Overcoming Obstacles - Katie Cleasby - Chief Endurance Officer with Greg McDonough - Episode # 077

Grit & Resilience

Katie Cleasby, founder of Recspert, shares her journey of resilience, highlighting how an endurance mindset has been pivotal in overcoming personal adversities. During the pandemic, she faced breast cancer, undergoing multiple surgeries and chemotherapy while continuing her triathlon training and working on her doctoral dissertation. This period of intense challenge taught her the power of perseverance and grit, which she describes as her middle name.

I was going through three sets of my own version of my personal Ironman and I just broke it down.

--- Katie Cleasby

Katie emphasizes the importance of compartmentalizing challenges to maintain mental and physical well-being, supported by her family and her own determination 1 2.

   

Strategic Challenges

In both her personal life and business, Katie applies the strategy of breaking down large challenges into smaller, manageable tasks. She shares how this approach has been crucial in building Recspert, her startup, by focusing on long-term goals and adapting to challenges along the way. Katie likens her journey to climbing Mount Everest, emphasizing the need for patience and persistence.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and certainly, if you're lucky, you get it right the first time as a startup founder, but that's not the majority of us.

--- Katie Cleasby

This mindset has allowed her to navigate the complexities of startup life, ensuring progress despite obstacles 3.

   

Fun & Endurance

Balancing enjoyment with the demands of endurance training is a key theme for Katie. She discusses how endurance sports have become a lifestyle, providing a sense of community and personal fulfillment. Katie's approach to endurance is not just about physical challenges but also about embracing the fun and fearlessness that come with it.

You have to be fearless too, I think, at that point and just say, why not everyone always asks, like, why do you do this? Like, because you can.

--- Katie Cleasby

This philosophy extends to her business, where she encourages feedback and adaptability to enhance user experience and meet market demands 4.