Big Questions with Cal Fussman (Curiosity Media)

Big Questions celebrates its one-year anniversary with takeaways from guests over the last year. Kobe Bryant explains how excellence transfers across all pursuits. Seth Godin describes how to think beyond the societal patterns that can knock us off balance. Larry King gets at the importance of communicating your own story. Nely Galan shares how pain can be turned into profit. Spartan CEO Joe DeSena describes the start of his plan to make the world healthy. Navy Seal commander turned podcaster Jocko Willink offers wisdom on the value of knowing your limitations. Best-selling author Dan Pink reveals the benefits of taking a break while Ryan Holiday talks about the value of exercise in coming up with new ideas. Record-breaking long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad illustrates how to improve with age. Best-selling author Alex Banayan tells a story about the value of role models. Mick Ebeling prepares to stop the tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease. And Tim Ferriss steps in to celebrate the day Big Questions came about. The good times just keep on going, as Cal sends out Sportiqe hoodies to the winners of the Why Is Your Best Friend Your Best Friend? contest.

Cal brings in the New Year with a conversation that takes his friend Natalie Baird-King from hell to heaven. After getting overwhelmed by patterns of abuse that stemmed from her childhood, Natalie became a lawyer to defend similar victims. But it was her medicinal use of ayahuasca that, she says, actually took her to heaven, taught her how to forgive and how to teach others to make peace with the past. It’s a great way to start a new year! Cheers!

Cal gets on the phone with the Brooklyn Borough President in the midst of the recent protests, rioting and looting to talk about the complexity of our national problem. Eric was given a racial beat down by police, who repeatedly kicked him in the groin when he was 15, and was later urged to make a change to the system by becoming a police officer himself. He served in the NYPD for 22 years, retiring at the rank of captain, and now is running for mayor of New York City. Eric sees our current landscape through experiences that few others have had. It’s very rare to hear a conversation with a politician like this. Don’t miss it.

Feeling stuffed after Thanksgiving? Meet YUKA, the revolutionary app with over 64 million users worldwide. Just scan a product's barcode, and YUKA instantly reveals whether it's BAD, POOR, GOOD or EXCELLENT for your health. Join Cal as he dives into how this app is changing the way we shop—and why you should start using it too. This quick, fun, and eye opening episode can improve your health. Don’t miss it!

There were many company leaders tasked with holding together the people who worked for them during the pandemic. But who was there to support them? There’s a lot of loneliness at the top. Cal talks with the son and father combo, Adam and Andy McGraw, about the company they started to help executives from different companies support each other through authentic connection. The company is called Crew, and it completely aligns with Cal’s mission to bring people together through the right questions, focused listening and great storytelling. This episode also showcases the benefits of connecting with someone a generation older or younger for transformational growth.

Cal became curious about an intriguing character in the HBO documentary, The Weight of Gold, which addresses a culture of depression among American Olympians that has led to a series of suicides. So he immediately called Katie Uhlaender to find out what makes an Olympic life and how depression finds its way inside it. After competing in four Winter Olympics in the Skeleton event, and losing a medal to an opponent who was involved in a doping scandal, Katie finds herself in a position to be a voice for the athlete in a system that only seems to care about results. Cal believes we shouldn’t be taking health insurance away from our Olympians the moment they’re off the conveyer belt any more than we should be taking it away from people who get fired or furloughed during the coronavirus. Lots to think about. 

While Cal has interviewed many of the icons of the last 75 years, there are a few people he always wanted to meet. One of them is the author of his favorite book, One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Colombian won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 and passed away in 2014. Cal was recently introduced to Marquez’s son, Rodrigo Garcia, the award-winning filmmaker. Turned out the two had been living a few blocks away from each other, and the conversation between them made Cal feel like he’d been a friend of the family for more than half a century.

Cal and his old pal talk about unique ways to think about self-improvement that call us to step aside and try something new to add to our existing skill levels. The conversation questions whether you can get more out of yourself by spending 10,000 hours doing different things as opposed to mastering one thing over the same time period. The back and forth will make everyone wonder about how they can find the most in themselves while getting the most from their own time.

When Cal hears how Bitcoin is becoming a huge part of the economy in Nigeria, he remembers a conversation he had with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss about the cryptocurrency in 2013. Back then, a Bitcoin valued $140. Now, it’s at about $33,000. And that’s after a steep decline from earlier this year, when it got up to about $60,000. The way the twins spoke about Bitcoin is a huge reminder to Cal to pay attention to the new developments in healthcare. And this conversation is a reminder to all of us to pay attention to the future before it happens.

Cal continues his journey into the world of artificial intelligence when he talks with the SEO guru. The Big Question is how the AI digital content now inundating the internet measures up against content that has authentic human connection at its essence. Be prepared to be surprised.

While speaking at a retreat for a group of investors, Cal asks about a basic educational guide to the stock market and saving money to make sure that any health care needs at the end of life can easily be met. He’s turned on to The Personal Finance Club course and Jeremy Schneider. Which leads to this conversation. Anyone looking for a clear and time-tested way to save a nest egg will be happy they tuned into this week’s podcast.

