Big Questions with Cal Fussman
372 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 338 ratingsAs a bestselling author, speaker and one of the greatest interviewers of this generation, Cal Fussman has sat down with some of the world’s most influential individuals: Muhammad Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev, Serena Williams, Jeff Bezos, Jack Welch, John Wooden, Al Pacino and hundreds of others, digging deep into their hearts and delivering their wisdom to the rest of the world. Now, in Big Questions, Cal continues his journey. Uncovering the heart, head, and soul of his guests in thoughtful, deep and entertaining conversations.
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Episodes
Alan Stein Jr.: Kobe, Steph Curry And Success Simplified
April 02, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBCal talks with a coach who has turned his love for basketball into guidance for all of us in our work and personal lives. After learning from, and coaching many NBA greats, Alan has concluded that sustained growth comes down to five factors: self-awareness passion, discipline, coachability and confidence. This boils down to staying curious about ourselves and our surroundings, and never getting bored with the fundamentals. Alan speaks to the world about it because we can never be reminded en...
Chester Elton: Improve Your Work Connections
March 26, 2024 07:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBCal sits down with Chester at a long table of Chief Human Resource Officers to explore the power of bonding at work. The author of Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results highlights a fascinating observation. That fire stations where firefighters dine together tend to outperform their counterparts who do not, showcasing the significant impact of social bonds on teamwork and efficiency. Cal also mentions a serendipitous moment at the dinner, solvi...
Guy Kawasaki: Discipline Will Set You Free
March 19, 2024 07:00 - 53 minutes - 97.9 MBWhile speaking at a TEDx event in Sonoma, Cal meets the former Apple evangelist (and current Canva evangelist) and they immediately hit it off. Guy comes on Big Questions to talk about his latest book, Think Remarkable, 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference. He shows Cal a new way to infuse discipline into his writing and life, as well as offering an intriguing look at Steve Jobs. You’ll feel like you have a seat at the table. Enjoy.
Breakfast with Jeremy Ryan Slate
March 12, 2024 07:00 - 40 minutes - 74 MBAs Cal speaks with the leading podcaster and marketer, he channels the 12 years that he had breakfast with CNN broadcast icon Larry King almost every day. It was a time when guests would drop in on the regulars and share their areas of expertise. In this case, Jeremy reveals his knowledge of Roman history. And the question becomes: Are there any parallels between Roman times and what we are seeing now in American politics? It’s proof that we can have civilized political conversations even wh...
Spartan’s Joe DeSena: Your Resilience Coach
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 36 minutes - 66.4 MBHow can I guy who built an obstacle racing empire ever give up? That was the question when Spartan hovered near bankruptcy when its events were cancelled during the pandemic. Joe and Spartan trudged forward and last year Spartan rallied with a profit. After all the money borrowed during Covid, Joe says it seems like the profit is like giving a starving elephant a Tic-Tac. But the races go on, and Joe moves on his goal of making 100 million Americans healthy.
Shane Balkowitsch: Protect Your Digital Photos
February 27, 2024 08:00 - 41 minutes - 75.3 MBA series of connections leads Cal to a conversation with a master of wet plate photography – created around 1850. But the talk about photos that can last a thousand years leads to a very surprising place: that all of the photos on your iPhone or mobile device will disappear over the next 50 years unless you print them out and protect them. Listen up, and spread the word.
Kevin Surace: 2050 & The End Of Work
February 20, 2024 08:00 - 59 minutes - 109 MBCal speaks with the man who is the father of the virtual assistant and who predicted ten years ago that most work would be automated and out of human’s hands. Now, he is even more convinced this will be the case, and makes the case that it’s necessary for all of us. What this may mean for mankind doesn’t seem to matter. It’s all in the math. Everyone ought to listen to this.
A Valentine’s Day Lesson
February 13, 2024 08:00 - 48 minutes - 88.6 MBNot many Valentine Day stories start with a line like: “When he first came out of prison . . .” This conversation brings you the full rollercoaster ride of James Arthur Ray – a personal development leader who established a huge following after appearing on Oprah nearly 20 years ago. As his popularity peaked, the fire in a sweat lodge at one of his retreats got too hot and three people perished. Obviously, Ray did not want this to happen, but he was charged with negligence and jailed for two ...
Tom Kemp: Your Privacy Coach
February 06, 2024 08:00 - 50 minutes - 92.1 MBCal has been told that privacy disappeared more than twenty years ago with the emergence of the internet. But the emergence of artificial intelligence is only going to exacerbate the problem. Kemp’s book: Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil Rights, Economy and Democracy is filled with tools that anybody can use to safeguard their privacy. This conversation will make you feel safer.
