In both business and life, endurance, not speed, is of the utmost importance. Jesse Itzler's first book was rejected by 15 publishers before number 16 gave him a shot. 30 is how many years Jesse’s been running races without winning a single win. And 100 is roughly how many miles Jesse covered in his longest ultramarathon, races that taught him the one business lesson most entrepreneurs never learn: you don't have to be the fastest to finish first."I've never won anything in my life, n...
In both business and life, endurance, not speed, is of the utmost importance. Jesse Itzler's first book was rejected by 15 publishers before number 16 gave him a shot. 30 is how many years Jesse’s been running races without winning a single win. And 100 is roughly how many miles Jesse covered in his longest ultramarathon, races that taught him the one business lesson most entrepreneurs never learn: you don't have to be the fastest to finish first.
"I've never won anything in my life, not even close," Itzler tells me with a laugh during our recent conversation. "I'm back in the pack. In a marathon with 60,000 runners in New York, I came in like 57,000th place. But these ultra marathons aren't about being the best runner, they're all about will."
It's a philosophy that's carried the serial entrepreneur through an unlikely journey: from performing as rapper "Jesse Jaymes" (his single "Shake It Like a White Girl" hit #74 on Billboard in 1991) to co-founding Marquis Jet and selling it to Berkshire Hathaway, to leading ZICO Coconut Water's sale to Coca-Cola. Along the way, he became part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks and married Spanx founder Sara Blakely, creating one of entrepreneurship's most dynamic power couples.
Now in its 3rd year, Jesse is hosting the Runningman Festival, a unique fitness and wellness experience and conference designed to challenge, inspire and bring like-minded people together in Kingston Downs: Rome, Georgia in mid-September. Jesse is the definition of serial entrepreneur but what most people miss about his approach to business is that he's never actually trying to win the race everyone else is running.
I hope you get as much out of this conversation with Jesse as I did!
Special thanks to our sponsors:
About a year ago I was working out of a co-working space with a private office and studio in West Hollywood, and honestly? It was fine but felt more like a college dorm than a professional workspace.
I'm running a full service brand strategy consultancy and production company, meeting with serious clients, and I realized the environment wasn’t on brand for me.
Then I discovered Industrious - and here's something that blew my mind: they're actually the world's largest premium flexible workspace, with over 200 locations across 10 countries. But they don't feel corporate or stuffy at all.
What really sets them apart is their approach…
Unlike traditional co-working spaces, Industrious operates more like a hotel management model. They partner directly with landlords to create these incredible spaces, and the difference is night and day. When I walk my clients through the doors now, I can see the immediate shift in how they perceive me and my company. There's this elevation in credibility that you just can't put a price on. And I'm not alone - their members consistently report feeling "proud to bring clients here" and that the space "elevates my own sense of self so I can do better work."
The flexibility is incredible - I can scale my space up or down based on my team's needs. And with locations worldwide, I've got options whether I'm in LA or traveling for business to NYC and across the world. If you're tired of working from home or that coffee shop and you want a space that reflects your ambitions and style, you owe it to yourself to check out Industrious.
Head to https://www.industriousoffice.com/ or send me a note and I’ll personally set up a VIP tour for you in an Industrious office near you.
Support the show
