Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan: #1 Podcast for Inspiring Conversations to Live and Lead On Purpose

Leadership reaches far beyond a job title. The choices leaders make shape teams, relationships, families, organizations, and ultimately the lives of the people around them. In this episode of Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan, Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. Garland Vance and Dorothy Wood Vance, co-founders of AdVance Leadership and co-authors of Unleashed Leadership: How to Solve the 7 Issues Holding You Back from Your Greatest Impact. Garland and Dorothy share their unconventional journey from studying creative writing together in college to spending more than two decades developing leaders. Along the way, they learned firsthand how dramatically good—and bad—leadership can affect people. They introduce their powerful concept of being “leashed” versus “unleashed.” Being leashed happens when there is a gap between what your responsibilities demand and what your current abilities, resources, or capacity allow you to deliver. For high achievers accustomed to pushing harder, that gap can eventually lead to frustration, exhaustion, burnout, and the feeling that no matter how hard you run, something keeps pulling you backward. Garland and Dorothy explain why the answer isn’t simply working harder. Instead, growth requires self-awareness, reflection, and a willingness to examine the leader before trying to fix everyone and everything around them. Their Decide, Discern, Deliver framework offers a practical path forward. First, decide that change is worth pursuing and commit to it. Next, discern what is actually causing the problem rather than reacting only to the symptoms. Finally, deliver by taking consistent action and developing the traits necessary to become a stronger leader. The conversation also explores relationships, marriage, family, boundaries, faith, compassion, and the responsibility that comes with influencing other people. Garland and Dorothy share how they have grown as leaders themselves—including learning to value relationships over results alone, meet people where they are, develop empathy, and recognize when walking away may sometimes be the healthiest choice. At the heart of their philosophy is a simple but powerful belief: people deserve great leadership. Dr. Dan, Garland, and Dorothy remind us that leadership exists everywhere—at work, at home, in our communities, and in our relationships. We can choose control or connection, power or compassion, and ultimately decide what kind of influence we want to have on the people around us. Leadership creates ripple effects. Decisions made by leaders influence employees, teams, families, relationships, and entire organizations. Feeling “leashed” is a signal for growth. When responsibilities exceed our current abilities or capacity, simply pushing harder can eventually lead to burnout. Decide, Discern, Deliver. Meaningful change begins with deciding to grow, discerning the root cause of the problem, and consistently delivering on the changes required. Great leadership requires self-awareness. Before trying to solve every external problem, leaders need the courage to examine their own decisions, behaviors, strengths, and blind spots. Relationships matter as much as results. Leadership isn’t only about what gets accomplished—it is also about how people are treated in the process. Discernment is a lifelong skill. Learning to ask better questions, look beneath presenting problems, and honestly evaluate situations can improve leadership and life. Leading with love is powerful. Caring about people, treating them with dignity and respect, and investing in their growth can transform organizations and lives. For more information visit https://advanceleadership.live. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan KEY TAKEAWAYS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Touch is one of our most basic human needs, yet for many men, meaningful platonic touch can disappear from their lives for years, sometimes even decades.  In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Dan welcomes Aaron Johnson, public speaker, facilitator, filmmaker, touch activist, founder of the Chronically Untouched Project, and co-founder of Holistic Resistance and Grief to Action. Aaron’s work explores the emotional and relational lives of Black men and the messages many have received about what masculinity is supposed to look like. Be strong. Hold your emotions in. Take care of yourself. Don’t show vulnerability. Through intentional listening, platonic touch, consent, tenderness, and community, Aaron is creating spaces where men can experience a different way of connecting with themselves and with one another.  Aaron shares how this work began with his own grief after the death of his father and his nearly year-long journey to regain access to tears after approximately 20 years of not crying. Rather than forcing an emotional breakthrough, Aaron discovered that being deeply and consistently listened to created the safety necessary for his emotions to emerge. That experience became foundational to his work and to one of its central principles: “Listening is the first hug.” Aaron and Dr. Dan explore what happens when men are given permission to move beyond the roles they have been conditioned to play. Aaron describes the powerful question that became a cornerstone of the Chronically Untouched Project: When was the last time you experienced three minutes of thoughtful, platonic touch? For many of the men Aaron has worked with, answering that question means searching decades into their past. The conversation explores why something as simple as holding another man’s hand can feel profoundly vulnerable, particularly for Black men who have absorbed cultural expectations around