Dan J. Berger: How Do You Truly Find a Sense of Belonging?

Dan J. Berger is the Founder and CEO of Assemble Hospitality Group and the author of The Quest: The Definitive Guide to Finding Belonging. We spoke about how early life traumas, entrepreneurship, and the deep human need for connection shaped both his personal journey and his professional mission.

Dan revealed that building his multimillion-dollar company wasn’t a story of youthful ambition — it was a survival strategy:
 "Starting my company was a way to really address my lack of belonging."
Yet selling it forced him into a painful but transformative realization:
"Operating the business was me running away from doing the work on my own."

We explored the idea that true belonging isn't found in success or status but in how intentionally we build and nourish relationships. Dan introduced his powerful framework of belonging archetypes — like the anxious meerkat or the secure chimpanzee — and explained how different people need different "belonging fuels" to feel whole:
"There are specific things we can do in order to fill our belonging tank, depending on what our belonging personality is."

This conversation opens up crucial lessons for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone feeling a hidden emptiness beneath external achievements:

• Why personal belonging must come before professional belonging — and how failing to do so quietly erodes leadership impact.
• The six types of belonging fuels — from interpersonal relationships to symbolic bonds — and how to consciously fill your emotional tank.
• How to build cultures of true belonging at work without mistaking it for box-checking diversity initiatives:
  "Belonging is a feeling and experience someone has when they feel seen, heard, and valued."
• The real reason many entrepreneurs experience a profound sense of loss after an exit — and what steps to take before reaching that point.

Today, Dan’s mission through Assemble Hospitality Group is to create spaces where teams can reconnect, collaborate, and experience real belonging — not just at work, but in life. His book, The Quest, and free belonging archetype quiz offer a practical roadmap for anyone ready to stop outsourcing fulfillment and start building it within.