No city may be more vulnerable to the coronavirus than Las Vegas. Every year it was inviting 42 million people in for dinner. The city’s economy is dependent on those visitors, and Cal looks at the history of Las Vegas for a clue as to how the city might reinvent itself after the virus subsides. Entrepreneur Tom Breitling, author of the book Double or Nothing, and some of his friends explain why they’re betting on a big Vegas comeback. This podcast offers lessons in reinvention and hints at why Las Vegas may be the place to be in 2022.

Cal reconnects with the man who had the World Trade Center fall on his head and finds the lessons he learned even more powerful over time.

The two reflect upon the conversation they had shortly after Michael survived the deadliest attack on American soil. That conversation was turned into a noted Esquire Magazine story published in Michael’s own words in the January 2002 issue.

The takeaways in this episode are vast. Michael has lived through the type of experience that most of us will never know - and has come to understand life in ways that most of us were never forced to ponder.

Yet, in the end, his voice is positive and reflective and offers insight to
all of us on how to move forward from the most difficult of experiences.

Aston Martin’s president tells Cal about the circuitous journey that took her from jumping rope as a girl in Louisville, to the tennis team at Notre Dame, to law school, to working three jobs to make ends meet at age 27, all the way to the top of the iconic British car company. And then she made Cal feel like James Bond when she put him behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.

Takeaways:

-Work ethic goes a long way

-Risk taking that defined Schwab's career

-Finding the right mentors

-Getting the most out of being in the right place at the right time

-Making it all fun

Mental health gets closer to home for Cal when a young acquaintance is brought to tears with harmful thoughts in front of Cal’s house. This, after suicide and attempts shook a nearby college campus. It’s clear that a huge number of people are dealing with mental health issues that are not being treated or acknowledged. Cal talks with Kevin Hines, who has devoted his life to suicide prevention after attempting to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, about what we all can do to help. Awareness is key. The information Kevin passes on could save somebody’s life.

Cal wanted to do something great in this last podcast of 2020, and he jumped at the chance to spread the word about a guy who is making health care better for a lot of people. Phil Baker at Good Shepherd Pharmacy in Memphis takes in donated drugs and passes them on to doctors who get them to patients who can’t afford them. We’re talking about chemotherapy pills that can cost up to $30,000 a month. This podcast can save a lot of lives, so please pass it on to someone you know who’s been touched in some way, shape or form by cancer. The world will be a better place, and good karma will be coming your way.

As Cal reflects on how to improve healthcare, he goes into his archives and pulls out a conversation he had with the social media guru. It provides the perfect background on how to achieve. Gary Vee shows Cal how the early patterns of success in selling baseball cards and touting wine led to his communications company, VaynerX. Once you’ve figured out how to find and tell stories about the future, all you’ve got to do is rinse and repeat. A great lesson for everybody. 

Cal talks with a man who has worked to bring the best out of Navy Seals, neurosurgeons, Los Angeles Dodgers, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team players and Cirque du Soleil acrobats. This conversation gave Cal insights on how to get the most out of himself going forward. Listen up, and it will bring the best out of you.

The author of biographies on Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs talks to Cal about his latest work: Code Breaker, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and The Future of the Human Race. It’s a conversation about a topic that will alter the world, and it gives Cal the power to move forward on his quest to reshape health care.

The story of Alex’s bestselling book, The Third Door, continues in this episode. The journey started seven years ago, when Alex was a college freshman, going through a mini life crisis when he realized he wasn’t cut out to be a doctor and would be disappointing his family.
Alex began to wonder about the meaning of success. What were the most successful people doing when they were his age? That question led him on a path to find out by meeting Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Stephen Spielberg and many others. It also led him to meet Larry King and Cal when Alex discovered he needed to learn how to interview these people and write up the adventure. For five years, Cal mentored Alex through the project. Just before the book was released, Cal and Alex talked about the journey on Big Questions (episode 42). But even Cal was surprised to learn about all that Alex had to go through when the book was finally launched and became a bestseller. The sequel is an amazing story of resilience and triumph.

The founder of Not Impossible Labs tips off his next landmark invention: a band that can stop tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease.

Not Impossible Labs has previously invented a device that allowed a paralyzed graffiti artist to create art using only his eyes, and 3-D printed prosthetic arms for those who’ve had their limbs blown off during the civil war in Sudan.

The device that can curtail the tremors of those afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease is Mick Ebeling’s latest proof that anything we can imagine we can create.

TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How redefining the word “impossible” can make anything possible.
• How committing to a goal before you know how to achieve it can jumpstart your journey toward it, and push you past the obstacles that will arise.
• How trying to solve one impossible problem can lead you to solving another.
• How you can incorporate Mick’s philosophy into your own life and do things you never imagined you could do.

Cal discovers that some of his key attributes – curiosity, creating comfortability and connecting – equally apply to negotiations. And that maybe he has talents for an area in life that he often avoided. Mori is the author of the book: Being Yourself, How To Harness The Power of Connection To Negotiate Fearlessly. She is also a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. See what this episode can do for you!

