Big Questions with Cal Fussman

When Cal conducts an interviewing workshop, he is a reminded of The Dr. Dre question, the question that all employers might ask in interviews when looking for passionate employees. Cal goes into his archives to re-listen to his interview with Dre from 2012 for Esquire Magazine, where Dre told Cal he once worked 79 straight hours in the studio without sleep to produce something special. All this leads to thoughts on what makes a life of passion and purpose. Cal hopes that you'll come away with the right answers for yourself.

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

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

As Cal creates a platform to improve healthcare, he goes into his archives to listen to a conversation he had about a decade ago with the man who wrote the famous Jack Nicholson line in A Few Good Men: "You can't handle the truth!" When a line like that sticks in the public conscience for decades, you know the story is good. This conversation centers around the power of memorable storytelling for all of us. In a time when it's difficult to cut through the noise, a good story is always your best bet. This week's episode will charge you up to get the most out of the stories you need to tell.

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

Cal goes into his archives to pluck out a story that he loves from the billionaire oil man and business mogul who loved to make money simply to give it away. Though Pickens passed on a couple of years ago, the story of how he turned $500 a week into billions will inspire anyone at a crossroads in life. Cal hopes to use the thinking behind it to impact as many people as possible as he tries to reshape health care, and he urges you to get the most from the message in your own way.

When Cal heard that Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski would be retiring at the end of the coming basketball season, he went back to re-listen to a conversation he had with the iconic coach ten years ago. Like a rare bottle of wine, age brought new depth to the talk for Cal -- especially when he reached the part where Coach K describes the last few months he spent with competitor and close friend, Jim Valvano, before Jimmy V died of cancer. The foundation that Valvano created, The V Foundation, has since raised roughly a quarter of a billion dollars for research to beat the disease.

Cal goes to his personal archives to pull up some thoughts from the body builder, movie star and former governor of California. This includes an epiphany on how the line "I'll be back" came about in The Terminator. Arnold also talks about the self-improvement regimen than made him who he came to be. And Cal looks to shape these thoughts on his own journey to improve health care. Listeners can use Arnold's nuggets of wisdom to get the most out of their lives, too.

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

Cal talks with Mirthell and Rita Onyx about how they overcame frustrations in their working life by following a desire to spend time with their four children, creating YouTube programming as a family that has now been seen by three billion people and made millions. Rita and Mirthell give Cal many ideas on how to take the platform he's designing to reshape healthcare to the masses, and they show every listener how research and tenacity can turn an idea into a future that couldn't be imagined.

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

Cal gets some tips from the all-star coach, Roger Love, on how to get the most out of your voice. Roger got started with musical legends like The Jackson Five, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Luther Vandross – and he still works with musicians. But over time, he branched out to assist folks like the motivational speaker Tony Robbins and the model and television star Tyra Banks. Roger shows how the pitch, tone and the melody of our voices can be more impactful than the words we're communicating. He's also offering a gift certificate to any listener of Big Questions who wants to get the most out of their voice. Check it out.

Cal finally catches up to The Mysterious Blonde almost 50 years after she appeared in the film American Graffiti. Suzanne Somers tells Cal about her complicated path to self-worth. It starts with standing up for herself in a contract dispute once she made it big on the sitcom Three's Company. Which leads to her being released from the show. Which results in her becoming a Vegas headliner. And then, after Suzanne is struck by breast cancer, she morphs into an author of health-related books that reach millions. The assistance she's given to so many as a spokesperson for good health has shown her the meaning of her life. It's a story and a lesson that comes at the perfect time for Cal –- and maybe, you, too.

Cal hears the story of a man who leveraged 15 empty seconds on an automotive assembly line to create businesses that have made many, many, many millions. The formula that Joe Chura, CEO of Dealer Inspire, has developed can be applied by anybody, and Cal is going to use it on his quest to reshape healthcare. Listen up, and change your life.

With 1,200 election victories that arc from the House of Representatives to the Presidency of The United States, Phillip Stutts has seen how elections are won by both parties. He says the formula is always the same, and he defines it in his book: The Undefeated Marketing System: How to Grow Your Business and Build Your Audience Using the Secret Formula That Elects Presidents. It's also, Phillip shows Cal, a way to get the most out of your health.

