Greatness

Jonathan Watts

Learn from history’s greatest.Each week, Jonathan Watts dives into the lives and moments of the world's most extraordinary people, uncovering timeless lessons and unforgettable stories.

  1. 4d ago

    158. The Life and Philosophies of Elon Musk (Part I)

    Diving into Elon Musk in his own words, everything from his approach to making decisions, the traits that define him, how he thinks about building and creating, and more. ----- Sources  The Book of Elon - Eric Jorgenson ----- 2:35 - Be useful 4:35 - How Elon makes decisions 6:20 - Be curious 6:45 - Don't worship anything 12:50 - Capacity for pain 14:40 - An obsessive work ethic 17:05 - On dealing with fear 19:07 - First principles approach/relentlessly pursue the truth 25:15 - Read. Read. Read. 27:10 - Sleep on the factory floor  28:20 - Bring in great people 30:33 - Fail and fail fast 32:15 - A maniacal sense of urgency 34:45 - Advice to entrepreneurs/how he decided to start his companies 36:04 - How he decided to start his companies 37:10 - The goal of the game is to stay in the game 40:10 - Short ideas from Musk ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    47 min

  2. Jun 2

    157. How the World's Greatest Artists Worked

    Diving into the working ways of some of the world's greatest artists.  ----- Sources Daily Rituals - Mason Currey ----- Time Stamps: 3:49 - Benjamin Franklin: The two questions and the "air bath." 6:05 - Scott F. Fitzgerald: Work like a lion 9:04 - Paul Erdos: Drugs and stimulants 12:20 - William Gass: Work angry 14:07 - Anne Rice: Flexibility, ease, and uninterrupted time 16:42 - David Lynch: Find a thinking place 17:40 - Umberto Eco: Thinking in the cracks  19:05 - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Is it sustainable? 20:50 - Twyla Tharp: Building a bridge 22:20 - Graham Greece: Burn your youth, sustain as you age 23:50 - Marcel Proust and Philip Roth: Go monk mode 26:25 - Carl Jung: Make it boring 28:15 - Thomas Mann: Setting Boundaries 30:05 - Gustav Mahler, Twyla Tharp: Preparing to  be creative 32:47 - Nicholson Baker, Thomas Wolfe, Fredreich Schiller, Woody Allen - Get creative, find your way 37:20 - Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky: Do the unpleasant first 40:25 - Bernard Malamud: The only thing that matters 42:03 - Anthony Trollope - Advice on starting a craft 44:52 - Gustave Flaubert: the ups and downs of the creative process 46:38 - Ernest Hemingway: Keep some juice in the tank 47:30 - James Boswell: The morning reminder 49:55 - Gertrude Stein, Martin Amis, Joyce Carol Oates - Genius in endurance in disguise  52:22 - Ideas on making time, finding effortless work, and inspiration 54:20 - Karl Marx: The right regrets 56:00 - William James: The Solomon Paradox 58:26 - Rene Descartes - Don't compromise your working way ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website:

    1h 2m

  3. May 19

    156. Marcus Aurelius

    Diving into the life of the last great Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and his own personal notes to himself. ----- Sources The Lives of the Stoics - Ryan Holiday Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor - Donald Robertson Meditations - Marcus Aurelius ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    50 min

  4. May 8

    155. History Dump: Henry Ford, Richard Feynman, and Chris Hadfield

    Doing a new little mini-series called a "History Dump" where I offer stories, ideas, and things I've found interesting from books, documentaries, and anything I've researched recently. This episode focuses on three individuals: Richard Feynman, Henry Ford, and Chris Hadfield.  ----- Sources My Life and Work - Henry Ford An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth - Chris Hadfield Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    40 min

  5. Apr 30

    154. Howard Schultz and The Rise of Starbucks

    Diving into the early years of Howard Schultz and his unusual path to building Starbucks. "I can't give  you any secret recipe for success, any foolproof plan for making it in the world of business. But my own experience suggests that it is possible to start from nothing and achieve even beyond your dreams." ----- Sources - Pour Your Heart Into It - Howard Schultz ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    56 min

  6. Apr 19

    153. The Mental Battle of Rory McIlroy

    Diving into the emotional ride of Rory McIlroy and his journey to winning the Masters. “You’re trying to overcome all of history. These memories. All these different things that are going through your head while you’re playing that golf course, and trying to win this massive tournament…And that’s one of the hurdles I have found so hard to overcome. You have to get over the demons that you have on that course.”  - Rory McIlroy ----- Sources: Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    31 min

  7. Apr 11

    152. Jerry Seinfeld

    Diving into the working ways and creative process of comedian Jerry Seinfeld ----- “Your blessing in life is when you find the torture you’re comfortable with.” - Jerry Seinfeld  ----- Sources Is This Anything? - Jerry Seinfeld #485: Jerry Seinfeld — A Comedy Legend’s Systems, Routines, and Methods for Success Jerry Seinfeld Intends to Die Standing Up  Life's Work  ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    41 min

  8. Apr 3

    151. Advice from the Wisest People on Earth

    Dr. Karl Pillemer interviewed a thousand elderly individuals with one common goal: what can we learn from them on how to live better? Today's episode dives into those lessons and insights.  ----- Sources:  30 Lesssons for Living ----- Check out my books below: Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming  Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence Stay connected and check out more on our website: Chasegreatness.net

    38 min
See All (158)

4.9
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Learn from history’s greatest.Each week, Jonathan Watts dives into the lives and moments of the world's most extraordinary people, uncovering timeless lessons and unforgettable stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonathan Watts
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    158
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Greatness
  • Show Website
    Greatness

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