5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

An interview with Jim Ross about why he continues to be a wrestling announcer after decades of work, how he’s dealt with setbacks, what he’s learned from wrestlers, what makes for a compelling story and his best career advice. Welcome to the 78th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is wrestling hall of fame announcer Jim Ross. Born in Fort Bragg, California, Jim played high school baseball, was a two-time all-conference football player and was president of the student body. During college, he was given his very first broadcast position filling in for a local NWA wrestling event. Jim ended his tenure by calling his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase. In the next six-year period, he joined Jim Crockett Promotions, which was purchased by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he became the head of broadcasting. After his contract ended, he was hired by World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debuting at WrestleMania IX. Jim was fired by the WWF two weeks after suffering his first attack of Bell’s Palsy but was eventually hired back. He became the voice of WWF’s “Raw Is War” and was promoted to serve as EVP of Talent Relations for WWF, which was becoming WWE, before once again being fired. In 2007, Jim was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Steve Austin. He returned to WWE multiple times after until 2019 when he signed a 3-year deal with All Elite Wrestling to be a commentator and senior advisor. Currently, Jim has his own line of BBQ sauces, hosts the Grilling JR podcast and is the author of “Under The Black Hat”. It was great to speak with Jim after interviewing DDP for a previous podcast episode because he’s had a forty-year career and has learned so much from his experiences both personally and professionally. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: Your voice was part of my childhood growing up watching wrestling and you’ve maintained your career as an announcer ever since. What fuels your desire to continue to do what you do?How have you dealt with the grievances, health issues and setbacks you’ve encountered throughout your life from losing your wife to your Bell’s palsy and loss of eyesight?Over the years, you’ve had the opportunity to connect with a variety of wrestling stars, most notably Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena. What personal and professional advice did you both give them and receive from them?The wrestling industry was built on compelling storylines. What do you think separated the stories that captured the hearts and minds of your audience versus the ones that came up short? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Jim’s journey: WebsiteBookFacebookTwitterInstagram

An interview with Glennon Doyle about how she overcame her struggles, how to trust yourself, how parenthood changed her, how being brave can make us luckier and her best career advice. Welcome to the 77th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is bestselling author Glennon Doyle. Born in Burke, Virginia, Glennon struggled with bulimia and addiction growing up and shared her experiences in her 2013 TEDx talk “Lessons from the Mental Hospital”, which has been viewed over 3.4 million times. Her writing career started in 2009 with her blog Momastery, which led to her first book Carry On, Warrior, that was selected as part of Oprah’s Book Club. Glennon went onto write Love Warrior and her latest, Untamed. Aside from being an author and speaker, she’s the founder of the all-women led nonprofit organization Together Rising, which has raised millions of dollars for women, families and children’s in crisis. In this episode, Glennon shares some incredibly powerful life experiences and lessons that will both challenge and inspire you. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: Every successful person I’ve interviewed over the past 10 years has overcome significant work and life challenges and it’s the source of their courage, confidence, and power. How have your struggles with bulimia and addiction shaped the person you are today?One of the biggest personal challenges we face in today’s culture is the relentless pursuit of validation from others, which has been amplified by social media. How can we start trusting ourselves instead of striving to meet the expectations of the world?I’ve heard from all of my friends that parenthood changes you and all of them say that you can’t prepare for it, it just happens. How has parenthood put your life in perspective, helped you deal with your past and made you a better version of yourself?In your book Untamed, you say “The braver we are, the luckier we get”. Can you explain what you mean by this phrase and give an example from your life when you got lucky by being brave?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Glennon’s journey: WebsiteBookFacebookTwitter Instagram

An interview with Diamond Dallas Page about the lessons he learned from his family, how his dyslexia is both a strength and a weakness, his favorite and least favorite part of being a wrestler, why he decided to start a yoga business and his best career advice. Welcome to the 76th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is former pro wrestler turned entrepreneur, Diamond Dallas Page. Born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey his name came from his love of the Dallas Cowboys football team. After attending Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, he started work full-time running a nightclub in Florida, while being a wrestling manager in the American Wrestling Association. A year later, he worked as a color commentator in Florida Championship Wrestling, which became Professional Wrestling Federation, working alongside Gordon Solie before becoming a wrestler himself. He was eventually brought into World Championship Wrestling after Dusty Rhodes offering him a contract. At WCW, DDP started as a manager then eventually rose up the ranks to become the United States Heavyweight champion. He continued to wrestle for the World Wrestling Federation after they bought WCW and went on to win the WWF Tag Team Championship and WWF European Championship during his time there.  After suffering from a neck injury, he retired, but eventually came out of retirement and has made appearances in WWF, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling and others since. More recently, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of fame, published his second book “Positively Unstoppable” and launched his fitness program DDP Yoga. DDP was my favorite wrestler when I watched WCW so I was excited to learn more about his experience as a wrestler, life lessons and what he’s working on right now. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: As a child, you were raised by your father and then your grandmother. What impact did they have on your life and what life lessons did you learn from them? In your autobiography, you admitted your dyslexic and it’s common that many of the world’s most successful people are dyslexic. How was your dyslexia both a strength and weakness as you grew up?Even though my friends loved the WWE, I was a WCW fan and you were my favorite wrestler because I enjoyed your charisma and of course the Diamond Cutter finishing move! What was your favorite and least favorite part of being a pro-wrestler and what would you say your legacy is?When did your wife introduce you to yoga and what transferable skills from wrestling enabled you to create a successful yoga fitness program?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow DDP’s journey: WebsiteBusinessFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter

An interview with Molly Yeh about how her Chinese Jewish heritage and Midwest roots influenced her career, how she made a big life transition, how she maintains work-life balance, where she gets her inspiration for her recipes and her best career advice. Welcome to the 75th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the star of Girl Meets Farm on The Food Network, Molly Yeh. Born in Glenview, Illinois, Molly is of Chinese and Jewish descent with parents who are musicians and a sister who is also a chef. After following in her parents’ footsteps as a member of two percussion ensembles, which won gold medals, She moved to New York City to attend Julliard. Molly turned the journals she kept in her childhood into a blog back in 2009. After attracting a large following on the blog and on social media, Molly published her first book, Molly on the Range in 2017. The next year, Molly became the star of her own TV series on The Food Network called Girl Meets Farm, which is now in its fifth season. My good friend and middle eastern foodie Jeff Gabel told me about Molly years ago before she had her own TV show so I finally had the chance to speak with her about her life, inspiration, and advice. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: You’re very proud of your Chinese Jewish heritage and Midwest roots. How do think about your identity as it relates to the brand you developed?After studying at Julliard in New York, how were you able to adapt to life in the Midwest and what advice would you give to people in a big life transition?How do you maintain a work-life balance between blogging, being a mom, and your TV show?Where do you get the inspiration for your recipes and decide which ones to write and talk about on TV, in books and online?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Molly’s journey: TV ShowBooksWebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitter

An interview with Jessica Pels about what prepared her for her job as Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, why ageism doesn’t affect her, the ideal mentor relationship, what she wants her legacy to be and her best career advice. Welcome to the 74th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, Jessica Pels. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Jessica moved to New York City at age 14 to study ballet at the American Ballet Theatre. After earning her degree in film production at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Jessica held various editorial positions at The New Yorker, Vogue, Glamour and Teen Vogue before becoming the Digital Director for Marie Claire magazine. She left the magazine to accept a similar role at Cosmopolitan, which eventually led to her becoming the youngest person in the history of the magazine to be the Editor-in-Chief at age 32. In her position, Jessica oversees the content and editorial operations for the magazine, web, social, video, and editorial innovation projects. As someone who has contributed articles to magazines in the past, I was excited to speak with Jessica about her journey, perspectives, advice, and legacy. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: What did you learn in your prior job roles that prepared you for your current role?As a fellow Millennial leader, I encountered a lot of ageism in my early 20s as I was trying to grow my career. What obstacles did you have to overcome to be the youngest person to ever hold your prestigious position? You speak a lot about the importance of mentorship, which is a topic that is often talked about but misunderstood. Can you describe your ideal mentor relationship?Over the course of my career, I’ve interviewed those who have held your position before you like Joanna Coles and Kate White. How do you think you’ll be different from your predecessors and what unique contribution are you looking to make?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Jessica’s journey: WebsiteTwitterInstagram

