The 14 Best Success And Motivation Podcasts (2026)

Mel Robbins built her reputation on a single idea -- the five-second rule -- and then spent the next decade proving she had a lot more to say. Her podcast, which drops new episodes on Mondays and Thursdays, has become the go-to show for women who want research-backed advice that doesn't feel like a lecture. Mel has a gift for taking concepts from behavioral science, neurology, and psychology and making them feel like something your smartest friend is explaining over coffee.

The guest lineup is impressive without being showy. She brings on Stanford professors, Harvard-trained behavioral scientists, and published authors, but the conversations never disappear into academic jargon. Recent episodes have covered everything from designing your ideal life to navigating menopause to understanding why your brain sabotages your dating life. With 374 episodes and a 4.7-star rating from over 13,500 reviews, the show has clearly found its audience. Mel shares personal stories alongside the expert interviews, and she's not afraid to get specific about her own struggles. The episodes on nutrition and time management are particularly strong -- practical enough to actually change your Tuesday, not just inspire you to think about changing it someday. If you're looking for a podcast that treats women's personal growth as something worth serious intellectual engagement rather than just affirmations, this is it.

Lewis Howes was a professional football player whose career ended with an injury, and that experience of rebuilding from zero shapes every interview he does on this show. With roughly 2,000 episodes and a 4.8 star rating from over 20,000 reviews, The School of Greatness has become one of the longest-running wellness interview podcasts out there. New episodes drop twice a week, running between 55 minutes and an hour and a half. Howes pulls in an absurdly wide range of guests -- Olympic athletes, neuroscientists, therapists, entrepreneurs, authors -- and steers the conversation toward what actually worked when things got hard. He is particularly good at getting successful people to talk about their lowest moments, which makes the wellness advice feel earned rather than theoretical. The show covers mental health, fitness, relationships, finances, and personal development, often within the same episode. Howes has a jock-turned-seeker energy that might not click for everyone, but his genuine curiosity about how people function at their best keeps the conversations from sliding into generic motivation. One downside: the ad reads are frequent and long, though a GREATNESS+ subscription cleans that up. The back catalog alone is worth exploring -- there are episodes from years ago with guests who were not yet famous that feel like time capsules of good advice delivered before the spotlight hit.

Tony Robbins has been coaching people on mindset, business, and personal transformation for over four decades, and his podcast brings that experience into a format you can listen to on your own time. The show pulls from a few different sources: exclusive audio from his live events and seminars, one-on-one coaching interventions, and in-depth interviews with thought leaders and experts. Episodes range from quick 15-minute segments to extended 70-minute conversations, so the format stays varied. Recent seasons have leaned into a financial and investing thread alongside the traditional personal development content, with a recurring segment called The Holy Grail of Investing. Guests have included bestselling author Michael Singer, serial entrepreneur Marc Lore, and spiritual teacher Byron Katie. The live event clips are where you really get the Tony Robbins experience -- you can hear the crowd energy and feel the intensity of his coaching style even through your earbuds. The broader episodes cover business strategy, relationships, health, and finances with the kind of authority that comes from having worked with over 50 million people across 100 countries. The show updates every couple of weeks and has about 197 episodes in its catalog. If you have ever watched one of Tony's events on Netflix or read his books and wanted more, this is the natural next step. It is not as polished as some newer shows, but the substance is hard to match.

Ed Mylett built his reputation in the business world before turning to podcasting, and The Ed Mylett Show has become one of the top-rated personal development podcasts on Apple with a 4.9-star rating from nearly 14,000 reviews. The show has been running since 2016 and has over 650 episodes in the archive. Ed interviews high-performing people from all walks of life -- athletes like Damar Hamlin and Michael Chandler, neuroscientists like Dr. Daniel Amen, entertainers like LeAnn Rimes, and performance coaches like Alan Stein Jr. Episodes run anywhere from 45 minutes to nearly two hours, and the conversations go deep. What separates Ed from a lot of hosts in this space is his willingness to be vulnerable about his own journey. He talks about his father's alcoholism, his early financial struggles, and the moments where he nearly gave up. That openness creates a different kind of conversation with his guests -- they tend to open up too, sharing things they might hold back on other shows. The mashup episodes are a nice touch, where Ed pulls clips from multiple interviews around a single theme like confidence or overcoming self-doubt. The topics land squarely in the success and motivation wheelhouse: mindset shifts, brain performance, trauma recovery, building confidence, and what it actually takes to perform at a high level day after day. If you respond to someone who has clearly walked through hard times and speaks from that place rather than from theory, Ed is your host.

