Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary (@scottdclary). On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. To get more of the Success Story podcast, go to www.successstorypodcast.com.
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Dr. Abraham M. George built a fortune on Wall Street, founding Multinational Computer Models and selling it to Fortune 500 company SunGard Data Systems in 1998. Then he walked away from it all. Armed with a PhD from NYU Stern and decades of finance experience, he returned to India in 1995 and founded Shanti Bhavan—a residential school that takes children from extreme poverty at age four and supports them through college. The model works: 98% graduate college, 97% land jobs at Amazon, Google, and Goldman Sachs, and every single graduate earns more in five years than their parents earn in a lifetime. His parallel work on lead poisoning exposed that 51% of Indian children had toxic blood levels, triggering India's 2000 ban on leaded petrol and protecting hundreds of millions. Featured in Netflix's "Daughters of Destiny," Shanti Bhavan has directly transformed over 15,000 lives—proof that one person's strategic commitment can dismantle generational poverty.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Cross-Finding-Purpose-Service/dp/B0F2GK4HW9
https://www.instagram.com/dr_abraham_george/
https://www.drabrahamgeorge.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abraham-george-519315274
➡️ Podcast Sponsors
Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)
Square - https://square.com/go/success
SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott
Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)
Claude - https://claude.ai/success
Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)
Revenued - https://www.revenued.com/
NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – Did He Get Rich Just to Give It All Away?
06:49 – The Near-Death Moment That Changed His Life
09:28 – When Money Became the Wrong Goal
11:33 – Walking Away From Success to Serve Others
13:22 – Finding Purpose When You Feel Lost
18:57 – Scaling Impact Without Quitting Business
24:25 – Sponsor Break
27:09 – Building a School With No Education Experience
33:24 – A 17-Year Promise to One Child
36:00 – India’s 1,500-Year-Old Caste Crisis
42:35 – How Giving Changed Him
44:58 – The Brutal Reality of Building Shanti Bhavan
48:53 – Can Poverty and the Caste System Be Broken?
51:34 – Sponsor Break
53:27 – Does Shanti Bhavan Actually Work?
56:25 – Why Compassion Isn’t Enough
58:18 – Why He Had to Write Mountains to Cross
1:01:57 – What Makes the Sacrifice Worth It
1:06:15 – The One Lesson He Wants His Kids to Remember
1:07:12 – What He’s Fighting for Now
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Tim Storey is a renowned author, speaker, and life coach who has spent over four decades helping individuals, celebrities, and organizations navigate life transitions and achieve personal breakthroughs. Based in Los Angeles, he has worked with high-profile clients including Robert Downey Jr., Kanye West, and various professional athletes, offering guidance on overcoming adversity and unlocking potential. Storey has authored several books, including "Utmost Living" and "The Miracle Mentality," and is known for his dynamic speaking style that blends practical wisdom with spiritual principles. His work focuses on helping people move from setbacks to comebacks, and he has become a sought-after voice in personal development, appearing on various media platforms and speaking to audiences worldwide about resilience, purpose, and transformation.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.instagram.com/timstoreyofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/TimStoreyOfficial/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timstoreyofficial/
➡️ Podcast Sponsors
Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)
Square - https://square.com/go/success
SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott
Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)
Claude - https://claude.ai/success
Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)
Revenued - https://www.revenued.com/
NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:28 – Thinking Beyond the Ordinary
05:14 – Tim Storey’s Origin Story
07:26 – Training Your Mind to See Possibility
17:09 – Action vs. Direction: What Actually Works
19:46 – Why Knowledge Without Action Fails
24:00 – The Power of the Right Partner
25:28 – Sponsor Break
28:13 – The Through Line of True Influence
37:52 – When You Lose Your Own Story
40:37 – Knowing Who Belongs in Your Life
44:08 – Sponsor Break
46:01 – Radical Empathy Without Losing Yourself
57:00 – Tim’s Biggest Frustration as a Coach
59:16 – What the Bible Really Says About Ego
1:05:48 – Living on a Higher Frequency
1:11:41 – Advice Tim Would Give His 20-Year-Old Self
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In this "Lessons" episode, Timothy Daniels, CEO of TIGER 21, offers a deep look into what comes after financial success and why achievement alone is rarely enough. He explains how intentional community design, collective intelligence, and diversity of perspective help high-performing individuals continue growing and making meaningful impact. Timothy breaks down the strategy behind TIGER 21, sharing how peer networks are structured to strengthen decision-making, align personal goals with shared learning, and support both wealth stewardship and life fulfillment.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/VzMyf4s7d3k