An interview with Dr. Mark Hyman about how he originally got into the medical field, how to know what to eat and what to avoid, how to structure your day so you’re healthy, avoiding burnout and his best career advice. Welcome to the 73rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is a bestselling author and founder of The UltraWellness Center, Dr. Mark Hyman. Born in New York, Mark moved to Idaho after graduating from medical school. Then, he worked as an emergency room doctor in Massachusetts before becoming the co-medical director at Canyon Ranch. After leaving the Ranch, he opened The UltraWellness Center. Over the past seven years, Mark has written countless bestselling books, including his latest entitled “Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet–One Bite at a Time”. He is the Medical Director at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine and is a medical advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton. As someone who went from eating fast food, and hot dogs on George Foreman grills to being a pescatarian, I have an appreciation for food as it relates to our health. That’s why I wanted Mark to share his insights with all of you because eating healthy transformed my life and it can do the same for you. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions I ask in this episode: How did you originally get into the medical field?There’s so much information about what to eat and what not to online. How do you know what to trust?How do you structure your day so you can manage all aspects of your health?What is the best way to prevent burnout and is food part of that?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Mark’s journey: WebsiteBookPodcastInstagramFacebookTwitter

An interview with Patrick Lencioni about why he decided to become a leader, the biggest mistakes leaders make, the behaviors that drive high performing teams, a leader’s responsibility at work and his best career advice. Welcome to the 72nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is a leadership consultant and bestselling author, Patrick Lencioni. Born in Bakersfield, California, Patrick was a management consultant at Bain, Oracle, and Sybase before launching The Table Group, a firm focused on executive team development and organizational health. He is best known as the author of the multi-million copy bestselling book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and has followed up with a series of other books, including his latest entitled “The Motive”. Patrick is new to the podcast world with his show “At The Table”. I first discovered Patrick’s work back in 2009 and have since interviewed him several times. He’s one of the most respected figures in my industry, an incredible communicator and his team have a long tenure, which speaks volumes to his leadership ability. He’s also represented by my literary agent and hero, Jim Levine! In this podcast interview, we learn about Patrick’s own leadership style and what really drives team performance. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: Why did you originally choose to be a leader and what experiences helped shape the leader you are today? What pitfalls do leaders make that hurt their team when their intent was to help?You’ve written 12 books on how leaders build effective teams. What behaviors are most important for forming, engaging and growing a great team?   With the workplace becoming increasingly automated, and where mental health issues are widespread, what is a leader’s role and responsibility as we start a new decade? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Patrick’s journey: CompanyBookPodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

An interview with Vinny Guadagnino about how he was able to change his diet, how losing 50 pounds changed his life, how fame has impacted him, managing criticism and his best career advice. Welcome to the 71st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is MTV Jersey Shore star, Vinny Guadagnino. Born in Staten Island, New York City, Vinny was cast for the Jersey shore back in 2009 and remained on the show for all six seasons up until 2012. He then went on to host the MTV talk show The Show with Vinny in 2013 then co-hosted Vinny & Ma Eat America with his mom on The Cooking Channel. In 2018, he reunited with his Jersey Shore castmates for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, and also co-starred on A Double Shot at Love on MTV with DJ Pauly D. Vinny has supported campaigns around issues like anti-bullying and gay rights. As an advocate for the keto diet, he wrote “The Keto Guido Cookbook”. I sat down with Vinny to talk about the lessons he’s learned from keeping such a strict diet and how it’s impacted his life for this podcast. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: Like you, I grew up eating unhealthy without even realizing the harm it was causing me. What obstacles did you face as you changed your diet and how did you overcome them?How has losing 50 pounds impacted how you feel about yourself, your career trajectory and the people closest to you? You’ve been in the public eye for a decade. What aspects of fame have been most beneficial and harmful to your life?You were bullied in high school, just like me, and have since used your platform to bring attention to the issue. How have you been able to prevent bullies and critics from hurting your self-confidence? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Vinny’s journey: BookInstagramFacebookTwitter

An interview with Steve Gorman about how he was able to handle the highs and lows of being in a band, what the most important qualities of a teammate are, what he would have done differently, what he learned as an artist and his best career advice. Welcome to the 70th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the founding member of the Black Crowes, Steve Gorman. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Steve joined his elementary school’s band playing the drums. At age 10, he moved to Kentucky, aspiring to be a guitarist. Then in college, he was a broadcasting major, while playing drums with several bands. In 1986, he formed the band Lack of Interest with his friends to record their first demo tape. A year later, he started playing with the Black Crowes for their first 9 albums, then eventually rejoined in 2005. More recently, Gorman founded the band Trigger Hippy and authored the book, “Hard to Handle”, which is named after the Black Crowes hit song. I caught up with Steve to learn more about how he was able to navigate a multi-decade career in such a celebrated band and what he’s learned along the way. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: You’ve been part of The Black Crowes for over two decades, witnessing the success, struggle, and breakup first hand. How were you able to mentally and emotionally handle the highs and lows?You say you’re a team-oriented guy. What do you believe are the most important qualities of a teammate, or in your case a band member, and which are the ones to avoid and why?If you were to start another band right now, what would you differently base on what you’ve experienced and why?What is the most important business advice you’ve learned as an artist that you wish you knew when you first started?What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Steve’s journey: BookBandInstagramFacebookTwitter

An interview with Melissa Ben-Ishay how she benefited from losing her job, how she overcame her biggest obstacle as an entrepreneur, where her work ethic comes from, how she’s managed her work and personal relationships and her best career advice. Welcome to the 69th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the creator, President and Chief Product Officer of Baked by Melissa, Melissa Ben-Ishay. Born in Hillsdale, New Jersey Melissa graduated Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s in Child and Family Studies. Her first job was as a sales assistant at Telerep Inc., then she worked at Deutsch Inc. as an Assistant Media Planner, where she was fired at age 24. Her side hustle during this time was baking tie-dye cupcakes for friends, family and co-workers. Two weeks after being fired, Melissa partnered with her brother Brian to create the Baked by Melissa company. Fast forward to today, where Baked by Melissa is in 14 locations and ships nationwide. Melissa is also the author of Cakes by Melissa and invests her time in philanthropic initiatives like Make-A-Wish and the Side with Love campaign to help spread kindness. While I don’t eat cupcakes, I see Baked by Melissa stores walking around in New York City and at JFK Airport so I was interested in learning how she made all of this happen! The 5 questions I ask in this episode: How was losing your job as an Assistant Media Planner a blessing in disguise? When you initially had the idea for your company, what was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?Like you, I remember working over one hundred hours a week when I started a company in my 20s. Where does your work ethic come from and how have you continued to sustain it after 12 years in business? You co-founded your company with your brother and have since married your husband who works under you. How have you been able to manage these relationships without letting work get in between you?What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Melissa’s journey: CompanyInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

An interview with Suzanne Somers about how she’s had a sustainable career since the 1960s, the habits that have had the biggest impact on her heath, how she handles obstacles, how people can age better and her best career advice. Welcome to the 68th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is actress, author and singer, Suzanne Somers. Born in San Bruno, California, Suzanne attended the San Francisco College for Women, then got married and had a child at age 19. A year after her divorce, she became a prize model on the syndicated game show “Anniversary Game”, where she married the host Alan Hamel. In 2000, Suzanne was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she treated with a medical plant instead of chemotherapy. While her acting career started in the 1960s, it took off when she was cast in the popular ABC sitcom Three’s Company and was the breakout star. She also starred in the TV series She’s the Sheriff, Step by Step and The Suzanne Show. In addition, she appeared on the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars, two Playboy magazines, infomercials and was portrayed in South Park. Suzanne has written countless books that cover a variety of health and wellness topics, including her latest “A New Way to Age”. I’ve wanted to interview her for many years, not just because my mom is one of her customers, but because she’s been able to stay relevant for many decades which is so rare in her profession. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: You’ve been in the media and entertainment business since the 1960s. What do you think has allowed you to sustain such a long career in one of the most competitive industries?When did you decide to take your health seriously and what habits have you created that have had the biggest impact on your health?What’s the first thing you do when you encounter a big obstacle?People are living longer but aren’t necessarily wealthier and healthier than previous generations. Based on the conversations you’ve had with doctors, other experts and through your own experience, what can people do right now to set themselves up for a better life as they age?  What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Suzanne’s journey: CompanyBookInstagramFacebookTwitter

An interview with Nas Daily about his struggles being an Arab growing up in Israel, how he committed to posting so much content, what he’s learned from his travels, life lessons and his best career advice. Welcome to the 67th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is a video blogger, author, and entrepreneur, Nas Daily. Born in Israel to a Muslim-Arab family of Palestinian descent, Nuseir Yassin graduated Harvard University, while co-founding his own social media search engine. After Harvard, he became a software developer at Venmo for two years before creating the Facebook page “Nas Daily”. His ambition was to create a new video every day for 1,000 days in different countries, from The Philippines to North Korea, which is now captured in his new book “Around the World in 60 Seconds.” I had the opportunity to meet with Nas in Singapore recently when I was on vacation to learn more about who he is and how he’s been able to grow his platform to over14 million followers and over 4.5 billion video impressions. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: What were some of your struggles as an Arab born in Israel, why did you create content to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what impact do you feel you made? You quit your job to travel around the world as a content creator committing to one new video posted every day for 1,000 days. How did you get the courage, and make that level of commitment, without knowing if it would turn into a career? What have you learned about yourself and the world we live in after traveling to 64 countries in just a few years? Can you talk about the career and life lessons you learned from your conversations with the people you’ve met while traveling the world? How have they affected you personally and professionally? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Nas’s journey: Company Book YouTube Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

