Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Dubow.
Hi Brian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey from CPA to Founder and Happiness Coach
My journey started in a pretty traditional way — after graduating from the University of Florida, I began my career as a CPA and Deals Consultant at PwC in New York City. On paper, I was “successful.” I was making good money, had great friends, a clear career path, and parents who were proud. But underneath, I felt disconnected from my sense of purpose and quickly burned out. I was checking boxes, not chasing meaning. I felt comfortably numb when I wanted to feel alive.
That disconnect sent me on a search for something deeper. I hired my first life coach, devoured self-help books, and set up coffee chats with interesting people across different industries — people who had designed lives that lit them up and aligned with their passions.
One of the most memorable conversations was with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor who taught the university’s most popular class at the time and is one of the world’s leading thinkers on the science of happiness. After a two-hour conversation with him, I took a leap of faith and spent the next year studying happiness under his guidance, becoming a certified happiness trainer and coach. That year changed everything. I realized happiness isn’t something you earn — it’s a skill you practice. It’s a choice you make every day. That insight sparked the next chapter of my life.
I started coaching on the side while still working at PwC. Around the same time, during the early days of COVID, I launched Hit of Happiness as a blog to help people navigate uncertainty with hope, mindset tools, and science-backed strategies. What started as a simple weekly email evolved into a podcast, a corporate consulting business, and a coaching practice helping high achievers find more fulfillment and fun in their daily lives. Before long, I was leading happiness workshops for 2,000+ people at PwC — and I realized it was time to take this passion seriously.
I left the corporate world, earned my MBA at UCLA Anderson with a focus on entrepreneurship and leadership development, participated in the UCLA Venture Accelerator, and built a vision for what the business of happiness could actually look like.
Since then, I’ve spoken on stages across North America, led workshops for Fortune 500 teams, and built a community of people who believe that success and happiness aren’t mutually exclusive. I also teach a course at UCLA called Alive, designed to help students define success for themselves and discover what truly makes them feel alive.
All of this became possible because I didn’t wait to take my life back in pursuit of joy and fulfillment. The life you want is built moment by moment, choice by choice — and it’s always available, if you’re willing to show up, be honest with yourself, and take action.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road — but every bump along the way has been part of the growth.
One of the biggest challenges early on was financial uncertainty. Leaving a steady paycheck at a major firm like PwC to build something from scratch was terrifying. The pressure was both self-imposed and reinforced by close friends and family who, at first, questioned why I would walk away from such a stable and respectable job. I went from having a clear, structured career path to creating my own, step by step, without any guarantees. I had to get comfortable with discomfort and uncertainty quickly. It was a masterclass in facing fear and letting go of who I used to be. It required a huge identity shift — I wasn’t just a consultant anymore; I was an entrepreneur, a coach, and a brand. It took time to fully embrace that new identity and own it with confidence.
Another major hurdle was learning to sell myself and my services. I had to build the confidence to know that my time and expertise were valuable. I had to get comfortable telling my story, articulating my value, and inviting people to work with me. At first, that felt awkward — almost like I was bragging — but I came to understand that if I truly believed in the transformation I could offer, then sharing it wasn’t selling — it was serving.
Building credibility was another critical piece. Without the built-in brand recognition of a large company behind me, I had to consistently show up, deliver value, network and earn trust through action, not titles. That meant saying yes to speaking gigs, writing articles, leading workshops — even when they were unpaid at first — just to get my message out into the world.
Finally, creating structure amid so much freedom was harder than I expected. I had to build accountability systems for managing my time, my marketing, my finances, and my own personal growth. Without a boss or external deadlines, it’s easy to drift. Over time, I learned that the more structure I created, the more freedom I actually experienced.
The road has been anything but straight, but every challenge has made the journey richer and more meaningful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hit of Happiness?
At Hit of Happiness, we help high-achieving individuals and corporate teams unlock greater happiness, fulfillment, and performance by blending science-backed strategies with real-world application.
Our mission is simple: to show people that happiness isn’t a luxury — it’s a skill. And when you invest in your happiness, everything else in your life and work gets better too.
We specialize in three things
1. Individual Coaching
2. Keynotes and Corporate Workshops
3. Building Meaningful Community
Our programs are known for being high-energy, deeply engaging, and rooted in both research and real human connection. I also teach a course called Alive at UCLA Anderson, helping MBA students design personal and professional lives that make them feel truly alive.
What sets us apart is that we don’t offer one-size-fits-all solutions or quick fixes. We meet people where they are, whether it’s teaching leadership teams how to weave well-being into company culture, helping individuals reframe their definition of success, or guiding students through the foundations of intentional living. Everything we offer is built on the belief that happiness and high achievement are not mutually exclusive — in fact, they fuel each other.
Beyond happiness, Hit of Happiness is about living up to your potential. Happiness is a tool to help you get out of survival mode and begin your self actualization journey. Once you’re firing on all cylinders, anything is possible.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that Hit of Happiness has stayed true to its mission while continuing to evolve. We’ve built a reputation for making happiness feel attainable, actionable, relatable, and genuinely transformative — not fluffy or out of reach.We’ve helped people realize that life can be fun and meaningful every day.
If there’s one thing I’d want your readers to know, it’s that happiness isn’t something you find “someday” — it’s something you can build, practice, and experience now. Through our coaching programs, workshops, talks, and community experiences, we help people realize that life isn’t just meant to be survived — it’s meant to be lived.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
For individuals, I offer 1:1 coaching programs designed to help you clarify what you really want, build the habits to support it, and live with more energy, joy, and intention. I help you feel alive!
For companies and organizations, I lead keynote talks, interactive workshops, and well-being programs that boost employee engagement, resilience, and fulfillment. I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, universities, startups, and everything in between — and I always customize the experience to meet the audience where they are.
If you’re looking to collaborate — whether it’s co-hosting an event, building a community experience, or creating meaningful content around personal growth and well-being — I’m always open to hearing ideas. I believe in the power of collaboration and building things that create real impact.
If you want to support Hit of Happiness, the best way is to help spread the mission: that happiness is not just a feeling, it’s a way of life we can all build. Subscribe to and share our content, attend an event, bring us into your organization, or simply start a conversation with someone about what happiness really means to you.
You can learn more at www.hitofhappiness.com or connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram (@hitofhappiness). I’d love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hitofhappiness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hitofhappiness/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-dubow/
