people that die twice." With a podcast, as an inspirational speaker, and through his work with veterans he has proved himself more than equal to the challenge. What, for Jennings, were the keys to finding his true north not once but twice? Listen, watch and learn. Lessons: 1. To become irreplaceable, not only do you need to handle your business, you need to help the people around you. 2. Harness the "screw it" moment in your life, when you've realized your worst fear that in turn liberates you to "go for it." 3. The transitions in your life are times to take stock of the wisdom and skills - decide what to take with you and what to leave behind. Links: The Brian Jennings Experience Podcast http://mindwellmed.com/the-brian-jennings-experience-podcast/ SUBSCRIBE: iTunes: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

Manufacturing socks in a small town in Vermont, especially in the 80s and 90s when most companies were sending this work offshore, is hardly your standard business plan. Still, as of 2016, Darn Tough Socks was a 40 million dollar business. The name "Darn Tough" is a brilliant pun. The socks, like the CEO, are resilient (carrying a lifetime guaranty,) and relentlessly and thoroughly vetted and improved to strengthen them further. When asked for business advice Ric's was simple "never, ever, give up." What he's found is that the hard way turned out to be the best way. Lessons: 1.When things seem impossible, sometimes the answer is to double down on your strengths. 2.There is no such thing as negative feedback; it's all valuable information that can steer you towards improvement. 3.Doing things the hard way can reap its own rewards. 4.Success is holistic - making the extra effort to support the community pays back in loyalty, quality and branding. Links: Darn Tough Socks https://darntough.com Darn Tough Story https://darntough.com/pages/made-in-usa Darn Tough Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DarnToughVermont/ Darn Tough Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darntoughvermont/ This episode is brought to you by Four Sigmatic. Join the mushroom coffee revolution and save 15% using promo code SPARTAN https://us.foursigmatic.com/?discount=spartan# SUBSCRIBE: iTunes: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan

Why do you work out? Why don't you? How do you think about how much you eat? Mind Pump podcast host Sal Di Stefano challenges a lot of hardened conventions in the fitness world. He discovered the route he took to health as an insecure teenager was leading to disaster, but fortunately he had an epiphany when he reached adulthood that lead to paradigm shifts he describes in this episode. Lessons: 1. Don't exercise and eat based on hatred of your body; exercise and eat to love your body. 2. Meet your body and mind where they're at and move forward from there. 3. Make new connections to the healthy (and unhealthy) things you do. Links: Mind Pump Media https://www.mindpumpmedia.com Mind Pump Facebook https://m.facebook.com/mindpump/ Mind Pump Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mindpumpmedia/ Sal's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mindpumpsal/ SUBSCRIBE: iTunes: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay http://spartan.com/180 FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye. Synopsis – Matt Baatz © 2018 Spartan