An interview with Ben Horowitz about how entrepreneurs should prepare for pitch meetings, what all successful entrepreneurs have in common, what he’s learned about leadership from historical figures, how to find the right career and his best career advice. Welcome to the 66th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the co-founder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz. Born in London, England, Ben was raised in California. He graduated from Columbia University with a BA in computer science then got his master’s in computer science from UCLA. From there, Ben had his first job at Silicon Graphics before joining Netscape founder Marc Andreessen as a product manager. When Netscape was acquired by AOL, Ben became AOL’s Vice President of eCommerce. He and Marc left Netscape to co-found Loudcloud eventually taking it public and transforming it into enterprise software company Opsware. Ben grew the company to over $100 million in annual revenue before selling it to HP for $1.6 billion. Once he left, he joined forces again with Marc to create venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which has invested in Box, Facebook, Slack, Instagram, and Airbnb. I caught up with Ben for this podcast to hear his perspectives on raising capital, leadership, choosing the right career and to learn about his new book “What You Do Is Who You Are”. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: What should entrepreneurs do to prepare for a pitch meeting with you and what are your criteria for which companies you invest in? What do all successful entrepreneurs have in common? What have you learned from studying successful leaders of the past and present on how to create a highly engaging and productive organization that lasts? How do you align what you do, and who you are with the right company? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Ben’s journey: Company Book Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

An interview with Kris Jenner about why she thinks Keeping up with the Kardashians is so appealing, how she decides what business opportunities to take, the role social media plays in her life, her typical day and what she hopes her family achieves. Welcome to the 65th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is TV star and entrepreneur, Kris Jenner. Born in San Diego, California, Kris’s first job was as a flight attendant for American Airlines, which was around the same time when she married Robert Kardashian and had four children: Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob. After getting divorced thirteen years later, she got remarried to retired Olympian Bruce Jenner and had two more daughters in Kendall and Kylie. Then in 2007, she met Ryan Seacrest and launched the E! TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which has become one of the longest-running reality TV shows in history. Kris manages the family’s multi-billion-dollar brand, which includes clothing lines, mobile apps, cosmetics, books, shows, and merchandise. When it comes to getting and monetizing attention, she is a mastermind! In this podcast from an interview I did with Kris back in 2012, we learn more about her priorities, mindset and how she does business. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: What do you think was most appealing about “Keeping up with the Kardashians” when you first launched it? How did you decide what opportunities were best for your brand? What role does social media play in your life, both personally and professionally? Does it help you grow your business or inspire episodes of your show? What does your typical day look like? What are the biggest challenges in managing your family members’ careers and what do you hope they will achieve? Follow Kris’s journey: Book Twitter Instagram Facebook

An interview with David Meerman Scott about being a successful author, why entrepreneurs should focus on community building, what he learned from his daughter, his view on the top marketing trends and his best career advice. Welcome to the 64th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is author, speaker, and marketing strategist, David Meerman Scott. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, David graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in economics. He had multiple jobs as a clerk on Wall Street before working at publisher Knight Ridder in their online newsroom. David moved back from Boston to join Desktop Data, which was acquired by NewsEdge Corporation then sold to Thompson Reuters. Throughout his early experiences in the publishing world, he learned the power of using content to drive customers. David’s ideology of using social media, blogs, and podcasts to earn attention, instead of buying it, become the basis for his book “The New Rules of Marketing & PR”. The success of the book led to a global speaking career, an advisory position at Hubspot and a series of other books, including his latest entitled “Fanocracy”. David was an early mentor of mine back in 2009 when I was publishing my first book and has been at the forefront of the latest marketing trends for decades. That’s why I was excited to speak with him for this podcast episode. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: When people ask me for my best advice on book publishing, I refer them to what you told me before my first book, Me 2.0, was published 10 years ago. You suggested that I should market, promote and sell the book without relying on the publisher. Can you explain how being accountable in this way has helped you achieve success? Why should every entrepreneur focus on purpose, values, and community not just selling products and services? How can they make this shift if they aren’t currently doing it? You co-authored Fanocracy with your daughter. What have you learned from each other that has made you a better marketer and her a better student? Throughout your 25-year career in the marketing field, you’ve been at the forefront of some of the biggest trends like the rise of social media. What are some marketing tools, strategies, and techniques that you would recommend to people looking to build their brand? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow David’s journey: Website Book Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Facebook

An interview with Flea how the relationship he had with his mom affected future relationships, why his stepfather was a blessing and a curse, why he views his friends as his family, how vulnerability has been his strength and his best career advice. Welcome to the 63rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the bassist and co-founder of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Michael Peter Balzary was nicknamed Flea as a teenager based on his inability to sit still. After moving to California, he attended Fairfax High School, where he started his lifelong friendship with Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis. Originally a jazz trumpet player, Flea later was introduced to rock music and the bass guitar by Hillel Slovak. Flea co-founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1984 and since then they have released 11 studio albums that have sold over 80 million copies worldwide. In 2012, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Flea as the second-best bassist of all time. Flea is also the co-founder of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music education organization for underprivileged children. I was very excited to speak to Flea about his relationships, life experiences and views that he wrote about in his new memoir “Acid for the Children” for this podcast. Video interview from Hachette’s New York City offices: The 5 questions I ask in this episode: You said in the book that you don’t have a deep relationship with your mom growing up. How did that impact your relationships as you aged? Your stepfather was a blessing and a curse for you. Can you share some of the lessons learned from your experiences with him? Growing up, why did you see your friends like your family? Why do you view vulnerability as a strength instead of weakness? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Flea’s journey: Book Twitter Instagram Facebook

An interview with Anthony Daniels about why he dropped out of law school to pursue a career as an actor, what he learned from meeting George Lucas, why C-3PO has resonated with audiences, the hardest moment he’s had to overcome and his best career advice. Welcome to the 62nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the actor best known for portraying C-3PO in the Star Wars saga, Anthony Daniels. Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, Anthony studied law for two years at a University before dropping out to pursue amateur dramatics at Rose Bruford College. Upon graduating in 1974, he worked at BBC Radio and for the National Theatre of Great Britain. During his time there, he was invited to meet George Lucas, who was casting for Star Wars. Anthony got the part of C-3PO and has played the character in more Star Wars movies than any other actor. His Star Wars journey spans forty years and his perspectives, insights, and stories are captured in his new book “I Am C-3PO”. I’m a big Star Wars fan so I was excited to speak with Anthony right before seeing the new Rise of Skywalker film. I attempted to get some insider information from Anthony, but to no surprise, he wouldn’t tell me anything! So instead, I asked him about his experiences over the past several decades, what he’s learned and how he connects to the legendary character he portrays on film. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: You dropped out of law school to pursue a now-legendary career in entertainment. Why did you decide to make this career switch especially when lawyers (on average) have more job security and higher pay than entertainers? You originally turned down a meeting with George Lucas who was casting for Star Wars. Why did you turn it down, then reconsider and how did the meeting change you professionally and personally? C-3PO is a robot but displays human qualities. How are you like the character you play on-screen and why do you think he resonates with so many people? What was your hardest moment as a performer that tested you and made you a stronger person? What can we learn from that experience? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Anthony’s journey: Website Book Twitter Instagram

An interview with John Jantsch about how being self-reliant can help you achieve success, the role of our mind, body, and spirit in our entrepreneurial journey, the most common frustration entrepreneurs have, how to overcome self-doubt and his best career advice. Welcome to the 61st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is author, speaker, and entrepreneur, John Jantsch. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, John attended the University of Kansas City before creating his now widely popular Duct Tape Marketing System, which trains and licenses small business consultants. Throughout his career, he’s written several books, including Duct Tape Marketing, Duct Tape Selling, The Referral Engine, and The Commitment Engine. John has been an early adopter of new technologies, including blogging and podcasting, which he uses to communicate strategies and tactics to help small business owners succeed. The 5 questions I ask in this episode: How can remaining self-reliant help people achieve success? What is the role of mind, body, and spirit in the entrepreneurial journey? You’ve coached many businesspeople in your career. What is the most common frustration they have and what advice have you given to help them overcome it? How do aspiring entrepreneurs overcome self-doubt? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow John’s journey: C0mpany Book LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