Tom Bilyeu co-founded Quest Nutrition and helped grow it into a billion-dollar company before shifting his focus to media and education. Impact Theory is the result of that shift, and the show has evolved significantly since it launched. With over 830 episodes and daily updates, Tom now covers a wide territory -- geopolitics, AI, economics, government policy, and cultural issues alongside the personal development content that built the show's original audience. He works with co-host Drew, and the dynamic between them is part of what makes the show interesting. They disagree openly, push back on each other's ideas, and approach topics from genuinely different angles. That productive tension keeps conversations from becoming echo chambers. The guest roster reflects the show's breadth: you will hear from AI founders like Emad Mostaque, geopolitical analysts like Peter Zeihan, and tech entrepreneurs like Replit's Amjad Massad. Episodes run anywhere from 30 minutes to almost two hours. Tom's interviewing style is intense and intellectually curious -- he does not let surface-level answers slide, and he is willing to sit in disagreement without rushing to resolve it. The show's 4.7-star rating from 4,600 reviews suggests that the audience appreciates this approach. If you want a motivation and success show that also challenges you to think critically about the systems and structures shaping the world right now, Impact Theory occupies a unique lane.

Motivation Daily does exactly what the name suggests, and it does it well. The show drops a new episode every single day, and each one is a curated, professionally edited motivational speech from some of the most recognized voices in the space. You will hear from David Goggins, Tony Robbins, Eric Thomas, Admiral William McRaven, Kobe Bryant, Coach Pain, and dozens of others. The Motiversity team does not create original talks -- they compile and edit existing speeches into focused packages that hit a specific theme. Episodes cover building an extraordinary life, facing fear, resilience, discipline, sports motivation, and personal growth. Lengths vary from quick 8-minute bursts to longer compilations that run over an hour, but most land in the 12 to 30 minute range. Since launching in 2021, the show has produced over 1,200 episodes, which gives you an enormous library to pull from depending on what you need on any given day. The production quality is solid, with clean editing and background music that supports the speeches without overwhelming them. Some listeners have noted that the music can occasionally run loud and the ads are frequent, but the core content consistently delivers. The 4.7-star rating from about 2,000 reviews reflects a listener base that uses this show as a daily fuel source. If you want a straight shot of motivation without the interview format or the host commentary, Motivation Daily is one of the best options out there for pure inspirational audio.

Matt Bodnar takes a more cerebral approach to the success podcast genre, and that is exactly why The Science of Success has carved out a loyal following since 2015. The show focuses on evidence-based strategies for better decision-making, understanding how your mind works, and applying psychology to real-world outcomes. Matt interviews researchers, authors, and thought leaders -- guests like Brene Brown, Charles Duhigg, Byron Katie, Jim Kwik, and Dr. Adam Alter have all appeared on the show. Episodes run 40 to 70 minutes, which gives conversations room to breathe and go deeper than the usual podcast soundbite. What listeners consistently praise is Matt's interviewing style. He speaks just enough to guide the conversation, asks genuinely thoughtful questions, and then gets out of the way so the guest can deliver. The advertising is minimal and unobtrusive, which matters more than people realize when you are trying to absorb nuanced ideas about behavioral psychology or cognitive bias. With about 390 episodes in the catalog, the show has built a substantial library covering personal empowerment, communication skills, habit formation, and the hidden ways your brain sabotages your goals. The 4.7-star rating from over 1,000 reviews tells the story of a show that may not have the massive download numbers of some bigger names but earns deep trust from the people who listen. If you want your motivation grounded in actual research rather than hype, this is the show to start with.

