Famous Failures

On Famous Failures, I interview the world's most interesting people about their failures and what they learned from them.

End of Season 1 05/19/2020

Derek Sivers on What It Means to Fail 05/05/2020

Cathy Heller on the Power of Radical Empathy 04/21/2020

3 Key Insights from Think Like a Rocket Scientist 04/14/2020

Baya Voce on the Cure for the Loneliness Epidemic 04/07/2020

Dorie Clark on Failure and the Entrepreneurial Journey 03/24/2020

Dorie Clark on Failure and the Entrepreneurial Journey Dorie Clark is a consultant and keynote speaker, and the author of the books Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Dorie has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” Dorie consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, and teaches executive education. A former award-winning journalist, she directed the environmental documentary film, The Work of 1000, and was a producer for a multiple-Grammy-winning jazz album. To read any of 500 free articles Dorie has written for publications such as Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and Entrepreneur, visit . And if you’d like to build the career you want, you can download the free 88 question Entrepreneurial You self-assessment at . In this episode Dorie and I discuss: What Dorie learned from being laid off from her first newspaper job Why a diversity of skills is crucial in the modern job market What holds people back from diversifying themselves (and what you can do about it) How being a freelance journalist helped Dorie prepare for the entrepreneurial life Why learning how to run a business didn’t actually help Dorie launch her first business The very first step all entrepreneurs must take The “optimize for interesting” philosophy that Dorie lives by The personal and professional failures Dorie values most My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). The book was also selected by Adam Grant as his # 1 pick among his top 20 books of 2020. If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/13135085

Jessica Kriegel on How You Should Ditch Generational Stereotypes 03/10/2020

Jessica Kriegel on How You Should Ditch Generational Stereotypes Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a researcher and expert in generational dynamics. Her insights and solutions offer a roadmap for how you can most effectively transform your culture to attract, retain, and engage all generations in the workplace. Jessica’s book, , challenges the very concept of "generational differences" as an unfair generalization, and offers a roadmap to intergenerational understanding. She also speaks on the topic of generational dynamics nationally and acts as an adviser and strategist in matters of cultural alignment across all generations. Sign up for Jessica’s mailing list at . In this episode Jessica and I discuss: How being the youngest person in the room led Jessica to study generational differences Why older generations complain about millenials Why the established literature on generational differences is wrong Why the public is so eager to buy into generational stereotypes Jessica’s technique for showing how inappropriate generational stereotypes are How stereotypes about different generations lead to poor leadership decisions What companies can do to foster better intergenerational relations The personality trait that Jessica considers a personal failure Why it’s so difficult to project our true selves into the world and what we can do about it My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/12584402

Neil Pasricha: Ask Me Anything 02/25/2020

Neil Pasricha: Ask Me Anything Neil Pasricha is the author of five New York Times bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome, a catalog of simple pleasures based on his 50-million hit, award-winning blog, and The Happiness Equation, a nine-step guidebook to happiness based on new research. His latest book is You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life. Neil is also one of the most popular TED speakers with his first TED Talk “The 3 A’s of Awesome” ranked as one of the ten most inspiring of all time. His work has been featured in hundreds of outlets including CNN, BBC, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes. His new podcast, 3 Books, discusses the most formative books of inspiring individuals from all walks of life. Neil graciously offered to hold an ask-me-anything session for the readers of the Weekly Contrarian. In the AMA, Neil answers questions about the relationship between appreciation and happiness; how to expose your true inner, authentic self; how to go from being a glass-half-empty person to a glass-half-full person; and so much more. My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). The book was also selected by Adam Grant as his # 1 pick among his top 20 books of 2020. If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/13027928

Tara Schuster on Rising Up From Rock Bottom 02/11/2020

Tara Schuster on Rising Up From Rock Bottom Tara Schuster is an author, playwright, and accomplished entertainment executive, currently serving as the Vice President of Talent and Development at Comedy Central. She was the Executive in Charge of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Key & Peele, the Emmy Award winning @Midnight, and numerous other shows. Tara’s first book, , will be released on February 18, 2020. The hilarious and relatable self-help/memoir tells the story of Tara’s path to re-parenting herself and becoming a “ninja of self-love.” Sign up for Tara’s newsletter to receive weekly self-care tips at: taraschuster.com/subscribe, and find her on Instagram as @taraschuster. In this episode Tara and I discuss: Why Tara decided not to pursue a career as a New York playwright How Tara’s budding playwriting career pivoted into an internship on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart Why Jon Stewart doesn’t believe in “Big Breaks” How cleaning the Daily Show office coffee machine opened doors to Comedy Central for Tara Why Tara strives to be the best at the worst How Tara hit rock bottom on her 25th birthday The first step Tara took to build a sense of self-awareness Tara’s advice for cultivating new friendships as you grow older How Tara managed to be so honest in her memoir How Tara faces the high risk of failure in the entertainment industry Resources mentioned by Julia Cameron My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/12703544