An interview with Steve Schwarzman about what he learned from his father growing up, where his drive comes from, how he decides which charities to donate to, what money hasn’t bought him and his best career advice. Welcome to the 60th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, Steve Schwarzman. Born in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, Steve went to Abington Senior High School before enrolling in Yale University. When he graduated, he had a brief stint in the U.S. Army Reserve before enrolling and graduating from Harvard Business School. Steve’s first job was at investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Then, he became a managing director at Lehman Brothers at age 31, before co-founding The Blackstone Group with his former boss and former CEO of Lehman, Peter Peterson. Today, Blackstone manages about $545 billion in assets, with over $7 billion in annual revenue, leaving Steve with a net worth of over $17 billion. I had the opportunity to visit Steve at his New York City offices to talk about the lessons he’s learned and his business perspectives, that are captured in his book “What it Takes”. Video interview from Blackstone’s New York City headquarters: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Your dad operated a linen store growing up that he never expanded despite its success. What did you learn from that experience and how was that incorporated into your thinking moving forward? What drove you to build such a big company and have so much influence and power? You’ve donated over $1 billion to charities. How do you select what causes to donate to and what is the criteria for the selection? What can money not buy you that brings you happiness and joy into your life? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Steve’s journey: Book LinkedIn

An interview with Ash Carter about leading the U.S. pentagon workforce, how he empathizes with soldiers, his personal conduct, making hard decisions in turbulent times and his best career advice. Welcome to the 59th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the 25th U.S. Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ash’s father was a doctor and military veteran and his mother was a teacher. In Philly, he was fired from his first job at a local car wash. After graduating Abington Senior High School as the president of the Honor Society, he went on to Yale College then became a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. From 1993 to 1996, Ash served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy during President Bill Clinton’s first term. During this time, he was responsible for strategic affairs, including the U.S.’s nuclear weapons policy. He continued to work his way up the hierarchy until 2014, when President Barrack Obama appointed him to be the 25th U.S. Secretary of Defense. After over 35 years of service, Ash wrote a book called Inside the Five-Sided Box about what he learned during his time at the Pentagon. In this episode, Ash gives us his insider perspective of his decision-making process, relationship with the troops and advice that’s applicable to our lives outside of the Five-Sided Box. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Most people don’t understand the magnitude of the Pentagon workforce. What is the responsibility of managing so many people? You’re in the Pentagon and part of your workforce is on the battlefield fighting for us. How are you able to empathize with them and their families? The word conduct is what I most associate with you. You’ve mentioned that’s how you hire and part of why you fire and dress the way you do. How has your personal conduct impacted your career? What is the responsibility and role of a leader during turbulent times? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Ash’s journey: Book Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

An interview with Lucie Fink about how her parents have influenced her creative process, how she’s turned her passion into her career, having the courage to put yourself out there, the secret to social media engagement and her best career advice. Welcome to the 58th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is video producer and lifestyle host for Refinery 29, Lucie Fink. Born in White Plains, New York to a radio DJ father and designer mother, Lucie has been a natural creative her entire life. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University, she worked as an Associate Producer at Ogilvy & Mather then became a producer and on-camera talent for Refinery29. At Refinery 29, Lucie created and hosts the award-winning YouTube series “Try Living with Lucie”, where she performs and documents her regular social experiments. She’s worked with brands such as Under Armour, M&M’s, Chase, Revlon, Reebok and many others. I’ve admired Lucie’s thoughtfulness and creativity when it comes to both content production and audience engagement for a while now so I was excited to speak to her for this podcast episode. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Your family is extremely creative. Your mom is a designer and your dad is a radio DJ. How have they influenced your career and made you more creative? You’ve been able to turn your passion into profit and into a full career. A lot of people fear putting themselves out there. How do you get past that fear? In your TEDx talk you spoke about the importance of trying. How do you have the courage to continue putting yourself out there even if you fail? You get so much engagement on your content compared to people who have many more followers. What leads to this level of engagement? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Lucie’s journey: Website Refinery 29 Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

An interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson about how writing letters has impacted his life, how he became an effective storyteller, why we should look inside ourselves to find meaning, the impact of artificial intelligence in our lives and his best career advice. Welcome to the 57th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is astrophysicist, author and head of the Hayden Planetarium, Neil deGrasse Tyson. Born in New York City to a gerontologist father and sociologist mother, he grew up in the Bronx. In high school he was the captain of the wrestling team and the editor-in-chief of the Physical Science Journal. Neil first became interested in astronomy following a visit to the Hayden Planetarium, where he enrolled in various courses there. He started gaining notoriety as a 15-year-old lecturing in his community. He went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. In 2001, President George Bush appointed him to serve on a commission studying the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry and in 2004, he was reappointed to focus on the implementation of the U.S. Space Exploration Policy. In 2006, he was appointed to serve on the NASA Advisory Council and was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. Currently, Neil is the head of the Hayden Planetarium, a research associate of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History and the host of the StarTalk podcast. He has written sixteen books including his latest, Letters from an Astrophysicist, that we discuss in this podcast. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: You’ve written countless letters over the past 30 years and have documented them in this book. Writing letters is a lost art form in the age of email, texting and social media. How has reviewing and publishing these letters impacted how you live your life? You have blended science and pop culture in an entertaining way that has gotten people who don’t like or understand science interested in it. How did you learn to be such an effective communicator? You say that people tend to look outside of themselves to find meaning in their lives. Why do you suggest people instead look inside themselves and how have you benefited from doing that? This year, I worked on a global study focused on artificial intelligence with Oracle. We found that people are now embracing AI and have an overall positive relationship with it, despite privacy and security concerns. How can AI improve our lives instead of cause us harm? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Neil’s journey: StarTalk Radio Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Dan Carlin about how he became an effective storyteller, his most proud moment, how he produces Hardcore History, a time when he became more resilient and his best career advice. Welcome to the 56th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the host of the Hardcore History podcast, Dan Carlin. Born in California, Dan is the son of actress Lynn Carlin and film producer Ed Carlin. He obtained his degree in History at the University of Colorado Boulder before breaking into TV news in the 1980s as reporter for KVAL-TV in Eugene, Oregon. From there, he hosted Common Sense, a podcast where he evaluated current political trends, from 1994 to 2014. In 2015, he launched Hardcore History, a podcast that explores topics throughout world history such as The Cold War, The Asia-Pacific War, a series on Genghis Khan, the fall of the Roman Republic and a series on World War 2. The podcast has won several awards and has a massive following of over seven million listeners. I spoke with Dan about his new book The End is Always Near, his personal history, how’s he’s built his following and his best career advice. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did you become an effective storyteller and how can others do the same? What was one milestone in your life that you are most proud of and why? Take us behind the scenes with your hit podcast show Hardcore History. What does it take to produce a quality show like yours and then build a loyal following? Can you give an example from your career on how a tough moment made you stronger and more resilient? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Dan’s journey: Website Podcast Book Facebook Twitter YouTube

An interview with Steph Korey about how traveling in her childhood impacted her life, her biggest business challenge, the person that’s helped her the most, her guiding leadership principles and her best career advice. Welcome to the 55th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the co-founder and CEO of Away, Steph Korey. Born in a suburb in Ohio, Steph grew up traveling to visit her family in the Middle East and Europe. After graduating college, she worked in the merchandising and buying departments at both Kate Spade and Bloomingdales. Then, Steph joined Warby Parker as their Head of Supply Chain, where she met her Away co-founder Jennifer Rubio. After leaving Warby Parker, she got her MBA, while working as a consultant for Casper, before launching Away with Jennifer. Away is a global lifestyle brand that’s transforming the entire travel experience. Away has raised over $100 million, with a $1.4 billion valuation and has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies”. I must disclose that I’m an Away customer after I was nagged by my parents to buy a navy blue carry-on suitcase last year, and I’m happy that I did. In this episode, you’ll learn more about Steph’s background, how’s she’s been able to grow her company so fast and advice that anyone could benefit from. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did traveling the world as a child shape your identity, perspective and future career? In just 3 years your company has grown to a $1.4 billion valuation, congratulations! Despite this success, what are some of your biggest struggles that keep you up at night? Who has made the biggest impact on your career and how? Which leadership principles have you used at work that you learned in school? Can you give an example? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Steph’s journey: Company Instagram Facebook Twitter

