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

Dr. Dan continues his Make It a Great One in 2026 kick-off by interviewing author and advocate Mita Mallick to explore the real impact that leadership has on mental health, identity, and workplace well-being. Drawing from her bestselling books Reimagine Inclusion and The Devil Emails at Midnight, Mita shares personal stories of toxic leadership, bullying, grief, and growth, while challenging leade...

Welcome to 2026 and all new episodes of Make It a Great One!  Today, Dr. Dan sits down with Larry Rosen, creator of The Enemies Project, to explore why conflict has become so entrenched in our culture—and how genuine listening can begin to heal it. During his conversation with Dr. Dan, Larry shares his personal journey from law to mediation to ultimately creating a global project that brings peopl...

In this inspiring and illuminating conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with Inna Segal, bestselling author of The Secret Language of Your Body, to explore how pain, trauma, and emotional overwhelm can become powerful gateways to healing, self-awareness, and inner freedom. Inna shares her extraordinary personal journey from debilitating chronic illness and profound grief to discovering her intuitive he...

Dr. Dan sits down with leadership researcher, author, and mindset expert Dr. Ryan Gottfredson to explore what it truly means to become better—better leaders, parents, partners, and human beings. Drawing from his groundbreaking work on vertical development, Ryan reveals why most of us are overdeveloped in “doing” and underdeveloped in “being,” and how this imbalance limits our growth, purpose, and...

Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. Lauren Speeth—award-winning author, educator, storyteller, and global changemaker—for a powerful conversation about purpose, resilience, and the courage to live an authentic, hope-filled life. Drawing from her new book Taking the Stairs and Liking It, Lauren shares the seven transformative principles that shaped her remarkable journey, including wisdom passed on directly from...

Dr. Dan interviews coach, Enneagram teacher, and author Courtney Smith to explore how we grow, evolve, and reclaim our most authentic selves. Courtney shares the transformational journey that took her from a high-achieving, analytical career to helping leaders and individuals uncover the stories, fears, and inner patterns that shape their lives. Together, they dive into themes of self-awareness, p...

Artist and writer John Guillemette joins Dr. Dan for a moving conversation about paradox, purpose, and the transformative power of creativity. From being misdiagnosed and over-medicated to rediscovering balance and meaning as a hospital janitor during the pandemic, John’s story reveals how struggle can become the source of wisdom. Together, John and Dr. Dan explore the courage it takes to live aut...

In this powerful and honest conversation, Dr. Dan Peters talks with Erin Gallagher–CEO, author, and founder of the Hype Women movement—about what it truly means to remember who you are and break free from systems, expectations, and internalized beliefs that keep us small. Erin shares her journey of trauma, transformation, triumph, and how she turned a viral moment into a global movement with Dr. D...

Dr. Dan sits down with Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer at Culture Partners, keynote speaker, researcher, and author of Surrender to Lead. Jessica’s powerful story—from self-driven executive to spiritually grounded leader—reveals how surrendering control, embracing faith, and leading with love can transform both personal and professional life. Jessica shares the profound spiritual awake...

Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. David Lesch, acclaimed scholar and former Los Angeles Dodgers draft pick, and Catherine Nixon Cooke, award-winning author and explorer, to discuss Dodgers to Damascus: David Lesch's Journey from Baseball to the Middle East a powerful biography that traces David’s extraordinary path from the baseball diamond to international diplomacy. Dr. Dan, David, and Catherine discuss how...

Dr. Dan interviews evidential psychic medium, speaker, spiritual teacher, and author Travis Holp for a powerful and deeply human conversation about healing, purpose, and the unseen energy that connects us all. Known as the "Unicorn Warrior", Travis helps people all over the world through his blend of evidential mediumship, intuitive guidance, and energy work to share messages of love, hope, healin...

In this compelling episode, Dr. Dan Peters sits down with Amber Hollingsworth, master addiction counselor, founder of Hope for Families Recovery Center, and creator of the wildly popular YouTube channel Put The Shovel Down. Amber tells Dr. Dan how she has been dealing with addiction her whole life! - she grew up in an addicted family and later became a Master Addiction Counselor. She understands a...

