At Large with Scott Norton

My guest today is Alexis Gay. While on the rise in her career in tech, Alexis took to the internet to lampoon her own industry as her social alter ego, @yayalexisgay. With razor sharp comedic instincts and magnetic screen presence, she pokes fun at the absurdity of a new professional class that’s trying to put a dent in the universe while navigating petty personal problems. After 25 million video views, countless industry conference keynotes, and over a hundred episodes of her podcast Non-Technical, Alexis has left her desk job and incessant slack notifications behind. She’s now started a new chapter as an entertainer, trading annual performance reviews for nightly standing ovations.After debuting her one woman show Unprofessional at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, she’s taking it on an eight city tour across the United States. We sat down a day before her performance in Los Angeles to talk about her travels in the creator economy and her craft of self-parody.Please enjoy my conversation with the consummate unprofessional professional, Alexis Gay. Show Notes:Alexis Gay Website Alexis Gay Instagram “Unprofessional” tour dates and tickets The War of Art Book The Body Keeps the Score book Box Breathing Cat CohenAlex Edelman The Artist’s Way📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

Years ago, I made a pilgrimage up the Hudson river to visit a guru. Conscientious, soft spoken, and sporting a shiny bald head, he had the profile of a wiseman in eastern philosophy. But in fact, he was a guru in the secular (yet mystical) philosophy of marketing.Towards the end of our meeting, as I asked for advice on growing our startup Sir Kensington’s, he wrote a note on a piece of torn paper and slipped it across the table. I picked it up and read it: “People Like Us Do Things Like This.” Huh? My guest today is Seth Godin, whose work I've followed for nearly 20 years, and has informed both the businesses I've built and how I evaluate companies for investment.Seth is the poet laureate of modern marketing. His genius lies in his ability to distill complex ideas into clear, actionable insights that resonate in today's attention-scarce world. And in a world addicted to shortcuts and quick wins, Godin’s message is refreshingly real and profoundly human: great work takes guts, vision, and the courage to stand out. As Seth says, "safe is risky."Today we'll talk about his greatest hits -- though we took this occasion to talk about his brand new book, "This is Strategy" which he simplifies strategy into what he calls "a philosophy of becoming."In Seth's world, marketing isn't just about selling - it's about making a difference. So if you want to build something consequential, queue up Seth's books on your kindle and please enjoy my conversation with Mr. Seth Godin.Website Show Notes: First, ten blog post https://seths.blog/2009/04/first-ten/ The Purple Cow https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-Transform-Business-Remarkable/dp/014101640X Tribes https://www.amazon.com/Tribes-We-Need-You-Lead/dp/1491514736 This is Marketing https://www.amazon.com/This-Marketing-Cant-Until-Learn/dp/0525540830/ This is Strategy https://www.amazon.com/This-Strategy-Better-Elevate-Community-ebook/dp/B0CXWV8G29/ The Carbon Almanac https://thecarbonalmanac.org/ Askinosie Chocolate https://askinosie.com/ Dürer's Rhinoceros https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCrer%27s_Rhinoceros Your business card is crap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk Seth’s dosa recipe https://seths.blog/modern-dosa-cookbook/ 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

Sometimes you’ll meet someone, and halfway through the conversation it dawns on you: This person is different. This is a person doing their life’s work. Nicholas Coleman is undeniably one of those people. And with eloquence to match his passion, the more he shares the more interesting he becomes.Nick is one of the world’s foremost experts on olive oil. He is an educator, speaker, and co-founder of Grove and Vine, a full service bespoke olive oil merchant and producer. Nick chases the harvest annually through the northern and southern hemispheres to deliver a curated selection of the freshest extra virgin olive oils to both home cooks and Michelin starred restaurants.Nick was the chief oleologist at Eataly for seven years, a position they created for him and has judged countless olive oil competitions around the globe. He is a lifelong musician and bassist alongside Action Bronson in their band, Dr. Bachlava and Human Growth Hormone.In this interview, Nick will teach us how to properly select and taste olive oil, how to squeeze two days into every one, what it’s like to collaborate with Action both with oil and music, and the secret to landing your dream job.Prepare to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about olive oil and the business surrounding it, and enjoy my conversation with oleologist Nicholas Coleman.Want to try Nick’s oil? Listeners can use the code "atlarge" at https://groveandvine.com/ for $20 off a Grove and Vine membership.Recorded at studio and community space 57 NYC.Show Notes: Grove & Vine https://groveandvine.com/ Grove & Vine Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1vsz8letvc Eataly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eataly Action Bronson https://www.instagram.com/bambambaklava/?hl=en Dr. Bachlava and Human Growth Hormone - Tiny Desk Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUN8pdgA0m8 Ribollita Recipe https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016052-ribollita Nick’s Instagram @oleologist https://www.instagram.com/oleologist/?hl=en 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

