Jesse Thomas: Highly Effective Habits of a Pro Triathlete, Entrepreneur, Husband and Dad

May 9, 2016
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Jesse Thomas is a professional triathlete, including 6x Wildflower champion, co-founder of Picky Bars, husband to pro runner Lauren Fleshman, and a dad to a little boy. He’s fresh off his sixth consecutive Wildflower win, training for Ironman (and Kona hopeful), managing Picky Bars as it turns into a multimillion-dollar business, and at the end of the day always puts family first. On this show we pick Jesse’s brain to see how he does it all, and stay s happy and motivated in the process.

The Reigning Wildflower Champ

  • On Jesse’s sixth Wildflower win on Saturday, April 30, 2016. How was this one for Jesse?
  • Jesse’s now making the push for Ironman, racing Ironman Lanzarote in a few weeks to hopefully secure enough points to lock in Kona after a win at IM Wales in 2015 and put all his efforts toward Kona; how does that change things?
  • A glimpse into his IM training routine with the help of Coach Matt Dixon, and how did this IM stuff play into Wildflower?
  • Jesse’s run training for Ironman (hint: not a ton of volume!)
  • PR run at Wildflower
  • Battling with fellow dad and course recorder holder Terrenzo Bozzone at Wildflower

Jesse’s Inspiring Life Beyond Triathlon

  • Founded a Picky Bars in 2010 and it has exploded; just landed in Trader Joe’s and the company is set to make more than $1 million in 2016.
  • The Picky Bars concept including healthy nutrition with gluten-free ingredients. Jesse was experiencing stomach issues on a triathlete’s diet of 5,000-6,000 calories a day and discovered that gluten-free was beneficial. The bars embodied this, and they started making them and selling them through a club they formed.
  • How a small business initially grows from grassroots style into something bigger
  • Managing a small (and growing) business and pro sport career
  • How Jesse manages his mind to keep things in check and not let life get out of hand
  • Jesse’s approach to his schedule and planning: stay super organized or go with the flow day-to-day?
  • The importance of prioritizing, sometimes it has to be hour-to-hour and the planned schedule goes out the window
  • Prioritizing the to-do list based on financial reasons and doing what brings home the bacon
  • “Picky Bars provides me with a break from training and training provides me a break from Picky Bars and those two things work symbiotically,” Jesse says. “And running our company has made me a better athlete.”
  • When it gets tough and like the to-do list is never-ending how do you keep yourself from getting overwhelmed.
  • Why now for Ironman, when he’s got more on his plate than ever?
  • Does Jesse have a “practice” to unwind from triathlon and work?
  • Running for stress relief vs. running for training/performance
  • Family first, and how his son helps him disconnect from all his work
  • Running a business alongside his wife and how they separate business and personal life to not get too wrapped up in work 24/7
  • At the end of the day it’s all about having FUN!
  • How Jesse’s race nutrition incorporates Picky Bars; how many he eats on the bike, which are easiest digested during racing, and more.

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