To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice
Self-Improvement
About
We interview authors, entrepreneurs, and thoughts leaders to share their blueprints for success that you can also apply in your own life.
Episodes
- #134 Sam Heshmati: Don't Let Fear Kill Your Career
My next guest spent over two decades at the intersection of banking, venture capital, and the innovation economy — helping founders, fund managers, and investors build, grow, and scale some of the most exciting companies and firms in the w…
- #133 Mark Matson: Recession-Proof Yourself
Mark Matson is the founder and CEO of Matson Money, one of the nation's leading financial coaching and investment advisory firms serving over 500 advisors and 35,000 families. A fierce advocate for evidence-based investing, Mark is the aut…
- #132 Nir Eyal: Belief Drives Everything
You've read the books. You know what to do. So why aren't you doing it? That's the question my guest couldn't shake — and it sent him on a six-year journey that became his most important work yet. Nir Eyal is the author of the million-copy…
- #131 Yue Zhao: The Best Leaders Don't Give You Answers
What if the secret to building a great career wasn't about having all the answers — but knowing how to ask the right questions? Today's guest, Yue Zhao, has lived that philosophy across one of the most varied and impressive career paths yo…
- #130 David Herrera: Leave No Doubt
What if the values that made you who you are — resilience, service, empathy — could become the operating system for an entire organization? Today's guest grew up in Hialeah, Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants who arrived in America with…
- #129 Howard Chasser: Love What You Do Or Start Over
What does a childhood obsession with comic books, a family health food store, and a Roberto Clemente rookie card have in common? For Howard Chasser, they're all threads in a life built around passion, people, and the relentless pursuit of…
- #128 Eri Iozdjan: Having a Bias for Action
What if the secret to building a thriving business wasn't an MBA, a venture capital check, or even a business plan — but simply the courage to say yes before you're ready? Today's guest is Eri Iozdjan, founder of Maven Lane, a premium dire…
- #127 Travis Rea: Embracing the White Belt Mentality
What happens when a classically trained chef who cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants decides the future of cooking isn't fire—it's light? Today's guest is Travis Rea, Head of Culinary at Brava, the company that's reimagining home cookin…
- #126 Sahand Dilmaghani: Everything Is Solvable - Building Terra Kaffe Against All Odds
Sahand Dilmaghani is the founder and CEO of Terra Kaffe, a design-led coffee company reimagining the home espresso experience. Frustrated by the limitations of pod-based machines and the outdated technology dominating the super-automatic e…
- #125 Dan Stein: Career Truths Nobody Tells You
Dan Stein is a former recruiter at Google, SnapChat, and the VC firm A16Z. His wellness journey was featured in Men's Health and he launched an athletic apparel brand focused on mental health called Pax. Dan has also visited over 30 countr…
- #124 Josh Pankow: Becoming Indispensable
My guest today is Josh Panko, President of Leaf Trading Cards. Josh's journey in the sports card industry started at age seven when he opened a card shop in his basement. That childhood passion turned into a remarkable career that's taken…
- #123 Kendall Berg: Secrets of the Career Game
Kendall Berg is a career strategist and author of Secrets of the Career Game who helps ambitious professionals navigate corporate politics with integrity and transform strong performance into visible, undeniable value. After being told ear…
- #122 Jamie Siminoff: Lessons From Building Ring
Jamie Siminoff is the CEO and founder of Ring, the camera company that transformed home security. While his viral Shark Tank episode didn't yield a deal from the sharks, it launched the video doorbell company. In 2018, Ring sold to Amazon…
- #121 Patrick Mouratoglou: Building Unshakeable Confidence
Patrick Mouratoglou is one of tennis's most successful and unconventional coaches, known for his work with Serena Williams during her dominant return to form—helping her win 10 Grand Slams and reclaim the world number one ranking. But his…
- #120 Steve Lucas: Embracing Your Superpowers
Steve Lucas is the CEO of Boomi, a leading integration and automation platform. Before joining Boomi, Steve served as CEO of Marketo, where he led the company's transformation from a $1.6 billion valuation to its acquisition by Adobe for $…
- #119 Jeff Pearlman: The Art of Storytelling
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- #118 Max Richter: Moving Fast and Breaking Things - Buidling Insta360
Max Richter grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, surrounded by cameras—his father was a photographer with a Leica who ran an advertising business. After studying engineering and business, Max found himself restless in corporate life, eventually…
