Big Questions with Cal Fussman

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.

At a time when we're all wondering about the continued economic repercussions of the coronavirus, Cal looks into ways that we can all focus on money. His guest is Gregg Clunis, the host of the personal development podcast called Tiny Leaps, Big Changes. Gregg grew up in a home with little money, and has spent much of his life thinking about how to get the most out of it. The conversation offers thoughts to young people who are starting out and might not have much in the bank, as well as to people who are financially stable. This talk does not involve stock tips or cryptocurrency advice. It's very simple. At a time when the world around us makes us feel unsettled, these tips will bring a sense of certainty to anybody who listens.

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

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

The former Surgeon General explains to Cal how we might rethink our health care system. This is a wise conversation at a time of COVID 19 when millions of people are losing their insurance due to furloughs and layoffs. Dr. Murthy examines the feelings of loneliness affecting patients and physicians in our system, and gives us some hope that we'll be able to do better. If you're not looking closely at health care now, you just may be six months down the road. Start with Cal now.

There is no better time to think about how to change, and there was no one who loved change more than former General Electric CEO Jack Welch. Cal remembers a day he spent with him shortly after Welsh retired and shows how Welsh's words influenced him when it came time to pivot after The Great Recession, and again now in the time of Covid 19. Find out how this podcast might change YOU.

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

Cal talks with one of the greatest tennis players of all time about the attitude and strategies that can guide us all through the different stages of reinvention. There are few people on the planet more equipped to talk about this evolution than Maria, who left Russia at the age of six with her dad to come to America and play tennis. Her dad had roughly $700 when they arrived. Maria went on to the IMG Academy, and on to win Wimbledon at the age of 17. She won all the Grand Slam events before retiring early this year, but, more than that, she became a model, UN Ambassador, owner of a candy company, art collector and investor. She has achieved mastery on many levels – and offers us all tips on how to get to where we want to go next.

After almost a half a year of being cooped up and inhaling news of the coronavirus, the killing of George Floyd by police and the subsequent anger, stress and uncertainty all over the world, Cal got an opportunity to get healthy in an unexpected way. The founders of Madefor reached out to him with a 10-month challenge to improve all aspects of his health and it all starts with… drinking more water. After only a couple of days, Cal felt so much better he was hooked. Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Tom Shoes, Pat Dossett, a Navy Seal, and Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, explain what Madefor can do for you.

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

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

Cal questions one of the world's great pivoters. Jacqueline has turned an interview she bungled right off the bat when she graduated from college into a career that has influenced hundreds of millions of lives. That includes bringing food to those without funds in Los Angeles during the coronavirus and bringing solar energy to a hundred million people in Africa. As CEO of the entrepreneurial investment firm Acumen, Jacqueline has been named one of the Top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy, one of the World's 100 Greatest Living Business Minds by Forbes and one of the 25 Smartest People of the Decade by The Daily Beast. For anybody looking to pivot or reinvent themselves, this episode may change your life.

Cal gets a tutorial on how to pivot his business to the Internet from the president of The Montag Group, an agency famous for representing America's finest broadcasters. Steve is an expert at analyzing communication skills, as he proves in his forthcoming book called Don't Take Yes For An Answer. The idea behind the book is to go beyond the positive canned responses we tend to get and look deeply at the details of how we communicate. This episode is packed with takeaways that can improve anyone's communication skills and may even transform lives.

Cal looks back at the stories he wrote for Esquire in the words of the actor who played George Costanza's father in Seinfeld. The way Stiller got the role is perfect example of pivoting that applies to us all during the time of the coronavirus. Rather than go with the role in the way it was intended, Stiller completely reinvented it and it's one of the many reasons we're still watching replays more than 25 years later. The actor recently passed away at the age of 92, but his work continues to bring us smiles. and the lesson behind his reinvention on Seinfeld can be used by all of us today.

There's never been a better time to talk about reinvention that during the craziness of the coronavirus. When things return to normal, there's going to be a new normal. Reinvention has always been one of Cal's specialties, and this week he chats with a woman who spent a decade researching a book about the topic. That woman is marketing guru Kathi Sharpe-Ross, and her book is called Re-Invent: Your Life, What Are You Waiting For? Kathi provides the necessary steps we all must take on the path to reinvention. Listen up. This podcast may just change your life . . .

