Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger

<p><strong>Chris Pavone</strong> is the bestselling author of some of the smartest and most stylish thrillers of the past decade. His latest book, <em>The Doorman</em> is set in a glamorous Manhattan apartment building where the lives of the ultra-wealthy residents intersect with the man who quietly watches it all—the doorman. Over the course of one explosive day, secrets, class tensions, and personal betrayals collide in a fast-moving plot that doubles as sharp social satire about modern New York and the divides of race, wealth, politics, and status. This invites an inevitable and much-deserved comparison to Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, though the Masters of the Universe are now fleece-vest-wearing tech and hedge-fund bros (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Full-disclosure: I loved this book. It's a page-turner! It's eminently-readable! But even more, it's an insightful look at modern society through the lens of New York City. Before becoming a novelist, Chris spent nearly two decades in book publishing, working on—or with—the editorial team for authors like John Grisham and Pat Conroy. Chris' debut novel, <em>The Expats</em>, became an international bestseller, won the Edgar Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and was translated into more than 30 languages. Since then he’s written a string of critically acclaimed thrillers—including <em>The Accident</em>, <em>The Travelers</em>, and <em>The Paris Diversion</em>—known for their globe-trotting settings, psychological depth, and characters navigating secrets, ambition, money, and power. </p><p>✍️  Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://ratethispodcast.com/paulopod">HERE⁠</a>  (DO IT!) ✍️  </p><p>📚 Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://words.paulollinger.com/">HERE</a> 📚</p><p>🗽 Order 'The Doorman' book <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Doorman-Novel-Chris-Pavone/dp/0374604797">HERE</a>. 🗽</p><p>🚩 Follow Chris Pavone <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@chrispavone">on Substack</a> 🚩</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://words.paulollinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">words.paulollinger.com/subscribe</a>

<p>This week’s podcast is a conversation with my former Atlanta neighbor, Steve Chamberlain, a former media executive whose career has intersected with some of the biggest brands and celebrities in entertainment history. </p><p>I originally wanted to talk to Steve because of his experience leading the go-to-market plan of <em>The Beatles Anthology</em>, one of the most commercially successful recording projects of all-time. It was to be the follow-up episode to <a target="_blank" href="https://words.paulollinger.com/p/money-fame-and-misery-meet-the-beatles">last week’s interview</a> with Peter Doggett, author of '<em>You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Break Up</em>'.</p><p>And while Steve and I discussed this at length, I found his experience as an executive vice president at Turner Broadcasting in the 1980s even more interesting. Working directly for Ted Turner, Steve’s responsibilities included everything from home video to cable syndication and World Championship Wrestling. He shares a great story about utilizing 1-900 telephone numbers to monetize wrestlers' smack talk. It’s a fun insight into the early days of a pre-Internet media “start-up.”</p><p>Steve oversaw the 50th Anniversary celebrations for both <em>Gone With the Wind</em> and <em>Casablanca</em>, then—after Turner— went on to captain the release of Frank Sinatra’s <em>Duets</em>, which eventually led to his work with the Fab Four.</p><p>Check it out here or wherever you get your podcast love.</p><p>✍️ Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://ratethispodcast.com/paulopod">HERE⁠</a> (DO IT!) ✍️</p><p>📚 Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://words.paulollinger.com/">HERE</a> 📚</p><p>#music #movies #film #marketing #beatles #entertainment #TedTurner #wrestling #ricflair</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://words.paulollinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">words.paulollinger.com/subscribe</a>

