The Ryan Leak Podcast

Episode: "The Cost of Success"

Host: Ryan Leak
Date: August 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ryan Leak kicks off a short series focused on success—what it means, what it looks like, and most importantly, what it costs. Drawing from his experiences around highly successful people and real-life examples, Ryan delivers a candid message about the unseen sacrifices behind the achievements we admire. He encourages listeners to consider not just the pursuit of success, but the price required to attain and sustain it.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Normalizing Extraordinary Success

• Social Media & “School of Heart Knocks” ([01:00 – 03:30])
  • Ryan highlights the Instagram account @SchoolOfHeartKnocks, which interviews millionaires and billionaires about how they made their first million.
  • The emphasis is on how casually these individuals describe monumental financial milestones.
    • “They say it like, it’s just super casual, like it’s no big deal.” (Ryan Leak, [02:07])
  • Illustrates how the language of the highly successful makes the impossible sound mundane, similar to casual brunch plans.

The Hidden Story Behind Success

• What’s Unseen Beneath Success Stories ([03:30 – 07:00])
  • Ryan unpacks the reality behind the glamorized stories—delayed gratification, sleepless nights, and unspoken hardships.
    • “What they don’t tell you is that they didn’t sleep for three years … what they won’t tell you is that there were lawsuits, tax bills, plumbing disasters, hurricanes, leaky roofs, and perhaps even a mild emotional breakdown in a Home Depot parking lot.” (Ryan Leak, [04:53])
  • Stresses that successful people may have ‘amnesia’ about the chaos they endured once they survive it, making their journeys sound deceptively easy.

The Highlight Reel vs. The Full Story

• Visible Outcomes, Invisible Sacrifices ([07:00 – 09:00])
  • Society is constantly bombarded with the celebrated milestones—Olympians winning gold, CEOs ringing the Nasdaq bell, influencers with millions of followers.
  • Ryan points out the unseen sacrifices, using vivid examples:
    • Olympians waking up at 4 a.m. for 15 years.
    • Authors rewriting the same chapter countless times.
    • Musicians facing repeated rejection before a single hit.
  • “What we don’t see is that Olympian waking up at 4am for the last 15 years … what we don’t see is that author rewriting chapter three for the 11th time … what we don’t see is that podcaster recording 100 episodes before anyone actually listened…” (Ryan Leak, [08:05])

The Value and Price of Success

• Asking the Right Question ([09:00 – 10:30])
  • Ryan urges listeners to ask, “What does it cost to be you?” whenever they admire someone else’s success.
    • Only wanting the fruits of someone’s life, without their sacrifices, is unrealistic.
  • References John Maxwell’s wisdom:
    • “Somebody came up to him after a speaking event and said, hey, I want to do what you do. And he responded, yeah, but are you willing to do what I did, to be able to do what I do?” (Ryan Leak quoting John Maxwell, [09:45])

The Real Price: Sacrifice

• Dreaming Big, Willing to Pay ([10:30 – 12:00])
  • Encourages listeners to dream big, but to be aware that achieving those dreams comes at the cost of comfort, habits, and sometimes relationships.
    • “The life that you want tomorrow might cost you the comfort you’re clinging to today. It might cost you some old habits. It might even cost you some old relationships.” (Ryan Leak, [10:52])
  • Suggests that counting the cost is essential in pursuing true success, and that sacrifice goes beyond hard work—it involves choices about what (and who) comes with you into your future.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the casual tone of the successful:
  “Successful people have a way of making the impossible sound like brunch plans.” (Ryan Leak, [02:45])

• On unseen adversity behind easy stories:
  “People will tell you what they did, but they will rarely tell you what it cost.” (Ryan Leak, [05:46])

• On seeing only the highlight reels:
  “We see the Olympian getting gold… But what we don’t see is that Olympian waking up at 4am for the last 15 years.” (Ryan Leak, [07:12])

• On the danger of envy without understanding sacrifice:
  “The worst thing you can do is want someone else’s life but be unwilling to pay the price that they paid.” (Ryan Leak, [09:35])

• On the nature of sacrifice:
  “It’s sacrifice. And not just the kind that keeps you up late at night, grinding. No, no, no. I’m talking about the kind that makes you rethink who and what you’re willing to carry into your future.” (Ryan Leak, [11:40])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 01:25 | Introduction to Success Series
• 01:25 – 03:30 | The Casual Language of Wealth
• 03:30 – 07:00 | What Success Stories Don’t Tell
• 07:00 – 09:00 | The Highlight Reel vs. The Cost
• 09:00 – 10:30 | What Does It Cost to Be You? (Featuring John Maxwell's Insight)
• 10:30 – 12:00 | Counting the Cost: Sacrifice Over Hard Work

Tone & Style

Throughout the episode, Ryan remains candid, humorous, and motivational—never condemning ambition, but consistently urging self-reflection and realism. The language is friendly, relatable, and direct, with plenty of metaphor and storytelling.

Takeaway

Final Thought:
Ryan challenges listeners to dream big but prepare to embrace the unseen sacrifices that come with real success. The cost is often more significant, and less glamorous, than it seems.

Next Episode Teaser:
Ryan notes that the following week will explore not just the cost, but the dangers of success.