Seeking the Extraordinary

Andrew Budson is a professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a lecturer in neurology at Harvard Medical School. He has published over 150 papers and book chapters on clinical and cognitive neuroscience aspects of Alzheimer's disease. His most recent paper is "Consciousness as a Memory System.” Learn more about Andrew here: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/profile/andrew-budson...

David Baum has had adventures all over the world. He's a walking storybook and a book of quotations. A Maasai warrior in Africa once gave him the nickname "La Mayan," which means one who loves to walk and talk. As a result, David has sometimes been called a conversation architect. For over 30 years, he has facilitated conversations that create significant change. With two doctorates, 1) finding ho...

Today's guests founded the groundbreaking Punchbowl News. Anna Palmer worked for the Legal Times and Roll Call before joining Politico in 2011. While at the Legal Times she began to attract national attention for her work and investigating the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who ultimately went to prison. Not long after joining Politico, she joined the team of journalists investigating sexua...

Dan Egan is one of the most influential skiers of our time. He was instrumental in making extreme skiing what it is today and is known for skiing in the world's most remote, inhospitable regions. He's seen death and despair. But also, great triumph and new heights. He has appeared in multiple Warren Miller ski films, on the Discovery Channel, ESPN Fox Sports, and in countless magazines, books, and...

According to the New York Times, Mike Allen is the man the White House wakes up to. Some say he is among the most powerful and influential journalists in all of Washington. And they may be right. He is a co-founder of the renowned news outlet and platform Axios. And previously was chief political reporter for Politico, where he created and wrote the well-known Daily Playbook while helping Politico...

Martin Luther KIng III is an historic icon, though his own story still has many more chapters to be written. He was born in 1957, the oldest son of two African-American civil rights activists. Sadly at the age of only 10, he and his three siblings lost their father, when he was murdered in cold blood. His father was only 39 years old when he was killed, and he had known at the time that others wan...

Matt Ruff is a New York Times bestselling author whose work is so compelling that HBO turned it into a highly successful TV series, 'Lovecraft Country.' He wrote the best-selling book of the same name on which that show is based. In fact, he's the author of multiple books, including Fool on the Hill, Sewer Gas and Electric: The Public Works trilogy. Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls, Bad...

Marc Buoniconti, author of 'Undefeated: From Tragedy To Triumph' is the son of a Hall Of Fame NFL legend. Like his father and brother he was a feared linebacker whose presence on the field was felt not only by his opponents, but also by his own team. He went to college at the Citadel where he, again, excelled at football and even managed to exceed the success he had as a player in high school. Thi...

Lisa Poff has collaborated extensively with many allies in her quest to develop new programs designed to empower women with financial knowledge and confidence. She also attended culinary school and cooked in professional kitchens in Los Angeles and Washington DC, authoring a cookbook of her most successful recipes. She is the chief marketing officer of The Colony Group. About a year ago Lisa was d...

Bill Cohan is the New York Times bestselling author of three non-fiction books about Wall Street money and power, How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World, House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street and The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co., which also won the financial times Goldman Sachs business book of the year. His book, The Price of Silence,...

Today's guest, Dr. Craig Sable, is the first medical doctor on the show. He's also a researcher and global health advocate, Sable is the associate division chief of cardiology at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he also serves as director of echocardiography, a professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Sable has m...

In this edition of Seeking the Extraordinary, we're interviewing the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of Diversity & Inclusion- Gloria Cotton and Greg Jenkins. Greg is a dedicated and passionate leader, facilitator, coach, and mentor dedicated to helping people and teams achieve higher levels of performance. Greg helps leaders understand the value of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to enhance...

Gunnar Esiason is a cystic fibrosis and rare disease patient leader, who is passionate about early-stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy. Professionally, he developed a patient engagement platform for a medical nutrition company, built a venture philanthropy practice at the Boomer Esiason Foundation and was the head coach of his high school alma mater’s varsity hockey team....

Joseph Bramlett was the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the US amateur at the age of 14. In 2002, he was recruited by all the major collegiate golf programs, but being from Northern California, decided to stay home and play for Stanford. He went on to be an All-American and a member of the 2007 NCAA championship team.

Mary Margaret Revell is someone whose life has been a story the likes of which you've never heard before. Disney wanted to make a movie about her, and with good reason. She swam across the nine-mile Strait of Gibraltar finishing in seven hours, 13 minutes, and becoming only the second woman to accomplish this feat. She made several attempts to swim across the English Channel before swimming across...

Alex Sheen, inspired by a personal tragedy, founded Because I Said I Would, a movement and organization dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. He and his organization are changing lives through an innovative concept called promise cards, as bolstered by chapters of volunteers, character education programs in schools and global awareness campaigns. One of the world'...

Kaley Klemp has changed the lives of countless people through her teachings around self-awareness. As a management consultant for Deloitte, she's now a highly sought after coach, facilitator, and speaker. She's a TEDx speaker. She has facilitated retreats for hundreds of forums throughout the world. Is renowned expert in small group dynamics and leadership development, and is a black belt master o...

Dennis Ross worked in key positions for presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama. His bipartisan experiences dealing with the Middle East, Russia, the Persian Gulf, South Asia, and other areas are, in a word, vast. Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Etan Thomas attended Syracuse University where he played basketball and graduated with a degree in Business Management. In 2000, the year in which he was selected to the first team, All Big East, he was drafted number 12 in the NBA draft and went on to play as a center and power forward for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks. But this man is far more than a member of t...

Adam Hayden is a philosopher, writer, advocate and community organizer. He's married and has three young children. He's witty, charming, brilliant, and full of life. And in 2016, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most common forms of brain cancer. Glioblastoma or GBM has a median survival time of approximately 10 to 16 months and a five-year survival rate of only about 5...

You've probably never heard of Joshua Nathanson, but his story may just change your life. In a special episode, Michael interviews his 23-year-old son about his amazing resilience in standing up to life-threatening challenges. Joshua was born in 1998 in Boston. He grew up in the suburbs of Boston and from the earliest age was naturally precocious, wise beyond his years and perhaps a bit more serio...

Driven by his personal mission to be the best version of himself and help solve the climate crisis, Peter Knight embodies the true meaning of a renaissance person. He started as a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice, later expanding his legal career into advising both the International and U.S. Olympic Committees, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. His knack for politics has propelle...

Through her life's work and advocacy, Joyce Payne has made an important life-changing difference, not for a few people, but for thousands. She is the founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which has raised over $300 million for support and scholarships for its 47 historically black college and university member schools, and numerous students attending those schools. She served as executive...

She competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals in one bronze medal. He was chosen by his fellow Olympians to bear the U S flag at the closing ceremony of the 1994 winter Olympics. And will forever be an example of the power of human resilience. Mike chats with the real dynamic duo, Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen.

John Thornton is a top agent for the Jay-Z powered Roc Nation. One of the world's best known agencies for entertainers, athletes, and other celebrities, from Alicia Keyes, Rihanna and Shakira to Kyrie Irving and Saquon Barkley, Roc Nation's client list reads like a veritable who's who list, garnering it over a half billion followers on Instagram. John himself represents a first-round pick from las...