An interview with Tegan Quin how being a Virgo explains her life decisions, how high school prepared her for the future, how she’s dealt with poor mental health, how she became a business woman and her best career advice. Welcome to the 54th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is Canadian indie pop band musician, songwriter and author, Tegan Quin. Born in Calgary, Canada Tegan is an identical twin to Sara Quin and they are both openly gay. At the age of 15, the twins began playing guitar and writing songs, eventually forming a band called Plunk using their school’s recording studio to produce two demo albums. A few years later, they released their debut album under the name “Tegan and Sara”. During the course of their twenty-year career, Tegan and Sara have sold well over one million records and released eight studio albums. They have performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, from Coachella to the Academy Awards. In 2016, they created the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women. More recently, they released their memoir “High School”, their ninth studio album “Hey, I’m Just Like You” and have been on tour. I spoke to Tegan about the events that have shaped her life, how she deals with her internal struggles and how her life purpose has guided her journey. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: You and your sister are Virgos like me. In what way does being a Virgo explain the career and life decisions that you’ve made? Your book is called “High School”. What experiences did you have in high school that prepared you for your future? Mental health is a very important topic in our society and is more common in the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ individuals are 3 times more likely to experience a mental health condition than straight individuals. How did you overcome periods in your life when you suffered from mental health and what advice can you share with others who are suffering? How did you learn how to be a businesswoman and how have those skills helped you as an artist? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Tegan’s journey: Website Book Instagram Facebook Twitter

An interview with Marc Randolph how his family influenced him growing up, how to craft a compelling business pitch, how to overcome rejection, his relationship with his Netflix partner Reid Hastings and his best career advice. Welcome to the 53rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph. Born in Chappaqua, New York, Marc’s father was a nuclear engineer, his paternal great-granduncle was psychoanalysis pioneer Sigmund Freud and his paternal great-uncle was PR legend Edward Bernays. After he graduated college in 1981, he began working at Cherry Lane Music Company based in New York and was in charge of the small mail-order operation. It was there where he learned marketing techniques, how to sell music directly to customers and used technology to track buying behavior. Marc continued to gain experience building direct-to-consumer marketing operations at Borland, then at various Silicon Valley start-ups, before becoming a founder of Integrity QA. A year later, Pura Atria acquired his startup and CEO Reed Hastings retained Marc as VP of Corporate Marketing. Later that year, Rational Software acquired Pura Atria for $850 million. Marc and Reed decided to join forces to launch Netflix in 1998, with Marc as the first CEO. Today, Netflix has over 150 million paid subscribers worldwide watching over a billion hours of video content each week with $15.8 billion in revenue annually. I sat down with Marc to learn more about his fascinating background, hear stories from his new book “That Will Never Work” and get advice on everything from pitching an idea to overcoming criticism. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: You come from a family of overachievers and pioneers. How did they influence you growing up? What makes a good pitch to influence others to buy into you as a person or your business idea? Early in my career, a lot of people said, “that will never work”. People didn’t believe in me early on. What does it take to overcome that resistance and continue to follow your path? Different from your business partner Reid Hastings, you’ve been more behind the scenes. Where does your humility come from? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Marc’s journey: Website Book Instagram Facebook Twitter

An interview with Morgan Spurlock about how he gets ideas for his projects, how documentaries get made, how he learned to be a storyteller, what his life purpose is and his best career advice. Welcome to the 52nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is documentary filmmaker and producer, Morgan Spurlock. Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Morgan graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1993. He started his career as a successful playwright before eventually producing Super Size Me, an Academy Award-nominated documentary that tracked his health as he ate three McDonalds meals each day for thirty days. I get sick to my stomach even thinking about it! This film completely changed my diet and led to my pursuit of a health lifestyle. Morgan has gone on to produce several other documentaries, including Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, Freakonomics and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. More recently, he released his big follow up documentary, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken, which explores how the fast food industry has rebranded itself as healthier since the first film. The film isn’t what I expected at all. Morgan literally goes through the entire process of opening a fast food restaurant, called Holy Chicken, in order to expose the food industry. I had the opportunity to sit down with him the same week when he opened a pop-up restaurant in New York City. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How do you get the ideas for your documentaries and what are the first steps for producing them? What are some things that people don’t know about what it takes to create a documentary? When did you decide to be a storyteller and when did you know you were effective at it? All of your films make a huge impact and have changed the food industry. Do you feel like you have a sense of purpose? What mark do you want to leave on the world? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Morgan’s journey: Website Holy Chicken Super Size Me 2 Instagram Facebook Twitter

An interview with Ryan Holiday about his life philosophies, how to disconnect from technology to be more present, achieving stillness, stoicism’s affect on his parenting and his best career advice. Welcome to the 51st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is bestselling author, marketer and entrepreneur, Ryan Holiday. Born in Sacramento, California, Ryan dropped out of college at age 19 to apprentice under notable authors including Tucker Max, Tim Ferriss and Robert Greene, supporting their book marketing campaigns. After helping launch The 50th Law, Robert connected Ryan to American Apparel founder Dov Charney. Ryan served as the Director of Marketing for the company from 2009 until 2014, where he was responsible for many notable media stunts, which became the inspiration for his first book Trust Me, I’m Lying. Since then, he’s written several other books, including The Obstacle Is The Way, Ego Is the Enemy and his latest, Stillness Is the Key. I’ve known Ryan for many years and have always been impressed by his dedication to writing a book each year, how he supports the author community and his unique lifestyle, living on a farm outside of Austin, Texas. I was especially excited to have a discussion with Ryan about his new book because it’s relevant to my book, further emphasizing the importance of taking time away from technology to be present. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: It’s been seven years of knowing you and this is our fourth interview. So after all of this time, what’s most changed for you and what’s remained the same in terms of your philosophy and how you live your life? People feel like they need to constantly be connected. How can people start to disconnect so they can be more present? How do you define stillness, what’s the feeling like when you’re achieved stillness and why should people try to do that? How will raise your kid differently after studying stoicism and other ancient philosophies? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Ryan’s journey: Website Book Medium Instagram Facebook Twitter

An interview with Elvis Duran about how he overcame mistakes in his childhood, how losing 100 pounds changed his life, coming out as gay, how do build a personal brand and his best career advice. Welcome to the 50th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is nationally syndicated radio host, Elvis Duran. Born in McKinney, Texas, Elvis started his career as an on-air personality at WIOQ, Philadelphia’s top music radio station, and eventually became the program director before getting fired back in 1990. A year later, he became the program director and morning show host of KGSR in Austin, Texas. From there, he had a stint at Z-93 in Atlanta and 104 in Houston, before finally landing at Z100 in New York City. As the daily host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, he and his team grew to thirty stations in a single year. Today, the show is America’s most-listened-to Top 40 morning show and one of the 10 most-listened-to programs in all of radio, heard live by nearly 10 million people in more than 80 markets across the country. Like me, Elvis has interviewed many successful people, but is rarely the one being interviewed. That’s why I was excited to talk to him about his new memoir “Where Do I Begin?” at his legendary studio here in New York City. Video interview from iHeart Radio in New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Looking back when you were a teenager, what were some of the biggest mistakes you made and how did you overcome them? What is your several years ago you underwent a surgery where you lost over 100 pounds. How did that experience change your life? You came out as gay many years ago. Was it hard coming out on air as gay? What do you recommend to people who want to build and elevate their personal brand? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Elvis’s journey: Radio show Book Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram

An interview with Chase Jarvis about the fine line between being a creative and entrepreneur, how he had the courage to pursue his career, what inspires him, how he decides whom to collaborate with and his best career advice. Welcome to the 49th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is photographer and CEO of CreativeLive, Chase Jarvis. Born in Seattle, Washington, Chase attended San Diego State University on a football scholarship. While his original goal after graduating was to attend medical school, his plans changed after his grandfather died and Chase inherited his photography equipment. He instead went on a trip to Europe to follow his passion to be a photographer, leading to an extremely successful career. He was hired by the likes of Volvo, Nike, Apple and Pepsi to shoot lifestyle, sports and landscape photography and has won numerous awards for his work. In 2010, Chase co-founded CreativeLive, an online education platform, with millions of students globally and three billion hours of education consumed. A year later he started his podcast, Chase Jarvis Live, and you can listen to my episode on it called “Less Phone, More Human.” I’ve known Chase since the early part of my career, which is why it’s a pleasure to have him on my podcast to talk about his book, Creative Calling. As a fellow creative and entrepreneur, I was interested in learning more about how he sees himself and how his creative pursuits ended up turning into a business. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Is there a fine line between being a creative and an entrepreneur? What gave you the courage to pursue your dream instead of living someone else’s? Who or what inspires your creative urges? How do you decide whom to collaborate with? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Chase’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram

