CSI Chat

#21 - Walt Pavlo

Walt Pavlo was a senior finance executive overseeing a $2 billion operation at MCI Communications during a high growth period in the telecommunications industry before he was caught in a scheme to embezzle $6 million.  Walt was eventually caught, spent some time in prison, and now speaks globally on the importance of ethics and corporate culture.  Walt is the co-author of the terrific book "Stolen without a Gun - Confessions from insider history's biggest accounting fraud - the collapse of MIC WorldCom" as well as an active contributor on Forbes writing about the state of prisons in the United States.  
We talk to Walt about a wide range of topics, including the details of the embezzlement, the risk of bus rides in prison, best practices in corporate culture and advice to white collar criminals.  Needless to say, a very fun "Chat"!  

#20 - Patricia Walsh Chadwick

Patricia spent her childhood growing up in a cult with very strict rules surrounding interactions with her family and the outside world.  She was then kicked out of the cult at a very young age and left with nothing.  She started at the bottom rung of the ladder and eventually rose to the highest levels within Wall Street.  Her story is documented through her two fantastic books, "Little Sister" and "Breaking Glass:  Tales from the Witch of Wall Street".
Patricia's story is absolutely incredible!  We talk to her life about growing up in the cult and her rise up the corporate ladder within Wall Street.  

#19 - Jay Dobyns

We sit down with Superhero Jay Dobyns (who ironically is also married to a Superhero!).  Jay went deep undercover as a US Federal Agent with the Hells Angels and went on to become one of the most successful undercover agents in US law enforcement history.  He is the author of two outstanding best-selling books, "No Angel:  My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels" and "Catching Hell:  A True Story of Abandonment and Betrayal".
We talk to Jay about his career as a Federal Agent which included:
Starting work on a Monday and getting shot and nearly killed on a Thursday.
Life as an undercover agent and the toll it took on his mental well being and his family.  
Going into a Hells Angels clubhouse while wearing a wire (including asking Jay, "What would happen if you were caught?") 
Jay's exit from the undercover world and eventually from the US government.  Sadly, it was not a fairy tale ending.  
A "Superhero" is defined as a person who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people and uses those powers to make the world a better place.  After listening to this interview, I think there is no doubt that Jay Dobyns is a Superhero.  

#18 - Olga Mecking

Why is the Netherlands consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world?  Have the Dutch solved the secret to happiness and what can the rest of the world learn from them?  Olga Mecking attempts to unlock this mystery in her terrific book, "Niksen:  Embracing The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing".  
 
Olga has spent a significant amount of time living and raising her family in the Netherlands and has seen the benefits of Niksen.  We talk to Olga about the health benefits of Niksen and why it makes sense to slow things down and enjoy the finer things in life in a very fast paced world.  

#17 - Craig Stanland

Craig Stanland arrived at work on a Tuesday morning and was greeted with a chilling message from the FBI demanding that he return home and he realized that his past had caught up with him.  Craig documents his entire experience starting with this voicemail and ending with how he emerged from prison a changed man in his excellent book "Blank Canvas:   How I reinvented my life after prison".  
In our "Chat", Craig takes us through this entire experience and how he emerged from prison with a completely different perspective on life.  If you want to know what it is like to go from having everything, losing it all and then rebuilding your life, you should certainly listen to this Chat. 

#16 - Richard Gurman

We are joined by Richard Gurman who was the executive producer on the ground breaking show "Married... with Children" and author of the new book, "Married... with Children vs. the World".  
Richard takes us behind the scenes of the meteoric rise of Married... with Children and the FOX Network.  Richard also discusses the process of writing, casting and filming a hit TV Series.
Did your favorite TV Series "Jump the shark"?  Several successful TV series had a "Jump the shark" moment and Richard explains the background on this terminology.     

#15 - Adam Higginbotham

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard.  On the fateful launch day, there were several engineers who expressed serious concerns surrounding the launch on one of the coldest days in Florida history. 
We are joined by author Adam Higginbotham to talk about his new book, "Challenger:  A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space", which chronicles the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the missteps that were made along the way.   

#14 - Mary Ormsby

In 1988 Ben Johnson ran a record breaking 9.79 in the 100m and won an Olympic gold medal.  A few days later, he tested positive for steroids and the gold medal was lost. 
Is this the greatest moment in Canadian sports history or the worst?  Did Ben Johnson get a fair trial?  Do we wish Ben Johnson got away "Scott Free"?   
We are joined by the incredible Mary Ormsby as she talks about her new book, "World's Fastest Man:  The Incredible Life of Ben Johnson" and attempts to answer these complicated questions.  

#13 - Kevin Donovan

We are incredibly lucky to be joined by one of the top investigative journalists in Canada from the Toronto Star, Kevin Donovan.  Kevin chats about the current state of newspapers, the important role of investigative journalism and the process he undertakes when embarking on a new investigation. 
We then move on to talking about the excellent investigative work he has performed over the last several years on the tragic, unsolved, double murders of Barry and Honey Sherman.  Kevin's work is documented in his book, "The Billionaire Murders:  The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman" which led to a 9-part podcast and a 4-part streaming series of the same name (I have read, listened to and watched all three and they are terrific). 
We also ask Kevin, "How do you sleep the night before one of your stories is about to hit the headlines in the Toronto Star and rock the world"?  For that answer, you need to listen to the Chat!    

#12 - Peter Forcelli

It is the week of July 4th and this episode features an American Hero, Peter Forcelli.  Pete is 9/11 first responder, former ATF agent and author of "The Deadly Path".  In our interview, Pete revisits the events of 9/11 and later, how he became a federal whistle-blower while working for the ATF detailing how federal prosecutors in Arizona did not prosecute gun traffickers.  Pete's story is incredible and documented in his book, "The Deadly Path:  How Operation Fast and Furious and Bad Lawyers Armed Mexican Cartels".