hypermasculinity, strength, sexuality, and survival. Aaron explains how creating safety through listening and explicit consent allows participants to slowly experience touch without coercion, pressure, or judgment. Aaron also takes listeners inside one of the most moving practices featured in his films Dark and Tender and Dark and Tender: Big Island: the “tuck-in.” Grown men are invited to ask directly for the kind of care they need… pillows, blankets, a hand held, someone sitting near them, or simply the presence of others and then allow themselves to receive it. It is a seemingly simple act with profound implications. Aaron describes these experiences as an interruption of the belief that grown men, and particularly Black men, cannot or should not be held tenderly. Dr. Dan and Aaron also discuss the broader potential of this work. Learning to listen, communicate boundaries, practice consent, and understand vulnerability within our own bodies may influence how we treat other people’s bodies and relationships. The conversation expands beyond individual healing into questions of violence, community, family, parenting, and future generations. Aaron emphasizes that homes and families can become powerful places for change. By modeling positive touch, listening deeply, making room for tenderness, and helping children use their voices, parents and caregivers can begin changing the messages boys receive about what it means to be strong. Ultimately, this episode is an invitation to reconsider connection itself. Strength and tenderness do not have to be opposites. Vulnerability does not have to diminish masculinity. And sometimes healing begins not with having the perfect words, but with creating enough safety to listen, to feel, and to allow another human being to be present with us. 1. Listening can be a form of connection before physical touch ever happens.Aaron describes listening as “the first hug.” Deep, nonjudgmental listening creates trust and emotional safety, allowing people to take increasingly vulnerable interpersonal risks. 2. Emotional breakthroughs cannot always be forced.Aaron spent months trying to regain access to his tears after his father’s death. He ultimately discovered that safety, patience, trust, and being heard—not pressure—allowed the grief he had carried for years to emerge. 3. Three minutes of platonic touch can reveal how disconnected many men have become.A few minutes seems insignificant until someone realizes they cannot remember the last time they experienced sustained, intentional, nonsexual touch. 4. Consent becomes especially powerful when people experience it through their own vulnerability.Aaron’s workshops emphasize explicit yeses and noes, careful listening, and respect for boundaries before physical contact takes place. 5. Tenderness and strength can coexist.Aaron’s work challenges cultural narratives that teach men—particularly Black men—that softness, vulnerability, emotional expression, or being cared for somehow diminishes their strength. 6. Receiving care can be as transformative as giving it.Exercises such as the tuck-in give adult men permission to identify what they need, ask for it clearly, and experience being cared for without having to perform, compete, or prove themselves. 7. Changing the culture begins at home.Aaron encourages parents, caregivers, and families to create homes where healthy touch, listening, tenderness, emotional expression, consent, and the human voice are modeled from childhood. For more information visit CutProject.org and follow (GUEST INSTAGRAM HANDLE LIVE LINK) on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan KEY TAKEAWAYS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ken Berenger has lost everything… twice. And each time, he found a way to rebuild not only his career and finances, but also his understanding of success, purpose, faith, and who he wanted to become. In this deeply personal conversation, Dr. Dan and Ken explore the experiences that shaped Ken’s extraordinary resilience. Ken shares how a young singer with a mullet unexpectedly found himself on Wall Street, how financial success became intertwined with his identity and self-worth, and what happened when that success disappeared. Ken also opens up about the profound influence of his father, a hardworking ironworker who taught him lessons about family, contentment, character, and what it really means to be successful. He shares the emotional story of performing CPR on his father and receiving five more years with him before his recent passing. Through financial collapse, divorce, Superstorm Sandy, career reinvention, and the difficult work of rebuilding, Ken developed a simple practice: keep showing up. Prayer, gratitude, physical discipline, humility, and faith became anchors when he couldn't see what was coming next. Dr. Dan and Ken also discuss the danger of tying self-worth to productivity, why receiving help can sometimes be harder than giving it, the importance of having a few people who genuinely want to know how you're doing, and how adversity can eventually become one of life's greatest teachers. Ken's story is a powerful reminder that resilience doesn't mean having all the answers. Sometimes it simply means refusing to quit, staying open to what life is trying to show you, and trusting that your worst moment does not define your life. Your self-worth is bigger than your productivity. Success, income, titles, and accomplishments can disappear. Who you are does not have to disappear with them. Resilience is built by continuing to show up. You don't always need to know how everything will work out. Sometimes the next right step is simply getting through today and doing it again tomorrow. Adversity can become an opportunity for growth. Ken believes some of the greatest gifts in his life came from experiences he never would have chosen for himself. Receiving