0 | Welcome To The Greatness Machine | The Greatness Machine Podcast

9 | How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee: Are you feeling bogged down by the monotony of your daily life? On today’s show, Darius talks about enjoying the journey rather than incessantly worrying about the end results. Like many of us, Darius loves his cup of morning coffee. And he obsesses about getting the right beans, the temperature, and adding the correct amount of milk. Recently, a friend of Darius’s bought an expensive coffee machine that automated the entire process. While this made it extremely easy to make the perfect cup of coffee, Darius realized that he enjoyed the process of making his cup of coffee way more than drinking the coffee itself. On today’s show, you will learn why you need to fully immerse yourself in the process to enjoy the outcome. Darius also shares how the simple act of making a cup of coffee aligns with his SIX Core Values. And why you should strive to apply this same passion and love to all your aspects of by The Greatness Machine

24 min listen

8 | Annette Poliwka | How To Establish an Actionable Self-Care Routine: In today’s show, Darius interviews environmentalist and adventurer, Annette Poliwka. Annette has created women-specific outdoor programs and is also a sought-after life-coach and writer.The main themes for today’s show are health and self-care.Fueled by our ambitions, we fail to listen to our bodies and minds. And this has a telling effect in the long run. In today’s show, Annette shares her self-care routine and reveals some great hacks that enable her to stay in top physical and mental health.Annette also shares her main “why” for creating women-specific nature programs. Do women-only programs succeed in creating a better vibe and connection? Are women relegated to the background when they take part in co-ed groups?Annette also regales listeners by sharing details about some of her biggest adventures. Specifically, she shares how she ended up going on an impromptu 21-day silent medi by The Greatness Machine

66 min listen

1 | Gino Wickman | Using an Entrepreneurial Operating System to Jumpstart Your Career: What if you could avoid some of the biggest and most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make early on in their careers?On today’s show, Darius interviews the incredible Gino Wickman, founder, EOS Worldwide who gives us a peek into his Entrepreneurial Operating System. You will learn how you can avoid pain and get a smoother jumpstart when you use an EOS to run your business. Early on in his story, Gino had his entrepreneurial fire lit, and he took charge of his family business at 25, turned it around, and sold it 7 years later. Over the next 5 years, he worked with more than 50 clients in an inspired phase of mad experimentation. At the end of this, he compiled all his learnings to form his famed Entrepreneurial Operating System.As of date, there are 375 EOS implementers and 100,000 companies worldwide that are running on this system. As of now, Gino has withdrawn from by The Greatness Machine

58 min listen

19 | Jeff Spencer | The Pursuit of Excellence Towards a Winning Mindset: Ever wondered what makes Tiger Woods the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T.)? On today’s show, we interview Dr. Jeff Spencer who shares with us some expert goal-setting tips and the five critical things to cultivate a winning mindset.At the age of 7, Jeff set the big, hairy, audacious goal of being an Olympic cyclist – something that he accomplished at the age of 21. Fortunately for him, he met some well-meaning mentors who helped him along the way.Later on, Jeff again found his true calling by helping out top athletes (like Tiger Woods) and entrepreneurs achieve their full potential.On today’s show, you will first learn how to vet your goal. If you are not in for the right reasons, can you really make the jump from the ordinary to the extraordinary?Along with having a solid why, Jeff shares that you also need the right skills and the right mindset to back you up. Athletes by The Greatness Machine

70 min listen

18 | Jevon “JT” McCormick: Challenges and Opportunities for the Youth At Risk: On today’s show, Darius interviews Jevon (JT) McCormick, CEO, Scribe Media who shares with us his thoughts on racial injustice, socio-economic inequality, company culture, and much, much more…Born a son of a black pimp father and an orphan mother, Jevon was in and one of the juvenile systems in his formative years. And early on in his career, he had to overcome racial injustice as he tried to cement his place in corporate America. He talks about his changing his name from Jevon to the more ambiguous, JT before changing it back to Jevon in the light of the recent BLM moment.We also talk about company culture. And how working at a “people-first” software company was an eye-opening experience for JT after his experience in the banking sector. Because both Darius and JT come from the mortgage world, they also reminisce about the sub-prime crisis. While banks were blamed for the financia by The Greatness Machine