A decade ago, Gabe Whaley figured out how to light the internet ablaze and has been leading a relentless scorched earth campaign ever since.Gabe is CEO and co-founder of MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based high-output for-profit art collective behind hundreds of radical and delightful projects. These range from shoes filled with holy water, to anime tax software, to forged picassos, to the mega-viral Big Red Boots. He’s been dragged into court for ticking off big companies, sold a laptop full of viruses for over one million dollars, and gotten MSCHF represented by Perrotin, a leading global contemporary art gallery. Softspoken and understated, Gabe has an unlikely history for a provocateur. He grew up in rural North Carolina, insulated from popular culture, and attended West Point where he learned military discipline before dropping out. After working dead-end jobs back home, he flew up to New York City wearing an ill-fitting suit for a long shot interview with Buzzfeed, where he landed a job working on viral content. Then once his extracurricular MSCHF projects took off, it launched as an undefinable N-of-one company with both adoring fans and corporate nemeses around the world.In this interview, we’ll hear the backstory of some of the collective’s most radical works, how he leads a team with world class ideas and execution, and how creativity and commerce coexist amidst explosive growth for MSCHF.If you do not know MSCHF today, prepare to have your mind cracked open – and prepare to start seeing them everywhere.—"Creativity is a shared international language"Website Show Notes: MSCHF https://www.instagram.com/mschf/?hl=en Sink of Theseus https://www.perrotin.com/artists/mschf/1181/mets-sink-of-theseus/73733 Tax Heaven 3000 https://taxheaven3000.com/ Marcel Duchamp - "Fountain" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_(Duchamp) MSCHF Perrotin Art 2 - https://leaflet.perrotin.com/view/751/art-2 Art Basel Miami Beach https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/251364524/art-basel-miami-beach/ Leaderboard ATM https://www.instagram.com/mschf/p/ClrA9dRulbA/?img_index=1 Colette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colette_(boutique) Deal Sleds https://transacted.io/best-deal-sleds/ Big Red Boots https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mschf-big-red-boots-explained-1234656780/ NOTHING IS SACRED - MSCHF retrospective at Daelim Museum https://hypebeast.com/2023/10/mschf-nothing-is-sacred-daelim-museum-retrospective Magazine B https://en.magazine-b.com/ US Military Academy West Point https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Military_Academy Maurizio Cattelan - Comedian (Banana) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/arts/design/a-critics-defense-of-cattelan-banana-.html Paola Pivi https://www.paolapivi.com/  📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

So far, Kareem Rahma has packed more into his 38 years than most people do into a lifetime.Egyptian? Yes. Midwesterner? Yes. New Yorker? Yes. Brooklynite? Yes. Corporate employee? Yes. Post-exit founder? Yes. Media entrepreneur? Yes.Comedian? Yes. Musician? Yes. Published author? Yes. Film producer? Yes. Pizza gallerist? Improbably, yesIs there anything that isn’t a “yes” for Kareem? Well, tune into his viral Instagram series @subwaytakes and indeed, he’s not afraid to blast “100% disagree” when it’s time to say no. In this episode of At Large, we’ll hear how Kareem Rahma built a livelihood pioneering essentialist internet video formats for a divided nation with a shrinking attention span, without losing his fresh optimism and vibe of disheveled cool.Between commandeering the L train for his impromptu hit talk show and hopping into yellow cabs to tell drivers “take me to your favorite place in the city and keep the meter running,” Kareem has collapsed the distance between what he wants and what he does by refusing to let asking for permission be part of his creative process. Thanks to Primary Venture Partners, who generously provided their office studio for this interview in NYC.—Website Show Notes: Subway takes https://www.instagram.com/subwaytakes/ Keep the meter running https://www.youtube.com/channel/UComL0zTx23pc036EI4qojcQ Vice media https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Media Vice guide to North Korea https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10943F1A08C72A17 The Museum of Pizza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcbWIEm14z0 Out of order https://youtu.be/MVu4igkDcgM?si=tL8uKix4_eRG7Vvz Or Something film - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26599297/ No Worries if Not https://open.spotify.com/album/4RUqfq8D23n9XIQOKEUVJx?si=2oElDnPaT8KngoZPqZLTMA The Last Stop: https://youtu.be/1w7qwsROk10?si=Z8hIDuPBB26Y6J1J Sheel Mohnot's takes: https://x.com/pitdesi/status/1832599305699651754 Jacques Pepin scrambled eggs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKq0bQHnZU 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

