エピソード

  • What Smart People Miss Under Pressure: Chitra Nawbatt on EQ, Pivots, and Unwritten Rules

    What Smart People Miss Under Pressure: Chitra Nawbatt on EQ, Pivots, and Unwritten Rules
    2025/12/30
    Being smart won't save you when pressure shows up. Why intelligence fails without discipline, ownership, and the ability to read what isn't written? CodeBreaker Mindset author, former investment banker, journalist, and venture partner Chitra Nawbatt talks with Joe De Sena about making decisions under stress, voluntary versus forced pivots, and why comfort keeps capable people stuck. The focus is on simple rules, earned judgment, and building discipline that holds when conditions get hard. Things You'll Learn: How to recognize unwritten rules before they cost you momentum How to make decisions under pressure instead of freezing or defaulting to comfort How to build discipline that allows you to pivot before life forces it Tools & Frameworks Covered: CodeBreaker Mindset: A discipline for reading unwritten rules before they break you Voluntary vs. Forced Pivots: A rule for moving early instead of waiting for failure to decide for you Pattern Recognition Under Pressure: A method for making cleaner decisions when stress and noise increase If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Chitra Nawbatt is a multidisciplinary executive known for building businesses, guiding leaders through high-stakes decisions, and developing the CodeBreaker Mindset framework. Her career spans investing, media creation, and interviewing top leaders on growth, innovation, and resilience. She represents the themes of strategic pressure, personal reinvention, and disciplined mindset transformation. Connect to Chitra Nawbatt: Website: https://www.chitranawbatt.com/about-chitra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chitranawbatt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChitraNawbattPage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chitranawbatt/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/chitranawbatt
    続きを読む 一部表示
    25 分
  • What Holds When Everything Burns: JR Martinez on Combat, Recovery, and Relentless Discipline

    What Holds When Everything Burns: JR Martinez on Combat, Recovery, and Relentless Discipline
    2025/12/23
    Most people fail under pressure because they never trained for it. What holds up under pressure is built long before comfort disappears. Army veteran, burn survivor, speaker, and actor JR Martinez sits down with Joe De Sena to break down how discipline is built before the crisis, why weak standards collapse fast, and how ownership, autonomy, and daily reps create real resilience. They cover parenting without rescue, pausing instead of reacting, using discomfort as data, and why refusing to lower standards is non-negotiable. Listeners leave with clear rules for holding the line when pressure hits. Things You Will Learn: Why pressure exposes weak standards and untrained discipline How refusing rescue builds strength, autonomy, and resilience How to stay in the fight when stress removes comfort Tools & Frameworks Covered: Pressure as the Test: Shows what was actually trained No-Rescue Parenting and Leadership: Builds ownership and accountability Pause Before You Break: Keeps control when pressure spikes Timestamps: 00:38 Childhood responsibility and building autonomy early 07:37 When pressure exposes weak standards 13:15 Learning to pause instead of reacting under stress 17:45 Pressure as a test not a punishment 20:49 Using hardship as data instead of excuses If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Connect to JR Martinez: Website: https://jrmartinez.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjrmartinez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrmartinez/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JRMartinez83 Twitter/X: https://x.com/iamjrmartinez
    続きを読む 一部表示
    24 分
  • Michael Wardian: Turning Suffering Into World Records

