Dan and Ellie Morrison unpack the moments when we don’t feel ready, motivated, or confident—and why those are the moments that matter most. From creative ruts to personal roadblocks, they explore how doing it anyway isn’t just an act of discipline—it’s a rebellion against fear, perfectionism, and playing small.
HNS Founder Dan Morrison was denied admission to every business school he applied to, including the one he ultimately attended. Hear his story of how he became UNDENIED!
Lorenzo Gomez III is a community builder, author, and public speaker who draws from his personal and professional experiences to inspire others. A former director at Rackspace Technology, Gomez is a key player in the development of San Antonio’s downtown entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He is currently a Partner at Confluence Capital, a commercial real estate firm focused on developing micro-districts in San Antonio's urban core.
During Gomez’s four years as chairman and CEO of Geekdom, San Antonio’s premier collaborative startup community, Geekdom companies raised more than $422M in funding and its startups have created 2,489 jobs.
A trusted advisor to Graham Weston, co-founder of Rackspace Technology, Gomez helped shape Weston’s 80|20 Foundation, which invests in San Antonio’s future by issuing grants to public charities that attract, grow, and retain San Antonio’s future workforce and job-creating entrepreneurs.
Gomez has authored four books: Cilantro Diaries, Tafolla Toro, The Rack We Built, and The Bully in Your Pocket. All four are Amazon best sellers and two are winners of the 2021 International Latino Book Awards.
Lorenzo’s driving passion is his love for his hometown, San Antonio, Texas. His goal is to recreate for every San Antonian the opportunities the startup world has provided him in this city on the rise.
Michael Phelps is considered by many to be the greatest athlete of all time. Yet, he has been open about his struggles with happiness and mental health. Join us as we discuss how achievements, winning, and accomplishing goals cannot provide sustainable and ever-lasting joy. Checking items off a list is great, but it's not enough.
An anniversary party that’s a little too far away, a workout that calls for max effort, a work opportunity that doesn’t pay well but could provide future opportunities…do we avoid these things because they’re actually wrong for us, or because on some level they just scare us?
Dan and Ellie dive into the value of going outside your comfort zone to create opportunities and build meaningful relationships.
Can you think of someone whose identity is defined by negativity? You know what you are going to get when you ask a question, make a comment, or even try to compliment them: glass half empty, languishing, vitriol…major Eeyore vibes.
Has this ever been you? It has certainly been us. We explore the "addiction to misery" in this episode, expanding from a topic in a recent substack article, and sharing some thoughts on how to get yourself out of the negative feedback loop if you can relate.
Join the conversation:
Andy Muir is the CFO of Kim Kardashian's super-startup SKIMS, and she is the former CFO of Nike's Jordan Brand. She is a brilliant thought leader and culture creator with an inspiring story and take on life.
Her episode originally aired in 2023 and is one of the most popular episodes of HNS to date! Here it is again for those who missed it (or those who want to listen again!).
Peter J. Holt is the managing partner of the San Antonio Spurs, CEO of Holt Group, and managing partner of Iron Spring Venture Capital.
In this episode, Peter delves into the profound connection between sports and the philosophy of being happy, not satisfied. He shares personal stories from his journey with the Spurs, including the early challenges his family faced to keep the team in San Antonio in the 1990s, the values that drive the organization, and how they measure success beyond just winning championships, but by always doing "the next right thing."
Peter's insights on maintaining a positive impact, focusing on long-term goals, and finding joy in everyday efforts offer valuable lessons not only for sports enthusiasts but for anyone striving for growth and fulfillment in their own lives.
Melissa Unsell-Smith is a serial entrepreneur who has built two software companies, including a successful bootstrapped, multi-million dollar software company. Melissa's newest venture, Catalytic Icon, elevates female entrepreneurs by awakening their worth and talents.
In this episode, we discuss the, "I'll be happy once I..." mindset and how it led Melissa to an awakening and adjustment in how she would define personal and professional success.
We discuss the truth behind the idea that, "there is no end" to our growth, the power of stepping outside of our comfort zone, and the futility of worrying about outcomes rather than finding ways to enjoy the processes and routines within our daily lives. Melissa shares her view on the connection between physical wellness and mental health, emphasizing the importance of self-care practices that have helped her find peace in recent years.
Learn more about Melissa at https://www.instagram.com/melissaunsellsmith/ and visit her website https://www.catalyticicon.com/
Jorge Villarreal is a visionary multidisciplinary artist whose work is deeply rooted in the exploration of cultural identity. From his upbringing as a first-generation Mexican American in a Texas border town to his transformative journey creating and exhibiting his work globally, Jorge shares insights from his journey of growth as an artist and nonprofit founder.
We delve into his newly launched Casa Caché project, a groundbreaking artist residency in Havana, Cuba born from his connection to Havana's artistic tapestry. Through Jorge's journey, we confront the myth of overnight success and reflect on the depths of perseverance and serendipity that shape artistic legacies.
Join us for a conversation about cultivating resilience, fostering cultural exchange, and creating our own fortunes amidst the ebb and flow of artistic pursuit.
