The Mark Drager Show

Dr. Emily Balcetis is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University and the author of the book, Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World. In today's episode, Dr. Balcetis explains how to best break down, visualize and overcome the challenges we face as we work towards hitting our goals.

We all face big decisions. And when we do it's hard to sort through all the pros and cons to think out what decision is right for you. The problem with all this thinking is that we tend to make emotional decisions with our brains, and then find ourselves unhappy.  Rarely do we listen to the one guide who knows our deepest secrets, desires, and what we should probably do - our bodies. In today's ep...

You've got a great idea, a great heart, a desire to serve, and the ability to go and learn the skills to execute your idea . . . but you're not doing it. Meanwhile, other people are now winning off of "your" idea. They have less of a mission, less of a desire to serve, less of a passion for the idea . . . The only difference is, they got started. They took the first step. They stopped stopping, an...

No matter your role — entrepreneur, creative, manager, just starting your career — the past few years have been a real trip. Forced to reflect on your work, you're questioning what you do and how you spend your days. I know this because it's something we're all working through. And the ultimate question? Whether everything we thought we wanted is still worth pursuing. And that's why today's guest,...

We've all heard it; hell, you've probably had the same thought yourself. "If you work hard enough, you will succeed." And while every successful person had to work hard to get where they are, hard work is never enough. You've got to work hard in the areas that excite you most. Today's guest learned this truth the hard way. Vishen Lakhiani is the founder of Mindvalley, the award-winning education m...

Why do most startups fail?  And what can you do to avoid the traps that slow many startup entrepreneurs? On today's show, Steven Hoffman, AKA Captain Hoff shares wisdom from his decades of experience as a venture-backed entrepreneur and Silicon Valley startup incubator/accelerator CEO.

There's no other way to say it: today's guest has one of the coolest jobs there is.  He gets paid to fly around the world, attend massive parties, and interview Hollywood A-Listers like The Rock, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, John Cena, and more. On today's episode, Mark Drager talks with Chris Van Vliet about his job, the sacrifices he had to make to get to where he is today, and the lessons learned...

For those of us who are searching for a better, happier life, we may be surprised to find that today's guest contradicts traditional teachings (and at times, even logic). Today's guest is Dan Millman, the bestselling author and spiritual teacher who has spent 40+ years working to inspire others to find peace while pursuing their passions.

On today's show, how and why A.J. Jacobs decided to dedicate years of his life to what some would call absurd experiments...and then turn them into four New York Times best-selling books!

Growing up, Lisa was told that she would be nothing more than a housewife - which drove her crazy because she had bigger plans than that. Leaving the UK for Hollywood with the dream of making movies, she was surprised to find herself spending most of her 20's "stuck" at home...as a housewife.  Unhappy, her turning point came when she finally admitted to her husband she couldn't carry on. That mome...

While hypnosis is typically thought of for entertainment, in this episode we talk about how hypnosis can help you tackle stress, anxiety, and the things that are holding you back. So you can quiet the voice of doubt in your head. So you can learn to have more confidence in your ideas. And ultimately, so you can take bolder action. Plus, I get hypnotized... You should check out the Reveri App →  ht...

On today's show, I talk about why creatives face ageism, how to become an avid trend spotter, and why you must invest in your personal brand…before it's too late with Philip VanDusen.

On today's show, we talk about the one topic that no one wants to talk about, working through grief and loss with Dr. Joanne Cacciatore.

For many, anxiety is crippling. And its prevalence and continued growth in our daily lives is not only keeping us from becoming the people we are destined to become - it's pushing many of us to turn to substances for some form of relief. On today's show, I talk about how to turn anxiety into a superpower with Adam Hill.

Today we talk about living a more rugged life with retired Navy SEAL, 100 Deadly Skills host, and internet survival sensation Clint Emerson. This conversation covers why self-reliance is so important, what you can do to grow your sense of freedom, and how to survive a zombie apocalypse.

For some reason, we like to put "creativity" in a category of its own. Creativity is for creative people who do creative work. Right? Wrong. On today's show art advisor, curator, and author Maria Brito shares why creative thinking will help you stand out in work and in life.

Working alongside his dad, Sterling sold his first company to a group in Silicon Valley. Having raised hundreds of millions in funding, with 700+ employees, and locations all over the world, he was living the high life… That is until it all crashed down around him. How did Sterling turn it all around to become someone who came back to launch, invest and grow over 50 companies? On today's show, we...

What does a retired Navy SEAL know about overcoming adversity? Well, having been severely wounded in combat in Iraq his recovery included 40 reconstructive surgeries, blood transfusions, 1500 stitches, 200 staples, plates and titanium body parts and screws and pins and skin and bone grafts… On today's show, I talk with Jason Redman about regaining control, moving forward, and overcoming all of lif...

Are you an entrepreneur at heart but have never stepped out of your comfort zones to start your own thing? Or maybe you feel like you know you were built for more? On today's show, I talk with Tony Whatley, author of the book SideHustle Millionaire about his rocky entrepreneurial journey and how you could get paid to do what you love.

Imagine this, as a teenager you have a dream to one day become an animator at Walt Disney Studios. The problem? You have no experience, no connections, no money, and no clear way to make it happen. Years later, you've been working your tail off to build that experience, make those connections, and try to make the kind of money you need to live and build your portfolio, but you face rejection after...

On today's show, I talk about turning your traumatic and painful past into something that serves you and others; a superpower of sorts with Jason Sisneros. In this episode, Mark and Jason cover: -How to reframe painful moments from your past into something that serves you -Why everything that happens to us serves us, if we're willing to find the reason why -How Jason was able to go from an abusive...

I talk about trying and failing, time and again with ultramarathon runner and world record setter Zach Bitter. In this episode, Mark and Zach cover: -What went into setting the world records for the fastest 100-mile run and the furthest distance covered in a 12-hour run -What keeps him motivated as he cycles through preparation and failing -What he's learned from pushing himself to the limits

I speak with toy expert and podcaster Azhelle Wade about the ups, downs, and lessons learned as a creative entrepreneur. In this episode, Mark and Azhelle cover: -The lessons learned from leaving corporate to start your own business -Managing creative teams -How to stay focused as a creative -Why you need to use what you've got

I talk startup culture, venture capital, and the things no one tells you about starting and scaling companies with tech founder and CEO, Rand Fishkin. In this episode, Mark and Rand cover: - Myths about Silicon Valley and startup culture - Why a grow-at-all-cost strategy sets people up to fail -Why the release of Rand's book, Lost and Founder lead to potential lawsuits -What he got wrong at Moz an...

I speak with entrepreneur, visionary, and disruptive brand builder - Simon Duffy. We talk about what it takes to start a disruptive brand, why so many entrepreneurs get stuck, and how to build a $100 million company.