Podcasts by Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Do Something Kind For A Nurse from 2022-02-15T08:00:16

The United States is one million nurses short and you don’t want to begin appreciating nurses only when you don’t have one when you need one. Cal talks with Lori Armstrong, who runs Inspire Nurse L...

Carl Bernstein: Chasing History&The Future from 2022-02-08T08:00:41

The release of Carl’s memoir, Chasing History, seems like the ideal time to ask the renowned Washington Post reporter and now CNN commentator about the health of our democracy over the las...

Jeremy Schneider: Your Personal Finance Club from 2022-02-01T08:00:14

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 ...

Muhammad Ali, Kobe, Larry King And Cal from 2022-01-25T08:00

Cal looks back on experiences he’s had with Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant and Larry King as a way of seeing forward into his journey to reshape healthcare. A story about Martin Luther King Jr.’s I H...

Bradley Schurman: Future Looks Good Coach from 2022-01-18T08:00

Cal talks with the author of The Super Age, Decoding Our Demographic Destiny, about what our future looks like as America becomes an older nation as opposed to a younger one for the first time i...

Nido Qubein: The Power of Home from 2022-01-11T08:00

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 – whe...

Jason Harris: Using Questions To Create from 2022-01-03T08:00

The CEO of one of America’s most innovative creative companies, Mekanism, shows Cal how to build a campaign through understanding an audience. This is new territory for Cal, who’s spent a lifeti...

Alex Banayan: Tools For Improvement from 2021-12-28T08:00

Cal checks in with the author of The Third Door, and comes away with two tools that can help anybody who feels stuck in life get to a better place. (And in times of COVID, there are plenty of pe...

Kevin Hines: A Helping Hand from 2021-12-21T08:00

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 cam...

Chris Ullman: Whistle Your Best Life from 2021-12-14T08:00

Cal learns how we all can bring some happiness into our lives from a man who became a national and international whistling champion. Chris Ullman has whistled in the Oval Office, whistled on The...

Tim James: Cleaning Up Your Body from 2021-12-07T08:00

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 ...

Protecting Your Parents From Alzheimer’s – And You from 2021-11-30T08:00

Cal talks with a man who’s devoted his life’s work to the study of this scary disease, and Patrick Sullivan comes through with tips on how to keep it away. One important factor is making sure yo...

Good Questions From Socrates To Cal from 2021-11-23T08:00

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 Performe...

Lisa Gable: Zigzagging To The Top from 2021-11-16T08:00

Cal gets a windfall when he listens to the strategy that takes Lisa Gable where she wants to go. And Lisa’s gone to some incredible places. The author of Turnaround has served four presidents, r...

Coach K: Patterns Of Success from 2021-11-09T09:44:34

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 te...

Ryan Hampton And A Dopesick Nation from 2021-11-02T07:00

As Cal becomes riveted with the Hulu series Dopesick about the drug company that created OxyContin and addicted a chunk of America, he speaks with a man in recovery from a decade of opioid addic...

Michael Moss: Halloween’s Scariest Trick from 2021-10-26T07:00

When Cal wonders how much money Americans annually spend on Halloween, he’s directed to the author of Salt Sugar Fat and Hooked: Food, Free Will, And How The Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions. ...

David Rubenstein: Our Debt And Your Wallet from 2021-10-19T07:19:45

The United States is $28 trillion in debt, and it was going to run out of money on October 18th if it couldn’t borrow more. Fortunately, an agreement was reached ...

Dan Gable: How To Ask For Help from 2021-10-12T07:00

For years, Cal wanted to have a conversation with the greatest wrestler who ever lived. Dan Gable went undefeated in high school, won two national championships at Iowa State University and took...

The 77 Laws Of Six Pack Abs from 2021-10-05T07:00

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 w...

Elijah Stacy: Reshaping Yourself from 2021-09-28T07:00

Cal comes across the mindset of overcoming adversity when he talks with a 19-year-old who has a fatal disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Elijah avoided an operation that would have stra...

Matthew McConaughey: Fathers And Sons from 2021-09-21T07:00

Cal raced home from the hospital for a brief time while he was caring for his 90-year-old dad to have this conversation with the actor and author Matthew McConaughey, and he’s sure glad he did. ...

General Geoffrey Lambert: On Being Prepared from 2021-09-14T07:00

Cal asks the retired general of the U.S. Army why the U.S. can’t seem to plan ahead in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after 20 years and trillions of dollars of U.S. assist...

