Achieving Success with Olivia Atkin

What four words would you use to define success? Not what your parents expect, not what social media projects, but your own, unfiltered answer. Olivia Atkin posed this exact question to 40 people connected to the podcast to celebrate four years of Achieving Success with Olivia Atkin, and what came back was far more revealing than anyone anticipated. The most common words weren't money or status, a...

What if 100 feet could destroy everything you've built? Kettia Ming discovered this harsh reality when her seven-figure childcare empire, which she scaled from her basement to four Manhattan locations, came crashing down due to a surveyor's measurement she never knew she needed. Her story reveals the devastating gap between common sense distance measurement and legal terms like "as the crow flies"...

What if everything you've been told about success is keeping you from actually achieving it? Olivia exposes the truth behind those seven-figure business promises flooding your feed and reveals why she deliberately walked away from that path twice. After leaving professional sports and then a prestigious role at Lockheed Martin, she discovered something most entrepreneurs never talk about - the rev...

What if giving strategically could transform your impact without requiring a single dollar from your bank account? Richard Peck, founder of The Philanthropy Guy, reveals how time, connections, and intentionality often create more meaningful change than money alone. Through his two decades of philanthropic expertise, Richard shares the exact values exercise he uses with families and corporations to...

What happens when a competitive hockey player trades the ice for the screen? Actor Michael William Freeman reveals how his athletic background became his secret weapon in Hollywood, from landing his breakout role as Blake Sarno in Fear the Walking Dead to navigating the intense physical and emotional demands of long-form television. His journey from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to shooting in th...

What if the biggest barrier to getting help in your business isn't finding the right person, but finding someone who understands your reality as a small business owner? Julia Bernzott discovered this firsthand when she couldn't afford the high minimums most virtual assistant companies demanded. Her solution was revolutionary: create a VA service with options as low as two hours per month. Julia's...

What happens when a salon owner discovers that his clients are paying $55 for McDonald's delivery while complaining about a $10 haircut increase? Sal Patane, co-founder of Le Reve Salon and Spa, returns to share the brutal realities of running a small business in today's economy where everything costs more but customers expect the same prices. From navigating 30% product cost increases to watching...

What makes some podcast guests instantly memorable while others are quickly forgotten? It's not their credentials or expertise-it's how they show up in the conversation. In this revealing solo episode, Olivia pulls back the curtain on what really happens during podcast interviews, exploring the psychology of great conversations from both the host and guest perspective. She reveals why curiosity be...

Imagine remembering not just what happened on any given day for the past 60 years, but exactly how you felt during each moment. Frank Healy doesn't have to imagine it because he lives it every day through a rare memory condition that affects fewer than 100 people worldwide. What started as a burden that made him relive every painful moment has become his greatest asset in helping others heal from...

Picture this: You're living your childhood dream, pitching in the major leagues, when suddenly your arm literally breaks mid-game. Former MLB Player Dan Winkler didn't just survive that moment-he turned it into his greatest comeback story. As a 20th round draft pick who shouldn't have made it according to the odds, Dan had already proven doubters wrong once. But nothing prepared him for the sound...

What would you do if someone asked you whether saving one child from online grooming would be worth sharing your most painful experiences? Fareedah Shaheed faced that exact question, and her answer transformed not just her life, but the lives of thousands of families navigating digital safety. As a cybersecurity expert who survived online grooming as a child, Fareedah brings a perspective that's b...

What happens when the microphone turns off and the real work begins? Olivia pulls back the curtain on the podcasting journey most hosts experience but rarely discuss openly. From the vulnerability of putting your voice into someone's headphones to the invisible hours spent behind every polished episode, this conversation explores the emotional weight and unexpected responsibility that comes with b...

What if the path from drug dealing to military service to training over 6,000 dogs worldwide could teach you the one thing most dog owners get completely wrong? Ryan Matthews, former US Army combat canine handler and founder of World of Dog Training, reveals why your frustrated relationship with your dog isn't really about your dog at all. After surviving combat PTSD, cancer, and life-threatening...

