Big Questions With Cal Fussman

Cal asks you to reach out to an old friend you haven’t connected with in a while because something good is sure to happen. That was the case for Matt McBride who lost touch with his high school buddy, Jason. Then private investigators reached out to Matt to represent him in the settling of a substantial estate after the death of his father whom he barely knew. Turns out the private investigators connected Matt to his old buddy Jason – and that Jason had been living near Matt’s father and partying with him before Matt’s father passed. This is just the beginning, and it all leads to the founding of a healthcare company that is making patients’ lives easier. It’s called Mend.

Every day, ten thousand people in America turn 65. Every 57 seconds, cognitive problems are diagnosed. And the worst part is forty thousand healthcare workers treating the elderly left the industry during the pandemic. For every 43 job openings to take care of the elderly, only one person is now available. The good news. Robots are on the way! Check this out!

When Joel was eleven years old, he was struck on the street by a car driven by a woman who was looking at her cellphone. When Joel woke up, he saw a man chalk-marking his body on the pavement and he thought he was dead. He wasn’t. The emergency crew was leaving evidence for the police report. This was the first of a series of unfortunate events that turned out to be very fortunate because of the way Joel sees the world. He’s earned millions of dollars as an entrepreneur by finding the right opportunity in every difficult time. If a recession is coming, this podcast is the perfect preparation. Enjoy!

Nearly every hour, an infant or young child chokes to death or dies in an unexpected accident. When Mark Wilhelmsson saw his two-year-old gasping for air while eating some fruit slices, it changed his life . . . and the lives of a lot of other parents. Mark’s son survived. And the information Mark accumulated can protect your family. Please pass this episode on to parents who are expecting children and who have little ones.

The approach of Thanksgiving is the perfect time to hear about the 73-day, 4,200mile bike ride Kari Loya took with his 75-year-old father who was at the early stage of Alzheimer’s Disease. They rode along the TransAmerica Bike Trail from Yorktown, Virginia to Astoria, Oregon. Their trip reminds us to get the most out of the time we have with those we love. Enjoy.

Cal speaks with Glenn Livingston, the author of the best-seller about concrete steps to avoid overeating. This episode comes at the perfect time. Cal often finds himself reaching for more and more during the sumptuous holiday season. Glenn’s tactics enabled him to lose 90 pounds and still eat pleasurably. Get more out of your holiday season this year by eating a little less. You’ll also be able to get Glenn’s book free over the internet

Cal looks to discover if there is anything in our ordinary lives that mirrors the fear and purpose Matt Bromley feels when he surfs 50-foot waves. Cal arrives at an unexpected place that shows him how he can have much impact.

Not long ago, Sev MacLaughlin was working as a waiter in a polyester tuxedo. Listen to how the death of his father sent him on a mission to develop artificial intelligence that can predict illness in advance of modern medicine. Kidney disease. Diabetes. Cardiovascular disease. The predictions of DeLorean AI have twice been validated by third-party labs. And now the company is working on early identification and solutions for mental health issues. The story of Sev’s mission will inspire anyone who has a dream to make a difference in the world, and direct everyone to a service that will catch illness early, save lives and hopefully bring us more hugs with those we love.

After losing 30 pounds through a slow and methodical change in diet and portion size, Cal sets off to follow the same strategy with exercise. Basic body movements at the start that don’t call for lifting stacks of weight or exercise to exhaustion. With more than 70 percent of Americans overweight or obese and not moving, this may be the only feasible start toward solving the problem. The movements Michael Ockrim of Mighty Oak Athletic passes on are as easy as lifting a can of beans. But with steady increases they can lead to huge breakthroughs. If you know someone who’s not getting out of a chair or off the couch, please pass this on.

Cal gets some tips from a man whose life is dedicated to helping people get a good night’s sleep. Whatever age or sleeping situation you’re in, Devin has probably studied it. And he has many solutions. After listening to this episode, you’ll definitely sleep better.

