From Small-Town Kid to Everest, Equinox & IRONMAN CEO | Scott DeRue

Scott DeRue has spent his life creating experiences that push people beyond what they thought was possible.

Ken sits down with his longtime friend and current CEO of The IRONMAN Group to talk about growing up in small-town North Carolina, being told during his first performance review that he “wasn’t smart enough,” walking away from a lucrative consulting career in search of purpose, becoming a University of Michigan professor and eventually the youngest dean of a top business school, and leaving the security of academia to help lead Equinox through the COVID crisis. 

Scott also shares how mountaineering became one of the defining forces in his life, what it took to climb Everest and complete the Seven Summits, the terrifying risks of the Khumbu Icefall and descent from Everest, and why getting to the summit is only half the job. 

Now leading The IRONMAN Group, Scott explains why he believes the company is ultimately in the “dream fulfillment business,” what he learned from rebuilding Equinox, why athlete feedback matters, and the decision to bring the men’s and women’s IRONMAN World Championship back together in Kona. 

Ken and Scott also revisit the 2023 Gobi March in Mongolia—the race where they first met and Ken somehow went from having never run an ultramarathon or camped to winning the entire thing.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Scott DeRue Intro

(00:32) Gobi March Bond

(01:46) Small Town Roots

(02:02) Schoolwork And Drive

(05:08) Sports And Pole Vault

(06:05) UNC And Water Skiing

(09:08) From Bio To Business

(09:46) Boston Consulting Start

(11:16) Sponsor Break Roka

(12:56) Brutal Review Lesson

(18:41) Quarter Life Crossroads

(21:02) PhD Path To Michigan

(25:58) Rapid Rise To Dean

(28:34) Transformational Teaching

(30:43) Money Vs Purpose

(32:41) Restroom Empire Moment

(34:43) Loving the Work

(35:04) From Professor to Dean

(37:26) Youngest Dean Pressure

(38:52) Mission Driven Leadership

(40:28) Sponsor Break Amp

(41:04) Mountaineering Origin Story

(46:16) Seven Summits Quest

(50:02) Everest Risks and Resilience

(52:18) Khumbu Icefall Focus

(55:46) Summit and Descent Dangers

(01:03:35) Equinox During Covid

(01:08:51) Rebuilding and Ironman Pull

(01:10:13) Ironman Obsession

(01:10:43) Taking the CEO Call

(01:11:50) Ironman Beyond Triathlon

(01:12:51) Lifestyle and Identity

(01:15:03) Feedback and Responsibility

(01:15:33) Kona War Stories

(01:18:00) Dream Fulfillment Mission

(01:20:38) Kona Together Again

(01:22:10) Designing Wave Starts

(01:24:44) Midnight Finish Magic

(01:29:43) Will He Race One

(01:30:20) Gobi March Memories

(01:34:04) Wild Characters and Lessons

(01:39:27) Gratitude and Wrap Up

(01:40:23) Subscribe and Sponsors

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