Daily Boost — Motivation and Personal Growth

Scott Smith
  • 3.9 (1.3K)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Daily

The Daily Boost is a weekday personal growth podcast for adults who live in the real world and want real results. Welcome to the School of Scott! About 10 minutes a day. No canned content, no recycled material — host Scott Smith and his practical way of understanding how life, business, and the world actually work. Some days he'll pump you up. Some days he'll make you think. Some days you'll love him. Some days you'll wonder why you listened. Every day, you'll know exactly what they call him: the nicest renegade you'll ever meet. Smile. Nod. Change everything. That's the code. If you played by the rules. If you built a good life — career, business, relationships. If you decided you want more. The Daily Boost is your show. Topics include personal growth, motivation, purpose, decisions, work, money, relationships, time, and keeping your head straight when things get complicated. 20 years. 5,000+ episodes. 130+ million downloads worldwide. Every day, the School of Scott is in session with a new episode that stands on its own. It's always real, and occasionally pretty funny — because if you can't laugh, what's the point?

  1. 5h ago

    Happiness Is Boring. Want Some?

    Daily Boost Podcast Happiness Is Boring. Want Some? August 25, 2026 | Episode 5528 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description One degree. That's all it took for me to announce that winter is coming to Florida. We notice everything down here. I got to thinking today about why some people feel stuck and bored while others seem lit up all the time. It's not talent. It's not luck. Most of you already know every tip and habit ever published, and you're still not quite there. I'm going to hand you a foolproof way to feel better. Two simple moves, plus one bonus that ties it together. None of it is sexy. All of it works. Featured Story I started late today. Didn't sit down to record until after four, and right before I hit the button I checked the internet and saw that Dolly Parton had passed away at 80. I've been a fan my whole life. We're headed to Gatlinburg in October for a wedding, and we already had Dollywood on the list. We're still going. And this surprised me. I didn't feel sad, and I didn't feel happy. I just sat back and said, good job, Dolly. I don't know her story. I don't know if there was pain behind all those wigs. What I know is I caught myself smiling, and I'm still working out why. Important Points Exploring future possibilities costs you nothing. Look around with zero commitment and watch what jumps at you. Your anticipation engine needs two or three things on the calendar, close enough that your mind can picture them. Like-minded people have to be genuinely like you. Somebody who tolerates your thing is not the same as obsessed. Memorable Quotes The things people are most passionate about are the things they literally stumbled upon. It wasn't intentional. A peaceful base is that solid foundation, where your relationships, your money, and your time are all in control. Two or more people engaged in the pursuit of a definite purpose with a positive attitude are an unbeatable force. Scott's Three-Step Approach Start a list tonight of everything that sparks your curiosity, without letting a chatbot hand you a single one. Pull two or three items off that list and put real dates on them for the next 12 months, then track them. Take those dated plans and find people already obsessed with the same thing, because obsession keeps you in. Chapters 0:02 - Winter arrives in Florida after one whole degree 0:46 - Ralph says everybody deals with the same stuff 2:10 - Dolly Parton news lands and I catch myself smiling 4:02 - Exploring possibilities with zero commitment required 5:56 - The anticipation engine and why your list matters 7:46 - Finding people who are bonkers about the same thing 9:36 - A peaceful base is boring, and that is the point Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 5h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast

    Introducing The Financial Mistake We Keep Making and How to Stop from The Oprah Podcast. Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast BUY THE BOOK! '1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation' by Andrew Ross Sorkin Are we headed for a financial crash like the one in 1929? Oprah sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin, financial columnist for The New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box and bestselling author of 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation, for a thought-provoking conversation about money, human nature and the warning signs we may be missing right now. From the irrational exuberance of the Roaring Twenties to meme stocks, A.I. and today’s “YOLO” culture Andrew explores the surprising parallels between then and now and why every generation eventually faces a financial reckoning. Andrew answers audience questions about whether we could be headed for another major downturn and what that could mean for everyday Americans. Plus, he shares some of his most important money lessons: from why women may be better investors and the six-month savings rule to teaching kids the value of a dollar and preparing for an uncertain financial future. 00:00:00 - Welcome Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of “1929”  00:04:50 - Credit didn’t exist 00:07:00 - How 1929 parallels today 00:08:33 - Biggest lessons from 1929 00:12:09 - The patterns that give Andrew pause  00:14:20 - Andrew was daunted by writing this book  00:17:50 - The financial crash is coming  00:20:12 - America would have been better off with women in charge  00:22:00 - Retirement is a woman’s issue  00:23:15 - Advice for recession  00:25:20 - Most Americans are not ready  00:27:25 - Will AI delay life milestones? 00:28:52 - Financial mistake people make over and over  00:30:50 - Is college still important?  00:33:13 - Important financial lessons for kids 00:36:00 - What Andrew has learned about power 00:38:45 - Are trillionaires a problem?  Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast:  https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast

  3. 1d ago

    What You Don't Know About Goal Setting

    Daily Boost Podcast What You Don't Know About Goal Setting August 25, 2026 | Episode 5527 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Yesterday I told you I wasn't going to teach goal setting. Today I'm going to teach you how to set goals. Sort of. Most of what you were handed about goals has quietly fallen apart. The 21-day habit. The Harvard study everybody quotes. Smart goals. Gone. Disproven. And yet you're still sitting there in August wondering why the thing you decided in January never happened. Two words fix most of it, and one measurement that explains why you quit. Ten minutes, and you'll never look at your goal list the same way. Featured Story I mentioned to my wife the other day that I'm in the mood to get a Tesla. Just shopping around. Looking. She got quiet. Then a little scared. Because after all these years, she knows exactly what that sentence means in my house. She knows my brain already flagged it. She knows the velocity has started. And she knows that if I keep drifting in that direction, week after week, there will eventually be a Tesla in the driveway and nobody will remember deciding on it. That's not a car story. That's the whole mechanism of how you get anything, running right out in the open. Important Points Start your morning retrospectively. Not what you did yesterday, but what really happened and how it honestly felt. Then go prospectively. Ask what you'll create today to close the gap you just found, and only three goals max. Velocity keeps motivation alive, so chop any goal more than six months out into segments you can actually feel finishing. Memorable Quotes Velocity is the key. It's more important how fast you're getting to your goal than if you're getting to your goal. The daily awareness diary will hold you to your honesty forever. It exposes what you said you want and what you're doing. Remember the Harvard study where people who set goals are 93% more effective—never done, ever. It's a wives' tale. Scott's Three-Step Approach Tomorrow morning, ask retrospectively how yesterday actually went, and be honest about whether it matched your want. Then ask prospectively what you'll create today, and write down the single adjustment that closes that gap for you. Now break your big goal into velocity segments close enough together that you feel you're finishing one each week. Chapters 0:02 - A twist on the goal setting I said I'd skip 0:38 - The obsession behind everything I teach you 1:47 - Goal setting myths that got quietly disproven 3:22 - The retrospective question I ask every morning 4:48 - Prospection, the one thing only humans can do 6:09 - Why velocity beats the goal itself every time 8:36 - The Tesla my wife is hoping I forget about Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 2d ago

    Being Human in an AI Era

    Daily Boost Podcast Being Human in an AI Era August 24, 2026 | Episode 5526 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Something shifted in my calls this month. The people I work with are all over AI. Some are building with it. Some are making money with it. And they still can't sort out a decision without help. I've been three years deep in this stuff. Agents, apps, automation, the whole office running while I'm out of the room. I love it. It still can't do the one thing you get paid for. Today I'll show you exactly where the machine stops, and you start, and why that line is worth more this year than it was last year. Featured Story I'm mid-sentence on a client call last week, and I catch it. Eyes drop. Fingers moving. They're running my answer through ChatGPT while I'm still talking. I love it. Check me. I'm not worried about a machine that reads everything and decides nothing. What comes back is a beautiful, balanced, on-the-other-hand answer with six options. And they sit there. Still stuck. Then they look up and ask me what I'd do, and I tell them in about nine seconds, and off they go. Same information. Totally different result. Once I understood why, I rebuilt my entire business around it. Important Points AI will hand you every option, and it will never pick one. The deciding is still your job, so quit waiting on it. Use AI for your figure-it-out mode at two in the morning, then shut it off and ask what you would actually do. Being curious about everything used to look scattered. In an AI world, it's the trait that lets you zero in fast. Memorable Quotes Humans are coming back in the mix, believe it or not. Human wisdom in an AI world is now very, very, very valuable. You're busy. The trip from a data center to your iPhone is very long, so this will take longer than you think. AI does it cheaper, easier, better, and faster, and I can't compete with that, so I'll just do what it can't do. Scott's Three-Step Approach Dump the whole mess into AI tonight and let it pull every angle, every option, and all of the data it can find. Then shut the machine off, take a walk with your eyes open, and answer one single question: what would you do? Write that answer down, act on it before today ends, and let your life experience be the tiebreaker from now on. Chapters 0:02 - Why human wisdom is suddenly in high demand 1:44 - Three years deep in AI and what it changed 3:20 - The clients who hire me to decide for them 4:30 - AI as your two in the morning life coach, flaws included 7:03 - The polymath advantage nobody warned you about 9:49 - Three things AI will never do for you, ever 12:43 - Take the position that turns you into a superstar Contact Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 5d ago

