OTSS Podcast

About OTSS Podcast

This is the guiding principal behind most new businesses, the entrepreneurial "eat or be eaten" ethos that drives the builders, the doers and the risk-takers responsible for history's greatest brands and companies. www.otsspodcast.com (https://www.otsspodcast.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Kahn Media

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Dec 2023

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

76 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Dan Kahn, CEO of Kahn Media and Tread Agency

   On the latest episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn takes a different approach with a solo episode reflecting on the experiences that shaped his career and the major changes happening in the automotive and marketing industries. Dan begins with a tribute to his father, David Kahn, a lifelong entrepreneur and car enthusiast who recently passed away after a battle with cancer. Growing up around his father’s air conditioning business gave Dan an early look at the realities of entrepreneurship, including the difficult decisions business owners sometimes have to make. It also sparked his passion for cars and taught him valuable lessons about hard work, leadership and the importance of taking care of your people. Later in the episode, Dan shifts gears to discuss the rapid changes in consumer purchasing behavior. With artificial intelligence and social media algorithms increasingly influencing how people find products, businesses are facing new challenges in reaching potential customers. Dan shares some of his observations and explains how Kahn Media is researching these changes to help brands better understand the modern buyer. Listen to the full episode as Dan shares some personal stories, lessons learned throughout his career and his perspective on where the marketing industry is headed. Here are our top five takeaways: * Make time for the people who matter. * Take care of the people who take care of your business. * Some of the best lessons come from doing the hard work. * AI is changing how consumers make purchasing decisions. * Reaching new customers requires new strategies. Make Time for the People Who Matter Having interviewed more than 80 entrepreneurs, business leaders and other accomplished individuals on OTSS, Dan has had the opportunity to learn from some incredible people. However, one person he always intended to interview was his own father, David Kahn. An entrepreneur and lifelong automotive enthusiast, David had no shortage of interesting stories. He built his own airplane, competed in boat racing and owned hundreds of cars throughout his lifetime. Dan had discussed recording an episode with his father, but despite several opportunities, they never got around to it. Following his father’s passing, it is a decision Dan admits he regrets. “I’ve spent over eighty episodes now, so hundreds of hours interviewing people that I respect and people who I would like to learn from,” said Dan. “But I never interviewed my own dad.” For Dan, the experience serves as an important reminder that some opportunities don’t last forever. Making time for the people who matter is something that shouldn’t always be pushed to another day. Take Care of Your People Dan grew up watching his father operate Kahn Air Conditioning, a business started by his grandfather in Southern California. Like many entrepreneurs, David experienced his fair share of financial ups and downs. When business was good, he enjoyed spending his hard-earned money on cars, boats and airplanes. However, when a recession hit in the late 1980s, he was forced to sell nearly everything. Dan remembers seeing his father sitting at the kitchen table, visibly worried about how he would pay the bills. At the time, the experience convinced him that he never wanted to become an entrepreneur himself. It wasn’t until years later that he learned why his father had made those financial sacrifices. Rather than laying off employees or selling company equipment, David chose to sell his personal possessions to keep the business running and protect the people who worked for him. “He protected his people because he knew his people would take care of his customers,” said Dan. “And to me, there’s a lot of honor and integrity in that.” While Dan admits that he operates his own businesses more conservatively than his father did, the experience taught him a valuable lesson about leadership and the responsibility business owners have to their employees. Learn by Doing One of the most important lessons Dan learned growing up came after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which forced his high school to close for several months. With no classes to attend, his father decided it was a good opportunity to put him to work. At the time, Kahn Air Conditioning had been struggling to sell earthquake-activated gas shutoff valves. Following the earthquake, demand for the product increased significantly, but the company’s employees were busy repairing damaged homes. David handed his teenage son a customer list and a telephone and offered him a commission for every valve he sold. For a 14-year-old with no sales experience, cold-calling homeowners was an intimidating assignment. However, Dan had his eye on an old Mustang and was determined to earn enough money to buy it. By the time school reopened, he had earned the $3,500 he needed and gained skills that would prove invaluable throughout his career. “I’d also learned how to sell and I had learned how to be fearless,” said Dan. “Then for the next 30 years, that’s kind of what I do for a living is I get on the phone, I talk to people, I build relationships, I’m selling services, I’m selling ideas.” Dan and his father eventually rebuilt the Mustang together, and Dan managed to get the finished car featured in several automotive magazines. Those early experiences helped introduce him to automotive journalism and ultimately set him on the path to building Kahn Media. The Way Consumers Buy Is Changing Artificial intelligence is having a major impact on how consumers research products and make purchasing decisions. While buyers previously relied on magazine reviews, salespeople and traditional online searches for information, many are now turning to AI platforms for recommendations and answers to specific questions. Dan shares a recent experience involving a tonneau cover he purchased for his truck. After dealing with mounting clamps that repeatedly came loose, he turned to Google Gemini for help. By uploading photos and explaining the issue, he was able to identify a known problem with the product and locate updated replacement parts that solved it. “That is, I think, a game changer. And that is how I think a lot of people are now starting to plan their builds,” said Dan. For marketers, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges. Rather than visiting multiple websites and comparing information themselves, consumers are increasingly relying on AI to do much of that research for them. That changes how brands need to think about getting their products in front of potential customers. To better understand these changing behaviors, Kahn Media has been conducting a major research project involving thousands of automotive consumers and interviews with industry professionals. The goal is to understand how customers discover products, what influences their decisions and how businesses can adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. Reach Beyond Your Existing Audience Social media algorithms have made it easier than ever for brands to reach people who are already interested in their products. However, Dan points out that these same algorithms can make it increasingly difficult to introduce new products to consumers who aren’t already searching for them. Social platforms prioritize content based on what users watch, like and engage with. While that can be valuable for targeting an established audience, it also creates a cycle where people are repeatedly exposed to similar content rather than discovering something new. “That’s where the discovery layer comes in. And how do we get that discovery layer in front of somebody to open their eyes and get them to say, that’s actually something I might be interested in? Show me more of that,” said Dan. Dan highlights Scout Motors as an example of a brand approaching this challenge in an interesting way. Rather than relying entirely on traditional automotive media, Scout has partnered with content creators who appeal to different audiences, including automotive reviewers, artists and lifestyle influencers. By combining these collaborations with paid promotion, the company can introduce its upcoming vehicles to consumers who might not otherwise encounter them. For Dan, this is an example of how the traditional boundaries between earned, owned and paid media are changing. Brands need to understand how these channels work together and develop strategies that reach existing customers while also introducing their products to new audiences. Dan believes the companies willing to adapt will have a significant advantage as consumer habits continue to evolve. He plans to explore these changes further during his upcoming presentation at the 2026 SEMA Show and Kahn Media’s next Growth Garage webinar, where the agency will share findings from its automotive consumer research. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com (https://www.otsspodcast.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   OTSS Rewind: Norris Marshall, CEO of BluePrint Engines