Jordan Shlain: Changing Ourselves For The Better from 2021-09-07T07:00

Cal talks with a primary care physician we all wished we could have, a man whose life was changed by a singular moment very early in his career. It’s led him on a path to continually think about...

Andy Slavitt: Preventing Breakdowns In Your Healthcare from 2021-08-31T07:00

Cal talks with the author of Preventable: The Inside Story Of How Leadership Failures, Politics, And Selfishness Doomed The U.S. Coronavirus Response. Slavitt was the guy who came to the rescue ...

Breathe Like A Navy Seal And Jon Macaskill from 2021-08-24T07:00

Cal talks with the former Navy Seal Commander who had a severe case of survivor’s guilt in Afghanistan and locked it away until it festered and led him to some dark places. But aListen

A Plan For Afghanistan from 2021-08-17T13:00

Cal doesn’t feel well after watching videos coming from Afghanistan – especially as he hears that America has left roughly 80,000 of its friends in the country behind when the Taliban took over....

Marc Hodosh Says: Live Forever from 2021-08-10T07:00

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 ...

Ben&Jerry: The Mission Of Ice Cream from 2021-08-03T07:00

Cal goes into his archives to listen to a conversation he had with Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield about their early years as friends and business partners in Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. He rememb...

Dr. Dre: Finding Your Purpose from 2021-07-27T07:00

When Cal conducts an interviewing workshop, he is a reminded of The Dr. Dre question, the question that all employers might ask in interviews when looking for passionate employees. Cal goes into...

Sting: Recalling A Wonderful Conversation from 2021-07-20T07:00

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 ...

The Winklevoss Twins And Bitcoin from 2021-07-13T07:00

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 ...

Aaron Sorkin: Lift Your Storytelling from 2021-07-06T07:00

As Cal creates a platform to improve healthcare, he goes into his archives to listen to a conversation he had about a decade ago with the man who wrote the famous Jack Nicholson line in A Few Go...

How Gary Vaynerchuk Became Gary Vee from 2021-06-29T07:00

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...

T. Boone Pickens: Soul Of An Entrepreneur from 2021-06-22T07:00

Cal goes into his archives to pluck out a story that he loves from the billionaire oil man and business mogul who loved to make money simply to give it away. Though Pickens passed on a couple of...

Coach K on Jimmy V: Finding Greatness from 2021-06-15T07:00

When Cal heard that Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski would be retiring at the end of the coming basketball season, he went back to re-listen to a conversation he had with the iconic c...

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Wisdom To Live By from 2021-06-08T07:00

Cal goes to his personal archives to pull up some thoughts from the body builder, movie star and former governor of California. This includes an epiphany on how the line “I’ll be back” came abou...

Cal’s 90-Year-Old Dad Beats COVID from 2021-06-01T07:45:13

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 do...

The Onyx Family: Living Your Richest Life from 2021-05-25T07:00

Cal talks with Mirthell and Rita Onyx about how they overcame frustrations in their working life by following a desire to spend time with their four children, creating YouTube programming as a f...

Rodrigo Garcia: How A Great Book Is Written from 2021-05-18T07:00

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, ...

Roger Love: Finding Your Best Voice from 2021-05-11T07:00

Cal gets some tips from the all-star coach, Roger Love, on how to get the most out of your voice. Roger got started with musical legends like The Jackson Five, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and...

Suzanne Somers: The Mysterious Blonde&Your Worth from 2021-05-04T07:00

Cal finally catches up to The Mysterious Blonde almost 50 years after she appeared in the film American Graffiti. Suzanne Somers tells Cal about her complicated path to self-worth. It starts wit...

Joe Chura: 15 Seconds To Millions from 2021-04-27T02:36:54

Cal hears the story of a man who leveraged 15 empty seconds on an automotive assembly line to create businesses that have made many, many, many millions. The formula that Joe Chura, CEO of Deale...

Phillip Stutts: Winning At Politics, Business&Health from 2021-04-20T07:00

With 1,200 election victories that arc from the House of Representatives to the Presidency of The United States, Phillip Stutts has seen how elections are won by both parties. He says the formul...

Don McLean: American Pie and Freedom from 2021-04-13T07:00

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...

Noa Tishby: What We Can Learn From Israel from 2021-04-06T07:00

Ever since Cal began to look into healthcare, people have been e-mailing him and asking him to compare the system in the U.S. to that of other countries around the world. Cal talks with Israeli ...

CEO Jeff Immelt: Thinking Through Times of Crisis from 2021-03-30T07:00

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 crise...

