Ep 14: Carl Gottlieb — Screenwriter for JAWS and the Jerk

Ep 18 Stu Cook -- Bass Player for Creedence Clearwater Revival/Revisted

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.

Ep 17: Steve Huffman — CEO and Co-Founder of Reddit

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.

Ep 16: Don Felder — Former Eagles Guitarist

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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Their_Greatest_Hits_(1971%E2%80%931975)], 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. [https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Hell-Life-Eagles-1974-2001/dp/0470450428] 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.

Ep 15: Marty Bowen — Producer of Twilight and Mazerunner

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.

Ep 14: Carl Gottlieb — Screenwriter for JAWS and the Jerk

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.