
My Wakeup Call with Dr. Mark Goulston
I’m Dr. Mark Goulston, and this is My Wakeup Call. Everybody has personal wakeup calls, but not everybody wakes up. In this podcast, we speak to people who did. In fact, they not only woke up, but their wakeup calls changed their lives, often helped them discover their purpose and then changed how they would spend the rest of their life. In most cases, the wakeup call was not pleasant, sought-after, and often shook people to the core of their being. But in every case, it made our guests more authentic, better at life, better in life and better human beings. I hope you will listen in and become as inspired as I am from every episode. I also hope it will help you persevere if you are going through a wakeup call and haven’t yet gotten through the pain of it, or landed in your future as the better person you’re meant to be, with the better life that you’re meant to have.
DISCLAIMER: Any information or advice I give is purely based on my own experience. Comments made are as a coach- this is not medical or psychiatry advice. There is no guarantee as there are many variables that will impact outcomes. Everything stated should be taken as opinion.
Latest episodes

Dec 21, 2023 • 55min
Ep 574 - Robert Barton
In this episode I speak with Robert Barton, University of Oregon professor emeritus in acting and former head of the acting program and author of many books including: "Acting: Onstage and Off," and "Acting Reframes: Using NLP to Make Better Decisions in and out of the Theatre and his “Many Right Ways” columns appear in each edition of The Voice and Speech Review. His wakeup call was coming from an unhappy childhood and seeing how acting and the theatre could free him and also be something to develop himself fully as a person and help others do the same. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IQW792/about/

Dec 14, 2023 • 50min
Ep 573 - Ron Carucci
In this episode I interview returning guest Ron Carucci co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He has a thirty-year track record helping executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization and leadership. He brings up to date after the publication of, "To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice and Purpose," because I felt compelled to speak to him given the need for all of this. www.navalent.com www.tobehonest.net

Dec 12, 2023 • 52min
Ep 572 - Johann Ilgenfritz
In this episode I speak with returning guest Johann Ilgenfritz, CEO of UK Health Radio, the #1 world's talk health radio, which my co-hosted show, "Hurt Less, Live More," about his vision for bringing the best healthcare information to the world and updates on that and how you can become involved. https://ukhealthradio.com/about/

Dec 7, 2023 • 1h 9min
Ep 571 - Sani Abdul-Jabbar
In this episode I speak with Sani Abdul-Jabbar, Founder and CEO of VezTek, a Los Angeles-based emerging tech company specializing in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain, author of "Makers: A Slender Knowledge," whose through line has always been a work ethic instilled by his parents but whose wakeup call was the birth of his first child in 2011. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sani/

Dec 5, 2023 • 1h 5min
Ep 570 - Rand Selig
In this episode I interview Rand Selig an accomplished entrepreneur, coach, conservationist, and board member for various organizations and author of, "Thriving!" where he shares his extensive expertise in how to create a healthier, happier, and more prosperous life. His wakeup call or through line that he learned from his parents was being all about service and a major breakthrough was 15 years ago learning to finally accept his father who could be hard and opinionated as who he was and also discovering about the power of love and being loving. http://randselig.com

Dec 1, 2023 • 58min
Ep 569 - Jennifer McCollum
In this episode I speak with returning guest and future superstar, Jennifer McCollum, CEO of Linkage, a SHRM company, where she oversees the strategic direction and global operations of this global leadership development firm. She is the author of, "In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO," whose wakeup calls have been her being able to quiet her inner critic re: becoming a CEO and recently becoming an international speaker and author. https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/pages/jennifer-mccollum.aspx

Nov 28, 2023 • 59min
Ep 568 - Jim Tselikis
In this episode I interview Jim Tselikis, co-founder of Cousins Maine Lobster a startup food truck business which has grown to over 50 units, including both gourmet food trucks and fast-casual restaurants whose wakeup call was coming up with the idea and keeping it secret with his co-founder cousin and former guest on this podcast until they could launch a single truck in Los Angeles. In this episode Jim offers a master class in both "family first" values and growing an entrepreneurial business from an idea and a passion. https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/

Nov 22, 2023 • 50min
Ep 567 - Greg Williams
In this episode, Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator and Body Language Expert, discusses his childhood influences, the power of giving and gratitude, discovering self through experiences, negotiating from the inside out, and reflections on support and prioritizing self-care.

Nov 15, 2023 • 47min
Ep 566 - Daniel Pinchbeck
In this episode I speak with Daniel Pinchbeck, Founder and Director of the Liminal Institute and author of "Breaking Open the Head," "2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl," "How Soon is Now" and co-author of "When Plants Dream." and writes Daniel Pinchbeck's newsletter on Substack which I highly recommend. His wakeup call was possibly being raised in Manhattan and supported by divorced parents with a father, a literary writer/author and a mother, an artist and his finding his own path being drawn to the metaphysical. https://substack.com/@danielpinchbeck and https://www.theliminalinstitute.com/

Nov 10, 2023 • 48min
Ep 565 - Ben Guttmann
In this episode I speak with Ben Guttmann, marketing and communications expert and author of "Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win — and How to Design Them". He’s an experienced marketing executive and educator on a mission to get leaders to more effectively connect by simplifying their message. His wakeup call or rather his underlying driving force was coming from a family of "make your own job" people who were supportive of his making his own way. https://www.benguttmann.com/simply-put-book
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