5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

An interview with Guy Fieri about how being a foreign exchange student shaped who he is today, how he’s stayed true to himself, the impact his dad had on his life, the life lessons he’s taught his children and his best career advice. Welcome to the 38th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is Food Network star, game show host, restaurateur and author, Guy Fieri. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Guy grew up in California and was a foreign exchange student in France, where he initially discovered his passion about food and cooking. In his early career, he was selling pretzels from his “Awesome Pretzel” cart. In 1990, after graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he worked as a manager at a restaurant in California, and then became a district manager at Louise’s Trattoria, managing six locations. Then in 1996, Fieri and his business partner Steve Gruber opened their first restaurant, “Johnny Garlic’s” in Santa Rosa, California. After expanding to multiple locations, they started other restaurants like Tex Wasabi’s and Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar. Guy recently opened Guy Fieri’s Dive & Taco Joint and Guy Fieri’s Pizza Parlor, both in Hampton Roads, Virginia. They will soon open Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina in Boston, where I’m from. My foodie friends will be lining up to go! Aside from his successful career in the restaurant business, he won the second season of The Next Food Network Star, earning his first show “Guy’s Big Bite”. His second series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives won two Emmy Awards and is currently in its 29th season with 384 total episodes! Guy also hosts two other Food Network shows: Guy’s Grocery Games and Guy’s Ranch Kitchen. This year, after over a decade in the entertainment business, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this interview, we get personal with Guy to understand where he came from, who he is and what advice he can offer us. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did being a foreign exchange student in France shape who you are today? How did you adapt to the entertainment industry while staying true to yourself? What impact did your dad have on the man you’ve become? What life lessons have you shared with your children? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Guy’s journey: Website Food Network Books Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Chris Kattan about the lessons he learned from his dad growing up, how he prepared for his SNL sketches, why comedy is important to our culture, the biggest obstacle he faced and his best career advice. Welcome to the 37th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is former Saturday Night Live star, comedian and author, Chris Kattan. Born in Culver City, California, Chris had an unusual upbringing. His father who was an actor, his mother was a model and his stepfather was a monk. He was raised on a Zen retreat outside of LA and lived in Bainbridge Island, Washington where he attended high school. Chris was a member of the improv comedy group The Groundlings in LA then moved to New York City to work on SNL from 1996 to 2003. With fellow SNL cast member Will Ferrell, he starred in the hit 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. Chris also appeared in many other films including Hotel Transylvania 2, Superbad and Undercover Brother. In 2017, he was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and in 2018; he reunited with SNL alumni at The Tonight Show. His new memoir is called “Baby, Don’t Hurt Me”. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What lessons did you learn from your dad growing up? How did you prepare mentally and emotionally for your SNL sketches? How important is comedy to our culture day? What was the biggest obstacle you had in your career and how did you overcome it? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Chris’s journey: Book Twitter Instagram

An interview with Chelsea Handler about why she went on a journey to self-discovery, how therapy changed her life, how connecting with diverse people changed her, overcoming self-doubt and her best career advice. Welcome to the 36th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is comedian, actress, TV host and author, Chelsea Handler. Born in Livingston, New Jersey as the youngest of six children, Chelsea experienced pain and death growing up. Her mom died of breast cancer in 2006 and her eldest brother died when she was only 9 years old. When she turned 19, she moved to LA where she lived in her aunt’s home in Bel Air. While she was a waitress, she was also pursuing her acting career as many do. Then at age 21, she decided to be a stand-up comic. Chelsea broke into TV as a regular commentator on E! and as a correspondent on NBC’s The Tonight Show. In 2006, she started hosting The Chelsea Handler Show on E! and a year later she performed in Comedy Central’s Hour Stand-Up Comedy Tour. In 2010, she was ranked on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list and in 2012, TIME named her as of the 100 most influential people in the world. She hosted her own half-hour late-night comedy series, Chelsea Lately, on E! In 2016, she hosted Chelsea Does, a documentary series, and Chelsea, a comedy talk show, both on Netflix. She’s the author of six bestselling books, including her latest Life Will Be the Death of Me:….and you too!, which is the basis of this podcast interview. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Why did you decide to go on a journey of self-discovery and what was your first step to embark on that journey? What changes have you made to your life as a result of therapy? How has connecting with a diverse group of people around the country affected you personally and made you rethink aspects of your life? How have you overcome self-doubt throughout your career? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Chelsea’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Moby about how growing up poor impacted him as an adult, how he recovered from the lowest point in his career, the positive influences in his life that came to his rescue, how he handles mental health and his best career advice. Welcome to the 35th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is songwriter, producer and author, Moby. Born Richard Melville Hall in Harlem, New York City, Moby was named after Herman Melville, who authored the classic Moby-Dick. His father died in a car crash while drinking when he was only two years old. His mother struggled to support him, relying on food stamps and welfare to make ends meet. His first job was a caddy on a golf course then took up music when he turned nine. Moby played guitar and his mom taught him how to play the piano. In 1983, he became the guitarist for the punk band The Vatican Commandos and started producing electronic music. After dropping out of college, he pursued his career as a DJ, eventually signing with Instinct Records in the mid-1990s. In 1999, Moby released his fifth and most well known album entitled Play, which sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and he went on tour for almost two years. He’s written two memoirs, Porcelain and his latest Then It Fell Apart, which we will be discussing in this episode. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What long-term impact did growing up in poverty have on you? When you were at your lowest point what was the first thing you did to revive yourself and your career? Who were some of the positive influences in your life that helped get you through hard times? How do you best deal with mental health and being empathetic to others you interact with? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Moby’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

