Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Cal comes across an interesting situation when an 18-year-old college freshman develops back pain after donating blood. A campus doctor fears it could be a deadly pulmonary embolism and directs Ashton Marshall to the local Emergency Room. This could lead to many tests and high bills. Ashton’s father, the author of Never Pay The First Bill, offers his son a strategy to keep the charges reasonable. Listen to Marshall Allen, and you’ll have that same strategy.

Cal reads a story on ESPN.com that makes him cackle, and he reaches out to the writer to thank him for bringing laughter into his day. The conversation that ensues brings forth an amazing story about the loss of Ryan’s toes and the surreal journey it takes him on. Pass this podcast on to anyone feeling down or miserable. They’ll likely have a very different mindset after they’re done: Gratitude.

Cal sees a newsmagazine with a headline that reads: THE BAD GUYS, ON YOUR PHONE, IN YOUR COMPUTER, FILLING YOUR EMAIL, MINING YOUR INFO, TRICKING YOUR LOVED ONES, IMPERSONATING YOU AND PLOTTING THEIR NEXT STEAL. He notices that The Tindler Swinder is one of Netflix’s top-rated documentaries. And he observes how getting scammed affects the daily life and mental health of a friend. He gets an inside look from the victim of a massive scam and identify theft – the former wife of NBA all-star Jason Kidd. Joumana’s story will keep you on guard.

Cal talks with the best-selling author and one of America’s most sought after keynote speakers about the first steps that can send you on your way. Josh has founded, built and sold five companies for a combined exit value of more than $200 million. He knows of what he speaks. The innovation exercise he plays out with Cal on reshaping healthcare in this episode can be tailored to anybody’s needs. Josh’s mantra is: Think of how powerful your company can be if everyone innovates, every day. You’ll be stronger for listening . . . much stronger.

Simply listening to the story of how Elliott and three buddies who were just out of college andfeeling lost during The Great Recession went on to create a company called Summit that connected thousands of innovators in the Tech space at conferences that filled hotels and cruises and led to their purchase of a majestic mountain in Utah, and along the way curated the wisdom of Jeff Bezos, Ted Turner, President Bill Clinton, the actress and founder of the billion dollar Honest company, Jessica Alba, and musician Quincy Jones, will give you the feeling that YOU can do anything! Listen up, check out the book Make No Small Plans and see what mountains you might be capable of moving! Cal wonders if a similar community could be created for the future of healthcare . . .

Cal gets furious when he reads about predatory medical billing in The Price We Pay, What Broke American Health Care and How To Fix It. So he reaches out to the author – a surgeon at the Johns Hopkins hospital and television commentator -- for tips on how a patient should respond when she or he is the victim of outlandish charges. A conversation for everyone who needs healthcare – which means everybody.

What if you didn’t have to drive around packed parking lots looking for a space at hospitals because you were dropped off by a vehicle dispatched by Uber Health? And what if the cost of that trip was seamlessly woven into your insurance plan or through your healthcare provider? Well, your car may be waiting. Uber Health’s Caitlin Donovan has a Big Answer for Big Questions.

One day Joe’s 14-year-old son Andrew was winning a state soccer tournament. Couple of days later, doctors told Joe that his son had cancer and less than a day to live. That’s the beginning of an amazing story. The story of the B+ Foundation – the largest provider of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer in the United States. If you’d like to be uplifted in these unsettling times, listen to the conversation between Joe and Cal.

After a dizzying few weeks of watching images of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine and pondering the possibilities of a nuclear war, Cal senses it’s time to step back and get perspective. He reaches out to Juliet Funt, author of the book A Minute To Think, for advice on getting the most out of himself during this crazy time. “Funt’s wisdom around making space is priceless,” says marketing guru Seth Godin. Cal embraces Funt’s business tools to get the most out of his days. They will create great outcomes for you, as well. Guaranteed.

Cal does the podcast he wishes he never had to do: Advice on surviving a nuclear attack. Hopefully, this scenario will never occur. But there have been a great deal of surprises throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it’s wise to take a few moments to think about the unthinkable. This podcast looks at selecting a shelter, at supplies to store, and it offers tips like not going out in the rain for days afterward to avoid radiation that might fall on your head – even if you’re hundreds of miles from the blast. And if you’re showering to wash away nuclear debris, it’s okay to use soap and shampoo – but not hair conditioner. Conditioner will bond radiation particles to your hair. Not a pleasant topic. But you’ll be better off for listening.