Lessons from the Wall: 15 Things I Learned About Leadership & Life By Doing Something Really Hard

One mountain. Fifteen ascents. A year that changed everything.

In 2024, executive coach and leadership expert Matthew Spence signed up for the 29029 Everesting Challenge-an ultra-endurance hiking event where you attempt to climb the equivalent of Mt. Everest (29,029 feet) in a weekend. The twist? Hike 2,000 feet up a ski run, take the gondola down, repeat the climb 15 times within 36 hours.

On ascent twelve - 28 hours in - he strained his hamstring on a brutal stretch known as "The Wall," unsure if he could take another step.

But this isn't a book about mountain climbing.

It's a book about what happens when you deliberately put something hard on the calendar-paying attention to what it teaches you.

In LESSONS FROM THE WALL, Matthew distills his Everesting experience into fifteen practical lessons on leadership, resilience, mindset, grit, goal setting, and personal growth. Drawing from endurance training, corporate leadership, executive coaching, fatherhood, and a year of deep self-reflection, each chapter blends storytelling with actionable insight.

From

"There's No Medal for Mayonnaise on Your Keyboard"

to

"Create Kairos Time"

to

"Suffering Is Optional"

...every lesson includes reflection and action prompts designed to help readers examine their choices, elevate their leadership, and build sustainable high performance.

Whether you're leading a team, pursuing an audacious goal, navigating change, or standing at the base of your own mountain, this book will help you:

• Find purpose in hard things
• Strengthen your mindset and resilience
• Turn obstacles into teachers
• Trust your instincts
• Build courage instead of waiting for perfect conditions

Your story is written one step at a time. Start here.

Matthew Spence is an executive coach and leadership consultant with more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles in some of the world's most iconic and successful global organizations: Meta, Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, and Gap Inc. A self-described "average guy, a dad, not a superhuman type of adventurer," he signed up for something big and leaned into the challenge. He and his wife reside in Mill Valley, California, where they have raised two amazing young men and make their home with their dog Wilbur.