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

Today’s episode is part one of a special two-episode series on grief on Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan. Dr. Dan interviews Dr. Korie Leigh, author, speaker, and thanatologist (a specialist who studies death, dying, and bereavement) to discuss her book  When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief and to unpack myths about grief. Dr. Korie shares her compassionate and realistic framework that grief is a full-body, lifelong experience that integrates into who we are –it touches our emotions, our identity, our relationships, our work, and our leadership. She introduces the concept of grief-informed leadership and explores how to lead through challenging times with compassion and insight. Dr. Dan and Dr. Leigh also discuss how children process loss and how families can navigate loss. Today’s episode reminds us that grief is a universal human experience to honor, integrate, explore, and grow around -- regardless of age.  For more information, visit www.korieleighphd.com and follow @drkorieleigh 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan sits down with ophthalmic surgeon and internationally bestselling author Dr. Durga Larkin to explore a powerful topic that affects us all: aging. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Durga reframes aging not as a period of decline, but as a time of expansion. Together, Dr. Dan and Dr. Durga examine why some of our most meaningful and fulfilling years may still lie ahead. Drawing from her book Timeless Vision: Empowered Aging Redefined, Dr. Durga shares insights that invite us to reconsider what it truly means to grow older—with purpose, courage, and greater self-awareness. Dr. Durga shares how a life-altering injury forced her to confront her own identity and resilience. When she fractured her dominant surgical arm, she was faced with a profound question: Who am I if I can’t do the thing that has defined me for decades? This experience transformed Dr. Durga, and she emerged with clarity, empowerment, and an expanded vision for her next chapter.  Today’s episode explores the scarcity vs. abundance mindset, the power of vision and visualization, and why it’s never too late to expand, evolve, and become who you’re meant to be personally and professionally. Dr. Durga’s awakening is one we can all experience. Her journey and her book prove we can live vibrantly, intentionally, and with deep authenticity at any age – and especially as we age. For more information, please visit www.durgalarkinmd.com and follow @drdurgalarkin 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan reconnects with his very first podcast guest(!) veteran educator and special education advocate Larry Davis to explore what it truly means to teach—and lead—in today’s world. Drawing from more than four decades in education across 11 school districts, Larry shares insights from his new book, The Happy Camper Classroom, and reframes teaching as one of the most demanding leadership roles in our society. Today’s educators are not simply delivering curriculum—they are first responders, social workers, emotional anchors, and architects of belonging. At the heart of this episode is a powerful truth: learning cannot happen without safety, connection, and regulation. Larry explains why compliance is no longer the glue that holds classrooms together—and what must replace it. Through resilience, self-awareness, compassion, and authentic connection, teachers can create environments where students feel safe, valued, and empowered. This conversation extends beyond education and is for every age and every stage of life. Dr. Dan and Larry’s discussion about leadership, personal growth, and the courage to look inward will inspire and enlighten listeners.  When we shift from a reactive mindset to a resilient one we can embrace discomfort as a pathway to growth.  For more information please visit www.thehappycamperclassroom.com and www.specialeducationadvocacy.org.  Contact Larry ldavissped at gmail dot com. 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan sits down with Cody Cook-Parrott, author of The Practice of Attention: Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World, to explore what happens when we reclaim our focus from technology, perfectionism, and fear. Drawing from nearly 15 years of sobriety, lived experience with ADHD, creative practice, and stepping away from social media, Cody shares how attention is not just about productivity — it’s about presence, integrity, and self-trust.  An artist, writer, teacher, and dancer, Cody teaches us attention is the currency of our lives  – and that most of us are spending it without realizing it. Dr. Dan and Cody urge listeners to remember that attention shapes not just what we see but who we become. They challenge us to reclaim our time and focus so life feels like it belongs to us again. Cody Cook-Parrott is the author of six books, including the new The Practice of Attention. For more information visit www.codycookparrott.com. 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with leadership strategist, researcher, and executive coach and author Dr. Debra Clary to explore why curiosity may be the most overlooked—and most essential—leadership skill of our time. Deb shares her remarkable journey from driving a Frito-Lay delivery truck after earning her MBA to advising Fortune 500 executives and the publication of her book The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Question. Along the way, she reveals how resilience, humility, and bold questions shaped her leadership philosophy and helped spark transformational change inside some of the world’s most iconic organizations. Together, Dr. Dan and Debra explore why certainty can hinder growth, how curiosity fuels engagement and performance, and why fear and curiosity cannot coexist in the brain. They explore the role curiosity plays not just in leadership and business, but in parenting, relationships, creativity, and human connection. This episode is a compelling reminder that asking better questions—without an agenda—can unlock innovation, strengthen relationships, and create cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. For more information visit www.debraclary.com and follow @the_curiosity_curve 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan is in the virtual studio today with award-winning music educator and entrepreneur Kenneth Thompson to explore what it truly means to grow into your purpose—especially when the path is anything but linear. Ken, the founder and CEO of the Musical Arts Center of San Antonio, Inc. (MACSA), holds a Bachelor of Music/Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music (where he studied with Nelita True and Anton Nel). Ken shares his journey from early struggles with learning differences, bullying, and feeling unseen, to discovering connection, creativity, and self-awareness through music. What begins as a story about piano and performance becomes a profound exploration of resilience, mindset, neurodiversity, and leadership. Together, Dr. Dan and Ken unpack the hidden costs of chasing validation, the pressure of elite performance environments, and the courage it takes to redefine success. They explore why growth requires both safety and intensity, how authentic connection unlocks human potential, and why teaching, mentoring, and advocacy are among the most powerful forms of leadership. This episode is a reminder that purpose evolves, growth is relational, and true empowerment comes from being met—exactly as you are—while being challenged to become more. For more information, visit macsainc.com and follow @Ken.CreativeCoach 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this eye-opening interview, Dr. Dan Peters talks with internationally renowned psychologist Guy Winch to explore how emotional health, rumination, and chronic stress quietly hijack our lives highlighting that burnout doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t stay at work when the workday ends. Dr. Dan and Guy also discuss his new book Mind Over Grind: How To Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life. Guy shares why burnout clouds our judgment, why rumination is one of the most damaging (and overlooked) habits in modern work culture, and how emotional health skills can prevent anxiety and depression before they become clinical. Dr. Dan and Guy unpack the science behind mental detachment, responsibility-taking, and why recovery not productivity must come first. On this episode listeners will learn practical, science-backed strategies to break the cycle of rumination and mental replay, recover from burnout, create psychological boundaries when working from home and reclaim evenings/relationships/personal identity from work. This episode is a grounded, actionable reminder that while we can’t always change our external circumstances, but we can change how we experience them. Dr. Dan and Guy empower us all with their message that emotional health is a daily practice and daily choice – at home and at work. For more information visit www.guywinch.com and follow @guywinch 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews wellness leader and founder of DoYogaWithMe, David Procyshyn about anxiety, presence, living well and his personal story. As a leading voice in the world of wellness –David is yoga and meditation teacher, speaker, and founder – David helps people heal from chronic anxiety and live a calmer, more resilient life. During this conversation with Dr. Dan, David shares his own personal journey from chronic pain, high-performance anxiety, and burnout to discovering a grounded, compassionate relationship with his nervous system. Together, Dan and David explore how anxiety is not a personal failure, but a physiological pattern that can be understood, worked with, and softened over time. Finally, Dan explores David’s Freedom From Anxiety approach which blends neuroscience, breathwork, meditation, and lived experience into practical tools that foster resilience, empowerment, and connection. This powerful episode encourages listeners to slow down, reflect, and remember that we can learn and grow from anxiety—deepening our wellbeing, our relationships, and our capacity to live with intention. For more information visit www.davidprocyshyn.com and www.doyogawithme.com. Use code 'drdan' for 1 month of unlimited access to DoYogaWithMe at www.doyogawithme.com (click Subscribe, Start Free Trial, create an account, then enter 'drdan' under 'Got a coupon?') Check out what makes DoYogaWithMe different from all other online yoga platforms: www.doyogawithme.com/what-makes-us-different Check out the article David talked about in the episode: www.davidprocyshyn.com/do-less-new-years-resolution/ Sign up for David's newsletter: www.doyogawithme.com/anxiety-newsletter Join David at his Freedom from Anxiety Info Session at Noon EST on May 4/26: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Go5pwjJUS4qQONPdGpxWdg Check out David's Freedom from Anxiety 28-Day Program (the next cohort launches May 25/26): https://courses.doyogawithme.com/courses/freedom-from-anxiety-28-day-online-program-may-26-cohort Follow David @doyogawithme 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Make It A Great One, Dr. Dan interviews Raj Sisodia, global thought leader, bestselling author, and co-founder of Conscious Capitalism, to explore the inner work required to live and lead with purpose, integrity, and humanity. Raj also introduces the seven steps outlined in his newest book Healing Leaders which teaches us that leadership begins with knowing, loving, and healing oneself.  Raj shares the pivotal moments that reshaped his life and leadership—from questioning profit-only business models to confronting unhealed personal trauma that lingered beneath decades of professional success. He opens up about his own healing journey, the influence of his parents, and the realization that leadership without self-awareness inevitably causes harm. Together, Dr. Dan and Raj unpack what it truly means to be a conscious leader—someone willing to integrate head, heart, and soul; masculine and feminine energy; wisdom and playfulness because conscious leaders create ripple effects that impact families, communities, and future generations. This episode challenges traditional business paradigms and offers a hopeful vision for the future—one where business becomes a force for healing, compassion, and collective well-being. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and lead from a deeper place—one rooted in purpose, courage, and care. For more information visit www.rajsisodia.com and follow @rajsisodiacc 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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this provocative and reflective episode, Dr. Dan interviews transformational coach Thomas Blottenberger about purpose, self-awareness, and what it means to grow from the inside out. Together, they explore how culturally inherited narratives, survival-based programming, emotional numbness, and the performance trap silently shape our lives — and how to break free. Thomas shares the story of his own awakening, describing the internal disintegration that precedes meaningful change. He discusses the courage required to face long-standing patterns and the liberation that comes from choosing curiosity over shame. Through exploring themes of authenticity, leadership, emotional mastery, presence, and empowerment, this episode challenges listeners to rethink the stories they tell themselves and reconnect with who they really are. In addition, Dr. Dan and Thomas dive into the myths of work-life balance, the power of presence, why optimizing the external never creates lasting fulfillment, and how the process of becoming requires patience, compassion, and reflection. They explore how our earliest experiences shape adult behaviors, how men often externalize their power, and why transformation requires slowing down rather than “fixing.” This conversation is an invitation to wake up, sit in awareness, release old narratives, and consciously choose a life aligned with your purpose, integrity, and deepest values. For more information, visit The Risk Reward Agency and follow @mr.blottenberger  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 podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan #Purpose #Growth #SelfAwareness #Resilience #Mindset #Leadership #Authenticity #Inspiration #EmotionalMastery #Courage #Connection #Wellness #Transformation #Compassion #Empowerment #MensWork #Presence #Becoming #MakeItAGreatOne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices