Before David Meltzer became one of the most sought-after business coaches in the country, he was a man chasing a number.
“I defined success by how much money I made,” he said. “If my bank account went up a hundred dollars, I was successful. If it went down a hundred dollars, I was unsuccessful.”
That mindset carried him from law school into the tech boom of the late 1990s and eventually to the top of the sports business world. By his mid-30s, Meltzer was a multimillionaire and a partner at one of the most powerful agencies in the country, the one that inspired Jerry Maguire. He was surrounded by athletes, celebrities and private jets. Everything he’d dreamed of as a kid growing up with a single mom in Akron, Ohio, was finally his.
And yet, the more he earned, the less fulfilled he felt.
“I was making millions and millions,” he said. “And I was getting less and less happy.”
When his empire collapsed, Meltzer was forced to confront the emptiness behind his achievements. Losing everything—money, status, reputation—pushed him to reexamine what success actually meant.
“I attached my emotions to outcomes,” he said. “I thought, I’ll be happy when I make my first million… ten million… twenty million. But none of it ever made me happy.”
The collapse became the beginning of a new life. Meltzer rebuilt, this time with a different foundation: make a lot of money, help a lot of people and have a lot of fun.
“I’m still here to make a lot of money,” he said. “But for the sake of helping people and having fun while doing it.”
For him, wealth isn’t the goal anymore—it’s a resource. He believes money can amplify good in the world, but only if it’s used with intention.
“It takes money to have great impact,” he said. “I can’t give what I don’t have. If I want to clear plastic from the oceans or give a thousand students scholarships, that doesn’t come free.”
These days, Meltzer runs multiple companies, mentors entrepreneurs and hosts a podcast and TV show. But his real mission is to empower over a billion people to be happy.
“I know that sounds crazy,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s the mission.”
He used to think success came from hard work and wisdom. Now, he says, it comes from trust.
“Faith to me is everything,” Meltzer said. “It’s faith in a God who loves me, protects me, promotes me and perfects me.”
That belief, he says, changed how he views failure. Problems don’t mean he’s off track—they’re part of the process.
“Every problem and every struggle in my life has the solution already in it,” he said. “It’s just a lapse of time before it turns into a resolution.”
He laughs as he tells a story from his gambling days, one that now serves as a parable about divine timing. At the craps table, he used to think God was giving him signs.
“I’d hear God saying, ‘heart eight,’ so I’d bet big—and lose,” he said. “But God doesn’t work on man-made time. He wasn’t giving me betting tips. He was elevating my awareness.”
That lesson—patience over panic—now shapes how he leads his businesses.
“God doesn’t operate on 24-hour days or December 25ths,” he said. “He works in the infinite.”
After decades in high-pressure environments, Meltzer has also lost patience for hustle culture. He calls it “the myth of more,” the idea that happiness lives somewhere beyond the next achievement.
“The myth says, if I work harder, I’ll have more,” he said. “If I do more, I’ll get more. But the truth is, you already have it.”
That realization turned his entire philosophy inside out. Instead of pushing for more, he began focusing on removing the noise that kept him from peace.
“Most of the grinding is creating interference,” he said. “It’s resistance to what already is.”
He encourages entrepreneurs to start from abundance, not lack. Every morning, he repeats four affirmations: I am happy. I am healthy. I am wealthy. I am worthy. Then, he asks himself what he’s doing to interfere with those truths.
It’s not just positive thinking—it’s practical spirituality.
“Our human experience is bookended by two things,” he said. “Your heart starts and your heart stops. Everything in between is stewardship.”
That stewardship begins with the basics. Meltzer structures his days around what he calls “non-negotiables”—breathing, sleeping, moving, eating and drinking—and builds outward from there. Family, friends, health and finances come next. If those first things aren’t in balance, he says, the rest will fall apart.
He doesn’t believe God has a blueprint for his success.
“I don’t think God has a plan that says I’ll be a billionaire,” he said. “His plan is to protect, promote, love and perfect me through experiences so I can reach my potential—or better.”
His outlook is radically humble for someone who once managed tens of millions. These days, he’s less interested in controlling outcomes and more interested in paying attention to what’s right in front of him.
“The fastest way to get to where you want to be is to find someone who’s already there and ask them for directions,” he said. “I’ve paid over a hundred million dollars in dummy tax. Don’t do that.”
Meltzer surrounds himself with mentors and encourages others to do the same.
“I have a sleep coach, five health coaches, a business coach, a family coach,” he said. “Whatever area you’re trying to grow in, find someone sitting in the situation you want to be in.”
That mindset—staying teachable even after losing everything—is what rebuilt his life. It’s not about wealth, he says. It’s about awareness.
“Be more interested than interesting,” Meltzer said. “You don’t learn anything by being interesting.”
Meltzer’s story isn’t about reinvention for the sake of success. It’s about what happens when you stop measuring your worth by what you earn and start measuring it by what you give.
To see or hear our full conversation with Jimmy Darts, check out The RELEVANT Podcast Impact Series, available on audio and video:
