Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Cal learns about the creation of Esco’s World Famous Apple Cobbler Pie through a story that showcases how we can all get the most out of our errors. Esco’s backstory is a treasure trove of wisdom for any entrepreneur, and an inspiration for anyone with an impactful idea. Listen up, and you’ll soon be getting the most out of your own mistakes. And perhaps having a good time at Esco’s upcoming Virtual Wine and Pie Party.

Cal talks with a man who has worked to bring the best out of Navy Seals, neurosurgeons, Los Angeles Dodgers, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team players and Cirque du Soleil acrobats. This conversation gave Cal insights on how to get the most out of himself going forward. Listen up, and it will bring the best out of you.

Cal 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 enough.

Cal 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, solving a puzzle that had baffled him for years. This conversation serves as a tribute to the value of breaking bread together, underlining how a shared table can foster connection and spark revelations. Tune in and toast teamwork.

While 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.

As 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 when we disagree, and look forward to the next breakfast.

How 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.

A 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.

Cal 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.

Not 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 years. He came out in tatters and $20 million in debt . . . and then he met the love of his life. The story cannot be told without offering condolences to the families of the victims. But for one couple, it is a Happy Valentine’s Day . . .

Cal 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.

Cal 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 interviewing techniques to find right fits and improve lives. Anyone interested in learning Cal’s approach can reach out to him at calfussman.com. The best is yet to come.

Cal 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.

Cal 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.

After 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 people are beginning to change their drinking habits to support a healthier lifestyle. Cal lifted the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA and can tell that Joe’s instincts and timing are right on. Listen up, and check it out!

Cal 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!

Cal 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!

Ever 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.

This 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 more than $2 million a month. Goose is living proof that if you struggle, you can go far. Enjoy the rollercoaster ride!

Cal’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.