Persistence 360°

Relationships can be the key to reaching your goals or holding you back. The producer of “The James Altucher Show” Steve Cohen discusses why he doesn’t consider making contacts “networking”, how surrounding himself with good people has made him a better person and the importance of focusing on the process of your work and not the results.

Working as a WWE ring announcer for over a decade, Justin Roberts discusses his unyielding persistence, the pros and cons of working for a company worth over $2 billion, and the importance of not always relying on others to get the job done.

Elvis Duran has hosted one of the biggest morning radio shows for the last 25 years. He was even inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. We sat down to discuss how being fired can be a blessing, asking for things when it’s not your strength, and the power of saying “no”.

Imagine seeing the frustrating obstacles affecting millions of students applying for financial aid and deciding to create a solution. Charlie Javice discusses building her startup Frank, the 300,000 students Frank has helped receive $7 billion in financial aid, starting a soup kitchen in her high school, and why rejection is a numbers game.

Being a NAVY seal in Vietnam and having part of his leg amputated due to battle, Bob Kerrey discusses the persistence he used in his recovery, the importance of asking for help, knowing when to retreat, and being Governor of Nebraska as well as U.S. Senator.

Imagine pursuing your dream of being a TV Show host, which results in massive debt, maxing out credit cards, and having to rely on your Mother-in-law to buy groceries. Mario Armstrong discusses overcoming these struggles, becoming a correspondent on The TODAY Show, winning an EMMY, and hosting his very own digital series.

Imagine starting a music venue where you’re so broke you’re forced to sleep in your office, join a gym to shower, and have the city shut off your electricity. How did Michael Dorf persevere to create two iconic, successful music venues, the Knitting Factory and City Winery? You’re about to fine out.

Imagine getting into an accident that nearly ruins your career. Magician Joshua Jay discusses how he overcame this to perform in over 100 countries, go on Jimmy Fallon, develop a card trick that fooled Penn & Teller, and even set a magic Guinness World Record.

Imagine taking Nickelodeon from last to first place in the ratings within 6 months. Fred Seibert discusses taking Nickelodeon to the top, Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman’s incredible persistence, why he needs to fail constantly, and the important of not saying “no” to something just because no one else has ever done it.

Imagine converting a vacant lot used as an illegal dumping ground into the first riverside park in the area in 60 years. Majora Carter joins me to discuss how she made it happen, how buying stocks in a local polluter led to real change, why she called out Al Gore, and how to stay motivated during long-term projects.

Imagine going after your dream job in your late 50’s. The job? The director of Saturday Night Live. The problem? You don’t have any experience directing live comedy. How did Don Roy King successfully land his dream job directing Saturday Night Live and go on to win 9 EMMYs? You’re about to find out. 

Would you be willing to commute seven hours daily for your dream internship? This was just one of Cynthia Silva's many obstacles just to level the playing field. Cynthia Silva's work ethic, determination and willingness to walk away from the stability she built to go after what she really wanted will leave you inspired to keep going when you hit those roadblocks.  

The Bill Murray Stories and Ghostheads director/producer Tommy Avallone discusses how he went from having zero experience directing films to getting his first of three documentaries on Netflix within six years.

After 10 years and nearly 7000 performances how did Twisted Sister finally achieve their dream of a record deal? Jay Jay French, guitarist and a founder of the band, discusses the countless obstacles that Twisted Sister had to endure before finally selling millions of records.

Imagine pitching a documentary series and being told, “If it was a good idea it would have already been done.” How did Susan Lacy who had no producing experience successfully go through roadblocks to get her legendary series, “American Masters”, on PBS, win 14 Emmys, and pull of the impossible by getting Steve Spielberg to participate in his first and only full length documentary? You are about to find out.

Imagine you’re an actor and your agent informing you there are no roles for you simply because of the color of your skin. For Aasif Mandvi even when he was cast it almost always was what he calls the “brown guy roles” such as a cab driver or a deli owner. How did Aasif Mandi go from sleeping in a small room in Queens while catering to making a big name for himself and eventually Jon Stewart hiring him on the spot for The Daily Show? You are about to find out. 

Not only does author A.J. Jacobs get rejected constantly, he even rejects 98% of his own ideas. Through the rejection Jacobs has become a NY Times best selling author. His books chronicling his social experiments are famous worldwide. How did A.J. Jacobs, a man who still struggles with natural self-confidence, rise to the top? You’re about to find out!

Soledad O’Brien defines persistence as NOT GIVING UP. How did she go from someone that wasn’t comfortable on camera to an EMMY award winner journalist? You are about to find out!

In his early 40’s, Michael Emerson was still not able to financially support himself by acting. Multiple EMMY wins and two highly rated television shows later Emerson takes us on his epic journey to Hollywood stardom.