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timothy-daniels-president-and-ceo-of-tiger-21/id1484783544
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4k438XfR1mddEgD98h26GQ
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory
In this "Lessons" episode, Stormy Simon, former President of Overstock.com, reflects on her journey from secretary to executive leadership and what it truly means to bet on yourself. She shares how necessity, responsibility, and self-trust pushed her to take uncomfortable risks, while redefining success beyond money, titles, or external validation. Stormy explains why curiosity and continuous growth matter more than status, and how recognizing patterns of stagnation became a signal to move forward. She also opens up about staying grounded through massive success, finding freedom on her own terms, and aligning life decisions with personal values rather than societal expectations.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/zA6FnGKhPT0
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YHm9qv1avurZTABkf1t09
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
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Mike and Kass Lazerow are married serial entrepreneurs and investors best known as the co-founders of Golf.com and Buddy Media, a social media marketing platform that sold to Salesforce in 2012 for $745 million. Their entrepreneurial journey began after they reconnected at a mutual friend's wedding in 1996, and two years later they co-founded Golf.com before marrying in 1999. After selling Golf.com to Time Warner in 2006 for $24 million, they launched Buddy Media. Since then, they have supported nearly 100 early-stage startup founders as angel investors and advisors, with their investments generating more than $10 billion in realized gains, including notable successes like Scopely and Liquid Death. They are authors of "Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story" and have received numerous accolades, including being ranked number one on Business Insider's Silicon Alley 100.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.instagram.com/kassandmike/
➡️ Podcast Sponsors
Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)
Square - https://square.com/go/success
SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott
Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)
Claude - https://claude.ai/success
Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)
Revenued - https://www.revenued.com/
NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:28 – Why Building a Company Is Awful and Amazing
04:33 – How Not to Destroy a Relationship in Business
08:16 – Turning Each Other’s Weaknesses Into an Edge
11:45 – Building a Company With Your Partner
13:56 – Pivot or Die: Surviving the Hard Moments
18:26 – When to Quit vs. When to Push Through
23:29 – Sponsor Break
26:13 – Getting Your Team to Truly Buy In
33:03 – The 3 Real Reasons Companies Fail
35:46 – Why They Hired a Coach After Raising $100M
42:15 – Health, Burnout, and Long-Term Success
51:50 – Sponsor Break
53:45 – The Traits They Bet On as Investors
1:05:38 – Is Social Media Breaking Entrepreneurs?
1:10:38 – The “Go Gauge” Decision Framework
1:15:59 – The Founder Delusion That Kills Great Ideas
1:17:26 – What They Respect Most About Each Other
1:18:23 – The One Lesson They’d Teach Their Kids
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In this "Lessons" episode, Lloyed Lobo, community building expert and entrepreneur behind a $100M exit, shares why the future of successful businesses will be built around community rather than commodities. He breaks down the different types of communities founders can build, explains why starting with a community of practice matters before product-market fit, and outlines the practical first steps entrepreneurs can take to serve people authentically. Lloyed also dives into the importance of clear purpose, mission, vision, and values, and how aligning passion with service creates long-term leverage for building durable, meaningful companies.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/0BxVuTILyyU
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KfwK70MbHbkeVLCB4jgyg
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory
In this "Lessons" episode, Dr. John Demartini, a human behavior expert and global authority on personal development, breaks down the science behind how human values shape every decision, behavior, and long-term outcome in life and business. He explains why true values are revealed through actions rather than intentions, and how misaligned values often lead to frustration in careers, finances, and personal fulfillment. Drawing from decades of research and teaching, Dr. Demartini outlines practical ways to accurately identify core values and shares a framework for consciously reshaping them to support growth, wealth creation, and a more meaningful life.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/8JEa3ky30Sw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xvT74iD1WG8vszaFxf6FT
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