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

Ever since Cal began to look into healthcare, people have been e-mailing him and asking him to compare the system in the U.S. to that of other countries around the world. Cal talks with Israeli actress and producer Noa Tishby to get a comparison. Tishby is the author of the just released book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country On Earth. This conversation explains why Pfizer and Moderna used Israel as a testing ground for their COVID vaccines, and looks at characteristics in the Israeli system that we might find desirable.

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

When Cal reads how Samit transformed an immigrant who'd been on welfare into a business owner bringing in more than a million dollars a year, he becomes curious what Samit could do for him as he tries to reshape health care. Samit does not disappoint. He advises Cal to become Andrew Carnegie. Check out what the twelve truths that make up Samit's book, Future Proofing You, can do for your life.

Cal is inspired by the hero's journey of an 8-year-old boy who had 75 percent of his body burned by fire. Though the circumstances are horrible, his power of connection and positivity has taken Marius to an amazing place. Marius has had more than 40 surgeries through Shriner's Hospitals for Children. The fingers that he lost in the blaze have been replaced by his toes. His nose has been recreated. Now a man, Marius has inspired millions with a story that reminds us to keep moving forward with a smile no matter the obstacle.

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

Cal catches up with his old pal and podcast host James Altucher to talk about the release of James' new book, which questions the concept that you need 10,000 hours to achieve mastery. Cal could use the advice, as he needs to learn as much about health care as quickly as possible in order to try to reshape it. The conversation ultimately turns into two pals catching up after a crazy year, and you'll feel like you were sitting at the breakfast table alongside them.

Cal catches up with his old pal and podcast host James Altucher to talk about the release of James' new book, which questions the concept that you need 10,000 hours to achieve mastery. Cal could use the advice, as he needs to learn as much about health care as quickly as possible in order to try to reshape it. The conversation ultimately turns into two pals catching up after a crazy year, and you'll feel like you were sitting at the breakfast table alongside them.

Cal talks with the entrepreneur who never felt comfortable around the phrase: "The sky's the limit." Instead, Naveen founded Moon Express. And Viome, a company that detects from your gut what you need to eat to be at your healthiest. Nobody appreciates curiosity more than Cal, but he's never gotten the most out of his as an entrepreneur. It's time. And you can, too. Just listen.

Cal asks The Science Guy why so many Americans don't seem to believe in science, and why so many wouldn't wear masks during COVID, even as more than 400,000 people died. After spending his entire adult life explaining the marvel and practicality of science through a television show, books and his podcast, Bill looks at the opposing forces, and points to The Constitution's endorsement of science as a way forward.