Jay Samit: Future Proofing You from 2021-03-23T07:00

When Cal reads how Samit transformed an immigrant who’d been on welfare into a business owner bringing in more than a million dollars a year, he becomes curious what Samit could do for him as he...

Marius Woodward: The Power Of Positivity from 2021-03-16T07:00

Cal is inspired by the hero’s journey of an 8-year-old boy who had 75 percent of his body burned by fire. Though the circumstances are horrible, his power of connection and positivity has taken ...

Walter Isaacson: The Future Of The Human Race from 2021-03-09T08:00

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. I...

ABC’s Dr. Jen Ashton Shows Cal The New Normal from 2021-03-02T08:00

Cal catches up with his old pal and podcast host James Altucher to talk about the release of James’ new book, which questions the concept that you need 10,000 hours to achieve mastery. Cal could...

James Altucher: Skip The Line from 2021-02-23T08:00

Cal catches up with his old pal and podcast host James Altucher to talk about the release of James’ new book, which questions the concept that you need 10,000 hours to achieve mastery. Cal could...

Naveen Jain: A Billionaire’s Curiosity from 2021-02-16T08:00

Cal talks with the entrepreneur who never felt comfortable around the phrase: “The sky’s the limit.” Instead, Naveen founded Moon Express. And Viome, a company that detects from your gut what yo...

Bill Nye: Science And The Constitution from 2021-02-09T08:00

Cal asks The Science Guy why so many Americans don’t seem to believe in science, and why so many wouldn’t wear masks during COVID, even as more than 400,000 people died.Listen

Super Bowl MD Laurent Duvernay-Tardif from 2021-02-02T08:00

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...

Larry King: The Great Farewell from 2021-01-26T08:00

After having breakfast with the iconic broadcaster almost every day for more than a decade, Cal has no choice but to produce Larry King’s obituary. He uses Larry’s own voice to explain how Larry...

Joe Biden: A Toast To Good Health from 2021-01-19T08:00

A day before the inauguration of the new president, Cal remembers a conversation he had with Joe Biden when he was Vice President during The Great Recession. Some of the questions and answers ar...

Spartan CEO Joe De Sena Has A Plan from 2021-01-12T08:00

A few years back, with Cal 30 pounds overweight, Joe baited Cal into his company’s obstacle races in order to transform Cal’s life. Cal completed the 5-mile Sprint, then the 10-mile Super, then ...

Kickstarter’s Yancey Strickler Kicks Off 2021 from 2021-01-05T08:00

Cal talks with the co-founder of Kickstarter about the idea of raising some funds for a journey to reshape health care in the United States. Cal realizes he needs to hire some young people who c...

Hey, Everyone, Phil’s Got Free Drugs from 2020-12-29T08:00

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...

The Three Doctors: Making A Difference from 2020-12-22T08:00

Cal has an epiphany after talking to three African-American men who made a pact to all become doctors when they were kids growing up on some mean streets in Newark, New Jersey. They succeeded. T...

Laura Catena: The Waiting Room App from 2020-12-15T08:00

Many in the wine world know Laura as the managing director at Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina, which produces some of the world’s great wines. But for the last 25 years, she has also been an e...

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh&The Wish from 2020-12-08T08:00

Cal reflects on his time with one of America’s great tech visionaries shortly after Hsieh’s passing, marvels at all the good Tony was able to pass on to so many people and vows to keep his promi...

Caring For Those Who Care For You from 2020-12-01T08:00

At the beginning of 2020, on average, one physician in the United States was committing suicide every day. That was before the coronavirus struck. Cal talks with three doctors about the tensions...

Brooks Bell: The CEO Saves Your Ass from 2020-11-24T08:05:17

Roughly two years ago, Cal found out that his friend, Brooks Bell, had colon cancer. Brooks was in her thirties, the founder of a tech company bearing her own name, at the top of her career. Cal...

Thank you, Lendio CEO Brock Blake from 2020-11-17T08:00

While many companies were furloughing and firing employees earlier this year when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Lendio went all in to help small businesses get loans. The company hired 250 peopl...

Jim Gray: Truth and The Greatest from 2020-11-10T08:00

A relaxing conversation after a tense election. Cal sits with the broadcaster and author of a new book about his experiences with Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Mike ...

Seth Godin: Is Right On Time from 2020-11-03T08:00

Just as Cal is dipping his toes in the water on reshaping health care, Seth encourages him to dive in. The marketing guru uses the principles behind his new book about the power of creativity, <...

