It has been said that one small idea can change the world. And when the EntreLeadership team came up with one nearly two years ago, it was a doozie. This week, the concept started by just a handful of Dave’s team members reached a major milestone. The EntreLeadership Podcast has officially been downloaded more than 1 million times and has been heard everywhere from Albuquerque to Zaire. Since its debut, it has remained iTunes’ number-one podcast on leadership.

A Unique Way to Serve

Not bad for something that was designed as a simple communication tool that might, best case, reach a couple thousand people. After creating the EntreLeadership Master Series, the team was looking for a way to better serve those who had attended. The best way to deliver it, they decided, was the podcast.

“We were traveling all over the country at EntreLeadership events,” says Podcast Producer Chris Mefford. “Everywhere we went, people were asking us how they could get more of this stuff.”

Meanwhile, Dave was completing his newest New York Times best-selling book on the same subject, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches. Launching the book and the podcast together was a perfect fit. Both were introduced last fall.

From the beginning, the vision for the podcast was to offer something small-business owners couldn’t get anywhere else, starting with a business lesson taught by Dave, followed by a guest interviewed by host Chris LoCurto. Dave and the guest interview would both focus on the same topic

“I think this is what makes our podcast so powerful,” Mefford says. “It continues to reinforce the success of the principles Dave teaches at EntreLeadership. You hear from Dave and think, I can’t do this, Dave’s special. He got lucky. But when you hear from another business leader basically saying the same thing, then you start thinking, Maybe I could do this. Maybe it’s worthwhile. Maybe they are on to something.”

LoCurto agrees. “We wanted to create something that helps people as opposed to just a podcast we cranked out,” he says. “I’m always concerned about asking questions that matter to people.”

Big-Name Guests Impart Wisdom

Once the idea was born, it was time to get the guests. And get them they did. The podcast guest list is a veritable who’s-who of business and leadership. Tony Hseih of Zappos, NFL coach Tony Dungy, Stephen M.R. Covey, Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni and Simon Sinek are just a few who have joined the podcast, along with Dave.

Like the team, Dave, too, has been impressed with the guests. “We didn’t know how appealing this would be to major leadership names,” he says. “They just kind of lined up for us. The guests and the content have been premium. It has become such a valuable tool for leadership.”

For LoCurto, Mefford and Assistant Producer Becky Powell, each guest has brought what LoCurto describes as little nuggets of wisdom that blew them away. They have been so powerful, the team says, they’ve kept a list. A few of their favorites include:

• Your personal values need to match your company’s core values. —Patrick Lencioni
• Be intentional with your life. Do not live improvisational. You can’t just wing it. —Clint Smith, CEO, EMMA
• It’s okay to make mistakes. You just need to make new ones, not the same ones. —Tim Sanders
• As a business owner or leader, there are three things you need to do: Learn more from books; get involved with your peers to help you set stretch goals for yourself; and give back to your community. —Cordia Harrington, CEO, Tennessee Bun Company
• No high achiever ever woke up in the morning and said, “Let’s see what happens.” —Dan Miller
• Arrogance that leads to success will always eventually lead to failure. —Jim Collins

Just Getting Started

Now that they have nearly one year under their belts, the podcast team, which also includes audio engineer Collin Fatke, looks forward to bigger and better podcasts with even more interaction from their listeners. They truly feel like they are playing their own small part in changing the world and can’t wait to find out who will join them on their quest.

“One of the coolest moments for me is when I began reading through all the questions to Dave for this week’s special Q&A episode,” Powell says. “I felt such a connection to the listeners and could tangibly see how this show really impacts businesses of all sizes across America. It was humbling.”

To learn more about business, team building and leadership, download our EntreLeadership podcasts, which include lessons from Dave plus interviews with key business leaders from across the nation. On the latest podcast, Dave answers business questions from listeners.