The Chris Voss Show

Diana Fryc, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Retail Voodoo on Branding and Building Business Retail-voodoo.com Retail Voodoo is a Seattle-based branding agency that specializes in brand strategy, development, design, and marketing. The agency serves a global client base and has worked with many market leaders, including Starbucks, KIND, REI, Pepsi, and HighKey. Retail Voodoo's founder and president is David Lemley.

Yesteryear by Stephen G. Eoannou https://amzn.to/3YgSHqA It’s 1930s Buffalo, and the Great Depression rages. Playwright Fran Striker needs to write the pilot for a new radio show but, to do so, he must overcome writer's block, defeat a Gypsy curse, foil a plot to assassinate FDR, and recover stolen diamond rings belonging to an alcoholic boxing champion. Who was that masked man? Based on the controversial true-life story of Lone Ranger creator Fran Striker, Yesteryear takes us on a magical journey leading to an icon’s debut, a show that provided hope to Americans during the country’s darkest days. About the Author I’m a 5am writer. At that dark hour you can find me either writing in bed or writing up in the cupola of my 1865 Second Empire Victorian I’m restoring. No coffee. No tea. No candles or incense burning. Just me typing away with my one-eyed dog close by. I love stories and novels with strong characters and a strong sense of place. The turf I carved out for myself is my hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of my work. I’m trying to do for Buffalo what William Kennedy did for Albany and what Richard Russo did for Upstate New York. I think the three of us should discuss this over drinks. I’ll buy the first round. Some of the books I’ve read recently are Secret Identity by Alex Segura and Fortune Favors The Dead by Stephen Spotswood. I also re-read It’s Superman! by Tom De Haven. Currently on my nightstand is Don’t You Know There’s A War On?: The American Homefront 1941-1945 by Richard R. Lingeman. I like reading fiction and non-fiction set during The Great Depression and World War Two. My mother, who grew up during this period, always told me that I romanticized that time. She was right. When I'm not writing, you can find me working on the house or hunting for antiques and books to put in the house. I’ve been restoring the front staircase for over two years now. Evidently, I write and scrape paint slowly.

The Life We Chose: William “Big Billy” D'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's Most Powerful Mafia Family by Matt Birkbeck https://amzn.to/3O0DCV4 “The Life We Chose—an unforgettable story. A really great read.” —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino and screenwriter of Goodfellas From Matt Birkbeck—investigative journalist and executive producer of Netflix’s #1 movie Girl in the Picture—a revelatory father/surrogate son story that takes readers deep inside the inner workings of the mob through the eyes of William “Big Billy” D’Elia, the right-hand man to legendary mafia kingpin Russell Bufalino, who ran organized crime in the US for more than fifty years. William “Big Billy” D’Elia is Mafia royalty. The “adopted” son of legendary organized crime boss Russell Bufalino, for decades D’Elia had unequaled access to the man the FBI and US Justice Department considered one of the leading organized crime figures in the United States. But the government had no real idea as to the breadth of Bufalino’s power and influence—or that it was Bufalino, from his bucolic home base in Pittston, Pennsylvania, who reigned over the five families in New York and other organized crime families throughout the country. For nearly thirty years, D’Elia was at Bufalino’s side, and “Russ’s son” was a witness and participant to major historical events that have stymied law enforcement, perplexed journalists, and produced false and wild narratives in books and movies—not the least of which being the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa. In addition, their reach was illustrated by their relationships with Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, Suge Knight, and many other celebrities and personalities. D’Elia became the de facto leader of the Bufalino family upon Russell Bufalino’s imprisonment in 1979, and he officially took control upon Bufalino’s death in 1994 until his arrest in 2006, when he was charged with money laundering and the attempted murder of a witness. He pled guilty to money laundering and witness tampering and was released from federal prison in 2012. Candid and unapologetic, D’Elia is finally ready to reveal the real story behind the myths and in so doing paints a complicated, compelling, and stunning portrait of crime, power, money, and finally, family.

Doom Guy: Life in First Person by John Romero https://amzn.to/44PgnUL The inspiring, long-awaited autobiography of video game designer and DOOM cocreator John Romero John Romero, gaming’s original rock star, is the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3-D, some of the biggest video games of all time. Considered the godfather of the first- person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he holds a unique place in gaming history. In DOOM Guy: Life in First Person, Romero chronicles, for the first time, his difficult childhood and storied career, beginning with his early days submitting Apple II game code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out the back door of his day job to write code at night. Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during Romero’s time at id Software made DOOM and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal–fueled days spent crafting the industry’s most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack. After years in the gaming spotlight, Romero is now telling his story—the whole story—shedding new light on the development of his games and his business partnerships, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, sharing insights about design, code, the industry, and his career right up to today. Sharing gratitude for a lifetime in games, Romero reveals the twists and turns that led him, ultimately, to be called DOOM Guy. ABOUT JOHN ROMERO Computer and video game legend John Romero has designed and published more than 130 games since his first sale at the age of 16. A teenage programming prodigy, his major achievements include co-inventing a series of revolutionary computer games—DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3-D, and Commander Keen—that launched the industry’s most popular genre, the first-person shooter.

Craig M. Geisler, President and CEO of Cherrywood Enterprises, THE Premier debt buyer cherrywoodenterprises.com Bio on Craig M. Geisler: Craig is the President and CEO of Cherrywood Enterprises. They are a national buyer of charged off debt portfolios and they work with banks, credit unions, auto lenders, and commercial lenders. From there, they outsource their portfolios to a network of attorneys nationwide. The are considered THE Premier debt buyer. Craig has worked in the debt buying arena since 2009 and has been the CEO of Cherrywood Enterprises since 2012. Craig is married to his wife Amy, they live in West Palm Beach, Florida, and they have 4 kids.

