Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions! A Storyteller's Quest for Connection & Belonging | Cal Fussman #11
"I always knew from that point on that a good question could get you to the most powerful person on earth." - Cal Fussman
Cal has lived an exciting and passionate life in which questions have played a key role. His experiences place him at the top of the list of the most interesting of people. He has either been there and done that himself, or hung out with those who have.
Cal grew up in Long Island, New York, and attended college in Missouri. He went from writing sports articles and having drinks with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, to worldwide wanderer for ten years, to writing for Esquire magazine and interviewing Muhammad Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev, Serena Williams, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and other icons of the last 75 years, to a decade of eating daily breakfast with communications master, Larry King, to hosting the Big Questions Podcast and speaking about how to harness the power of questions.
Cal shares anecdotes from his experiences, such as the impact of writing to President Lyndon B. Johnson at seven, his path through journalism school, and his unique interviewing style that emphasizes curiosity and connection. From interviewing world leaders and celebrities to teaching corporate workshops on communication, Cal explains how thoughtful questioning can build trust, foster belonging, and elicit profound insights. He also reflects on his travels and the importance of understanding core human stories. The conversation underscores the transformative power of questions in shaping lives and careers.
This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.
Keep questioning!
Episode Notes
[02:28] The Inaugural Question: A Childhood Curiosity
[09:05] From Childhood to Journalism: The Evolution of a Questioner
[13:25] Breaking into Sports Journalism: A Pivotal Moment in Nebraska
[23:37] The Art of Asking: Crafting Questions with Impact
[28:28] Creating Comfort in Conversations
[29:40] The Evolution of Questions
[31:12] Traveling the World with No Money
[35:52] Interviewing World Leaders and Celebrities
[37:26] Connecting in the Age of Remote Work
[39:45] The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling
[44:58] Different Interview Styles
[51:11] The Power of Personal Stories
[56:00] Conclusion and Contact Information
Resources Mentioned
Biq Questions Episode Larry King: The Great Farewell
Questions Asked
How has your use of questions changed, but also remain the same through these various chapters in your life?
What's this guy feeling right now?
How does he feel?
Is he happy to be the president?
Is he sad to be the president because he's only the president because of the assassination?
How did your questioning technique evolve as you got older?
Hey, if I want to do what you do, where do I go?
Is this Kramer Hall?
Are you using that press pass right now?
How could you possibly prepare for what happened?
Why is it that no one else asked that question?
What goes into your preparation to format the question so that it's easier to receive and still gets at the heart of the matter?
So, is your intuition/insight into being able to get to that based on research that you do?
Is that true that you're using questions as a form to create belonging or foster belonging?
Is that like a list of five questions that you always use, is that a heart posture of worldview?
What kind of structure are you putting around that?
You think it'd feel that way if the person worked next to you and you knew that your kids went to the same elementary school, and you went down the elevator and talked about commonality?
An encouragement for folks to find a style that works for you and just keep playing with that and honing that style. Is that a fair conclusion?
Who's the first person that comes to mind, being most successful?
Have there been any particular questions that you have carried with you through your life?
Who is this person?
What made this person?
What are the events that shaped that person's life?
Have there been any other instances where you found your research paid off in such rich dividends?