Andre Martin: Finding The Right Job Fit
January 30, 2024 08:00 - 54 minutes - 99 MBCal has an impactful talk with the author of the book: Wrong Fit, Right Fit: Why How We Work Matters More Than Ever. Martin points out a Gallup study that reveals an $8.8 TRILLION loss in productivity due to employee disengagement on the job. It’s a problem that Cal senses can be partially solved through better job interviewing by both companies and candidates. After interviewing the icons who’ve shaped the last 75 years of world history, Cal is inspired to teach his Heart, Head & Soul inter...
Peter McGraw: Benefits of Going Solo
January 23, 2024 08:00 - 45 minutes - 83.4 MBCal became very curious after reading that women in Japan were staging elaborate wedding ceremonies to marry themselves. Cal also heard projections that 1 out of 4 millennials in America will not marry. There is a societal shift going on. Behavioral psychologist Peter McGraw (and host of the podcast Solo) explains it all in a way that will make you see the world differently.
Boris Eldegsan: Fake Images & Your Future
January 16, 2024 08:00 - 50 minutes - 91.8 MBCal speaks with the German artist who won the Sony World Photography award with a fake photo – one he generated through artificial intelligence with prompts. Boris did not tell the judges the photo was fake, and then refused to accept the award to get out the truth. We soon will live in an age when we will not know whether we can believe our own eyes. Prepare for a deep conversation about what is going to happen to the concept of trust in the future.
Joe Chura: Sensing Your Next Business Coach
January 09, 2024 08:00 - 53 minutes - 98.3 MBAfter starting out on a Ford Assembly line, Joe made a fortune starting and selling a digital marketing agency and serving as CEO of an automotive tech company. When he decided to stop drinking alcohol for 75 days to improve his health, Joe came up with the idea to create a new business. A non-alcoholic brewery with a mission to create the best non-alcoholic beers on the planet. That covers many styles and flavors. It’s called Go Brewing. And it arrives at your door at a time when many peopl...
Happy New Year Ayahuasca!
January 02, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBCal brings in the New Year with a conversation that takes his friend Natalie Baird-King from hell to heaven. After getting overwhelmed by patterns of abuse that stemmed from her childhood, Natalie became a lawyer to defend similar victims. But it was her medicinal use of ayahuasca that, she says, actually took her to heaven, taught her how to forgive and how to teach others to make peace with the past. It’s a great way to start a new year! Cheers!
Best Takeaways of 2023
December 26, 2023 08:00 - 43 minutes - 78.8 MBCal looks back on a year of conversations to highlight nuggets of wisdom, along with the advice that is changing his life. This episode could change yours, as well. So enjoy! Much health and happiness in the New Year. The Best Is Yet To Come!
Dan Donachie: Your Awareness Coach
December 19, 2023 08:00 - 53 minutes - 97.4 MBEver wonder how much more you could get out of life if you were more aware of everything going on around you? Cal has. Which led him to Dan Donachie. Dan brings the most out of world class athletes and people across a variety of fields through meditation and awareness. And he’ll get the most out of your sense of awareness if you follow the meditative suggestions he gives Cal. Want to be amazed what you can find out about yourself? It all starts at the tip of your nose.
Your Crazy Life To $2 Million-A-Month Coach
December 12, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 125 MBThis is one of the wildest episodes you’re ever going to hear. Goose McGrath has gone from breaking his spine as an adolescent in a motorbike accident to becoming addicted to morphine after it was overprescribed, then going cold turkey, to losing everything he had, to traveling with abandon around the world, to alcohol and drug abuse and waking up homeless on a floor with $50 to his name, to finding the love of his life and founding Dashdot, a real estate investment company that brings in mo...
Delta’s Alicia Tillman: How To Approach Your Job
December 05, 2023 08:00 - 53 minutes - 97.7 MBCal’s conversation with the Chief Marketing Officer of Delta looks at how she came to be named one of the most influential CMOs in the world by Forbes. A glance at her career trajectory shows how to get the most out of where you are, what you’re doing and lifting those around you.
Chris Ullman: Your 80-20 Rule For Success
November 28, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 82.2 MBCal gets some takeaways from the author of Four Billionaires and Parking Attendant. The book has been reviewed as, “a blueprint for building a career and a life.” Chris has worked in the communications department at the White House, run the public affairs office at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and worked with billionaires as Director of Global Communications at the Carlyle Group. The 80-20 rule can change your life – and there’s a lot more!
