Success Story with Scott D. Clary

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Paul Allen is a serial entrepreneur and technology pioneer who co-founded Ancestry.com in 1997 and served as its first CEO, helping to build the company into the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world before its sale to Blackstone for $4.7 billion. Under his leadership, Ancestry reached profitability before raising any outside capital and developed one of the largest databases of historical records, revolutionizing how people discover their family history. Beyond Ancestry, Allen founded multiple mission-driven technology companies, including MyFamily.com and FamilyLink, which created the viral Facebook app "We're Related" that attracted over 120 million users. A Brigham Young University graduate who began coding at age twelve, Allen has dedicated his career to leveraging technology to connect people and unlock human potential, currently serving as CEO of Soar.com while remaining a passionate advocate for strengths-based leadership development.

➡️ Show Links

https://www.instagram.com/paulallendc/ 

https://x.com/paulballen/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulballen/ 

➡️ Podcast Sponsors

Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/  

Huel - https://huel.com/scott (Code: scott)

ShipStation - https://www.shipstation.com/ (Code: SuccessStory)

Square - https://square.com/go/success 

SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/scott 

Monarch Money - https://www.monarchmoney.com (Code: Success)

NetSuite - https://netsuite.com/scottclary/ 

Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary

➡️ Talking Points

Chapters

00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:25 – From Skeptic to Believer in Entrepreneurship
00:10:07 – Is Entrepreneurship the Right Path?
00:27:11 – Sponsor
00:29:43 – Why Making $1M Is Easier Than Ever
00:34:16 – The Myth of the Self-Made Entrepreneur
00:39:44 – How Short-Term Thinking Kills Businesses
00:44:59 – Hard Lessons from Building Ancestry.com
00:46:44 – Sponsor
00:48:37 – Creating the Perfect Environment for Entrepreneurs
00:55:46 – Can Anyone Really Be an Entrepreneur?
00:57:50 – Why Most AI Projects Fail in Big Companies
01:02:47 – How Entrepreneurs Should Use AI
01:10:21 – Knowledge Without Action Is Useless
01:15:52 – Will AI Replace Jobs or Create Them?
01:21:40 – Why Locus of Control Determines Success
01:23:57 – God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
01:31:31 – Advice Paul Would Give His 20-Year-Old Self
01:34:55 – How Paul’s Definition of Success Changed

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In this "Lessons" episode, Jager McConnell, CEO of Crunchbase, breaks down the hard realities of monetizing data and turning a free platform into a scalable subscription business. He shares how early monetization helped validate real demand before product perfection, and why owning distribution became one of Crunchbase’s biggest competitive advantages. Jager also dives into the pressure of building under limited runway, the shift away from user-generated data, and how layered data systems and partnerships created a durable moat in an increasingly competitive market.

➡️ Show Links

https://successstorypodcast.com  

YouTube: https://youtu.be/C9ap3TfKWLA 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jager-mcconnell-ceo-of-crunchbase-innovation/id1484783544 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nXFdOACurKCEuXBKLbhz0 

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https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

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In this "Lessons" episode, Valerie Fridland, author of Like, Literally, Dude, explores how the language we use every day reveals who we are and shapes how we connect with others. She explains how speech patterns function as tools for building trust, signaling belonging, and forming social bonds, often without us realizing it. The conversation also unpacks why certain language features become stigmatized along lines of gender and class, and how historical power dynamics—especially around women’s voices—have influenced what we consider “good” or “bad” language. Ultimately, Valerie shows how language is not just about communication, but about identity, culture, and social change over time.

➡️ Show Links

https://successstorypodcast.com  

YouTube: https://youtu.be/BfkjIlAjha4 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/valerie-fridland-professor-sociolinguist-and-author/id1484783544 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iVUYI1XzbKPYKiS4HAltf 

➡️ Watch the Podcast on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary

In this week's podcast, we sit down with Andreea Vanacker, CEO at SPARX5. Andreea’s passion for business strategy, innovation and international growth has led her to several executive roles from start-up companies to international organizations in the last twenty years, among which Bombardier and IATA. She has managed global businesses and teams while working with clients in the manufacturing, aviation, aerospace, luxury, technology and retail industries in all corners of the world. She speaks four languages and holds a Ph.D. in Economics, along with a Business Degree in Finance and International Business from HEC.  
After writing the book, Successonality, The Ten Secrets To A Success-Focused Personality, Andreea has worked with Fortune 500 clients to drive strategic business growth and peak performance. Andreea is also the founder of SPARKX5, a strategy and technology company, who has developed an employee well-being application, in order to enable employees to thrive in all areas of their lives. Her latest book, Perspectives, explores the pillars of human fulfillment. Andreea is also on the Board of Directors of the Charlie’s Foundation, and the Angel Circle at the Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal.
Show Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreeadutescu/

Jack Canfield is an American author, motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which has more than 250 titles and 500 million copies in print in over 40 languages.
Show Links
https://twitter.com/JackCanfield
https://www.jackcanfield.com/success/the-success-principles-workbook/sp/launch.html
http://jackcanfield.com/