Episode 30: Spiritual Mission From Success to Soul - Purpose-Driven Leadership with Seth Streeter

Guest Bio

Seth Streeter is a renowned facilitator and visionary purpose coach who helps high-performing leaders and their spouse-partners design deeply fulfilling, purpose-driven lives—beyond traditional success metrics.

As the Chief Impact Officer and co-founder of Mission Wealth, a nationally recognized wealth management firm known for its award-winning culture, Seth brings over two decades of experience guiding CEOs, entrepreneurs, and impact-driven families through life’s most meaningful transitions. Today Mission Wealth manages $13 billion in assets for over 4300 families and is fueled by it’s mission to help families realize true wealth.

Seth has been a thought leader in Life-Centered Planning, helping families expand their definition of wealth beyond financial. He was named one of Worth Magazine’s Top 250 Wealth Advisor’s and one of Real Leaders’ Top 100 Visionary Leaders. His acclaimed TEDx talk, The Untethered Life: Wealth Redefined, has inspired thousands to reimagine success on their own terms.

He has shared stages and retreats with luminaries like Deepak Chopra, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Lombardo, Dan Buettner, and is a sought-after thought-leader and speaker. He’s been featured in Forbes, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, to numerous podcasts and serves as faculty for the Modern Elder Academy and the Anya Institute for Human Revolution.

Known for his grounded presence and rare ability to hold space for depth, Seth guides immersive experiences that move people from head to heart—helping them reconnect with what matters most and activate their next chapter with authenticity, clarity, and purpose.  His international retreats and leadership programs are award-winning and in high demand. His most recent multiday programs were in Mexico, Bhutan and Canada. Seth passionately leads the Purpose community for YPO, and he resides in Austin, TX.
https://linktr.ee/seth_streeter?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=a2c54cf0-5ce9-426e-b555-0e29be6487ea
TEDTALK: https://youtu.be/qHNhNjNwGVY?si=o8aNy0cGTZbBqEHN  

Setting

Recorded in the inspiring landscape of Sedona, with majestic mountains providing a backdrop of natural beauty and tranquility. The serene environment mirrors the episode's themes of reflection, presence, and connection to something greater, fostering an open dialogue on personal evolution. Seth joins from his home base in Austin, TX.

Summary

In this engaging conversation, Smoke interviews longtime friend and YPO colleague Seth Streeter about his shift from conventional business success to a purpose-filled life. Seth shares his "whisper to shout" awakening, catalyzed by divorce, a financial crisis, and a public panic attack, leading him to explore personal growth through books like Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, retreats, and India trips. He discusses evolving from "push" energy (grinding achievements) to "pull" energy (surrendering to opportunities), like serendipitously speaking alongside Deepak Chopra at Davos. They explore integrating ego and soul, the power of retreats for soul-to-soul connection, and living spiritual truths like oneness and kindness. Seth recounts synchronicities, such as a life-saving cyst incident, while Smoke shares his kundalini awakening in Nepal. The episode highlights bridging material success with spiritual depth, emphasizing presence, listening, and alignment for leaders.

Learnings

• Head to Heart Transition: The journey from intellect-driven success to heart-centered fulfillment is challenging but essential—embrace "pull" energy by saying yes to opportunities without rigid agendas.
• Catalysts as Blessings: Life disruptions like divorce or panic attacks can spark growth; face fears (e.g., journaling intentions like doing a TED Talk) to transform them into breakthroughs.
• Holistic Wealth Dimensions: True success spans 12 areas beyond money, including relationships, health, and purpose—self-selecting groups like retreats accelerate alignment.
• Presence and Listening: Deep listening (without judgment or agenda) fosters connection; it's the highest form of love, allowing you to hear what's unsaid and impact others profoundly.
• Ego-Soul Integration: Honor your achiever self as a foundation, but let the soul guide the second half of life—use practices like meditation and nature walks to spy on the divine.

Universal Truths

• We are all one: Differences (e.g., politics, race) are superficial—focus on shared humanity, treating everyone as an extension of yourself with kindness to dissolve "othering."
• Synchronicities guide us: Life offers constant support from guides or divinity; awareness reveals fate (50%) and agency (50%), turning "accidents" into profound interventions.
• Ego fuels the first mountain, soul the second: Early life builds through striving, but midlife calls for surrender—integrate both for a balanced, purpose-driven path.
• Listening is loving: True presence in conversations creates resonance, elevating relationships and leadership without forcing change on others.
• Actions align with truths: Live simple principles like "the more you give, the more you get" through daily integrity, turning knowledge into embodied wisdom.

Examples

• Panic to TED Talk: After a debilitating stage panic attack, Seth journaled his intent to face fears, leading to a 2016 TEDx on holistic wealth and subsequent YPO retreats winning "most impactful" awards.
• Davos Serendipity: A casual Malibu talk led to an invitation to speak at Davos, sharing the stage with Deepak Chopra on conscious leadership—illustrating "pull" energy's magic.
• Cyst Miracle: A tree branch hit revealed a hidden cancerous cyst; a saint statue synchronicity prompted medical action, averting bone cancer and affirming divine guidance.
• Smoke's Kundalini Awakening: At Buddha's birthplace in Nepal, a spontaneous energy surge sparked Smoke's journey, shifting from material grinding to contemplative presence.
• Vedanta Application: Studying ancient Vedas in India inspired Seth to align actions (e.g., wearing a bike helmet, arriving early to meetings) with truths like "actions speak louder than words."

Smoke Trail Threads

• Echoes Episode 29 on health and consciousness, expanding how awareness clears blockages and elevates life-force energy, tying to Seth's holistic wealth model.
• Builds on Episode 25 (Andrew Lobo) by questioning business orthodoxy, showing how leaders transition from push-driven success to soul-led purpose.
• Connects to Episode 26 (Susan Hassen) on inner child work and energy fields, aligning with Seth's emphasis on trauma integration and group healing in retreats.
• Ties to The Smoke Trail’s Guide to Raising Consciousness for Leaders sections on mindset shifts, emotional processing, and leadership tools, offering retreat practices for application.

 • • References solo questions from Episodes 1-15 on resilience and forgiveness, as pathways to heart-centered living and synchronicity awareness.