    Telling the World About You

    Daily Boost Podcast Telling the World About You August 21, 2026 | Episode 5525 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description People are watching you right now. Not in a creepy way. In a normal, human, sizing-you-up kind of way. They find you somewhere online, they binge your stuff, they ask AI about you, and then they quietly decide whether you're worth their time. I call it the shadow search, and it's happening whether you like it or not. Today I'll give you the two moves that turn all that watching into opportunity. One of them nobody wants to do anymore. The other takes more patience than most people have. Both of them still work. Let's go. Featured Story I was twenty-six, and I'd been to Larry's house: five thousand square feet, the cars, the whole thing. I wanted what he had, and I wanted it on my schedule, not his. So I pinned him down at the office and made my best case for a raise. I'd shown up. I'd done the work. He had gobs of money sitting right there, and I figured my share belonged in my pocket. Larry gave me an answer I did not want to hear at twenty-six. I stomped out and complained about it in the office kitchen. Twenty years later, I finally understood what he was actually telling me. Important Points Outbound beats waiting around, so send the letter, knock on the door, and make the call nobody else will make. Segment and target every piece of outreach, because blasting the same thing at everybody reads as noise, not help. You can't manipulate what people find, so build something honest enough to survive their shadow search on you. Memorable Quotes Sometimes you have to keep showing up long enough for the right people to notice. Then they will step up for you. There is a hidden layer of successful people all around you, and they are keeping an eye out for somebody like you. Just do what you do so people can see what you do, then reach out and give them the chance to get to know you. Scott's Three-Step Approach Pick one person this week and reach out to them first with a real letter, a phone call, or a knock on their door. Keep showing up the same honest way every day, so whatever they dig up about you backs up what you already told them. Give it longer than feels comfortable, and then let the right people come to you once they have seen enough of you. Chapters 0:13 - People are watching and learning about you now 0:45 - The attention era and why outbound wins today 2:06 - The shadow search happening behind your back 3:33 - Why the influencer act finally stopped working 4:24 - Larry, a raise, and the answer I hated hearing 6:44 - The hidden layer of successful people watching 7:41 - Three cruises later, Donna finally said hello Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 6d ago

    Don't Be a Negotiating Underdog

    Daily Boost Podcast Don't Be a Negotiating Underdog August 20, 2026 | Episode 5524 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Almost everything you do today involves negotiating something, squeezing your car into a parking spot, asking for the raise, and closing the deal that pays your bills this month. Most of us walk into those moments feeling like the underdog. Like the other person is holding all the cards and we're lucky to even be at the table. I want to fix that for you today. I'll take you to an airport food court, a contract with my fee scratched out, and the thirty seconds of silence that showed me what's really going on across the table. Come find out. Featured Story Twenty-five years ago I flew to Atlanta and spent a whole day with a client I couldn't afford to chase. My flight was forty minutes out when he pulled me into an airport food court, bought tacos, and slid my contract across the table. He'd scratched out my fee and written a number thirty percent lower. Then he handed me the pen. Sign it now, he said, and I'll write you a check right here. He knew I needed that money. He knew my wife was waiting on it. I looked at the clock, and I almost signed my name. Then I remembered something experience had already taught me, and I set the pen down. Important Points A deal that starts bad never gets better, so walk away from anything that feels wrong before you ever sign it. Everybody sitting at that table feels like the underdog, which means the fear you're carrying runs both ways too. Price yourself fair instead of cheap, because a stupidly low number invites people to beat you down even more. Memorable Quotes All parties feel like the underdog. All parties naturally feel they won't get the deal done at all. When you're in a negotiation, make sure you really want it, because it's never going to get any better than day one. These days I don't charge really stupidly low prices. I charge fair, reasonable prices. Scott's Three-Step Approach Decide your walk-away number before you sit down, and know exactly where you will stand up and go home. When they push back, restate your original terms one time, calmly, and give them a real deadline they can meet. Then close your mouth and let the silence do the work, because whoever speaks first ends up handing over the ground. Chapters 0:02 - Why the happy theme music means a heavy topic 1:07 - The group that gets you when nobody else does 1:47 - Every single thing in your life is a negotiation 2:33 - Atlanta, a taco stand, and a ticking flight clock 4:14 - The scratched-out fee and the pen he handed me 5:48 - Everyone at that table is scared of the same thing 7:37 - Thirty seconds of silence and a signed contract Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Aug 19