Brad Meltzer: The Value Of A Life from 2020-10-27T07:00

In one of the most far-ranging conversations Cal has had on Big Questions, best-selling author Brad Meltzer talks about the upcoming presidential election, how he helped save the life of his hig...

David Rubenstein: Evolving Into A Leader from 2020-10-20T07:00

The author of the book How to Lead details many of the traits and strategies used by Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others to make a huge impact on society. ...

Eric LeGrand: Resilience from 2020-10-13T07:00

Ten years ago, a Rutgers University football player headed downfield on a kickoff to make a tackle like he’d done so many times before. Only this time, while making that hit, Eric LeGrand fractu...

Shannon Lee: Be Water, My Friend from 2020-10-06T07:00

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 year...

Ravi Patel: Old Dogs And Happy Endings from 2020-09-29T07:00

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 veer...

Steve Neeleman: Save Money On Your Health Care from 2020-09-22T07:00

Cal continues on his quest to help transform our health care system by talking with the founder of HealthEquity, who explains to Cal how we can open health savings accounts that enable us to get...

Quan Huynh: Triumph Of An Entrepreneur from 2020-09-15T07:00

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 r...

Michael Lomonaco: 9/11, COVID-19&Resolve from 2020-09-08T07:00

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 cor...

MasterClass CEO David Rogier On Mastering Mastery from 2020-09-01T07:00

Cal gets a lesson in how to bring an idea to life. The CEO and founder of MasterClass shows him how to use questions to research the way forward, and then how to act off that research.

Ma...

Michael Hebb: Talking About Death Is Medicine from 2020-08-25T07:00

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 cou...

Chip Kahn: The Future Of Your Healthcare from 2020-08-18T07:00

Cal sits with the President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals to talk about healthcare in the time of the pandemic, and how the present moment will impact the future of YOUR health...

Gregg Clunis: Taking Care Of Your Money from 2020-08-11T07:00

At a time when we’re all wondering about the continued economic repercussions of the coronavirus, Cal looks into ways that we can all focus on money. His guest is Gregg Clunis, the host of the p...

Katie Uhlaender: Voice For Olympic Change from 2020-08-04T07:00

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...

Brett Rapkin: The Weight of Gold from 2020-07-28T07:00

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 mo...

Dr. Vivek Murthy Reimagines Your Health Care from 2020-07-21T07:00

The former Surgeon General explains to Cal how we might rethink our health care system. This is a wise conversation at a time of COVID 19 when millions of people are losing their insurance due t...

Thank you, Jack Welch from 2020-07-14T07:00

There is no better time to think about how to change, and there was no one who loved change more than former General Electric CEO Jack Welch. Cal remembers a day he spent with him shortly after ...

Tom Breitling Is Betting On Las Vegas from 2020-07-07T07:00

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 ...

Maria Sharapova: Getting To A Better Place from 2020-06-30T07:00

Cal talks with one of the greatest tennis players of all time about the attitude and strategies that can guide us all through the different stages of reinvention. There are few people on the pla...

Time To Get Healthy from 2020-06-23T07:00

After almost a half a year of being cooped up and inhaling news of the coronavirus, the killing of George Floyd by police and the subsequent anger, stress and uncertainty all over the world, Cal...

Dave Chappelle Gives Cal An Idea from 2020-06-16T07:00

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 cer...

Eric Adams: Protestor, Policeman, Politician from 2020-06-09T07:00

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 b...

Jacqueline Novogratz: Lessons From The Pivot Queen from 2020-06-02T07:00

Cal questions one of the world’s great pivoters. Jacqueline has turned an interview she bungled right off the bat when she graduated from college into a career that has influenced hundreds of mi...

Steve Herz: Communication Tips For The Zoom Age from 2020-05-26T07:00

Cal gets a tutorial on how to pivot his business to the Internet from the president of The Montag Group, an agency famous for representing America’s finest broadcasters. Steve is an expert at an...

Remembering Jerry Stiller from 2020-05-19T07:00

Cal looks back at the stories he wrote for Esquire in the words of the actor who played George Costanza’s father in Seinfeld. The way Stiller got the role is perfect example of pivoting that app...

Kathi Sharpe-Ross: How To Reinvent Yourself from 2020-05-12T07:00

There’s never been a better time to talk about reinvention that during the craziness of the coronavirus. When things return to normal, there’s going to be a new normal. Reinvention has always be...

Jeffrey Katzenberg: On The Future Of Storytelling from 2020-05-05T07:00

Cal jumps on the phone with the man who helped bring The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast, Shrek and The Little Mermaid into the world. The conversation is about the new form of storytel...

