With a career spanning 6 decades, Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival (and later Creedence Clearwater Revisited) is still playing guitar at 74 years old. He performed at Woodstock in 1969 and is known for iconic songs such as “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” 

He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and sold over 30 million records in the U.S. alone. Now a grandfather, Stu is hanging up his guitar this year after his farewell tour.  

In this interview, Stu shares his meditation techniques, how his parents influenced his love of music, and what advice he would give his younger self. He was a real joy to interview, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

At 35 years old, Steve Huffman has changed the face of the internet. While attending the University of Virginia, he and college roommate Alexis Ohanian sought to create the “front page of the internet” and a place of community.  And with that idea, Reddit was born.

After selling the company in 2006, Steve returned to his position as CEO in 2015 to help Reddit right the ship. Reddit is now the 13th most trafficked website in the world with 450 million monthly visitors and it’s valued at over 3 billion dollars.

I interviewed Steve in San Francisco, where we discussed his strategies for anger management, his sense of purpose in creating and then resurrecting Reddit, and the importance of mentorship. 

While growing up in poverty, Don “the Fingers” Felder taught himself to play guitar. After getting his start with bandmembers from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, he joined the Eagles. He not only co-wrote the iconic song “Hotel California,” he has the highest selling album of all time: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, which sold 38 million copies.

He has performed with some of the biggest names in the industry, including the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Sir Elton John. He is also a best-selling author of Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles. In 2001 he left the band after 27 years and 150 million records (and counting). 

This week, I am thrilled to have him on our show to share how his morning meditations keep him grounded, how he rose from the backwoods of Florida to become a member of the rock and roll hall of fame, and what his song-writing process looks like. He was a real pleasure to talk with, and I hope you enjoy this week’s episode as much as I did.

Marty Bowen is the co-founder of Temple Hill Entertainment and the producer of Twilight, which grossed over $3 billion dollars worldwide. His movies include the Mazerunner Series, The Fault in Our Stars, and The First Man.

Marty went to Harvard but saw himself as an outsider. He began his Hollywood career as a trainee at United Talent Agency, working his way up to becoming an agent. In 2006, he identified a hole in the market and after a fateful lunch meeting started Temple Hill Entertainment. As an agent and later a producer, he learned to navigate hundreds if not thousands of personalities to create each movie.

In this week’s episode, I talk with Marty about what got him into the movie business and the moment he knew Twilight would be a success. He shares his uncommon superpower, “anxiety” and how he uses it to make better decisions. We talk about how he has come to expect failure and sees his job as a job of failure. Marty is a lot of fun, charming and a pleasure to be around.

Carl Gottlieb is an Emmy-award winning screenwriter, best known for Jaws and the Jerk with Steve Martin. In 1977 Jaws grossed $430 million and at the time was the highest grossing film ever. Carl’s also an accomplished actor, author, and Writer’s Guild of America board member.

Carl’s depression-era parents told him at a young age to pursue what he wanted out of life. In this episode, I dive deep into the surprising success of the “fish movie”, as well as valuable insight into stories and his writing process. He also shares personal anecdotes about working with Steven Spielberg, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, and David Crosby’s of Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Daniel Asres is an educator, specializing in early childhood education. He’s the Chairman of Board at California Collegiate Charter School and Director of Little Dolphins By The Sea a multi-cultural pre-school, imagine a laboratory for kids.

When my kids' fight or I’m having a “dad meltdown” I call Daniel Asres. It’s like having President Obama and Mr. Rodgers on your speed dial. Daniel supports kids by bridging the gap between the two most important systems that the child lives in: the home and school.

Whether your parenting style is to spank, put your kids on time out, shame them (no judgment) or ask them how it makes them feel, Daniel resolves conflicts so they not only feel heard but empowered.

The last 18 years, Daniel has devoted himself to learning the latest research and developing kids. If you want to improve the relationships in your life, understand the needs of your inner kid, or learn more about advances in education you will love today's episode.  

Jenny Wall ran marketing for HBO, Hulu, and Netflix, some of the most iconic media companies of our time. She’s a marketer, mom, and activist. She grew up in a conservative home in the mid-west, lost a parent at an early age, and came out as a lesbian at a time when coming out was shameful and isolating.

When I think of Jenny one word comes to mind. Strong.

In 2019 she helped Gimlet Media, a podcast network, sell to Spotify for $190 million.

In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to raise a son with two mom’s, grow a podcast business and the lessons she learned marketing HBO, Hulu, and Netflix.

We recorded this episode in the Gimlet Media studios in Brooklyn.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Enjoy!

Scott MacArthur is an actor and writer known for playing Jimmy Shepherd, a main character on the Fox comedy series The Mick. Scott is an alumnus of The Second City in Chicago. He started writing by himself in his garage eight years ago, springboarding to "The Mick" writing job.

This episode is for anyone with a calling to do original work, be creative, and have a good time. We talk about the transition from writing to acting, and what it was like to quit the safe path and go out on your own.

We dig into his writing process, the 25,000 voice memos he’s recorded on his phone, and what he’s learned working in a writers room. Scott is hilarious, quirky, and a real joy.

Make sure to watch him on his upcoming HBO Series “The Righteous Gemstones,” about a family of televangelists staring Danny McBride and John Goodman.

Kyle Thiermann is a documentarian, writer, and professional big wave surfer. At 18 he created a Youtube series called Surfing for Change with 2.5 million views. The show combines surfing imagery and current global issues to highlight the power of individuals in creating a better world. The first video inspired people to move $110 million out of centralized banks and into local banks and credit unions.

He is one of the few surfers sponsored by Patagonia (which started from a cold-email to the founder) and gave a popular Ted Talk in his wetsuit. I brought Kyle on because I wanted to know two things: (1) What does it feel like to drop into a big wave at 20, 30 or 40-feet and (2) How could someone so young accomplish so much?

In this episode, we cover Kyle’s story, film making, book recommendations, psychedelics, and his current love — podcasts.

Hunter Maats is a writer, educator and host of Mixed Mental Arts with Bryan Callen. He’s also the co-author of Straight-A Conspiracy. Hunter draws from a wealth of experience. He was born in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, grew up in Greece and Brazil, went to high school in London, and college at Harvard. His mom is American (from Kansas) and his dad is Dutch. He never identified with any one culture and spent much of his life trying to make sense of the world around him.

His life and work is a portfolio of projects. He writes screenplays, tutors high school students in Los Angeles, and advises on multiple businesses and educational projects. He’s my surfing partner, a great friend and I’m excited to share his story.