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

After having breakfast with the iconic broadcaster almost every day for more than a decade, Cal has no choice but to produce Larry King's obituary. He uses Larry's own voice to explain how Larry became a master of communication and connection, and explains why the world will never see another like him. Show Notes: Cal's favorite Larry King story. 00:11 Why Larry King is so important. 04:58 The day Larry King's father died. 06:21 Larry's tough upbringing. 08:15 Larry's love for radio. 08:40 Larry's love for The Brooklyn Dodgers. 09:01 Larry's Gil Moppo story as told to Jimmy Fallon. 09:20 Why Larry didn't end up binding hats. 18:20 Patterns relating to iconic success. 18:56 How Larry got into broadcasting. 19:15 Larry arrives in Miami with less than $20 in his wallet. 19:34 Larry finds his first radio station. 19:49 Larry tells the story of being nervous on his first day on the air. 20:33 How Larry Zeiger got his radio name. 20:46 The birth of Larry's interviewing style. 24:01 Larry tells the classic story of his first interview with Frank Sinatra. 25:23 How Larry could make a question disappear. 31:21 How Larry got fired. 34:59 The day Larry was down to $48 and won $11,000 at the track. 36:17 What Larry was most proud of about himself. 41:03 How Larry's misadventures played into his interviewing style. 41:42 How Larry got his all-night radio show across America. 42:07 How Larry's style connected with everybody. 42:35 How Larry met Ted Turner on his pathway to CNN. 42:59 Larry's first night on CNN with New York Governor Mario Cuomo. 43:38 How Larry mesmerized Americans and the world for eight hours a day. 44:06 Larry's best advice: Every setback is a step forward. 44:30 Larry's heart attack, after smoking 3 packs a day for 37 years. 44:38 When Larry found out his heart surgeon had only nine fingers. 45:00 How Larry saved thousands of lives with his cardiac foundation 46:05 How Larry influenced a presidential election with one question. 46:38 Cal shows up at breakfast to help Larry write his autobiography. 48:11 Cal talks about how Larry mentored him. 48:26 Larry talks about Cal passing on his legacy. 49:32 Cal describes what made Larry so great. 50:00 Breakfast at Nate n Al's. 50:36 The hardest part of getting old is seeing your friends pass away. 52:56 Fighting death with humor. 53:45 Larry thinks about freezing himself. 54:11Larry is avalanched by health problems. 54:50 Larry discusses not being able to walk. 55:14 Covid was the worst thing that could happen to Larry. 55:37 Larry gets the answer to his final question. 57:20 Summing up with Larry's influence. 57:35. Why there will never be another Larry King. 58:45 People Mentioned: Larry KingHarry BelafonteRichard NixonRobert TaylorJimmy FallonGil Moppo MermelsteinHerbie "The Negotiator" CohenBrazzi AbbateEngelbert HumperdinkArthur GodfreyBobby DarinJimmy HoffaJackie GleasonFrank SinatraJim MahoneyJim GarrisonLou WolfsonTed TurnerMario CuomoEverett KoopDr. Wayne IsomOJ SimpsonGeorge H.W. BushBill ClintonRoss PerotMike WallaceRobert KraftJay LenoSid YoungAndy KingChaia KingChance KingDonald TrumpMark TwainGreg Christensen

A day before the inauguration of the new president, Cal remembers a conversation he had with Joe Biden when he was Vice President during The Great Recession. Some of the questions and answers are just as relevant today. Cal believes that fixing health care will be the monument for this time, and he's ready to help out in any way he can. Time to get to work.

A few years back, with Cal 30 pounds overweight, Joe baited Cal into his company's obstacle races in order to transform Cal's life. Cal completed the 5-mile Sprint, then the 10-mile Super, then the 17-mile Beast, and was filmed doing it. The story behind his journey and Joe's quest to similarly transform 100 million people was crafted into a documentary called Spartan Exit Strategy, and is available to rent for less than $5 on Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, Microsoft and Fandango. Soon after its release, Cal and Joe connected to do a podcast about it, when suddenly the U.S. Capitol Building got stormed. It leads to a one-of-a-kind conversation.

Cal talks with the co-founder of Kickstarter about the idea of raising some funds for a journey to reshape health care in the United States. Cal realizes he needs to hire some young people who can help out on the Internet to spread the message of the mission. And Kickstarter has helped put billions of dollars into the hands of creative people with a dream through crowd funding. That money has funded more than 100,000 new ideas. Including: Oscar-winning movies. Grammy-winning albums. New technology. Books. Pieces of art. Yancey opens a pathway for Cal and for anyone listening with a dream. Let Cal know what you think.

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

Cal has an epiphany after talking to three African-American men who made a pact to all become doctors when they were kids growing up on some mean streets in Newark, New Jersey. They succeeded. The story that Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt tell Cal is so moving, Cal decides to find one African-American kid in a tough spot who wants to be a doctor and help get her or him through medical school. Cal brings in a college student majoring in entrepreneurship who has Sickle Cell Disease to assist, and a quarter-century adventure begins. Already the world feels a little bit better. Happy Holidays.

Many in the wine world know Laura as the managing director at Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina, which produces some of the world's great wines. But for the last 25 years, she has also been an emergency room physician in San Francisco. When she and Cal get together, they come up with an idea to remove an aspect of health care that drives everyone crazy. Nobody likes waiting in the waiting room. But with a Waiting Room App, the entire experience could be transformed to help doctors and hospitals communicate better with patients and allow everyone to get more out of appointments. What are we waiting for?

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

At the beginning of 2020, on average, one physician in the United States was committing suicide every day. That was before the coronavirus struck. Cal talks with three doctors about the tensions physicians and other health care workers face in these crazy times. Then he talks with an entrepreneur who designed a way for us all to reach out to health care workers with messages to show our appreciation for all they do. Bottom line is: If we don't care for those who care for us, who will care for us?