Chessboxing? What? Do the competitors pound each other in the head as they move pieces on the chessboard? It’s actually a sport that is going to be on display at the Olympics in Paris this summer. It’s not an official Olympic event. Yet. But three hundred thousand people stream events and it’s only getting bigger and bigger. What does it mean for you? Listen to Matt Thomas’s story.

Cal celebrates his birthday to find an unexpected gift. It’s a book written by Marc Champagne called: Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World Class Performers. Cal opens the book and is surprised to find that the first chapter is about HIM. Other chapters are run through the prism of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the writer Maya Angelou, the broadcaster Larry King, novelist Jane Austin, Steve Jobs, the physicist Steven Hawking and the comedian Robin Williams. Pretty good company. Cal’s conversation with the book’s author revolves around the clarity that arises from good questions.

In our mean-spirited times, Cal steps into a conversation about kindness and receives a most thoughtful gift. Dete Meserve, the CEO of Wind Dancer Films and author of the books Good Sam and Random Acts of Kindness, shows Cal how the same skills and talents he used as a writer for decades can also serve him as a CEO. The epiphany comes at just the right time, as Cal sprinted toward his goal as CEO to raise a million dollars in new revenue for his business by the end of May. For Cal, the gift is life-changing.

Cal became very curious after reading that women in Japan were staging elaborate wedding ceremonies to marry themselves. Cal also heard projections that 1 out of 4 millennials in America will not marry. There is a societal shift going on. Behavioral psychologist Peter McGraw (and host of the podcast Solo) explains it all in a way that will make you see the world differently. 

Cal learns he can be way more persuasive than he ever thought when he sits at The Big Table in the office of Jason Harris, the CEO of Mekanism. Jason’s company has been named the small agency of the year by Ad Age. It has famously linked up with the White House under President Obama to create the “It’s On Us” campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault on college campuses. And Jason’s got a book out called The Soulful Art of Persuasion that a Harvard business professor has called the modern version of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you want to learn how to persuade through character as opposed to using numbers and debates, you’re in the right place.

The best-selling author tells Cal how he transformed from writer of the New York Times bestsellers I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell and Assholes Finish First to a dad playing Candyland with his kids. That, in itself, is quite a story. But that’s not all. He’s also founded a publishing company called Scribe to help people write their books. This also has Cal very curious. Many takeaways on the state of the publishing industry and personal growth from a master raconteur.

Cal takes a moment to pause and reflect on moments he had with two icons who said farewell recently in very different ways. Tennis great Serena Williams ended one of the most impactful careers in the history of any sport at the U.S. Open and the man who lifted The Iron Curtain, Mikhail Gorbachev, took his final breath at the age of 91. Cal tells two stories that showcase the origin of their influence. They both revolve around hugs. We should all take note.

When Cal needs to develop a business strategy for his new company, James comes to the rescue. Altucher has started many businesses over the years, making millions, losing millions, making more millions, losing more millions and making more millions. A prolific blogger and podcaster, author, angel investor and owner of a comedy club in New York where he often appears, James shows Cal how to define, shape and monetize his new business helping companies tell their stories. The strategy session is a gift for anybody who’s thinking about starting a business – and fun for everybody else.

Cal realizes that for the first time he is not feeling behind in technology because he has thrown himself into understanding AI. Conversations with experts on this podcast have made him feel more comfortable with what’s coming – even if we don’t know exactly what that is. This is the conversation that opened the door for him. It’s with Linus Eckenstam – a designer in Barcelona who makes web forms a little more human. Cal hopes this episode will make everyone more comfortable feel a little more authentic in the age of AI.

Cal hears a story about a guy who got seriously ill on vacation, and how, after he survived, the experience ultimately changed his diet and made him determined to clean out the chemicals in his body. When you hear the story, it may make you think about the way you take care of your own body. We get haircuts and buy products to groom our skin. But what if we put that care into our insides?

Cal was curious about ways to get more out of his time when he heard about Dan
Martell’s book: Buy Back Your Time. He was stunned by Dan’s amazing backstory, which makes
the lessons he passes on even more meaningful. Dan coaches CEOs and company founders
through SaaS Academy. Buckle your seatbelt for this episode, and get the most out of the 10-
80-10 rule.

After reading about Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary, Cal turns to one of his AI assistants, Arbor, for recommendations on the freshest new comedians. What starts as a simple question about stand-up talents turns into an eye-opening look at how AI is reshaping the way we can discover entertainment—and how we’ll all be interacting with AI in the near future. Naturally, this podcast will also deliver a few laughs . . .

Many years ago, TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie asked a wise man for some advice. That man wrote some on a sheet of paper: “The more you give, the more you live.” It has guided Blake ever since. First, in the start-up of TOMS – which donates a pair of shoes to an impoverished child every time it sells a pair. And most recently, in the start-up of a campaign to end gun violence through changing federal policy by instituting background checks before every gun sale. This is a solution that 90 percent of Americans agree with – and Blake is asking every one of them to go to Toms.com and send a postcard to her or his representative. There are many takeaways in this episode, as Blake describes the essence of an entrepreneurial life, from how difficult it can be to the difference it can make.