Cal jumps on the phone with the man who helped bring The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast, Shrek and The Little Mermaid into the world. The conversation is about the new form of storytelling that Katzenberg is introducing called Quibi. That's short for quick bites. The idea is for these stories to be filmed in bursts of eight minutes or less in order to be seen on a mobile phone when you've got a limited amount of free time. Cal tries to get in the swing of the short tempo with a quick phone conversation with Katzenberg. A lot can be learned very quickly.

Cal sits down with the award-winning broadcaster to talk about the loss of sporting events in our culture during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Cal has known Bob for roughly 40 years since they both moved to St. Louis to start their careers, and this conversation looks deeply at what has happened to the truth in America over that time . . . along with the gifts that sports bring to us.

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

Patrick tells Cal how the phrase came about after he noticed so many young people trying to fit as much into their lives as possible after 9/11 and the tech bubble meltdown in the stock market in the early years of the century. The conversation moves on to consider how society will react after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. You can't hear a conversation like this anywhere else.

The world is going to be a different place after the coronavirus epidemic. Cal talks with the geopolitical futurist about changes that we will likely see. Jamie has been appointed to the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on developing global standards for the oversight of human genome editing. He's served in the U.S. National Security Council, the State Department, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a faculty member for Singularity University's Exponential Medicine conference. If you want to be prepared for the new world, this is the conversation for you.

Cal sits with the National Poetry Slam champion and multi-platinum award winning song writer to talk about the process of creative writing. With much of the world on lockdown, it's a good time to reboot, and writing a poem could be a great way to start. The creative process is revealed in a way that will get you to think about your own – whether it's to write a note to a loved one or to refigure a business plan. This episode is guaranteed to lead you to a good place. As Maya Angelou has written: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have."

Cal sits down for a bowl of pasta while on lockdown in Los Angeles with Chris Schembra who's on lockdown in New York. Chris is an award-winning Broadway producer who is most proud of starting a series of pasta dinners to bring people together and show them the power of gratitude. Chris has the secret sauce to connection because he's brought more than 400,000 people together over the last five years through his meals. This podcast gives Cal an idea on connecting with listeners of Big Questions in the age of coronavirus and beyond. Join the party, listen up, and see how YOU can join Cal over the Internet for a meal.

Cal talks with the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise, which has sold half a billion books over the years -- Mark Victor Hansen. Mark and his wife, Crystal Dwyer Hansen, have a book coming out in April called ASK, which is a significant topic in the midst of the coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of people are going to have their business lives interrupted, and Cal asks them all to ask themselves how they might use this time to pivot and make changes for the better, as well as to ask others who can help. Mark and Crystal demonstrate how.

As news of the coronavirus spreads, Cal looks for a way to put it all in perspective with Michael O'Brien, an executive coach who teaches us how to neutralize bad moments and keep them from spiraling into bad days. That coaching career came about after Michael was riding a bicycle one morning 19 years ago, and was hit straight on by an SUV moving at 40 miles an hour. Many, many operations followed, and now Michael is back on his bike and showing Cal a formula for dealing with unfortunate events so that we can all get the best out of our days.

Cal reaches out to Harvard grad, science writer and great-grandmother of 12 to get advice on how to respond to the coronavirus. Aunt Mitzi has interviewed hundreds of experts in healthcare over her career and has connections throughout Asia. She's completely up to date on the crisis, and she counsels listeners of Big Questions as if they're her own great-grandkids. Great advice on washing hands, shaking hands, kissing, face masks, public gatherings and worst-case scenarios. Cal sees this episode as one of his finest hours in podcasting, as it could save somebody's life.

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

As this week's heavyweight championship fight between undefeated Deontay Wilder and undefeated Tyson Fury approaches, Cal sits down with his old pal to try to figure out the outcome. As they get into the intricacies of the bout, they find out they disagree, which precipitates a friendly wager. This episode gives you a good look at the unique backstories of the fighters, and also examines why so many of us love boxing so deeply. If you're a fan of the sport, this episode is for you. If not, this podcast may make you curious.