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Tommy Mello is a billionaire entrepreneur and founder of A1 Garage Door Service, which he started in 2007 with $50,000 in debt and transformed into North America's largest independently-owned garage door company, now operating in 19 states with over 700 employees and generating over $200 million in revenue. He is also a bestselling author of books including "Elevate" and "Home Service Millionaire," host of "The Home Service Expert" podcast (ranked in the top 0.1% of podcasts), and an Inc. Magazine columnist who shares strategies for scaling home service businesses. Mello had his first major exit in 2022 with nearly $30 million in EBITDA, distributed $100 million to employees from the transaction, and continues to focus on creating millionaires among his workforce while building toward his goal of reaching multiple billions in company valuation.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommymello/
➡️ Podcast Sponsors
Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)
Square - https://square.com/go/success
SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott
Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)
Claude - https://claude.ai/success
Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)
Revenued - https://www.revenued.com/
NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – Tommy Mello’s Origin Story
09:49 – Scaling From $20M to $500M
12:49 – You Can’t Out-Delegate Me
14:30 – A $100M Exit Gift
20:13 – Sponsor Break
22:57 – You’re Focused on the Wrong Things
25:27 – What Drives Him Now
29:54 – Fear After Winning Big
38:16 – Sponsor Break
40:46 – Taxes Every Founder Misses
45:40 – Why SaaS Is Chasing AI
48:48 – Hire Smarter Than Yourself
52:17 – Life vs Business
58:28 – When Business Becomes Identity
1:02:38 – The Lesson He’d Teach His Kids
➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory
In this "Lessons" episode, Denise Shull, performance coach to hedge funds, breaks down the hidden psychology behind high‑stakes decision making on Wall Street. She explains how emotions like fear, embarrassment, and anxiety quietly influence judgment, often disguising themselves as cognitive bias or ego. Denise challenges the idea that biases are unavoidable, showing why identifying what you’re actually feeling matters more than suppressing emotions. By acknowledging emotional signals early, she reveals how leaders and investors can adapt faster, make clearer decisions, and achieve better long‑term outcomes.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/dcnXBTEyTfk
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/denise-shull-founder-of-the-rethink-group-how-to/id1484783544
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sn8npZ5WbUe7yLYCWwGTJ
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory
In this "Lessons" episode, Ryan Stewman, sales coaching mogul and founder of a multi–eight-figure coaching ecosystem, breaks down how he turned hard-earned experience into a scalable business. He shares how selling at the level you’re already winning builds instant credibility, why pre-selling offers is the fastest way to validate demand and generate cash flow, and how sharp positioning filters the right buyers in crowded markets. Ryan also explains how simple funnels, premium pricing, and refining your audience can transform a one-person hustle into a powerful movement that scales far beyond the founder.
➡️ Show Links
https://successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/wKLNAz53nsw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7jMcKNnIKun3hQPpGUvt0E
➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com
➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory
Dorie Clark is a marketing strategist, keynote speaker, and executive coach who teaches at Duke University's Fuqett School of Business. She is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose books include "Entrepreneurial You," "Reinventing You," and "The Long Game," which explore personal branding, career development, and strategic thinking. Named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, Clark has worked with clients ranging from Google and Microsoft to the World Bank and consulted for presidential campaigns. She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and has been recognized by Forbes as one of the "Top 10 Communication Experts You Should Follow." Through her writing, speaking, and teaching, she helps professionals stand out, build their reputations, and create long-term career success.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.instagram.com/dorieclark/
https://www.youtube.com/DorieClark
➡️ Podcast Sponsors
Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)
Square - https://square.com/go/success
SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott
Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)
Claude - https://claude.ai/success
Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)
Revenued - https://www.revenued.com/
NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:30 – How Identity Shapes Reinvention
03:40 – The Skill Behind Reinvention
09:40 – What Triggered Dorie’s Reinvention
15:47 – Your Work Is Not Your Identity
23:48 – Sponsor Break
26:32 – Getting Others Onboard With Change
28:37 – Reinventing Without Losing Focus
30:41 – When You Know It’s Time to Change
37:41 – What Dorie Is Exploring Now
40:27 – Why Exploration Always Pays Off
49:50 – Why These Ideas Matter
52:45 – Sponsor Break
55:15 – Becoming Known for One Idea
58:05 – Focus vs. Diversification
1:00:40 – Influence vs. Thought Leadership
1:04:32 – Finding Your Unique Voice
1:07:38 – Using Your Personal Story
1:16:52 – Advice to Her Younger Self