The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett Scooter Braun: The Lie I Chased Almost Broke Me... You’re Probably Chasing It Too!
Jun 9, 2025
01:53:00
What happens when you build a billion-dollar music empire, but lose yourself along the way? Music mogul Scooter Braun reveals the raw truth behind his mask.
Scooter Braun is a renowned music executive, entrepreneur, and manager behind the careers of global stars like Justin Bieber, amongst many others. He is CEO of HYBE America and founder of SB Projects, a dynamic entertainment and media company.
He discusses:
The mask he wore as “Scooter” and the journey back to being Scott
Why he carries guilt for every young artist he managed
How 20 years of running finally led him to confront his deepest fears
Why he felt like a complete fraud even at the top and how he overcame it
The reason why his divorce saved his life
00:00 Intro
02:46 What Drives You?
08:01 Your Dad
09:55 Your First Business
12:22 You're Very Good at Forming Relationships
14:31 What Did Everyone See in You at an Early Age?
16:06 People Trying to Stop Your Dreams
18:45 Signing Your First Acts
21:36 Discovering Justin Bieber
24:52 What's Your Relationship With Justin Bieber Now?
26:34 What Do Highly Successful Artists Have in Common?
28:09 Why Are There So Many Tragedies Around Famous People?
34:05 Did It Hurt Parting Ways With Justin Bieber?
34:30 The Artists You've Worked With
37:20 The Praise and Hate I Received Were Both Misunderstood
40:13 An Artist You Were Wrong About
44:47 Quitting Music Management
51:40 Ads
52:50 Selling Your Company for $1.1 Billion
54:53 How Pivotal Was the Incident With Taylor Swift?
57:56 Contending With an Unfair World
1:00:34 If I Had Seen You Then, What Would I Have Seen?
1:02:12 Your Divorce
1:07:27 Friends Being There for Me
1:11:32 Why My Marriage Fell Apart
1:22:23 The Work You Do on Yourself
1:26:12 The Power of Building Connections
1:27:48 Spotify Saving the Music Industry
1:31:38 What's Next for Scott?
1:33:56 What Is Steve Trying to Achieve?
1:39:30 What Should We Do if We're Always Chasing Something?
1:49:51 If You Could Do Anything Without Fear of Failure, What Would You Do?
Follow Scooter:
Instagram - https://bit.ly/45Ihx8k
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3SZHKYJ
Facebook - https://bit.ly/43JalX2
The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition):
https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt
Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsors:
Linkedin Ads - https://www.linkedin.com/DIARY
Stan Store - Visit https://link.stan.store/joinstanchallenge to join the challenge!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com
Scooter Braun is a renowned music executive, entrepreneur, and manager behind the careers of global stars like Justin Bieber, amongst many others. He is CEO of HYBE America and founder of SB Projects, a dynamic entertainment and media company.
He discusses:
The mask he wore as “Scooter” and the journey back to being Scott
Why he carries guilt for every young artist he managed
How 20 years of running finally led him to confront his deepest fears
Why he felt like a complete fraud even at the top and how he overcame it
The reason why his divorce saved his life
00:00 Intro
02:46 What Drives You?
08:01 Your Dad
09:55 Your First Business
12:22 You're Very Good at Forming Relationships
14:31 What Did Everyone See in You at an Early Age?
16:06 People Trying to Stop Your Dreams
18:45 Signing Your First Acts
21:36 Discovering Justin Bieber
24:52 What's Your Relationship With Justin Bieber Now?
26:34 What Do Highly Successful Artists Have in Common?
28:09 Why Are There So Many Tragedies Around Famous People?
34:05 Did It Hurt Parting Ways With Justin Bieber?
34:30 The Artists You've Worked With
37:20 The Praise and Hate I Received Were Both Misunderstood
40:13 An Artist You Were Wrong About
44:47 Quitting Music Management
51:40 Ads
52:50 Selling Your Company for $1.1 Billion
54:53 How Pivotal Was the Incident With Taylor Swift?
57:56 Contending With an Unfair World
1:00:34 If I Had Seen You Then, What Would I Have Seen?
1:02:12 Your Divorce
1:07:27 Friends Being There for Me
1:11:32 Why My Marriage Fell Apart
1:22:23 The Work You Do on Yourself
1:26:12 The Power of Building Connections
1:27:48 Spotify Saving the Music Industry
1:31:38 What's Next for Scott?
1:33:56 What Is Steve Trying to Achieve?
1:39:30 What Should We Do if We're Always Chasing Something?
1:49:51 If You Could Do Anything Without Fear of Failure, What Would You Do?
Follow Scooter:
Instagram - https://bit.ly/45Ihx8k
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3SZHKYJ
Facebook - https://bit.ly/43JalX2
The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition):
https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt
Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsors:
Linkedin Ads - https://www.linkedin.com/DIARY
Stan Store - Visit https://link.stan.store/joinstanchallenge to join the challenge!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com