An interview with Brian Grazer about how face-to-face conversations have impacted him, how having dyslexia impacted his career, how he recovered from a poor connection, how technology can be a bridge to human connection and his best career advice. Welcome to the 48th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is film and TV producer and screenwriter, Brian Grazer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Brian graduated USC’s School of Cinema-Television in 1975 as a psychology major. After quitting USC’s Law School after one year, he pursued a career as a producer focused on TV projects for Paramount Pictures in the early 80s. There, he met friend and business partner Ron Howard, embarking on one of the longest running partnerships in Hollywood history. Together, their films and TV shows have been nominated for 43 Oscars and 195 Emmys and he won the Best Picture Oscar for A Beautiful Mind. In addition, Grazer produced hit films like American Gangster, Apollo 13, The Nutty Professor, 8 Mile, and Liar Liar. His films have generated more than $13.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music, and video sales. His endless honors include having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, being named one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people and a cameo on The Simpsons. His more recent projects include the Wu-Tang: An American Saga TV series and his new book Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Why did you decide to write your book and how have face-to-face conversations impacting you personally and professionally? How did having dyslexia as a child affect you and put you on a new path to forming meaningful human connections? Can you give us an example of a poor interaction you’ve had and how you corrected it using the power of a face-to-face conversation? I always say, “Use technology as a bridge to human connection instead of letting it be a barrier between you and the relationships you seek.” How can we use technology to create more human relationships? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Brian’s journey: Website Books Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

An interview with Gary Chapman about the most common relationship mistake people make, how our love languages can bring us closer together, the balance between self-care and caring for others, using technology to strengthen relationships and his best career advice. Welcome to the 47th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman. Born in China Grove, North Carolina, Gary graduated the Moody Bible Institute, received Bachelors and Masters degrees from Wheaton College and Wake Forest. He continued his education at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, receiving both a Master of Religious Education and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1971, Gary joined the Calvary Baptist Church, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and now holds the title of senior associate pastor. In 1992, he published his first and his most notable book, The Five Love Languages, which has now sold over 11 million copies in 49 languages. Since then, he’s authored many other books in the Five Love Language book series, including his latest entitled, Love Language Minute for Couples. Currently, Gary travels the world presenting seminars about building health relationships between couples, families and teams. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: You’ve spent decades as a counselor and pastor. What is the most common mistake people make that hurts their relationships and how do they stop making it? How can knowing our love languages help bring us closer together at work and at home? What is the delicate balance between self-care and care for others? How has technology impacted relationships and what’s the best way to use it to get closer to others without letting it get in the way? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Gary’s journey: Website Books Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Sophia Amoruso about how her mental health issues affected her childhood, how she recovered from the lowest point in her career, why we need to promote our personalities, how women can break the glass ceiling and her best career advice. Welcome to the 46th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the Founder of Girlboss Media and author of #GIRLBOSS, Sophia Amoruso. Born in San Diego, California, Sophia was raised in the Greek Orthodox church and later dropped out of school and began homeschooling after being diagnosed with ADHD and depression. Her first few jobs were working at a Subway restaurant, a bookstore and a record shop. After she graduated from high school her parents got divorced, which led to her living a nomadic lifestyle, including hitchhiking, dumpster diving and stealing. At age 22, she opened an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage, which then led to launching a Nasty Gal retail store of her own. Nasty Gal grew to a $23 million dollar company in just three years. She then wrote the bestseller, #GIRLBOSS, which was later adapted into a Netflix series. Then, between 2015 and 2016 she stepped down as CEO of Nasty Gal, filed chapter 11, until the company was bought in 2017. Then, she launched Girlboss Media, with content geared to a female audience, which recently turned into a networking platform. Our last interview was four years ago so it was great to catch up with Sophia to better understand what she’s been through and how she’s overcome obstacles to push forward in her life. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Mental health is one of the most important yet misunderstood topics in our culture. How did being diagnosed with depression and ADHD in your childhood affect you? You’ve had ups and downs as an entrepreneur. What was your lowest point and how did you recover from it? Why do you believe that we need to promote our personalities, not just our resumes, when searching for a job? How can we do this? Part of my commitment with this podcast is to interview women. Women have always been underrepresented in leadership roles. How can women break the glass ceiling and what can men do to help? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Sophia’s journey: Company Netflix Series Books Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

An interview with Sanjay Gupta about what influenced him to get into the healthcare profession, how traveling the world covering healthcare changed his life, how we can combat the loneliness epidemic, his predictions for the future of healthcare and his best career advice. Welcome to the 45th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is neurosurgeon and Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN, Sanjay Gupta. Born in Novi, Michigan, Sanjay earned his degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, his M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency in neurological surgery in the University of Michigan Health System. Today, Sanjay is an Emory Healthcare general neurosurgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital. Parallel to his medical career, he is a multiple Emmy-award winning correspondent for CNN and is the host of “Vital Signs”, where he travels the world to examine the most important medical stories like the future of food. Throughout his career, he’s famously covered the medical aspects of the Iraq war, the medical benefits of marijuana and social media’s impact on teens’ mental health. In this podcast, Sanjay talks about his career in the medical field, the future of our health and how we can overcome loneliness. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What were your childhood influences that inspired you to go into healthcare and media as an adult? How has traveling the world covering the biggest health topics of our time changed how you live your life? We have a loneliness epidemic that is affected about half of American adults. What can we do to make people feel less lonely? What are you most hopeful for, and most concerned about, when it comes to the future of our health? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Sanjay’s journey: CNN Profile Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Kevin Pollak about how he’s been on the leading edge when it comes to media, having a sustainable career, his early mentor, how doing standup comedy prepared him for TV shows and his best career advice. Welcome to the 44th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is actor and comedian Kevin Pollak. Born in San Francisco, California, he’s had a multi-decade career in both film and TV, spanning over 80 movies and over 40 TV shows since I was born back in 1983. His most notable movie roles in the 90s include A Few Good Men, End of Days and The Wedding Planner. As a standup comic, he’s had his own HBO and Showtime specials and Comedy Central named him one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time. In 2009, he started Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, a podcast where he interviews his friends in the entertainment business. In 2017, Kevin joined the cast of the original series from Amazon called The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The show will be in its third season and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2017 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018. We sat down on the set of the show at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, to talk how what he’s learned throughout his career. Video interview from the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in Brooklyn, New York: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What draws you to new mediums, like podcasting, and how do you know what to do next? You’ve been in over 80 movies. What do think the key is to having a sustainability career like you’ve had? Who was an early mentor to you? How did your career as a standup comedian prepare you for doing TV shows? What skills transferred over? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Kevin’s journey: Website Podcast Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

