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The Quest for Success

The Quest for Success

Written by: Dylan Pathirana and Jamitha Pathirana
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Welcome! Thanks for joining us on this journey. We are a father and son duo on the quest to find the formula to success, and understand what success means to different people. Our goal is to take a deep dive into people's stories and interview people from a range of backgrounds in this quest for success.


About us:
Jam is an experienced founder with over 18 years of experience. He is passionate about helping businesses overcome their supply-chain challenges and achieve success. He is in his final year of the Harvard OPM program where he is deepening his knowledge and network.

Dylan is a renewable energy engineer turned entrepreneur, currently working on building a community based equipment rental platform. He recently completed the Stanford ignite program, a business and entrepreneurship course where he found his love for the startup hustle.

Together, we are on the quest, the quest for success!

© 2026 The Quest for Success Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Your Starting Point Doesn't Decide Your Finish - Dulat Tastekey

    Your Starting Point Doesn't Decide Your Finish - Dulat Tastekey
    Oct 21 2026

    What does it take to go from a small village in eastern Kazakhstan, speaking only Kazakh, to building one of the country's largest non-bank lenders? We sat down with our dear friend Dulat Tastekey, Jam's classmate at Harvard, and we loved every minute of it. It's honest, funny and full of lessons you can take straight into your own life and work.

    Dulat grew up loving maths and dreaming of running a bank one day. He finally landed a job at the bank he'd always wanted to work for, took a lower salary to get there, and drove a taxi after hours to make ends meet, only to leave within a couple of months because the culture wasn't what he'd hoped for. With 50,000 US dollars in savings, he bought an unprofitable pawn shop branch in Almaty, and 16 years later TAS Credit has more than 600 employees and branches right across Kazakhstan. Dulat opens up about scaling, the culture lessons that came with growth, and why speed, not money, is what his business really sells. He also shares his work on the Almaty City Council, his Assyltas Foundation, and the values he's trying to pass on to his four children.

    In this episode, we cover:
    - Why Dulat defines success across every area of life, not just business
    - Learning English as his third language, and the cost of going back to Harvard, Stanford and Oxford
    - Moving from his village to Almaty and changing schools four times, and how it taught him to adapt
    - Taking a pay cut for his dream bank job, then walking away to build his own
    - Starting with 50,000 US dollars and an unprofitable pawn shop branch he still runs today
    - Why culture keeps breaking at 50, 100 and 500 people, and the five values that hold his team together
    - The one minute late rule: miss the 9am meeting and learn a poem by Abai by heart
    - Getting money to clients in 30 minutes, and why 40% of new clients come through recommendations
    - Kazakhstan's opportunities, its Soviet legacy, and living "between the dragon and the bear"
    - Giving back through his foundation, and why "your starting point doesn't decide your finish"

    Connect with Dulat:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dulat-tastekey-3a832354
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dulat_tastekey/
    TAS Group: https://tasgroup.kz/en/
    Assyltas Foundation: https://assyltas.kz/

    Chapters:
    00:00 Introduction and Dulat's background
    02:14 What success means to Dulat
    05:27 Learning English and personal growth
    06:46 Early life and childhood in Kazakhstan
    11:12 From student to entrepreneur
    18:31 Milestones in scaling the business
    23:55 Building organisational culture
    32:16 Digital transformation and innovation
    38:05 Kazakhstan's business landscape and opportunities
    44:50 Challenges and limitations in Kazakhstan
    53:15 Philanthropy and giving back
    1:00:45 Values and lessons for the next generation
    1:08:05 Reflections on learning and future plans
    1:09:14 Success and ongoing growth

    #Kazakhstan #Loans #TASCredit

    Follow us on all your favourite platforms:
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuestforSuccessPod
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Quest-For-Success-Podcast/61560418629272/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequestforsuccesspod/
    Twitter: https://x.com/quest4success_
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-quest-for-success
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequestforsuccesspod
    Website: www.thequestforsuccesspodcast.com

    Please share this around to anyone you think will get value from it : )
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • What It Really Takes to Become a World Champion | Jeff Horn