Optimal Living Daily has a format you will not find anywhere else in podcasting. Justin Malik, an award-winning audiobook narrator, reads carefully selected self-help and personal development articles out loud, then adds his own commentary and reflections. Think of it as someone doing all the reading for you and delivering the highlights with a polished, professional voice. Episodes run about 9 to 12 minutes, which makes them easy to fit into a morning routine or a lunch break. The topics span minimalism, productivity, mental health, emotional eating, procrastination, mindfulness, and intentional living. Justin pulls from some of the most respected voices in the self-improvement world, so you are getting curated content from writers and thinkers who have already been vetted for quality. The show has been running since 2015 and has produced roughly 2,000 episodes with daily releases, giving you an enormous back catalog to explore. The 4.6-star rating from about 3,000 reviews shows that this format resonates with a lot of people. Some listeners have noted that older episodes occasionally get repeated without disclosure, but the sheer volume of content means there is always something new to discover. The show has also spawned several spinoffs covering finances, health, and relationships, creating a whole ecosystem if you connect with Justin's approach. For anyone who wants their personal development in short, well-narrated doses rather than hour-long conversations, Optimal Living Daily is hard to beat.

The One You Feed takes its name from the old parable about two wolves inside you -- one representing your best self and one representing your worst -- and the idea that whichever one you feed is the one that grows. Eric Zimmer has been exploring that concept for nearly a decade, with close to 1,000 episodes since launching in 2014. The show features long-form interviews, typically running about an hour, with guests who span the worlds of psychology, mindfulness, habit formation, and personal growth. The guest list is impressive: James Clear, Susan Cain, Michael Pollan, Deepak Chopra, Tara Brach, Ryan Holiday, and Mark Manson have all sat down with Eric. What makes Eric a standout interviewer is that he creates a genuinely safe space for real conversation. He is vulnerable about his own story and struggles, which tends to draw out a level of honesty from guests that you do not always get on bigger shows. Listeners consistently point to the show's focus on actionable wisdom rather than abstract inspiration. Eric guides conversations toward concrete practices that you can actually implement, not just ideas that sound good in the moment. The tagline captures the philosophy perfectly: it is not about perfection, it is about direction. The show holds a 4.5-star rating from over 2,400 reviews and updates twice a week. If the motivational podcast space sometimes feels like a lot of shouting and hype, The One You Feed offers something quieter and more grounded.

Gregg Clunis built Tiny Leaps, Big Changes around a premise that sounds simple but is surprisingly hard to find in the personal development world: the small, boring, day-to-day behaviors you engage in are what actually determine your results. Not the big dramatic breakthroughs, not the vision boards, not the morning routines of billionaires -- just the tiny, consistent actions that compound over time. The show has been running since 2015 and has nearly 960 episodes in the catalog. Episode lengths vary a lot, from quick 5-minute thoughts to deeper 40 or 50 minute conversations with guest experts. That variety means you can pick an episode based on how much time you actually have rather than committing to a full hour every time. Topics include productivity, habit formation, goal-setting, overcoming procrastination, managing anxiety, and building skills. Gregg integrates behavioral science into his advice without making it feel academic, and his delivery is straightforward and relatable. He is not trying to be a guru or a life coach -- he is more like a thoughtful friend who has read a lot of research and wants to share what he has found. The show has a 4.3-star rating from about 850 reviews, with listeners appreciating the practical, actionable nature of the content. Some episodes include a bit more advertising than listeners would prefer, but the substance is consistently strong. For anyone who is tired of the grand-gesture approach to success and wants something more grounded in daily reality, Tiny Leaps delivers.

Gretchen Rubin wrote The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, and her podcast with sister Elizabeth Craft takes those ideas about habits and happiness and turns them into something you can actually apply to your week. The show has been running since 2015 and has produced over 1,300 episodes across several formats: the main episodes run about 30 to 35 minutes, shorter A Little Happier segments clock in at 2 to 10 minutes, and there are themed series like Move Happier that dig into specific topics. Gretchen and Elizabeth have a warm sibling dynamic that makes the show feel like eavesdropping on a conversation between two smart sisters rather than listening to an expert hold court. Elizabeth calls Gretchen her happiness bully, which tells you something about the tone. The topics are practical and wide-ranging: habit formation, decision-making, managing money, dealing with grief, navigating rejection, and dozens of everyday life challenges. Gretchen's Four Tendencies framework -- her way of categorizing how people respond to expectations -- comes up regularly and gives listeners a useful lens for understanding their own behavior. Guests have included Michelle Obama, Craig Robinson, and financial commentators. The show maintains a loyal listener base that values the accessible, non-preachy approach to personal growth. Distributed by Lemonada Media, the podcast offers a paid subscription for ad-free listening. If you want a happiness and motivation show that feels practical and warm rather than intense and high-energy, this one has the depth and consistency to reward long-term listening.

Dr. Laurie Santos teaches what became the most popular course in Yale's 300-year history -- a class on the science of happiness. The Happiness Lab podcast extends that course to everyone. Produced by Pushkin Industries, the show has released about 270 episodes since 2019, with each one running 30 to 50 minutes. The format revolves around Laurie interviewing researchers and experts, then connecting their findings to the choices and assumptions that shape everyday life. The premise is blunt: you probably think you know what will make you happy -- more money, a better job, the perfect vacation -- and the research says you are wrong about most of it. That counterintuitive angle is what gives the show its edge. Recent episodes have explored dating strategies, what it means to feel genuinely loved, how to design a meaningful life, managing stress during transitions, and the link between creativity and well-being. Laurie has a warm, curious interviewing style that makes the academic research feel conversational rather than dry. She is a Yale professor, but she does not talk like she is lecturing a classroom. The production quality is high, as you would expect from Pushkin Industries, though some listeners have noted that the advertising load can feel heavy. The core content consistently delivers something you can take away and think about, which is why the show has attracted a significant audience in just a few years. For anyone who wants their motivation grounded in peer-reviewed research rather than personal anecdote, The Happiness Lab is the standard.

Elizabeth Day asks every guest the same brilliantly simple question: tell me about three times you failed. The answers — from actors, athletes, writers, politicians, and ordinary people — consistently produce some of the most honest, uncomfortable, and ultimately reassuring conversations in podcasting.

With 462 episodes and a 4.7-star rating, How To Fail has built a loyal following by normalizing something universities often don't: the reality that setbacks are not just inevitable but formative. Recent guests have opened up about eating disorders, living with parents as adults, navigating singlehood, the emotional cost of early fame, and professional rejection caused by dyslexia.

Day is a skilled interviewer with a warm, curious style. She doesn't push guests into trauma performance or manufactured vulnerability. Instead, she creates space for genuine reflection, and the conversations feel like sitting in on an honest late-night talk with someone you respect. Episodes run about 50 to 57 minutes for full interviews, with shorter bonus episodes for subscribers.

For university students, this show hits a nerve that few others reach. The pressure to appear successful, to have your path figured out, to never stumble — it's relentless on campus. Hearing accomplished people describe their failures with specificity and humor is a genuine antidote to that pressure. You'll finish episodes thinking differently about your own setbacks, and that shift in perspective might be more valuable than anything you learn in a lecture hall this semester.

Mitch Matthews describes himself as a success coach, speaker, and coach's coach, and DREAM THINK DO is where he puts all of that into practice for a broader audience. The show has been running since 2015 with about 450 episodes, blending interview conversations with solo episodes where Mitch breaks down ideas from his coaching work. Episodes typically run 45 to 70 minutes for the full interviews, with occasional shorter 15-minute episodes when Mitch has a specific idea he wants to share quickly. The guest list includes names like Brendon Burchard, Lewis Howes, Sara Haines, Michael Hyatt, and Paula Faris, but Mitch also brings on lesser-known guests who have genuine expertise in their fields. What listeners consistently highlight about the show is Mitch's ability to extract what he calls actionable gems from conversations. He does not let interesting ideas float by without pinning them down into something you can actually do. Topics cover personal development, entrepreneurship, goal-setting, leadership, financial wellness, and even niche subjects like ADHD engagement strategies and attention management. The show holds a 4.9-star rating from 345 reviews, which is a small but intensely loyal audience. Mitch's energy is infectious without being overbearing -- he sounds like someone who genuinely cares about helping people move toward their goals rather than someone performing enthusiasm. For listeners who want a success podcast that balances encouragement with strategy and treats you like an adult, DREAM THINK DO consistently delivers on that promise.