Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Time To Get Healthy

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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, st...

Dave Chappelle Gives Cal An Idea

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 thoug...

Eric Adams: Protestor, Policeman, Politician

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Jacqueline Novogratz: Lessons From The Pivot Queen

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Steve Herz: Communication Tips For The Zoom Age

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Remembering Jerry Stiller

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Kathi Sharpe-Ross: How To Reinvent Yourself

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Jeffrey Katzenberg: On The Future Of Storytelling

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

Bob Costas: Sports & The Truth

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 pandemi...

The Points Guy: Getting Back on Airplanes

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Patrick McGinnis: Fear Of Missing Out In These Crazy Times

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Jamie Metzl: The Future In Front Of Us

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

In-Q: Get The Most Out Of Your Words

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Secret Sauce For Human Connection

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Broadw...

Chicken Soup For The Soul & Coronavirus

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Victo...

Michael O'Brien: Stopping A Bad Moment From Becoming A Bad Day

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ne...

Coronavirus Safety Tips From Aunt Mitzi

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 intervi...

James Altucher: On How To Improve

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ski...

Lou DiBella: On Why We Love Boxing

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As this week's heavyweight championship fight between undefeated Deontay Wilder and undefeated Tyson Fury approaches, Cal sits down with his old pal t...

Gary Smith: For the Love of Writing

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 als...

Scott Budnick: Producing Just Mercy

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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, w...

Kobe Bryant Remembered

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Marie Kondo Teaches Cal To Tidy Up

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 . . ....

Leonard Kleinrock: When The Internet Was Born

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 wa...

Discovering Your New Year's Resolutions

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 St...

Alex Banayan And A Great Moment From 2019

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Tucker Max: On Books and Personal Growth

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Great Takeaways From Women

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Cal Tells The Legendary Santa Suit Story

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners of Big Questions who first heard Cal tell stories on Tim Ferriss's podcast often reach out to Cal and ask him to tell more stories. Cal's Sa...

Larry King: Happy 86th Birthday!

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits with his pal after a party thrown by the Friars Club commemorated a birthday that many thought Larry might not be around to celebrate. For ma...

Gator Vs. The Hurricane

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal catches up with his pal, Gator Halpern, months after 200-mile-an-hour winds and a 25-foot tidal wave by the name of Hurricane Dorian whipped into ...

Tom Junod: Lessons From Mr. Rogers

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits with his old pal, Tom Junod, after they see a preview of the upcoming movie about the children's television host that stars Tom Hanks. A Beau...

Summit: Make No Small Plans

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Summit events have impacted countless lives through the power of connection – as they've grown from a gathering of 20 entrepreneurs back in 2008 int...

Charles Schwab: How To Own Your Tomorrow

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits with investment guru Charles Schwab on the stage at the Money 2020 conference in Las Vegas to discuss the philosophies behind his success and...

Why Are Physicians Burning Out?

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal gets together with Dr. Reagan Anderson for a look at the difficulties of being a doctor in this day and age. This is a conversation that everyone ...

How To Defeat Your Internal Saboteurs

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While doing a storytelling workshop, Cal meets Shirzad Chamine, the chairman of CTI, the largest coach and training company in the world. CTI has trai...

Trump, Video Games and . . . Cal???

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sees a report that the President has just joined the live-streaming video platform Twitch and senses that it's time to air the podcast he did with...

Brendan Kane: One Million Followers In 30 Days

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal heard about the growth hacker who's worked with Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Michael Strahan, and also built a 7-figure social media following for hi...

Brendan Kane: One Million Followers In 30 Days

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal heard about the growth hacker who's worked with Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Michael Strahan, and also built a 7-figure social media following for hi...

What An Ideal Partnership Can Do

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal learns what can be accomplished when the right two people come together as he gets to the essence of his sponsor: Sportiqe. Matt Altman and Jason ...

Double Your Productivity With Tim Campos

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Campos doubled productivity for Facebook while he was Chief Information Officer between 2010 and 2016. Now, Tim tries to do the same for Cal by in...

Amanda Slavin: Getting To The Next Level

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The CEO of CatalystCreativ was the spark for a huge change in Cal's business and life — and this conversation gets to finding the essence in yoursel...

Jason Harris: The Power of Persuasion

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal learns he can be way more persuasive than he ever thought when he sits at The Big Table in the office of Jason Harris, the CEO of Mekanism. Jason'...

Marc Roberge: Business Lessons From A Rock Band

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The lead singer of O.A.R. clues Cal in to the business philosophies that have kept Of A Revolution thriving for nearly a quarter of a century. Any ste...

Nir Eyal: How To Be Indistractable

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal gets tips on getting all those dings, notifications and technological distractions out of his life from a man who has spent much of his career mak...

What If You Never Had To Work Again?

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal poses the question after hearing the wondrous story of Dr. Sabrina Kay – who came to the U.S. from South Korea while in college without speaking...

