Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad artwork

Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad

391 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 93 ratings

The business of culture. The culture of business. Policy; media & tech; entrepreneurs and more.

Business
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

The Exvangelicals

March 25, 2024 00:15 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MB

NPR's Sarah McCammon on her new book, The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Recorded before an audience for Fountain Bookstore and Sam Miller's Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia.

Enable Cookies

March 17, 2024 23:53 - 59 minutes - 82 MB

Erin Kennedy on finding purpose to emerge from crippling depression and start OMG OCPs, the booming oatmeal cream pie brand in Richmond, Virginia. She did this during the pandemic with only $300 in her bank account.

MBA-ish?

March 11, 2024 17:55 - 55 minutes - 75.6 MB

Adeel Van, the lapsed consultant and startup CEO, on founding Instagram phenom MBA-ish -- where fun is poked, pain is felt and help is dished to so many lost and suffering corporate souls.

Dis-Content

March 03, 2024 00:46 - 1 hour - 88 MB

Paramount and Warner Bros., the storied media empires, are in crisis; TV is bleeding viewers; VICE is nearing death, while The Messenger is already dead; big layoffs at the Washington Post and LA Times. Precisely the time to talk to Josh Tyrangiel, the veteran producer, executive and editor who has traversed many of these lands.

Wilsonian Democracy

February 24, 2024 23:52 - 52 minutes - 72.7 MB

Rick Wilson -- longtime GOP strategist; outspoken Never Trumper; bestselling author; co-founder of The Lincoln Project; FLORIDA MAN! -- on Election 2024, the past, present and future of the Republican Party and the near impossibility of removing candidate Joe Biden this late in the cycle.

ICYMI

February 19, 2024 01:46 - 51 minutes - 71 MB

NPR's Steve Inskeep (live from UR) on Abraham Lincoln's leadership journey; Hussein Ibish on the Middle East's intersecting chess games since October 7; Zoe Schiffer on her Elon Musk / Twitter book Extremely Hardcore; and The Economist on China's race for electric-vehicle dominance

In the Xitter

February 09, 2024 20:47 - 52 minutes - 71.6 MB

Debt. Vanity. Fear. Dirty bathrooms. Sociopathy. Hate speech. Billionaire Elon Musk's buyout of Twitter is going down as one of the most expensive self-owns in history. Guest Zoë Schiffer documents the tragicomedy in her book Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter.

Inskeep on Lincoln

February 04, 2024 17:28 - 53 minutes - 73 MB

NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on his book, Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America. Recorded before an audience at the University of Richmond's Robins School.

The Meddled East

January 28, 2024 23:21 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MB

The criss-crossing map of frenemies, on/off rivals and strange bedfellows that is the Middle East after October 7. Guests: Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute and veteran diplomatic correspondent Laura Rozen.

China's Great Volt Forward

January 22, 2024 22:19 - 47 minutes - 65.3 MB

We are on the brink of the age of Chinese electric cars all over American roads. Here's what you need to know. Guest: The Economist's Simon Wright.

InstaMiami

January 01, 2024 18:45 - 54 minutes - 75.2 MB

Abel Sanchez, the impresario behind Instagram's @MiamiStadium, on representing history in the rapidly changing Magic City; getting recognized on the street; and even maybe trying to make a bit of a living off this passion project.

Credit Where Due?

December 15, 2023 19:41 - 52 minutes - 72.7 MB

Investopedia's Caleb Silver on the surprisingly good year for investors and the economy -- amid consternation over housing, inflation and the "American Dream."

Live...with Sec. Pete Buttigieg

December 11, 2023 01:22 - 1 hour - 82.9 MB

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses planes, trains and automobiles; his meteoric career rise; asserting his true self; and where his journey might take him next. Recorded before an audience at the University of Richmond's Modlin Center for the Arts.