Roughly two years ago, Cal found out that his friend, Brooks Bell, had colon cancer. Brooks was in her thirties, the founder of a tech company bearing her own name, at the top of her career. Cal walked away from their conversation shaken. Which is why Cal is so happy to bring his most recent meeting with Brooks to Big Questions. Brooks has beaten the disease and tells us all how to prevent it. This conversation is a pure example of how being proactive can get the most out of our healthcare system. Please listen. This hour could save someone's life.

While many companies were furloughing and firing employees earlier this year when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Lendio went all in to help small businesses get loans. The company hired 250 people to join existing staff, and helped 120,000 businesses get $8 billion in government loans and save 1.2 million jobs over a 10-week period. Lendio CEO Brock Blake tells Cal the story, and Cal marvels at how a decision by one guy could help so many people keep their jobs and their health care in this difficult time.

A relaxing conversation after a tense election. Cal sits with the broadcaster and author of a new book about his experiences with Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson and others. The book is called Talking to GOATs – as in "Greatest of All Time." The core of the conversation goes to the power of honesty and questions in our culture. You'll also learn what it feels like to step into the ring to interview Mike Tyson just after Tyson has been disqualified for biting off one of Evander Holyfield's earlobes.

Just as Cal is dipping his toes in the water on reshaping health care, Seth encourages him to dive in. The marketing guru uses the principles behind his new book about the power of creativity, The Practice, to point Cal toward the deep water in all the right directions. Years from now, when Cal looks back on this podcast, he'll remember it as the time he decided to dedicate his life to learning about health care, understanding it and changing it for the better. He'll always be grateful to Seth for the inspiration and this moment in time. Anybody who wishes to go off on a passionate mission of any kind should listen to this conversation.

In one of the most far-ranging conversations Cal has had on Big Questions, best-selling author Brad Meltzer talks about the upcoming presidential election, how he helped save the life of his high school English teacher and the importance of his latest book about Anne Frank. This conversation goes to some deep places and reminds us all of the impact a single life can make.

The author of the book How to Lead details many of the traits and strategies used by Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others to make a huge impact on society. Rubenstein also explains why quite often the student council president in 7th grade doesn't go on to be a leader later in life. The late life leader often evolves into the position. All this gives Cal hope that he can use some of these tactics and tools on his latest adventure to make improvements in our health care system. The takeaways in this conversation will help everyone lead better – no matter what your age is.

Ten years ago, a Rutgers University football player headed downfield on a kickoff to make a tackle like he'd done so many times before. Only this time, while making that hit, Eric LeGrand fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae. He remained on the ground feeling like he couldn't breathe, and paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors questioned whether he'd ever be able to breathe without the aid of a respirator for the rest of his life. The joy in his voice now is an inspiration to anybody going through difficulties during these times of the coronavirus. Wait until you hear what he's up to . . .

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

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

Cal continues on his quest to help transform our health care system by talking with the founder of HealthEquity, who explains to Cal how we can open health savings accounts that enable us to get lower insurance premiums, grow our savings and pay our health care bills tax free. But most importantly, this conversation shows us that by taking our health care into our own hands we, as a group, can accelerate changes that benefit us all.

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

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

Cal gets a lesson in how to bring an idea to life. The CEO and founder of MasterClass shows him how to use questions to research the way forward, and then how to act off that research. MasterClass now showcases experts as varied as director Martin Scorsese, actress Natalie Portman, guitarist Carlos Santana, tennis star Serena Williams, architect Frank Gehry and the list goes on and on. Check out how Rogier put it all together, and you are sure to have a treasure trove of takeaways to bring your own idea to life.

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

Cal sits with the President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals to talk about healthcare in the time of the pandemic, and how the present moment will impact the future of YOUR healthcare. Chip has been called one of the 100 most powerful people in healthcare and after decades of experience in the area he knows everything that Cal wants to know. At a time when many people are being furloughed and fired from their jobs for no fault of their own and losing their health insurance, it's important to start thinking about how our system might be modified so that we all can get the best out of it. This is a conversation that we all need to be in on.