meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Boardroom Talks

Episode 63: CEO and founder of Spartan and the Death Race Joe De Sena

Boardroom Talks

Boardroom Podcast Network

Business, Entrepreneurship, Sports

4.4620 Ratings

🗓️ 30 March 2022

⏱️ 84 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Joe De Sena grew up in New York City in a neighborhood and a life reminiscent of the movie "Goodfellas." In the pod, the two native New Yorkers discuss how in the early 70s De Sena's mother's transition into a more zen lifestyle turned his world upside down and how an opportunity to clean a pool made way for one of his first-ever business ventures. His hustle led to an unlikely admittance to Cornell and a career on Wall Street. There he encountered greed that drove a change in his priorities, leading him to create Spartan Race. Finally, De Sena shares the long road to launching a global brand, how he's handled adversity, and what's next, including his new CNBC show “No Retreat: Business Bootcamp.”

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

What's up everybody and welcome to another boardroom out of office podcast.

0:18.3

Today is Wednesday, March 30th. And I'm here, as always, right by my side.

0:27.1

My man, 50 grand. Gianni Herald. Richy Rich, what's up? What's up? What's up, bro? I was in

0:33.4

Miami for 10 days. I missed you, man. I missed you too, bro. I was Miami. Incredible.

0:38.1

And I miss Miami right now, to be honest. Because I actually know that I'm destined to live there

0:44.7

full time. As soon as my youngest daughter goes to college, I am Basta from the day after Halloween.

1:11.2

This is my plan right now. I'm solidifying it. The day after Halloween, I'm moving, and then May 1st, I'm coming back to New York. Smart. That's what I'm doing. It gets hot in the summer in Miami. I love South Florida. I like any bit of it, like all the way up to Fort Lauderdale, Boka, Palm Beach. I like the cheesy part. I like the retirement part. I like South Beach. I like every part of South Miami. I like North Miami Beach.

1:17.0

I like it all. I love the life. And there's so many people there. I go to dinner there, by the way.

1:22.3

I go to Carbone the first night in there. I know more people when I go out for dinner in Miami than I do in New York. There's less places that everyone's going to and everyone's going to the same places. But every night I went out, I ran into people. I took my kids out. My kids were out with me to dinner until 11 o'clock at night. I mean, we just went out. We just had the best time. I went out a few nights. They went home. Kevin came to town when they played the heat, got it in, went on a boat one day with Steve Stout. That was fun as hell, except we just randomly had to jump off in downtown Miami, my family, because the boat was going way too late. But I loved it. I loved the whole thing. Went to a game nice went to the Miami open oh they spank them yeah that was game was incredible went to

2:05.1

Miami Open saw Naomi Osaka you see Pat Riley bro get to that went to the Miami

2:10.7

open introduced Naomi Osaka to my daughter was dope that was fun saw a bunch of matches

2:15.9

going to these kind of events with my kids now and they're enjoying it, or at least

2:21.0

they're telling me they're enjoying it, is amazing.

2:24.0

I love every bit of it.

2:24.8

And then watching them so like intense at the net heat game and incredible.

2:29.8

But back to Pat Riley.

2:31.2

I had a two-hour hang with him, Saturday or Friday afternoon.

2:39.6

Hello, wine. And just talked, bro. Like, he's one of my favorite people I've ever met. I really look up to him.

2:46.0

You know, one of those like five or six people that I just can't believe that I know personally.

2:53.5

You know, it just like blows my mind.

2:55.9

And for me, that's really the most like rewarding thing of everything I've been able to do

3:00.4

professionally.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Boardroom Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Boardroom Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.