Matthew Spence with Brynn Harrington – Lessons from the Wall

Submitted by the Event Organizer

In 2024, executive coach Matthew Spence signed up for the 29029 Everesting Challenge: climb 29,029 vertical feet—the height of Mt. Everest—in a single weekend. Fifteen relentless ascents up a ski slope. Thirty-six hours on the clock.

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.

Lessons from the Wall is not simply a story about endurance. It’s about what happens when you deliberately put something hard on the calendar—and pay attention to what it teaches you.

Blending immersive storytelling with fifteen leadership and life lessons, Spence explores resilience, instinct, recovery, perseverance and the power of purpose. What began as a physical challenge became a deeper reckoning with identity, ambition, fatherhood, and a year of personal transformation.

For leaders and anyone standing at the base of their own mountain, this is a guide to doing hard things—and becoming a better version of yourself in the process.

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“This book offers a rare combination of personal story and practical leadership insight. Matthew shows how pushing your limits can clarify your purpose, elevate your character, and strengthen how you lead.” —Mark Breitbard, President and CEO, Global Gap Brand

“A masterclass in learning the right lessons from hard things. Matthew distills big-mountain experience into sharp, unexpected insights about leadership, resilience, and judgment under pressure. It’s not about conquering the Wall—it’s about how struggle rewires the way you lead and live!”  —Amy Hayes, VP of People Development, Meta

“Through Matthew’s Everesting journey, leadership is revealed in action—in the daily choices, setbacks, and moments of doubt that test character and commitment. The result is an authentic, memorable exploration of leadership that feels earned, practical, and immediately applicable to real life.”  —Nick Shaw, author of My Teacher, My Son: Lessons on Life, Loss, and Love

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