    Michael Wardian: Turning Suffering Into World Records
    2025/12/16
    Mental toughness doesn't come from motivation—it comes from choosing discomfort on purpose. In this episode, endurance legend Michael Wardian, elite ultra-runner and Senior Olympics competitor, breaks down the daily discipline that carried him through failed record attempts, a 3,332-mile run across the United States, and years of relentless endurance training. He explains why simple reps like 100 burpees a day build real accountability, how purpose outlasts motivation when everything hurts, and what sustained suffering teaches you about identity, resilience, and grit. Timestamps 04:30 The treadmill 50K world record attempt 09:07 Running 3332 miles across the United States 14:07 The 100 burpees for 100 days challenge 18:10 The mental trick that gets you started 20:02 How to choose a meaningful goal 23:12 Helping athletes with disabilities Tools & Frameworks Mentioned: 100 Burpees for 100 Days protocol – builds daily accountability and discipline "Do 5 First" resistance-breaker – lowers friction to get started Purpose-driven goal setting – sustains effort when motivation fades Things You Will Learn: Daily discipline builds mental toughness faster than motivation. Purpose keeps you locked in when everything hurts. Do hard things every day. That's how endurance and identity grow. Discipline comes from choosing the hard way every day. Set a purpose, stay accountable, and build the reps that move you forward. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    24 分
  • Navy SEAL Ryan "Birdman" Parrott: The Blast That Changed Everything and How He Rebuilt From Scratch

    Navy SEAL Ryan "Birdman" Parrott: The Blast That Changed Everything and How He Rebuilt From Scratch
    2025/12/09
    Ryan "Birdman" Parrott grew up without direction, failed classes, and struggled to connect. One sentence from a Marine teacher flipped a switch and pushed him toward the Navy SEALs. That decision dropped him into one of the toughest training pipelines on the planet and later into Iraq, where a roadside bomb almost killed him. In this episode, Ryan breaks down the mindset that carried him from a chaotic childhood to SEAL Team deployments, a near-fatal blast, and the long climb to rebuild purpose after war. His story shows what grit, discipline, and resilience look like when the pressure is real. If you want a clear picture of mental toughness from someone who earned it, this conversation will push you to get moving. Three Key Learnings 1. How daily discipline builds real toughness. 2. Why taking care of your body keeps you in the fight. 3. How purpose and forward movement rebuild you after hard hits Timestamps 00:00 Who is Ryan "Birdman" Parrott 01:00 Growing up without direction 03:08 The teacher who changed his life 04:09 Discovering the SEALs and committing fully 05:53 What it really takes to survive BUD/S 00:00 Ryan "Birdman" Parrott 00:13 Growing up lonely without direction 03:14 Committing to becoming a SEAL 05:48 Surviving BUD/S and learning real toughness 07:24 Entering the teams and finding meaning 08:42 First deployment realities 12:30 Explosion & how Team survived 17:00 Returning injured to deployment 18:47 Leaving the Teams 19:42 Rebuilding purpose 21:08 Sons of the Flag Tools & Frameworks Mentioned Win the fight first Get off the X Take care of your body after training Repetition as progression Movement prevents idleness Stay busy to avoid complacency Remember that omorrow is not promised. Discipline and movement keep you sharp, intentional, and ready for whatever comes next. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    19 分
  • The Choice That Built a Bomb‑Suit Warrior Mindset

    The Choice That Built a Bomb‑Suit Warrior Mindset
    2025/12/02
    She grew up with no roadmap, no support, and no clear path forward. One pull-up changed everything, leading her into the Army and a career in explosive ordnance disposal. Twelve years later, Kaitlyn Hernandez built a life defined by discipline, resilience, and service. She shares how daily discomfort, purpose, and small hard choices shaped her mindset, helping her run a bomb-suit mile, set a world record, and tackle some of the military's toughest challenges. 3 Key Learnings: Small daily challenges build discipline, mental toughness, and high-stakes performance Leaning into discomfort strengthens resilience, focus, and decision-making Purpose, service, and consistent action create long-term endurance and growth 3 Tools / Frameworks: Controlled discomfort protocols: rucking, cold exposure, physical stress CNS reset through structured challenges Mindset reframing: "I get to, not I have to" and "Fix your face" to shift state Timestamps: 00:51 – Growing up without structure and finding purpose in service 02:27 – Joining the military and discovering direction 04:08 – How she chose the bomb squad and what EOD means 07:48 – What EOD teams do during stateside and presidential missions 09:14 – How bomb suit training works and what "bomb suit dumb" means 10:28 – Breaking the world record and the strategy behind it 12:59 – Running a bomb-suit mile on all seven continents 13:39 – Preparing for the Antarctica mission and raising awareness 18:50 – Her step-by-step advice for building resilience through daily discomfort Start with one hard thing, lean into discomfort, and build discipline through daily action. 📲 Short, Impactful Content 👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast 👉 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/
    続きを読む 一部表示
    16 分
  • How a Navy SEAL Rebuilt Discipline and Control After Service

