Greatness

By Jonathan WattsHistory

Greatness episodes

May 30, 2025 107. Pat Tillman and Matthew McConaughey - The Trait that Determines Your Destiny
Diving into two short stories on Pat Tillman and Matthew McConaughey, and the trait that is at the root of all great things in life.
-----
Sources:
Where Men Win Glory - Jon Krakauer
Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
-----
You can check stay connected below:

Greatness Files
Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
11 min
May 28, 2025 106. Phil Knight and Nike
Diving into the life of Phil Knight and how he built Nike.
-----

"Let everyone else call your idea crazy . . . just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop."
- Phil Knight
-----
Sources
Shoe Dog
-----
You can check stay connected below:

Greatness Files
Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
52 min
May 23, 2025 105. Rhea Seddon - The Question to Never Stop Asking
Diving into a short story of one of the first women astronauts Rhea Seddon, and the question that altered her life for the better.
-----
Sources:
The Six - Loren Grush
-----
You can check stay connected below:

Greatness Files
Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
10 min
May 21, 2025 104. Roger Federer
Diving into the life and greatness of a tennis legend, Roger Federer.
----
“When you're good at something, make that everything."
- Roger Federer
-----
Sources
The Master - Christopher Clarey
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
46 min
May 09, 2025 103. Artists on Creativity and How to do Great Work (Part 3/3)
Diving into the lives, philosophies, and work of some of the worlds greatest artists and how they can help you do great work.
-----
"Sharing art is the price of making it. Exposing your vulnerability is the fee."
- Rick Rubin
-----
Sources
Daily Rituals - Mason Currey
The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin
Steal Like an Artist - Austin Kleon
War of Art - Stephen Pressfield
I Can't Make This Up - Kevin Hart
More Myself - Alicia Keys
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
17 min
May 08, 2025 102. Artists on Creativity and How to do Great Work (Part 2/3)
Diving into the lives, philosophies, and work of some of the worlds greatest artists and how they can help you do great work.
-----
"There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don't, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is resistance."

- Stephen Pressfield
-----
Sources
Daily Rituals - Mason Currey
The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin
Steal Like an Artist - Austin Kleon
War of Art - Stephen Pressfield
I Can't Make This Up - Kevin Hart
More Myself - Alicia Keys
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
39 min
May 07, 2025 101. Artists on Creativity and How to do Great Work (Part 1/3)
Diving into the lives, philosophies, and work of some of the worlds greatest artists and how they can help you do great work.
-----
"Creativity is something you are, not only something you do. It’s a way of moving through the world, every minute, every day."
- Rick Rubin
-----
Sources
Daily Rituals - Mason Currey
The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Rick Rubin
Steal Like an Artist - Austin Kleon
War of Art - Stephen Pressfield
I Can't Make This Up - Kevin Hart
More Myself - Alicia Keys
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
35 min
April 25, 2025 100. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
Diving into two basketball legends, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and what we can learn from their approach to the game of basketball.
-----
LeBron on discipline,
"You have to sacrifice loved one for a long period of time."

Kobe on the Mamba Mentality,
"The mindset isn't about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality ."
----
Sources
LeBron - Jeff Benedict
Showboat - Roland Lazenby
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play - Kobe Bryant
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
49 min
April 21, 2025 99. Marie Curie
Diving into the life and greatness of a giant in the science world, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and first person to win it twice, Marie Curie.
----
Sources
Madame Curie: A Biography - Eve Curie
-----
You can check stay connected and support below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
50 min
April 13, 2025 98. Naval Ravikant - Ideas and Lessons on Happiness and Wealth
Diving into the works and wisdom on entrepreneur, investor, and philsopher Naval Ravikant.
-----
"Peace is happiness at rest, and happiness is peace in motion."
- Naval Ravikant
-----
Sources
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant - Eric Jorgenson
-----
2:05 - Happiness
26:05 - Wealth
-----
You can check stay connected below:

Website
Book: Chasing Greatness: Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence
Apparel
Instagram
X
46 min

About Greatness

From the publisher's feed

Learn from history’s greatest.

Each week, Jonathan Watts dives into the lives and moments of the world's most extraordinary people, uncovering timeless lessons and unforgettable stories.