Cal talks with the man who evolved from drinking a six-pack of Coca Cola every day as a boy to the author of Superlife: the 5 Simple Fixes that will make you healthy, fit and eternally awesome. Darin is also the co-host of the television show Down to Earth with Zac Efron, where the two go adventuring around the world to find healthy and sustainable ways to live. You may eat a little differently after listening to this conversation.

Listen to some amazing surgery stories this week about what it’s like to operate on a child’s brain from Dr. Jay Wellons, a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jay is a gifted writer as well, as anybody who’s read All That Moves Us can attest. Once the harrowing stories are told, Cal asks the neurosurgeon how he stays healthy amid the persistent tension. It’s a question that probably applies to everybody who’s worked in healthcare during COVID, and it calls for everybody’s attention.

Morphogenesis has an immunotherapy treatment that has worked in five out of five clinical trials on skin cancer and it’s nasty cousin, Merkel Cell cancer. The company’s CEO, Dr. James Bianco, says that the treatment may work against any cancer. But he doesn’t want anyone calling it The Cancer Vaccine. Cal gets some insight into the potential breakthrough, and the leaps we’re making in the fight against cancer. If you know someone who’s been touched by cancer, check this episode out. That means everybody.

​​Rich Palarea’s introduction on Twitter reads: “I won’t sleep until I fix $ waste in healthcare.” Cal listens to the story of how Rich became CEO of Kermit, a company that uses technological transparency to reduce costs on surgical implants for hospitals. The conversation reveals how little we know about what goes on behind the scenes in some operating rooms. It also gives us hope that applying transparency across all aspects of healthcare will make life better for everyone. 

Cal takes a moment to pause and reflect on moments he had with two icons who said farewell recently in very different ways. Tennis great Serena Williams ended one of the most impactful careers in the history of any sport at the U.S. Open and the man who lifted The Iron Curtain, Mikhail Gorbachev, took his final breath at the age of 91. Cal tells two stories that showcase the origin of their influence. They both revolve around hugs. We should all take note.

Cal takes a moment to honor those impacted by the attack on the World Trade Center that killed more than 3,000 people in 2001. He replays his conversation with Michael Wright, who was working on the 81st floor on the morning the planes struck. When Michael made it down to the street, one of the twin towers collapsed on his head. Cal replays Michael’s vivid description in this episode for two reasons. So that we’ll never forget the day, as well as to alert us to the terrorist threat of this era: Fentanyl. This synthetic opioid is 50 times more powerful than heroin and much more inexpensive to produce. It’s responsible for the death of more than 200,000 people in the USA over the last two years. 9/11 is a poignant alert that something needs to be done about Fentanyl. Now.

Many people have avoided going to the doctor during the time of Covid . . . unless they had Covid. This may have resulted in missing an early detection of cancer. So this podcast is a reminder to all those who’ve delayed checkups to make an appointment. Cal gets an exam, and now has peace of mind. He also puts the podcast to a checkup. Marketing guru Jason Harris, the CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, enters the conversation to show Cal that it’s time for Big Questions to grow to wear many hats. Cal responds by setting in motion a non-profit to attack problems in healthcare. The Best Is Yet To Come. Thanks for coming on the journey.

Cal has spent his life writing stories and telling them on stage. Big Questions started after he told stories for three straight hours on Tim Ferriss’s podcast. But Cal finds a new power in storytelling through Harvard’s Annie Brewster, a physician who used her own story to help heal herself after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis roughly twenty years ago. Annie went on to start a non-profit to help others understand their health problems through storytelling, and this conversation gives Cal the seed of an idea . . . and may help you, too.

Until this week, Cal never knew that more than ten percent of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 were physicians. Doctors are now found in tech roles that can bring exponential improvements to the masses. Amazon’s Adam Glasofer is a great example.

Johnny Crowder is motivation to all when it comes to changing the way you think about your health. He’s actually rewired his brain to get the best possible behavior from himself. His life is an extreme example of overcoming mental health problems. But the work he’s put in to understand the human brain can be used by anybody who needs to overcome ANY problem.