The School of Greatness Hall of Fame

Sometimes someone magical comes on The School of Greatness. I’m not talking about a magician (although that would be cool too), but someone who has dug so deep into their authentic being and purpose that they have truly found greatness within themselves. This is 100% how I see today’s guest on the show, Elizabeth Gilbert. If you don’t know her name already, you probably know the name of her bestselling book, Eat, Pray, Love, which was also made into a hugely popular film. And you might have also seen her on tour with Oprah or on her Super Soul Sessions. Even if you don’t know anything about Liz, once you hear her talk, you know you’re in the presence of someone special. Liz has walked the path of greatness to really find her core purpose in life – and she is living it. It was so fun to meet her and talk about all the deep topics we dove into. What I especially love about Liz is that she isn’t just talk — she’s lived everything she writes about. Open your heart wide and get ready to find the magic and creativity inside you in Episode 341. Some Questions I Ask:What is the difference between competition and ambition? (2:10)What is the biggest thing that holds people back? (20:36)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why you can’t stay at the top forever (8:51)Follow your curiosity instead of your passion (13:38)Why it’s so important to take a break from your work and have an “off season” (15:41)How to manage fear before a really big event (24:50)The power of giving your attention versus getting attention (27:30)How Liz managed to stay grounded through the success of Eat, Pray, Love (41:20)

20 Sep 20191h 16min

I’m always inspired by people who are the best at what they do. The ones who break the limits of what has been done before. The ones who are willing to do what it takes to achieve greatness in the thing they are passionate about. Today’s guest fits all of the above qualities and more. I had an incredible time meeting and connecting with the legendary extreme action sports champion Travis Pastrana. If you’ve watched the X Games, Motocross, or Rally Car Racing, you already know who I’m talking about. But in case you haven’t, he has won medals in all of these sports. Travis is one of the founding members of the stunt show Nitro Circus, which is a mindblowing action sports show that has been touring the country for years. He has been the first to pull off many of the craziest stunts and now focuses on exploring new ones to teach to the upcoming generation of stunt performers. All of this is very cool (just check out the video of his top 10 stunts below). But what is even cooler about Travis is how grounded he is in his work. His passion for it. His family. He has gone through enough pain and loss to turn most people off of this sport. But it only fuels him to keep going. And that is passion I admire. I can’t wait for you to be inspired by his wisdom and perspective on living the life he loves in Episode 368 with Travis Pastrana. Some Questions I Ask:How do you navigate your career after losing a close friend to this sport? (14:58)Was there ever a stunt where you thought you weren’t going to make it? (17:17)How do you get past fear to get into flow? (42:25)What drives you today? (48:48)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why it’s a big struggle for many extreme action athletes to find a new career if they’re injured (10:55)What Travis wants to teach his daughters about career opportunity (15:10)Why getting so many injuries and dealing with so much pain is worth it (16:47)How Travis talks himself through really crazy stunts (23:45)The story behind Travis breaking the world record for the longest car jump (26:20)Why the money is never worth it in this sport (38:56)The value in messing up while trying something new (43:37)What Travis does to unwind daily (44:40)How Travis and his wife handle each other’s risk-taking (46:30)

20 Sep 20191h 1min

This is what happened with today’s guest. I had a friend who offered to introduce me to the amazing actor and Broadway star Taye Diggs, but when I ran into him twice in a week, I knew it was time. I’m so glad I got him on the show because he has a wealth of experience and insight to share. Taye discussed how he has learned to manage the ups and downs of the acting industry from a young age. He goes into managing his ego, practicing gratitude, and pushing himself out of his comfort zone even though he’s achieved success. We also discuss what it takes to maintain a healthy intimate relationship between two driven, successful people and what he has learned from being a parent. Taye is a talented man in many ways, but I was especially impressed with his dedication to helping others and his vulnerability. I’m excited for you to hear his wisdom in Episode 342. Some Questions I Ask:Who do you think is the most courageous actor right now? (7:31)If you could only sing, dance OR act for the rest of your career, what would you choose? (10:57)What’s the most challenging part of the business for you? (21:21)How do you practice self-love without feeding your ego? (26:26)What holds back young actors and what should they be focusing on? (33:07)What was it like working with Shonda Rhimes? (36:27)How do you prep for really big moments on stage or in film? (43:31)What’s the quickest way for you to get in the zone? (49:44)How did you maintain a quality intimate relationship with a fellow actor who was up to big things? (52:44)In This Episode, You Will Learn:How getting outside your comfort zone is like flexing a muscle (6:02)Taye’s viewpoint on African-American actors in Hollywood (24:48)The value of experiencing friction in life (35:13)Taye’s tips for fixing a mistake you make on stage (48:15)