    What It Really Takes to Become a World Champion | Jeff Horn
    Oct 14 2026
    “I got bullied every single day. But I made a decision that it wasn’t going to define me. It was going to fuel me.”Jeff Horn’s journey from a quiet kid who copped relentless bullying in school to becoming the WBO welterweight champion of the world is one of the most remarkable underdog stories in Australian sport. But the full picture of what it took to get there, and what came after, is something most people never hear.In this episode of The Quest for Success, Jeff sits down with us to share the raw, unfiltered version. Growing up without confidence, finding boxing as an outlet, the gruelling years of training with no guarantee of anything, and then the moment everything changed: the night he defeated Manny Pacquiao in front of 51,000 people at Suncorp Stadium. A result almost nobody outside his camp believed was possible.But Jeff’s story doesn’t end with a belt around his waist. He opens up about the pressure of being champion, the toll that losses took on him mentally, and the difficult transition out of professional sport. And he talks about what drives him now: Bullyproof Australia, his organisation dedicated to helping young people stand up to bullying through resilience, confidence, and self-belief.This is a conversation about what it really means to fight, in the ring and in life.What we cover:How childhood bullying became the catalyst for Jeff’s boxing careerThe role his parents played in building his resilience and self-beliefThe years of sacrifice and discipline behind his rise through the ranksWhat really happened in the Manny Pacquiao fight, and how he prepared for itManaging expectations and pressure as world championThe mental toughness required to come back from devastating lossesWhy the transition out of professional boxing was harder than any fightBuilding Bullyproof Australia and turning pain into purposeGoal setting frameworks and how Jeff approaches challenges todayHis advice for young people facing adversity“You don’t have to be the most talented. You just have to be the one who refuses to quit.”“The hardest fight I ever had wasn’t against Pacquiao. It was figuring out who I was after boxing.”Connect with Jeff Horn:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffhornboxer/Bullyproof Australia: https://bullyproofaustralia.org.au/Chapters:0:00 Introduction and Welcome0:46 Early Life and Growing Up2:35 Experiences with Bullying5:19 The Impact of Parents and Family Support8:03 Finding Boxing and Early Career11:42 Turning Professional and Key Fights15:28 The Manny Pacquiao Fight and Rise to World Champion20:14 Life as World Champion and Managing Expectations24:50 Mental Toughness and Handling Pressure28:36 Overcoming Setbacks and Losses in Boxing32:12 Transition from Professional Boxing35:47 Starting Bullyproof Australia39:30 Mission and Vision Behind Bullyproof43:15 Goal Setting, Resilience, and Self Belief47:00 Community, Mentorship, and Giving Back50:45 Advice for Young People Facing Adversity54:20 Reflections on Success and Legacy57:21 Closing Thoughts and Where to Follow Jeff#JeffHorn #Boxing #WorldChampion #MentalToughness #Resilience #BullyproofAustralia #Bullying #AntiBullying #Pacquiao #WBO #AustralianBoxing #SuccessMindset #GoalSetting #SelfBelief #MindsetMatters #Podcast #TheQuestForSuccess #Inspiration #Motivation #Underdog #Champion #FightBack #BoxingLife Follow us on all your favourite platforms:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuestforSuccessPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Quest-For-Success-Podcast/61560418629272/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequestforsuccesspod/Twitter: https://x.com/quest4success_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-quest-for-successTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequestforsuccesspodWebsite: www.thequestforsuccesspodcast.com Please share this around to anyone you think will get value from it : )
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    58 mins
  • He Went to 4 Olympics. Then He Changed What He Was Playing For - Hugo Inglis

    He Went to 4 Olympics. Then He Changed What He Was Playing For - Hugo Inglis
    Oct 7 2026
    "Success is shown through the people you surround yourself with."In this episode of The Quest for Success Podcast, Jam and Dylan Pathirana sit down with Hugo Inglis, a four-time New Zealand Olympic hockey player and founder of High Impact Athletes, for an honest conversation on what success actually looks like when you strip away the medals and the scoreboard.Hugo shares his early childhood and the sports experiences that shaped him, the cultural bonds and rituals that make New Zealand's sporting environment so distinctive, and why he believes small groups with the right culture can produce genuine breakthroughs. He reflects on competing across four Olympic Games, the goals and motivation that kept him going, and what he learnt from setbacks, injuries and the moments that didn't go to plan.The conversation moves beyond sport into Hugo's transition from elite athlete to impact-driven entrepreneur. He opens up about founding High Impact Athletes, an organisation that channels the influence and platform of athletes into global causes including climate action. He shares what he's learnt about building trust, storytelling and impact-driven teams, and why he believes the role of athletes in driving societal change is only just beginning.Hugo also offers practical advice for young athletes navigating their careers and thinking about life after sport, and reflects on the relationships, not the results, that he wants to define his legacy.This episode is a powerful reminder that the most meaningful form of success is rarely something you achieve alone.What we cover:Hugo's definition of success and why relationships matter mostEarly childhood and the sports experiences that shaped himBuilding high-performance teams and the role of cultureGoals and motivation in elite sportNew Zealand's sporting culture and why it punches above its weightCultural bonds and rituals that bind New Zealand teamsHugo's Olympic debut and career highlights across four GamesReflections on setbacks, injuries and Olympic disappointmentsMemorable moments and lessons from the Olympic experienceThe impact of culture and teamwork in elite sportTransition from athlete to impact-driven entrepreneurThe mission and work of High Impact AthletesBuilding impact teams and future visionAdvice for young athletes and life after sportHugo's vision for his legacy and what success means to him"Success is shown through the people you surround yourself with." Hugo Inglis"In small groups, you can build a culture that leads to breakthroughs." Hugo Inglis"Focus on relationships, trust, and impact for a meaningful life." Hugo InglisConnect with Hugo Inglis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-inglis/High Impact Athletes: https://www.highimpactathletes.org/Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Hugo's background02:10 What success means to Hugo04:18 Early childhood and sports influences06:19 Building high performance teams and culture08:37 Goals and motivation in sports10:07 NZ's sports success and secret sauce11:21 Cultural bonds and rituals in New Zealand12:38 Olympic debut and career highlights15:03 Reflections on Olympic experiences and setbacks17:57 Memorable moments and lessons from Olympics20:24 Handling injuries and setbacks22:44 The impact of culture and teamwork in sports24:44 Transition from sport to impact entrepreneurship37:30 High Impact Athletes' mission and projects43:42 Building impact teams and future vision54:03 Advice for young athletes and life after sport56:56 Hugo's vision for his funeral and legacy57:57 Reflections on success and relationships01:00:37 Closing thoughts and gratitude#QuestForSuccess #HugoInglis #Olympics #Hockey #Leadership #TeamCulture #HighImpactAthletes #ClimateChange #Impact #Entrepreneurship #NewZealand #SuccessMindset #Podcast #Inspiration #AthleteLifeFollow us on all your favourite platforms:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuestforSuccessPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Quest-For-Success-Podcast/61560418629272/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequestforsuccesspod/Twitter: https://x.com/quest4success_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-quest-for-successTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequestforsuccesspodWebsite: www.thequestforsuccesspodcast.com Please share this around to anyone you think will get value from it : )
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    58 mins
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