Airplane Mode
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★ - 126 ratingsWe’re all looking to live smarter in a world that won't slow down. So take a deep breath, and listen to Airplane Mode. Each week, host Clay Skipper interviews the most thoughtful people we know—business geniuses, writers, fashion designers, comedians, pro athletes, artists, and beyond—and steals their secrets to creativity, success, surviving tech, and staying sane. Brought to you by GQ.
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Episodes
From WIRED Politics Lab: How Election Deniers Are Weaponizing Tech To Disrupt November
April 11, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBElection deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, its become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these groups are doing, and what this means for voters and the election workers already facin...
Introducing Have A Nice Future
April 13, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutesGideon Lichfield and Lauren Goode talk to the Mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, about how she plans to address the city’s problems, from homelessness to crime to abandoned downtowns, and how the changes she's proposing could shape not just San Francisco, but the cities of the future. Listen to Have A Nice Future here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing "Smarter Better Faster Stronger"
June 24, 2021 11:00 - 1 minuteOlympic athletes push relentlessly to be physically and mentally stronger than their competition—Smarter Better Faster Stronger, hosted by GQ writer Clay Skipper, figures out how they do both. Even if you're not gunning for gold, you'll come away with advice on how to build better habits, manage doubt and fear, handle sudden success, and push past your comfort zones. You know: advice we could all use. Subscribe everywhere you listen to podcasts. Apple Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Lea...
Special Presentation: Shame Exorcism
February 11, 2021 11:00 - 30 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. In this episode of Checking In we hear from June, a woman who uses a CPA...
Special Presentation: Sex Tips for Queer People (Or Anyone)
February 11, 2021 11:00 - 35 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. On this episode, Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness and sex therapist Case...
Special Presentation: How to Feel Less Alone
February 11, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. On this episode of Checking In, we hear from Deanne, a listener who lost...
Special Presentation: End the Doom Scroll
February 10, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. In this episode, we meet Alexa, a social media editor who is looking for...
Special Presentation: When Stress Gets Physical
February 10, 2021 11:00 - 27 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. In the first episode, we hear from a listener, Sarah, who has been grind...
Special Presentation: Finding the One (Therapist Who Gets You)
February 10, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutesWe're excited to bring Airplane Mode listeners a sneak peek at a brand new podcast from SELF Magazine: Checking In. It's the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. In this episode we hear from Ecaroh, a young Black woman who needs help ...
Introducing SELF: Checking In
November 16, 2020 11:00 - 1 minuteIntroducing Checking In, the advice podcast where we answer real health and wellness questions from real people like you. Hosted by SELF’s Editor in Chief, Carolyn Kylstra, and featuring trusted experts, doctors, therapists, thought leaders, and even a few celebrities, we’re diving deep into what it really means to be healthy. Checking In launches on Monday, November 16th, with new episodes releasing weekly. Subscribe to get episodes right when they drop at 6:00 am EST. Listen to Checking In ...
Introducing In Vogue: The 1990s
September 24, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutesThe story of a pivotal decade, In VOGUE: The 1990s is a new audio docuseries that revisits the pivotal moments in 90’s culture through the lens of fashion. From slip dresses with army boots to colorful tracksuits and minimal pantsuits, Vogue experts and star guests highlight the stories in fashion history that reflected this new era of connectivity. Presented by Anna Wintour and hosted by Hamish Bowles, this fashion podcast examines how the 90s sparked a cultural fusion that continues to sha...
Superstar Whisperer Steve Stoute on Making it Big and the Power of "Outrageous" Work Ethic [Ep. 20]
March 17, 2020 09:00 - 33 minutes - 27.3 MBWhat do Beyonce, Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Iovine, and Jack Dorsey all have in common? They've all worked their asses off (duh)—and they’re all connected to Steve Stoute. As a longtime advertising and music executive (and a recently appointed consultant to the New York Knicks), Stoute made a name for himself by working creatively alongside some of the biggest names in sports, music, and business. Here, he addresses the recent Spike Lee-New York Knicks controversy, tells stories from decade...