Gary Smith has been called the best magazine writer to ever live – in part because he's won more National Magazine Awards than anyone else. Gary also gave an award-winning toast at Cal's wedding. Little did Cal know back then that after Gary retired from Sports Illustrated, he'd take his magnificent interviewing and writing skills to an entirely new place. Matrimony. Gary crafts the most unique and poignant wedding ceremonies imaginable for people he cares about. He's even ordained to administer the ceremonies! Be prepared to laugh over the next 45 minutes . . . while also getting a glimpse into how the right questions can create great performance art.

A decade ago, Scott Budnick was a producer on the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, The Hangover. Now, he's an executive producer of Just Mercy, which is about as serious as a movie can get. It's the true story of an African-American Harvard Law School graduate, Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend inmates on death row and takes the case of a man who's been wrongfully convicted. It's an incredibly powerful film. Scott's own life transformation will make you think deeply, as well.

Cal looks back on what he learned from the NBA legend over several conversations before Kobe's unfortunate passing. Then replays the talk he had with Kobe that got this podcast off the ground back in 2017. It's an unusual look at how curiosity and storytelling shaped the NBA legend. Also, an example of how the foundation of excellence translates across all fields. Kobe was devoting his life after basketball to educate future generations. Replaying this conversation is the best way we can think of at Big Questions to honor what Kobe was working toward.

The Japanese guru and best-selling author shows Cal how to unclutter his life – from determining which items to discard and which ones to keep . . . all the way down to the proper way to fold socks. Cal learns to focus on removing anything in his life that doesn't spark joy. And this podcast will do the same for you. Marie's takeaways are a great way to see 2020 clearly.

The professor gives Cal a tour of the sacred space at UCLA where the first Internet message was sent in 1969. There's no better tour guide. Leonard was there when it happened. The computer scientist talks about the development of the Internet in a way that humanizes it for Cal. He also touches on subjects like the lack of privacy, and what the Internet will mean to our future, making the podcast essential listening for everybody.

Cal looks back on what he learned from Big Questions last year as a way to improve in 2020. Clips include takeaways from: Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why Larry King, the CNN talk show host who celebrated his 86th birthday after overcoming severe health problems Amy Morin, best-selling author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do The takeaways are a great way for everyone to think about approaching the new year, and they also lead Cal to an unexpected place.

Cal looks at a favorite moment in 2019, and discovers much under the surface of a video that went viral. It's set at an event that Alex was speaking at thrown by Dutch Bros. Coffee for its baristas. Just before Alex spoke, one of the baristas, Amanda Sanchez, found out that a college grant had just been taken away from her. She was despondent, and got on line to ask Alex what to do. The conversation between Amanda, Alex and Cal, shows exactly why footage of the moment went viral.

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

Cal looks back at some of the best nuggets of wisdom he's received from women on Big Questions over the last two years, and passes them on to you. A holiday gift for every day of the week. Here are the moments we're including in today's episode. You can share these gifts with the people you care about by sending them an AirrQuote link. Anyone can click on the link and instantly listen to that particular moment. The first is from Bruce Lee's daughter. Gift from Shannon Lee: Break with Tradition The second is from the president of Aston Martin Gift from Laura Schwab: Learning, from the Ground Up The third is from the author of Confidence Creator Gift from Heather Monahan: Negotiation Skill The fourth is from the CEO of Soul Cycle Gift from Melanie Whelan: Mentorship The fifth is from the singer of Fight Song Gift from Rachel Platten: Music, Courage, and Vulnerability The sixth is from the amazing long-distance swimmer Gift from Diana Nyad: Resolve And the seventh is from a woman trying to save the oceans Gift from Daniela Fernandez: Million Dollar Dream You can sample these gifts by clicking these links from Airr. And if you like the idea behind AirrQuotes and want to create and share your own for free, go to https://www.airr.io/cal Plus, you can use Airr's technology to tweet your favorite Big Questions moments @calfussman for a chance to win your own Sportiqe apparel. Enjoy the takeaways!