#507 Brett Penager: How Do You Build Success Beyond Yourself?

Brett Penager is an entrepreneur, former wrestling coach at Olympic level, and co-builder of a multistate healthcare business that grew beyond $100 million, and we spoke about what it actually takes to fail repeatedly, learn precisely, and eventually build something measurable at scale. His story starts unusually early: in sixth grade, after hearing Earl Nightingale ask, “Why do people become who they become?”, he decided he wanted to own a business, serve millions, and create extraordinary financial results. That vision did not arrive smoothly—he says it took “six businesses to learn how to actually have a successful business,” through failed ventures in travel, wrestling camps, partnerships, and network sales before one model finally aligned.

A major turning point came when he stopped treating ambition as motivation alone and began treating it as measurement. Brett explains that success must be visible in concrete outcomes: revenue, reach, championships, longevity, or clear performance standards. His athletic background shaped that lens—state titles, Olympic preparation, and coaching taught him that “you don’t win silver, you lose gold” is not emotional language but a standard of measurement. From there he built his core method around simple sequence: first, “get clear on what lights you up,” then immediately “find somebody who’s already done it.” His argument is that most people stay stuck because they seek advice from people who care, but who have never achieved the level they want.

That principle became practical in business when he and his partners scaled a chiropractic enterprise to 162 offices nationwide and a valuation approaching half a billion dollars. Brett describes how building and running a company require different skills, which is why founders must repeatedly replace themselves with people who already understand the next level. He also connects entrepreneurship to legacy: not only income, but something that serves “your family’s family” and ideally survives your own lifetime.

Listeners will take away a very direct framework: define measurable success, borrow distinctions from proven performers, and build with a horizon larger than your current comfort zone. 

Key takeaways

• Measure success with concrete outcomes, not feelings.
• Define exactly what “big” means in your own field.
• Failures become useful when each teaches one distinction.
• Learn from people who already reached your target level.
• Building a business and running one require different skills.
• Think beyond income toward multi-generational impact.