Cal gets social media strategies from the Podcast Princess, who grew a team of unpaid interns into her own highly successful agency – YAP (Young and Profiting). Her advice gives Cal the awareness of how to turn a technological problem into an area of creativity that could ultimately be a financial gamechanger. Hala believes that life is 0 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it. Everybody who listens to this conversation will come away with ideas on getting the most out of themselves.

Cal speaks with the director of the HBO documentary The Weight of Gold about the state of depression faced by many American Olympians, and the subsequent suicides. Swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, narrates the doc and leaves you wondering how the support system might be transformed. It’s a good opening for you to think about how well your own health care set up takes care of you.

Cal meets his polar opposite: The Boss in Heals. Heather Monahan. Whereas Cal was told as a writer in Journalism School never to sell, Heather came up on the sales side being told not to think of herself as a creative talent. She rose up the corporate ladder to become Chief Revenue Officer of the Beasley Media Group with 500 people working for her and was named one of the most influential women in radio only to see her job eliminated in a power struggle. But she used that tumultuous experience to turn herself into the author of the book Confidence Creator, and she is now a speaker and consultant on the topic. “Confidence,” she says, “is a skill to be developed.” She shows Cal how to be confident in areas where he doesn’t feel comfortable – and you’ll get a lot of tips, too

Cal checks in with one of his favorite people in the world, 25-year-old Daniela Fernandez, who has devoted her life to saving the world’s oceans. If you don’t think that’s important, it’d be wise to look at some facts. There’s an island of garbage twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean, which may be a long way from where you are right now but it affects you. Fifty percent of the oxygen we breathe is created by the ocean. That’s every second breath you take. We’re slowly choking ourselves. The non-profit organization that Daniela founded to heal the oceans, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, was down to its last penny when an anonymous donation of $1 million came to the rescue. This is an awesome story of a young woman’s unwavering devotion to make a difference, and how the world will be changed because of her. Applying her mindset just might allow you to do the extraordinary, as well.

For a couple of years now, Cal has been asking questions to get to the root of why we’re all so disappointed with aspects of healthcare. This week, he speaks with a man whose created a game-changing solution which puts people back in control of their care with high-quality experiences at lower prices. It’s called Transcarent. Listen up . . .  

As a boy, Quan was pointed toward West Point by his father. After his father’s death, Quan’s life spiraled out of control as a teen, and he shot and killed a man in a gang-related incident. He received a prison sentence of 15 years to life, in a state that, at the time, did not parole prisoners with life sentences. How he changed in the 20 years since that shooting, and what he’s doing with his life now, will be an inspiration to all. Right now, his flourishing company is hiring and onboarding people to help disinfect offices and supermarkets to keep us all safe. Whatever your situation during the coronavirus, Quan’s journey will show you that your hopes and dreams are always possible.

Cal sits down with Chester at a long table of Chief Human Resource Officers to explore the power of bonding at work. The author of Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results highlights a fascinating observation. That fire stations where firefighters dine together tend to outperform their counterparts who do not, showcasing the significant impact of social bonds on teamwork and efficiency. Cal also mentions a serendipitous moment at the dinner, solving a puzzle that had baffled him for years. This conversation serves as a tribute to the value of breaking bread together, underlining how a shared table can foster connection and spark revelations. Tune in and toast teamwork.

Jeff Civillico has a superpower that makes people pay attention within three seconds. That’s why he’s got a show on The Strip at Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and has been named Entertainer of the Year by Vegas Inc. Cal learned precisely how important Jeff’s superpower is last week when Tim Staples laid out the secrets to going viral on the Internet. Jeff is a juggler, but more than that, he uses his ability to immediately connect with people as a sought-after speaker and host. Jeff has plans to influence millions of children, and this conversation makes us all wonder about how we can make the largest impact with our own talents and skills. You may see yourself differently after listening.

Nido came to study in the United States from the Middle East when he was 17 years old with $50 in his pocket and built an extraordinary life through High Point University in North Carolina – where he is now president. During the last 17 years, Nido has grown the university from 90 acres to 500, from 18 buildings to 128 and from 1,400 students to 6,000. He talks about the power a strong home has over our attitude and behavior, and gives Cal and listeners tools to build and grow any enterprise. This episode is a feast of wisdom. 

Cal talks with a coach who has turned his love for basketball into guidance for all of us in our work and personal lives. After learning from, and coaching many NBA greats, Alan has concluded that sustained growth comes down to five factors: self-awareness passion, discipline, coachability and confidence. This boils down to staying curious about ourselves and our surroundings, and never getting bored with the fundamentals. Alan speaks to the world about it because we can never be reminded enough.