18 Sep 20191h 10min

When you think of unforgettable stories, which ones are they? When you think of powerful, epic brands, which ones are they? Have you ever noticed how powerful brands usually have powerful stories associated with them? There’s no coincidence there. That is what today’s guest on The School of Greatness has become a master at. Donald Miller is a NYT bestselling author and founder of a company called StoryBrand which has helped the biggest brands in the world, right up to the White House, develop powerful stories that explain their brand. I met him last year through amazing friends in Nashville and it was incredible to sit down with him this last weekend when I was there again for an interview. We also got to take some awesome lifestyle pics at his beautiful home, thanks to photographer Spencer Combs, founder of Wedable. Not only is Donald a master storyteller, but he has also learned firsthand how to tap into the power of vulnerability in storytelling. No matter what kind of business, project, or hobby you are working on right now, his insight into telling your story is golden. Be prepared for an amazing story in Episode 332 with Donald Miller. Some questions I ask:In order to continue to experience joy, do we need to keep experiencing pain? (4:00)How much of your work is connected to The Hero’s Journey? (6:59)Why do we want to rescue people? (14:47)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why it’s so important to have a new goal ready when you accomplish something (6:01)The signs to look for to avoid getting into a relationship with someone who has a victim mindset (12:41)The impact of losing a father at a young age (23:15)Why stories are so powerful (32:48)Why simple stories are the ones that are remembered (34:25)How to craft an amazing brand story (36:05)The power of making your business about your customer instead of you (39:44)

18 Sep 201955min

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “abundance?” Probably wealth. Security. Not having to worry about where your money is coming from. Being able to give freely. This is what most people think of when they think about abundance. And I believe in the power of creating abundant wealth. But there’s another side to abundance, which comes only when you cultivate an abundant mindset. That’s the abundance we are talking about today on The School of Greatness. Lisa Nichols knows walks her talk when it comes to an abundant mindset. Today she is a hugely successful entrepreneur, life coach, and CEO of one of the first publicly traded self-development companies. But there was a time when she was a young single mom who was so broke she couldn’t buy diapers for her baby. We go into all the details of how she turned her life around from an existence of scarcity to a massively abundant one – but some of the best wisdom Lisa gives in this interview is her perspective on relationships. I learned a ton from Lisa and loved her energy, wisdom, and huge heart. I am really excited for you to open your mind to what abundance really is and how to create it in Episode 278 with Lisa Nichols. Some questions I ask:Who was the most influential person in your life growing up?What was the catalyst for you to switching from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset?What was the first discovery you made in abundance?What’s the cost of an abundance mindset?How important is visualization in taking action?How does someone find their calling?In This Episode, You Will Learn:Lisa held the record at her high school for her best track event for 18 yearsHow she knew she was meant to be a servant leader from a young ageThe power of our environment to tell us what we deserveThe 3 levels of money: how to earn it, how to keep it, how to grow itSometimes we need to divorce and evict some mindsets that aren’t serving us

