7/23/2019
Aloha!
I’m in Mendocino this week with my family. We come to the coast once a year. It’s where I came as a kid, where I bring my boys now, where we spread my mom’s ashes. We’ve started a family poker tournament. I’ll let you know who wins. *wink*
I was inspired by my friend Kate and I had to tell you her story because it fired me up.
If you’ve ever been told no and want to be inspired to keep going, read on.
A few years ago I did an endurance competition with my business mastermind called Hell on the Hill. I coached with Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world, a partner in Zico Coconut Water, the founder of The 100 Mile Group and an owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He’s a badass and SUPER fun. He’s even used to be a rapper. Really.
So Jesse uses endurance training to get stronger in his head and in life.
Tony and I did this race and went up and down this hill at his house 100x.
It took me 4 hours.
I did that hill with Kate. She’s in her 20s and super vibrant. She loved doing the hill but wanted to do the REAL competition.
You see Jesse puts on this endurance event once a year with his wife Sarah Blakey (founder of Spanx) and they invite all the top athletes to come and challenge themselves. NFL players, olympians, Navy Seals.
It’s hard.
So Kate wanted to do the “real” hill. But there’s a 3,000 person waiting list.
So she and her friend started sending Jesse videos and images of them walking hills... over and over again.
But that wasn’t enough.
So they started sending Jesse videos of themselves doing hills... in banana suits. And tagging him on Instagram. Again and again.
They’ve been at it for 3 years.
And this year he said- Alright! Enough. You’re coming.
So they’re gonna go up and down that hill with the fittest people in the world... in their banana suits. They are going to have an experience they will NEVER forget.
How soon do you give up if you get a no?
How often will you try again?
Do something different?
Or do you take it as a sign to stop?
What ever you have a calling, a dream, an idea, a vision, you get to cultivate resilience, stick-to-it-ness. And if all else fails, make it fun and do it an a banana suit.
-Amber