The Walk and Richard Branson

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal looks back on the most amazing thing he's ever seen in his life, August 7, 1974, when a French street performer named Philippe Petit secretly rigg...

Jennifer Lawrence, Bono, The Pope and . . . Matt Pohlson

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

That's right, Matt Pohlson. Cal sits with the founder of Omaze, a company that has helped raise $130 million for roughly 350 charities through donatio...

David Griffin: How Good People Influence Your Life

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Not long ago, the New Orleans Pelicans won the National Basketball Association's draft lottery and selected one of the most unique young talents in th...

Getting The Most Out of Your Life with Jeff Civillico

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Civillico has a superpower that makes people pay attention within three seconds. That's why he's got a show on The Strip at Paris Hotel and Casin...

Tim Staples: On How To Capture Attention

09 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On any given day, the odds of making it to the front page of YouTube are one in 2 million. Tim, and his company, Shareability, have done this 35 times...

Fourth of July Barbecue with Steven Raichlen

02 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal catches up with his old pal, and author of the Barbecue Bible. Roughly 20 years ago, Cal sought out Steven to learn how to grill and smoke in orde...

Finding Mastery With Michael Gervais

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal is on the lookout for an Aha! Moment when he sits with the high-performance psychologist – Dr. Michael Gervais. That's because whenever Cal talk...

Paying It Forward To Tim Ferriss

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal thanks Tim Ferriss for pushing him to start his podcast by helping two young guys who recently took leave from Harvard to get their tech start-up ...

Michael Kassan: Seeing The Full Picture In Business

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal has a transformative moment in a conversation with a recent inductee in the Advertising Hall of Fame – Michael Kassan. The talk goes back to the...

Dete Meserve And Kindness Meet Million-Dollar May

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In our mean-spirited times, Cal steps into a conversation about kindness and receives a most thoughtful gift. Dete Meserve, the CEO of Wind Dancer Fil...

Life is Good: Turning Optimism into a Hundred-Million Dollar Business

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal touches on the story of two brothers from Needham, Massachusetts, Bert and Johnny Jacobs, who converted their eternal optimism into a t-shirt busi...

Heather Monahan: On Creating Confidence

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal meets his polar opposite: The Boss in Heals. Heather Monahan. Whereas Cal was told as a writer in Journalism School never to sell, Heather came up...

John Rampton: Moments That Change Your LIfe

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal looks at how John Rampton made millions by becoming one of the top online influencers in the world – tracing Rampton's ascent back to an accide...

Muhammad Ali: Through The Eyes of His Daughter, Hana

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits with Muhammad's daughter, Hana, almost three years after his passing to talk about her dad. Hana has just written a book called At Home With...

Dandapani: On Learning to Concentrate

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Cal turns into a salesman to try to generate a million dollars in new business by the end of May, he is unprepared for the constant buzzing of hi...

James Altucher: A Business Strategy Masterclass

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Cal needs to develop a business strategy for his new company, James comes to the rescue. Altucher has started many businesses over the years, mak...

Mordechai Wiener: Lose Weight Through Storytelling

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal gets the skinny on a new program that helps people lose weight. It's not a diet (95 percent of diets do not work). There are no pills. The Rever...

Amy Morin: On Mental Toughness

09 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The international best-selling author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do gives Cal some lessons on training your brain for happiness and suc...

Dr. Steven Gundry: Following Your Purpose

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After one of Cal's friends with a rare disease tells Cal that Dr. Gundry's dietary advice saved his life, Cal seeks out Gundry to uncover the doctor's...

Bruce Lee Teaches Cal to Evolve... Through His Daughter

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Shannon Lee passes on this nugget of wisdom from her dad: "To change with change is the changeless state," Cal is no longer the same... and becom...

Phillip Stutts: Politics, Marketing & The Secret Sauce

19 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits with the man who has helped candidates win 1,200 elections to talk about the impact of storytelling on our politics and businesses in a time ...

Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Simon talks about the theme of his upcoming book -- and his message hits Cal's ears like a symphony. Perhaps this should've been expected. The concept...

Daniela Fernandez: The Million-Dollar Save

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal checks in with one of his favorite people in the world, 25-year-old Daniela Fernandez, who has devoted her life to saving the world's oceans. If y...

Brian David Johnson: Takes Cal into the Future

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Arizona State Futurist in Residence Brian David Johnson explains to Cal why we will not be using keyboards in the near future; and how they are slowin...

George Raveling: On The Power of Books

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal sits down with a national treasure, George Raveling, to talk about some of the impactful moments of George's life. That includes the day in August...

SOMEONE TURN THIS EPISODE INTO A MOVIE

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Great movies have been made about buddy stories. Great movies have been made about love stories. This podcast has both, and is waiting to be turned in...

John Livesay: Selling Through Stories

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal The Journalist meets John The Salesman and things will never be the same – not for Cal, anyway. For years, Cal had been told to stay on his side...

