FORTUNE Unfiltered with Aaron Task

This week Aaron speaks with Former Chairman of Sony Music, Tommy Motolla.

Tommy talks about the music industry, his history with Michael Jackson and his upcoming show A Bronx Tale.

Danny Meyer was a disruptor before it was cool, and remains one today. From the opening of Union Square Cafe in 1985 through Shake Shack’s IPO in 2014 and beyond, Meyer’s restaurants have shaken up the industry’s norms. New York’s fine dining establishment didn’t really focus on customer service and restaurants generally didn’t offer their staff benefits before Meyer arrived on the scene.

Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group continued to push boundaries of American dining by eliminating tipping from the Michelin-starred The Modern in late 2015, with plans to extend it to all 13 of its restaurants over time. And starting in 2017, the firm will offer paid parental leave to its full-time restaurant workers, extending a benefits package rarely seen in the industry that has long-included health insurance, life insurance and a matching 401(k) plan.

Meyer’s personal background makes him an unlikely revolutionary but it’s clear he’s become one of the most important American restaurateurs of the past 30 years because of a relentless focus on the dining experience for everyone in the restaurant, from customers to employees to suppliers and everyone in between.

Dave Brandon is the CEO of Toys "R" Us and Chairman of the Board of Domino's Pizza, which make him a supercool grandpa — and one of the most successful businessmen in the consumer space. Brandon was CEO when Domino’s went public in 2004, the largest IPO in restaurant history, and was brought in to run Toys “R” Us by Bain Capital presumably to do the same for the toy store chain.

If that happens—and speculation is 2017 may be the year—Brandon would be a rare CEO to oversee three IPOs, having also taken Valassis Communications public in the early 1990.

But Brandon has suffered his share of setbacks too. In between Domino’s IPO and running Toys “R” Us, he was the Athletic Director at his alma mater, the University of Michigan from 2010 to 2014. Brandon’s tenure was marred by controversy and even student protest. So does Brandon have any regrets? Listen to this episode of Fortune Unfiltered to find out.

Maverick Carter, best known as LeBron James’ childhood friend and agent, claims “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious,” borrowing a phrase from Albert Einstein.

But to overlook him as “just” James’ trusted confidante underestimates Carter’s abilities as a businessman, sports marketer and media executive.

Carter is CEO of SpringHill Entertainment, which signed a content deal with Warner Brothers in 2015. He’s also CEO and co-founder (with James) of Uninterrupted, a platform for first-person athlete stories hosted on Bleacher Report.

In this episode of Fortune Unfiltered, Carter reveals some of his career highlights, including negotiating James’ rumored $1 billion-plus lifetime deal with Nike, and his role helping put Beats Music on the map in the years prior to its acquisition by Apple in 2014.

We also discuss going from “The Decision” special — which was widely criticized— to seeing LeBron bring a championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1964, what he learned from his grandmother, who ran a gambling parlor, working (briefly) with Johnny Manziel, what he considers “the worst thing” in business, and what’s next for him and James.

“I feel like we’re just getting started...just getting started,” he says. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

Russell Simmons isn't shy about expressing his opinion, and doesn't mince words, whether it's about Hollywood's lack of diversity, global warming, veganism, or the election.

"The first thing I said is 'I'd rather Kim Kardashian be president,'" Simmons says of Donald Trump, a man he's known and had a friendship with for some 30 years before the 2016 campaign.

One of the most extraordinary businessmen in modern American history, Simmons achieved enormous success in a variety of endeavors. As co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, Simmons helped bring hip-hop music into the mainstream. He later created fashion lines like Phat Farm and produced HBO's Def Comedy Jam, which helped launch the careers of megastars like Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Martin Lawrence and many more.

Today, Simmons is chairman and CEO of Rush Communications, which includes over 10 businesses and three non-profits. He's also the author of several best-selling books, including Success Through Stillness and The Happy Vegan.

"The integration of culture is an explosion," he says. "It's so much fun. That's what America is about. That's where the success comes in."

U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James is responsible for a $139 billion budget and the welfare of nearly 660,000 active-duty, guard, reserve and civilian Airmen and their families.

Sec. James says this awesome responsibility is the "honor and privilege" of her career, which includes 30-plus years in senior homeland and national security roles in both the public and private sector.

Addressing Donald Trump's comments, Sec. James says "I can tell you the United States military is not any sort of disaster. It is the best military on the planet."

In addition to her personal story, Sec. James discusses current events — including the operation to liberate Mosul from ISIL, the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, Russia's provocations in the Baltics, and tensions in the South China Sea.

"This is the most complex period we have ever faced during the three decades I’ve been on the scene," Sec. James says in this episode of Fortune Unfiltered, recorded at Fortune's Most Powerful Women summit on Oct. 19.

Anthony Scaramucci is a very busy man. He’s the founder of SkyBridge Capital, an investment firm with $12.1 billion in assets, host of the SALT hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, co-host of Wall Street Week on Fox Business, an active philanthropist and the author of Hopping Over the Rabbit Hole: How Entrepreneurs Turn Failure into Success.

And if that weren’t enough, he's also on Donald Trump's economic policy council and finance committee.

In this episode of Fortune Unfiltered, Scaramucci explains how he overcame his initial skepticism about Trump's campaign—like many Republicans he initially didn't take Trump's candidacy seriously—and why he believes the GOP candidate's economic policies are best for America.

Scaramucci embodies the American dream - he grew up in a traditional Italian working-class family and recalls watching his father, a construction worker, got to work every day at 4:30 a.m.

"Let me ask people who are saying I'm a relentless self-promoter: How was I going to get here folks?"

John Chambers was CEO of Cisco Systems from 1995 to 2005. Cisco’s stock surged over 1400% during Chambers' tenure vs. a mere 350% gain for the S&P 500.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Chambers, who recalls the “life-threatening experiences” the company faced after the dot com bubble burst in 2000 and again after the 2008 financial crisis.

Now Cisco's executive chairman, Chambers explains why he’s so proud of how the company navigated those challenges and recalls the advice he got from GE’s Jack Welch during those struggles.

Chambers also talks about his personal battle with dyslexia and how he turned the condition into a strength. But he admits "my hands still sweat" thinking about being called on in class to have to read out loud.

Note: When this episode was recorded on September 15. Chambers said he was “waiting for the debates” before deciding whether or not to support Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Chambers, who served as national campaign co-chair for John McCain's 2008 presidential bid and endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012, could not be reached for additional comment.

Bethenny Frankel wasn’t the first reality TV star but she has used the platform to grow her business and brand better than anyone this side of Donald Trump. In addition to starring on The Real Housewives of New York City and Bethenny Ever After, Frankel has hosted a talk show, written four best-selling books, and founded the Skinnygirl line of cocktails, which she sold to Fortune Brands in 2011.

A savvy entrepreneur, Frankel kept the rights to the Skinnygirl name and is expanding it into a number of other product lines, including snacks, appliances, condiments, apparel, and sweeteners.

Check out the interview to hear how Frankel stays motivated after hitting it big and deals with the balancing act of being a parent, businesswoman and celebrity. Fans love Frankel for her no-holds-barred style and she definitely delivers in our most ‘unfiltered’ episode yet.

Jim Koch, founder and chairman of Boston Beer Company and the brewer of Sam Adams beer reflects on his personal journey in the latest edition of Fortune Unfiltered, a journey that included dropping out of Harvard (twice), becoming an Outward Bound guide, and eventually spurring a revolution in the American beer industry.