What if the work you thought would be punishment became the thing that completely transformed how you show up in life? Actress Kathe Mazur shares how falling into audiobook narration accidentally cured her of decades of perfectionism and self-criticism, teaching her to trust her instincts in ways that changed everything about her creative process. Known for her nine-season run as DDA Andrea Hobbs...

The woman who worked international flights while everyone slept thought she was better than everyone else, until she realized her brain was rewarding her for being miserable. After three burnouts climbing the corporate ladder at global giants like Lindt and Kraft Heinz, Nadja Fromm discovered the shocking truth: we're all comfortable with being uncomfortable when it should be the complete opposite...

She was working with 60+ clients, hitting revenue milestones month after month, and everyone told her she was underpricing herself-so why did something feel so wrong? Olivia's business was the definition of success on paper: completely referral-based, continuously growing, with 10-12 hour days that felt like badges of honor rather than warning signs. But when she finally took 30 days off and looke...

What if everything you've been told about taxes is keeping you from building real wealth? Nick Savoy, founder of SAM727 and self-described 'lifestyle general contractor,' reveals why most entrepreneurs are unknowingly playing what he calls 'societal gambling' with their finances. Through his unique approach as a financial architect, Nick shows how the tax code isn't a rigged system designed to dra...

Former NFL Player Tyrone Smith reveals the shocking truth about professional sports that no one talks about - and how it became his blueprint for life success. Picture this: a 13-year-old boy so devastated by his parents' divorce that he stops bathing for two and a half weeks, fighting at school and spiraling out of control. That same boy would later tackle 320-pound linemen in the NFL while weigh...

What if the very stories you think are 'just ordinary' are actually your greatest superpowers? April Bell, wisdom story alchemist and founder of innovative storytelling methodologies, reveals why the moments we dismiss as obvious to us are often amazing to others. After spending nearly two decades helping everyone from corporate leaders to community elders uncover the wisdom embedded in their life...

What happens when everything you thought you wanted starts destroying everything you actually need? Scott Buell built Drone Legends into a multi-million dollar education company, staffed up with twelve people, and was living the entrepreneur dream-until September 2024 changed everything. The government funding that fueled his explosive growth vanished overnight, leaving him staring at payroll he c...

What happens when you realize your voice carries more weight than you ever imagined? Olivia pulls back the curtain on the hidden responsibility that comes with speaking into a microphone, sharing the profound moment she discovered podcasting isn't just content creation-it's stewardship. When she was laid off from Lockheed Martin at 4 PM and still showed up to record at 6 PM, everything changed abo...

The engineering student who spent three summers doing door-to-door sales training with Zig Ziglar just revealed the system that generates four times normal revenue quotas without a single cold call. Ronald Bolden Jr. built his entire business around one controversial belief: don't buy leads, buy systems. After watching corporate America push cold calling strategies that made him uncomfortable, he...

What happens when a life-altering accident forces you to completely reimagine your future? Actor Kurt Yaeger discovered that sometimes the most devastating moments become the catalyst for extraordinary transformation. After a BMX crash led to the amputation of his left leg, Kurt didn't just pivot his career-he revolutionized how disability is represented in Hollywood. From professional athlete to...

What happens when getting a client order feels like a burden instead of a celebration? Business strategist Sunita Kumar shares the exact moment she knew her successful health product business had to end-despite still making money. Her story reveals how our bodies send us signals long before our minds catch up, and why pushing through friction isn't always the answer. Sunita brings a unique blend o...

What happens when a guest who's been interviewed dozens of times looks you in the eye and says, 'I've never shared that before'? Olivia reveals the moment that reminded her why authentic connection trumps perfect questions every single time. From celebrities to business leaders, she's heard this line more than she can count, and it's taught her something powerful about creating spaces where people...