How Success Happens

Liz Tran, author of the forthcoming book AQ, knows that the one constant of life is change. She joins Dan to share practical ways to build real resilience and rethink how you handle the unexpected. Plus, Dan makes a surprising discovery...about himself.

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Bert Jacobs built Life Is Good with his brother, a beat-up van, and $78. He explains how positivity became a competitive advantage and why giving back was never optional. The Playmakers nonprofit grew alongside the brand and sits at the core of its “why.” Bert also shares his belief in capitalism and business as the only way to save the world.

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Music producer Jimmy Humilde is added another title to his résumé with his new film, Clika. Even as he becomes a true multi-hyphenate, he shares practical advice on managing nerves and staying grounded through gratitude. Plus an unconventional approach to meditation.

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Joel Milton, co-founder of Splash Sports, has made it easy for anyone to run a contest with friends or fans. But running the company itself is much harder. In this snack-size episode, Joel talks about building a business when the rules keep changing, how to avoid chasing shiny ideas, and why getting something out into the world matters more than getting it perfect. Plus, Dan responds to the comment section.

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No matter how you measure it, Bert Kreischer is a success. And yet, the fear never really goes away. In this conversation, the stand-up comic, podcasting powerhouse and star of the new Netflix series Free Bert, talks about imposter syndrome and what actually drives his relentless work ethic. He shares his formula for telling a great story and explains why the most awkward celebrity interactions often make the best ones. Plus, Guy Fieri drops in to ask Bert a few questions of his own.

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At 32, Alex Bussenger was at the top of his game and senior vice president at Bank of America. Then an aortic dissection nearly killed him. He survived, but recovery brought something he didn’t expect. A  deep sense of loneliness. In this snack-size episode, Alex shares how that experience led him to create Heal Together, an app that connects people recovering from major health events with others who’ve been there. Because healing isn’t just physical and no one should have to do it alone.

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Cowboy Kent has cooked meals on the open range and gone head-to-head with Bobby Flay and beaten him. But his success didn’t stop in the kitchen. He’s built a thriving YouTube channel, a successful catering business, and written cookbooks. In this episode, Kent shares why faith and family aren’t just part of his story, but the foundation of everything he’s built.

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Sahand Dilmaghani is the founder and CEO of Terra Kaffe, who happens to make Dan’s current favorite coffee machine. Sahand recently joined Dan for a webinar, and this snack break serves up some of Dan’s favorite insights from that conversation. They talk about slowing down when things get chaotic, the best advice he’s gotten, and how knocking on doors with early prototypes helped turn an idea into a real business.

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It’s time to pull out your New Year's party horns. Instead of resolutions, Dan kicks off the year with a pep talk from Colin O’Brady, the first person to walk across Antarctica completely alone and unsupported. They talk about pushing past limits, facing fear, and what dragging a sled across the ice has to do with building something hard from scratch.

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In this Snack Break, Dan digs back into the archives for a conversation with Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe. They talk about purpose, and why having a “why” matters to his entrepreneurial journey. Plus, Mike tells an unforgettable story about poop.

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Isaiah Chavous knows what sounds good. As the CEO of Noctal, he’s built a library of more than 200,000 human-made sound effects used in games, films, podcasts, and beyond.  In this Snack Break, Isaiah talks about staying calm in high-stakes pitches, why rejection isn’t personal, and his best and worst moments of the year.

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Christina Cassotis is the CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport.  In this snack-size episode, she explains why airports are high-stakes problem-solving machines, how to make holiday travel less stressful, and what passengers almost always get wrong about who’s actually in charge. Plus why airports are the best places to work… just don’t call it a tarmac.

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Jeremiah Gardner likes to get deep. He’s an underwater cave diver who uses lessons learned beneath the surface to help leaders and businesses survive and thrive in uncertainty. In this episode, he shares his “Gold Line” framework for moving forward boldly without losing your way. Plus, why learning fast matters more than failing fast.

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Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman, plus the always-on-point Amanda Zuckerman, join Dan to break down the comedy business from every angle. On the comedy side, they dig into what’s trending and why getting to “the funny” faster matters more than ever. On the business side, they share the hire that kept their company sane. Plus, what do you do when the comedy special cameras start rolling, and you’ve got a wildly weird crowd to contend with? 