How to Bet on Yourself with Shea Serrano, Teacher Turned Best-Selling Author [Ep. 19]
March 10, 2020 09:00 - 45 minutes - 36.4 MBShea Serrano became a writer when, as a teacher in need of some extra money, he did a Google search for jobs you can do from home. “I didn't have any journalism experience. I didn't know anybody. All I had was the computer and the internet, and I figured that shit out,” says Serrano, who's now a staff writer at The Ringer. Along the way, he wrote three New York Times bestsellers and has established himself as a perennial Twitter all-star (where, when he’s not firing off extremely fu...
Confidence Lessons from a Stand-Up Comic with Joel Kim Booster [Ep. 18]
March 03, 2020 11:08 - 41 minutes - 33.3 MBAccording to comedian Joel Kim Booster, a stand-up audience "can smell the blood in the water if you're not confident." Even though, at 31, Joel has been performing jokes for nearly a decade, he says he's only felt confident for part of that time. On this episode, he unpacks how he got comfortable being in front of a crowd, what comedy and humor have done for his confidence offstage, and why, of all the places he performs, cruise ships are the most nerve-wracking.
The Tool that Helps High Performance Athletes Unlock Mastery and Confidence [Ep. 17]
February 25, 2020 10:00 - 46 minutes - 37.1 MBMichael Gervais is a sports psychologist who works with athletes in “high stakes or consequential environments.” The experience with his clients—which range from the Seattle Seahawks (who he helped win a Super Bowl in 2014) to skydiver Felix Baumgartner (who he helped free fall from 130,000 feet as part of the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012)—has shown him that there's one skill that proves more important to success than any other: the ability to respond constructively to the prese...
The "Queen of Pain" and Ultra Endurance Athlete Rebecca Rusch on the Power of Pessimism [Ep. 16]
February 18, 2020 10:00 - 51 minutes - 41.3 MBWith a legendary resume that includes everything from rock climbing to whitewater rafting to marathon mountain biking, Rebecca Rusch isn't just an ultra endurance icon—she has also been dubbed adventure sports' "Queen of Pain." (At 38, she won the first 24-hour bike race she entered, and has since gone on to complete the Ho Chi Minh Trail and part of the Iditarod Trail on a bike.) And yet she's always doubted her abilities and felt like she has more to learn—and cites that sense of ...
How to Overcome Insecurity, According to Hollywood’s Favorite Therapist [Ep. 15]
February 11, 2020 10:00 - 56 minutes - 45.2 MBDr. Barry Michels has spent decades helping his clients in the entertainment industry overcome the self-doubt holding them back from delivering their most compelling performances or writing their most nail-biting scripts. Drawing on years of experience as a psychotherapist, he explains why our society is in need of a radical reimagining of the idea of confidence, and why it all begins with accepting the reality that everyone is insecure. Most importantly, he shares the tools he uses...
Musician Lauv on How to Quiet the Negative Voices and Embrace Success [Ep. 14]
February 04, 2020 10:00 - 22 minutes - 18.4 MBFor a long time, Ari Leff made music that largely went unnoticed. But even after finding mega pop success writing and producing under the name Lauv, he still wrestled with self-doubt and struggled to work or create in the face of depression and anxiety. Now, with a debut album "How I'm Feeling" due out March 6th, he shares how he got his confidence back, how he calms his nerves and quiets negative self-talk, and what he's learned about getting out of the way of his own success.
NBA Sharpshooter J.J. Redick on Keeping Your Confidence Under Pressure [Ep. 13]
January 28, 2020 10:29 - 45 minutes - 82.9 MBOver the course of four years at Duke and 14 in the NBA, J.J. Redick has proven himself to be one of basketball’s deadliest sharpshooters. A few hundreds of thousands of jumpers later, he has some thoughts on building the self-belief that will keep you confident under immense pressure and through any slump. Plus: the power of preparation, the joy of exceeding your own expectations, and the key to not psyching yourself out.
