How Success Happens

Maury Povich on How to Succeed in Television

How Success Happens

Show Notes

Today's guest needs no introduction, but we're going to give him one anyway. Maury Povich, the legendary host of Maury and now host of the podcast On Par with Maury Povich, sits down with Dan to talk about how he got that unmistakable voice (spoiler: it's not vocal lessons), what Jerry Springer really thought of his show, and why he never wanted to know who the father was until you did.

Chapters:

0:00 Jerry Springer's greatest compliment

0:27 Welcome to the one-name club

1:36 Are Poviches built to never stop?

2:29 Starting at 16 and a case of "big shot-itis"

4:06 Four cities, four St. Patrick's Days

5:48 Connie Chung and the leap to A Current Affair

6:41 Whiskey, cigarettes and that voice

9:20 The daytime talk wars, from Donahue to Ricki Lake

11:25 The first paternity test

12:40 Storytelling and curiosity

15:03 The man who was kidnapped three times

16:45 "My show is wrestling"

17:59 The talent who went on sales calls

20:18 MoPo Productions and an Oscar

23:04 Don't get pegged

24:24 Staying sharp at 87

26:02 Geraldo and Al Capone's vault

26:46 The How Success Happens speed test

30:13 Wrap

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from How Success Happens

Oct 21, 2026

Our Dan Bova spent last summer at Mattel’s design lab, and all he got was a gorgeous art book he wrote: Hot Wheels: The Creative Drive. (And maybe a few cars in his pockets.) Ted Wu, Mattel’s vehicles boss, joins Dan to explain why Hot Wheels all face right, which toy is worth a million bucks, and how he got his own Porsche made into a Hot Wheels. Buy Dan’s book. Buy two, actually. Ted’s orders

Oct 18, 2026

Tom Hardin didn’t wake up planning to commit a crime. In this story, the ex–insider trader and future FBI informant walks through the day he was handed insider information, expected to make money fast, and trapped inside what investigators call the ‘fraud triangle.’ He reveals how pressure, opportunity, and rationalization all collided—and why it felt normal in the moment. This is the part of white-collar crime most people never see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 14, 2026

Bruce Campbell’s advice for aspiring indie filmmakers is refreshingly simple. Writing is the cheap part, so quit complaining and get to it. Tired of watching the same five guys land the roles he wanted, the Evil Dead legend wrote one for himself. The result is Ernie & Emma, a sweet, funny film with zero chainsaws that might just make you cry five times.

Oct 11, 2026

How did Lucy Guo become the world's youngest self-made female billionaire? The tech founder breaks down her 5:45 AM routine, double Barry's workouts, and the investor pitch strategy that raised a massive Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 7, 2026

Max Amini is a very funny guy. He's sold out Madison Square Garden and is one of the most-viewed comedians on social media. But when he started out in stand-up, no agent or manager wanted to sign him, so he built his own touring machine from scratch. In this episode, he tells Dan how he thinks about comedy, and how he built the team that takes him around the world and sells out theaters.

See all episodes →