59 min listen

5 | Why Facebook is Screwed: What if you could be on the same stage as Jordan Harbinger, John Lee, and Mike Michalowicz? And have a one-on-one discussion from the comfort of your home?On today’s show, you will learn about the new and ultra-exclusive app, Clubhouse. Still, in the beta stage, this is an invite-only app that gives you the opportunity to connect with some of the most amazing and well-known people from business and entertainment.So, if you wish to build your network and broaden your horizons, tuning in today will particularly help you out.Enjoy! What You Will Learn In This Show<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Why Facebook no longer serves its purpose</li><li style="font-weight:400;">How you can leverage social media to connect with leaders in the world of business and entertainment </li><li style="font-weight:400;">Using social media to truly democratize leadership and information</li><li style="font-weight:400;">And so much more…</li></ul by The Greatness Machine

19 min listen

2 | Christina Harbridge | How to Shed Irrational Behavior and Tips for Handling Conflict: In today’s show of The Greatness Machine, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/'>Darius</a> interviews leading behavioral change expert, Christina Harbridge whos shares with us her thoughts on conflict, discomfort, and resolution. Christina is the Founder and CEO of Allegory Inc. Most human beings behave irrationally….in a way that suits their discomfort. But understanding your operating system can prevent this and help you adopt a more rational demeanor. Once you learn to look inwards and evaluate your behavior, you should strive to make an effort for conscious communication. This resulting communication might cause discomfort – but this discomfort is an offshoot of change. It is an indication that something right is happening. We also discuss the intense debate surrounding the “Black Lives Matter” movement and call out the political entities who are pou by The Greatness Machine

64 min listen

26 | Andre Norman | Solitary Confinement To Ambassador Of Hope: From a childhood filled with gang violence, illiteracy resulting in a 100+ year prison sentence, to a successful career as a speaker, author and Harvard Fellow - it sounds like something out of a Hollywood film.In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with the "Ambassador of Hope," Andre Norman to discuss his incredible and inspiring journey, as well as the circumstances that shaped his decisions at a young age.You'll learn how he struggled with illiteracy and systemic racism in the inner city of Boston, and how they factor into his choices.You'll discover how the path he was on eventually led to a series of convictions, eventually resulting in a sentence of over 100+ years.You'll learn how a two-year stint in solitary confinement led to an epiphany and a new path for Andre's life... one that eventually led to Harvard University.You'll also learn how systemic racism a by The Greatness Machine

74 min listen

3 | The Biggest Lie In The Whole World: Many of you must have made ambitious New Year resolutions. The past year (2020) was a disaster and understandably you are keen to make up for the lost time.Before you start working towards your audacious goals, do take a moment to stop and think – will you be in a state of permanent bliss once you scale your mountaintop? Will the air be better? Will life be funnier? And will people be nicer?No, right? Then, if life is going to be the same once you achieve your big goal, what is the whole point of working tirelessly, day in, day out?In today’s show, Darius shares HOW discovering your core values and leading a purpose-filled life will resolve this conundrum for you. What You Will Learn In This Show<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Why your journey is more important than your destination</li><li style="font-weight:400;">How discovering your core values can help you lead a purpose-f by The Greatness Machine

23 min listen

17 | Shelley Paxton | Finding Your True Calling: Have you taken a moment to step off the hamster wheel to pause and reflect on whether your life is headed in the right direction?On today’s show, we interview ex-CMO of Harley Davidson, Shelley Paxton who shares with us her wisdom on purpose, alignment, and discovery. You will learn the real truth about busyness and the importance of figuring out what’s truly important to you. With her trademark sass and rebel attitude, Shelley shares her incredible life story, and how she ended up stewarding some of the most iconic organizations in the world including Harley, Visa, McDonald’s, and AOL. Shelley stumbled into the world of marketing and advertising because of her dad. But years later, when she made it to the top of the corporate ladder, she still felt unfulfilled and non-aligned. So, at the height of her success, in 2016, she decided to give it all up and embark on her discovery journey. This ultimately led t by The Greatness Machine

