What happens when you take on something you’ve never done before, spend more than 30 days rowing across the Atlantic, and ultimately set a world record?
For Thomas Cremona, it changed the way he looked at life.
A multiple world record holder, endurance athlete, serial entrepreneur, and founder of Casa Rooms, Thomas joined Greg McDonough on the Chief Endurance Officer Podcast to talk about the experience that he describes as dividing his life into two chapters: before the row and after the row. At just 21, Thomas went from having virtually no rowing experience to training twice a day, raising money and sponsors, and joining an international team attempting to set a world record. The record ultimately stood for seven years.
But the most interesting part of Thomas’s story isn’t just what happened on the water. It’s how much of that experience carried over into his career as an entrepreneur.
Whether you’re trying to cross an ocean or build a business, there will be plenty of setbacks, difficult days, and people telling you that what you’re attempting isn’t possible. Thomas remembers getting plenty of “no” responses while trying to secure sponsors for his row, but his approach was simple: keep going, keep pushing, and keep the goal in sight. He even conducted more than 100 interviews during a six-month fundraising period to get his story in front of as many people as possible.
That same mindset followed him into business. Thomas eventually built Casa Rooms into a sizable property management business in Malta before exiting the company and returning to an advisory role. To him, the overlap between endurance and entrepreneurship is clear: you have to show up every day, deal with challenges, motivate the people around you, and keep moving toward the bigger picture even when things aren’t going according to plan.
Thomas also shared a simple productivity trick that applies far beyond endurance sports: start with the easy wins. When a task feels overwhelming, knocking out something small creates momentum. One completed task becomes a reason to keep moving, rather than another excuse to put things off.
Ultimately, Thomas’s story is a reminder that endurance isn’t only about how far you can physically push yourself. It’s about developing the mindset to keep showing up when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
As Thomas put it, you may hear a lot of “no’s,” and people may think you’re crazy for pursuing the goal. The answer is to keep persisting, wake up every day, and keep pushing.
Listen to the full conversation with Thomas Cremona on the Chief Endurance Officer Podcast, Episode #179.