An interview with Cameron Russell about how she handles the pressure as a model, being authentic in today’s superficial world, where her courage comes from, why she decided to be an activist and her best career advice. Welcome to the 43rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is model, TED speaker and activist, Cameron Russell. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is not far from where I grew up. Cameron lived a very privileged life as the daughter of Robin Chase, the founder of Zipcar, and Roy Russell, the former CEO of GoLoco. She began modeling in 2003 at age 16 walking in several fashion shows sporting various designers including Versace, Prada, Chanel, and Victoria’s Secret. She’s graced the cover of magazines including PORTER Magazine, Vogue Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar UK. In 2012, she gave a TED Talk entitled “Her Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” which has gone on to becoming one of the top 10 most viewed TED Talks of all time with over 27 million views to date. In 2017, she reached out to her network to contribute to the #MeToo campaign to bring further awareness to sexual harassment. In 2018, she received the Harpers Bazaar Women of the Year Award and the GCFA’s Changemaker Award. She’s the co-founder of Model Activist, a network of models that are trying to make the fashion industry more equitable and sustainable. In this podcast interview, we learn more about who she is and her motivations for making a positive change in her industry, and in the world. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How do you handle the pressure to look and act a certain way as a model? How do you be authentic in today’s superficial world, especially on social media? When did you gain the courage to speak your truth? What sparked your social and political activism? How can others be activists? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Cameron’s journey: Website TED Talk LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Scott Harrison about how he found his life’s purpose, got others onboard with his mission, took action, what he’s learned from his journey and his best career advice. Welcome to the 42nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the founder and CEO of charity: water, Scott Harrison. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Scott spent his early years as a nightclub promoter and was eventually hired by the likes of MTV and VH1 to throw parties. After experiencing a nightclub shooting in Paraguay, he quit his job and volunteered as a photojournalist for Mercy Chips, a charity that provides humanitarian aid for terminally ill patients. During his time there, he was exposed to the impoverished conditions in Liberia and started charity: water to serve Liberia and other developing nations by providing drinking water. Since it’s founding in 2006, charity: water has funded over 38,000 water projects supporting 9.6 million people around the world. After making such an impact, Scott wrote his book, Thirst, in order to use his story to inspire others. In this podcast, we delve deeper into his story to uncover how he was able to realize his life’s purpose, take action to realize his purpose and how his journey changed how he lives his life. Video interview from charity: water’s New York City headquarters: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What was the moment when you found your life purpose? How did you get other people on board with your mission? A lot of people have ideas but few execute on them. How do you take ideas, manifest them and then perform the right actions that push you into action? How have all of these stories, your travels, the people you’ve met who have suffered, changed your outlook on life? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Scott’s journey: Company Book LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Amanda Palmer about how art is her therapy, balancing online versus offline relationships, how she gets people to invest in her, asking others for help and her best career advice. Welcome to the 41st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is singer, songwriter, musician and author Amanda Palmer. Born in New York City, Amanda grew up in Lexington Massachusetts where she went to high school and was involved in the drama department. While attending Wesleyan University, she staged performances based on work by Legendary Pink Dots before forming the Shadowbox Collective, which was devoted to street theatre. In 2000 at a Halloween party, Amanda met drummer Brian Viglione and formed The Dresden Dolls, eventually releasing their debut album two years later. In 2008, she established her solo career with her solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer. She was first brought to my attention after my friend and mentor, David Meerman Scott, blogged about she was able to raise over a million dollars on the crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter to fund her next album. In 2014, Amanda released her memoir, The Art of Asking, which was based on her TED Talk a year earlier that has now amassed nearly 11 million views. She recently released her first album in more than six years called “There Will Be No Intermission”. In this uncensored episode (yes that means there’s swearing), Amanda gets raw about her art, relationships and life experiences. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How is creating art like therapy to help you handle pain, tragedy and failure? What is the balance between connecting with fans, family and friends online versus offline? You’re known for self-funding your music through crowdsourcing. How do you get people to invest in you, your art and message? How would you encourage someone who has a problem but is afraid of asking for help? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Amanda’s journey: Website Book Spotify YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Mike Posner about his journey walking across America, the truth about fame, how he’s found peace in loss, why mentoring is important to him and his best career advice. Welcome to the 40th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is singer, songwriter, poet and producer, Mike Posner. Born in Detroit Michigan, Mike’s father was a criminal defense lawyer and his sister is a civil rights attorney. While many people follow in their family footsteps, he had a completely different career trajectory in the music business. While attending Duke University in 2008, he produced his hometown friend Big Sean’s first mixtape. During his junior year, he followed up with his own mixtape, which led to signing with J Records. Mike got his next big break after releasing his debut album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, when his first single “Cooler Than Me” reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. Despite his newfound celebrity and financial success, he wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight and struggled with depression. In 2015, he released his next single, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”, which was later mixed by Seeb, gathering over 3 billion streams on Spotify globally. Over the course of his career, he’s produced and/or worked with artists including Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Avicii and Maroon 5. In 2017, he lost his father, who had battled with cancer, and performed at his funeral to commemorate his life and their relationship. More recently, on April 15th he started his walk across America, a 2,800-mile journey from New Jersey to California, in order to get back to nature, meet a variety of people and promote his new album “A Real Good Kid”. In this episode, Mike and I have a conversation while he’s in Gilberton, Pennsylvania. You can literally hear the nature in the background as he delves into deep thoughts that will make you rethink how you live your life. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How has your journey walking across America impacted your life? What do most people not know about fame and how to deal with it? How have you found peace through pain and loss? Why is “Mentor/produce a younger artist” on your bucket list and how would you help them? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Mike’s journey: Website Spotify YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Ben Mezrich about how to get paid as a writer, how the stories he’s written changed how he lives, what he wish he knew before his first book, the elements of a compelling story and his best career advice. Welcome to the 39th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is New York Times bestselling author Ben Mezrich. Born in my hometown, Boston, Massachusetts, Ben is the son of a lawyer mother and radiologist father. He graduated Harvard University in 1991 with a degree in social studies. Over the course of a near two-decade career as a professional writer, he penned twenty books with over 4 million copies in print. His most famous work was Bringing Down the House, which was the story of MIT graduates who used a card counting system to make millions playing blackjack. The story was turned into the movie 21, which was released in 2008. Another notable book Ben wrote, and my favorite, was The Accidental Billionaires, which was adapted by Aaron Sorkin into the hit film The Social Network. In the story, he paints Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as a villainous college student who steal the idea for Facebook from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. In his latest book, Bitcoin Billionaires, Ben tells a redemption story of how the Winklevoss twins got rich by investing in Bitcoin. Dozens of people have tried to explain Bitcoin to me over the past few years and I still don’t get it, which is why this interview focuses more on Ben’s advice for becoming a professional writer. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What does it take to get paid to write? Have the stories you’ve written changed how you live your life? What do you know now that you wish you new before you wrote your first book? What are the elements of a compelling story? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Ben’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Guy Fieri about how being a foreign exchange student shaped who he is today, how he’s stayed true to himself, the impact his dad had on his life, the life lessons he’s taught his children and his best career advice. Welcome to the 38th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is Food Network star, game show host, restaurateur and author, Guy Fieri. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Guy grew up in California and was a foreign exchange student in France, where he initially discovered his passion about food and cooking. In his early career, he was selling pretzels from his “Awesome Pretzel” cart. In 1990, after graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he worked as a manager at a restaurant in California, and then became a district manager at Louise’s Trattoria, managing six locations. Then in 1996, Fieri and his business partner Steve Gruber opened their first restaurant, “Johnny Garlic’s” in Santa Rosa, California. After expanding to multiple locations, they started other restaurants like Tex Wasabi’s and Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar. Guy recently opened Guy Fieri’s Dive & Taco Joint and Guy Fieri’s Pizza Parlor, both in Hampton Roads, Virginia. They will soon open Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina in Boston, where I’m from. My foodie friends will be lining up to go! Aside from his successful career in the restaurant business, he won the second season of The Next Food Network Star, earning his first show “Guy’s Big Bite”. His second series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives won two Emmy Awards and is currently in its 29th season with 384 total episodes! Guy also hosts two other Food Network shows: Guy’s Grocery Games and Guy’s Ranch Kitchen. This year, after over a decade in the entertainment business, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this interview, we get personal with Guy to understand where he came from, who he is and what advice he can offer us. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did being a foreign exchange student in France shape who you are today? How did you adapt to the entertainment industry while staying true to yourself? What impact did your dad have on the man you’ve become? What life lessons have you shared with your children? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Guy’s journey: Website Food Network Books Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Chris Kattan about the lessons he learned from his dad growing up, how he prepared for his SNL sketches, why comedy is important to our culture, the biggest obstacle he faced and his best career advice. Welcome to the 37th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is former Saturday Night Live star, comedian and author, Chris Kattan. Born in Culver City, California, Chris had an unusual upbringing. His father who was an actor, his mother was a model and his stepfather was a monk. He was raised on a Zen retreat outside of LA and lived in Bainbridge Island, Washington where he attended high school. Chris was a member of the improv comedy group The Groundlings in LA then moved to New York City to work on SNL from 1996 to 2003. With fellow SNL cast member Will Ferrell, he starred in the hit 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. Chris also appeared in many other films including Hotel Transylvania 2, Superbad and Undercover Brother. In 2017, he was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and in 2018; he reunited with SNL alumni at The Tonight Show. His new memoir is called “Baby, Don’t Hurt Me”. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What lessons did you learn from your dad growing up? How did you prepare mentally and emotionally for your SNL sketches? How important is comedy to our culture day? What was the biggest obstacle you had in your career and how did you overcome it? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Chris’s journey: Book Twitter Instagram

