Straight To It

I am very excited to announce, the changing of Explain It To Me Like I'm a Ten Year Old to Straight To It with Charlie Zeitlin. Listen to learn more! Also, look forward to new episodes coming out this month with an MIT AI student, a psychiatrist, and more!

In this episode, I interview Guy Friedman, the CEO and founder of SteadyMD. SteadyMD is a telehealth service that connects patients with licensed clinicians. Guy also was the founder of HigherNext, one of the first online proctoring services. We discuss his story, what he loves about entrepreneurship, and the future of healthcare. I really enjoyed speaking with Guy - and I hope you enjoy the episo...

In this episode, I interview Alex Grodd, Founder of BetterLesson, one of the first platforms for teachers to share lesson plans. Now, Alex is building Mainstem Media, a company dedicated to creating podcasts and documentaries to facilitate productive disagreement. Alex is a former teacher and alum of Teach for America. We discuss what he learned from Teach for America, BetterLesson, and his vision...

Introducing: Explained! This is the start of a new series on the podcast where we are spending a half-hour with experts breaking down an important - and complex topic. In the first episode, we're speaking with Dr. Kevin Trenberth, climate scientist and an author of the Nobel Prize Winning 2007 IPCC report on Climate Change as well as Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of the Citizens Climate Lo...

In this episode, I interview Ward Horton, an actor who has had roles in movies and shows such as Annabelle and Pure Genius, as well as in the Broadway show, Torch Song. He has appeared in movies like Ford vs. Ferrari and The Wolf of Wall Street. We discuss the ongoing actors strike, fair compensation, and his fascinating career. I really enjoyed speaking with Ward. Enjoy the episode!!!

In this episode, I interview Jeff Wise, a science and aviation journalist and MH370 expert. Jeff was featured in the Netflix documentary, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared. Jeff's writing has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times, Business Week and Popular Mechanics, and he has spoken about MH370 on CNN, MSNBC and Fox. We discuss that Jeff thinks happened to flight MH370, the document...

In this episode, I interview Julie Lythcott-Haims. Julie is an NYT best selling author, former Stanford dean and current Palo Alto City Council Member. Julie first was a corporate lawyer, but finding herself unfilled, she left her job to join Stanford. As a Freshman Dean, Julie noticed the effect of helicopter parenting on students, and decided to write How to Raise an Adult. We discuss the negati...

In this episode, I interview Barrington Irving, pilot and Founder of Experience Aviation and The Flying Classroom. Barrington became the youngest person and first African-American to fly around the world solo. Barrington flew 30,000 miles around the globe, with 27 stops, moving through monsoons, blizzards and sandstorms in a single-engine plane. He went on to start Experience Aviation and The Flyi...

In this episode, I interview Nancy Coupal, founder of Coupa Café. Nancy moved with her family from Venezuela to Palo Alto, and saw the need for an authentic, delicious café. Coupa has become a Palo Alto institution, with nine locations (and appearances in The Social Network, The Dropout and 60 Minutes). We discuss Nancy's story, what it takes to run a successful café and why Coupa is so iconic...

In this episode, I interview Sunny Vanderbeck, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Satori Capital. Sunny Vanderbeck and his partner Randy Eisenman founded Satori in 2008. Satori invests into companies with outstanding leadership and sustainability practices. After serving as an Army Ranger, Sunny founded his own company, Data Return, one of the first web hosting businesses, and led the company to a...

In this episode, I interview Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a company dedicated to keeping man's best friend around for longer. Loyal is developing drugs to slow aging in large and small dogs, and has done a number of pilot studies. They aim to release their first drug in 2025. Celine studied Neuroscience at UT Austin and the health economics of gene therapy at Oxford. We discussed...

In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Cialdini, Emeritus Professor of Marketing and Psychology at Arizona State University. In his bestselling book, Influence, Dr. Cialdini draws on his experience studying the principles of influence and simplifies them in seven universal principles. Robert shares his stories from over 40 years of research and what he is must proud of from his career. 

In this special (50th!) episode, I am very lucky to be interviewed by my dad, Zac Zeitlin. Zac has been my mentor and guide on my podcastsing journey and has helped me from day one! I really enjoyed being the guest this time, and Zac did a great job preparing questions. We have the opportunity to discuss the vision for the podcast and process of doing the interviews, and we talk about guests we wo...