A Master Cave Diver's Secret to Overcoming Fear and Panic [Ep. 12]
January 21, 2020 10:00 - 47 minutes - 109 MBJill Heinerth’s life story is one of wild adventure, with more than 30 years spent scuba diving beneath glaciers and into dark, underwater caves (once spending 13 consecutive hours on a dive). Not all of those dives have gone well. For our second conversation on confidence, Heinerth explains what we can all learn about managing fear, staying calm, and beating panic from her three decades of surviving underwater.
Jalen Rose on How He Developed "Irrational Confidence" [Ep. 11]
January 14, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 55.6 MBJalen Rose has spent nearly 30 years being cool in public: first, as a basketball phenom and member of Michigan's famed Fab Five; then, as a 13-year NBA vet with a big game and bigger personality; now, as a beloved and unapologetic ESPN co-host for Get Up! and Jalen & Jacoby. On the first episode of Airplane Mode season 2, Rose explains why self-belief starts with convincing yourself you're the best (even if you're not), his path to radical self-acceptance, and where he found the ne...
Season 2 Trailer: It's All About Confidence
January 07, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 3.22 MBAirplane Mode is back! And this time around, host Clay Skipper is diving headfirst into the subject of confidence, that skittish little kitten of a feeling we're always trying to coax out from under the (metaphorical) bed. Across 10 weekly episodes starting January 14th, Clay will be talking to a motley crüe of people—including an NBA player, a cave diver, a Hollywood psychotherapist, and a pop star—about confidence: how to get it, how to keep it, and what to do if you lose it. Subs...
Chuck Klosterman on How to Handle Criticism [Ep. 10]
July 29, 2019 08:00 - 33 minutes - 76.3 MBChuck Klosterman, author and longtime culture critic, has just released his tenth book, a series of short stories titled Raised in Captivity. Which makes you wonder: how well can a longtime writer of criticism handle when critics come for his own work? Klosterman sounds off on what it’s like to be reviewed, how he stays informed without going insane (or drowning in takes), and why ignoring the trolls is actually a bad idea. Follow them on Twitter: Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman); C...
Dr. BJ Miller on What Death Can Teach You About Living a Freer Life [Ep. 9]
July 22, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 33.4 MBAfter being electrocuted at age 19, BJ Miller had three of his limbs amputated. He went on to a career in palliative care, working with patients with terminal or life-altering illnesses. Recently he turned his experience into his first book, A Beginner's Guide to the End (co-written with Shoshana Berger) and started his own palliative care company, Mettle Health. On this episode, Dr. Miller and Clay talk about what it takes to accept death as a reality (instead of something to be av...
A$AP Ferg on Protecting His Mental Health and the Dangers of Fame [Ep. 8]
July 15, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutes - 23 MBYou know A$AP Ferg as a rapper and A$AP Mob member. But in this episode of Airplane Mode, the man born Darold Ferguson goes back to the days when he was a young teen designing and selling tees, trying to build a business and maintain creativity. He talks about the ways he stays grounded and protects his mental health now that he's a world-famous artist. About what Pharrell taught him about failure, how Jay Z opened his eyes about therapy, and what he learned from the death of his fr...
A$AP Ferg on Protecting His Mental Health and the Dangers of Fame [Ep. 8]
July 15, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutesYou know A$AP Ferg as a rapper and A$AP Mob member. But in this episode of Airplane Mode, the man born Darold Ferguson goes back to the days when he was a young teen designing and selling tees, trying to build a business and maintain creativity. He talks about the ways he stays grounded and protects his mental health now that he's a world-famous artist. About what Pharrell taught him about failure, how Jay Z opened his eyes about therapy, and what he learned from the death of his friend A$AP ...
Author Mark Manson on the Difficulties of Success [Ep. 7]
July 01, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 71.7 MBWhen Mark Manson set out to write his second book, Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope (out now), he had to live up to the immense shadow cast by a first book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, a self-improvement bestseller that's sold nearly nine million copies by taking down mindless positivity and embracing life's difficulties. On this episode, he talks about the challenges of trying to recreate that success and how it parallels the idea he’s exploring in his newest book: ...