<p><strong>Money, Fame, and Misery: Meet the Beatles (w/ Peter Doggett )</strong></p><p>In the late ‘60s, The Beatles had it all: worldwide fame, critical admiration, and more money than they ever could have imagined. So why were these four young men so miserable? (And often short of cash!) My guest today is Peter Doggett—one of the great rock music writers of our time, and a man who has spent decades studying what happens when ambition, fame, and enormous piles of cash—and drugs—collide. Peter is the author of <em>You Never Give Me Your Money</em>, a brilliant and deeply human book about the Beatles, not only at their creative peak, but also at their breaking point, when the most successful band in history discovered that unimaginable wealth and universal adoration do not, in fact, lead to contentment and enlightenment…but do lead to lawsuits, divorce, and—sometimes—heroin addiction. Peter has written for <em>Rolling Stone</em>, <em>Mojo</em>, <em>Q</em>, and many others. His work has this rare quality: it makes you love the music more while feeling slightly better about your own messy life. His latest book is <em>Surf's Up: Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys</em>. Btw, if you like this episode, you’ll also love the new Amazon documentary about Paul McCartney called <em>Man on the Run</em>. Check it out.</p><p>  Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://ratethispodcast.com/paulopod">HERE⁠</a>  (DO IT!)   </p><p> Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ <a target="_blank" href="https://words.paulollinger.com/">HERE</a> </p><p> Order Peter’s book <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Never-Give-Your-Money/dp/0061774189/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CJW5PSPP9J00&#38;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e2gDedg_1ZNRK9SYFV0OUJEqyi3m3wQGIg-2KyKdmI5yFePl14vZZNOnDDH_BAOqov38IMlEKsydBQOv8EHdv0ya457BtxnC4GFsElZV0k66YkI3R5SD3WtrZveKdk9iq_VUDU7jSvRWnfugRuuHuWSUTDY_MfOAM5mBKHNEpUuFVbeq8lis3-8crpknSVS1xUXEiNPtFjTDuhxsVH-nHG9hClJhgUJvUrh1jJPvBYU.cLV87OJLxKS_2QrHjkQrdQ2_B0sAVZk51mBqoWHMngk&#38;dib_tag=se&#38;keywords=peter+doggett&#38;qid=1773579759&#38;sprefix=peter+doggett%2Caps%2C141&#38;sr=8-1">HERE</a>. </p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://words.paulollinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">words.paulollinger.com/subscribe</a>

My guest this week is Nir Eyal, whose two books ('Hooked’ and ‘Indistractable’) have sold over 1 million copies in over 30 languages. This week he published his latest - Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Extraordinary Results. In our chat, Nir and I discuss:<br/><br/><br/> Why beliefs can help us perform at our top potential (or vice versa)<br/><br/> The difference between facts, faith, and belief<br/><br/> How beliefs can benefit us, even if they’re not “true”<br/><br/> The importance of cognitive flexibility<br/><br/> And, the power of prayer, even for non-believers<br/><br/><br/>Nir also shares a powerful story about the thing he learned by buying his mother birthday flowers from the “wrong” florist. Nir's work has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, and many more. He attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.<br/><br/><br/> Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ ⁠HERE⁠⁠  (DO IT!)<br/><br/> Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠HERE⁠ <br/><br/> Learn more about Nir on his website. <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://words.paulollinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">words.paulollinger.com/subscribe</a>

Guess who I got to meet last week - Gina Gershon. That’s right, the incredibly beautiful and talented actress, author, singer, and long-standing disruptor of polite expectations. You know Gina from unforgettable roles in Bound, Showgirls, Face/Off, Cocktail, and a career that has zig-zagged fearlessly between Hollywood glamor, indie grit, Broadway, and music. We talked about her work and life as recounted in her new memoir, 'Alpha Pussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs’ (a title that caught the attention of my 16 year-old son and, well, me). Gina shares stories about Prince, David Mamet, Paul Thomas Anderson, Robert Altman, Michael Mann, and Lou Reed. And she spills the beans about kissing both Tom Cruise and Jennifer Tilly (I’d go with Jen, personally). Oh, she also tells why it was so much fun to improv with Larry David on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm’. Need I say more? Okay, yes - just a little: What I took away from this interview is that artists like Gina who prioritize freedom above commerce sometimes miss out on millions of dollars and a degree of “stardom,” but they maintain their sense of self and Alpha vibe. Check it out.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/> Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ ⁠HERE⁠⁠  (DO IT!)<br/><br/> Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠HERE⁠ <br/><br/> Buy Gina's book HERE. <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://words.paulollinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">words.paulollinger.com/subscribe</a>