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

Dr. Dan Peters, Psychologist and Executive Leadership Coach
  • 4.8 (289)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan is your weekly dose of inspiration, purpose, and practical wisdom for living a life aligned with your true self. Hosted by renowned psychologist and executive coach Dr. Dan Peters, this podcast helps you break free from autopilot and step fully into the life you’re meant to live. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re living up to your potential—or how to navigate challenges with more resilience and clarity—this show is for you. Dr. Dan combines expert insights, powerful interviews, and real-life tools to help you deepen your self-awareness, strengthen your mindset, and make a positive impact. With decades of experience guiding individuals and leaders toward lasting transformation, Dr. Dan brings heart, humor, and honesty to every episode—so you walk away feeling motivated and equipped to make each day count. Tune in to new episodes every Thursday to unlock your potential, ignite your purpose, and—most of all—make it a great one. 

  1. 1D AGO

    Navigating Grief Part 2: From Grief to Growth – Finding Connection, Purpose, and Authenticity Through Loss with Nancy Howard Cobb

    Dr. Dan speaks to Nancy Howard Cobb about the 25th anniversary edition of her paradigm shifting book about grief and human connection In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living. Nancy’s book was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and over the years has helped many people deal with mourning, grief, death and dying – from hospices, medical schools, bookstores, and conferences to families dealing with grief privately at home. As part of Make It a Great One’s two episode grief series, Dr. Dan and Nancy explore grief not as an ending, but as a doorway to connection, authenticity, and growth. They demonstrate that grief is not something to fix but instead it is something to feel, understand, and ultimately integrate into a meaningful life. Nancy brings decades of experience speaking about death, loss, and the human condition—and shares how telling the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, can be one of the most liberating and healing acts we can take. This episode challenges the way we think about grief, inviting us to move away from avoidance and toward courage, compassion, and deeper self-awareness. From personal loss to collective grief, this conversation is a reminder that we are all connected and that through that connection we can find resilience and meaning. For more information visit www.nancyhowardcobb.com and please follow @nancyinconversation on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 5m

  2. MAR 26

    Navigating Grief Part 1: Grief as a Full-Body Experience – Tools for Healing, Leadership, and Life with Dr. Korie Leigh

    Today’s episode is part one of a special two-episode series on grief on Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan. Dr. Dan interviews Dr. Korie Leigh, author, speaker, and thanatologist (a specialist who studies death, dying, and bereavement) to discuss her book  When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief and to unpack myths about grief. Dr. Korie shares her compassionate and realistic framework that grief is a full-body, lifelong experience that integrates into who we are –it touches our emotions, our identity, our relationships, our work, and our leadership. She introduces the concept of grief-informed leadership and explores how to lead through challenging times with compassion and insight. Dr. Dan and Dr. Leigh also discuss how children process loss and how families can navigate loss. Today’s episode reminds us that grief is a universal human experience to honor, integrate, explore, and grow around -- regardless of age.  For more information, visit www.korieleighphd.com and follow @drkorieleigh on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 3m

  3. MAR 19

    Timeless Vision: Redefining Aging with Purpose, Growth & Empowerment with Dr. Durga Larkin

    Dr. Dan sits down with ophthalmic surgeon and internationally bestselling author Dr. Durga Larkin to explore a powerful topic that affects us all: aging. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Durga reframes aging not as a period of decline, but as a time of expansion. Together, Dr. Dan and Dr. Durga examine why some of our most meaningful and fulfilling years may still lie ahead. Drawing from her book Timeless Vision: Empowered Aging Redefined, Dr. Durga shares insights that invite us to reconsider what it truly means to grow older—with purpose, courage, and greater self-awareness. Dr. Durga shares how a life-altering injury forced her to confront her own identity and resilience. When she fractured her dominant surgical arm, she was faced with a profound question: Who am I if I can’t do the thing that has defined me for decades? This experience transformed Dr. Durga, and she emerged with clarity, empowerment, and an expanded vision for her next chapter.  Today’s episode explores the scarcity vs. abundance mindset, the power of vision and visualization, and why it’s never too late to expand, evolve, and become who you’re meant to be personally and professionally. Dr. Durga’s awakening is one we can all experience. Her journey and her book prove we can live vibrantly, intentionally, and with deep authenticity at any age – and especially as we age. For more information, please visit www.durgalarkinmd.com and follow @drdurgalarkin on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 6m

  4. MAR 12

    Teachers as First Responders: Resilience, Regulation, and the Future of Education with Larry Davis

    Dr. Dan reconnects with his very first podcast guest(!) veteran educator and special education advocate Larry Davis to explore what it truly means to teach—and lead—in today’s world. Drawing from more than four decades in education across 11 school districts, Larry shares insights from his new book, The Happy Camper Classroom, and reframes teaching as one of the most demanding leadership roles in our society. Today’s educators are not simply delivering curriculum—they are first responders, social workers, emotional anchors, and architects of belonging. At the heart of this episode is a powerful truth: learning cannot happen without safety, connection, and regulation. Larry explains why compliance is no longer the glue that holds classrooms together—and what must replace it. Through resilience, self-awareness, compassion, and authentic connection, teachers can create environments where students feel safe, valued, and empowered. This conversation extends beyond education and is for every age and every stage of life. Dr. Dan and Larry’s discussion about leadership, personal growth, and the courage to look inward will inspire and enlighten listeners.  When we shift from a reactive mindset to a resilient one we can embrace discomfort as a pathway to growth.  For more information please visit www.thehappycamperclassroom.com and www.specialeducationadvocacy.org.  Contact Larry ldavissped at gmail dot com. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 hr