Bob Costas: Sports&The Truth from 2020-04-28T07:00

Cal sits down with the award-winning broadcaster to talk about the loss of sporting events in our c...

The Points Guy: Getting Back on Airplanes from 2020-04-21T07:00

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 Po...

Patrick McGinnis: Fear Of Missing Out In These Crazy Times from 2020-04-14T07:00

Patrick tells Cal how the phrase came about after he noticed so many young people trying to fit as much into their lives as possible after 9/11 and the tech bubble meltdown in the stock market i...

Jamie Metzl: The Future In Front Of Us from 2020-04-07T07:00

The world is going to be a different place after the coronavirus epidemic. Cal talks with the geopolitical futurist about changes that we will likely see. Jamie has been appointed to the World H...

In-Q: Get The Most Out Of Your Words from 2020-03-31T07:00

Cal sits with the National Poetry Slam champion and multi-platinum award winning song writer to talk about the process of creative writing. With much of the world on lockdown, it’s a good time t...

The Secret Sauce For Human Connection from 2020-03-24T07:00

Cal sits down for a bowl of pasta while on lockdown in Los Angeles with Chris Schembra who’s on lockdown in New York. Chris is an award-winning Broadway producer who is most proud of starting a ...

Chicken Soup For The Soul&Coronavirus from 2020-03-17T07:00

Cal talks with the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise, which has sold half a billion books over the years -- Mark Victor Hansen. Mark and his wife, Crystal Dwyer H...

Michael O’Brien: Stopping A Bad Moment From Becoming A Bad Day from 2020-03-10T07:00

As news of the coronavirus spreads, Cal looks for a way to put it all in perspective with Michael O’Brien, an executive coach who teaches us how to neutralize bad moments and keep them from spir...

Coronavirus Safety Tips From Aunt Mitzi from 2020-03-03T08:00

Cal reaches out to Harvard grad, science writer and great-grandmother of 12 to get advice on how to respond to the coronavirus. Aunt Mitzi has interviewed hundreds of experts in healthcare over ...

James Altucher: On How To Improve from 2020-02-25T08:00

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 whethe...

Lou DiBella: On Why We Love Boxing from 2020-02-18T08:00

As this week’s heavyweight championship fight between undefeated Deontay Wilder and undefeated Tyson Fury approaches, Cal sits down with his old pal to try to figure out the outcome. As they get...

Gary Smith: For the Love of Writing from 2020-02-11T08:00

Gary Smith has been called the best magazine writer to ever live – in part because he’s won more National Magazine Awards than anyone else. Gary also gave an award-winning toast at Cal’s wedding...

Scott Budnick: Producing Just Mercy from 2020-02-04T08:00

A decade ago, Scott Budnick was a producer on the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, The Hangover. Now, he’s an executive producer of Just Mercy, which is about as serious as a movie can get....

Kobe Bryant Remembered from 2020-01-28T08:00

Cal looks back on what he learned from the NBA legend over several conversations before Kobe’s unfortunate passing. Then replays the talk he had with Kobe that got this podcast off the ground ba...

Marie Kondo Teaches Cal To Tidy Up from 2020-01-21T08:00

The Japanese guru and best-selling author shows Cal how to unclutter his life – from determining which items to discard and which ones to keep . . . all the way down to the proper way to fold so...

Leonard Kleinrock: When The Internet Was Born from 2020-01-14T08:00

The professor gives Cal a tour of the sacred space at UCLA where the first Internet message was sent in 1969. There’s no better tour guide. Leonard was there when it happened. The computer scien...

Discovering Your New Year's Resolutions from 2020-01-07T08:00

Listen

Alex Banayan And A Great Moment From 2019 from 2019-12-31T08:00

Cal looks at a favorite moment in 2019, and discovers much under the surface of a video that went viral. It’s set at an event that Alex was speaking at thrown by Dutch Bros. Coffee for its baris...

Tucker Max: On Books and Personal Growth from 2019-12-24T08:00

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 Can...

Great Takeaways From Women from 2019-12-17T08:00

Cal looks back at some of the best nuggets of wisdom he’s received from women on Big Questions over the last two years, and passes them on to you. A holiday gift for every day of the week.

Cal Tells The Legendary Santa Suit Story from 2019-12-10T08:00

Listeners of Big Questions who first heard Cal tell stories on Tim Ferriss’s podcast often reach out to Cal and ask him to tell more stories. Cal’s Santa Suit story goes back almost a quarter of...