Muslim Reformers vs. Fundamentalists: Winner Contributes to Diversity Multicultural Enrichment by Eric Brazau https://amzn.to/44rcCVR The greatest debate in the Muslim world… …is between Reformers and Fundamentalists. Which side will win? Eric Brazau has studied the debate for ten years. As the founder of a popular blog that focuses on the cultural & political enrichment that the Muslim community contributes to Western civilization, he’s perfectly positioned to view both sides of the contentious discussion. Is True Islam a religion of love and compassion? Or does the Original Islam mandate executing homosexuals and blasphemers? Which side is right or wrong? With this book, you’ll be able to dig deeply into the belief systems to gain insights into the point-of-view of both Reformers and Fundamentalists. Written in a way that makes it easy to distinguish fact from fiction and fantasy from reality. Knowledge is power. Are you ready to broaden your mind? You’ll find this book fascinating because the even-handed approach by Brazau lets one understand the minds of both camps. Get it now.

Shana Francesca, Founder & CEO of Concinnate LLC, Life Designer, Keynote Speaker & Writer interview Concinnate.world About Shana Francesca Shana Francesca is a natural born leader, speaker, writer and entrepreneur. She was born into a difficult family life and refused to allow that to define her. As the Founder and Lead Designer at Concinnate, a multi-discipline interior design and life design firm working with clients around the country, she uses her voice to guide people toward their own empathy, resilience, and curiosity about what is possible in their own lives. Shana is unique and powerful and brings that to the stage. Shana grew up in and around performing arts. She became accustomed to the stage and leadership at a young age, dancing, acting, singing, directing and speaking in front of large crowds. This prepared her for connecting with people from the stage. She lives her life leaning into Empathy, Curiosity and Intention and through her design work, conversations and talks, she invites people to do the same. Our present and future are transformed when we take ownership for designing our lives. We write our life's story. We do that with the level of intention we infuse into the many small decisions we make every day. This is the core of her work.

HEY DOORMAN: inception to an anthology by Haji Outlaw https://amzn.to/3JWPo1B The world’s funniest bouncer regales with true tales of Los Angeles nightlife in the sublimely original workplace memoir—Hey Doorman: Inception to an Anthology. A bouncer, or doorman, in the city of angels can be many things. But there is only one Haji Outlaw (if you haven’t guessed by his name) and he tells stories in a supremely unique way, like Skittles wrapped in cleavage, safely secured in the beak of a 7th degree black belt time-traveling pterodactyl. Which is understandable knowing that he has written for The Eric Andre Show and produced music for Kool Keith, two enigmatic artists of note. In this book the author tackles Hollywood after dark in bars/nightclubs, intoxicated people of all sorts, celebrity encounters, not to mention his own sexual encounters of the third kind (wink!). Have you ever wondered what the worst night of the year is at a bar/nightclub? Who are the worst people in Tinseltown? Which celebrity has the biggest head? These answers and many, many more are answered in this literary voyage. Most bouncers have a personality and writing flair (not Ric Flair—WOO!) that falls in line with their profession. That is not the case here as the author of Hey Doorman has garnered praise from some comedy heavyweights:

Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being by Neil Theise https://amzn.to/3XLYTqa An electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave, that explains the interconnectedness of all things and that Deepak Chopra says, “will change the way you understand yourself and the universe.” Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms—from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems--life is open-ended, evolving, unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex system—between ant colonies and the growth of forests, cancer and economic bubbles, murmurations of starlings and crowds walking down the street. The implications of complexity theory are profound, providing insight into everything from the permeable boundaries of our bodies to the nature of consciousness. Notes on Complexity is an invitation to trade our limited, individualistic view for the expansive perspective of a universe that is dynamic, cohesive, and alive—a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Theise takes us to the exhilarating frontiers of human knowledge and in the process restores wonder and meaning to our experience of the everyday.

Lead Like a Marine: Run Towards a Challenge, Assemble Your Fireteam, and Win Your Next Battle by John Warren, John Thompson https://amzn.to/3NIPACJ The U.S. Marines Corps is the greatest fighting force on the planet, but it’s so much more than that: it’s a factory for producing first-rate leaders, problem-solvers, and innovators. In 2006, John Warren and John Thompson led Marines into combat in the world’s most dangerous city: Ramadi, Iraq. But when they got home, employers didn’t understand what they had to offer. Undeterred, they founded their own specialty mortgage company, growing it from scratch into a national powerhouse over the course of a decade. When the two decorated veterans applied the values and training of the U.S. Marine Corps to build a thriving business, they defied corporate America’s expectations. That’s because they realized that, far from producing mindless drones, the Corps trains its warriors in adaptability, initiative, and courage—ideal traits for anyone in leadership. In Lead Like a Marine, Warren and Thompson lay out the simple, universal rules that helped them succeed, from valuing grit and potential over pedigree, to condensing large groups into resilient “fireteams,” to cross-training team members so that anyone can step up to the plate in a crisis. While the corporate world is mired in maintaining the status quo, respecting status, and flattering ego, Warren and Thompson stripped away the fat that prevents organizations from innovating and excelling. Full of smart, actionable advice, gripping combat stories, and entrepreneurial lessons, this book will give you the tools and the training you need to truly lead like a Marine.