is part of strength. Allowing someone else to help you can require tremendous humility, but accepting love and support can also transform relationships. Notice the grace in ordinary moments. Growth and self-awareness help us recognize the small moments of beauty, connection, and gratitude that were there all along. For more information visit Water on Demand and follow (GUEST INSTAGRAM HANDLE LIVE LINK) on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Key Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adversity has a way of stripping away the masks, excuses, and illusions we carry and revealing what truly matters. In this episode, Dr. Dan speaks with leadership catalyst, bestselling author, speaker, U.S. Army veteran, and lifelong martial artist Marcus Aurelius Anderson about transforming adversity from something we simply endure into something we can use. While preparing to deploy with the U.S. Army, Marcus suffered a catastrophic spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He flatlined twice during surgery and was told he would likely never walk or use his hands again. What followed was an intense period of anger, grief, depression, and ultimately radical acceptance that fundamentally changed how Marcus viewed his life. Marcus shares how focusing on his breath gave him something he could control, how gratitude began to replace anger, and how recognizing that his injury may have prevented others from being harmed became a turning point in his recovery. Dr. Dan and Marcus explore the difference between knowing and doing, and why knowledge and potential mean little without consistent action. Marcus explains the philosophy behind Acta Non Verba… actions, not words… and why waiting for the perfect time can keep us from becoming who we are capable of becoming. They also discuss authenticity in an increasingly artificial world, the role of compassion and pragmatic empathy in leadership, and why self-awareness starts with being willing to look honestly at our own imperfections. Marcus invites listeners to notice the difference between everyday frustrations and life's deeper challenges. Instead of reacting to every inconvenience as if it's a crisis, he encourages us to meet real adversity with curiosity and presence. Rather than resisting what's hard, we can ask what it's here to teach us and allow those experiences to shape who we're becoming. This conversation is a reminder that adversity does not have to define us or defeat us. With courage, gratitude, self-awareness, and action, friction can become traction and some of life's hardest experiences can become catalysts for purpose, growth, leadership, and deeper connection. Key Takeaways Adversity reveals what matters. Marcus believes adversity doesn't tell us who we are—it strips away what we are not, forcing us to confront ourselves without the masks and illusions. Potential without action means very little. Knowledge, wisdom, plans, and intentions only become meaningful when we consistently put them into practice. Focus on what you can control. Marcus identifies three things within our control: our thoughts, our beliefs, and our actions. Gratitude can change our relationship with adversity. Radical acceptance and genuine gratitude helped Marcus shift from anger toward possibility during his recovery. Turn friction into traction. The very thing creating discomfort can become something we use to step up, grow, and move to the next level. Authenticity is powerful leadership. Real connection requires self-awareness, compassion, honesty, and the courage to tell people what they need to hear. Stop waiting to live your mission. There may never be a perfect time. Marcus challenges listeners to stop circling what they know they need to face and begin acting now. For more information visit marcusaureliusanderson.com and follow @marcusaureliusanderson on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Profound loss can break us… but it can also awaken a purpose powerful enough to transform our lives and the lives of others. Certified wellness coach and holistic mental health advocate Miriam Putnam joins Dr. Dan for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, stress, self-advocacy, and caring for the whole person: body, mind, and soul. Drawing from her family’s pioneering legacy and her painful experience of losing her mother after years of mental health struggles, Miriam explains how she turned heartbreak into a mission to help others find clarity, balance, and greater freedom from stress. Miriam comes from a family connected to the legacies of Crayola Crayons, Putnam Publishing, and aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Growing up surrounded by stories of innovation and courage taught her to challenge the status quo… but personal tragedy taught her that wealth, influence, and access do not guarantee happiness or wellbeing. Miriam shares how her mother’s experiences with mental health treatment inspired more than 25 years of advocacy and exploration into holistic wellness. She and Dr. Dan discuss the importance of asking questions, listening to the body, investigating potential physical contributors to emotional distress, and becoming an active participant in your own care. The conversation also explores Miriam’s approach to reducing stress by identifying its roots rather than simply managing its symptoms. She introduces the concept of “soul health,” explains how boundaries protect our emotional energy, and demonstrates her Mind Muscle Exercise, a practical technique that uses the senses to reconnect with a positive memory and shift your emotional state. This episode is an inspiring reminder that meaningful change begins with self-awareness, courage, and the willingness to consider new possibilities. How Miriam transformed personal loss into purpose and advocacy. Why physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness should be considered together. How stress may reveal itself through disrupted sleep, irritability, disconnection, and strained relationships. Why asking questions and advocating for yourself are essential parts of navigating healthcare. How healthy boundaries help protect and replenish your emotional energy. Why living in alignment with your purpose supports “soul health.” How to use a positive memory to exercise your “mind muscle” and interrupt a stressful thought pattern. 