For the founder, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, getting fired in the prime of his career is the best thing that ever happened to Barry Sternlicht. He recruited a couple of friends, borrowed a few million dollars, followed a business plan that bucked all conventions, and set off on a path that would make him a real estate and hotel investing star. He tucked away this mantra in his wallet for eight years: “Perseverance is genius in disguise.” He found it in a fortune cookie. Sternlicht, in fact, is a treasure trove of adages which have no doubt driven him through the tough times. His father, a holocaust survivor, was one of his first inspirations.  www.SpartanUpPodcast.com/033Lessons:1. Perseverance is genius in disguise.2. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.3. Find the freight trains in your life and then get on them instead of in front of them.

Amit Kumar studies happiness at Cornell University. Can money make you happier? Is the key to happiness a newer car, bigger TV, & more electronic gadgets. That's what the ads tell us, but according to happiness expert Amit Kumar, enduring happiness is manifested through experiences. That's great news for everyone who has ripped themselves off of the couch. And though many of you undoubtedly drew that conclusion already, Kumar explains the fascinating theories behind it. www.SpartanUpPodcast.com/032Lessons:1. Experiences and not material goods lead to long term happiness.2. Due to our capacity for adaptation, you can live a happy life after a negative event.3. The “hedonic treadmill” will not sustain happiness; you will always need to “up the dose” of material goods.

Jimmy Binns will never stop challenging himself. Becoming a police officer at age 74 is just the latest in a lifetime of impressive feats. He passed the bar exam in 20 states just to see if he could, was a marathoner and a boxer. He was a lawyer to the boxers, most notably representing Don King against Mike Tyson, and practiced for half a century. His track record of determination and perseverance is legend and inspirational.www.SpartanUpPodcast.com/031Lessons:1. Motivation is a contagion. If you're around motivated people you'll either drop out or become motivated.2. Preparation is everything.3. You're never too old to take on a serious challenge.

A marathon finisher on seven continents, an aerial skiing Olympic hopeful, head of a prostate cancer awareness foundation, and she’s just 15. That's just how Winter Vinecki rolls. She already holds a world record and she is nowhere close to her prime. She nurtures a healthy positivity that covers all eventualities. Should anything go awry, she's still on track to go to Stanford and perhaps try a little skydiving. Winter leaves little doubt that she'll succeed no matter her path.www.SpartanUpPodcast.com/030Lessons:1. A worthy cause is a great motivator.2. Active and supportive parents are great role models.3. Have a good backup plan.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes holds the greatest number of exploring world records of any living person and almost inconceivable endurance in every facet of his extraordinary life. Considered the world's greatest explorer, he has a decidedly different take on concepts such as grit, obstacle resistance and success. But even if his views don't take on the traditional motivational parlance, they have clearly worked in his life, an extraordinary one to say the least. http://spartanuppodcast.com/029Lessons:1. You never “reach success”; you're only as good as your last movie.2. It’s never too late to face your fears.3. To surmount obstacles, have a cup of tea and figure out how to go around them.

Risa Mish, an expert in critical thinking, problem solving & leadership teaches at Cornell. In her interview she shares critical thinking tips that apply to life, business and racing. Learn how and when to set aside assumptions, why more experience isn’t always better, why flexibility is important and some concrete ways you can bring these lessons into your life.  Mish demonstrates how critical thinking can move us with greater success through a race, business and life.  Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com/028Lessons:1. Mitigate failures by predicting ways you might fail and troubleshooting preemptively.2. Place yourself around people who are different than yourself as a way checking your biases.3. Problems always have multiple causes.

Until Joe dragged him out to do burpees, Wes Chapman hadn't  formally exercised in fifteen years, but don't label him gritless. He is the founder of three successful podcasts and is a master at identifying and fomenting human potential where many have lost hope. When he calls people who want to change the world cocky, crazy, stupid yet confident, one has the sneaking suspicion he's engaging in self deprecation. He has started A Human Project which empowers troubled youth to rise above their situation through respecting them, and it is bound be world altering.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com/027

Lessons:1. Empower troubled kids by giving them responsibility and ownership over their situation.2. To change the world you have to be cocky enough to think you can, crazy enough to know you can, stupid enough to actually try, and confident enough to share the responsibility.3. Just be good and it doesn't matter what you believe in.

Crawling toward the Iron Man Kona finish line, the end in sight, Chris Legh collapsed before he could reach it. Despite winning 96 triathlons, Chris Legh is best known for the one he DNFed. He clawed his way into contention only to fall violently ill. Legh staggered towards the finish line but fainted and crossed the finish line unofficially, prostrate on a stretcher. It took a lot of guts, as you'll find out, but he thinks you'd do the same thing in his position. Whether you would or not is largely a question on how much you take Legh's compelling lessons on grit to heart.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. It's only pain.2. Don't do anything half heartedly; make a decision and focus on something with all your power.3. To stay motivated, get an hour down the road even if you're tired, and chances are you'll go further anyway.

Richard Branson defies conventional wisdom on success. With Virgin Airlines - he started a thriving airline literally in an afternoon. With Virgin Cola - he took one of the most successful companies of all time head on and almost won. With Necker Island - he acquired the island first believing that the money to develop it would show up eventually, it did. A notorious adventurer, Branson is clearly, within reason, not afraid to live.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com    Lessons:1. Get out of your comfort zone and go into the world and explore.2. Push yourself beyond your limits.3. Practice balance. Learn to trust your instincts.4. Find fun ways to stay fit - involve your friends and family.5. Look for the best in people. There is always something special to acknowledge in a person.6. Forgiveness mends.7. Expect things to be hard along the way but be sure to enjoy the sense of satisfaction from simply trying and being on the journey.

Matt Segal, an accomplished rock climber, will be returning to the Bugaboos in British Columbia for the fourth time this summer. Their seeming insurmountability almost got him down, but their inspiration lifted Segal right back up again. Where else would he be except faced with all the things he loves--beauty, challenge, the thrill of a first ascent, and the satisfaction of overcoming failure? This is Segal's formula for creating a life filled with passion and grit.   Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons: 1. To prevent burning out from your passion, vary the ways you practice it.2. Letting yourself be inspired by the objective paves the way to success.3. If you're succeeding all the time, you're not trying hard enough.