Larry King: Happy 86th Birthday! from 2019-12-03T08:00

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 i...

Gator Vs. The Hurricane from 2019-11-26T08:00

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 Gat...

Tom Junod: Lessons From Mr. Rogers from 2019-11-19T08:00

Cal sits with his old pal, Tom Junod, after they see a preview of the upcoming movie about the children’s television host that stars Tom Hanks. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is ba...

Summit: Make No Small Plans from 2019-11-12T08:00

Summit events have impacted countless lives through the power of connection – as they’ve grown from a gathering of 20 entrepreneurs back in 2008 into a community of 20,000 today.Listen

Charles Schwab: How To Own Your Tomorrow from 2019-11-05T08:00

Cal sits with investment guru Charles Schwab on the stage at the Money 2020 conference in Las Vegas to discuss the philosophies behind his success and how all of us need to look at retirement in...

Why Are Physicians Burning Out? from 2019-10-29T07:00

Cal gets together with Dr. Reagan Anderson for a look at the difficulties of being a doctor in this day and age. This is a conversation that everyone in America needs to hear. On average, one do...

How To Defeat Your Internal Saboteurs from 2019-10-22T07:00

While doing a storytelling workshop, Cal meets Shirzad Chamine, the chairman of CTI, the largest coach and training company in the world. CTI has trained execs and managers at most of the Fortun...

Trump, Video Games and . . . Cal??? from 2019-10-15T07:00

Cal sees a report that the President has just joined the live-streaming video platform Twitch and senses that it’s time to air the podcast he did with a man who advised him to jump into the futu...

Brendan Kane: One Million Followers In 30 Days from 2019-10-08T07:00

Cal heard about the growth hacker who’s worked with Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Michael Strahan, and also built a 7-figure social media following for himself in one month. And he figured it might ...

What An Ideal Partnership Can Do from 2019-10-01T07:00

Cal learns what can be accomplished when the right two people come together as he gets to the essence of his sponsor: Sportiqe. Matt Altman and Jason Franklin, two guys who grew up thousands of ...

Double Your Productivity With Tim Campos from 2019-09-24T07:00

Tim Campos doubled productivity for Facebook while he was Chief Information Officer between 2010 and 2016. Now, Tim tries to do the same for Cal by introducing him to his latest project: Woven. ...

Amanda Slavin: Getting To The Next Level from 2019-09-17T07:00

The CEO of CatalystCreativ was the spark for a huge change in Cal’s business and life — and this conversation gets to finding the essence in yourself and using it to be your best. It also applie...

Jason Harris: The Power of Persuasion from 2019-09-10T07:00

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...

Marc Roberge: Business Lessons From A Rock Band from 2019-08-27T07:00

The lead singer of O.A.R. clues Cal in to the business philosophies that have kept Of A Revolution thriving for nearly a quarter of a century. Any stereotype of dreamy artists is swiftly put to ...

Nir Eyal: How To Be Indistractable from 2019-08-20T07:00

Cal gets tips on getting all those dings, notifications and technological distractions out of his life from a man who has spent much of his career making people yearn for more technology. Many t...

What If You Never Had To Work Again? from 2019-08-13T07:00

Cal poses the question after hearing the wondrous story of Dr. Sabrina Kay – who came to the U.S. from South Korea while in college without speaking English, started out as a janitor and began a...

The Walk and Richard Branson from 2019-08-06T07:00

Cal looks back on the most amazing thing he’s ever seen in his life, August 7, 1974, when a French street performer named Philippe Petit secretly rigged a wire between the twin towers of the Wor...

Jennifer Lawrence, Bono, The Pope and . . . Matt Pohlson from 2019-07-30T07:00

That’s right, Matt Pohlson. Cal sits with the founder of Omaze, a company that has helped raise $130 million for roughly 350 charities through donations made by people looking for a chance to wi...

David Griffin: How Good People Influence Your Life from 2019-07-23T07:00

Not long ago, the New Orleans Pelicans won the National Basketball Association’s draft lottery and selected one of the most unique young talents in the league’s history: Zion Williamson. As we s...

Getting The Most Out of Your Life with Jeff Civillico from 2019-07-16T07:00

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 Entertaine...

Tim Staples: On How To Capture Attention from 2019-07-09T07:00

On any given day, the odds of making it to the front page of YouTube are one in 2 million. Tim, and his company, Shareability, have done this 35 times. When the student is ready, the master appe...

Fourth of July Barbecue with Steven Raichlen from 2019-07-02T07:01

Cal catches up with his old pal, and author of the Barbecue Bible. Roughly 20 years ago, Cal sought out Steven to learn how to grill and smoke in order to write a story for Esquire Magazine. Wit...

Finding Mastery With Michael Gervais from 2019-06-25T07:01

Cal is on the lookout for an Aha! Moment when he sits with the high-performance psychologist – Dr. Michael Gervais. That’s because whenever Cal talks with Michael, a life-changing momen...

Paying It Forward To Tim Ferriss from 2019-06-18T07:00

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 R...

Michael Kassan: Seeing The Full Picture In Business from 2019-06-11T07:01

Cal has a transformative moment in a conversation with a recent inductee in the Advertising Hall of Fame – Michael Kassan. The talk goes back to the days when Cal was educated in journalism scho...

Dete Meserve And Kindness Meet Million-Dollar May from 2019-06-04T07:00

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 autho...

Life is Good: Turning Optimism into a Hundred-Million Dollar Business from 2019-05-28T07:00

Cal touches on the story of two brothers from Needham, Massachusetts, Bert and Johnny Jacobs, who converted their eternal optimism into a t-shirt business that is...

Heather Monahan: On Creating Confidence from 2019-05-21T07:01

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 sale...

John Rampton: Moments That Change Your LIfe from 2019-05-14T07:01

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 hos...

Muhammad Ali: Through The Eyes of His Daughter, Hana from 2019-05-07T07:01

Cal sits with Muhammad’s daughter, Hana, almost three years after his passing to talk about her dad. Hana has just written a book called At Home With Muhammad Ali, and this conversation looks at...

Dandapani: On Learning to Concentrate from 2019-04-30T07:00

When Cal turns into a salesman to try to generate a million dollars in new business by the end of May, he is unprepared for the constant buzzing of his cellphone ...

James Altucher: A Business Strategy Masterclass from 2019-04-23T07:01

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...

Mordechai Wiener: Lose Weight Through Storytelling from 2019-04-16T07:01

Cal gets the skinny on a new program that helps people lose weight. It’s not a diet (95 percent of diets do not work). There are no pills. The Reverse Approach was created by Mordechai Wiener wh...

Amy Morin: On Mental Toughness from 2019-04-09T07:01

The international best-selling author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do gives Cal some lessons on training your brain for happiness and success. And it couldn’t have come at a better ...

Dr. Steven Gundry: Following Your Purpose from 2019-04-02T07:00

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. ...

Bruce Lee Teaches Cal to Evolve... Through His Daughter from 2019-03-26T07:00

When Shannon Lee passes on this nugget of wisdom from her dad: “To change with change is the changeless state,” Cal is no longer the same... and becomes even more Cal at the same time. Bruce Lee...

Phillip Stutts: Politics, Marketing&The Secret Sauce from 2019-03-19T07:00

Cal sits with the man who has helped candidates win 1,200 elections to talk about the impact of storytelling on our politics and businesses in a time of huge disruption. The takeaways include th...

Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game from 2019-03-12T07:00

Simon talks about the theme of his upcoming book -- and his message hits Cal’s ears like a symphony. Perhaps this should’ve been expected. The concept behind Simo...

Daniela Fernandez: The Million-Dollar Save from 2019-03-05T08:00

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 wis...

Brian David Johnson: Takes Cal into the Future from 2019-02-26T08:00

Arizona State Futurist in Residence Brian David Johnson explains to Cal why we will not be using keyboards in the near future; and how they are slowing us down anyway. Old School Cal gets an hou...

George Raveling: On The Power of Books from 2019-02-19T08:00

Cal sits down with a national treasure, George Raveling, to talk about some of the impactful moments of George’s life. That includes the day in August of 1963 when George was a bodyguard on stag...

SOMEONE TURN THIS EPISODE INTO A MOVIE from 2019-02-12T08:00

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 friendshi...

John Livesay: Selling Through Stories from 2019-02-05T08:00

Cal The Journalist meets John The Salesman and things will never be the same – not for Cal, anyway. For years, Cal had been told to stay on his side of The Wall that separated the editorial and ...

Miki Agrawal: On The Power of Disruption from 2019-01-29T08:00

What a superpower it would be to be able to look at the ordinary and wonder how it could be different… and then make it better. That’s what Cal discovers when he ...

TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie: The More You Give, The More You Live from 2019-01-22T08:00

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 sinc...

George Clooney and Charlie Engle: On Telling A Story from 2019-01-15T08:00

Cal goes to the archives and pulls out a childhood tale George Clooney told him about how his eccentric family taught him to tell a good story. The podcast continues with the story of how drug a...