1. Resilience is developed through adversity.Resilience does not mean avoiding painful experiences. It means finding the inner strength, support, and determination to move through them and continue building a meaningful life. 2. Look beneath the symptoms.Stress and emotional distress can have multiple contributing factors. Miriam encourages people to work with qualified professionals, ask questions, and consider their physical health alongside their mental and emotional wellbeing. 3. Pay attention to your early warning signs.Changes in sleep, a shorter temper, increasing anxiety, strained relationships, and feeling disconnected from yourself may signal that stress is beginning to overwhelm your current coping resources. 4. Protect and intentionally replenish your energy.Healthy boundaries are not about blaming or rejecting others. They are about recognizing your agency, limiting harmful patterns, and scheduling activities that restore your energy and sense of connection. 5. Strengthen your “mind muscle.”Choose a genuinely happy memory and bring it back to life through sensory details. Recall what you saw, heard, smelled, felt, and experienced emotionally. Practicing this regularly can help redirect your attention and reconnect you with calm, gratitude, and hope. For more information visit MiriamPutnam.org and follow @miriam_putnam_ on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan ABOUT THIS EPISODEWHAT YOU’LL LEARNKEY TAKEAWAYS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Success can look complete on the outside and still feel painfully empty within. Tom Cronin spent years immersed in the high-pressure world of finance, surrounded by money, achievement, pleasure, and external validation. Beneath that success, however, he was struggling with severe anxiety, depression, substance use, and a growing sense that his life was moving further away from who he truly was. In this episode, Tom joins Dr. Dan to share how a personal crisis led him to meditation… and how stillness transformed his relationship with fulfillment, adversity, and himself. Tom is a meditation teacher, transformation coach, author, and the writer and producer of The Portal, a documentary following six people who discover healing and transformation through meditation. He explains why a crisis can become an opportunity for growth, why external achievements rarely create lasting contentment, and how meditation helps us access the peace that already exists within us. Tom and Dr. Dan also explore the difference between taking action for fulfillment and acting from fulfillment. They discuss the higher self, the importance of experiencing emotions rather than avoiding them, and how greater self-awareness can create more compassionate families, communities, and leaders. Crisis can become a catalyst for growth. Painful experiences may create opportunities for greater awareness, healing, and personal evolution. External success cannot guarantee inner fulfillment. Money, recognition, possessions, and achievement may provide temporary pleasure, but they rarely create lasting peace. Meditation helps us act from fulfillment. When our actions begin from peace and wholeness, we become less dependent on outcomes to determine how we feel. Difficult emotions are part of being human. Rather than numbing, avoiding, or spiritually bypassing uncomfortable feelings, we can learn to witness and experience them with awareness. Going inward strengthens our connection to others. Recognizing our shared humanity can inspire greater compassion, kindness, leadership, and care for the world around us. Small commitments to stillness can create meaningful change. Two 20-minute meditation sessions can begin shifting how we respond to stress, uncertainty, and daily life. For more information visit TomCronin.com and follow @tomcronin on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan KEY TAKEAWAYS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Life rarely unfolds according to plan… and Kevin Michael Kirwan believes that may be one of its greatest gifts. In this episode of Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan, Dr. Dan welcomes writer and debut novelist Kevin Michael Kirwan for an inspiring conversation about purpose, authenticity, creativity, family, and the courage to follow an unexpected path. Kevin’s life has included delivering pizzas, playing music, flying helicopters, owning an aviation company, returning to college in his 50s, earning a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University, becoming a teacher, and writing his debut novel, The Existential Awakening of One Particular Mexican Girl. Rather than following a carefully constructed plan, Kevin has repeatedly allowed curiosity, instinct, and life’s unexpected turns to guide him. Kevin and Dr. Dan explore how rigid expectations can limit growth, why creativity requires us to silence our inner critic, and how failure becomes valuable when we are willing to take meaningful risks. Kevin also shares how becoming a husband and father transformed his priorities and helped him discover the fulfillment that comes from serving something greater than himself. This conversation is a powerful reminder that there is no universal timeline for education, relationships, parenthood, success, or personal growth. A meaningful life is not built by meeting everyone else’s expectations. It is built by listening inward, remaining open to possibility, and having the courage to become who you truly are. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN Why purpose often reveals itself through experience rather than planning How releasing control creates space for inspiration and creativity Why Kevin returned to college in his 50s and how education changed his self-perception How reading with his father shaped Kevin’s worldview and writing voice Why societal timelines should not determine our most important life choices How marriage, fatherhood, and family transformed Kevin’s priorities Why authenticity requires letting go of other people’s expectations How failure becomes an essential part of courage, creativity, and growth Why unexpected ideas can become our most meaningful work How to leave room for life to surprise you QUOTES FROM KEVIN MICHAEL KIRWAN “Life can surprise you if you let it, and you just have to get out of the way.” “You have one life. It’s your life. Do not let anyone else live it for you.” “You’ve got to leave that room for failure and pick yourself up when you do go down and get right back in there.” QUOTES FROM DR. DAN “We have all these societal timelines and these messages, but it really comes down to us listening to ourselves and going within.” “Surprise them, everyone. Surprise them and do something different.” “Every human has so much unique potential—untapped potential.” FEATURED BOOK The Existential Awakening of One Particular Mexican Girl by Kevin Michael Kirwan Kevin’s debut novel explores love, loss, mortality, identity, spirituality, and the possibility that our deepest human connections may transcend time and space. HASHTAGS #MakeItAGreatOne #DrDanPeters #KevinMichaelKirwan #LetLifeSurpriseYou #FindingPurpose #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #Authenticity #Courage #Creativity #Inspiration #GrowthMindset #Purpose #Resilience #Family #Education #Leadership #Empowerment #PersonalDevelopment #OvercomingFear #LifeLessons #CreativeProcess #BeBold #LiveAuthentically #UntappedPotential For more information visit kevinmichaelkirwan.com and follow @kevinmkirwan on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Success should not require sacrificing your energy, well-being, or joy. Speaker, coach, business mentor, sound healing practitioner, and three-time author Melinda Cohan joins Dr. Dan to redefine what achievement can look and feel like. After building The Coaches Console into a multimillion-dollar company, Melinda realized that sustainable success requires more than strategy, productivity, and constant action… it begins with cultivating the person doing the work. Melinda shares the exact moment she realized she had created a beautiful life but had forgotten to include herself in it. She and Dr. Dan explore how high performers can recognize the early signs of burnout, release fear-driven perfectionism, protect their joy, and move from forcing outcomes to creating from a grounded state of being. The conversation also includes the often-overlooked practices of percolating, celebrating, and rejuvenating. She explains why self-care is not a reward for finishing the work but a strategic advantage that allows leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators to perform at their highest level without running themselves into the ground. Melinda and Dr. Dan also discuss the four levels of consciousness, the difference between perfectionism and excellence, sound healing, aligned action, and the importance of allowing creativity and possibility to move through us. How Melinda realized she had forgotten to paint herself into the picture of her life Why losing joy can be an early warning sign of burnout The difference between fear-driven perfectionism and striving for excellence How to replace the fear of failure with a “win or learn” mindset Why presence can be more powerful than performance The four levels of consciousness: “to me,” “by me,” “through me,” and “as me” Melinda’s Create Without Burnout Cycle Why percolation, celebration, and rejuvenation improve creative output How self-care becomes a strategic advantage for high performers The relationship between our inner world and our external results How sound healing can create space for reflection, creativity, and personal transformation Why sustainable success does not require lowering your expectations For more information visit MelindaCohan.com and follow @melinda_cohan on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan In This Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British figurative sculptor, world champion longbow archer, and deep thinker Ian Edwards joins Dr. Dan on this latest episode about presence, self-awareness, creativity, dyslexia, purpose, and what it means to live a fulfilled life. Ian shares his extraordinary journey from leaving school at 16 with no formal qualifications and severe dyslexia to becoming an internationally collected sculptor and world-class archer. Along the way, he reflects on the mentors, inner awakenings, and practices that helped him understand the difference between achievement and fulfillment. In this episode, Dr. Dan and Ian explore neurodiversity, twice-exceptionality, the pressure to seek validation, and the importance of being true to yourself. Ian’s story is a reminder that our worth is not defined by grades, titles, outcomes, or what the world measures. True growth begins when we pause, listen inward, and reconnect with who we really are. Listeners will gain insight into how presence can transform performance, creativity, parenting, leadership, and daily life. Ian also offers simple, practical ways to create space between ourselves and our thoughts, including breath awareness, honest self-reflection, and truly listening to others. This conversation is for anyone seeking more