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Orchids. Infernos. Rin Tin Tin. What do these things have in common? They’ve all been the subject of books by Susan Orlean.  In her new book Joyride, she pulls back the curtain on how she does it. Susan and Dan dig into how she decides which ideas are worth pursuing, how she pushes through the doubt, and why audiobooks might just be the purest way to experience a story. Plus, she shares the one writing habit she wishes she could ditch.

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If you’ve got “take actual time off” on your holiday to-do list but keep finding yourself sneaking in “just one more email,” this one’s for you.  Just in time for the holidays, Dan revisits this chat with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, where they talk about why taking a break can be the best thing for the quality of your work. Plus, what’s the one thing he can beat his wife at?

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Turns out Jack Daniel’s isn’t just a whiskey company, it’s a family business. Master distiller Chris Fletcher stops by to share how he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps but he’s not the only one with a family tie on the team. He talks about legacy and what it means to serve a community that’s been working together for generations. Part of that is Operation Ride Home, a nonprofit that helps junior enlisted service members make it home for the holidays because Jack Daniel’s knows just how much family matters.

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In this snack break,  Dan revisits his conversation with Tracy C Dyson (no relation to Sir James Dyson from the last episode). Tracy breaks down what it actually feels like to be launched off the planet and step into literal nothingness on a spacewalk. Plus, she also settles the debate once and for all: the Earth is extremely, unambiguously round.

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Sir James Dyson can’t stand bad design. Instead of complaining, he channels that frustration into building machines that make the rest of us wonder, “Wait… why wasn’t it always done this way?” And he doesn’t stop at vacuums. From high-tech farming to championing the next generation of innovators, Dyson shares how relentless curiosity (and yes, 5,127 failed prototypes) can power a lifetime of breakthroughs.

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Aaron Levant, the CEO of Complex NTWRK media, drops in to talk about why “ignorance is rich,” how taking wild swings has shaped his entire career, and why real-life experiences beat a thousand Instagram likes any day. This quick burst of inspiration will get you hyped to go out there and try anything. Even if everyone’s telling you not to.

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Gabriel Weinberg knows a thing or two about taking big risks on big ideas. He’s the founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo, the privacy-first search engine taking on the giants. In this episode, he breaks down the frameworks that help him lead, how he makes tough calls, and where he finds the time to actually do all of it. Plus, he gives us his take on the real risks around AI and privacy.

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Rafael Atijas, founder and CEO of Loog Guitars, joins to share how a grad school project turned into a global brand. He talks about learning manufacturing from scratch, mastering Kickstarter, and building a community of first-time rockstars. Plus, what he’s learned as a veteran of five successful Kickstarter campaigns.

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ElectroBOOM, the YouTuber who makes learning about electricity shockingly fun, joins us to break down how he built an enduring YouTube career. He gets real about the mistakes he's made, the comments that still sting, and what’s next on his entrepreneurial journey. Plus, he answers the question “Does it still hurt when you get shocked?”

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Former pro baller turned sports management founder Donnie McGrath joins the show to talk about his jump from ball handling to closing $650 million in contracts. He shares the moment that made him hang up his sneakers, what it’s really like to go from player to agent, and how his definition of success has evolved along the way. Plus, a sneak peek at his company LIFT Sports Management’s next big play.

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In this special episode of How Success Happens, the small business team behind Wood Expressions Games shares how a nearly 20-year partnership with Amazon transformed their tiny company into a booming board game business. Learn about their inspiring journey of growth, perseverance, and the fulfillment that comes with bringing joy to customers and creating jobs in their community. This episode marks the 25th anniversary of Amazon welcoming independent sellers to its store, a period during which these sellers have generated over $2.5 trillion in sales.

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What if getting fired isn’t the end? What if it’s the beginning? Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill join Dan to talk about their mission to take the shame out of the F word. In their new book All the Cool Girls Get Fired, they share stories from powerhouses like Oprah Winfrey and Carol Burnett about the times they got fired, what they learned, and how those pink slips turned into rocket fuel for their next big moves.

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Jack Davis, serial entrepreneur and investor in Jomboy Media and Dave’s Hot Chicken, joins the show. On this episode, he breaks down how he finds products people actually want, why organic demand beats throwing money at marketing, and how to know when it’s time to cut your losses. He says having success is like a chance to eat more pie. Speaking of which, send Dan your favorite pie pick at howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com.