Frans Johansson on Why Diversity Drives Innovation 01/28/2020

Scott Harrison on Transforming Himself and Ending the Water Crisis 01/14/2020

Scott Harrison on Transforming Himself and Ending the Water Crisis Scott Harrison is the founder and CEO of charity: water, and the New York Times Bestselling author of . In 13 years, with the help of more than 1 million donors worldwide, charity: water has raised more than $400 million and funded more than 44,000 water projects in 28 countries. When completed, those projects will provide over 10 million people with clean, safe drinking water. If you would like to help bring clean water to the world, consider joining charity:water’s monthly donation program, The Spring at . If you sign up, forward your receipt to [email protected] and I will send you a free, personalized, and autographed copy of my forthcoming book . In this episode Scott and I discuss: How Scott transformed himself from hard-partying nightclub promoter with substance abuse problems to a global humanitarian organization founder How Scott’s first humanitarian mission in war-torn Liberia inspired the creation of charity: water Why being a philanthropic outsider was an advantage for Scott when he started charity: water Scott’s three key elements to great storytelling Why Scott celebrated the workers who crashed a million-dollar well drilling rig What Scott would say to his younger self who founded charity: water Resources mentioned My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . I’m personally donating my royalties from the pre-order sales of the book (up to $10,000) to charity: water. Every 10 pre-orders will bring clean water to 1 person in need. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/12583688

BJ Fogg on How Tiny Habits Can Spark Big Life Changes 12/31/2019

BJ Fogg on How Tiny Habits Can Spark Big Life Changes BJ Fogg is a behavioral scientist with deep experience in innovation and teaching. At Stanford University he runs the and also teaches his models and methods in graduate seminars. On the industry side, he trains innovators to use his work so they can create solutions that influence behavior. The focus areas include health, financial wellbeing, learning, productivity, and more. BJ has a new book, , which came out today, on December 31st, 2019. To learn more about Tiny Habits, visit tinyhabits.com. In this episode BJ and I discuss: How Greek philosophy inspired BJ to study persuasive technology Why BJ’s early theories on the future of technology earned him poor grades and puzzled looks What common modern practice will be seen as low-status behavior in the near future How people can adopt new behaviors even when they lack the motivation to change The three strategies that add up to BJ’s Tiny Habits behavioral change method How BJ learned to get over failure and keep trying new things How overcoming compulsive snacking taught BJ empathy toward others How you can the tiny Habits to untangle your own unwanted behaviors Resources mentioned by Aristotle , edited by BJ Fogg and Dean Eckles My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/12243110

Laura Vanderkam on Why You Have More Time Than You Think 12/17/2019

What to Do When You Make a Mistake 12/03/2019

Rene Denfeld on Healing Trauma and Telling Her Story 11/19/2019

Rene Denfeld on Healing Trauma and Telling Her Story Rene Denfeld is the author of the acclaimed novels , , and . Her literary thrillers have earned glowing reviews from the New York Times Book Review, among other venues. Margaret Atwood, who is the renowned author of Handmaid’s Tale (among other books), has described Rene’s work as “astonishing,” and Rene’s latest novel, The Butterfly Girl, a “heartbreaking, finger-gnawing, yet ultimately hopeful novel.” Rene was the Chief Investigator at a public defender’s office and has worked hundreds of cases, including death row exonerations. In addition to her advocacy work, Rene has been a foster adoptive parent for twenty years. She was awarded the Break The Silence Award in Washington, DC for her social justice work, and was named a 2017 hero of the year by the New York Times. You can get Rene’s new book The Butterfly Girl at , , or . In this episode Rene and I discuss: How living on the streets as a teenager inspired her latest novel What helped Rene overcome feelings of shame over her past trauma How she preserves the dignity of her fictional characters who survive trauma and abuse How a librarian and a broken typewriter steered her towards careers in social justice and writing The unexpected inspiration she found working with death row inmates Rene’s biggest challenge in writing stories inspired from her personal experience Why it’s never too late to start writing (Rene didn’t become an author until her 40s) What advice Rene has for older aspiring writers My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get digital access to the book to read on your favorite device within seven days of your pre-order. That means you can start reading it months before the book is released to the public. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/12072221