An interview with Elaine Welteroth on how she breaks barriers as being a minority, what she learned early in her life that has helped her today, how being authentic makes you more confident, who has influenced her the most and her best career advice. Welcome to the 34th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and current judge on Bravo’s Project Runway, Elaine Welteroth. Born in Newark, California to a white father and African American mother, Elaine majored in mass communication with a minor in journalism. Her first job was as a mascot wearing a bird suit. When she graduated college, Elaine went on to be an intern at advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather. Then, she became a content producer at digital media company SomaGirls.TV. She broke into the magazine world with an unpaid internship at Ebony Magazine, where she later became editor-in-chief’s Harriette Cole’s assistant. From 2008 to 2011, Elaine worked full-time as the magazine’s beauty and style editor. Then, she joined Condé Nast, becoming the beauty and style editor at Glamour Magazine, followed by becoming the first ever African American beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. In 2017, She became the magazine’s youngest ever editor in chief. Elaine is a judge on Bravo’s Project Runway and is the author of the new book, More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say). The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did you break the barriers in your career as a minority? What lessons did you learn early on that have allowed you to make better choices today? How can being authentic, instead of blending in, build self-confidence? Who has most influenced your thinking and what changes have you made as a result? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Elaine’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

An interview with Paul Stanley on how he’s sustained his career for decades, how you can be hard on yourself while being your biggest fan, why you should make others feel worthwhile, how to overcome barriers and his best career advice. Welcome to the 33rd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is the co-lead vocalist of KISS, Paul Stanley. Born in New York City to parents who were avid listeners of classic music and opera, Stanley took interest in the works of Beethoven growing up. His right ear had a birth defect called microtia so he wasn’t able to hear on that side, and was bullied by other children because of it, but still enjoyed listening to music. At age 13, he received his first guitar and started playing songs by Bob Dylan and other artists. After playing in a few local bands, he joined his friend Gene Simmons’ band Wicked Lester, which eventually fell apart. Then, they formed Kiss, releasing their first album in 1974. Each member of Kiss took the persona of a character on stage and Paul chose “The Starchild”. Over the course of his career, Kiss has become one of the best-selling bands of all time with 100 million records sold with mega hits including “Rock and Roll All Nite”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Paul is the author of Face the Music and his latest book, Backstage Pass. He and Kiss are currently on their Farewell Tour. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: What do you think has allowed you to sustain your career for decades? How can you be tough on yourself while also being your biggest fan? How does making others feel worthwhile improve our own lives? How do we overcome the barriers we inherit or create? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Paul’s journey: Website Book Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Adam Savage on how to not be a perfectionist, the types of people that bring out his creativity, his recommendations those in non-creative jobs, if you need to fail in order to succeed and his best career advice. Welcome to the 32nd episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is former co-host of MythBusters, host of Savage Builds and author of Every Tool is a Hammer, Adam Savage. Born in New York City and raised in Westchester, New York, his father was a creative known for his work on Sesame Street. As a teenager, he regularly visited the local bike shop to have flat tires fixed, where he learned how to do repairs himself. At five years old, Adam started acting and his early credits include Sesame Street and Star Wars. He later abandoned his acting career in favor of doing things with his hands like graphic design, animation and specific effects. This led him to co-host the 17 season 296 episode show MythBusters, which originally premiered on the Discovery Channel back in 2003. He worked as a model maker on the films Galaxy Quest, Bicentennial Man, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, The Matrix Reloaded, and Space Cowboys. Savage is currently an editor and contributor at Tested.com and his new show Savage Builds will have him collaborating with notable experts in their fields, friends, colleagues, and some of his favorite people on the planet. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How do we stop trying to be perfectionists and start creating? What types of people bring out your creativity? What do you recommend for people in non-creative jobs to be creative? Do you believe you have to fail multiple times before you succeed? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Adam’s journey: Website Book YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with Rebecca Minkoff on how she broke into the fashion industry, how she manages her time, who her mentors are, how she keeps her employees motivated and her best career advice. Welcome to the 31st episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is fashion designer and entrepreneur, Rebecca Minkoff. Born in San Diego, California, she became interested in design in high school working in a costume department. Then, she moved to New York City at age 18 to pursue her dream as a fashion designer. In 2001, she designed an “I Love New York” t-shirt, which appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show and became an overnight sensation. Then in 2005, she designed her first, and now iconic, handbag called “The Morning After Bag”. It was so successful, that she started her company with her brother Uri under her name. In 2009, she created her first ready-to-wear apparel collection. Then in 2011, she received the Breakthrough Designer Award from The Accessories Council. Today, she’s grown her lifestyle brand to include accessories, footwear, watches and a men’s line, distributed in over 900 stores worldwide. Rebecca hosts the “Superwomen” podcast, where she talks to women in different professions to show you what their lives are really like. Video interview from New York City: The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How were you able to break into the highly competitive NYC fashion world? How do you balance your time between your company and being a parent? Who were some of your mentors that have had an impact on you? How do you keep your employees motivated? What’s your best piece of career advice? Follow Rebecca’s journey: Website Podcast YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram

An interview with David Brooks on if you need to achieve your life goals before serving others, why commitment is the key to a meaningful life, how to overcome loneliness, why attachment is more important than freedom and his best career advice. Welcome to the 30th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is New York Times op-ed columnist and bestselling author, David Brooks. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he spent his childhood in New York City and then Philadelphia. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in history. During school, he wrote reviews and satirical articles to campus publications. Upon graduation, he was the police reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago, which influenced his conservative political views. Then, he was an intern at the National Review. When that ended he spent time at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and wrote movie reviews for The Washington Times. Two years later, The Wall Street Journal hired him to edit the book review section. In 2000, Brooks penned his first book called Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There. In 2003, he became an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times. Since then, he has written several other books including his latest, The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, which we’ll be discussing in this episode. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: Do we have to achieve personal goals before serving others? Why is commitment the key to creating a meaningful life? What’s the best way to overcome loneliness? Why should we choose attachment over personal freedom? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow David’s journey: New York Times columns Books Facebook Twitter

An interview with Alyssa Milano on how her family influenced her career, how to overcome the fear of rejection, when she decided to be a political activist, how to stay true to yourself instead of conforming and her best career advice. Welcome to the 29th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions. This episodes guest: My guest today is actress, political activist and podcast host Alyssa Milano. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a fashion designer mom and film-music editor dad. She began her career at the age of 7 when she auditioned for the national touring company of Annie. She was selected from over 1,500 other girls for one of the top parts. During the tour, her and her mother were on the road of 18 months. Then, when they returned, Alyssa appeared in several television commercials, off-Broadway shows and eventually landed an agent. Milano made her film debut in the coming-of-age drama Old Enough, which won First Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, then had her big break as Tony Danza’s daughter on the sitcom Who’s the Boss? Since then, she’s had other famous roles including on Melrose Place, Charmed, Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later and her latest, Netflix’s Insatiable. Her latest project is her podcast called Sorry Not Sorry, where she tackles social, political and cultural issues as she speaks to key figures. The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode: How did your family influence and support your early career? How do people overcome the fear of rejection in your industry? When did you decide to become a political activist? How do you stay true to yourself instead of conforming? What is your best piece of career advice? Follow Alyssa’s journey: Website Podcast Facebook Twitter Instagram