CSI Chat

#24 - Gregory Makoff

Gregory Makoff is the author of the terrific book, "Default:  The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina's $100 Billion Debt Restructuring".  Greg's book outlines the saga of Argentina's default on their sovereign debt obligations and the lengthy process of resolving the default.  
We talk to Greg about a number of topics, including:
The key differences between sovereign debt and corporate debt.  
The major players in the international debt markets who played a role in helping to resolve the situation with Argentina.  
The impact on a country when they default on their debt obligations and whether certain countries today are at risk of defaulting on their rising debt.  
If you are interested in learning about Argentina and the complicated issues of sovereign debt, I would encourage you to listen to the interview.  

#23 - Dr. Kristy Goodwin

Dr. Kristy Goodwin, author of the terrific book "Dear Digital, We need to talk", joins CSI Chat for a "heart to heart" discussion on the relationship between our ourselves and our digital devices.  
These days, technology should be making our jobs easier and less stressful; however, it is quite possible that the reverse trend is occurring as technology could be making our jobs more complex and much more stressful.  Dr. Goodwin joins us to discuss: 
How is technology increasing our stress level (when it is supposed to be doing the opposite)?
How do we leverage "Biological Buffers" to reduce our dependency on our "Digital Device".  Human connection, sleep, and physical movement are critical to our wellbeing.   
What is a "Toilet Tweeter"?  Apparently, this is a "thing". 
I hope everyone enjoys the "CSI Chat" with Kristy.  

#22 - Chris Ashford

Our next guest on CSI Chat is Chris Ashford.  Chris is UK military veteran turned personal trainer.  Chris has spent nearly his entire professional life focused on personal wellness and namely the three core pillars being sleep, diet and exercise.  He is “Head Coach” at “Ashford Fitness Consultancy” which helps both individuals and corporations maximize personal wellness.
During our conversation on CSI Chat, we talk to Chris about:
We start our conversation with Chris talking about the “elephant in the room” and the impact of alcohol on the human body. 
Chris and I taped this interview on November 1, 2024 (which is the day after Halloween!)  Chris will provide some perspectives on what a healthy amount of candy consumption would be (thankfully for me, it is not zero!)
Chris talks about the transition to “working from home” and how he is helping clients build a plan which strikes the proper balance between working from home and the office.  

#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.