Execs Who Run
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Episode 181 hr 11 min

Ned PhillipsThe Art of Suffering. Endurance, Ego & Never Giving Up

0:001:10:53

Show notes

Ned Phillips has sold horse manure door-to-door, run companies across Asia, and now runs Backyard Ultras for fun, the kind where you loop 6.7 kilometres every hour until everyone else quits. The British-born entrepreneur and former CEO turned solopreneur has built and lost multimillion-dollar startups, led with empathy through failure, and found joy in suffering. In this conversation, Jason and Ned explore how endurance sports and business share the same brutal truths: pain is inevitable, ego is fragile, and resilience is a choice.

Highlights

  • Hear how Ned went from selling fertilizer to running a listed financial company in Asia.

  • Learn how building and losing a $20M startup reshaped his definition of leadership.

  • Discover how he found running through a 100km race, as his first ever run.

  • Explore the philosophy of Backyard Ultra and the fine line between grit and madness.

  • Understand what “the art of suffering” really means, in running, leadership, and life.

  • Find out why empathy and curiosity are the most underrated sales and leadership skills.

Connect with Ned:
LinkedIn, Ned Phillips
Ned’s Website, teachpeoplesales.com

Connect with Execs Who Run:
Website, execswhorun.com
LinkedIn, Execs Who Run
Instagram, @execswhorun

Connect with Jason Hunt:
LinkedIn, Jason Hunt
Instagram, @jasonzane_

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