Success! How I Did It

Susan Lyne dropped out of college and lived in a commune. She wrote for magazines and founded her own movie magazine. She green-lighted Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and The Bachelor while leading ABC Entertainment. She led Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia while Martha was in prison. She led Gilt Groupe to financial success during the recession. And she's now helping female founders through a fund called Built by Girls, or BBG. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Lyne spoke with Business Insider's senior strategy reporter Richard Feloni about how she's made an impact on a wide range of industries.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For startups on the path to success, there's often one moment or decision that catapults them from obscurity to the big leagues. This year on "Success! How I Did It," founders of companies such as PayPal, Lyft, and Dropbox shared how they built their companies into massive successes. And while a lot goes into building a company, the leaders we've interviewed all had surprising stories. Sometimes it's an inspired decision that leads to success; other times it's luck and timing.If you're hunting for more career advice, inspiration, and stories of getting to the top, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Radio Public, or wherever you listen.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, a different view of how to "make it." Business Insider’s senior strategy reporter Richard Feloni spoke with Buddhist monk and bestselling author Matthieu Ricard while he was promoting his new book "Beyond the Self," which he co-authored with neuroscientist Wolf Singer. For the last 50 years Ricard has lived in Nepal, often with no electricity or running water. Despite that, he's given not one but two viral TED Talks, and been called "the the happiest man in the world." But to Ricard, none of that is a measure of success.If you like the show, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And send any feedback to audio@businessinsider.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Venus Williams is one of the most dominant players in tennis, and has been for over two decades. A tennis prodigy who turned pro at age 14, she’s broken through barriers to win four Olympic gold medals and seven Grand Slam singles titles. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Business Insider Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell asks Williams about her rise to superstardom, and the hardships and successes she’s faced along the way. The interview took place in Manhattan at The Wing, a coworking space for women, where Venus was giving a talk about entrepreneurship.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Max Levchin cofounded PayPal with Peter Thiel and built it into a Silicon Valley success with the help of Reid Hoffman and Elon Musk. They took it public and sold to eBay in 2002, then all four left the company. But Levchin couldn't let go. He'd still show up at the office. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Levchin talks about how he struggled to find himself after the acquisition, so much so that his girlfriend dumped him (but they later married). He has since gone on to launch a bunch of startups and now spends most of his time as CEO of Affirm, which offers small loans but doesn't charge penalties or fees. But before all of that, Levchin grew up in Kiev, Ukraine, where he learned how to write computer code using pen and paper. And in the 1980s, his life was about to change. He lived near the Chernobyl power plant. Subscribe to "Success! How I Did It" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, RadioPublic, or your favorite app so you don't miss interviews with leaders like Sheryl San

Business Insider's US Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with three of the journalists whose reporting led to a national reckoning with sexual harassment. Jodi Kantor is one of two New York Times reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein harassment story. Irin Carmon told the story of Charlie Rose’s alleged victims. And over at The Hollywood Reporter, Kim Masters uncovered alleged harassment by Pixar’s John Lasseter and Amazon Studios' boss Roy Price. On this special bonus episode of "Success! How I Did It", we feature Shontell's conversation with all three of these extraordinary journalists, recorded November 30 at Business Insider's annual IGNITION conference.Subscribe to "Success! How I Did It" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, RadioPublic, or your favorite app so you don't miss interviews with leaders like Sheryl Sandberg and LeBron James.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Megyn Kelly was already a rising star at Fox News when she hit the big time by taking on a Presidential candidate named Donald Trump. Then, we learned Kelly had been sexually harassed by Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. He was fired — the first volley in a national reckoning. Kelly left for NBC News, where she now hosts the third hour of the Today Show. It’s a departure for the former lawyer. At Fox, she faced criticism for being too outspoken and prosecutorial. At NBC, critics say she’s too soft. For this episode of “Success! How I Did It,” Business Insider's US Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell interviewed Megyn Kelly at BI’s annual IGNITION conference. They spoke just hours after Kelly's colleague and longtime Today Show host Matt Lauer was fired for alleged sexual harassment. Subscribe to "Success! How I Did It" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, RadioPublic, or your favorite app so you don't miss interviews with leaders like Sheryl Sandberg and LeBron James. See Privacy Policy at h

It takes a lot of hard work to become an effective leader. In this Master Class episode of "Success! How I Did It," top executives and tech CEOs reveal their secrets to being a successful leader in any industry. Buzzfeed’s Jonah Peretti, Lyft’s John Zimmer, Fox News’ Dana Perino, and more share their insights and best tips.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim Ferriss first found fame with his 2007 book "The 4-Hour Workweek." After taking a break from writing in 2012, he became an accidental podcast star with "The Tim Ferriss Show," which is approaching 200 million downloads. He sat down for an interview with Business Insider senior reporter Richard Feloni for this episode of "Success! How I Did It."This hasn't been a typical year for Ferriss. He celebrated the 10th anniversary of "The 4-Hour Workweek," then decided to leave his successful "4-Hour" brand behind. He lost some friends, he got a lot of attention for talking about his struggle with depression, and he turned 40. He's out with a new book, "Tribe of Mentors," in which he collects advice from 140 successful people, a project that was as much for him as it was for his audience. Ferriss talks about all that and more, including how wrestling shaped his childhood, the original title of "The 4-Hour Workweek," and why he hopes no one considers him a role model.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy

People talk about Reid Hoffman as the philosopher of Silicon Valley. That’s by design. Before starting his career as an investor and master of social networks, he planned to be a "public intellectual." Hoffman says his philosophical training guides his business and investment strategies every day. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Hoffman spoke with Business Insider senior strategy reporter Richard Feloni about his 30-year friendship with his political opposite, Peter Thiel, and his love for playing board games. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before finding fame on "Shark Tank," and before building her New York real-estate empire, Barbara Corcoran was one of 10 kids in a working-class New Jersey family. If nothing else, she learned how to take a risk. She started with a $1,000 loan from her then boyfriend to go into the real-estate business. After a few years they broke up, then the company broke up, and she built her half into the Corcoran Group, a real-estate behemoth that she sold for $66 million in 2001. From there, she landed a spot co-hosting the hit reality TV show “Shark Tank.” Corcoran discusses all this and more in this episode of Business Insider's "Success! How I Did It," including how she stands out in a competitive field. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dana Perino didn’t crave the limelight. Then she landed one of the most public jobs — as George W. Bush's White House press secretary. Now Perino is at Fox News, where her star has been rising in the wake of sexual-harassment scandals at the network. The scandals led to the ouster of its CEO and a number of on-air talent, including its biggest star, Bill O’Reilly. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Perino spoke with Business Insider US Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell about how she went from Wyoming to DC, met her husband on an airplane, and ended up hosting two shows on Fox News — where some call her "the voice of reason." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spencer Rascoff knows a lot about running a company during a crisis. He’s the CEO of Zillow, which he ran through the housing crash. That was after he ran Hotwire, which survived the dot com crash only to learn it sold plane tickets to the 9/11 hijackers. Through personal and professional tragedies, Rascoff and his companies bounced back. Zillow’s now worth $5 billion. On this episode, Rascoff tells how he did it. Plus, he tells us about working with Uber’s new CEO, and what it was like touring with rock bands as a kid. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Rascoff describes how he navigated personal and professional blows. Plus, he tells us about working with Uber’s new CEO, and what it was like touring with rock bands as a kid. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Zimmer is the cofounder and president of the ride-hailing service Lyft, which has faced a fierce competitor in Uber since the beginning. Lyft is valued at $7.5 billion, covers 94% of the US population, and one of its biggest advantages seems to be its "nice guy" reputation. But it can be hard for nice guys not to finish last. On this episode of "Success! How I Did It," Zimmer tells us how he got rich by not caring about money, plus how he survived early startup years by living on a friend's couch and eating frozen meals from Trader Joe's. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Chef Jose Andres arrived in the United States 26 years ago, few Americans had heard of tapas. Since then, Americans have warmed up to Spanish small plates and Andrés has gone on to lead 26 restaurants and win two Michelin stars. He even claims to have created the best Philly cheesesteak. This past April, Andrés was invited to speak at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta by Intersport for a summit on leadership. On this edition of "Success! How I Did It," Andrés talks about his life, how he manages his kitchen, and why he pulled out of the Trump International Hotel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tony Robbins has used his commanding presence to build a career as the world's most famous life and business coach, helping people like President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and the Golden State Warriors. He recently hosted the winners of the Shopify Build a Bigger Business competition at his Fiji resort, Namale, where he also sat down with Business Insider senior strategy reporter Richard Feloni. They talked about how his childhood experiences made him want to help other people, and how he was able to scale that interest into a multibillion-dollar empire. We've turned that interview into a special episode of “Success How I Did It.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joanna Coles is the Chief Content Officer at Hearst, and was the Editor-in-Chief of Cosmo and Marie Claire before that. She's also the executive producer of a hit show on Freeform and a member of Snap's board. Coles told Business Insider's US Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell how she had to throw someone out of a cab to get a job, her negotiation strategy, and the power of a good network on this episode of "Success! How I Did It." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Brennan is the former director of the CIA, a position he held until this past January. Now he’s attempting to retire for the second time. In April, Brennan was invited to speak at The Masters golf tournament in Augusta by Intersport for a summit on leadership. Business Insider’s US Editor in chief, Alyson Shontell interviewed him there about everything from how he joined the agency to president Trump, to what it was like in the situation room when Osama Bin Laden was killed. T See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben Lerer spent his 20s co-founding Thrillist, a local recommendation site for “civilized bros.” He's now the CEO of digital holding company Group Nine, which is a merger of four brands: Thrillist, The Dodo, video news network NowThis, and Discovery’s science site, Seeker. The process was messy and difficult. But they got it done, and Discovery invested about $100 million in Group Nine. Lerer told Business Insider's Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell how he went from a self-described “decently spoiled kid” to a digital media mogul on this episode of “Success! How I Did It.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Master Class episode of "Success! How I Did It," Fortune 500 CEOs and top executives reveal what it takes to reach the top, and how to set yourself up for eventual business world domination in your 20s and 30s. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman and others share the career advice that was invaluable to them on their journeys.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.