Latest news with #JesseItzler
Entrepreneur
7 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Jesse Itzler and Devon Levesque on the Mad Fun of Runningman
Serial entrepreneurs and gonzo endurance athletes Jesse Itzler and Devon Levesque break down their latest adventures and the method behind the madness of their upcoming Runningman Festival. Every week on our show, How Success Happens, I get to talk to incredible people who accomplish amazing things in the face of great obstacles. Most entrepreneurs wish they could avoid big obstacles, but others seek them out. Such is the case for Jesse Itzler and Devon Levesque, the one-two punch behind the epic Runningman Festival, a three-day health and wellness event that is equal parts adult summer camp, business networking, party, and athletic race. (Tickets are available here.) For the past 35 years, Itzler has cemented his status as a game-changing entrepreneur, founding and selling companies like Marquis Jet and Zico Coconut Water. He's a bestselling author and speaker — and a guy who likes to run 100-mile ultramarathons in his spare time. Levesque built and sold nutrition brand Promix for nine figures, and does things like completing a marathon-length bear crawl when he is not building new companies. Related: Kim Perell Shares The Mistakes That Made Her a Millionaire The two describe Runningman as a kind of Disneyland where health and wellness meet business. There are motivational speakers, breakout sessions, and on the second day, they put the "running" in Runningman. Attendees have access to a one-mile loop for eight hours that they can use however they choose — some walk a mile, take a yoga class, then walk another mile. Others run 5Ks, 10Ks, and over the last two years, some have used the time to complete ultramarathons. "It's about getting whatever you want out of it, meeting people out there, building friendships and even making deals," says Itzler. I spoke with Itzler and Levesque about their wild festival, and the business and life lessons they've learned from pushing their bodies to their outer limits. Listen to our entire conversation here or watch it above, and read below for three success takeaways. Subscribe to How Success Happens to get a dose of inspiration twice a week! Apple | Spotify | YouTube Continue to redefine success for yourself. In his 20s and 30s, Jesse says success was all about "trying to be richer than the next guy," but now is says it means figuring out what buckets are the most important to you — family, health, philanthropy, business — and striving to do whatever you can to be as good as you can in those areas you truly care about. Understand that physical pain can bring mental well-being. Devon says that pushing his body to its physical limits brings a sense of calmness to his brain, allowing him to "approach the world in a better way" and "stops me from making chaotic decisions." He says it has made him stronger when facing any obstacle in his life. "You learn that pain is temporary." Start with fun, and success will follow. Planning Runningman is unlike any other business endeavor. "We've never talked about how to make more money — our conversations are 'Is there a way to have an ice skating rink there in the middle of summer in Georgia? Do you know 50 people on stilts that can do a Slip 'n' Slide? Our conversations are insane!" Fast facts Devon holds a world record for performing the highest altitude backflip, which he did at the peak of Mount Everest. Jesse wrote "Go, New York, Go!", the theme song for the New York Knicks that has been played since 1993.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
I wrote the iconic Knicks theme song 30 years ago — here's how much I got paid for it
One Long Island kid's hoop dream became a timeless hoop theme. In 1993, recent college grad and die-hard Knicks fan Jesse Itzler had a dream of writing his favorite team's theme song. 'I was born a Knicks fan and always loved their grit,' the New Yorker, 56, reminisced of the team's golden age, with legends like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks featured on the posters of every sports fan's bedroom wall. Advertisement 'I had an idea to write a song that would get people in the Garden chanting during a timeout,' Itzler told The Post on the eve of the Knicks' return to the Eastern Conference finals, noting the hunger for higher energy at the time. 'At NBA games, all of a sudden, there were Knicks City Dancers and entertainment.' 8 Uber Knicks fan Jesse Itzler dreamed of creating a theme song for the team. 'My life has taken a crazy turn since then,' he told The Post. @jesseitzler/instagram The rising rapper, who went by the stage name Jesse Jaymes in the early 90s, and future entrepreneurial legend who went on to marry Spanx founder, Sara Blakely, knew this was his one shot. Advertisement 'So many people tell me, 'That was the soundtrack of my 90s'… It lasting more than 30 years is unbelievable.' Jesse Itzler Inside the closet of his 300-square-foot NYC walk-up he shared with a roommate, he began recording the lyrics of the catchy and enduring anthem: 'Go New York.' Cassette in hand, he scored a meeting with Knicks bigwigs — including then-president Dave Checketts and executive Ernie Grunfeld — and the short demo won them over. After making some adjustments in time for that year's All-Star game, the iconic 'Go New York' was born. Advertisement The paycheck was a cool $4,000 — enough to cover his $350 monthly rent for a year, with pizza money left over — but as Itzler said, 'I would have paid them $10,000 just to use it.' 8 Itzler is shown in a 1992 photo to promote his musical ambitions. @jesseitzler/instagram 8 Itzler, pictured here in 2015, went on to craft the Knicks' enduring theme song. 