65 min listen

24 | Angelo Poli | Unraveling the Mysteries of Metabolism and How to Hit Your Body Transformation Goals: What is the number ONE reason that people do not hit their body transformation goals? (Hint: it is not a lack of will-power)On today’s show, we interview international body transformation expert, Angelo Poli who unravels the mysteries of metabolism and data-driven weight loss.At the age of 38, Darius was tipping the scale at 363 pounds and was grappling with multiple health problems, as a result. This is when he ran into Angelo who helped him get his health and his life, back on track. On the back of his extensive experience which involves working with more than 20,000 people (including celebrities like Aaron Rodgers), Angelo dispels some common health and nutrition myths in today’s show.You will learn how to use data to tackle a highly individualized subject like metabolism. Angelo also reveals the TWO important factors that he considers when recommen by The Greatness Machine

62 min listen

16 | Jon Vroman | How Life Looks In The Front Row: Ever wondered what your life would look like if you could strike a perfect balance between work and family?Our guest for today, Jon is living the life of his dreams. He is focused on fatherhood and family, owns a thriving business, and has enough money to live comfortably. But this wasn’t always the case. Back in 2005, Jon was trying to get his business up and running. He had run through all savings and was doing all he could to ensure his family’s survival. And ironically enough, his struggle had distanced him from his wife and kids. This experience of his inspired him to start Front Row Dads whose main goal is to help fathers show up in the correct way for their families. As men, we are preoccupied with earning money and ensuring that our family leads a comfortable existence. But, in the process, we take the easier way out and dump all family responsibilities on our wives. On today’s show, Jon by The Greatness Machine

71 min listen

4 | Chip Conley | Navigating Change and How to Let Go Of the Things that Are Holding You Back: Why is it that we find it harder to accept and adapt to change as we grow older?On today’s show, Darius talks to rebel hospitality entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and fellow Austinite, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipconleysf/'>Chip Conley</a> who shares with us his distilled wisdom on navigating change and mid-life. At the age of 26, he founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality (JdV), transforming an inner-city motel into the second largest boutique hotel brand in America. At the age of 50, after 24 years of being the CEO, Chip felt the need to move on.But this was not an easy transition as he found himself uncomfortable and questioning his self-worth for a while. It was not long before he found his calling once again as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy. Today, he acts as the company’s Strategic Advisor for Hospitality and Leadership. by The Greatness Machine

52 min listen

0 | Welcome To The Greatness Machine: Today’s show is a special one as <a href='https://therealdarius.com/about/'>Darius Mirshahzadeh</a> shares his incredible backstory, and his big WHY that has inspired him to launch The Greatness Machine. Back in 2006, Darius was riding on a high as his first business, Twin Capital Mortgage became the 40th fastest growing company in the United States. However, the economic crisis of 2007 wiped out all his hard-earned gains. The next five years were particularly tough. And by the end of 2011, Darius was distraught, in a bad place, and in a business that he did not love. That’s when he decided to pivot to do something that did not involve chasing dollars for once. He talks about curating the TedX Golden Gate Park in 2012-2013, and how this experience changed his life forever. In 2014, Darius got sucked into the business world once again as he devoted his energies to The Money Source – his new venture which he scale by The Greatness Machine

12 min listen

28 | Nadine Rajabi | From Bravo TV Host To Executive Producer (Part 1): If you've watched "Below Deck: Mediterranean" on Bravo, then you know crazy things can happen at sea. As you're about to learn, it's no different behind the scenes!In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with childhood friend and Executive Producer of "Below Deck: Mediterranean," Nadine Rajabi.A list of Nadine's accomplishments sound as if she's lived several lifetimes: Host for several Bravo digital series such as "The Shahs Come Clean with Nadine," "Fresh Squeezed: The Real Housewives of Orange County," and "Housewivesology: The Real Housewives of New Jersey," as well as several other top networks and platforms. She's an actress, comedian, national champion black belt, competitive snowboarder and a former semi-pro soccer player. On top of all that, Nadine also holds a B.A. and an M.B.A. in Biology.You'll learn about the kinds of challenges (and craziness!) that goes into by The Greatness Machine