Why the "Fail Fast" Mantra is a Recipe for Failure 11/05/2019

Why the "Fail Fast" Mantra is a Recipe for Failure This is a short, solo episode of Famous Failures. Instead of doing an interview, I go on a riff on why the popular “fail fast, fail often” mantra is misguided. I offer an alternative that produces better results and explain how you can use it to your advantage in your personal and professional life. The discussion is based in part on my forthcoming book, . The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you pre-order the book, you’ll get amazing bonuses that are worth 10x the cost of the book(s). What’s more, if you pre-order the book in any format, you can download and read the digital version NOW, before the book is released to the public. You can learn more about the book and the bonuses at . Why am I running a pre-order campaign? First, pre-order bonuses are my way of thanking you for supporting my writing. Second, I’m donating 100% of my royalties (up to $10,000) from the pre-order sales to a non-profit called charity: water, which is on a mission to create a future where everyone has access to clean and safe drinking water. My goal is to sponsor an entire water project, which will cost $10,000 and bring clean water to a community of roughly 300 people. By pre-ordering the book, you’ll help bring this goal to life. Third, pre-orders carry tremendous weight in book promotion. Major bookstores use pre-order numbers to gauge public interest in the book. If the pre-order numbers are high, they’ll stock more copies of the book, which, in turn, means more readers will see it. You can pre-order any edition of the book from any bookseller (, , ). After you pre-order the book, please forward your receipt to [email protected], and your bonuses will land in your inbox. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/11776949

Whitney Johnson on Disrupting Yourself 10/22/2019

Whitney Johnson on Disrupting Yourself Whitney Johnson is a leading business thinker and expert on disruptive innovation and personal disruption. She covers the framework for personal disruption in the critically-acclaimed book . Originally an award-winning stock analyst, Whitney chose to leave her Wall Street career behind at the height of her career. This bold act of personal disruption and the following years of entrepreneurial exploration led to her new career as a business coach, writer and speaker. Whitney is the host of the popular . You can gain special insights into her seven-point framework for personal disruption by listening to Disrupt Yourself episode #120, “Play to Your Distinctive Strengths” at . In this episode Whitney and I discuss: How she went from secretary to award-winning Wall Street analyst Why taking a step backward was Whitney’s slingshot forward on Wall Street How disrupting yourself sets you up for greater success Why Lady Gaga is the perfect example of personal disruption The three factors that helped her develop the confidence to make big leaps The importance of grieving failure Resources mentioned by Clayton Christensen by Donald Miller My book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist, is now available for pre-order (, , ). I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain (NYT Bestselling Author of Quiet), “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink (NYT Bestselling Author of Drive and A Whole New Mind), and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant (NYT Bestselling Author of Originals). If you , you’ll get immediate digital access to read on your favorite device. That means you can start reading it NOW, months before the book is published. You’ll also get pre-order bonuses worth at least 10 times the cost of the book. You can check out the bonuses at . Why am I running a pre-order campaign? First, pre-order bonuses are my way of thanking you for supporting my writing. Second, I’m donating 100% of my royalties (up to $10,000) from the pre-order sales to a non-profit called charity: water, which is on a mission to create a future where everyone has access to clean and safe drinking water. My goal is to sponsor an entire water project, which will cost $10,000 and bring clean water to a community of roughly 300 people. By pre-ordering the book, you’ll help bring this goal to life. Third, pre-orders carry tremendous weight in book promotion. Major bookstores use pre-order numbers to gauge public interest in the book. If the pre-order numbers are high, they’ll stock more copies of the book, which, in turn, means more readers will see it. You can pre-order any edition of the book from any bookseller (, , ). After you pre-order the book, please forward your receipt to , and your bonuses will land in your inbox. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/11719322

