Entertainment

How did Rick Steves become who he is?

June 9, 2021
On a recent episode of NPR’s How I Built This, Rick Steves reminisced on his path from being a piano importer’s son in Washington State to becoming the travel guru he is today.

The way they do it in Hollywood: Tom Reilly on communication

July 5, 2017
“It helps to communicate with consistency regardless of whom you’re talking with. I like to say, ‘You have to know your way around the marketplace as well as the palace.’ You have to deal with a range of people at different levels.”

A comic genius spawns more stars

April 25, 2016
In 16 years at the Daily Show, Jon Stewart helped launch the careers of many comedians.

Stephen King on writing your best

March 10, 2016
Best-selling author Stephen King, who wrote The Running Man in a week, notes the common wisdom that the more people write, the less remarkable their works tend to be.

Bowie was more than a rock legend

March 2, 2016
Rock star David Bowie will go down as an artistic savant, but he also was a pioneer in finance.

Thrill of winning is hard to quit

October 1, 2015
Hollywood producer and promoter Jerry Weintraub never doubted his talent. “I can get anything done, anywhere, at any time,” he once said.

How a thriller mastermind does it

February 12, 2015
Tom Clancy, best-selling author of military thrillers, proved that you don’t have to sneak around to glean intelligence.

Bruce Lee: Balance thinking and doing

January 21, 2015

Bruce Lee died in 1973 at age 32. In his short life, he thrived as an action film star, martial artist, screenwriter, movie director and ­philosopher. To operate at peak efficiency, Lee liked to “hack away at the unessential.”

‘SNL’ writer knew to make demands from a power position

October 22, 2014
After three years as head writer for Saturday Night Live, Adam McKay was ready to quit in 2000. But before leaving SNL, McKay took his agent’s advice and ap­­proached Lorne Michaels with a series of de­­mands he’d need fulfilled to stay put. Employing the “least-interest” principle worked for him beautifully.

Leadership lessons from Mayberry

January 9, 2014

With the passing of actor Andy Griffith in 2012, his most famous TV character, Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, is worth another look for his low-key brand of leadership. Here are a few of the sheriff’s lessons on caring more and fussing less.