Dean Karnazes
San Francisco, CA USA
"Do what you love and you’ll be fulfilled and happy."
Career Roadmap
Dean's work combines: Sports, Travel, and Being Physically Active
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I might not have heard this sentiment explicitly, but I definitely felt it around me as I grew up, went to school, and got a job. When I picked up running again, I knew my managers weren't happy. I was spending my time running or in the gym instead of going to optional business dinners as was expected of people in these positions. Society thinks this is success but that's not true for everyone. Success comes from doing what makes you happy.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Food Science Technology
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Graduate Degree
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of San Francisco
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I was born in Inglewood, California, and started running when I was six years old.
2.
I became very passionate about running and continued with it until I was a freshman in high school—I didn’t get along with the track coach, so I stopped running for many years.
3.
After graduating from college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I decided to go back to school for a graduate degree.
4.
I graduated with my master’s degree and started working for a big multinational corporation—the company saw promise in me, so they sent me to business school for my MBA.
5.
To celebrate my 30th birthday, I decided to run 30 miles.
6.
After rediscovering my love for running, I started running marathons and then ultramarathons.
7.
I kept my day job for safety and security, but I eventually realized that the corporate world just wasn’t for me anymore and I would be happier doing what I loved, which was running.
8.
Since quitting my job, I’ve had a very fulfilling career as a marathon and ultramarathon runner.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
The successful thing to do is go to college, then business school, then spend your life working a big corporate job.
How I responded:
I might not have heard this sentiment explicitly, but I definitely felt it around me as I grew up, went to school, and got a job. When I picked up running again, I knew my managers weren't happy. I was spending my time running or in the gym instead of going to optional business dinners as was expected of people in these positions. Society thinks this is success but that's not true for everyone. Success comes from doing what makes you happy.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
For about a decade, I kept my corporate job while spending all of my free time running. Living these two different lives was taxing. I eventually decided to quit my job and spend my life running. My only regret is not making that decision earlier.