   As we revisit some of our favorite conversations from the Only The Strong Survive archives, we’re going back to Episode 25 with Norris Marshall, CEO of BluePrint Engines.Originally released in October 2024, Norris’ episode is one we’ve wanted to bring back for a while. And for the first time, we’re releasing the conversation with video, giving viewers a new way to experience Dan and Norris’ discussion about entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture and building a business designed to last.A lot has changed since Episode 25 first aired, but the lessons Norris shared still hold up. His story of growing BluePrint Engines from a small-town machine shop into one of the country’s leading builders of high-performance crate engines is exactly the kind of story Only The Strong Survive was created to tell. Whether you heard the original episode or are discovering it for the first time, it’s worth revisiting.BluePrint Engines CEO Norris Marshall is an amazing example of a true American entrepreneurial success story. Born in rural Nebraska, Marshall spent much of his youth working on the farm. However, he began working in a small-town repair shop in his teenage years. It was there that he discovered his love of working on engines. Eventually, Marshall moved from fixing small lawnmower engines to larger ones when he began working at a local machine shop.Marshall quickly left that machine shop to start his own, showing his entrepreneurial spirit. From those humble beginnings as a small machine shop, he guided his business to become one of America’s premier builders of high-performance crate engines. With over 400,000 engines now produced, BluePrint Engines employs a vast array of engineers, engine builders, salespeople, support staff and other employees at its Kearney, Nebraska, headquarters.The journey from a small machine shop to a leader in high-performance crate engines wasn’t easy or a straight path. In this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Marshall discusses what he learned from that experience with host Dan Kahn. Click on the play icon to watch this fascinating discussion that is a must for anyone running their own business. Here are our top five takeaways: * Always keep pivoting. * Company culture is more important than many people think. * Fantastic employees are the result of training and development. * Mentoring is a great way to develop your employees further. * Employee ownership is a way to ensure your team is vested in long-term success. Don’t Be Afraid to PivotKey to BluePrint’s success is Marshall’s willingness to shift business models. Initially, he started the business as a small machine shop, but it was limited to supplying local engine builders. Wanting to grow the business further, Marshall shifted to building remanufactured replacement engines. That change led to massive growth, with BluePrint producing over 100 engines a day. However, as factory OEM engines improved, the need to replace them dwindled. Once again, Marshall shifted to building complete and brand-new high-performance engines to continue the company’s success.“The amount of remanufactured engines that the world needed shrank in a very short period of time. It was kind of like Kodak film. Kodak had all the imaging going on, but in a 10-year period of time, it disappeared, and nobody needed film. So, we were back to needing to change what we do and being more viable,” says Marshall. “The good part is that was the beginning of BluePrint Engines. We had the equipment, knew about engines and knew how to make the engines.”Company Culture is Just as Important as Your ProductsCompany culture is often overlooked in the drive to produce more products and create new ones. However, it is essential and should never be ignored. Recognizing this fact long before company culture became a more recent focus, Marshall carefully built the right one. The move proved wise, as Marshall built a brand that employees want to be a part of and move forward.“I guess the culture comes from me, how I want to treat our employees and how I expect our managers to treat our employees. I start with the idea that everybody wants to do a good job, and you just have to find a way to let them,” says Marshall. “I also do believe that people are capable of a lot more than we realize if we challenge and encourage them. So, I am big on challenging and encouraging. I’ve got a lot of push, and I am not easy to work for. At the same time, I am on their side, and I want to help them. I think you need to make it personal, too. People need to know that you care about them, and when the moment arises to show that, you really need to show up.”Grow Your EmployeesIn the daily grind of running a business, individual employees can be just as overlooked as company culture. However, if you want your company to succeed, you need to pay attention to both its culture and employee growth. Properly training employees and taking a vested interest in their development makes them better at their jobs and more impactful to a company as a whole.“Great companies are made up of awesome people who are really just regular people who were given a chance to be great. Everybody’s got some of that greatness in them,” says Marshall. “I realized that when you are looking at your competitor and admiring their people if you can’t admire your people, you probably need to do more to try to develop and train them because it is in most of them to be really great at something.”Mentoring MattersMentors are equally as crucial to employee development as proper training. The right mentors can guide employees, pass along knowledge and help teach valuable skills. A mentor from outside a company can also bring fresh perspectives and new ways of tackling issues or problems. With a mentor making a big difference in his early career, Marshall happily makes them available to his employees.“We have a lot of people here on the leadership team who have been here for a long time. For the most part, they haven’t worked anywhere else. We need that outside influence (of a mentor), so they know more than what we collectively know at BluePrint,” says Marshall. “So let’s get them with somebody who can teach them those other things. For the most part, I see really, really fantastic growth and change in the individuals who get mentored.”Boosting Buy InGetting employees to buy in and believe in your organization’s mission is critical. One way Marshall boosts buy-in at BluePrint is by having employees literally buy into the company. By offering employees the chance to purchase stock in the company that yields returns based on its performance, they become more vested in the long-term success of BluePrint. The stock isn’t free or cheap, ensuring a deeper level of commitment among the employees who purchase it. It also gives a path to BluePrint’s longevity beyond Marshall and keeps ownership within the company.“I did enough research five years ago on who you can sell a business to and learned about strategic buyers and private equity, and I also learned about employee ownership. So, to create a path, and there is no guarantee this is how it is going to end, my wife and I decided to sell about 10 percent of the stock in the company. We ended up with a group of about a dozen employees who purchased stock. It is not phantom stock or an ESOP,” says Marshall. “One of the attributes about it that I really like is that the employees ultimately get wealthy. I think it is important to really have that carrot out there that if you come in here and buy stock and sweat it out, make those payments and continue to buy more stock when you can, by the time you’re 50 or 60 and if you have a high-level job, you’re going to own enough stock that you are going to be rich.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com (https://www.otsspodcast.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   OTSS Rewind: The Larry Chen Episode

