Success Story with Scott D. Clary

Success Story Media
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Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary (@scottdclary). On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. To get more of the Success Story podcast, go to www.successstorypodcast.com.

  1. Jon Ostenson - FranBridge CEO & Author of Non-Food Franchising | Why Smart People Buy Franchises Instead of Starting Companies

    1 day ago

    Jon Ostenson - FranBridge CEO & Author of Non-Food Franchising | Why Smart People Buy Franchises Instead of Starting Companies

    ➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory Jon Ostenson is the CEO of FranBridge Consulting and author of *Non-Food Franchising*, where he has established himself as a leading voice in the franchise industry. Drawing on his background as a former Inc. 500 franchisee and multi-brand franchise owner, Jon helps executives, entrepreneurs, and investors explore non-food franchise opportunities as a smarter alternative to building a business from scratch. Through FranBridge, he has guided hundreds of clients toward franchise investments that offer proven systems, reduced risk, and scalable growth — making the case that for smart, driven professionals, buying into a franchise is often a more strategic path than starting a company independently. ➡️ Show Links https://x.com/Jon_Ostenson  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonostenson/  ➡️ Podcast Sponsors Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/   Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott) Odoo – https://www.odoo.com  NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/  Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary Framer - https://framer.com/design (Code: SuccessStory) LinkedIn Ads - https://linkedin.com/scottclary  Priori - https://priori.life/  Mars Men - https://mengotomars.com/  Upwork - https://upwork.com/  Xero - https://www.xero.com  Dell - dell.com/dell-pro  AutoPilot - https://www.joinautopilot.com/landing  Cohesity - https://www.cohesity.com/datacloud  Amp - https://amp.ai (Code: successstory) Whatnot - https://www.whatnot.com/ Monarch - https://www.monarch.com/ (Code: success) Hostinger - https://www.hostinger.com/success (Code: success) Cash App - https://cash.app/ (Code: cashapp10) MyFitnessPal - https://podcasts.myfitnesspal.com (Code: SCOTT) Plaud – https://plaud.ai/success (Code: SUCCESS for up to 17% off now for the Plaud device, limited discounts exclusively for Prime Day) ➡️ Talking Points 00:00 – Intro 04:59 – Jon Ostenson's Origin Story 06:35 – How He Discovered Franchising 11:55 – How to Pick a Winning Franchise 17:48 – Are You Built for Franchising? 19:59 – Alternatives to Starting a Business 26:17 – Franchise Red Flags to Avoid 28:35 – Sponsor Break 33:29 – Why Franchising Is AI-Proof 36:19 – Franchising in Fast-Changing Industries 39:28 – How to Build a Franchise That Scales 46:02 – What Makes a Great Franchise? 51:28 – How to Succeed as a Franchise Owner 52:54 – Sponsor Break 57:06 – Why 10X5 Failed 1:03:49 – Designing the Life You Actually Want 1:06:27 – Why Most People Never Take the First Step 1:12:29 – Escaping the 9-to-5 Through Franchising 1:16:38 – Jon's 5 F's of Life 1:20:55 – The Biggest Lessons Franchising Taught Him 1:22:26 – The Advice He'd Give His Kids

    1hr 24min
  2. Lessons - She Built the altMBA With Seth Godin Then Raised $25M to Reinvent Online Learning | Wes Kao - Maven Co-Founder (Backed by a16z)

    2 days ago ·  Video

    Lessons - She Built the altMBA With Seth Godin Then Raised $25M to Reinvent Online Learning | Wes Kao - Maven Co-Founder (Backed by a16z)

    ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory   In this "Lessons" episode, Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, explores why learning by doing is far more effective than passively consuming information when it comes to developing real-world skills. She explains how cohort-based learning combines accountability, community, and hands-on practice to accelerate growth, why proof of work is becoming more valuable than traditional credentials, and how learning directly from experienced operators can provide practical insights that academia often can't. Wes also shares why execution, consistent feedback, and investing in your own development are essential for building the skills needed to thrive in today's rapidly changing career landscape. ➡️ Show Links https://successstorypodcast.com   YouTube: https://youtu.be/DY4r-GqZzlk  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wes-kao-marketing-executive-entrepreneur-and-advisor/id1484783544  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hRuTuIOzZaInOuDmZ5DZ0  ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

    10 min
  3. Lessons - The 2x Exited Founder on Why Most Business Coaching Is a Waste of Money | Polina Groman - Co-Founder of The Social Club

    2 days ago

    Lessons - The 2x Exited Founder on Why Most Business Coaching Is a Waste of Money | Polina Groman - Co-Founder of The Social Club

    ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory   In this "Lessons" episode, Polina Groman, 2x exited founder and Co-Founder of The Social Club, shares why trust, real results, and authentic relationships outperform traditional sales tactics when building a coaching or service business. She explains how experience-driven offers create stronger client connections, why delivering value before making an offer leads to significantly higher conversions, and how social proof is earned through transformation rather than marketing. Polina also explores how entrepreneurs can build a scalable business model that reduces burnout, increases recurring revenue, and gives them the freedom to grow without creating another full-time job for themselves. ➡️ Show Links https://successstorypodcast.com   YouTube: https://youtu.be/-AfpW3kfC8w  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/polina-groman-co-founder-of-the-social-club/id1484783544  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KKy0IonUtlw6DMuvflC4m  ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

    13 min
  4. Mark Pincus - Zynga Founder | What 10 Years of Failure Really Looks Like Before a $7B Exit

    4 days ago ·  Video

    Mark Pincus - Zynga Founder | What 10 Years of Failure Really Looks Like Before a $7B Exit

    ➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory Mark Pincus is the founder and former CEO of Zynga, the social gaming company behind iconic titles like FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. Before building Zynga into a gaming empire that reached a $7 billion valuation at its 2011 IPO, Pincus spent over a decade navigating a series of ventures that never quite broke through — including Freeloader, an early internet content aggregator, and Tribe.net, a social networking platform that predated Facebook but failed to gain lasting traction. Rather than stepping back from entrepreneurship after each setback, Pincus treated every failure as a forcing function, sharpening his instincts around product-market fit, viral growth mechanics, and monetization — insights he would later weaponize at Zynga to pioneer the free-to-play model at massive scale. His story is a testament to the compounding value of persistence: the decade of misfires wasn't wasted time, but the education that made a billion-dollar outcome possible. ➡️ Show Links https://www.instagram.com/markpincus/  https://x.com/markpinc https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpincus/  ➡️ Podcast Sponsors Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/   Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott) Odoo – https://www.odoo.com  NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/  Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary Framer - https://framer.com/design (Code: SuccessStory) LinkedIn Ads - https://linkedin.com/scottclary  Priori - https://priori.life/  Mars Men - https://mengotomars.com/  Upwork - https://upwork.com/  Xero - https://www.xero.com  Dell - dell.com/dell-pro  AutoPilot - https://www.joinautopilot.com/landing  Cohesity - https://www.cohesity.com/datacloud  Amp - https://amp.ai (Code: successstory) Whatnot - https://www.whatnot.com/ Monarch - https://www.monarch.com/ (Code: success) Hostinger - https://www.hostinger.com/success (Code: success) Cash App - https://cash.app/ (Code: cashapp10) MyFitnessPal - https://podcasts.myfitnesspal.com (Code: SCOTT) ➡️ Talking Points 00:00 – Intro 04:56 – The Danger of Being "Almost Great" 07:48 – Are You Stuck at B+? 19:22 – Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn't Accept Failure 28:42 – Why Zynga Won & Tribe Didn't 33:50 – Sponsor Break 38:43 – Why Virality Isn't a Business 50:56 – When Legacy Companies Ignore the Signals 1:02:00 – Sponsor Break 1:05:45 – The Founder Skill That Changes Everything 1:10:16 – Navigating Life as an Entrepreneur 1:26:01 – The Biggest Lesson from Mark's Book 1:31:17 – The One Lesson Mark Wants to Pass On

    1hr 32min
  5. Lessons - The CEO Who Refused to Sell His Company at Any Price | Chris Savage - Wistia Co-Founder & CEO

    6 days ago ·  Video

    Lessons - The CEO Who Refused to Sell His Company at Any Price | Chris Savage - Wistia Co-Founder & CEO

    ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory   In this "Lessons" episode, Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO of Wistia, shares the leadership principles that helped him build a lasting business without sacrificing innovation or burning out. He explains why effective delegation is about giving teams ownership while maintaining accountability, how creating space for strategic thinking leads to better decisions, and why great leaders stay connected to their product without micromanaging. Chris also discusses the importance of managing personal energy through healthy routines, protecting time for deep work, and building systems that allow both leaders and their teams to thrive over the long term. ➡️ Show Links https://successstorypodcast.com   YouTube: https://youtu.be/Iim2hrsopiY  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chris-savage-ceo-and-co-founder-of-wistia-taking-on-youtube/id1484783544  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kPOyLkcvWgcPCTUML2bCq  ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

    10 min
  6. Lessons - The Hidden Machine Behind US Foreign Policy | Eli Clifton - Investigative Journalist

    6 days ago ·  Video

    Lessons - The Hidden Machine Behind US Foreign Policy | Eli Clifton - Investigative Journalist

    ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory   In this "Lessons" episode, Eli Clifton, co-founder of the Quincy Institute and investigative journalist, explains how think tanks shape public policy and why greater transparency is essential in the policymaking process. He explores how funding from corporations and foreign governments can quietly influence policy debates, why conflicts of interest often go undisclosed, and how these dynamics can narrow the range of ideas presented to decision-makers. Eli also shares how investigative journalism uncovers hidden incentives behind major foreign policy decisions, offering a deeper understanding of the forces that influence government actions and public discourse. ➡️ Show Links https://successstorypodcast.com   YouTube: https://youtu.be/aGlfOYorycE  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eli-clifton-senior-advisor-investigative-journalist/id1484783544  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1eYtQMVxYuryAplxHgr1jY  ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

    12 min
  7. Wallo267 - 20 Years in Prison to Millions in Business | The Conversation You're Afraid to Have With Yourself

    20 Jun ·  Video

    Wallo267 - 20 Years in Prison to Millions in Business | The Conversation You're Afraid to Have With Yourself

    ➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory Wallace "Wallo267" Peeples is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, cultural advisor, and media personality whose life story stands as one of the most compelling redemption arcs in modern business. After serving 20 years in prison, he committed himself to entrepreneurialism upon release, quickly amassing millions of followers through viral motivational content and co-founding the wildly popular *Million Dollaz Worth of Game* podcast. A three-time TEDx speaker who reaches millions globally, Wallo267 channels the raw, unfiltered truth of his journey to challenge audiences to have the conversation most people are afraid to have with themselves — the one about accountability, purpose, and the unlimited potential waiting on the other side of your hardest chapter. ➡️ Show Links https://www.instagram.com/wallo267/  https://www.youtube.com/@wallo267  https://x.com/Wallo267  ➡️ Podcast Sponsors Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/   Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott) Odoo – https://www.odoo.com  NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/  Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary Framer - https://framer.com/design (Code: SuccessStory) LinkedIn Ads - https://linkedin.com/scottclary  Priori - https://priori.life/  Mars Men - https://mengotomars.com/  Upwork - https://upwork.com/  Xero - https://www.xero.com  Dell - dell.com/dell-pro  AutoPilot - https://www.joinautopilot.com/landing  Cohesity - https://www.cohesity.com/datacloud  Amp - https://amp.ai (Code: successstory) Whatnot - https://www.whatnot.com/ Monarch - https://www.monarch.com/ (Code: success) Hostinger - https://www.hostinger.com/success (Code: success) Cash App - https://cash.app/ (Code: cashapp10) MyFitnessPal - https://podcasts.myfitnesspal.com (Code: SCOTT) ➡️ Talking Points 00:00 – Intro 01:19 – The Article That Changed Everything 04:33 – When He Stopped Caring What People Think 06:17 – The Mindset That Keeps People Stuck 09:45 – Why You Don’t Trust Yourself Enough 14:10 – How He Protected His Mind in Prison 21:40 – Sponsor Break 26:33 – How Prison Changed His View of Life 33:10 – Why You Need to Choose Yourself 37:51 – Your Biggest Limitation Is Hesitation 38:38 – Why Motivation Is a Scam 40:07 – Sponsor Break 43:52 – Building Discipline Without Burning Out 53:04 – Why We Overcomplicate Everything 54:58 – Becoming a Millionaire Before You’re One 58:10 – Why You Need to Clap for Yourself 59:53 – What He’d Tell His 17-Year-Old Self 1:10:32 – How to Reprogram Your Mind 1:13:44 – The Lesson He’d Pass On to His Kids 1:14:51 – The Story Behind Wallo267 1:15:15 – The Version of Wallo You Don’t Know

    1hr 17min
  8. Lessons - A 4th Generation Diamond Expert Reveals How the Industry Rips You Off | Olivia Landau - The Clear Cut CEO & Forbes 30 Under 30

    19 Jun ·  Video

    Lessons - A 4th Generation Diamond Expert Reveals How the Industry Rips You Off | Olivia Landau - The Clear Cut CEO & Forbes 30 Under 30

    ➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory   In this "Lessons" episode, Olivia Landau, CEO of The Clear Cut and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, breaks down the truth about natural and lab grown diamonds and explains what most consumers misunderstand when making a purchase. Learn how both types of diamonds are created, why scarcity and resale value play a major role in long-term pricing, and how industry incentives can influence what customers are told. Olivia also reveals how some buyers are unknowingly giving up valuable assets, why she believes lab grown diamonds have no lasting value, and what questions you should ask before making one of the biggest luxury purchases of your life. ➡️ Show Links https://successstorypodcast.com   YouTube: https://youtu.be/aT1fdLz7zo8  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/olivia-landau-founder-and-ceo-of-the-clear/id1484783544  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54yfYtYN251yZMEe0YcgQl  ➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

    11 min
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Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary (@scottdclary). On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. To get more of the Success Story podcast, go to www.successstorypodcast.com.

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