Ryan has been a natural leader ever since he was seven years old and he was plucked out of a
bunch of kids on a football team to be quarterback. He starred in high school, then moved on to college and arena league football. But his gift for guiding a team downfield has been amplified by his podcast – where he gets the most out of CEOs, coaches, entrepreneurs and others in conversations about leadership. It's called The Learning Leader Show. After 500 episodes, Ryan's mind has become an encyclopedia of leadership tools. Use them well.

Cal speaks with the man who founded Paul Mitchell hair care products after borrowing $700 while living out of his car, which led to his founding of the tequila company Patron. This episode is all about the wisdom the soon to be 80-year-old accumulated along the way – which we can all put to great use. Please, get the most out of it.

After watching the latest Mission Impossible movie, Cal remembers an interview he did with Tom for Esquire Magazine. A snippet from that interview was turned into a video, and it’s played on this week’s episode. You get a glimpse of Tom’s difficult childhood, and see how the solutions he found were seeds to take control of his career and live out the passions of his youth. There’s a lesson in this for all of us. Enjoy.

Cal looks at how John Rampton made millions by becoming one of the top online influencers in the world – tracing Rampton’s ascent back to an accident in college that left John bedridden in a hospital for months. John learned to master social media in that hospital bed, and he shows Cal how “giving away the farm” on the Internet is a gift that just keeps on giving through success and hard times. The founder and chief of online companies like Calendar and Due tells Cal he has numerical proof of the benefits of kindness. If you help people out on the Internet, John says, 1 in 10 will help you back. 1 in every 100 people that you help out will turn into a financial relationship. And 1 in every 1,000 people you help can turn into a million-dollar
relationship.” Cal leaves the conversation hoping it will change his life – and yours, too.

Cal reads a story on ESPN.com that makes him cackle, and he reaches out to the writer to thank him for bringing laughter into his day. The conversation that ensues brings forth an amazing story about the loss of Ryan’s toes and the surreal journey it takes him on. Pass this podcast on to anyone feeling down or miserable. They’ll likely have a very different mindset after they’re done: Gratitude.

After a dizzying few weeks of watching images of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine and pondering the possibilities of a nuclear war, Cal senses it’s time to step back and get perspective. He reaches out to Juliet Funt, author of the book A Minute To Think, for advice on getting the most out of himself during this crazy time. “Funt’s wisdom around making space is priceless,” says marketing guru Seth Godin. Cal embraces Funt’s business tools to get the most out of his days. They will create great outcomes for you, as well. Guaranteed.

This podcast is like a walk on the red carpet into the world of AI filmmaking with one of its leaders. The message here is clear. By trying out these tools, you’ll be evolving to meet the world that is coming. One of the major points behind this conversation is to diminish the fears of people who believe that AI is coming to take their jobs. Simply trying out these new platforms will give you an opening to skills that you’re going to need in the new world. You might even find this more creative than what you’re doing now and pivot toward it. Dave Clark knows people just like that. So listen up, because only good can happen if you open yourself up to this technology and the creativity it can lead to . . .

After watching the comic/sage talk about our national reality on his recently-released special called 8:46, Cal feels nudged to offer up his own thoughts on how we might move forward. Cal is certainly no comedian, but he does have a few stories to tell and some questions to meet the moment.

With the potential for increased violence around the world, Cal reaches out to an old friend from Larry King’s breakfast table for a look at the global ramifications of the upcoming U.S. elections. Ozan Ozkural is on the Foreign Policy Committee of the Brookings Institution – one of the world’s top think tanks. As the founder of Tanto Capital Partners, Ozan constantly travels around the world making deals in the energy and power sectors, and his reading on the geopolitical situation will inform you and even relax you – so listen up.

Cal thanks Tim Ferriss for pushing him to start his podcast by helping two young guys who recently took leave from Harvard to get their tech start-up going. Sam Rukeyser and Dave Lu have come up with a platform that allows podcast listeners to save the snippets they like in podcasts and even send them to friends and family through all manner of social media. Their company is called Airr, the technology is free, and listeners of Big Questions will be granted early access to it by going to https://airr.io/cal. Sam and Dave show how the technology works throughout the episode with examples of great takeaways from Big Questions.

Damon Darnall, the president of Sky Eye Network, also known as The Drone Boss, tells Cal how drones will pop out of the ground like sprinkler systems to get medicine and blood to people who desperately need it, save the lives of utility repairmen, come to the rescue of people and pets in hurricanes, protect elephants and conserve thousands and thousands of gallons of water used at golf courses. This is just the beginning. Welcome to The Jetsons.

Cal wonders if there are patterns from the aftermath of 9/11 and The Great Recession that could help us move forward from COVID. There are few people who were more deeply involved in those crises as GE’s CEO at the time — Jeff Immelt. Jeff took the reins of GE only a few days before 9/11, was at the center of the struggle through The Great Recession, and now, after his departure from the company, he gives us a look at what may happen to healthcare going forward. But most of all, this conversation gives us all insights on how to think in times of crisis.

