In Search Of Excellence cover art
Podcast · 28 episodes

In Search Of Excellence

by Randall Kaplan · English

In Search of Excellence goes inside the lives of extraordinary entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, athletes, entertainers, and leaders to uncover what it really takes to achieve exceptional success. Hosted by Randall Kaplan - serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, executive coach, co-founder of Akamai Technologies, founder and CEO of JUMP Investors, and creator of the Extreme Preparation™ methodology - the podcast explores the preparation, habits, failures, relationships, resilience, mindset, and decisions behind extraordinary achievement. Randall’s guests include Tony Robbins, Mark Cuban, Gary Vaynerchuk, Mike Tyson, David Solomon, Dana White, Robert Greene, Sammy Hagar, and many more. The show has ranked as high as #3 in Entrepreneurship and #10 in Business on Apple Podcasts. Each episode delivers practical lessons and powerful stories about building careers and companies, overcoming adversity, making better decisions, developing winning mindsets, and preparing for the moments that matter most.

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The 5 Types of Cheating and the Question Betrayed Partners Never Ask | Jim Sexton | E193Jim Sexton (divorce attorney and relationship educator) discusses infidelity as a spectrum, then lays out “five types of cheating,” plus what betrayed partners rarely ask and how couples can…9 Sep 2026 · 1 h 29 min · 35 chapters
Divorce Lawyer Jim Sexton: Why Marriages Fail, Prenups, Sex, Monogamy & Divorce | E192Divorce lawyer Jim Sexton explains what divorce lawyers do, how divorce litigation incentives can worsen conflict, and what makes marriages fail.18 Aug 2026 · 1 h 38 min · 39 chapters
James Sexton: What 25 Years as a Divorce Lawyer Taught Jim Sexton About Life and Love | E191James Sexton, a divorce lawyer and relationship educator, discusses what 25 years in divorce court taught him about love, cheating, prenups, and human emotional complexity.4 Aug 2026 · 1 h 16 min · 28 chapters
Owen Hanson: From Cocaine Kingpin to Prison Redemption | E190Owen Hanson recounts his rise from a USC walk-on football player to a cocaine-and-gambling ring operator tied to the Sinaloa cartel, then his 21-year prison sentence, redemption, and later…18 Jun 2026 · 51 min · 24 chapters
The True Story of Owen Hanson: USC Walk-On, Drug Kingpin, Prison & Redemption | E189Owen Hanson’s rise and fall—from USC walk-on athlete to steroid and cocaine supplier tied to a Sinaloa-linked network, then his prison sentence and later redemption as a public speaker/entrepreneur.11 Jun 2026 · 1 h 49 min · 48 chapters
John Mackey’s Wild Story: From Dishwasher Showers to a $13.7B Amazon Deal | E188John Mackey (Whole Foods co-founder/ex-CEO) reflects on his “food awakening” (cells need nourishment), leadership/culture practices (voluntary “appreciations”), and major career turning points: IPO…19 May 2026 · 50 min · 22 chapters
John Mackey: How Whole Foods Grew From One Store to $22 Billion in Sales | E187John Mackey (Whole Foods co-founder) discusses building Whole Foods from one Austin store to a $22B+ business, plus life lessons on excellence, resilience, work ethic, fear of failure, education…12 May 2026 · 57 min · 33 chapters
Brian Grazer: Academy Award Winner Brian Grazer on Success, Creativity, and Greatness | E186Brian Grazer (Academy Award-winning producer) discusses how he builds successful films/TV, why rejection (“no”) is temporary, and the importance of owning intellectual property (IP) and evangelizing…5 May 2026 · 40 min · 18 chapters
How Brian Grazer Built a Hollywood Empire Through Curiosity, Courage & Relationships | E185Brian Grazer (Academy Award-winning producer) explains how curiosity, courage, and relationships—starting with mentorship from his grandmother—helped him overcome dyslexia, bullying, and repeated…26 Mar 2026 · 48 min · 18 chapters
Infidelity, Commitment, and Healing: A Real Conversation with Lewis Howes | E184Infidelity, commitment, and healing (framed through Lewis Howes’s broader themes of enduring pain, consistent effort, and courageous conversations).19 Mar 2026 · 1 h 21 min · 37 chapters