...said Virginia in 2023

November 20, 2023 17:34 - 51 minutes - 70.2 MB

The political coverage duo of Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro on what Virginia's 2023 electoral results suggest about the nation's big Election 2024, and beyond. We discussed abortion; Rep. Abigail Spanberger's gubernatorial candidacy; the Glenn Youngkin flameout and the fight for suburban votes...much more.

Same As It Ever Was

November 11, 2023 18:14 - 50 minutes - 69.5 MB

Investor Morgan Housel, author of the international bestseller The Psychology of Money, on his new book, Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes.

Live with MSNBC President Rashida Jones

November 07, 2023 00:16 - 47 minutes - 64.8 MB

Live from the University of Richmond's Robins School of Business: MSNBC president Rashida Jones .... on the path she took to becoming the first Black executive to lead a major TV news network. We discussed wartime coverage; media fragmentation; misinformation; mentoring; grit; much more.

The LinkedIn Doctrine

October 30, 2023 12:54 - 52 minutes - 71.4 MB

Daniel Roth, editor in chief of LinkedIn, on the professional social network's ascent. "Helping through knowledge-sharing" is the torch he's carried in the 12 years since joining the company from the magazine world. LinkedIn is now a news and content heavyweight.

We'll do it live!

October 08, 2023 23:54 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MB

Jeremy Hobson, a voice synonymous with so much of NPR and Marketplace's Morning Report, is barnstorming the map with his new live call-in radio show, "The Middle." What's the thinking behind doubling down on terrestrial radio in 2023?

ETA to CEO

October 02, 2023 00:32 - 1 hour - 83.7 MB

If you can't beat them, join them. But if you don't want to beat them or join them, why not just buy them? More MBAs are avoiding Wall Street and the corporate grind for entrepreneurship through acquisition ("ETA") -- perhaps the fastest track from b-school to owner/CEO. Guests: acquisitive recent Wharton exec. MBA Angela Romero and Bloomberg's Matthew Boyle.

It's Always Sunny in Richmond

September 24, 2023 13:20 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MB

Chef Sunny Baweja of Lehja, twice recognized by the James Beard Foundation, on his journey from humble beginnings in rural India to U.S. culinary stardom. Recorded before a live audience at the University of Richmond's Robins School.

Wars of the Galaxies

September 11, 2023 00:20 - 53 minutes - 73.2 MB

Veteran media executive and producer. Professor. Consultant. Evan Shapiro, a self-described "media-universe cartographer," dishes uncomfortable analysis on the disruption of Hollywood. That turmoil just reached a tipping point with cable-co Charter's feud with Disney, parent of ESPN. Everyone across media -- from streamers to TV agents to sports leagues -- is scrambling for answers ... and revenue.

The Great Stall of China

September 04, 2023 23:38 - 1 hour - 85.7 MB

China's economy is grappling with all sorts of challenges, from a property / banking bust to high youth unemployment and and aging population. Can Beijing plan its way out of this slide? What are the implications for emerging markets, which haven't excited investors in more than a decade? Guests: The Economist's Alice Fulwood and William Blair's Vivian Lin Thurston.

Reimagining This Show

August 28, 2023 15:59 - 1 hour - 83.4 MB

Nine years after Full Disclosure's debut, a creative self-audit -- featuring co-producers Claire Morgan and Case Graham ... and, back by popular demand, my little brother Ronnie Farzad.

Hotel Scarface on Full Disclosure

August 18, 2023 23:09 - 52 minutes - 71.7 MB

Book meets pod! A special supercut of Hotel Scarface characters on Full Disclosure -- from Mollie, the "cocaine cowgirl," to the Miseducation of Nelson Aguilar; to salutatorian-turned-doper Owen Band; to Rick Morales, Jr. piecing together the life of his infamous father, Ricardo "Monkey" Morales.

The New News Thing

August 06, 2023 01:32 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MB

Ben Smith on why he left his media column at The New York Times to launch news startup Semafor with the CEO of Bloomberg Media. His book is Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral.