Andy Grammer: On Creation from 2019-01-08T08:00

The singer and songwriter talks to Cal about how life experiences turn into music. The conversation leads to the background behind Andy’s hits: Honey I’m Good, Ke...

Anniversary Party with Kobe Bryant, Larry King, Seth Godin&Friends from 2019-01-01T08:00

Big Questions celebrates its one-year anniversary with takeaways from guests over the last year. Kobe Bryant explains how ...

Dr. Gautam Gulati: On Getting Where You Need To Go from 2018-12-25T08:00

This episode speaks to anyone who meets an unexpected

and unwanted twist of fate. When Dr. Guatam Gulati takes his f...

Alex Banayan: To Bestseller and Beyond from 2018-12-18T14:09:03

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 r...

Cal Fussman: The Power Of A Gift from 2018-12-11T08:00

It’s holiday season and the perfect time for a podcast about gifts. The story of an extraordinary gift – a very special piano – is a favorite of Cal’s and will br...

Jordan Harbinger: On How to Make a Comeback from 2018-12-04T08:00

For 11 years, Jordan Harbinger was the voice of The Art of Charm podcast that got up to 3 million listens a month. Then, not long ago, Jordan and his partners spl...

Chris Voss: On Negotiating Better in your Everyday Life from 2018-11-27T08:00

Cal finds out how a man who worked on the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit for 24 years incorporates what he learned on the job into day-to-day life. Cal’s biggest tak...

Yes Theory: On Helicopter Bungee Jumping With Will Smith from 2018-11-20T08:00

From sharing a couch for almost two months to challenging Will Smith to bungee jump out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, three young guys from different pla...

Ellie Kemper: On Getting Laughs in Changing Times from 2018-11-13T08:00

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 quickl...

Frank Blake: On The Power of Questions from 2018-11-06T08:00

The former CEO of Home Depot shows Cal how he used questions and conversations to lift the fortunes of the company between 2007 and 2014. But this was only after ...

Dan Pink: On WHEN To Get The Best Out Of Yourself from 2018-10-30T07:00

The author of the New York Times best-seller When joins Cal at Chicago Bi...

Rob Lawless: On Making 10,000 Friends Through Travel from 2018-10-23T07:00

Cal talks with Rob Lawless about the changes in travel since Cal went around the world back in the 80s. Whereas Cal used magazine work to get his journey off the ...

Aston Martin’s Laura Schwab: The Winding Road to Success from 2018-10-16T07:00

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...

David Sanborn: The Art Of Being Awake from 2018-10-09T07:00

The Grammy Award-winning saxophone player gets to the essence of the way we can all get the most out of our lives through the art of being awake.

Listen

Ryan Holiday: On Merging Creativity and Business from 2018-10-02T07:00

Cal meets the best-selling author at an entrepreneurial conference in Colorado called two12 and becomes highly curious as to how Ryan can be a writer and ALSO an ...

Glenn Beck: On Outrage and Empathy from 2018-09-25T07:29:09

When Cal asks the conservative talk show host about the roots of his new book, Addicted to Outrage, Glenn goes back to his childhood to explain the events that made him who he is.

Beck re...

Chip Conley: Airbnb’s Mentor on How to Transform Yourself from 2018-09-18T07:00

Cal finds there can be life after one’s heart stops beating. Chip Conley tells him what it was like to flatline at age of 47, how he recovered and went on to sell...

Michael Wright: Surviving On 9/11 from 2018-09-11T07:00

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 s...

Radha Agrawal: On Building Community from 2018-09-04T07:00

As Cal tries to expand awareness of his podcast, he gets tips from the author of the just-released book entitled: Belong: Find Your People, Create Community and live a more Connected Life.

Kevin Hines: Whatever your difficulties, never count yourself out. Never. Never. Never. from 2018-08-28T07:01

Kevin tells Cal how mental illness pushed him to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco 18 years ago – and how he survived only because a sea lion kept him propped up on the water’s su...

Diana Nyad: On Finding A Way from 2018-08-21T07:01

As the fifth anniversary of Diana Nyad’s record-breaking swim between Cuba and Florida approaches, Diana explains to Cal what it took to make the 110-mile journey in 2013 at the age 64.

(...

Mick Ebeling: On Why Nothing Is Impossible from 2018-08-14T07:01

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 t...

Jocko Willink: On Going to War with Your Weaknesses from 2018-08-07T07:01