73 min listen

21 | Tony Lillios | How to Pivot Successfully When Market Conditions Become Unfavorable: On today’s show, we interview entrepreneur, designer, endurance athlete, and certified Integral Coach, Tony Lillios who shares with us his incredible life story, his many tribulations, and successes.Tony started his professional career as a consultant with IDEO. But then the desire to “do more” kicked in. And back in 1996, Tony founded Speck Design and then Speck Products. Speck Products designed and manufactured cases for laptops and phones. And they were the first manufacturer to bring hard cases to the market.Speck rode the early wave of success but then the business got harder. And they plateaued once sales hit $150 million. Reading the market conditions, Tony and his partners sold out to Samsonite – a larger organization that had the resources and the distribution network to continue scaling the business.Today, as an Integral Coach, Tony works with individuals and small by The Greatness Machine

58 min listen

23 | Victoria Labalme | Goal-Setting, Risk-Taking, and Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: Feeling bogged down by your “need” to set the benchmark, higher and higher every time? On today’s show, we interview the incredible artist turned author, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorialabalme'>Victoria Labalme</a> who shares with us her distilled wisdom on goal-setting, risk-taking, and our flawed attitude towards achievement.Victoria taps into her extensive experience in theatre, comedy clubs, and films to help out artists, entrepreneurs, and C-suite uncover their hidden genius at work, on stage, and in life, in general.Our society of today puts immense pressure on achievement and winning. On today’s show, Victoria shares why we need to change this attitude and get more comfortable with the “fog of not knowing”.We also question our judgmental society where we harbor incorrect biases. As someone who straddles across different professions, Vi by The Greatness Machine

57 min listen

6 | Jordan Harbinger | Following Your Passion, Growing an Online Business, and Some of My Most Impactful Experiences: On today’s show, we interview the popular podcast show host, Jordan Harbinger who shares with us his life story about how he quit his Wall-Street job so that he could follow his life’s passion.With an incredible 11 million monthly downloads, The Jordan Harbinger Show has managed to build its own tribe of raving fans in a very short time. While interviewing the likes of Simon Sinek, Kobe Bryant, and Dennis Rodman has certainly helped, what are some of the other things that have led to Jordan’s spectacular success? How has Jordan so successfully managed to capture his audience’s imagination? He spills the beans in today’s show. You will learn some simple and actionable strategies to grow your digital footprint without spending thousands after ad spend.Jordan also shares his experiences as an exchange student in Germany. Here, we discuss the by The Greatness Machine

62 min listen

27 | Joshua Lee | The Dopamine Dealer of LinkedIn: We're all familiar with B2B (Businesses to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer), but have you heard of H2H (Human to Human)? In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius sits down with Joshua Lee, entrepreneur, author, coach, marketer, husband, father - "The Dopamine Dealer of LinkedIn" - to discuss this concept, and why it's key to building a successful business in the 21st century.You'll learn a little about Joshua's start in digital marketing in the wild days of the early 2000s, when he landed a little company called "MySpace" as an early client before it was bought by Rupert Murdoch in an epic deal.You'll discover the moment he realized his work had devolved into "monetizing just to monetize," and why he decided to do a massive "reset" of his life and career, forging a new and more fulfilling path.You'll learn methods for pushing past the noise and automation to create and nurture an organi by The Greatness Machine

60 min listen

12 | Dandapani (Part 1) | How to FOCUS on The Core Things that Truly Move You Forward: In today’s show of the Greatness Machine, Darius interviews a Hindu priest, former monk, entrepreneur, and teacher, Dandapani.Dandapani teaches people how to avoid instant gratification and the accompanying distractions so that we can focus on the most important things that truly take us forward. We start this show by discussing the impact of COVID. While the loss of life and livelihood has been devastating and unimaginable, this black swan event has forced us to reassess our lives and priorities. Next, Dandapani shares with listeners some interesting details about his visionary project – Siva Ashram in Costa Rica. Built on 33 acres of land, near a river, this Ashram will house seven botanical gardens – each signifying a critical area of our mind. Dandapani reveals his 300-year plan for this Ashram so that his work can continue uninterrupted for many generations to come by The Greatness Machine