'It took a while to get going — the first couple of games, no one really knew what was really going on,' he recalled, adding the anthem was being promoted on towels for the erstwhile electronics giant Nobody Beats the Wiz. Advertisement But the 75-second song, which Itzler tweaked every year over the first decade with guest features including Q-Tip, Mobb Deep, Ed Lover, DJ Skribble and Angie Martinez, ultimately won over fans. And once it became a radio staple with New Yorkers addicted to the catchy tune, 'it was game over.' At 23, Itzler was thrilled to score 'like two bleacher seats' to enjoy the fruits of his labor echo throughout the iconic stadium, which was 'totally fine' with the starstruck fan. 'I just wanted to be in the arena.' Now, more than 30 years later, he pays full freight for his courtside season tix — no celebrity row for him — and still maintains that he would have paid the team out of his own pocket back then just to get that shot. 'My life has taken a crazy turn since then,' said the entrepreneur, extreme endurance athlete and best-selling author. 'I've had some big wins — but that was the start of everything for me.' Still, even after building five companies, his one staple is Knicks love. Writing that song was a highlight of his life — up until that point and ever since. Aside from his wedding and the births of his four kids, the Knicks song is 'one of the three biggest moments in my life.' Advertisement 'So many people tell me, 'That was the soundtrack of my 90s,' he said with pride. 'The return on investment isn't $4,000 — it's being connected to that team.' The longevity of the anthem is all about the fans, Itzler said. 'There's no promotion behind it — there's not even a record out. It's all fan-generated.' 8 He only made $4,000 for the short track, but as Itzler told The Post, 'I would have paid them $10,000 just to use it.' @jesseitzler/instagram Hearing people chant it on the street still blows him away, adding that playing a small part in the unifying power of New York's favorite basketball team still gives him chills. Advertisement 'The Knicks are the major glue to the city – they bring together all walks of life, boroughs, demographics, colors and religions,' he mused. 'And the song is a part of that — it's crazy.' His 'biggest thrill' is when he hears the anthem chanted outside the court. 'It's amazing when people sing it at the Garden, but not as amazing as when people sing it on the streets. That's a real moment,' he added. 8 Itzler (wearing blue bandana) watches game action next to fitness entrepreneur Devon Lévesque (in cowboy hat) during the Knicks' playoffs game against the Boston Celtics last Friday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Advertisement 8 Itzler sits next to Jay-Z for a matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks in 2022. Itzler is an owner of the Hawks. NBAE via Getty Images Itzler is accustomed to grueling endeavors — he completed a month of extreme fitness training that culminated in his 2016 best-selling book, 'Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet.' But waiting 25 long years for his team to be in the championship again is even sweeter than that accomplishment. 'This is more rewarding,' than that exhausting fitness regimen, he said. Even though he's now part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, where he lives with Blakely and their kids, Itzler's lifelong love affair with the Knicks hasn't faded. Advertisement Though he won't make predictions, Itzler is pumped for a big win. 8 Itzler told The Post that 'a true sports fan is with a team through the good and the bad,' underscoring his devotion to the hoopsters. Taylor Prokes 'A true sports fan is with a team through the good and the bad,' Itzler said. This season's team echoes the vibes of the Knicks back in the day, when 'Go New York' became 'the rallying cry of the 90s,' he said. 'This team is very similar to the 90s – with the grit, being an underdog, and similar personalities to the players during that era,' said Itzler, who's a big fan of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. 'I love them all.' For the East Conference Finals, Itzler plans to take his kids to the place where it all started, 'so they can hear everything in the arena.' 8 'It's amazing when people sing it at the Garden, but not as amazing as when people sing it on the streets,' Itzler told The Post. FilmMagic 'The biggest thing for me is that my kids get to see it. And it takes me back to that era,' he said. 'I was a Knicks fan from day one, so to be able to write that song, I would have done it for free. It lasting more than 30 years is unbelievable.'