In this episode, I interview Erin Thorkilsen, former teacher at Greens Farms Academy in Connecticut, and founder of Heart in Education. Erin has be teaching in the classroom for over 20 years and started Heart in Education to train and inspire teachers to fill their classrooms  with joy, enthusiasm and mindfulness. I was lucky enough to have been taught by Erin, and I really enjoyed catching...

In this episode, I interview Josh Balk. Josh started working at the Humane Society in 2005, and has successfully led many companies like McDonalds and Walmart to treat animals better. He also was instrumental in helping pass Prop 12 in California, which prohibits cruel confinement for mother pigs. Josh is the Co-Founder of Eat Just, the makers of Just Egg, an incredibly popular egg substitute, as...

In this episode, I interview Pete Shadbolt, the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of PsiQuantum, a company working to build the world's first one million qubit quantum computer. We discuss how quantum computing works, its real world applications, and Pete's story of moving to America to start PsiQuantum. I enjoyed talking to Pete, who really knows how to explain a complex topic! Enjoy the in...

Over the past two years, we’ve been lucky to interview over forty amazing leaders, from the worlds of sports, entertainment, food, healthcare, social impact and technology. After many conversations with these entrepreneurs and new ones you will hear from soon, I’m happy to announce a new, short-form version of Explain it to me like I’m a ten year old. In this case, I focus entirely on helping foun...

In this episode, I interview Alden Mills, a Navy SEAL, founder of Perfect Fitness and author of Be Unstoppable and Unstoppable Teams. When Alden was diagnosed with asthma at age 12 and told he couldn't do anything athletic, he focused even more on fitness and eventually became a collegiate rower and a Navy SEAL. Alden shares incredible stories about his time in the SEALS; how with $25,000 left in...

In this episode, I interview Ross Greenburg, CEO of Ross Greenburg Productions and former President of HBO Sports. Ross has won 56 Emmys and 8 Peabody Awards as the producer of many amazing sports documentaries and movies, including Miracle, Hard Knocks, and 61*. We discussed Ross' love of sports, the stories behind some of his legendary shows and how the TV and movie industries have evolved in th...

In this episode, I interview Chris Voss, the former FBI lead hostage negotiator, founder of the Black Swan Group and author of Never Split The Difference. He also teaches a Masterclass about Negotiation. Chris is a really smart and incredible person. In the interview, we discuss his career and do an hostage role play -in which Chris handily defeated me. He also talks about strategies you can use i...

In this episode, I interview Ryan Springer, a Founding Partner of Midnight Ventures and Founder of High Desert Cactus Vodka. Midnight Ventures is an awesome VC fund investing in the future of wellness. High Desert Cactus Vodka makes Vodka from the cactus! We discuss some of the unique wellness products Ryan has invested in, his journey, and how he sees the wellness industry evolving. I hope you en...

In this episode, I speak with Pat Burt, the Mayor of Palo Alto, CA. With a population of over 60,000, Palo Alto is home to Stanford University and countless technology companies. Mayor Burt is a champion of sustainability who has helped turn Palo Alto into one of the greenest cities in the country. Mayor Burt is serving in his third term and has been on the City Council for over a decade. We look...

In this episode, I interview Maria Kim, CEO of REDF. REDF is a venture philanthropy that invests in businesses that are dedicated to providing employees a second chance, including homeless or formerly incarcerated individuals. Maria talks about how REDF works, some of the businesses they support, and how we can build a more inclusive economy. 

In this episode, I interview Mona Lisa Wallace, Founding Partner of the law firm Wallace & Graham. Mona has dedicated her career to obtaining justice for people harmed by corporate giants. We discuss the case against Smithfield Foods, which is described in detail in the amazing book Wastelands by Corban Addison - it is truly a must read! I really enjoyed talking to and learning from Mona, and...

In this episode, I interview Tom Costley, the founder of Overland Summers, an adventure group that takes kids on amazing trips to places like Yellowstone, the Swiss Alps and Iceland. Overland has had 40,000 kids go through its program over 40 years. Tom founded Overland with his wife, Liz. We discuss the story of Overland, the challenges and how Overland works. I really hope you enjoy this convers...