The Hamas attack on Israel was like nothing anyone in that country had ever seen and it took the world to a new and very tense place. Cal was set to talk with the comedian Paul Ollinger as news of the barbarity of the attack broke, and their conversation veered toward the few days in history that are never forgotten -- and the unexpected ways they can impact us going forward.

After one of Cal’s friends with a rare disease tells Cal that Dr. Gundry’s dietary advice saved his life, Cal seeks out Gundry to uncover the doctor’s backstory. He’s astonished to find out about the sacrifices Dr. Gundry made when he left his position as chairman of cardiothoracic surgery at Loma Linda University to counsel patients on improving their health through diet and supplements. Dr. Gundry and his wife, Penny, ran through their retirement savings and suffered through a decade of financial hardship while the doctor helped patients with advice on what to put in their guts rather than operating on their hearts. His research and self-experimentation with supplements ultimately led Dr. Gundry to write The Plant Paradox, which turned into a New York Times bestseller, and three other best-sellers that have bloomed into a business offering supplements and dietary advice that has now touched around 100 million lives and created 600 jobs. This conversation may make you see the possibilities in your own life. That’s what it did for Cal.

A series of connections leads Cal to a conversation with a master of wet plate photography – created around 1850. But the talk about photos that can last a thousand years leads to a very surprising place: that all of the photos on your iPhone or mobile device will disappear over the next 50 years unless you print them out and protect them. Listen up, and spread the word.

The star of the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt talks with Cal at Chicago Ideas Week about the art of being funny in an age when tastes are quickly shifting. Cal points out that the humor which made people laugh when he was a kid might not resonate with the current generation and in many cases would be seen as politically incorrect. With culture shifting generationally and our political divide, how does one find the sweet spot to strike a mass audience? Ellie does it naturally. Cal wonders if he can learn.

When Cal first met the comedian, he was starting out as Irish Dave. Now, the author of Do You Talk Funny? is packing comedy clubs under his legal name, David Nihill, and identifying with Mexicans. It’s a long story that will make you laugh. The bottom line is: Everybody would love to be funnier. On this episode, Dave will show you how.

Donald Trump divides opinions like few others—some love him, others loathe him. But over the next four years, his most impactful decisions might not be about politics as usual. Instead, they could shape the future of artificial intelligence -- and humanity. In this thought-provoking episode, Cal dives into why the President’s moves in AI policy will matter to everyone regardless of their political stance—and why getting it right is crucial. A commentary from NotebookLM.com adds some twists to Cal’s insights and is further evidence that AI will continue to take us to places we can’t yet imagine.

Many people have avoided going to the doctor during the time of Covid . . . unless they had Covid. This may have resulted in missing an early detection of cancer. So this podcast is a reminder to all those who’ve delayed checkups to make an appointment. Cal gets an exam, and now has peace of mind. He also puts the podcast to a checkup. Marketing guru Jason Harris, the CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, enters the conversation to show Cal that it’s time for Big Questions to grow to wear many hats. Cal responds by setting in motion a non-profit to attack problems in healthcare. The Best Is Yet To Come. Thanks for coming on the journey.

Cal looks at the attempt on the former president’s life in a way that you won’t find anywhere else. This podcast is not red vs. blue. It’s not political. Cal’s childhood in the 1960s was run through a montage of assassinations – from John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. And he believes that it’s hard to sustain a democracy when people are shot and killed while they are in office or before they can be elected. We are living in a very disconnected time. After spending his entire life connecting through conversation, Cal becomes even more committed to trying to bring people together.

Great movies have been made about buddy stories. Great movies have been made about love stories. This podcast has both, and is waiting to be turned into a terrific film. It’s about the friendship between the comedian “Irish Dave” Nihill and the cycling guide Arash Bayatmakou – and it could be called “Stand Up.” That’s because of the different way the phrase applies to each of these two men. Without spoiling the movie, the story revolves around the courage we all need to move forward in frightening situations. It’s got comedy. It’s got a tragedy. It’s got resilience. And when you add a very special woman and the attached love story, it becomes the perfect podcast for Valentine’s Day.

Cal meets two guys who’ve created an App that does not let you forget anything -- and creates a memory archive. That made Cal feel sharper and healthier in an instant. Not only is the Twos App free. But the founders gave Cal a two-dollar bill as a promotional gesture just to try it out. Cal did, and has been using the Twos App ever since. Founders Parker Klein and Joe Steilberg got so excited to come on Big Questions, they offered to Venmo $2 to anybody who tries the Twos App. Cal’s sure this will delight listeners . . . but he hopes it doesn’t bankrupt Parker and Joe.

Cal describes how listener reaction to last week’s podcast about the attempted assassination on Donald Trump influenced his decision to speak out on Big Questions and tell the world what he’s learned through his meetings with the people who’ve shaped the last 75 years of world history. The timing of his recording of this week’s message on the upcoming election is an eerie confirmation that it’s the right way to go.

