Episodes

James talks with historian, investor, and author Joseph Moore about How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked (& Didn’t). They cover Benjamin Franklin’s debt, George Washington’s marriage, debtor’s prison, real estate myths, stock-market concentration, FIRE, pass...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Seth Godin about Akimbo, hits, marketing, criticism, fear, status, audience selection, and why the best creative work is generous because it might not work. Seth explains why creators should stop chasing platforms, rankings, and mass approval—and st...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Arianna Huffington about The Sleep Revolution, burnout, reinvention, failure, The Huffington Post, and why sleep is not a luxury. Arianna explains how her collapse from exhaustion changed her life, why achievement and sleep are not enemies, and how ...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Nancy Cartwright about Bart Simpson, The Simpsons, voice acting, mentorship, instinct, and her film In Search of Fellini. Nancy explains how a trip to Italy, a love of La Strada, and years of creative persistence became a movie about art, identity, ...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with astronaut Mike Massimino about Spaceman, his unlikely path from a kid watching the moon landing to repairing the Hubble Space Telescope. They discuss failure, persistence, imposter syndrome, teamwork, fear, public service, the view of Earth from spa...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Ray Dalio about Principles, the book that explains the rules Ray used to build Bridgewater and guide his life. They discuss failure, radical open-mindedness, idea meritocracy, decision-making, habits, meditation, the economy, cryptocurrencies, and w...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Tyra Banks and her mother, Carolyn London, about beauty, business, parenting, preparation, and the lessons behind their book Perfect Is Boring. Tyra explains how she turned rejection, body criticism, and industry limits into strategy, while Carolyn ...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Dan Harris about meditation, ambition, anxiety, marriage, money, news, and why mindfulness does not have to be mystical or precious. Dan explains how meditation helped him after his on-air panic attack, why the practice works best when it is simple ...

In this From the Archive episode, James talks with Steven Pressfield about story structure, the hero’s journey, the artist’s journey, Resistance, and why every creative life begins with crossing a threshold. They discuss The Legend of Bagger Vance, The War of Art, ancient myths, screenwriting, entre...