Lewis Howes: The Trauma That Fueled My Success, And How I Finally Healed | E183Lewis Howes recounts how childhood trauma, shame, bullying, and family instability fueled his drive to succeed, then how healing shifted his motivation from proving himself to serving others.10 Mar 2026 · 1 h · 30 chapters
Marc Lore : How I Sold My Companies to Amazon & Walmart for Billions | E182Marc Lore discusses his “can’t fail” entrepreneurship philosophy, how he raised early capital, and the strategic decisions behind major exits (diapers.com to Amazon; Jet.com to Walmart).10 Feb 2026 · 48 min · 23 chapters
Marc Lore : Why 95% of Success is Just "Shit Work" | E181Marc Lore (Mark Lohr) on entrepreneurship as “shit work,” why success comes from low-probability, high-effort bets, and how to hire, mentor, and parent for resilience and failure.27 Jan 2026 · 52 min · 26 chapters
Oz Perlman: 3 Keys to Becoming a World-Class Performer | E180Oz Perlman explains the difference between magic and mentalism, and shares “3 keys” to becoming a world-class performer: (1) build a strong character/identity that shapes your act, (2) focus on…14 Jan 2026 · 51 min · 21 chapters
Oz Pearlman: The Secret Mindset of the World’s Most Famous Mentalist | E179Oz Pearlman discusses how he became a world-famous mentalist/mentalist performer, linking his success to a “focus on others” mindset, relentless practice, and “extreme preparation,” plus lessons from…6 Jan 2026 · 45 min · 22 chapters
Rick Caruso: Why Money Should NEVER Be Your Motivation (Worth $6 Billion) | E178Rick Caruso argues money should not motivate success; instead, he emphasizes integrity, extreme preparation, and building “dynastic” projects.19 Dec 2025 · 36 min · 18 chapters
Rick Caruso: Why Billionaire Rick Caruso Gives His Personal Cell to Strangers and Neighbors | E177Rick Caruso discusses his life lessons and business/political views, especially how to help homelessness, why resilience matters, and how he transformed malls into lifestyle destinations.10 Dec 2025 · 45 min · 24 chapters
Terry Dubrow: The Truth About Plastic Surgery | E176Terry Dubrow discusses the “truth” about plastic surgery—how fame changes practice, why surgery skill improves with volume, major risks (especially Brazilian butt lifts and breast implants), how he…7 Nov 2025 · 1 h 9 min · 28 chapters
Terry Dubrow – Becoming the World’s Most Famous Plastic Surgeon | E175Terry Dubrow’s path from poverty and a chaotic home life to becoming a famous plastic surgeon and TV star (Botched), plus his “be bold” advice and formative experiences in medicine, music, and…3 Nov 2025 · 1 h 6 min · 29 chapters
The Vuori Story - From Cash Crunch to an $8 Billion Valuation | E174Viore’s origin story—how CEO/founder Joe Kudla built the activewear brand from a garage and near-bankruptcy into a company valued at about $8B, emphasizing work ethic, culture, and direct-to-consumer…24 Sep 2025 · 1 h 4 min · 31 chapters
Joe Kudla: How Joe Kudla Built Vuori: The Playbook for Category-Defining Athleisure | E173Joe Kudla’s path to building Vuori (Viore/Vuori) and the “playbook” behind category-defining athleisure: fear as fuel, persistence, and “first in last out” work ethic; plus lessons from accounting,…11 Sep 2025 · 59 min · 27 chapters
Jesse Itzler: From Making Jingles To A Creating a $5-Billion-Dollar Company | E172Jesse Itzler discusses how he built multiple businesses (including Marquee Jet, Zico Coconut Water, and Marquis Jet) from early music/jingle work, emphasizing persistence after repeated failures,…20 Aug 2025 · 37 min · 14 chapters
Gary Vee: $2 Billion Dollar Taco, Live Shopping, and Customer Service | E171Gary Vee’s origin story and investing/marketing philosophy, culminating in his prediction that live shopping on social (TikTok Shop, Whatnot, Fanatics Live, Meta) is a top money-making opportunity;…16 Aug 2025 · 44 min · 21 chapters
Gary Vee: USSR to CEO, the Immigrant Mentality, and Building Legacy | E170Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) recounts his immigrant upbringing from the USSR to New York, how his parents’ support shaped his mindset, and how early hustles (lemonade, baseball cards, selling wine) led…16 Aug 2025 · 47 min · 17 chapters