Follow Jorge on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pachowmycow/ @pachomycow and @casa_cache, and learn more about Jorge on his website here: https://www.jorge-villarreal.com/ and at https://www.casacache.com/
SISI is a self-made singer/songwriter based in Austin, TX. Since becoming a signed musician in 2023, she's played ACL, toured internationally, and her new single, "Sugar," drops today.This episode explores SISI's process of growth as a musical artist alongside her process of growth through grief, while simultaneously building her career in several areas outside of music: wine, yoga, and hospitality. As she has learned to, "embrace the mess," she shares how all of the facets of her interests have intertwined to support her art and her passion to share it with others.We talk about living in the moment, balancing others' perception of your life and career growth vs. your present reality, and digesting grief and trauma. SISI overcomes the, “I’ll be happy once I…” mindset by understanding that we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, and resiliency is practiced moment to moment—not one big event at a time.Learn more about SISI on Instagram @_ohsisi, and and listen to her single, "Sugar," out now on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/2tWe2Ns2xK4KxKSIYvM6kz?si=EvljRDYGTMqtxs3cikEptw and Apple https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sisi/1477720266.http://happynotsatisfied.com/
#026 - No Feeling Is Final with Gio DiZurita
San Antonio artist Gio DiZurita's work has been shown and collected all over the world.This episode delves into Gio's creative process, and how she lives each day as her own masterpiece, overcoming the, "I'll be happy once I..." trap that can so often leave us longing for more when it comes to our relationship with achievements and milestones.She shares how she has learned to make rejection her friend, embraced the mantra that no feeling is final (good or bad) in life, and carved out routines for herself that keep a balanced and healthy relationship with navigating the blend of art and commerce.Learn more about Gio at https://www.dizurita.com/, follow on social media @gio.dizurita.happynotsatisfied.com/
San Antonio entrepreneur Daniel Trevino grew his restaurant business Box Street with his partners from a food truck concept to two brick and mortar locations within the past few years.
Box Street, evolved from The Box Street Social, has become one of San Antonio’s most popular all-day brunch and dinner destinations, with vibes that continue to draw crowds. This episode dives into the intentionality of the team's creative decisions, and how to stay happy, not satisfied while pushing through the vulnerability of putting your authentic art into the world.
From Box Street’s iconic interior design by Caroline Garcia-Bowman, to its memorable music and delicious dishes curated and designed by Chef and Co-Founder Eddie Garcia, the tight-knight team behind the business is creating and serving something really special that is contributing to the San Antonio restaurant scene and helping to build the city’s future.
Christina Olivarez is founder and owner of two companies, The Social Butterfly Gal and Hustle + Socialize. She's a TEDx speaker and a multiple-time award winner in her field.
As a former social media manager turned business coach, Christina helps Latina entrepreneurs be unapologetically visible online & offline.
She shares the story of founding her businesses and the lessons she's learned along the way as she works to find joy in the process of growth and build more opportunities for the next generation.
https://www.thesocialbutterflygal.net/
He served the Queen of England and Princess Diana at Claridges Hotel in London at 18 years-old. He lived in Paris and was awarded the Bronze Medal of National Defense for his service to French General Roquejoffre, commander of the Gulf War. He coordinated high profile events at the Wheatleigh Hotel in the Berkshires, Massachusetts. He then landed in San Antonio, where he has worked for 26 years to elevate the city's culinary landscape with his popular restaurant concepts at the historic Pearl and beyond. Hospitality expert and French national Philippe Placé talks about enjoying his journey and passion in life: to feed people.
Placé shares his philosophy on the art of creating memorable dining experiences for guests, and his mission to continue to grow restaurant concepts with his business partners, Jeff Balfour and Jérôme Sérot of Southerleigh Hospitality Group.
https://www.instagram.com/happy.notsatisfied/
https://www.happynotsatisfied.com/
In this episode, we recap 4 of our favorite takeaways inspired by conversations with guests in 2023:
1. Accept what is
2. Patience brings peace
3. Practice perspective
4. Say yes to you
In this episode, we talk with Roma Villavicencio, TV host of KENS 5's Great Day SA and owner/designer of La Coronita Hats about her journey with loss and overcoming adversity. Roma lost her mother to cancer when she was only 18 years-old, and at 20 years-old she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite these challenges, she persevered, finished school, embarked on her dream journalism career, and worked her way up to host Great Day SA. In 2020, Roma founded La Coronita Hats y Más, her own hatting company on a mission to give hats to people going through chemotherapy so that they can feel confident and beautiful. She shares openly about learning to prioritize her mental and emotional wellness, and other ways she keeps herself healthy and happy as she continues to navigate personal and professional growth.
Sometimes growth is messy, and it doesn't always look like you thought it would. Dan brings his wife Ellie on the podcast again as Co-Host, and they talk about how they process each others needs and expectations for personal and career growth, both as individuals and in their relationship as they adjust to parenthood.
happynotsatisfied.com
@happy.notsatisfied
@danieldmorrison
@eleanoramorrison
Daniel Morrison and Daniel Asgari have a lot in common. They share a name (obviously), but The Dans were also both high school band directors in Texas and are dads to young boys. On this episode, they discuss fatherhood as it relates to teaching, how to view Happy, Not Satisfied through the lens of parenting, and how effective self-care leads to more effective leadership in the classroom and as a parent.
Executive Vice President of Unscripted Films, Television, and Podcasts at Anonymous Content, Jessica Grimshaw, talks about what's misunderstood in the unscripted entertainment space and shares her views on success, ambition, leadership, and how she lives her life happy, but not satisfied.