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Chef Andrew Zimmern swings by to talk about his new book The Blue Food Cookbook, and to make a very hungry Dan seriously regret skipping breakfast. Beyond drooling over recipes, they dive into sustainable seafood, Zimmern’s favorite cookbooks, and why social media is doing more harm than good to the food industry.

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Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges adds one more stop to his first-ever U.S. tour and makes a pit stop with Dan (us?) on the How Success Happens podcast. He opens up about recovering from those nights when a joke dies a slow, painful death, shares how he tames pre-show nerves, and reveals why he keeps a tiny recording device tucked in his running shorts. (Yes, really.) Want to see Kevin live? Check out https://www.kevinbridges.co.uk/ for his latest tour dates before he sprints off to the next city.

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This episode takes on Substack from both sides of the keyboard, the company’s own success story and how creators are finding success on the platform. Hamish McKenzie, Substack’s co-founder and Chief Writing Officer (that’s what it says on his substack), joins the show to break down the intentional choices that made Substack such a writer’s haven and why he believes it’s still the best deal in town for creators. Then writer Casey Lewis pops in to share how she built her own thriving Substack community and the strategies any writer can use to boost their odds...

Terry Crews may look like the toughest guy in the room, but as he tells it, real toughness has nothing to do with muscles or touchdowns. In this snack-sized rewind, Terry talks about auditing your life and asking the hard questions. He also shares what he’s learned about team building on and off the field.

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Retired four-star general Stanley McChrystal joins the show to celebrate the launch of his new Masterclass and share his approach to empowering teams and cultivating leadership at every level of an organization. He walks us through strategies for encouraging teams to take risks, even when failure carries serious consequences. But he admits that, despite a lifetime in the military, burpees are still the worst.

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Dan revisits his chat with dermatologist-turned-global-sensation Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as Dr. Pimple Popper. She shares how a simple blackhead video blew up the internet, and what it’s really like to build a business on pus and pimples (while still protecting her patients). Plus, she bursts some skin myth bubbles.

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Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) joins Dan to pull back the coffin lid on her 45-year reign as the queen of Halloween. She shares how The Groundlings and a one-off local TV gig turned into her pop culture empire, why embracing her alter ego became her greatest business decision, and how she spends Halloween. Elvira also talks about her new cookbook Elvira's Cookbook from Hell (spoiler: it includes Cheese Whiz and crushed potato chips), her autumnal gin, and her friendship with Pee-wee Herman. From reframing Hollywood typecasting to becoming a brand that defines a holiday, Elvira...

 In this snack-sized episode, Dan revisits his conversation with comedy legend Dan Aykroyd. From managing teams on movie sets to co-founding Crystal Head Vodka, Aykroyd shares what he’s learned about leadership, product design, and sales. Plus, as a lifelong risk-taker, he explains the proper way to eject from a fighter jet. A tip you definitely don’t want to miss.

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Lucy Guo, the tech founder who unseated Taylor Swift as the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world, joins the show with practical advice and some controversial takes. She breaks down her winning strategy for raising funding, explains why we overestimate risk, and shares her biggest red flag when investing. Plus, she talks numbers on why buying a private jet might be the worst financial move you’ll ever make.

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Just in time for the new season of the Real Housewives franchise, Dan reruns his chat with OG Housewife Bethany Frankel. She shares how she juggles a million things without losing her mind, the secret to keeping her energy sky-high, and why now is prime time for bold new ideas. This episode is sure to have you ready to hit the ground running.

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What happens when the world’s best-selling author teams up with a leadership expert? You get a playbook for thriving in a changing world. James Patterson, drawing on his experience as a former CEO, master marketer, and publishing icon, teamed up with Dr. Patrick Leddin, PhD to write Disrupt Everything—and Win. The book and this discussion is an awesome mashup of Patterson’s real-world lessons and Leddin’s three-year Vanderbilt study on disruption. They share how to stop fearing change, flip obstacles into opportunities, and why becoming a “positive disruptor” might just be the key to success.

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How does Michael Strahan juggle it all? From Good Morning America to hosting game shows, running clothing lines, and producing TV, he somehow makes it look easy. In this throwback chat, he talks about the power of compartmentalizing, why trusting your team matters, and how lessons from the NFL still guide him today. Plus, hear his take on Tom Brady, what it really feels like to sack a quarterback, and why nothing can quite replace the game.

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