  5. MAR 5

    The Practice of Attention: Reclaiming Presence in a Distracted World with Cody Cook-Parrott

    Dr. Dan sits down with Cody Cook-Parrott, author of The Practice of Attention: Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World, to explore what happens when we reclaim our focus from technology, perfectionism, and fear. Drawing from nearly 15 years of sobriety, lived experience with ADHD, creative practice, and stepping away from social media, Cody shares how attention is not just about productivity — it’s about presence, integrity, and self-trust.  An artist, writer, teacher, and dancer, Cody teaches us attention is the currency of our lives  – and that most of us are spending it without realizing it. Dr. Dan and Cody urge listeners to remember that attention shapes not just what we see but who we become. They challenge us to reclaim our time and focus so life feels like it belongs to us again. Cody Cook-Parrott is the author of six books, including the new The Practice of Attention. For more information visit www.codycookparrott.com. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.– Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    59 min

  6. FEB 26

    The Curiosity Curve: Why Great Leaders Ask Better Questions with Dr. Debra Clary

    In this powerful conversation, Dr. Dan sits down with leadership strategist, researcher, and executive coach and author Dr. Debra Clary to explore why curiosity may be the most overlooked—and most essential—leadership skill of our time. Deb shares her remarkable journey from driving a Frito-Lay delivery truck after earning her MBA to advising Fortune 500 executives and the publication of her book The Curiosity Curve: A Leader’s Guide to Growth and Transformation Through Bold Question. Along the way, she reveals how resilience, humility, and bold questions shaped her leadership philosophy and helped spark transformational change inside some of the world’s most iconic organizations. Together, Dr. Dan and Debra explore why certainty can hinder growth, how curiosity fuels engagement and performance, and why fear and curiosity cannot coexist in the brain. They explore the role curiosity plays not just in leadership and business, but in parenting, relationships, creativity, and human connection. This episode is a compelling reminder that asking better questions—without an agenda—can unlock innovation, strengthen relationships, and create cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. For more information visit www.debraclary.com and follow @the_curiosity_curve on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 3m

  7. FEB 19

    From Misunderstood to Mastery: Purpose, Resilience, and the Courage to Grow with Kenneth Thompson

    Dr. Dan is in the virtual studio today with award-winning music educator and entrepreneur Kenneth Thompson to explore what it truly means to grow into your purpose—especially when the path is anything but linear. Ken, the founder and CEO of the Musical Arts Center of San Antonio, Inc. (MACSA), holds a Bachelor of Music/Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music (where he studied with Nelita True and Anton Nel). Ken shares his journey from early struggles with learning differences, bullying, and feeling unseen, to discovering connection, creativity, and self-awareness through music. What begins as a story about piano and performance becomes a profound exploration of resilience, mindset, neurodiversity, and leadership. Together, Dr. Dan and Ken unpack the hidden costs of chasing validation, the pressure of elite performance environments, and the courage it takes to redefine success. They explore why growth requires both safety and intensity, how authentic connection unlocks human potential, and why teaching, mentoring, and advocacy are among the most powerful forms of leadership. This episode is a reminder that purpose evolves, growth is relational, and true empowerment comes from being met—exactly as you are—while being challenged to become more. For more information, visit macsainc.com and follow @Ken.CreativeCoach on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 8m

  8. FEB 12

    Mind Over Grind: How to Beat Burnout, Rumination, and Workplace Stress with Guy Winch

    In this eye-opening interview, Dr. Dan Peters talks with internationally renowned psychologist Guy Winch to explore how emotional health, rumination, and chronic stress quietly hijack our lives highlighting that burnout doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t stay at work when the workday ends. Dr. Dan and Guy also discuss his new book Mind Over Grind: How To Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life. Guy shares why burnout clouds our judgment, why rumination is one of the most damaging (and overlooked) habits in modern work culture, and how emotional health skills can prevent anxiety and depression before they become clinical. Dr. Dan and Guy unpack the science behind mental detachment, responsibility-taking, and why recovery not productivity must come first. On this episode listeners will learn practical, science-backed strategies to break the cycle of rumination and mental replay, recover from burnout, create psychological boundaries when working from home and reclaim evenings/relationships/personal identity from work. This episode is a grounded, actionable reminder that while we can’t always change our external circumstances, but we can change how we experience them. Dr. Dan and Guy empower us all with their message that emotional health is a daily practice and daily choice – at home and at work. For more information visit www.guywinch.com and follow @guywinch on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 8m
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4.8
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About

Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan is your weekly dose of inspiration, purpose, and practical wisdom for living a life aligned with your true self. Hosted by renowned psychologist and executive coach Dr. Dan Peters, this podcast helps you break free from autopilot and step fully into the life you’re meant to live. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re living up to your potential—or how to navigate challenges with more resilience and clarity—this show is for you. Dr. Dan combines expert insights, powerful interviews, and real-life tools to help you deepen your self-awareness, strengthen your mindset, and make a positive impact. With decades of experience guiding individuals and leaders toward lasting transformation, Dr. Dan brings heart, humor, and honesty to every episode—so you walk away feeling motivated and equipped to make each day count. Tune in to new episodes every Thursday to unlock your potential, ignite your purpose, and—most of all—make it a great one. 

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