Miki Agrawal: On The Power of Disruption

29 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What a superpower it would be to be able to look at the ordinary and wonder how it could be different… and then make it better. That's what Cal disc...

TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie: The More You Give, The More You Live

22 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie asked a wise man for some advice. That man wrote some on a sheet of paper: "The more you give, the m...

George Clooney and Charlie Engle: On Telling A Story

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cal goes to the archives and pulls out a childhood tale George Clooney told him about how his eccentric family taught him to tell a good story. The po...

Andy Grammer: On Creation

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The singer and songwriter talks to Cal about how life experiences turn into music. The conversation leads to the background behind Andy's hits: Honey ...

Anniversary Party with Kobe Bryant, Larry King, Seth Godin & Friends

01 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Big Questions celebrates its one-year anniversary with takeaways from guests over the last year. Kobe Bryant explains how excellence transfers across...

Dr. Gautam Gulati: On Getting Where You Need To Go

25 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode speaks to anyone who meets an unexpected and unwanted twist of fate. When Dr. Guatam Gulati takes his family on a dream of a lifetime saf...

Alex Banayan: To Bestseller and Beyond

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The story of Alex's bestselling book, The Third Door, continues in this episode. The journey started seven years ago, when Alex was a college freshma...

Cal Fussman: The Power Of A Gift

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's holiday season and the perfect time for a podcast about gifts. The story of an extraordinary gift – a very special piano – is a favorite of C...

Jordan Harbinger: On How to Make a Comeback

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For 11 years, Jordan Harbinger was the voice of The Art of Charm podcast that got up to 3 million listens a month. Then, not long ago, Jordan and his ...

Chris Voss: On Negotiating Better in your Everyday Life

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal finds out how a man who worked on the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit for 24 years incorporates what he learned on the job into day-to-day life. Cal's...

Yes Theory: On Helicopter Bungee Jumping With Will Smith

20 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From sharing a couch for almost two months to challenging Will Smith to bungee jump out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, three young guys from d...

Ellie Kemper: On Getting Laughs in Changing Times

13 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The star of the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt talks with Cal at Chicago Ideas Week about the art of being funny in an age when taste...

Frank Blake: On The Power of Questions

06 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The former CEO of Home Depot shows Cal how he used questions and conversations to lift the fortunes of the company between 2007 and 2014. But this was...

Dan Pink: On WHEN To Get The Best Out Of Yourself

30 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The author of the New York Times best-seller When joins Cal at Chicago Big Ideas week and gives him advice on the best time of the day to eat, exercis...

Rob Lawless: On Making 10,000 Friends Through Travel

23 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal talks with Rob Lawless about the changes in travel since Cal went around the world back in the 80s. Whereas Cal used magazine work to get his jour...

Aston Martin's Laura Schwab: The Winding Road to Success

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Aston Martin's president tells Cal about the circuitous journey that took her from jumping rope as a girl in Louisville, to the tennis team at Notre D...

David Sanborn: The Art Of Being Awake

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Grammy Award-winning saxophone player gets to the essence of the way we can all get the most out of our lives through the art of being awake. From...

Ryan Holiday: On Merging Creativity and Business

02 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal meets the best-selling author at an entrepreneurial conference in Colorado called two12 and becomes highly curious as to how Ryan can be a writer ...

Glenn Beck: On Outrage and Empathy

25 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When Cal asks the conservative talk show host about the roots of his new book, Addicted to Outrage, Glenn goes back to his childhood to explain the ev...

Chip Conley: Airbnb's Mentor on How to Transform Yourself

18 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal finds there can be life after one's heart stops beating. Chip Conley tells him what it was like to flatline at age of 47, how he recovered and wen...

Michael Wright: Surviving On 9/11

11 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal reconnects with the man who had the World Trade Center fall on his head and finds the lessons he learned even more powerful over time. The two re...

Radha Agrawal: On Building Community

04 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As Cal tries to expand awareness of his podcast, he gets tips from the author of the just-released book entitled: Belong: Find Your People, Create Co...

Kevin Hines: Whatever your difficulties, never count yourself out. Never. Never. Never.

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin tells Cal how mental illness pushed him to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco 18 years ago – and how he survived only because a ...

Diana Nyad: On Finding A Way

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the fifth anniversary of Diana Nyad's record-breaking swim between Cuba and Florida approaches, Diana explains to Cal what it took to make the 110...

Mick Ebeling: On Why Nothing Is Impossible

14 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The founder of Not Impossible Labs tips off his next landmark invention: a band that can stop tremors caused by Parkinson's Disease. Not Impossible La...

Jocko Willink: On Going to War with Your Weaknesses

07 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jocko Willink, the former Navy Seal Commander, explains how his fundamental laws of combat translate into leadership in business, and gets Cal to won...

Sex Doll Robots and The Future of Relationships

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cal gets a glimpse of the future from psychologist Linda Papadopoulos as she breaks the news about life-sized robots now being manufactured to the buy...