Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Everybody loves a great comeback story, and this is one of them. Rick came to Florida as a boy in a family of Cuban immigrants. His parents never made a salary of more than $11,000 a year. An elementary school teacher labeled Rick "retarded" because he couldn't speak English. Rick went on to become one of CNN's most viewed hosts in the early 2000s until some comments he made about the power struct...

Cal gets some lessons on positivity from the best-selling author on Yes! Attitude and couldn't wait to pass them on. You're guaranteed to be more positive after you listen to this one! Cal is a new man . . .

It turns out that sometimes back pain doesn't originate in the back – it's from a connected area. But that connection can go un-diagnosed and surgery might be recommended for the back. Dynamic Health and Fitness rehabilitates injuries and limits pain through massage, stretching and workouts. Nick Leader explains the functional science approach and points us to a free app that assesses the stabilit...

Damon Darnall, the president of Sky Eye Network, also known as The Drone Boss, tells Cal how drones will pop out of the ground like sprinkler systems to get medicine and blood to people who desperately need it, save the lives of utility repairmen, come to the rescue of people and pets in hurricanes, protect elephants and conserve thousands and thousands of gallons of water used at golf courses. Th...

Cal wanted to remember Larry King on the second anniversary of his passing ​ ​ through an episode ​ ​ of Big Questions. The best way, he discovered, is through the ​ ​ interview James Altucher ​ ​ conducted with him about the special sauce that ​ ​ made Larry "The King." Altucher's episode made Cal smile, and will make you, too.

Cal catches up with the man behind Personalfinanceclub.com during a time of inflation, cryptocurrency crashes, a looming recession and a congressional debt-ceiling fight to ask about the best ways to handle money right now. Jeremy's strategies have never disappointed.

Cal was curious about ways to get more out of his time when he heard about Dan Martell's book: Buy Back Your Time. He was stunned by Dan's amazing backstory, which makes the lessons he passes on even more meaningful. Dan coaches CEOs and company founders through SaaS Academy. Buckle your seatbelt for this episode, and get the most out of the 10- 80-10 rule.

Cal talks with the criminal defense attorney who never lost a case and then found the meaning of his life through creating a company that creates amazing chocolates. It's also a company that is changing thousands of lives. This conversation, and Shawn's Book, Meaningful Work, may make you connect with yourself in a new way.

On the day of Pele's burial, Cal goes to the archives for an interview he did with the man many consider to be the greatest soccer player of all time. This podcast gets to the essence of the Brazilian superstar who connected with almost everyone on the planet. Not only did Pele make everyone smile, he once halted a war. After three years of disconnection due to the pandemic, we need to connect now...

Cal looks back at some of the best ideas from expert guests on Big Questions over the last year to live a healthier life – including how to sleep better, how to eat better, how to think better and how to move your body better. Follow this advice and you will have a healthy and happy 2023. Please pass it around to family and friends! And have a Happy New Year!

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 c...

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 w...

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 childre...

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 t...

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 iden...

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...

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 af...

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 h...

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 ag...

​​ 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...

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 influe...