Dr. Dan Peters sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff, founder of The Empathic Leader and author of The Secure Leader: Discover the Hidden Forces That Shape Your Leadership Story and How to Change Them. Together they explore how attachment styles—formed early in life—shape the way we lead, connect, and grow both at work and at home. Jaime shares her own leadership journey, from uncovering her avoidant atta...

Oprah Winfrey’s recent Oprah Book Club pick Culpability continues to fuel important conversations around the question: What happens when morality, technology, and family collide? In this provocative new episode, Dr. Dan welcomes Bruce Holsinger, the author of Culpability to discuss and explore many of our deepest fears around AI, family, resilience, responsibility, and the future of humanity. A ph...

In this energizing new episode, Dr. Dan sits down with physician, author, and podcaster Dr. Jordan Grumet (Doc G) to explore the difference between meaning and purpose—and how understanding this distinction can transform how we live, work, and love. During their insightful conversation, Dr. Dan and Doc G explore defining questions including: What does it truly mean to live a life of purpose? And w...

Today, Dr. Dan explores what it means to answer the call to climb with James Robbins—leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of The Call to Climb: A Story to Find Your Path, Conquer Your Fears, and Fulfill Your Destiny. On this must-listen-to episode, Dr. Dan and James explore the intersection of purpose, courage, authenticity, and resilience, offering listeners a roadmap to...

Dr. Dan interviews seven-time world champion drummer, leadership strategist, and author James Laughlin about his book Habits of High Performance and the key to achieving world-class performance without sacrificing well-being, relationships, and purpose. James has works with elite athletes, prime ministers, and business leaders, and on this episode he shares the secrets to unlocking the essential p...

Dr. Dan Peters sits down with longtime family friend and trailblazing orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Michael Chapman for an inspiring conversation. A pioneer in his field, Dr. Chapman helped establish modern trauma surgery in the U.S., co-founded the Orthopedic Trauma Association, and led UC Davis’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery for over two decades. Dr. Chapman’s life is a testament to serendip...

In a candid and inspiring conversation, Dr. Dan talks to author and educator Renee Zukin to explore her transformative journey through anxiety, OCD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia—and the powerful mindset shifts that helped her reclaim her life.   Today’s episode is about courage, compassion, and connection—a reminder that we are never alone, and that bravery can be found in the smallest, most pe...

Dr. Dan is joined by Elise Carter, an award-winning educator, advocate, Executive Director of NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education), and DEI trailblazer.  Elise shares her transformative journey from being the first Black teacher at her high school to co-founding a nonprofit dedicated to inclusion and equity. During the moving interview, Elise opens up about the pivotal moment w...

Trigger warning: discussion of suicide In this emotionally powerful conversation, Dr. Dan speaks with Danielle Elliott Smith — author, advocate, coach, and host of the Hope Comes to Visit podcast. Danielle opens up about her raw and personal journey through addiction, sobriety, loss, and transformation. With unflinching honesty and grace, she shares the story behind her sobriety, the grief of losi...

In this powerful and heart-opening episode, Dr. Dan interviews author, speaker, and life coach Shari Leid, founder of An Imperfectly Perfect Life and author of Table for 51: Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America. Together, they explore the transformative journey from living someone else’s story to fully stepping into your authentic self. Shari shares her personal “flip the box” origin...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Dan sits down with horseman and author Tik Maynard to answer the question “What does it mean to truly live with purpose?” and to explore what starting a colt, facing fear, and leaning into the unknown can teach us about self-awareness, resilience, and the courage to live authentically. On today’s episode and in his memoir Starting in the Middle: How Horses, Those Who...

In this profoundly insightful episode, Dr. Dan welcomes back New York Times bestselling author and cultural thought leader Elise Loehnen to explore the power and necessity of shadow work. Together, they dive into Jungian psychology, the cost of cultural conditioning, and the stories we unconsciously carry that shape who we believe we must be. Elise talks to Dr. Dan about the journey that led to he...

Dr. Dan interviews Jennifer Pastiloff, bestselling author of On Being Human and the newly released Proof of Life: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life. In this powerful and heart-opening conversation, Dr. Dan welcomes back the raw, real, and radiant Jennifer Pastiloff for a deep dive into what it means to live with authenticity, courage, and compassion. Jen shares th...