Your Thanksgiving Table Coaches
November 21, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 43.9 MBQuite a few people have recently told Cal how the Thanksgiving table has somehow changed since we were locked in by the pandemic. But air travel has returned to a high level during this holiday season. Cal’s conversation with Avery and Brian Baker reveals that the table has always been transforming over time. People who shape the holiday for decades pass on, leaving empty seats at the table. But Brian and Avery have learned how to fill them and continue to make the most out of Cal’s favorite...
Merrick Furst: Your Innovation Coach
November 14, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBHow do you know if your good idea is a good idea? What’s the secret sauce behind turning a good idea into an innovative company? Why are roughly only 10 percent of startups successful? Furst, a beloved Professor and director of the Center for Deliberate Innovation at George Tech, has answers that we can all apply to the way we think about innovation. He’s founded companies and his book, The Heart of Innovation, was recently published. Cal set up a creative way to look at the topic, bringin...
Michael Gervais: Your Mastery Coach
November 07, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 112 MBCal’s old pal has written a new book: The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worry About What People Think of You. And he shows Cal how to stop wasting time doing just that. But that’s not all. The psychologist for Super Bowl and Olympic champions tells Cal to triple down on visualizing a successful future, and teaches him exercises to achieve what he visualizes. Great anecdotes on self-awareness, clarity and conviction. A treasure trove of advice.
Crew: The Power Of Authentic Connections
October 31, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBThere were many company leaders tasked with holding together the people who worked for them during the pandemic. But who was there to support them? There’s a lot of loneliness at the top. Cal talks with the son and father combo, Adam and Andy McGraw, about the company they started to help executives from different companies support each other through authentic connection. The company is called Crew, and it completely aligns with Cal’s mission to bring people together through the right questi...
Jordan Shlain: Set Your Mind In The Future
October 24, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 103 MBWhen Cal finds himself dwelling on the past in a world filled with conflicts, he gets an unexpected phone call and advice from his friend, Dr. Shlain: Reduce the past to its essence, keep your feet in the present moment and put your mind 90 percent in the future – all at the same time. No need for psychedelics, here. It’s as simple as: If you can see far, you can think far. This mind-bending tactic is designed to allow anybody to move forward and get the clearest thinking of their lives. Giv...
10/7 And The Days We Never Forget
October 17, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 122 MBThe Hamas attack on Israel was like nothing anyone in that country had ever seen and it took the world to a new and very tense place. Cal was set to talk with the comedian Paul Ollinger as news of the barbarity of the attack broke, and their conversation veered toward the few days in history that are never forgotten -- and the unexpected ways they can impact us going forward.
How Does ChatGPT Describe YOU?
October 10, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes - 50.6 MBPhilip Shucet, a Big Questions listener, took the equivalent of a selfie on ChatGPT when he asked the artificial intelligence model to tell him who he is. ChatGPT offered a very different description of Philip Shucet than he would of himself – even though Philip is apparently the only one in the world by that name. Philip tried to correct the errant information produced by ChatGPT, -- which didn’t do much good, and only frustrated him further. We’re at an early stage of AI, and ChatGPT is su...
Glenn Livingston: Your Hallowean Sugar Coach
October 03, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 57.1 MBLast year, the author of Never Binge Again helped listeners of Big Questions enjoy Thanksgiving a little more by showing us how to eat less. This year he has a strategy to diminish sugar intake on Halloween. The average American consumes the equivalent of 144 teaspoons of sugar on October 31 st. Dr. Livingston helped his own mother turn Halloween into Hallowean. And he can do the same for all of us. It starts with making a plan when you buy holiday candy.
John Paul DeJoria: A Billionaire’s Blessing
September 26, 2023 07:00 - 51 minutes - 95 MBCal speaks with the man who founded Paul Mitchell hair care products after borrowing $700 while living out of his car, which led to his founding of the tequila company Patron. This episode is all about the wisdom the soon to be 80-year-old accumulated along the way – which we can all put to great use. Please, get the most out of it.
Your How To Scale A Big Idea Coach
September 19, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutes - 100 MBCal talks with Sarah Dusek about how she went from food stamps to creating and selling a $100-million company. Sarah gives step-by-step advice that can help anybody turn the right idea into a fortune. Use it well!