Some of Cal’s favorite conversations have come after a friend of his has started a sentence with these four words: “You’ve got to meet . . .” The trust behind an introduction like that always leads to special moments. And this week’s episode is no exception. Cal’s friend Monique Mardinian set up a meeting with Sabaa Quao, the Chief Creative Officer at Cossette, Canada’s largest marketing and communications company. Sabaa has also co-founded Filminute, the festival known around the world for being limited to films that are only 60 seconds long. This conversation shows the power in a single minute of content. It also looks into the question of how we’re going to trust in a time of artificial intelligence when we can no longer be sure if what we see and hear is real. You can be sure of one thing: This conversation is as real as it gets.

After putting on a bunch of weight during COVID, Cal says enough is enough. Just as he does, he hears about a book that promises to bring back his six pack. The last time Cal saw that six pack was thirty years ago. But authors and personal trainers Stephen Compolo and Peter Tzemis guarantee Cal that if he follows the formula he can see that six pack once again. Plenty of great advice on calorie intake and exercise for everyone. Check it out, and you can get your six pack, too!

That’s a nice and soft way to title an episode with the author who wrote the book STFU. That’s short for: Shut The F--- Up. The Power Of Keeping Your Mouth Shut In An Endlessly Noisy World. Dan gives tips on how to listen more and get the most out of conversations. He explains that people who have the most meaningful conversations tend to be happier. And if you know someone who can’t stop talking, pass this podcast along . . . in the nicest way, of course!

​​Rich Palarea’s introduction on Twitter reads: “I won’t sleep until I fix $ waste in healthcare.” Cal listens to the story of how Rich became CEO of Kermit, a company that uses technological transparency to reduce costs on surgical implants for hospitals. The conversation reveals how little we know about what goes on behind the scenes in some operating rooms. It also gives us hope that applying transparency across all aspects of healthcare will make life better for everyone. 

As Cal takes time to reflect after his father’s passing, he goes into his archives to listen to conversations he had with people who’ve done the extraordinary over the years. This talk with the British musician and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame goes back to 2009 and makes Cal smile, and ponder subjects like stress, parenting, death, tantric sex and hitting the High C in life. Cal hopes you enjoy this conversation as much as he did.

Cal talks with the author of Let’s Talk About Death (Over Dinner) at just the right time – prior to watching his first funeral over Zoom. Cal’s questions about death, the coronavirus and our country’s health lead to a very unexpected place: a way of using Hebb’s thought-provoking conversations about death as a different kind of vaccine against COVID 19.  These conversations could lead to a change in our thinking and our behavior, and actually protect us. Cal plans to listen to this back and forth again. Please, get the most out of it.

As we begin to see the light at the end of the COVID tunnel, Cal converses with the legendary singer/songwriter of American Pie and Vincent about the blessings of freedom and connectivity. Along the way, as they talk about music, Don tells Cal about the feeling that goes through him when a great song gets off the ground.  “Most music you hear lays there. It’s nothing. You don’t want to hear it again. It’s a nice try, but it’s a strikeout. Then there’s stuff that lives.”  Leaving Cal wondering about what it’s going to take to get out a message about reshaping healthcare that will have the same impact as a song everyone loves to sing 50 years after its creation.

Cal catches up with the man who was Executive Chef and Director of Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center during the time of 9/11 to reflect on that tragedy as well as the coronavirus pandemic. Now the owner and chef of Porter House in New York, Michael reveals the spirit and pragmatism we could all use in these times.

Cal sits with his pal after a party thrown by the Friars Club commemorated a birthday that many thought Larry might not be around to celebrate. For many months, Larry battled a series of major illnesses that nearly took his life. But Larry’s indomitable will kept him going. Now he’s out of the hospital, and working again. A look back at an extraordinary evening becomes Cal’s most memorable podcast.

Cal talks with the founder of Cicero – a company that uses artificial intelligence to allow you to have conversations with Aristotle, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Michael Jackson and many other influential figures over the centuries. You see them as they actually looked and hear them in their own voices (when possible). Content is based on records of what they wrote and said. It fulfills a vision of Steve Jobs – who, back in 1985, believed that one day we’d be able to talk to people of this magnitude through the computer. Listen to the story of how it all came together and join the waiting list at heycicero.com.

Cal catches up with the Stanford lecturer who’s spent a lifetime showing people how to think faster and speak better in public. It all started when Matt embarrassed himself by ripping his pants doing a karate speech in high school. He has since developed decades of tips to help you whether you’re making a business presentation or giving a wedding toast. Listen up. This episode is a burst of confidence.

As Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski heads into his 47^th and final year of coaching college basketball, Cal goes to the archives to play a conversation with the Hall of Fame coach that he had ten years ago. It’s filled with the ingredients of success, and touches on topics like time, money, support, mentorship, passion, love, friendship, preparation, fear, honor, failure, truth and family. This conversation will be just as valuable fifty years from now.

What would you choose: A shot at March Madness glory or a massive NBA contract? Cal dives into the $100 billion-dollar question facing Cooper Flagg—and what his decision tells us about ambition, friendship, legacy, and the values we hold as a society. A must-listen for anyone who’s ever faced a difficult choice.