Director Bing Liu on Why Everyone Keeps Ghosting One Another [Ep. 6]
June 24, 2019 07:00 - 22 minutes - 17.7 MBWith his Oscar-nominated documentary “Minding the Gap,” director Bing Liu proved himself a talent at deftly unpacking emotionally complex topics (in that case, three young skateboarders navigating the trauma left by domestic abuse). For his next project, the 30-year-old is tackling Millennial love. So when Clay asked him how we got to the point where we’re all ghosting each other, Liu had plenty of thoughts. In particular, how we can end ghosting, why he believes most relationships ...
Dealing With Anxiety, Shrooms, and Self-Trust with the Creator of 'Bojack Horseman' [Ep. 5]
June 17, 2019 06:00 - 38 minutes - 31.1 MBRaphael Bob-Waksberg—the visionary behind Bojack Horseman and author of a new collection of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory—is an expert at exploring dark, complex ideas in in ways that leave you feeling more optimistic and less alone. On this episode, he talks about how he's overcome that nagging fear of not doing enough, learning to trust in his gut, and what psychedelic mushrooms taught him about facing death. Follow: Raphael Bob-Waksberg, @Rap...
Steven Johnson on Making Long-Term Decisions You Won't Regret [Ep. 4]
June 10, 2019 07:00 - 38 minutes - 70.3 MBSteven Johnson's made a career of cracking complicated topics, having written 11 (!) books that unpack everything from neuroscience to the origins of good ideas. In this episode, he and Clay dig into Johnson's most recent, Farsighted, which deep-dives into the secrets of making long-term decisions—the type that will affect your life 5 (or 25) years from now. Their conversation covers all the big stuff: the key to good judgment (and how to develop it), why showers are so helpful when...
Pete Holmes on "Having Sex With Everything That Is" [Ep. 3]
June 03, 2019 07:00 - 40 minutes - 74.6 MBComedian Pete Holmes—creator and star of HBO show Crashing, podcaster (You Made It Weird), and new author (Comedy Sex God)—has survived some existential crisis and come out the other end with a plan for living joyously. It just takes some work. He also explains why expectations can get in the way of all that joy, why “everything happens for a reason” is B.S., and what he means when he says you should “have sex with everything that is.” Follow: Clay Skipper: @skipperclay; Pete Holme...
Aminatou Sow on How to Build a Personal Brand Without Being a D**k [Ep. 2]
May 28, 2019 07:00 - 30 minutes - 56 MBAminatou Sow is the smart-as-hell, wildly successful multi-hyphenate super-person we all dream of being—she's a strategist, a podcast host ("Call Your Girlfriend"), a soon-to-be-published author, a network-builder (Tech LadyMafia), and, yes, an influencer. But she's one who uses her clout for good. (“I am definitely a capitalist sellout,” she says. “But also, I’m doing it with a purpose.”) In this episode, she explains how to build a personal brand without sacrificing your soul, ho...
Annie Duke on How to Benefit From Being Wrong [Ep.1]
May 20, 2019 09:00 - 48 minutes - 110 MBBeing wrong sucks, but not only for the reasons you think. Guest Annie Duke, former pro poker player and author of "Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts," has built a life on embracing uncertainty and making the "wrong choice"...and come out the other side with some important advice. She explains how you can make peace with being wrong, why we listen to overconfident people, and how you can use uncertainty in the face of a decision—whether it'...
Airplane Mode: The Trailer
May 06, 2019 19:51 - 1 minute - 2.86 MBGet ready for Airplane Mode, GQ's new podcast. Each week, host Clay Skipper digs deep into conversation with successful, thoughtful people like former pro poker player Annie Duke, director Bing Liu, and businesswoman/strategist/"good influencer" Aminatou Sow. Subscribe to make sure you hear the first episode of Season 1 as soon as it launches.