How To Be An Experiential Billionaire
September 12, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 104 MBWe’re taught from birth to measure wealth in currency, but Joe Huff and Bridget Hilton have created one of the largest surveys on life experiences ever done. And their research shows that the number one regret of the dying isn’t about money, it’s about the experiences people wished they’d had – but never did. Bridget and Joe have written a book called Experiential Billionaire that includes tools to show you how to live a life with a mountain of experiences and few regrets. You will not regre...
Michael Wright: 9/11 Remembered
September 05, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 128 MBCal replays the conversation with a man who was working on the 81 st floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the hijacked planes hit. Michael Wright describes how he survived when he reached the ground and one of the towers fell on his head. We should remember, so that we never forget. Please pass this episode on to anyone you know who might like to hear it. It will be relevant 500 years from now.
Sally Jenkins: Best Takeaways From Sports
August 29, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 78.5 MBThe world of sports is about being the best you can be. Award-winning sportswriter Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post has compiled wisdom from the courts and fields into a book titled The Right Call. We can bring so many of the tactics that elevate athletes and coaches into our own work and personal lives. This episode is a walking treasure trove . . .
Tom Cruise: Your Mission Impossible Coach
August 22, 2023 07:00 - 7 minutes - 13.4 MBAfter watching the latest Mission Impossible movie, Cal remembers an interview he did with Tom for Esquire Magazine. A snippet from that interview was turned into a video, and it’s played on this week’s episode. You get a glimpse of Tom’s difficult childhood, and see how the solutions he found were seeds to take control of his career and live out the passions of his youth. There’s a lesson in this for all of us. Enjoy.
George Kramb: Your Patient Partner Coach
August 15, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 67 MBAnyone who’s ever had a medical problem knows how good it feels to talk to somebody who’s successfully gone through the same treatment. Patient Partner gives everybody the chance to have someone to lean on. Mentors are all vetted. It’s highly confidential. Great friendships are formed. And it’s free! This is a service that shouldn’t be passed up. Simply listening to this episode will give you good karma.
Simon Alexander Ong: Your Energize Coach
August 08, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 85.5 MBThe author of Energize: Make The Most Out Of Every Moment, shows Cal how to get energy from the way you approach your job, exercise, food, sunlight, the design of the bedroom, and many other factors that we might overlook. Simply listening to this conversation will lift your energy level.
Jason Feifer: Your Build For Tomorrow Coach
August 01, 2023 07:00 - 53 minutes - 97.5 MBLast year, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine released a book that is an action plan for embracing change and future proofing your career. This book takes on exponential meaning with the emergence of artificial intelligence. Jason, one of the world’s great optimists, allays fears that the public has about A.I. by pointing out panicked reactions to great innovations in the past that we now embrace. Cal wonders if we are taking baby steps toward the end of humanity. Enjoy!
David Nihill: Laugh, And Get Funnier, Too!
July 25, 2023 07:00 - 58 minutes - 106 MBWhen Cal first met the comedian, he was starting out as Irish Dave. Now, the author of Do You Talk Funny? is packing comedy clubs under his legal name, David Nihill, and identifying with Mexicans. It’s a long story that will make you laugh. The bottom line is: Everybody would love to be funnier. On this episode, Dave will show you how.
Matt Abrahams: Your Talk Smarter Coach
July 18, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 96.8 MBCal catches up with the Stanford lecturer who’s spent a lifetime showing people how to think faster and speak better in public. It all started when Matt embarrassed himself by ripping his pants doing a karate speech in high school. He has since developed decades of tips to help you whether you’re making a business presentation or giving a wedding toast. Listen up. This episode is a burst of confidence.
Amy Newmark: Your Happiness Coach
July 11, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 70.6 MBWhen Cal found out that Amy had read 30,000 personal stories written by people about finding happiness, he figured she would have detected some patterns. She sure has. The publisher and editor-in-chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul gives Cal 10 tips that will make your day happier. Guaranteed to make you smile!
Bryan Stern: Your Freedom Coach
July 04, 2023 07:00 - 41 minutes - 76.4 MBMore than 6,000 Americans and friends of America have been rescued in dangerous spots in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan over the last two years by Bryan and Project Dynamo – a non-profit organization funded by private donations. Bryan has gotten Americans out of jails and some terrible spots in ways that would normally appear in spy thrillers. In this episode, we hear the story of twin American babies born to a surrogate Ukrainian mother in Russia. The babies were either separated from the...
Michael Bungay Stanier: Your Coaching Coach
June 27, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 96.6 MBMichael has sold more than a million copies of his book: The Coaching Habit. And now he’s releasing one called: How To Work With (Almost) Anyone. Both topics come up in Cal’s freewheeling conversation with the Rhodes Scholar which reminds Cal of the back-and-forth at Larry King’s breakfast table.