Building Keya

July 31, 2023 01:18 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MB

Keya didn't even have an oven in India. But a decade and a half into her new life in Virginia, she's become a cake-pop mogul, Food Network champ and, now, the force behind Keya & Co., whose masala potato chips are a first foray into grocery-aisle stardom. She discussed personal tragedy, pivoting during Covid and the learning curve of taking her brand national.

Disney Minus

July 23, 2023 15:52 - 1 hour - 93.4 MB

The Walt Disney Co -- venerable multinational entertainment blue-chip -- is broken, what with ESPN in free fall, streaming losing billions, linear TV collapsing and management succession in doubt. Oh, and a huge talent strike. Could CEO Bob Iger have to break it all up? Guests: The Media Mix's Claire Atkinson; and Shipyard Entertainment's Neil J. Patel -- who in a past life managed strategic alliances for Disney.

Meet Me Half Way

July 17, 2023 00:45 - 54 minutes - 75 MB

Investopedia's Caleb Silver joins us again to discuss markets and the economy at the midway point of 2023.

What Matters

July 08, 2023 02:18 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MB

Craig Matters, formerly managing editor of Money and executive editor of Fortune, on leaving magazines to teach at an underserved public school.

Chef Jeremiah's Great Leap

June 24, 2023 13:38 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MB

The in-demand Miami chef discusses his journey, from culinary school to learning the ropes on the international Michelin-star circuit to Food Network, multimedia content-creation, mobile hospitality and becoming a personal chef to rapper Rick Ross. Now, brick-and-mortar...

Book Values

June 18, 2023 02:06 - 1 hour - 102 MB

Author Julia Lee on her memoir, Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America; and Books & Books and the Miami Book Fair's Mitchell Kaplan on resisting the creeping book bans of the culture war.

Five Decades of Covering China

June 11, 2023 14:42 - 1 hour - 87.2 MB

Mike Chinoy, CNN's first Beijing bureau chief, on China 34 years after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. We discussed Taiwan, trade, Covid, the surveillance state and cracks in Xi Jinping's consolidation efforts at home and abroad. Chinoy's book is Assignment China: An Oral History of American Journalists in the People's Republic.

Live from Charlottesville: Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan

May 25, 2023 20:29 - 59 minutes - 82 MB

CBS Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan discusses politics, world affairs, the state of TV news and her career ascent. Taped for an audience at Charlottesville's historic Paramount Theater -- in celebration of WVTF Radio IQ's 50th anniversary.

Welcome to the Machine

May 16, 2023 23:40 - 50 minutes - 69.5 MB

Gaurav Gupta, venture capitalist with Lightspeed Venture Partners; and Dr. Roxana Daneshjou, a Stanford dermatologist studying artificial intelligence and machine learning in skin-cancer detection, on the promise -vs- hazards -vs- hype in the exploding field of AI.

Rit Angles

May 07, 2023 16:26 - 1 hour - 88 MB

Barry Ritholtz -- prolific writer/reader, Wall Street watcher, media creator, wealth manager -- on bank failures and human nature; Twitter under Elon Musk; remote work vs productivity; markets; The Fed, much more.

Good News, Bad News, Mo News

April 30, 2023 23:28 - 1 hour - 85.5 MB

Mosheh Oinounou -- described as "Instagram's favorite news concierge" and "a one-man news brand" -- on the existential angst underlying the HR turmoil at Fox and CNN. Plus, a flashback to some of my 2020 interview with Soledad O'Brien, veteran of CNN and NBC News.

2023: The Youngkin Midterm

April 23, 2023 15:05 - 51 minutes - 71.4 MB

Virginia Public Radio + Richmond Times-Dispatch duo Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro discuss Governor Glenn Youngkin, the abortion wedge, the purpling of central Virginia and much more. Plus, some of my 2018 interview with Adele McClure, who went from a childhood of poverty to VCU's student-body presidency to, now, candidacy for Virginia's House of Delegates.

