Big Questions With Cal Fussman

Cal talks with the futurist who tells us that artificial intelligence is going to be embedded in everything we do -- and that means many aspects of the world around us will be moving at an accelerated pace. His book, Superconvergence, looks at how AI will transform our lives as it is embedded in genetics and biotech. It could mean living longer, feeding billions and supercharging the economy. We don’t want to think about the downside – which is why we must. Jamie’s got a Ph.D. from Oxford, a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and he was the opening speaker at the 2023 Dubai future forum. He’s also an ironman triathlete in his spare time. When Cal left the conversation, he felt like his IQ had spiked. You may feel the same.

In his quest to go deep into artificial intelligence, Cal comes across a most unusual guest. Theresa Fesinstine speaks to AI in a most uncommon way – as if it were human. Almost as if she were a really good high school English teacher talking to her students in the most caring way. There’s research that says this kind of approach gets the best out of AI. Listen up, and try it out.

The son of self-help guru Tony Robbins has become a coach with clients in 133 countries around the world. You’ll see why when you listen to this conversation. You will definitely be in a better place to navigate your path after listening to this podcast!

Chessboxing? What? Do the competitors pound each other in the head as they move pieces on the chessboard? It’s actually a sport that is going to be on display at the Olympics in Paris this summer. It’s not an official Olympic event. Yet. But three hundred thousand people stream events and it’s only getting bigger and bigger. What does it mean for you? Listen to Matt Thomas’s story.

Cal realizes that for the first time he is not feeling behind in technology because he has thrown himself into understanding AI. Conversations with experts on this podcast have made him feel more comfortable with what’s coming – even if we don’t know exactly what that is. This is the conversation that opened the door for him. It’s with Linus Eckenstam – a designer in Barcelona who makes web forms a little more human. Cal hopes this episode will make everyone more comfortable feel a little more authentic in the age of AI.

When Cal went on Ben’s podcast, the marketer confided to him that he was supposed to host a party that evening to bring people who didn’t know each other together. Ben is the curator of the Real Business Connection Network. So the meeting was important to him. The problem was, Ben had a case of gout that was sending stabbing pains through one of his toes. Ben asked Cal if he should go through with the party or call it off. Cal advised Ben that if he threw himself into the party, he’d forget the pain. Ben followed through. This conversation looks at the way Ben used structure and games to connect people. And how much the world has changed since Cal traveled around the world for ten years without a home meeting people through serendipity.

Cal talks with the co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods about the journey he took from shirtless 22-year-old hippie hitchhiking in Austin on acid to creating and running the health food empire. And what a wild trip it’s been – as evidenced in his new book: The Whole Story, Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism. Plenty of takeaways for all of us in this conversation – especially on artificial intelligence.

Cal converses with the author of The Skill Code: How To Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines, and learns how experts in their fields are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence instead of junior helpers for assistance. This threatens the bond between the experts and novices that has long allowed the novices to slowly become experts. Cal offers Matt plenty of challenges as examples from his own life and when matt hears them he feels that a chunk of his book was written with Cal in mind. But this book is about and for EVERYONE.

Cal gets social media strategies from the Podcast Princess, who grew a team of unpaid interns into her own highly successful agency – YAP (Young and Profiting). Her advice gives Cal the awareness of how to turn a technological problem into an area of creativity that could ultimately be a financial gamechanger. Hala believes that life is 0 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it. Everybody who listens to this conversation will come away with ideas on getting the most out of themselves.

When Cal was young, he was educated as a journalist not to sell. He was taught to interview and write and stay on the editorial side of the wall that separated the two sides of publishing. The selling was to be done on the other side of the wall by the sales department. Cal lived by the rules and could never see himself as a salesman even as the internet appeared, the rules began to change and the wall came down. Now, after all these years, he learns from a celebrated sales consultant that sales doesn’t have to be about selling. It can be about helping the customer buy. Cal can feel comfortable doing just that – and just in time. Could it be for you, too?

The world has never moved faster than it’s about to with the emergence of AI. What does this mean for all of us? So many businesses in the past didn’t jump into the future because they wanted to protect the present – and suffered for it. Many have gone out of business. Cal speaks with the author of Leaders Leap for advice on how we all should be thinking about our place in the working world. This is no time to be “sleepwalking through the revolution.” Check it out.

Cal learns about the creation of Esco’s World Famous Apple Cobbler Pie through a story that showcases how we can all get the most out of our errors. Esco’s backstory is a treasure trove of wisdom for any entrepreneur, and an inspiration for anyone with an impactful idea. Listen up, and you’ll soon be getting the most out of your own mistakes. And perhaps having a good time at Esco’s upcoming Virtual Wine and Pie Party.  

Cal talks with a man who has worked to bring the best out of Navy Seals, neurosurgeons, Los Angeles Dodgers, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team players and Cirque du Soleil acrobats. This conversation gave Cal insights on how to get the most out of himself going forward. Listen up, and it will bring the best out of you.

Cal talks with a coach who has turned his love for basketball into guidance for all of us in our work and personal lives. After learning from, and coaching many NBA greats, Alan has concluded that sustained growth comes down to five factors: self-awareness passion, discipline, coachability and confidence. This boils down to staying curious about ourselves and our surroundings, and never getting bored with the fundamentals. Alan speaks to the world about it because we can never be reminded enough.

Cal sits down with Chester at a long table of Chief Human Resource Officers to explore the power of bonding at work. The author of Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results highlights a fascinating observation. That fire stations where firefighters dine together tend to outperform their counterparts who do not, showcasing the significant impact of social bonds on teamwork and efficiency. Cal also mentions a serendipitous moment at the dinner, solving a puzzle that had baffled him for years. This conversation serves as a tribute to the value of breaking bread together, underlining how a shared table can foster connection and spark revelations. Tune in and toast teamwork.

While speaking at a TEDx event in Sonoma, Cal meets the former Apple evangelist (and current Canva evangelist) and they immediately hit it off. Guy comes on Big Questions to talk about his latest book, Think Remarkable, 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference. He shows Cal a new way to infuse discipline into his writing and life, as well as offering an intriguing look at Steve Jobs. You’ll feel like you have a seat at the table. Enjoy.

As Cal speaks with the leading podcaster and marketer, he channels the 12 years that he had breakfast with CNN broadcast icon Larry King almost every day. It was a time when guests would drop in on the regulars and share their areas of expertise. In this case, Jeremy reveals his knowledge of Roman history. And the question becomes: Are there any parallels between Roman times and what we are seeing now in American politics? It’s proof that we can have civilized political conversations even when we disagree, and look forward to the next breakfast.

How can I guy who built an obstacle racing empire ever give up? That was the question when Spartan hovered near bankruptcy when its events were cancelled during the pandemic. Joe and Spartan trudged forward and last year Spartan rallied with a profit. After all the money borrowed during Covid, Joe says it seems like the profit is like giving a starving elephant a Tic-Tac. But the races go on, and Joe moves on his goal of making 100 million Americans healthy.

A series of connections leads Cal to a conversation with a master of wet plate photography – created around 1850. But the talk about photos that can last a thousand years leads to a very surprising place: that all of the photos on your iPhone or mobile device will disappear over the next 50 years unless you print them out and protect them. Listen up, and spread the word.  

Cal speaks with the man who is the father of the virtual assistant and who predicted ten years ago that most work would be automated and out of human’s hands. Now, he is even more convinced this will be the case, and makes the case that it’s necessary for all of us. What this may mean for mankind doesn’t seem to matter. It’s all in the math. Everyone ought to listen to this.