Mario Garcia: Your Achieve A Dream Coach
June 20, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 96.6 MBWe all have childhood dreams. Many of them elude us as we age and take more practical roads in life. This episode focuses on Mario Garcia’s decision in his early fifties to go all in on his childhood dream: making a movie. It’s called: The Throwback, and stars Will Sasso from Curb Your Enthusiasm. Mario wrote the script, fundraised, directed the film, and produced it. It got a standing ovation when it was shown in Ybor City after Mario’s conversation with Cal. Listen to how Mario did it, and...
Dan Lyons: Your Meaningful Conversation Coach
June 13, 2023 07:00 - 43 minutes - 80.1 MBThat’s a nice and soft way to title an episode with the author who wrote the book STFU. That’s short for: Shut The F--- Up. The Power Of Keeping Your Mouth Shut In An Endlessly Noisy World. Dan gives tips on how to listen more and get the most out of conversations. He explains that people who have the most meaningful conversations tend to be happier. And if you know someone who can’t stop talking, pass this podcast along . . . in the nicest way, of course!
Bruce Feiler: Your Workquake Coach
June 06, 2023 07:00 - 48 minutes - 88.9 MBThis podcast has implications for all who work. It’s important to know how “workquakes” are coming into our lives more and more frequently, pushing us to change jobs and even head for new professions. Feiler, author of the book: The Search, Meaningful Work In A Post-Career World, tells us how we can expect a “workquake” every two and a half years, and what this is doing to the very definition of the words work, meaning and, as a consequence, loyalty. This podcast will change the way yo...
ChatGPT: Your Wedding Anniversary Coach
May 30, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutes - 34.9 MBAfter being advised to immerse himself in artificial intelligence, Cal asks ChatGPT for help in finding just the right gift for his upcoming wedding anniversary. This episode is a comical gift for everybody, as it demonstrates how AI can be used in nearly every facet of life. Enjoy it!
Jesse Tyler Ferguson: Your Modern Family Coach
May 23, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 81 MBCal talks with one of the stars on the sitcom Modern Family, who along with actor Eric Stonestreet, portrayed gay family life in a humorous way that made us smile and laugh, and gathered the appreciation of much of the American public. Same-sex marriage laws were granted around the country during the course of the show. Cal talks with Jesse about being gay, the show, the changes it inspired, and the tension that erupted recently when transgender influencer Devin Mulvaney was positioned as th...
Andrew Frawley: Our Mental Health Coach
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 51 minutes - 93.4 MBIt turns out that there is one area in America where nearly everyone is in agreement: there is a mental health emergency. There are many reasons for this. They can be related to substance abuse, lack of meaningful connections, depression, financial stress, abuse, traumatic experiences, pressures and anxieties attached to body image and the internet along with a lack of access to mental healthcare. Andrew Frawley, the marketing director for Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign in 2020, wants t...
Kevin Kelly: Your Wisdom Coach
May 09, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutes - 99.8 MBNobody loves great quotes more than Cal. So it’s no wonder Cal was smitten by Kevin’s latest book: Excellent Advice For Living, Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier. The book and this conversation with the founding editor of Wired magazine delivers thoughtful advice on all areas of life. Like this: “When a child asks an endless string of “Why” questions, the smartest reply is: “I don’t know, what do you think?” And this: “Don’t ever work for someone you don’t want to become.” And this: “Travel to...
Gary Arndt: Your Travel Coach
May 02, 2023 07:00 - 50 minutes - 93.1 MBGary grew up in Wisconsin and never saw salt water until he was 21 years old. He’s been making up for it ever since, at one point traveling around the globe for nine years and becoming one of the world’s most celebrated photographers and travel bloggers. Now he’s got an awesome podcast called Everything Everywhere Daily. His talk with Cal rekindles the love for travel that Cal had when he went around the world as a young man for a decade without a home. Gary tells Cal – and everyone listenin...
Dr. Stephen Cabral: Your Integrative Health Coach
April 25, 2023 07:00 - 48 minutes - 88.7 MBImagine waking up one day as a teenager with golf ball-sized glands under your neck, under your armpits and your groin; your tongue swollen, your heart racing and your eyes puffed and nearly shut. That was the case for Stephen Cabral. For a couple of years, physicians couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. The experience sent him on a path to learn about himself, heal himself, become a board-certified doctor in naturopathy and a proponent for integrative health care. If you have a heal...