Today on Brave Endurance Wellness Podcast is Part 1 of the Joe DeSena CEO of Spartan Races interview. 

Growing up in Howard Beach, Queens, a territory that was controlled by the infamous Mafia Don, John Gotti. De Sena's mother quickly looked to move him and his sister upstate to Ithaca, NY, just as Joe was building a small business around selling fireworks, Joe's mother practiced progressive health and wellness during the 70's, a time that was certainly foreign to fitness and healthy living. She introduced yoga, farming as well as raw fruits, vegetables and extreme endurance to create a healthy lifestyle.

A few years later, with a return to Howard Beach to live with his father Ralph, Joe adopted his father's entrepreneurial mindset. At around age 13 Joe created a swimming pool and construction company that expanded from the Howard Beach neighborhood all the way through the Boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. At the age of 25 Joe sold his companies and started a journey in finance on Wall Street.

On Wall Street, De Sena worked as an equities and derivatives trader and engaged various outdoor activities ranging from multiple IronMan races to the Iditarod by foot.  In early 2007, De Sena moved his family to Pittsfield, Vermont to operate a farm, a bed and breakfast, and a general store for hikers. In his spare time, De Sena competes in grueling athletic events like the Ironman and theFurnace Creek 508 Bike Race.

Joe has written numerous books, Spartan Up! and Spartan Fit!