29 min listen

40 | Robert Glazer | Remote Work: Why Businesses Need to Embrace Flexibility: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many changes to the business world, but one of the most significant has been the shift from the traditional office to remote work. Some companies have weathered this transition well, while others have struggled. There are several reasons why some businesses have adapted better than others, but today's guest believes that it comes down to having clear company values, good management, communication and trust principles in place. In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Robert Glazer, serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners and the co-founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. You'll discover the advantages and disadvantages of remote work, and how they can affect your business results. You'll find out why allowing employees to work remotely is the best way to test the strength of you by The Greatness Machine

59 min listen

14 | Mary Henderson | Branding Strategies: Discover Your Authentic Self and Get Into a Natural Flow State: On today’s show, Mary Henderson, the founder of Lights Camera Action show shares with us her distilled wisdom on personal branding, building authority, and authenticity.As one of the most sought-after personal branding experts, Mary helps commercialize a brand into a monetizable online business. She is extremely picky about whom she works with and on today’s show, she reveals the seven qualification questions that she asks a client before signing them on. Growing up, Mary was keen to pursue a professional singing career. However, her parents forced her to take a more “conventional path”. Fortunately for her, she rediscovered her life’s purpose when she was in her mid-thirties.Mary’s discovery journey was not an easy one; she sold her business and took a year-long sabbatical. Fortunately for her, she found three well-meaning mentors who helped her along the by The Greatness Machine

68 min listen

45 | Mike Michalowicz | Authorship: The Brutal Essence of Entrepreneurship: How do you define success? The entrepreneurial path is a long and difficult one, filled with risks and obstacles to be overcome. On the other hand, there are great rewards to be found along that path as well, as long as you have a clear definition of what success means to you. One path taken by many entrepreneurs is authorship - leveraging their experience, successes and failures and sharing those insights with their readers. Such a path is often far more difficult than people realize, and brings with it its own set of challenges. In today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Mike Michalowicz, entrepreneur, speaker and author of 'Get Different,' 'Fix This Next,' 'Clockwork,' 'Profit First,' 'The Pumpkin Plan,' and 'The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.' His books have been published around the world and translated into 10 different languages, and he's passi by The Greatness Machine

52 min listen

20 | Brent Gleeson | From Navy Seal to Serial Entrepreneur Journey: On today’s show, we interview Brent Gleeson, a Navy SEAL combat veteran, serial entrepreneur, and now acclaimed speaker who shares his distilled wisdom on leadership, accountability, and discipline. Growing up in Dallas, Brent had a normal and secure childhood. And after graduating from SMU, he decided to stick to the tried and tested path by becoming a financial analyst. But, along the way, Brent was inspired by a fraternity brother who had a lifelong dream of joining the Navy. And he decided to ditch his spreadsheets and pivot tables as he set his eyes on becoming a SEAL. In this segment of the show, you will get a peek into the world of the military. Only 10-15% of applicants manage to successfully complete the rigorous SEAL training. An ultimate test of physical and mental strength, you will surely be inspired by tuning into this show's segment.After leaving the military, Brent went o by The Greatness Machine

52 min listen

30 | Jay Wilkinson | From Unemployment to Entrepreneurship Journey: It's a simple truth: 'business as usual' simply doesn't apply anymore... and not just because of the pandemic.In today's episode of "The Greatness Machine," Darius chats with Jay Wilkinson, entrepreneur, author, speaker, angel investor, CEO of Firespring and self-proclaimed "geek with social skills" about the rapidly shifting world of business.Hailing from Nebraska, the "middle of everywhere," Jay realized at a young age that he simply wasn't suited to taking instructions from others and became an entrepreneur, starting eight businesses by the time he left college - most of which failed. Undaunted, he took the lessons from those failures and, in 1986, helped launch Campus Connection magazine in NYC which caught on, eventually expanding to 350 college campuses. You'll discover how Jay realized he was 100% unemployable, and how that set him on the path to becoming an entrepreneur.You'll lea by The Greatness Machine

