Live Your Dream with Celina Lee

Common Themes in Stories of Success

In this episode, I answer one of the questions I get the most. “What are the common themes in the stories of the successful people you have met?” Over the years, I have met a lot of people who have achieved incredible success in many different industries. I have interviewed and wrote about them, and shared their stories in my book, talk show, radio show, and now this podcast. I have found a consistent pattern, a common theme in the stories of success, and how people who not only have successful careers but also fulfilling lives discovered their callings. I share with you what I have learned.

How to Dive Into Life's Uncertainties and Thrive – Harry Jho

Harry Jho is the founder of the law firm, Harry Jho LLC, and Sockeye Media. His law firm focuses on OTC derivatives, Prime Brokerage, and Securities Finance. Harry not only grew his law firm successfully but also started a media company that has won 4 Emmy awards, has millions of subscribers and billions of views on Youtube, and distributed on Netflix, Amazon, and PBS stations nationwide. Sockeye Media produces the Mother Goose Club, one of YouTube's most successful channels for children. It’s hard enough to start one company but Harry started and grew two companies successfully, and none of it was actually planned. It was a series of random incidents punctuated by things seriously not working out that pushed him into a completely different direction and led him to start both companies. He talks about how the control we think we have over our lives is actually an illusion, and how he dived into life’s uncertainties, chose to face the risks instead of avoiding them, and eventually built two successful companies.

How to Get Back Up When Life Knocks You Down – John Siracusa

John Siracusa is the host of the "Bank On It” podcast where he interviews leaders from the fintech and the financial industry. He is also the director of partnership at Carpenter Group, a marketing firm on Wall Street. John dropped out of college and worked on many different kinds of jobs including working as a car salesperson at Toyota. He eventually built a successful consulting practice and had over 20 banks and credit unions as clients. In 2014, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After the surgery, he had to learn to walk and talk again, and essentially had to rebuild his life. In his attempt to learn to talk again, he started a podcast, and eventually grew it into a very successful podcast. He still has physical challenges he has to deal with on a daily basis, but that does not stop him from living a full life with a purpose, and with very positive perspective and attitude.

How to Achieve Your Childhood Dreams – Dennis Hong

Dennis Hong is the Professor and the Founding Director of RoMeLa (Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory) at UCLA. When Dennis was seven-years-old, he saw Star Wars for the first time and he was absolutely mesmerized by the robots he saw in the movie. He knew that one day, he will grow up to become the person who makes these robots. And now as he is living his dream. He has invented many incredible robots, and the world’s first car that can be driven by the blind. Washington Post Magazine called him “the Leonardo da Vinci of robots.” Becoming a robot scientist was only one of his dreams and he talks about his three other childhood dreams, and how he is achieving them. Like any other successful people, Dennis also had some really tough times in his career and shares what he has learned from these experiences.

How to Live a Resilient Life – Rand Fishkin

Rand Fishkin is the founder of Moz and SparkToro. Rand dropped out of college to work with his mom, and one point, he had $500,000 in credit card debt. He was able to eventually pay it off and grew the business to become Moz, a very successful marketing company focused on SEO (search engine optimization). Rand grew Moz to have $45 million dollars a year in revenue, had hundreds of employees, and raised millions in venture capital funding. A few years ago, he stepped down as the CEO and left the company this year. He recently published his book, Lost and Founder, and is working on his new company, SparkToro. He talks very honestly about dealing with depression, failures, the realities and the honest truth of what being a startup CEO is really like, and what he has learned about life and success from his journey.

How to Rise Above Life’s Challenges and Live a Happy and Fulfilling Life – Thomas Park Clement

Thomas Park Clement is the founder and CEO of Mectra Laboratories, a company he started in his attic in 1988. He is a successful inventor of medical devices and holds 41 patents. Thomas was born during the Korean War, as the son of an American military man and a Korean woman. He was abandoned when he was about four and a half years old, and lived on the street for about two years until he was taken to an orphanage. Thomas was eventually adopted by an American family and moved to the U.S. A biracial war orphan who was once considered “stupid” grew up to become a very successful inventor, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist, and achieved his childhood dream along the way. His story is about love and hope, and the resilient human spirit that serves as an inspiration for so many people.

How to Build a Successful Business in a Completely New Industry – Julia Dalton-Brush

Julia Dalton-Brush is the founder of the Brush Beauty Makeup and Hair Artistry. Since she was a little kid, Julia has always loved makeup, but she ended up working in a completely different industry in construction. However, she never forgot about the passion she had for makeup. Julia enrolled herself in a 3-month beauty school and then immediately started her company, and grew it into a successful business. She now works with major television and film studios, and famous brands. Julia shares how she turned her childhood passion into a successful company even though she was completely new to the industry when she started, and how the passing of her mother impacted how she approaches her work and life. 

How to Make Yourself Happy – Michael Kim

Michael Kim is the co-founder of the law firm, Kobre & Kim. Michael and his partner, Steven Kobre, met when they both worked as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Manhattan while working on a securities case, which ultimately became the movie, the Boiler Room. They started their law firm at Steven’s apartment kitchen in 2003 and grew it into a global law firm with 10 offices worldwide and over 300 employees. Michael talks about why he decided to start the law firm even though 99% of the people he talked to said it was a terrible idea, and what he has learned about setting and achieving goals, building authentic relationships, and how to make yourself happy.

How to Have the Courage to Pursue Your Dream - Hooni Kim

Hooni Kim is a chef and owner at restaurant Danji and Hanjan in NYC. We talk about how once an aspiring doctor became a chef, and his experience of working at Daniel and Masa, and why he decided to open a Korean restaurant after working at a French and Japanese restaurant. In 2011, Danji received a star rating from the Michelin Guide, making it the first Korean restaurant in America to receive the prestigious distinction.

Introducing Live Your Dream with Celina Lee

"How did you find what you wanted to do with your life? How did you have the courage to pursue your dream?” These are questions Celina explores with people from different walks of life. Their journeys reveal stories about dreams, courage, inspiration and creativity.