- #117 Jay Shetty: On Finding Your Purpose
Jay Shetty has inspired millions of people through his inspirational YouTube videos, best-selling books and his podcast, On Purpose. He shares much of his wisdom as a former monk through his teachings. In this interview we discuss: -The #1…
- #116 Keith Hawk: Relentless Focus on the Process
Keith "Pistol" Hawk was VP of Sales at LexisNexis where he led a salesforce of over 1,000 people. He co-authored "Get-Real Selling: Your Personal Coach for REAL Sales Excellence" and he's given many keynote speeches at corporate events abo…
- #115 Ariel Kaye: The Art of Progress Over Perfection
Ariel Kaye is the founder and CEO of Parachute, the Los Angeles-based home essentials brand she launched in 2014. With no prior retail experience, Ariel transformed a simple observation about the lack of quality, non-toxic bedding into a m…
- #114 Jeanelle Teves: Unshakeable Self-Confidence
We're joined by Jeanelle Teves, Chief Commercial Officer of North America at Bugaboo, the premium Dutch stroller company known for its innovative design and engineering excellence. Jeanelle's career journey is a masterclass in turning unce…
- #113 Tim Bantle: Authenticity is Your Competitive Advantage
In this episode, I sit down with Tim Bantle, President of heritage brand Filson and the former Patagonia executive who helped transform a $200 million company into a billion-dollar global powerhouse. From his philosophy degree to building…
- #112 Sara Sugarman: Empathy is Your Competitive Advantage
Sara Sugarman is the founder and CEO of Lulu and Georgia, a leading online home décor brand that democratizes access to beautiful, designer-quality furnishings at accessible prices. Coming from a third-generation design family—her grandfat…
- #111 Sam Vander Wielen: The Million Dollar Pivot
Sam Vander Wielen is the founder of a multimillion-dollar legal templates business and author of "When I Start My Business I'll Be Happy: A Practical, No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship." As a former corporate attorney turne…
- #110 Garry Ridge: A Masterclass in Culture Building (Former CEO, WD-40)
In this enlightening conversation with Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40 Company, you'll discover powerful leadership insights that transformed an ordinary product into an extraordinary company. Here's what to expect: How values create free…
- #109 Rich Gannon - The Playbook for Building Mental Toughness
Rich Gannon is a former NFL MVP and quarterback for the Vikings, Chiefs, and Raiders. He's currently a broadcaster and analyst for CBS. In this interview we discuss: -How he responded when he was at a crossroads in his career -How his expe…
- #108 Raffi Grinberg: The 14 Essential Skills You Didn't Know You Needed
Today we're sitting down with Raffi Grinberg, author of "How to Be a Grownup: The 14 Essential Skills You Didn't Know You Needed Until Just Now." After walking away from Wharton's MBA program just two weeks before it started, Raffi challen…
- #107 Ximena Vengoechea: The Counterintuitive Secrets of Listening That Will Transform Your Relationships
Ximena Vengoechea has been UX researcher at companies like Twitter and Pinterest. She is the author of several books including the one we discuss today titled Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection. Her writing…
- #106 Jeff Byers: Building Trust Through Transparency
Jeff Byers is the co-founder and CEO of Momentous, a leading vitamins and supplements brand. He played college football at USC under legendary caoch, Pete Carrol. He also played in the NFL. In this episode we discuss: How focusing on the o…
- #105 David Guttman: Leading Your Career With Humility
In a candid conversation from his Miami office, veteran tech executive Dave shared insights from his journey from IT consultant to running companies with thousands of employees. A former wrestler and Division I athlete, Dave's path has bee…
- #104 Jared & Jordan Schmidt: How Two Brothers Disrupted The Cutlery Industry
Jared and Jordan Schmidt are brothers who disrupted the cutlery industry by making high-quality, beautifully designed knives affordable. They share the life and career lessons they learned through their journey that led from a concept to a…
- #103 Albert Chow: Why Fear Can Be A Healthy Motivator
This interview explores the journey of Albert Chow, co-founder of Silk & Snow, a Canadian sleep & lifestyle company that started as a mattress-in-a-box business. Chow discusses how his immigrant parents and blue-collar background influence…
- #102 Amir Loloi: The Importance of Reputation
This is the story of Amir Loloi, the founder of Loloi Rugs, one of the largest rug companies in America. It traces his remarkable journey from arriving in Dallas as a 16-year-old Iranian immigrant in 1976, barely speaking English, to build…
- #101 Dan Martell: How to Buy Back Your Time
