How Success Happens

Latest Episodes:

Snack Break: Sports Agency Founder Donnie McGrath Nov 09, 2025

Show notes

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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How a Long-Term Partnership with Amazon Helped This Small Game Business Win Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

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.

Tune in for real-world strategies, actionable advice, and proven tactics that any entrepreneur can use to scale and build lasting success in Amazon’s store. To learn more about how Amazon supports independent sellers, visit sellingpartners.aboutamazon.com

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'All the Cool Girls Get Fired' Authors Take Back the F-Word Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

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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Snack Break with Food, Media and Sports Investor Jack Davis Nov 02, 2025

Show notes

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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Andrew Zimmern Fishes for Success Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

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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Snack Break: Comedian Kevin Bridges Oct 26, 2025

Show notes

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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The Success of Substack and Success on Substack Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

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 of success.

Check out Dan's Substack here

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Snack Break: Terry Crews Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

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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Gen. McChrystal's Plan for Smarter Risk-Taking Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

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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Snack Break: Dr. Pimple Popper Oct 12, 2025

Show notes

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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