    Getting Things to Click

    Daily Boost Podcast Getting Things to Click August 19, 2026 | Episode 5523 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description I hit the wrong theme music button this morning, and that's a decent metaphor for how most days go. You click something, and something happens. Twenty years into this show, people still ask what I'm really doing here. Am I selling something? Sure, I want clients. But that's not what gets me out of bed. What gets me out of bed is the click — that millisecond where your eyes open and everything shifts. I'm not here to give you notes to take. I'm here to pass out clicks, and today I'll show you exactly how one landed. Featured Story I was on a call this morning with a client up in New York. Smart guy, runs businesses, does really well. We were talking about how everybody's busier than ever now that we can all do more. Then he leaned back in his chair and asked me something. When do I get to do what I want? The look on his face was heartbreaking. I've heard that question a thousand times, and I still didn't see it coming. I let it sit. Didn't jump in. When I finally answered, he leaned forward and took a note. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but it opened his eyes. Important Points You are not stuck. You are still thinking about it, and that is a very different problem with a much faster fix. Clear the deck before you chase the dream. You cannot see what you want while everything else is still in the way. Most of what fills your day is stuff you chose. Cut the few pieces you hate, and the rest starts to feel lighter. Memorable Quotes The trick is the click. It's that millisecond in time where it just makes sense, and you sit back and finally get it. It's impossible to know what you want to do when you're busy doing everything else that is sitting on your plate. I'm passing out clicks because if I can give you just one single click, you will finally break free. Scott's Three-Step Approach Clear the deck first. Finish the small things stacking up so you get some real space to think instead of react. Once you have that space, name the two or three things you dislike the most and pull them out of your week. Then use the room you made to test one thing you want to do, and let the next click pull you toward the one after. Chapters 0:03 - Wrong theme music and a day that still works 0:55 - Why I still show up after twenty years of this 2:02 - I don't want to give you note-taking moments 3:36 - A client in New York asks a heartbreaking question 5:13 - You are probably already doing what you want 7:17 - Clear the deck so you have room to think again 9:01 - One small click turns into unstoppable momentum Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Aug 18

    Ask This Before You Begin

    Daily Boost Podcast Ask This Before You Begin August 18, 2026 | Episode 5522 Host: Scott Smith Episode Description Most of the time you're not stuck because you're lazy. You're stuck because you never got clear on what you actually want. I picked up four questions from a Hollywood pitch guy who sells movies in three minutes flat, and they work on anything — a job change, a side income, a relationship you keep avoiding. What is it? How does it work? Can you do it? Are you sure? Answer all four honestly, and you'll move. Miss one and you'll spin. Let's find out which one you're missing today, and what happens once you fix it. Featured Story I flew out to Death Valley for my friend Cory Sather's run across the desert, and the guy they put me in a room with was a stranger named Colin. Five minutes after we met, we were roommates. Colin turned out to be one of the most successful businessmen I've ever shared a bathroom with. We spent days in a car together, following Cory in the heat, talking. I asked him why he pours so much into social media. He said nobody tells the truth about business. He said business is simple — a few things, done again and again and again. That answer stuck with me the whole ride home, and it's still working on me. Important Points If you can't say exactly what you want in one plain sentence, you're not stuck on effort. You're stuck on clarity. A goal with no method is only a wish. Decide how the thing actually works before you spend a dollar or a day on it. Wanting an extra 20,000 a month in 2 hours a week isn't a plan. Match your time and skills to the goal. Memorable Quotes Business is easy. It's just a handful of things you put together, and then you do them again and again and again. You don't deserve anything. You can earn it. That's a whole different kind of sure, and it comes with a swagger. If I could just figure out what it is, I'd do it. Well, that's the whole job. You have to figure out what it is. Scott's Three-Step Approach Write down the one thing you actually want in a single sentence, no backstory, no excuses, no why attached yet. Right under that sentence, map the steps that make it work, then price it out in hours, skills, and real dollars. Read all of it back out loud, and if you can say yes to every line without flinching, start the work before you sleep. Chapters 0:26 - Four questions to ask before you do anything 1:29 - Meeting Colin in Death Valley and hearing the truth 2:15 - Why facing your passion still has to pay the bills 3:02 - The Hollywood pitch book behind the three-minute rule 4:16 - Question one: do you really know what you want 5:39 - Questions two and three: the plan and the resources 8:45 - Question four: the swagger that finishes the job Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Daily Boost is a weekday personal growth podcast for adults who live in the real world and want real results. Welcome to the School of Scott! About 10 minutes a day. No canned content, no recycled material — host Scott Smith and his practical way of understanding how life, business, and the world actually work. Some days he'll pump you up. Some days he'll make you think. Some days you'll love him. Some days you'll wonder why you listened. Every day, you'll know exactly what they call him: the nicest renegade you'll ever meet. Smile. Nod. Change everything. That's the code. If you played by the rules. If you built a good life — career, business, relationships. If you decided you want more. The Daily Boost is your show. Topics include personal growth, motivation, purpose, decisions, work, money, relationships, time, and keeping your head straight when things get complicated. 20 years. 5,000+ episodes. 130+ million downloads worldwide. Every day, the School of Scott is in session with a new episode that stands on its own. It's always real, and occasionally pretty funny — because if you can't laugh, what's the point?

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