    How a Navy SEAL Rebuilt Discipline and Control After Service
    2025/11/25
    When the mission ends, the mindset stays. Navy SEAL veteran and leadership coach Kevin Stark talks with Joe about rebuilding identity after service, finding calm in pressure, and using simple daily discipline to stay grounded when life shifts. This conversation goes inside the habits, decisions, and mindset work that strengthen resilience, mental toughness, and control under stress. Timestamps 00:58 Why Kevin joined the SEALs at 18 02:29 How BUD/S training builds mental control 05:15 How he rebuilt identity after service 09:55 How service shapes leadership and humility 14:51 How cold exposure builds calm under stress Three Key Learnings How discipline builds mental toughness when external structure disappears How small daily actions raise resilience and calm under pressure How service and leadership shape identity after major transitions Tools, Frameworks, Strategies Response Gap: Creating space before reacting, rooted in Viktor Frankl's work Daily Discipline Reps: Push ups, cold exposure, breathwork to shift mindset fast Rota Path Method: Reflection-based leadership work through structured challenges Calm is trained through consistent action, not comfort. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses. 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 For Everything Spartan
    続きを読む 一部表示
    19 分
  • How Discipline Turns Every Obstacle into Growth

    How Discipline Turns Every Obstacle into Growth
    2025/11/18
    What happens when discipline meets adversity? In a world where comfort wins too easily, true progress begins with facing hard challenges head-on. Joe De Sena talks with ZOOZ Fitness founder and adaptive coach Jake Weiner about building grit through adaptive training, creating community for athletes with disabilities, and turning mindset shifts into lasting confidence. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Learned: Mindset Reframing: Jake explains how shifting "I can't" to "I'll try" transforms both athletes and parents, proving that confidence is built one small win at a time. Adaptive Coaching Approach: Training without specialized equipment—just smarter coaching, personalized cues, and consistent feedback. Environment and Community Design: Creating a supportive gym culture where athletes mirror each other's discipline, replacing isolation with shared strength. Routine as Ritual: Building daily movement habits that anchor mindset and consistency—discipline treated like brushing your teeth. Perspective Shift Practice: Using the mantra "It could be worse" to ground gratitude and push through discomfort. Closing Insight: "Discipline turns obstacles into opportunity—because every hard thing you face trains both body and mind." Listen & Subscribe: Apple: The Hard Way Podcast Spotify: The Hard Way Podcast Short, Impactful Content: Instagram: @spartanuppodcast From host directly: @realjoedesena Join the Spartan Community: Find Your Next Spartan Race: spartan.com/en/race/find-race For everything Spartan: spartan.com Timestamps: [00:10] The Mission Behind ZOOZ Fitness Jake explains how ZOOZ Fitness became a training ground for adaptive athletes. [03:25] Reframing the Mindset Jake shares how shifting mindset changes how athletes, parents, and coaches face challenges. [11:48] Building Rituals That Outlast Motivation Consistency beats intensity. Discipline becomes automatic when workouts are treated like daily hygiene. [15:21] The Power of Community and Spartan Grit Jake explains how his athletes train year-round for Spartan Races—proving that shared purpose and team energy build more than strength; they build resilience. [20:40] A Lesson in True Commitment One athlete skips Disneyland to make his workout. A reminder that when purpose is strong enough, excuses disappear.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    19 分
  • How a Four-Time Cancer Survivor Rebuilt His Life With Spartan Races

    How a Four-Time Cancer Survivor Rebuilt His Life With Spartan Races
    2025/11/11
    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/
    続きを読む 一部表示
    20 分