Think Like a Rocket Scientist 10/08/2019

Think Like a Rocket Scientist In this special episode of Famous Failures, I read a never-before-released excerpt from my forthcoming book, . If you the book, you’ll get amazing bonuses that are worth 10x the cost of the book(s). What’s more, if you pre-order the book in any format, you can download and read the digital version NOW, before the book is released to the public. Click to learn more. I’ve been ecstatic about the early reviews of the book. Here are a few: "When the stakes are high, the unknowns are threatening, and the problems seem insurmountable, you need a superhero — which means you need Ozan Varol. He’ll show you how to master the cognitive skills of a rocket scientist. And by the time you finish reading his endlessly fascinating book, your thinking will be bigger, better, and bolder." — Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of WHEN, DRIVE, and A WHOLE NEW MIND “Thinking like a rocket scientist is not rocket science! Packed with witty writing, insightful advice, and invigorating stories, this must-read book will change the way you see the world—and empower you to change the world itself.” — Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of QUIET. “This is not just an engrossing read—it’s bursting with practical insights. Ozan Varol’s dazzling debut might change how you approach problems. Houston, this book has solutions.” — Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS and GIVE AND TAKE, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife “The rocket scientists I know are technical, of course. But they are also among the biggest dreamers the world has ever seen. Ozan Varol has written a fascinating, practical, and mind-expanding book about how we can all benefit from thinking like a rocket scientist. This book will make you look at the world with a different lens and will help you make your own seemingly crazy moonshot a reality.” – Julian Guthrie, New York Times bestselling author of How to Make a Spaceship Head over to grab your copy. - Don’t want to miss future episodes? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on iTunes or Google Play. As always, thanks for listening. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/11553272

Tim Urban on Overcoming Procrastination and Finding His Voice Through Experimentation 09/24/2019

Tim Urban on Overcoming Procrastination and Finding His Voice Through Experimentation Tim Urban is best known as the writer and illustrator behind the incredibly popular blog , which has garnered millions of unique page views and famous fans like Elon Musk. His deeply researched long-form posts on everything from artificial intelligence to procrastination buck the conventional wisdom that internet writing should be short or SEO optimized to be successful. A former film composer and professional tutor, Tim has parlayed his conversational writing style into a sideline of speaking engagements. His 2016 TED talk on procrastination has been viewed more than 30 million times. You can subscribe to the Wait But Why Newsletter at In this episode Tim and I discuss: Why he wrote a 90 page college thesis in only 72 hours Strategies for overcoming procrastination What motivated Tim to give up his music career to become a professional blogger How Tim developed his writing craft in the sandbox of blogging The value of experimentation, having fun, and drawing stick figures Why Tim ignores the ‘short and sweet’ blogging format and writes long, book-length posts What he learned from failing to take advantage of a big opportunity in Hollywood What exciting trends in technologies and psychology may end up in future Wait But Why posts And in this episode Tim also answers a couple questions from members: “Where do you get ideas for your blog?” “How do you pick a popular topic but avoid repeating someone else’s rants on the same issue?” Resources mentioned: Tim’s TED Talk: by Nir Eyal The story of Odysseus and the Sirens is from the by Homer - Get your FREE copy of my e-book. Text OZAN to 345345 or navigate to weeklycontrarian.com to download a free copy of my e-book, The Contrarian Handbook: 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, you’ll get the Weekly Contrarian — a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only). Don’t want to miss future episodes? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on iTunes or Google Play. As always, thanks for listening. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/11253569

Lindsey Horan on Winning the Women’s World Cup 09/10/2019

Lindsey Horan on Winning the Women’s World Cup In 2012, eighteen-year-old soccer player Lindsey Horan defied conventional wisdom when she turned down a scholarship from soccer powerhouse University of North Carolina. UNC is almost a guaranteed path to the big leagues for talented and hardworking women, but Lindsey decided to skip a step and move halfway around the world to sign with Paris Saint-Germain. She was the first American woman to go pro directly out of high school. Today Lindsey is a National Women’s Soccer League player with the Portland Thorns. She led her team to the championship in 2017 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the entire league for the 2018 season. She’s the heartbeat of the US Women’s National Team and played in her first World Cup in 2019. Follow Lindsey on Twitter at , and on Instagram at . In this episode Lindsey and I discuss: How she made the difficult decision to skip college and turn pro in France What it was like landing in France at the age of eighteen with no language or cultural compass How she overcame humiliation in the locker room to become the best player she could be Why chipped fingernails and short hair got players sidelined in France How she talks herself through tough times and failures How she supports her team on the field when things go sideways during a game How she bounced back from being benched for most of the 2016 Olympics Why taking risks on the field boosts her self-confidence and makes her a better player - Get your FREE copy of my e-book. Text OZAN to 345345 or navigate to weeklycontrarian.com to download a free copy of my e-book, The Contrarian Handbook: 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, you’ll get the Weekly Contrarian — a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only). Don’t want to miss future episodes? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on iTunes or Google Play. As always, thanks for listening. /episode/index/show/famousfailures/id/11149319