Cal talks with his dad, Herbert Fussman, about their experience battling through Herb’s case of COVID not long after he’d fractured his pelvis. The battle was fought at Herb’s home. After one doctor started a sentence with the words: “Either you’re going to be dead in four days or . . . “ there were nights when Herb coughed for eight hours straight. With steady steps forward, though, some great advice and tactics, Herb came through. We’re happy to celebrate with you.

Cal sits with Brian Kelly to talk about what the future will hold for aviation and travel once the coronavirus pandemic is past and we can all take to the skies again. Brian is the CEO of The Points Guy, a company at the epicenter of the travel industry with the best deals on airline miles, credit cards and travel as a whole. This episode will make anybody who yearns to travel again see the blue skies ahead. 

Ever since he was a kid, Marc Hodosh wondered why people had to get old and die. Now, as he prepares to co-host a healthcare conference called Life Itself with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, he looks into the possibilities we have of living longer and longer and ultimately forever. He cites the Immortal Jellyfish as an example of a creature on earth that can age, and then, when under an imminent threat, revert to infancy and start over again. A fascinating conversation on where we could be headed.

After starting out on a Ford Assembly line, Joe made a fortune starting and selling a digital marketing agency and serving as CEO of an automotive tech company. When he decided to stop drinking alcohol for 75 days to improve his health, Joe came up with the idea to create a new business. A non-alcoholic brewery with a mission to create the best non-alcoholic beers on the planet. That covers many styles and flavors. It’s called Go Brewing. And it arrives at your door at a time when many people are beginning to change their drinking habits to support a healthier lifestyle. Cal lifted the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA and can tell that Joe’s instincts and timing are right on. Listen up, and check it out!

Cal catches up with his pal, Gator Halpern, months after 200-mile-an-hour winds and a 25-foot tidal wave by the name of Hurricane Dorian whipped into The Bahamas and destroyed the coral farm Gator established to save the reefs that protect the shores. Part of the reason we’re seeing this storm damage year after year is the weakening of our barrier reefs – which Gator is fighting to fend off. He’s developed a technology to grow coral 50 times faster than it would ordinarily, and he can put it through boot camp so that it will survive as the temperature of the oceans rise. This is the story of ferocious destruction and an unyielding spirit that fights on to heal the planet. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give thanks for that spirit.

Quincy Jones, Toby Keith, David Sanborn and others passed on in the last year – but their music lives on. Which makes Cal wonder if we all have a shot at immortality in the age of AI. Listen up, and get more out of your life.

Cal draws pocket aces and wins big in the first hand of a charity poker night raising money for the fight against cancer. The surge of luck makes it feels like it will be his lucky day. But then his luck seems to begin turning up in everyone around him. Only at the end of the night does he realize that it’s his luck to be with everyone that he’s touched. Enjoy the story . . .

Cal has an impactful talk with the author of the book: Wrong Fit, Right Fit: Why How We Work Matters More Than Ever. Martin points out a Gallup study that reveals an $8.8 TRILLION loss in productivity due to employee disengagement on the job. It’s a problem that Cal senses can be partially solved through better job interviewing by both companies and candidates. After interviewing the icons who’ve shaped the last 75 years of world history, Cal is inspired to teach his Heart, Head & Soul interviewing techniques to find right fits and improve lives. Anyone interested in learning Cal’s approach can reach out to him at calfussman.com. The best is yet to come.

After winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs a year ago just as COVID was beginning to spread around the world, Laurent had to make a decision. Return to his offensive line spot with the Chiefs and pursue another Super Bowl ring. Or go to the front lines of COVID as a doctor at a long-term care facility in his home of Montreal. He chose to go to the front lines. After learning what Laurent took from the experience, Cal will never be the same.

The star of the HBO MAX series, Pursuit of Happiness, sits with Cal to talk about his around-the-world adventure to answer some deep questions. But as soon as the conversation gets going it veers to a sense of home, how to take care of beloved dogs as they near the end of their lives as well as how to see our parents and ourselves as we all age. This podcast will make you feel like you’re on a road trip with friends. Glad to have you along.

Michael has sold more than a million copies of his book: The Coaching Habit. And now he’s releasing one called: How To Work With (Almost) Anyone. Both topics come up in Cal’s freewheeling conversation with the Rhodes Scholar which reminds Cal of the back-and-forth at Larry King’s breakfast table.

Cal looks back at some of the best ideas from expert guests on Big Questions over the last year to live a healthier life – including how to sleep better, how to eat better, how to think better and how to move your body better. Follow this advice and you will have a healthy and happy 2023. Please pass it around to family and friends! And have a Happy New Year!

Forty-seven years ago, Bruce Lee began to write out his philosophies in an article called In My Own Process. Sadly, he passed away before he could finish. His daughter Shannon, who was four years old at the time, took it on her shoulders to put those philosophies in a book. It’s called Be Water, My Friend, and when Cal began to read it he thought of the John Milton quote: “A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life upon life.” Listen to Shannon and Cal, and put a little Bruce Lee in your life.