clarity, purpose, joy, authenticity, and connection in their life. In this episode: Ian’s experience growing up with severe dyslexia and a deep inner knowing The gifts and challenges of twice-exceptionality and neurodiversity Why self-worth cannot come from achievement or external validation How creativity became a pathway to presence and flow Ian’s apprenticeship with Ray and the “wisdom school” that shaped his life The connection between art, archery, performance, and presence Why fulfillment comes from being true to yourself How parents and leaders can meet others where they are Simple practices for awareness, reflection, and calming the self-seeking mind For more information visit www.ianedwardssculptor.com and follow @sculptorianedwards on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this latest episode, Dr. Dan sits down with Jay Abbasi, a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, coach, and host of the podcast Unstuck. In 2014, the sudden loss of Jay's father stopped him cold. He was successful on paper, climbing the ranks at Tesla and running on autopilot, and that loss became the wake-up call that moved him toward a life built around purpose, presence, and service instead of just achievement. Jay and Dr. Dan get into what it actually takes to change an old pattern: the self-awareness to notice it, and the courage to do something different. They talk about how mindfulness helps you respond to life instead of reacting to it, why our brains can build new pathways at any age, and how real change usually starts with catching the thoughts and stories running quietly in the background. They also dig into manifestation, mindset, and our attachment to outcomes, including the gap between chasing success and living with intention. Jay shares the story behind his TEDx talk, the disappointment along the way that tested his own resilience, and the practice he keeps coming back to: we don't always get to choose what happens, but we can choose how we relate to it. It's an honest conversation about the fact that purpose isn't only found in what we accomplish. It's found in how present we are, how we treat people, and the small choices we make every day. In this episode, Dr. Dan and Jay talk about: The loss that shifted the direction of Jay's life Waking up from autopilot and choosing to live on purpose How grief can open the door to growth Responding to life instead of reacting to it Why attachment to outcomes can quietly lead to burnout How focus and visualization actually work in the brain Building new habits and new mental pathways The power of the story you tell yourself Living with purpose without losing presence For more information visit jayabbasi.me and follow @jayabbasi_ on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Achievement, intelligence, and success are often celebrated as the ultimate markers of a life well-lived. But what happens when reaching every milestone still leaves you feeling empty, exhausted, or disconnected from yourself? In this episode, Dr. Dan sits down with author, business executive, and former gifted child Eric Jessen to explore the hidden challenges that can accompany early success.  Drawing from his own life experiences and the insights behind his books The Curse of Early Success and Formerly Gifted, Eric shares how achievement became identity, why perfectionism can become a trap, and what it takes to build a healthier relationship with success, failure, and self-worth. Together, they discuss giftedness, resilience, vulnerability, contentment, and the courage required to step off the treadmill of constant achievement. This episode is an invitation for anyone who has ever felt defined by performance, burdened by expectations, or wondered why success alone wasn't enough. In this episode: How gifted children often develop identities rooted in achievement Why success can become both a blessing and a burden The relationship between perfectionism, fear of failure, and self-worth How vulnerability creates deeper connection and personal growth The difference between accomplishment and fulfillment Why contentment may be a more meaningful goal than constant success Practical ways to redefine identity beyond performance and achievement Key Takeaways Success is a powerful teacher, but it can also create limiting beliefs about who we are. Achievement becomes exhausting when it becomes the foundation of identity. Failure is information—not a verdict on your worth. Emotional intelligence and vulnerability are critical skills for meaningful relationships and leadership. True fulfillment comes from embracing who you are, not constantly proving what you can do. For more information visit (GUEST WEBSITE LIVE LINK) and follow (GUEST INSTAGRAM HANDLE LIVE LINK) on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leadership isn’t about looking strong… it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be. In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with executive leadership coach, speaker, and founder of My Impossible, Jeff Harmon, to explore a remarkable journey of resilience, vulnerability, and transformation.  After being diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, Jeff found himself facing challenges that would ultimately lead him to one of the world’s most ambitious adventures: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair. But this conversation goes far beyond the mountain. Jeff shares how entrepreneurship, disability, leadership, and faith shaped his understanding of resilience, not as performance or toughness, but as a daily choice rooted in gratitude, authenticity, and community.  Together, Jeff and Dr. Dan explore what happens when pressure reveals who we really are, why vulnerability is one of the greatest leadership strengths, and how our biggest breakthroughs often come after the climb is over. This episode is a powerful reminder that our greatest challenges are often invitations to grow, connect, and become more fully ourselves. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why resilience is a choice, not a personality trait How adversity can become a catalyst for personal growth The difference between performing leadership and embodying leadership Why vulnerability builds trust and influence The power of community when facing life's biggest challenges What Jeff learned from leading a Mount Kilimanjaro expedition How to develop true inner authority and authentic confidence Why the lessons from your "mountain" often come after the experience ends For more information visit myimpossible.org. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the path out of anxiety isn't through your mind… but through your body? In this episode of Make It a Great One, Dr. Dan sits down with Chelsea Horton, somatic coach, educator, and founder of Healing Embodied, who shares the profound difference between living from our heads versus living from our bodies.  Together they explore why so many of us become trapped in overthinking, perfectionism, and performance, and how reconnecting with our bodies can unlock safety, presence, and authentic self-expression. This episode dives into the limitations of traditional talk therapy, the role of somatic practices in emotional healing, and how learning to feel safe in our bodies can unlock growth, resilience, and freedom. Chelsea also guides listeners through a simple embodiment exercise that demonstrates how shifting from the mind to the body can create immediate relief and clarity. If you've ever felt stuck in anxiety, overwhelmed by self-criticism, or disconnected from yourself, this conversation offers practical wisdom and hope for finding your way back home. In this episode, you'll discover: • The difference between performance and presence• Why overthinking often keeps us stuck in anxiety• How trauma and life experiences disconnect us from our bodies• What embodiment really means and why it matters• When talk therapy may not be enough on its own• How somatic practices help process emotions and nervous system activation• The role of safety in healing and personal growth• Why authentic leadership starts with being fully present For more information visit Healing Embodied and follow @healing.embodied on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Together, Matt and Dr. Dan explore the relationship between identity, achievement, resilience, and personal growth. They discuss the dangers of attaching self-worth to performance, how pain can become a catalyst for transformation, and why true peak performance begins with becoming a healthy, grounded human being first. Matt shares the life-changing five-day period that altered the trajectory of his life, the unexpected book that sparked his personal development journey, and how he transformed adversity into a mission to help others unlock their potential. This conversation is packed with wisdom for athletes, leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone navigating change, reinvention, or personal growth. Why high performers often tie their identity to achievement The difference between performance-based success and personal fulfillment How pain can become a catalyst for transformation The dangers of attaching self-worth to external accomplishments Building resilience through voluntary growth instead of crisis What peak performance really means How to find purpose beyond titles, careers, and accomplishments Why growth has no finish line For more information visit www.mattyounglc.com and follow @mattyoung.mindcoach on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. In This EpisodeWe have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the pressure to be “good” is making women physically sick? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Dan sits down with award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur, and author Sara Hirsh Bordo to explore the powerful connection between autoimmune disease, trauma, people-pleasing, and self-abandonment as well as to discuss Sara’s powerful new book Autoimmunity and the Good Girls: How Permission to Put Ourselves First Has the Power to Keep Us Well. After being diagnosed with multiple serious health conditions—including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, melanoma, tumors, Epstein-Barr, mold poisoning, and heavy metal toxicity—Sara began asking a life-changing question: What if years of self-betrayal were making her body turn against itself? Through deeply personal storytelling, groundbreaking research, and profound insight, Sara shares how decades of prioritizing others over herself created patterns that impacted both her emotional and physical well-being. Together, she and Dr. Dan unpack the “good girl” conditioning so many women experience, the hidden cost of chronic self-sacrifice, and how reclaiming authenticity may be one of the most important healing journeys of all. This conversation is compassionate, courageous, and transformative—for women, men, families, leaders, and anyone seeking deeper self-awareness and healing. For more information, www.autoimmunityandthegoodgirls.com and follow Sara Hirsh Bordo on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit Dr. Dan Peters Official Website and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan # # # Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this interesting episode, Dr. Dan interviews Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, to explore purpose-driven leadership. Tom is the author of four books, Revolution in a Bottle, Outsmart Waste, Make Garbage Great and The Future of Packaging. His work has made TerraCycle an award-winning international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Tom shares his remarkable journey from political refugee