Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan is an entrepreneur, coach, and business author focused on entrepreneurship, strategic growth, and productivity. He co-founded Strategic Coach and wrote books including Who Not How, The Gap and the Gain, and 10x Is Easier Than 2x. His ideas have reached more than 20,000 entrepreneurs through Strategic Coach.
Biography & Author's Journey
Dan Sullivan built his career from an unusually varied early path. Raised on a farm in Ohio, he came of age through a blend of formal study, public service, and on-the-job learning. Public accounts of his early years emphasize his move to Washington, where he worked for the FBI soon after high school, followed by Vietnam-era communication and entertainment work, and then advertising in Toronto. Those experiences sharpened the habit that would define him: asking clarifying questions until complexity became usable. After leaving agency life in the 1970s to coach clients independently, he reached a major turning point in 1982 with the creation of The Strategy Circle, the planning framework that later became the foundation of Strategic Coach, the company he built with Babs Smith in the late 1980s.
Quotes
You May Also Like
Popular Books
10x Is Easier Than 2x
Dan Sullivan
Counterintuitive guide for entrepreneurs to achieve exponential growth by focusing on quality over quantity in key areas of business and life.
The Dan Sullivan Question
Dan Sullivan
Transform your entrepreneurial future with one revolutionary question.
The Gap and the Gain
Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
Shift focus from unattainable ideals to personal growth for happiness and success.
Who Not How
Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
Transform your business by asking 'who' not 'how' to achieve freedom and 10x growth.
10x Is Easier Than 2x
Dan Sullivan
Counterintuitive guide for entrepreneurs to achieve exponential growth by focusing on quality over quantity in key areas of business and life.
The Dan Sullivan Question
Dan Sullivan
Transform your entrepreneurial future with one revolutionary question.
The Gap and the Gain
Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
Shift focus from unattainable ideals to personal growth for happiness and success.
Who Not How
Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
Transform your business by asking 'who' not 'how' to achieve freedom and 10x growth.
Discover more
Lead, Grow & Market: Business Strategy Guide
This guide is designed for entrepreneurs and managers looking to transition from daily operations to strategic growth. It provides a comprehensive roadmap for balancing leadership, marketing, and operational scaling to build a resilient business.
Business, Leadership & Self-Improvement Focus
This plan bridge the gap between entrepreneurial theory and practical leadership excellence. It is ideal for aspiring founders and managers looking to synchronize personal growth with scalable business success.
Self-Growth, Business & Marketing
This plan bridges the gap between personal excellence and professional execution. It is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to transition from a solo operator to a leader by mastering mindset, validation, and scaling.
Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Productivity
This plan bridges the gap between raw entrepreneurial ideas and sophisticated business leadership. It is designed for founders and professionals who want to master both high-level strategy and the daily execution systems required to scale an organization.
Growth, Strategy, Science & Self-Mastery
In an era of information overload, the ability to merge rigorous strategic thinking with disciplined self-mastery is a rare competitive advantage. This plan is designed for ambitious leaders and entrepreneurs who want to optimize both their professional growth and personal performance through scientific principles.
Leadership, Business, Tech & Self-Growth
This comprehensive plan is designed for aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs who need to bridge the gap between technical expertise and strategic execution. It provides the essential toolkit for navigating the intersection of human leadership, business innovation, and rapid technological change.
The One-Person Business Blueprint
This learning plan distills Dan Koe's comprehensive philosophy on building a high-leverage, one-person business through digital writing and lifestyle design. It covers the transition from a traditional employment mindset to a high-agency creator model, emphasizing the 'Experience Model' where the creator is the niche. The curriculum is organized into three core phases: internal reprogramming and vision setting, the mechanics of digital leverage and writing, and the strategic roadmap for productizing expertise and scaling impact. By the end of these nine lessons, learners will understand how to turn their personal development into a profitable digital asset while maintaining a four-hour workday.
Growth, Habits, Neuro & Biz Strategy
This plan bridges the gap between cognitive science and commercial success, offering a blueprint for high-performance leadership. It is ideal for entrepreneurs and leaders looking to optimize their mental frameworks while building robust, scalable business systems.
Community Voices
"Dan Sullivan is the ultimate coach for entrepreneurs"
— David Bach
"Dan Sullivan changes lives"
— Keith J. Cunningham
"Dan Sullivan is a one-of-a-kind human being"
— Kathy Kolbe
"Dan Sullivan is the master of 10x thinking"
— Peter H. Diamandis
"Dan Sullivan is one of America’s great thinkers"
— Mark Young
"As a 25-year student of Dan Sullivan’s, I have experienced firsthand how his teachings have 10x’d every aspect of my life"
— Gino Wickman
"Dan Sullivan coaches the world’s greatest entrepreneurs"
— Chris Voss
"Dan Sullivan is the preeminent advisor to successful entrepreneurs worldwide"
— John Ferrell
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