   Originally released in February 2024, our conversation with Larry Chen has remained one of our favorite episodes of Only The Strong Survive. Now, in September 2026, we’re bringing it back as part of our Best of OTSS series, revisiting some of the conversations that have stuck with us long after they first aired.Growing up in the center of Southern California car culture, Larry Chen was exposed to everything automotive from an early age. Like many kids in the region, he dreamed of owning and racing exotic cars. Eventually, those dreams started to take shape on a smaller scale as Larry raced what he could and brought his camera along to document the experience.That decision to photograph those early races would eventually change the course of his career. As his skills behind the camera grew, Larry hung up his helmet and turned to photography full-time, becoming one of the most recognized names in automotive photography.By the time he joined Dan Kahn on Only The Strong Survive, Larry had built a career that extended far beyond photography, balancing work for major clients with a massive audience across his own channels.What makes this episode worth revisiting more than two years later is how well the conversation has held up. Larry and Dan talk about what it actually takes to build a creative career, why being easy to work with matters, how constant learning keeps you moving forward and what Larry has learned about avoiding burnout along the way.The five takeaways below were true when the episode first aired in 2024, and they feel just as relevant in 2026: * Why success as a creator takes time * The importance of continuing to learn * Why your attitude matters * How passion fuels creativity * Larry’s approach to avoiding burnout Don’t Expect Immediate SuccessMany people want to be influencers and content creators, and from the outside, the path can sometimes look easier than it really is. Larry’s career is a reminder that building something sustainable takes time.It took him years of hard work to hone his skills and become an accomplished photographer. He worked multiple odd jobs while funding his passion for photography, and it was four years before he broke even.“It took quite a long time for me to get to a point where I broke even by taking pictures. I started in 2004 taking photos of cars,” says Chen. “It got to the point around 2009 where I had to break even somehow. Luckily, that year, I was able to break even. The next year, I told myself that I had to take home $10,000, and I was able to hit that goal. Then it just slowly went up year after year. It wasn’t an overnight thing.”That part of the conversation feels especially relevant today. The platforms may have changed and the volume of content has increased, but building a real career still takes patience and consistency. Constantly Learning Is KeyThere really isn’t a single guidebook for creativity, especially when you are working at the front edge of an industry.For Larry, a big part of staying successful has been the willingness to learn as he goes. Automotive photography and content creation continue to evolve, and the people doing the work often have to figure things out in real time.“I can’t just Google a lot of these things because we are trying to be the first or very early adopters of something,” says Chen. “We have to do a lot of learning as we go. Most of the processes that me and my guys have figured out over the years, we try to do what we can to share it. That is where the education portion comes in. We try to share as much knowledge as possible because it really is elevating car photography and content overall.”That mindset still holds up in 2026. New tools will keep coming, but curiosity and the willingness to keep learning remain a major part of staying relevant. Be Easy to Work WithOne of the strongest parts of the episode is Larry’s perspective on reputation.Talent matters, but long careers are also built on how you show up and how people feel about working with you. Being reliable, collaborative and easy to work with can carry just as much weight as the quality of the finished product.“There are so many good shooters out there, but maybe sometimes they are more difficult to work with. They usually get weeded out,” says Chen. “I try to be as reliable as possible and easy to work with and deliver stuff in a timely manner.”That point feels even more relevant now. There are more talented creators than ever, which makes the experience of working with someone matter just as much as the work itself. Be Passionate About What You DoSpend any time talking to Larry and it is obvious how much he genuinely loves cars.That passion plays a huge role in his creativity and has helped keep him engaged across so many different parts of automotive culture. It gives him a reason to keep exploring new ideas and stay interested in the work.“Everyone on our team is very passionate, and I am so appreciative of that. We are all just a bunch of nerds. We love drifting, going to the track and tinkering on our cars,” says Chen. “I am so lucky to be able to do what I do.”More than two years later, that part of the conversation still feels important. When your career is built around creating constantly, genuine interest in the subject matter goes a long way. Avoiding BurnoutBurnout is something nearly every creative person has to think about eventually, especially when the lines between work, personal projects and social media can blur so easily.For Larry, one of the things that keeps him interested is variety. His work spans a huge range of automotive culture, which gives him room to stay curious rather than getting stuck doing the same thing over and over again.“A lot of people ask how I don’t burn out and stay interested in all the stuff that I do. Luckily for me, I am able to shoot everything. It is not just one thing. It is not just drifting or time attack,” says Chen. “It’s legitimately everything that the car culture world has to offer. If it has four wheels or even two wheels, or if it has some sort of transportation aspect to it, then I am there and interested in it. Honestly, if I did get burned out, I would stop. But I don’t really know what else would keep me interested or what else would keep me so happy.”That perspective has aged well. Creative careers have only become more demanding, which makes finding ways to stay interested in the work even more important.More than two years after this episode first aired, Larry’s perspective on creativity, work ethic and building a lasting career still holds up. That made it an easy choice to bring back as part of Best of OTSS. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com (https://www.otsspodcast.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Who has been a guest on OTSS Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Bob Wheeler
• Bruce Meyer
• Vince Finaldi
• Matt Stevenson
• Gordon McCall

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

76

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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