to entrepreneur, and how his childhood experiences with scarcity shaped his fearless approach to business and innovation. He explains why the concept of garbage is surprisingly modern, why recycling alone is not enough, and how TerraCycle and Loop are working to eliminate the idea of waste. This conversation is a powerful lesson in resilience, entrepreneurship, and how aligning profit with purpose can create meaningful change for people and the planet. Tom’s story reminds us that innovation begins when we challenge assumptions. By understanding how systems work, embracing purpose, and acting with courage, we can create solutions that are both profitable and profoundly meaningful. For more information, visit TerraCycle and follow @terracycle on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this authentic conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with EJ and Tarah Kerwin, founders of Relationship Renovation and hosts of the Relationship Renovation Podcast, to explore what it truly takes to build emotional safety, trust, and lasting connection in our relationships. Drawing from both their professional expertise and personal journey as a couple, EJ and Tarah open up about the challenges, breakthroughs, and courage required to do the work to make a relationship work. With Dr. Dan, EJ and Tarah remind us that real relationships are messy and that is exactly where growth begins. This powerful episode dives into the heart of relationship dynamics—how past experiences shape present behaviors, why conflict is inevitable, and how unresolved pain can turn into disconnection. More importantly, it reveals how couples can move from fracture to healing by shifting from blame to self-awareness, from fear to clarity, and from isolation to connection. Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of how vulnerability, compassion, and intentional effort can transform not just relationships—but themselves. If you’ve ever felt stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward in a relationship, this conversation offers both hope and a path forward. For more information visit www.relationshiprenovation.com and follow @relationship_renovation on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this new episode, Dr. Dan sits down with Faith Freed, licensed psychotherapist and author of DIY Spirituality, to explore how self-awareness, mindset, and intentional living can help you create a deeper sense of purpose and connection. Faith shares her journey from high-pressure creative work to a life rooted in meaning, sparked by a profound shift into motherhood. What followed was a path toward integrating psychology and spirituality—one that now empowers others to build their own framework for growth, healing, and fulfillment. Faith shows us that personal growth doesn’t follow a single path—and spirituality doesn’t need a rulebook.  Dr. Dan and Faith break down spirituality in a grounded, accessible way and invite listeners to tune inward, trust their intuition, and embrace a mindset that fosters resilience, authenticity, and connection. Today’s episode is a reminder that spirituality isn’t something outside of us—it’s a tool we all carry within. For more information, visit www.faithfreed.com and follow @faithfreed on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this deeply powerful conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with bestselling author Blake D. Bauer, author of You Were Not Born to Suffer: Overcome Fear, Insecurity and Depression and Love Yourself Back to Happiness, Confidence and Peace, to explore how adversity can become a source of transformation. Dr. Dan and Blake explore why pain isn’t punishment and how suffering points us toward healing, purpose, and freedom. Blake shares his personal journey through addiction, trauma, shame, and emotional pain—and how hitting rock bottom at just 18 years old forced him to choose between healing or self-destruction. That decision led him on a global journey of self-discovery that transformed his life and now helps thousands of others do the same. Together, Dr. Dan and Blake unpack the butterfly metaphor for growth, why suffering can serve a purpose, how childhood wounds shape adult behavior, and why unconditional self-love may be one of the most important skills we can develop. They also explore how self-betrayal shows up in everyday life, why many people struggle to listen to their bodies, and how healing begins when we stop waiting to be rescued and start permitting ourselves to heal. This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing is possible—and freedom may be closer than you think. For more information, visit www.unconditional-selflove.com and on Instagram @blakedbauer. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with Janine Mathó, a former Harvard and Pearson executive turned transformational leader, to explore what happens when external success no longer fulfills you. Janine tells us burnout isn’t the end—it’s often the beginning of something deeper, more aligned, and more meaningful.  On this episode, Janine shares her personal journey through corporate burnout and loss, and how it became the catalyst for redefining success, reconnecting with purpose, and embracing a more sustainable, authentic way of living and leading. Dr. Dan and Janine unpack the hidden costs of achievement, the importance of self-awareness, and why cultivating energy—not just productivity—is the key to long-term growth and fulfillment. This episode offers a roadmap for high achievers, leaders, and anyone navigating transition—helping you move from performance-driven living to a more grounded, empowered, and intentional life. For more information visit www.janinematho.com and follow @janinematho on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected]. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices