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

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.

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

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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:

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

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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:

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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