Big Questions with Cal Fussman cover image

Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Latest episodes

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Aug 10, 2021 • 34min

Marc Hodosh Says: Live Forever

Ever since he was a kid, Marc Hodosh wondered why people had to get old and die. Now, as he prepares to co-host a healthcare conference called Life Itself with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, he looks into the possibilities we have of living longer and longer and ultimately forever. He cites the Immortal Jellyfish as an example of a creature on earth that can age, and then, when under an imminent threat, revert to infancy and start over again. A fascinating conversation on where we could be headed.
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Aug 3, 2021 • 50min

Ben & Jerry: The Mission Of Ice Cream

Cal goes into his archives to listen to a conversation he had with Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield about their early years as friends and business partners in Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. He remembers the conversation being filled with funny stories and the power of ice cream to bring people together, which seems at odds with the recent decision of the company and its parent to boycott the West Bank in protest of Israeli treatment of Palestinians. The friction created by the boycott leaves Cal wondering if there’s a wiser way to allow ice cream to work its magic.
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Jul 27, 2021 • 19min

Dr. Dre: Finding Your Purpose

Dr. Dre, a legendary music producer and rapper, reflects on his remarkable journey in the hip-hop industry. He shares the story of working 79 hours straight in the studio, showcasing his relentless passion for music. The conversation unfolds topics on defining success outside societal norms and the personal challenges of fame. Dre emphasizes the importance of creativity and purpose in one’s life, urging listeners to seek their own answers regarding passion and fulfillment.
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Jul 20, 2021 • 38min

Sting: Recalling A Wonderful Conversation

As Cal takes time to reflect after his father’s passing, he goes into his archives to listen to conversations he had with people who’ve done the extraordinary over the years. This talk with the British musician and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame goes back to 2009 and makes Cal smile, and ponder subjects like stress, parenting, death, tantric sex and hitting the High C in life. Cal hopes you enjoy this conversation as much as he did.
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Jul 13, 2021 • 22min

The Winklevoss Twins And Bitcoin

When Cal hears how Bitcoin is becoming a huge part of the economy in Nigeria, he remembers a conversation he had with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss about the cryptocurrency in 2013. Back then, a Bitcoin valued $140. Now, it’s at about $33,000. And that’s after a steep decline from earlier this year, when it got up to about $60,000. The way the twins spoke about Bitcoin is a huge reminder to Cal to pay attention to the new developments in healthcare. And this conversation is a reminder to all of us to pay attention to the future before it happens.
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Jul 6, 2021 • 20min

Aaron Sorkin: Lift Your Storytelling

As Cal creates a platform to improve healthcare, he goes into his archives to listen to a conversation he had about a decade ago with the man who wrote the famous Jack Nicholson line in A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!” When a line like that sticks in the public conscience for decades, you know the story is good. This conversation centers around the power of memorable storytelling for all of us. In a time when it’s difficult to cut through the noise, a good story is always your best bet. This week’s episode will charge you up to get the most out of the stories you need to tell.
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Jun 29, 2021 • 26min

How Gary Vaynerchuk Became Gary Vee

As Cal reflects on how to improve healthcare, he goes into his archives and pulls out a conversation he had with the social media guru. It provides the perfect background on how to achieve. Gary Vee shows Cal how the early patterns of success in selling baseball cards and touting wine led to his communications company, VaynerX. Once you’ve figured out how to find and tell stories about the future, all you’ve got to do is rinse and repeat. A great lesson for everybody. 
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Jun 22, 2021 • 11min

T. Boone Pickens: Soul Of An Entrepreneur

Cal goes into his archives to pluck out a story that he loves from the billionaire oil man and business mogul who loved to make money simply to give it away. Though Pickens passed on a couple of years ago, the story of how he turned $500 a week into billions will inspire anyone at a crossroads in life. Cal hopes to use the thinking behind it to impact as many people as possible as he tries to reshape health care, and he urges you to get the most from the message in your own way.
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Jun 15, 2021 • 12min

Coach K on Jimmy V: Finding Greatness

When Cal heard that Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski would be retiring at the end of the coming basketball season, he went back to re-listen to a conversation he had with the iconic coach ten years ago. Like a rare bottle of wine, age brought new depth to the talk for Cal -- especially when he reached the part where Coach K describes the last few months he spent with competitor and close friend, Jim Valvano, before Jimmy V died of cancer. The foundation that Valvano created, The V Foundation, has since raised roughly a quarter of a billion dollars for research to beat the disease.
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Jun 8, 2021 • 21min

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Wisdom To Live By

Cal goes to his personal archives to pull up some thoughts from the body builder, movie star and former governor of California. This includes an epiphany on how the line “I’ll be back” came about in The Terminator. Arnold also talks about the self-improvement regimen than made him who he came to be. And Cal looks to shape these thoughts on his own journey to improve health care. Listeners can use Arnold’s nuggets of wisdom to get the most out of their lives, too.

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