Dan Martell is the bestselling author of "Buy Back Your Time" and a growth coach for business leaders. He is also the founder of Martell Ventures, a portfolio of companies that makes over $100M in revenue. After spending time in jail and r…
- #100 Coach Jon Gruden: The Keys to Building a Championship Mindset
Coach Jon Gruden won a Super Bowl as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He previously led the Oakland Raiders to prominence, and hosted Monday Night Football. He's currently joined Barstool Sports and has a YouTube channel called…
- #99 Dwayne Cowan: Exponentially Grow Your Career By Leading With Openness
Dwayne Cowan is the President of the Residential HVAC business at Trane Technologies. He earned his degree in biological engineering from the University of Georgia and his MBA from the Arizona State University. For nearly 20 years he's led…
- #98 Mark Matson: Redefining the American Dream
Mark Matson is a financial expert and investment advisor. As the founder and CEO of Matson Money, his firm has $8.6B in assets under management while serving 35,000 families nationwide. Mark published his book, Experiencing the American Dr…
- #97 Richard Krulik: Viewing Problems as Opportunities
Richard Krulik is the CEO of Briggs & Riley, a well established luggage brand that has been in existence for over 30 years. Richard and I discuss the rich history including: -how he onboards new employees to create a better culture at work…
- #96 Tessa West: Finding Work That Works For You
Tessa West is a professor of psychology at NYU. She's the author of Jerks at Work and Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works For You. Tessa's TED Talk -- The Problem With Being "Too Nice" at Work has nearly 800,000 views. In Job Therapy she…
- #95 Kim Scott: How to Work Together Better
Kim Scott has worked in leadership roles at companies like Apple and Google. She is also a best-selling author as her book, Radical Candor, is one of the most beloved business books of the last decade. In Radical Respect: How to Work Toget…
- #94 Dan Harris: Lessons from Taming the Voice in Your Head
Dan Harris was an award-winning ABC Journalist who anchored Nightline. He's widely known for having a panic attack on national TV. Through a lot of inner work, he published 10% Happier about his traumatic experience and how he was able to…
- #93 Brianna Wiest: Defeating Self-Sabotage
Brianna Wiest is the best-selling author of The Mountain Is You, 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, and The Pivot Year. Her books have been read by millions of people and she is widely recognized for her wisdom of navigating li…
- #92 Scott Tannen: Disrupting the Status Quo to Make an Impact
Scott Tannen is the founder and CEO of a luxury linen and home goods company called Boll & Branch. They're best known for their luxury organic cotton bed sheets. Scott began his career working for established consumer packaged goods brands…
- #91 Jacob Pechenik: Embracing the Beginner's Mindset
Jacob Pechenik is the co-founder and CEO of Lettuce Grow, a company that makes hydroponic, self-watering farm stands that help you grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables at home -- the way nature intended. Jacob has sustained success in…
- #90 Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps: The Score That Matters
The Score That Matters is a book by Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps about personal excellence and narrowing down on what really matters in your life rather than comparing yourself to others. Ryan is the host of The Learning Leader Show, 3-time a…
- #89: James Clear: Making Habits Stick & Breaking Bad Ones
James Clear is a habit formation expert. His book, Atomic Habits, has sold over 20 million copies. He ships a weekly newsletter to 3 million subscribers. His new app, Atoms, is the digital extension of his book to help people make their ha…
- #88 Michael Lombardi: How History Shapes Our Future
Michael Lombardi is one of the leading experts in analyzing the NFL. He currently hosts The GM Shuffle and recently published his second book, Football Done Right, which pays homage to the history of the NFL and former great players and co…
- #87 Robert Griffin III: Betting On Yourself
Robert Griffin III is a Heisman Trophy winner, Pro Bowler, and NFL Rookie of the Year. He's currently an ESPN analyst and hosts the podcast, RG3 & The Ones. In this episode we discuss: -Why he wanted to emulate Michael Jordan -The criteria…
- #86 Ali Abdaal: How to Defeat Procrastination
Ali Abdaal makes productivity more fun. He teaches through his YouTube channel, podcast (Deep Dive) and his book titled Feel Good Productivity . In this episode we discuss: The moment he decided to change careers from medicine to a full ti…
- #85 Joshua & Rob Church: Founding Edge Theory Labs & Benefits of Cold Water Immersion
Joshua Church and Rob Church are cousins who founed one of the leading cold plunges out of necessity because they needed a better recovery tool for cold water immersion. In this episode we discuss: -The origin story behind the cold plunge…