Disintermedia

April 07, 2023 19:28 - 1 hour - 86.2 MB

Showrunner / doc maker Nayeema Raza ("On with Kara Swisher") and the rascally SoCal creatives behind NPRmageddon on breaking through in the great, wide, overcrowded open of 2020s multimedia.

College's New Moneyball

March 31, 2023 16:28 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MB

Miami, San Diego State and Florida Atlantic in the Final Four? Could we be entering a brave new era of parity across college sports? After all, star student athletes can now get paid and even flex some free agency. How will this affect all of sports? Guests: Sean Gregory of TIME -- who once played in March Madness -- and Greg Burton of VCU's Center for Sports Leadership.

The Diversified Rock Star

March 26, 2023 17:27 - 50 minutes - 69 MB

Kevin Griffin, frontman for the band Better Than Ezra -- a prolific songwriter, producer, lecturer and festival impresario -- on thriving through the three decades of music-industry dislocation. His new book is The Greatest Song: Spark Creativity, Ignite Your Career and Transform Your Life.

Herbal Remedy

March 16, 2023 22:17 - 49 minutes - 67.5 MB

Veteran market-watcher Herb Greenberg -- Empire Financial Research and the "Herb on the Street" newsletter; a regular on CNBC -- on the need for perspective amid 2023's banking panic. Discipline and independent thinking has historically rewarded investors.

Inflation's Inflection

March 10, 2023 21:43 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MB

NPR Planet Money's Mary Childs on inflation: recognizing it; living with it; profiting from it; hedging against it; fighting it. Does the Federal Reserve have to sink the economy in order to rescue it?

The Velvet-Roped Underground

February 26, 2023 22:44 - 49 minutes - 67.8 MB

Do well. Do good. Do both. The Underground Kitchen, one of the most exclusive fine-dining tickets across dozens of cities (refresh browser, hope, refresh browser), is now also bent on nourishing the food insecure. How these paths converged.

Media's Urge to Merge

February 19, 2023 22:54 - 49 minutes - 68.6 MB

Streaming viewership just surpassed traditional TV. But profits are elusive, costs are out of control and there's just so much login fatigue right now. CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman on who needs to merge with who. Plus, a flashback to our interview with the kidney doctor who became a full-time Apple guru.

Restless Restaurateur

February 12, 2023 17:22 - 49 minutes - 68.5 MB

Chef Michael Lindsey -- Lillie Pearl; Buttermilk and Honey; ML Steak -- on how he and his wife / business partner went off on their own during the pandemic to open seven Richmond restaurants (and counting)...

Free Agency

February 06, 2023 13:20 - 49 minutes - 68.4 MB

Omid Farhang on starting Majority, the award-winning Atlanta creative agency that markets diversity as "the ultimate competitive advantage." His co-founder is NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

The Expanding Naborverse

January 23, 2023 01:17 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MB

"Why is there nowhere to turn for this?" ~Paige Wilson, whose own experience caring for her mother inspired her to found Naborforce, a venture-backed startup that connects older adults with people in the community -- kind of like backup daughters and sons.

Capitol Formations

January 15, 2023 21:02 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MB

CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane on the new GOP-led House's difficult math; January 6's long reach; social media and the renegade lawmaker; and the usefulness of George Santos to both parties.

The Big Hunch

January 09, 2023 00:48 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MB

A 20-year old college dropout moves to the city and scrapes by with restaurant gigs. Seven years into this vision quest, he gets called to appear on an HBO cooking tournament -- and comes back to town with $300 thousand in grand-prize money. The story of Chef Daniel Harthausen, winner of season one of The Big Brunch.

A Portrait of the Comic as a Young Man

December 25, 2022 16:19 - 51 minutes - 71 MB

Aspiring comedian Cole Mier has been doing standup since the wise old age of eight. He's now 21, fresh out of UCLA, waiting tables and taking names -- and gigs. But it's not all laughs all the time.

Guests

Anil Dash
1 Episode

Twitter Mentions

@fulldradio 1 Episode