49 min listen

41 | Ben Woodward | How to Claim Victory Over Your Circumstances... by Surrendering: Every entrepreneur will experience adversity at one time or another - that's a fact of life. Whether it be business related or personal, how we respond to the presence of these challenges is vital to determining whether we will triumph over them. In today's episode of "The Greatness Machine," Darius chats with Ben Woodward, speaker, strategist, coach and best-selling author. Ben is no stranger to adversity, having had to send his father to prison, struggle with undiagnosed bipolar disorder and endure a corporate crisis throughout his life. The wisdom he gained from these experiences has been outlined in his book, "The Empowerment Paradox." You'll discover a little of Ben's journey - Moving from New Zealand to the UK with only 50 pounds in his pocket to live with his father - who turned out to be a sex offender who had never been brought to justice. You'll le by The Greatness Machine

57 min listen

10 | Aga Bajer | How my National Championship Basketball Coach Dad Helped me learn my WHY: On today’s show, we interview Aga Bajer, founder and CEO of a boutique consultancy, Aga Bajer & Associates who shares with us her distilled wisdom on entrepreneurship, culture, and failure.Aga’s first business was a colossal failure which taught her the importance of figuring out her WHY. She learned that she needed clarity about who she was, and where she was headed first. After a brief stint with PWC, Aga found her true calling as a consultant with Hay Group (promoted by Daniel Goleman of “Emotional Intelligence”). Once she got some experience under her belt, she took the entrepreneurial route once again. And this time around, having learned her lesson well, Aga chose a field that she is extremely passionate about. Currently, she is helping start-ups create a thriving culture at scale. Aga and Darius discuss why you need clarity about where you are ahead, and how by The Greatness Machine

29 min listen

25 | Malorie Nicole | Coaching Ethics and Cultivating Consciousness Around Core Values: On today’s show, we interview entrepreneurial and executive coach, Malorie Nicole who shares with us her thoughts on ethics in coaching, core values, and fulfillment.Back in 2014, Malorie fell sick and faced some serious health issues which forced us to reassess her life’s priorities. She decided to change paths and chuck her comfortable engineering job to become a life coach. If you are finding it difficult to pivot and change tracks, this segment of the show will particularly interest you. One of the main themes of today’s show is the importance of ethics in coaching. Many self-appointed coaches neither have the necessary qualifications nor the disposition to help out other people. In the process, they end up doing more harm than good.We also talk a great deal about core values, and how a lack of consciousness leads to discomfort – and ultimately flailing men by The Greatness Machine

82 min listen

7 | Getting Ahead By Cultivating An Ownership Mindset: How can you foster an owner-mindset within your organization that catapults you miles ahead of the competition?In today’s show, Darius shares how the Core Equation Value Equation Process can help you cultivate this much-prized mindset which will have your employees treating your business as if it was theirs.When you do so, you can extract that extra 20% - that extra bit that separates the winners from the losers.Learn how you can discover, design, and roll out your own core equation value process to make all this happen. Tune in now!What You Will Learn In This Show <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Cultivating an ownership-mindset within your organization</li><li style="font-weight:400;">How to discover, design, and roll out your core equation value process</li><li style="font-weight:400;">How to incentivize employees in the correct manner</li><li style="font-weight:400;">And so much more…</ by The Greatness Machine

16 min listen

15 | The Three Most Important Questions For Any Entrepreneur: "If you build it, they will come." Most of us know that line from the film, 'Field of Dreams.' It's inspirational, but not a great strategy when building a business - especially when it applies to the core values of your business. In June of 2008, Darius attended an event in which he experienced a "gut punch" that completely changed the trajectory of his life and forced him to rethink the way he ran his business. In this quick solo outing, Darius shares the story of his life-altering experience - and it all came down to three simple questions, starting with, "Does your business have core values?" Core values are powerful tools for any business, but, as Darius discovered, there's far more to them than it appears. You'll learn why creating core values for your business is important, but only the beginning of the process, not the end. You'll discover why 9 by The Greatness Machine

16 min listen

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