An interview with Chelsea Handler about why she went on a journey to self-discovery, how therapy changed her life, how connecting with diverse people changed her, overcoming self-doubt and her best career advice. Welcome to the 36th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is comedian, actress, TV host and author, Chelsea Handler. Born in Livingston, New Jersey as the youngest of six children, Chelsea experienced pain and death growing up. Her mom died of breast cancer in 2006 and her eldest brother died when she was only 9 years old. When she turned 19, she moved to LA where she lived in her aunt’s home in Bel Air. While she was a waitress, she was also pursuing her acting career as many do. Then at age 21, she decided to be a stand-up comic. Chelsea broke into TV as a regular commentator on E! and as a correspondent on NBC’s The Tonight Show. In 2006, she started hosting The Chelsea Handler Show on E! and a year later she performed in Comedy Central’s Hour Stand-Up Comedy Tour. In 2010, she was ranked on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list and in 2012, TIME named her as of the 100 most influential people in the world. She hosted her own half-hour late-night comedy series, Chelsea Lately, on E! In 2016, she hosted Chelsea Does, a documentary series, and Chelsea, a comedy talk show, both on Netflix. She’s the author of six bestselling books, including her latest Life Will Be the Death of Me:….and you too!, which is the basis of this podcast interview. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Why did you decide to go on a journey of self-discovery and what was your first step to embark on that journey? What changes have you made to your life as a result of therapy? How has connecting with a diverse group of people around the country affected you personally and made you rethink aspects of your life? How have you overcome self-doubt throughout your career? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Chelsea’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Moby about how growing up poor impacted him as an adult, how he recovered from the lowest point in his career, the positive influences in his life that came to his rescue, how he handles mental health and his best career advice. Welcome to the 35th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is songwriter, producer and author, Moby. Born Richard Melville Hall in Harlem, New York City, Moby was named after Herman Melville, who authored the classic Moby-Dick. His father died in a car crash while drinking when he was only two years old. His mother struggled to support him, relying on food stamps and welfare to make ends meet. His first job was a caddy on a golf course then took up music when he turned nine. Moby played guitar and his mom taught him how to play the piano. In 1983, he became the guitarist for the punk band The Vatican Commandos and started producing electronic music. After dropping out of college, he pursued his career as a DJ, eventually signing with Instinct Records in the mid-1990s. In 1999, Moby released his fifth and most well known album entitled Play, which sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and he went on tour for almost two years. He’s written two memoirs, Porcelain and his latest Then It Fell Apart, which we will be discussing in this episode. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What long-term impact did growing up in poverty have on you? When you were at your lowest point what was the first thing you did to revive yourself and your career? Who were some of the positive influences in your life that helped get you through hard times? How do you best deal with mental health and being empathetic to others you interact with? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Moby’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

An interview with Elaine Welteroth on how she breaks barriers as being a minority, what she learned early in her life that has helped her today, how being authentic makes you more confident, who has influenced her the most and her best career advice. Welcome to the 34th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and current judge on Bravo’s Project Runway, Elaine Welteroth. Born in Newark, California to a white father and African American mother, Elaine majored in mass communication with a minor in journalism. Her first job was as a mascot wearing a bird suit. When she graduated college, Elaine went on to be an intern at advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather. Then, she became a content producer at digital media company SomaGirls.TV. She broke into the magazine world with an unpaid internship at Ebony Magazine, where she later became editor-in-chief’s Harriette Cole’s assistant. From 2008 to 2011, Elaine worked full-time as the magazine’s beauty and style editor. Then, she joined Condé Nast, becoming the beauty and style editor at Glamour Magazine, followed by becoming the first ever African American beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. In 2017, She became the magazine’s youngest ever editor in chief. Elaine is a judge on Bravo’s Project Runway and is the author of the new book, More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say). The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did you break the barriers in your career as a minority? What lessons did you learn early on that have allowed you to make better choices today? How can being authentic, instead of blending in, build self-confidence? Who has most influenced your thinking and what changes have you made as a result? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Elaine’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

An interview with Paul Stanley on how he’s sustained his career for decades, how you can be hard on yourself while being your biggest fan, why you should make others feel worthwhile, how to overcome barriers and his best career advice. Welcome to the 33rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the co-lead vocalist of KISS, Paul Stanley. Born in New York City to parents who were avid listeners of classic music and opera, Stanley took interest in the works of Beethoven growing up. His right ear had a birth defect called microtia so he wasn’t able to hear on that side, and was bullied by other children because of it, but still enjoyed listening to music. At age 13, he received his first guitar and started playing songs by Bob Dylan and other artists. After playing in a few local bands, he joined his friend Gene Simmons’ band Wicked Lester, which eventually fell apart. Then, they formed Kiss, releasing their first album in 1974. Each member of Kiss took the persona of a character on stage and Paul chose “The Starchild”. Over the course of his career, Kiss has become one of the best-selling bands of all time with 100 million records sold with mega hits including “Rock and Roll All Nite”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Paul is the author of Face the Music and his latest book, Backstage Pass. He and Kiss are currently on their Farewell Tour. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What do you think has allowed you to sustain your career for decades? How can you be tough on yourself while also being your biggest fan? How does making others feel worthwhile improve our own lives? How do we overcome the barriers we inherit or create? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Paul’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Adam Savage on how to not be a perfectionist, the types of people that bring out his creativity, his recommendations those in non-creative jobs, if you need to fail in order to succeed and his best career advice. Welcome to the 32nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is former co-host of MythBusters, host of Savage Builds and author of Every Tool is a Hammer, Adam Savage. Born in New York City and raised in Westchester, New York, his father was a creative known for his work on Sesame Street. As a teenager, he regularly visited the local bike shop to have flat tires fixed, where he learned how to do repairs himself. At five years old, Adam started acting and his early credits include Sesame Street and Star Wars. He later abandoned his acting career in favor of doing things with his hands like graphic design, animation and specific effects. This led him to co-host the 17 season 296 episode show MythBusters, which originally premiered on the Discovery Channel back in 2003. He worked as a model maker on the films Galaxy Quest, Bicentennial Man, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, The Matrix Reloaded, and Space Cowboys. Savage is currently an editor and contributor at Tested.com and his new show Savage Builds will have him collaborating with notable experts in their fields, friends, colleagues, and some of his favorite people on the planet. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How do we stop trying to be perfectionists and start creating? What types of people bring out your creativity? What do you recommend for people in non-creative jobs to be creative? Do you believe you have to fail multiple times before you succeed? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Adam’s journey: Website Book YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Rebecca Minkoff on how she broke into the fashion industry, how she manages her time, who her mentors are, how she keeps her employees motivated and her best career advice. Welcome to the 31st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is fashion designer and entrepreneur, Rebecca Minkoff. Born in San Diego, California, she became interested in design in high school working in a costume department. Then, she moved to New York City at age 18 to pursue her dream as a fashion designer. In 2001, she designed an “I Love New York” t-shirt, which appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show and became an overnight sensation. Then in 2005, she designed her first, and now iconic, handbag called “The Morning After Bag”. It was so successful, that she started her company with her brother Uri under her name. In 2009, she created her first ready-to-wear apparel collection. Then in 2011, she received the Breakthrough Designer Award from The Accessories Council. Today, she’s grown her lifestyle brand to include accessories, footwear, watches and a men’s line, distributed in over 900 stores worldwide. Rebecca hosts the “Superwomen” podcast, where she talks to women in different professions to show you what their lives are really like. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How were you able to break into the highly competitive NYC fashion world? How do you balance your time between your company and being a parent? Who were some of your mentors that have had an impact on you? How do you keep your employees motivated? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Rebecca’s journey: Website Podcast YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with David Brooks on if you need to achieve your life goals before serving others, why commitment is the key to a meaningful life, how to overcome loneliness, why attachment is more important than freedom and his best career advice. Welcome to the 30th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is New York Times op-ed columnist and bestselling author, David Brooks. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he spent his childhood in New York City and then Philadelphia. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in history. During school, he wrote reviews and satirical articles to campus publications. Upon graduation, he was the police reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago, which influenced his conservative political views. Then, he was an intern at the National Review. When that ended he spent time at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and wrote movie reviews for The Washington Times. Two years later, The Wall Street Journal hired him to edit the book review section. In 2000, Brooks penned his first book called Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There. In 2003, he became an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times. Since then, he has written several other books including his latest, The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, which we’ll be discussing in this episode. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Do we have to achieve personal goals before serving others? Why is commitment the key to creating a meaningful life? What’s the best way to overcome loneliness? Why should we choose attachment over personal freedom? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow David’s journey: New York Times columns Books Facebook Twitter

An interview with Alyssa Milano on how her family influenced her career, how to overcome the fear of rejection, when she decided to be a political activist, how to stay true to yourself instead of conforming and her best career advice. Welcome to the 29th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is actress, political activist and podcast host Alyssa Milano. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a fashion designer mom and film-music editor dad. She began her career at the age of 7 when she auditioned for the national touring company of Annie. She was selected from over 1,500 other girls for one of the top parts. During the tour, her and her mother were on the road of 18 months. Then, when they returned, Alyssa appeared in several television commercials, off-Broadway shows and eventually landed an agent. Milano made her film debut in the coming-of-age drama Old Enough, which won First Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, then had her big break as Tony Danza’s daughter on the sitcom Who’s the Boss? Since then, she’s had other famous roles including on Melrose Place, Charmed, Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later and her latest, Netflix’s Insatiable. Her latest project is her podcast called Sorry Not Sorry, where she tackles social, political and cultural issues as she speaks to key figures. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did your family influence and support your early career? How do people overcome the fear of rejection in your industry? When did you decide to become a political activist? How do you stay true to yourself instead of conforming? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Alyssa’s journey: Website Podcast Facebook Twitter Instagram