Cool, calm, and collected, you’d never peg Food52 founder Amanda Hesser as having an insatiable appetite for risk. Self-described as “impulsive” and described by others as “frighteningly ambitious,” Amanda comes off as conscientious and considered as she does intelligent and industrious. So what makes her tick?After following her sense of adventure and love of food to a chateau in Burgundy where she wrote about seasonal cooking, she went on to unexpectedly land a job writing for the food section of the New York Times, where she ultimately rose to food editor of the Times Magazine, and authored The Essential New York Times cookbook. Then in 2009, when internet media and food media were becoming intertwined, she co-founded Food52 as a website and marketplace for people who put food at the center of their life. In this conversation, Amanda talks about the interconnected ecosystem of Food52’s business model, including its strong community, advertising model, marketplace, and recent acquisitions for vertical integration with heritage brands. She’ll share stories of partnering with private equity investors, the importance of delighting customers in inefficient yet effective ways, and operating in “founder mode.” Prepare to be very hungry (and itching to make chocolate cake) by the end of this episode.Thanks to Primary Venture Partners, who generously provided their office studio for this interview in NYC.“In so many ‘consumer’ business, the consumer gets forgotten and treated like some sort of widget”Website Show notes: Food52 http://food52.com The Essential New York Times Cookbook https://store.nytimes.com/products/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook?variant=39431971176518 Paul Graham - Founder Mode https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html Paul Graham - Do Things that Don't Scale https://paulgraham.com/ds.html Food52’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/food52/?hl=en Amanda Hesser’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amandahesser/?hl=en TCG - The Chernin Group https://tcg.co/ Dansk Købenstyle https://www.dansk.com/collections/kobenstyle Uunifetapasta https://www.tiktok.com/@liemessa/video/6923943550111550726?lang=en A2 Milk https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-a2-milk https://puck.news/ Amanda’s Chocolate Dump It Cake recipe https://food52.com/recipes/5102-chocolate-dump-it-cake 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

Shane Heath, CEO and co-founder of MUD\/WTR, shares his journey from personal loss to leading a hypergrowth company. He discusses the transformative power of creativity and resilience derived from discomfort. The conversation dives into the evolving perceptions of psychedelics and their potential for healing. Shane also talks about the importance of intentional routines for balancing parenting and productivity, along with insights on self-reflection and maintaining authenticity in leadership.

Michael Dubin, founder of Dollar Shave Club and a master of humor and branding, shares his journey from a layoff at Sports Illustrated to launching a viral company. He discusses the genius behind Dollar Shave Club's success in redefining razor sales and reflects on the emotional aftermath of selling to Unilever. Mike also dives into his creative pursuits in screenwriting and the role of meditation in maintaining focus. Plus, get the scoop on unique caffeine alternatives like Mudwater and the importance of community in the entrepreneurial landscape.

This week, Scott turns the tables by serving as guest on his own show. The adept interviewer Kyle Thiermann graciously hosts this episode so listeners can better get to know Scott as the host of At Large. Kyle is a journalist, copywriter, activist, humorist, and a professionally sponsored big wave surfer. On today’s episode, we discuss the moment that sparked the idea for Sir Kensington’s, the power of play in business, and threading the needle in product design between novelty and nostalgia. Scott shares the emotional experience of building a startup and the unexpected emotions around selling a company. He gives hot takes on non-alcoholic beer, what he looks for in startups as an investor, and provides a detailed recipe for Japanese Tonkatsu.—Website Show notes: Kyle Thiermann https://www.kylethiermann.com/ Sir Kensington’s http://sirkensingtons.com Fela Kuti https://open.spotify.com/track/6jzbUvXYVbH6NrUS3WRMoL Sir Kensington’s Story on How I Built This https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SdBI4ymo58bJgk6dcsETL Jonathan Swift - A Modest Proposal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal Fries of New York https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/17/side Japanese Tonkatsu https://www.justonecookbook.com/tonkatsu/ The Kyle Thiermann Show https://open.spotify.com/show/5cAqgvVo9x4T8aDFx2Dp0v 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!

Is there any greater responsibility than educating and entertaining children? Our guest today is an inspiring, creative, and formidable television screenwriter and producer who created Doc McStuffins. Her show went on to be a global sensation and Disney’s longest running series other than Mickey Mouse, featuring a Black girl who looks up to her mother, a doctor, and cares for her many ailing stuffed animals. Working with both Disney and Netflix, Chris has created a fleet of shows, both independently and with the Obamas, for which she’s won three Emmys, five NAACP Image awards, a peabody award, and the humanitas prize.She explains the key negotiation points for creatives in the TV industry, including “overall” deals, “backend” performance participation, and the imperative of controlling your own IP.Chris and I talk about how ocean swimming develops muscles of courage, her views on wokeness in America, and advice to creatives coming up in the entertainment industry.Website Show Notes: Doc McStuffins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_McStuffins Vampirina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampirina Joan Ganz Cooney https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Ganz_Cooney Cocomelon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1nCXPPiVL8 📸@swhnorton 🐦@swhnorton🖥️www.atlargeshow.com…….This podcast is made available solely for entertainment and educational purposes. The information presented here does not constitute investment, legal, or other professional advice, and should not be construed as an offering of advisory services, or as a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any securities or other financial instruments. The thoughts and opinions expressed by or through this podcast are those of the individual guests and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of any investment advisor. The discussion on this podcast of any entity, product or service does not imply an endorsement thereof, and the guests may have a financial interest, whether through investment or otherwise, in one or more of any such entities, products or services. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a 5 star rating on your audio platform and comment below your favorite part of the episode. See you next week!