18 Sep 20191h 23min

I learn a lot from all the women around me (almost my whole team is women). But today’s guest is extra special. Not only is she the youngest self-made female billionaire in America (wow, right??), she is also the mother of four young kids, the wife of another podcast guest, Jesse Itzler, and the founder and CEO of the massively popular women’s apparel brand SPANX. Yes, Sara Blakely is a legend among entrepreneurs. When we got to sit down and talk for the podcast, I kept finding out new things to admire Sara for. She struggled a lot in school (me too!). She sold fax machines door to door FOR 7 YEARS before she had the idea for Spanx. She was rejected by every manufacturing company she took her idea to. But she didn’t let any of that stop her. Sara’s hustle and can-do attitude is just one thing I learned about her in this interview. We dive into dealing with grief, how to scale companies the right way, what it’s like to be mentored by Richard Branson, and much more. Welcome to an inspiring interview with powerhouse Sara Blakely in Episode 397. Some Questions I Ask:How did you meet your husband Jesse? (30:12)How do you stay so grounded and calm with everything you have going on? (32:00)What did you learn from being mentored by Richard Branson? (44:47)What is more challenging for you – running a billion dollar brand or being a mom? (49:46)In This Episode, You Will Learn:What happened in Sara’s life to prepare her for entrepreneurship before she had her big idea (7:12)The list of possible product names Sara considered before she decided on Spanx (11:46)The hardest part of getting her company off the ground (15:55)How Sara guerrilla-marketed her first order of Spanx in Neiman Marcus (20:01)Why being kind to yourself is so important (32:15)How Sara got Warren Buffet to paint his belly for her new book (36:32)What grief and loss can teach us (43:01)

18 Sep 20191h 1min

What are the chances that two moms who met in a kids play group would become business partners and build a powerful social media empire based off of . . . smoothies? Would you guess that they could go from an email list of zero to 30,000 in 1 month? Or that they would travel the world coaching other entrepreneurs on building a brand? All of this is the true story of today’s guests on The School of Greatness, Jen Hansard and Jadah Sellner of Simple Green Smoothies. I loved hearing their story of going from nothing, learning from their mistakes, hustling big time, and following their hearts to make the incredible brand that they head today. If you’ve been wanting to create a brand around what you love, don’t miss the incredible tips Jen and Jadah share in Episode 250. Some questions I ask:What are the different benefits of green smoothies versus green juice?What gave you the confidence to launch this brand in such a crowded space?How did you start monetizing the business if you were giving all your recipes for free?How do you work together as equal partners in such a fast-growing business?Where should someone start who is just launching their online business?In This Episode, You Will Learn:How their business started with just an ebookThe original 30 day challenge formula that super-charged their business (they still use it!)The power of a month-long challenge to court your communityWhy good design is so essential to make your brand stand outHow they built a their email list from zero to 30K in 1 month (whoa!)Their hiring process and how they trust their team to run their social accountsThe importance of hiring a business coachThe power of dreaming and allowing yourself to create (and maintain) a huge vision

11 Sep 201945min

I recently met a successful comedian (25 years on the major comedy circuit and TV shows) who chose to transition his career . . . into transformational speaking events. Yes, I’m talking Tony Robbins style workshops where people are wildly inspired and face their biggest fears. But he also makes them laugh. My favorite part is that he doesn’t know what he’s going to say when he gets on stage. And that’s why Kyle Cease is such a powerful speaker (and now author). Kyle does incredible work in supporting people to overcome their biggest limiting beliefs – while allowing them to laugh about it and have fun. I love this about his approach since so much of transformational self-development work is so serious and lacks humor. So when we sat down to record a podcast episode, we were laughing and getting serious at the same time. I learned so much from Kyle and can’t wait to do more work together. Get ready to laugh, be inspired, and overcome your fears in Episode 478. Some Questions I ask:Why did you transfer from being a comedian to doing transformational work? (33:52)What’s been holding you back from getting to the next level in your life? (53:01)What did you learn from comedy that has allowed you to be an interruption for people in a positive way? (1:00:25)How do we open ourselves up to create true abundance in our lives? (1:08:50) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why what someone thinks about you doesn’t determine who you are (3:00)The big illusion that holds us back from happiness now (9:15)How fear and taking action work differently from each other (19:58)The phrase that allows you to instantly embrace your fear (24:05)Why it’s so important to love your fears (26:45)How Facebook always puts you in a place of lack (35:45)Why you need to let go of things you are justifying (44:50)The humorous side of our egos (1:01:50)Where clarity comes from (1:09:30)

4 Sep 20191h 28min