The Greatness Machine

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, host Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Tegan Broadwater, founder of Tactical Systems Network and former Fort Worth Police Department officer. Tegan shares one of the most unconventional origin stories in law enforcement, trading a career as a professional touring musician for a badge, then risking his life for nearly two years undercover infiltrating a Cr...

What if you could build million-dollar businesses and actually enjoy your life? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Shaahin Cheyene — entrepreneur, author, and founder of PodcastCola — for a conversation packed with insights and energy. They dive into Shaahin’s journey from launching groundbreaking products to helping others grow their influence through podcasting. Alon...

Success does not necessarily equate to happiness and contentment. We often think that it is by grinding day in and day out that we would find fulfillment. Most of us think of happiness as a destination, one that we can only truly experience when we reach a certain level in our job or hit a certain number in our business.  Unfortunately, that is not the case. While it can be rewarding to achie...

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with George Barrios, entrepreneur, investor, and former Co-President of WWE, for a wide-ranging conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the power of contrarian thinking. George shares his remarkable origin story as the son of Cuban immigrants who fled Castro's regime, his self-described journey as a "talented f**k-up,"...

What does it take to bring down a global drug empire—without losing your life or your soul in the process? In this gripping episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with legendary undercover agent Robert Mazur, whose covert work infiltrated some of the world’s most dangerous drug cartels. From near-death encounters and million-dollar stings to the emotional cost of living a double life,...

Where we spend our time represents what we actually care about, regardless of what we say our goals and priorities are. Prioritizing helps you decide what you need to do, what you don’t need to do, and when you should focus. Priorities are concerns, interests, or desires that come before anything else. But what does your life look like according to your priorities?  Unfortunately, when the th...

In this compelling episode of The Greatness Machine, host Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Sterling Griffin, former pastor, entrepreneur, actor, writer, director, and producer, to discuss his remarkable journey from homelessness to millionaire, and his latest ambitious project: “Faith,” an original TV series he describes as "Ted Lasso and The Office having a baby inside a church." Sterling share...

How do you really know if someone is the right fit for your team—or your company’s future? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Dr. Geoff Smart, founder of GH Smart and author of the bestselling book Who, to break down what separates successful hiring from costly mistakes. Geoff reveals the power of evidence-based assessments, why psych tests often fall short, and how in...

What’s holding you back? What’s stopping you from achieving the life you have always wanted? Unfortunately, many people experience regret for the things they never did. Perhaps they rejected a wonderful job offer, passed up an opportunity to expand their business, or missed the chance to travel the world.  While there are plenty of reasons for missed opportunities, choosing to live a life in...

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Mark Parrott, a 28-year veteran of the financial services industry, five-time author, and researcher who has taught more than 27,000 CEOs across the United States and Canada. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, demographic data, and behavioral economics, Mark explores how human nature shapes economic trends, political pol...

In a world increasingly dominated by technology and disconnected from nature, this episode offers a much-needed perspective on the urgent need for spiritual awakening and holistic healing.  In this enlightening episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with renowned holistic health expert and spiritual teacher Paul Chek to explore the deep intersection of technology, consciousness, a...

Are you giving yourself the gift of dreaming? Or are you only grinding hard towards your goals? Many people think that dreams will take you nowhere unless you embrace the grind and take action towards achieving them. However, they allow you to see the future with optimism and to see what’s impossible become possible.  Today, I am flying solo to talk about dreams and goals and their big differ...

In the newest episode of The Greatness Machine, host Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Lauren Handel Zander, founder and CEO of the Handel Group®, to explore her groundbreaking approach to life coaching. Lauren shares how she developed her signature methodology, breaking life into 12 distinct areas and teaching people to engineer their dreams through intentional inner dialogue. From her origins a...

What if building wealth wasn’t just about numbers, but about knowing yourself, trusting your gut, and playing the long game with intention? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Tamar Hermes—wealth coach, real estate maven, and founder of Wealth Building Concierge—for a masterclass in intuitive investing. With a blend of grounded wisdom and sharp strategy, Tamar unpacks h...

A lot can change in just a couple short years….your dreams may be just around the corner! These changes, whether they are good or bad, can happen in a blink of an eye. It may seem like every day is the same, but when you look back, everything is different from how it used to be, and you are different from who you used to be.  Change offers new opportunities and experiences. It keeps life exci...

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with award-winning documentary filmmaker, five-time author, and entrepreneur coach Philip McKernan for a raw, unscripted conversation about the difference between talents and gifts, the hidden cost of entrepreneurial ambition, and what it truly means to make an impact. In a standout moment, Philip turns the tables and conducts a live, unre...

Ever wonder what separates true champions from the rest? It's not just talent — it's how they face adversity head-on. In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with former NFL player, acclaimed speaker, and personal development coach Bo Eason to dive deep into the mindset required to achieve greatness. Bo shares powerful insights on why struggle is not just inevitable but essentia...

Why is this happening to me?  Or Why is this happening for me?  Do you ask yourself these questions when faced with adversities? Although both are true, what you focus on will determine how well you react when push comes to shove. After all, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And one of the only things we can control is our attitude toward things that happen to us...

What does it truly mean to lead with purpose? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks International and a servant leadership icon. Howard shares invaluable lessons on authenticity, vulnerability, and the importance of putting people first. From navigating insecurities to building a personal mission statement, Howard's insights off...

How do you raise children to think beyond limits and create meaningful change? Visionary entrepreneur Naveen Jain joins Darius on The Greatness Machine for a fascinating conversation on leadership, innovation, and the power of exponential thinking. He shares how a simple promise led to a $5 billion stock surge, the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship, and why curiosity is the key to solvi...

Do you ever look back and think about the things that you could have done differently? Maybe you have done and said something that you wish you could take back. Maybe you wish you hadn’t worked so hard or wish you could have done better.  Most of us, if not all, have regrets. It could be things you did that you hoped you hadn’t or things you wish you had done but didn’t. Today, I am flying so...

On today’s episode of The Greatness Machine, host Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Allison Maslan, founder of Pinnacle Global Network and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of “Scale or Fail,” for a candid conversation about what it truly takes to scale a business. Drawing from her experience building 10 successful companies and mentoring over 150,000 CEOs, Allison shares the pivotal moment...

Managing money shouldn’t be complicated—but for many high earners, the traditional wealth management system feels more like a maze than a roadmap to success. In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Adam Dell, founder of Domain Money, to explore how financial planning can be simplified for high-earning professionals. Adam shares insights on why traditional wealth management...

Is writing a book hard? Today I’m flying solo to talk about the process of writing my first book, “The Core Value Equation,” where I tackled how core values create the ultimate decision-making engine for an organization that consistently produces spectacular results. Writing and publishing my own book has been on my bucket list for a long time until I made it happen in 2020. Now, looking back at t...

On today’s episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Mark Sisson,  endurance athlete, New York Times bestselling author, founder of Primal Kitchen (sold to Kraft Heinz), and co-founder of Peluva, a five-toe minimalist footwear company. Mark shares his remarkable journey from painting houses and competing at elite athletic levels to pioneering the ancestral health mo...