Airplane Mode

From WIRED Politics Lab: How Election Deniers Are Weaponizing Tech To Disrupt November Apr 11, 2024

Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, its become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these groups are doing, and what this means for voters and the election workers already facing threats and harassment.

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Superstar Whisperer Steve Stoute on Making it Big and the Power of "Outrageous" Work Ethic [Ep. 20] Mar 17, 2020

What do Beyonce, Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Iovine, and Jack Dorsey all have in common? They've all worked their asses off (duh)—and they’re all connected to Steve Stoute. As a longtime advertising and music executive (and a recently appointed consultant to the New York Knicks), Stoute made a name for himself by working creatively alongside some of the biggest names in sports, music, and business. Here, he addresses the recent Spike Lee-New York Knicks controversy, tells stories from decades spent working with the highly successful, and talks about the powerful self-belief that comes from relentless hustle.

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How to Bet on Yourself with Shea Serrano, Teacher Turned Best-Selling Author [Ep. 19] Mar 10, 2020

Shea Serrano became a writer when, as a teacher in need of some extra money, he did a Google search for jobs you can do from home. “I didn't have any journalism experience. I didn't know anybody. All I had was the computer and the internet, and I figured that shit out,” says Serrano, who's now a staff writer at The Ringer. Along the way, he wrote three New York Times bestsellers and has established himself as a perennial Twitter all-star (where, when he’s not firing off extremely funny tweets, he’s leveraging his 330K followers to do things like raise $134,000 dollars for Hurricane Harvey victims). In other words, in a world where careers and work are unpredictable and self-doubt is inescapable, Shea Serrano has some lessons on how to bet on yourself—and win big.

Follow:

Shea Serrano — @SheaSerrano

Clay Skipper — @SkipperClay

Confidence Lessons from a Stand-Up Comic with Joel Kim Booster [Ep. 18] Mar 03, 2020

According to comedian Joel Kim Booster, a stand-up audience "can smell the blood in the water if you're not confident." Even though, at 31, Joel has been performing jokes for nearly a decade, he says he's only felt confident for part of that time. On this episode, he unpacks how he got comfortable being in front of a crowd, what comedy and humor have done for his confidence offstage, and why, of all the places he performs, cruise ships are the most nerve-wracking.

The Tool that Helps High Performance Athletes Unlock Mastery and Confidence [Ep. 17] Feb 25, 2020

Michael Gervais is a sports psychologist who works with athletes in “high stakes or consequential environments.” The experience with his clients—which range from the Seattle Seahawks (who he helped win a Super Bowl in 2014) to skydiver Felix Baumgartner (who he helped free fall from 130,000 feet as part of the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012)—has shown him that there's one skill that proves more important to success than any other: the ability to respond constructively to the present moment. As proven by his clients' achievements, in Dr. Gervais's hands, fostering presence isn't some B.S. New Age hack. It's the key to increasing mental strength and resiliency, managing your inner world against outside stress, and finding your way to a more confident and capable you.

The "Queen of Pain" and Ultra Endurance Athlete Rebecca Rusch on the Power of Pessimism [Ep. 16] Feb 18, 2020

With a legendary resume that includes everything from rock climbing to whitewater rafting to marathon mountain biking, Rebecca Rusch isn't just an ultra endurance icon—she has also been dubbed adventure sports' "Queen of Pain." (At 38, she won the first 24-hour bike race she entered, and has since gone on to complete the Ho Chi Minh Trail and part of the Iditarod Trail on a bike.) And yet she's always doubted her abilities and felt like she has more to learn—and cites that sense of self-doubt as the source of her success. Here, she talks the power in pessimism, why good enough is better than perfect, and the lessons pain has taught her.

How to Overcome Insecurity, According to Hollywood’s Favorite Therapist [Ep. 15] Feb 11, 2020

Dr. Barry Michels has spent decades helping his clients in the entertainment industry overcome the self-doubt holding them back from delivering their most compelling performances or writing their most nail-biting scripts. Drawing on years of experience as a psychotherapist, he explains why our society is in need of a radical reimagining of the idea of confidence, and why it all begins with accepting the reality that everyone is insecure. Most importantly, he shares the tools he uses to help Hollywood's A-listers beat that insecurity—yes, they're insecure, too—and unlock their potential.

Musician Lauv on How to Quiet the Negative Voices and Embrace Success [Ep. 14] Feb 04, 2020

For a long time, Ari Leff made music that largely went unnoticed. But even after finding mega pop success writing and producing under the name Lauv, he still wrestled with self-doubt and struggled to work or create in the face of depression and anxiety. Now, with a debut album "How I'm Feeling" due out March 6th, he shares how he got his confidence back, how he calms his nerves and quiets negative self-talk, and what he's learned about getting out of the way of his own success.

NBA Sharpshooter J.J. Redick on Keeping Your Confidence Under Pressure [Ep. 13] Jan 28, 2020

Over the course of four years at Duke and 14 in the NBA, J.J. Redick has proven himself to be one of basketball’s deadliest sharpshooters. A few hundreds of thousands of jumpers later, he has some thoughts on building the self-belief that will keep you confident under immense pressure and through any slump. Plus: the power of preparation, the joy of exceeding your own expectations, and the key to not psyching yourself out.

A Master Cave Diver's Secret to Overcoming Fear and Panic [Ep. 12] Jan 21, 2020

Jill Heinerth’s life story is one of wild adventure, with more than 30 years spent scuba diving beneath glaciers and into dark, underwater caves (once spending 13 consecutive hours on a dive). Not all of those dives have gone well. For our second conversation on confidence, Heinerth explains what we can all learn about managing fear, staying calm, and beating panic from her three decades of surviving underwater.

Jalen Rose on How He Developed "Irrational Confidence" [Ep. 11] Jan 14, 2020

Jalen Rose has spent nearly 30 years being cool in public: first, as a basketball phenom and member of Michigan's famed Fab Five; then, as a 13-year NBA vet with a big game and bigger personality; now, as a beloved and unapologetic ESPN co-host for Get Up! and Jalen & Jacoby. On the first episode of Airplane Mode season 2, Rose explains why self-belief starts with convincing yourself you're the best (even if you're not), his path to radical self-acceptance, and where he found the nerve to wear one of the boldest NBA draft suits of all-time.

Follow Clay Skipper (@skipperclay) and Jalen Rose (@jalenrose) on Twitter.

Season 2 Trailer: It's All About Confidence Jan 07, 2020

Airplane Mode is back! And this time around, host Clay Skipper is diving headfirst into the subject of confidence, that skittish little kitten of a feeling we're always trying to coax out from under the (metaphorical) bed. Across 10 weekly episodes starting January 14th, Clay will be talking to a motley crüe of people—including an NBA player, a cave diver, a Hollywood psychotherapist, and a pop star—about confidence: how to get it, how to keep it, and what to do if you lose it. Subscribe now to give your confidence a little boost.

Chuck Klosterman on How to Handle Criticism [Ep. 10] Jul 29, 2019

Chuck Klosterman, author and longtime culture critic, has just released his tenth book, a series of short stories titled Raised in Captivity. Which makes you wonder: how well can a longtime writer of criticism handle when critics come for his own work? Klosterman sounds off on what it’s like to be reviewed, how he stays informed without going insane (or drowning in takes), and why ignoring the trolls is actually a bad idea.

Follow them on Twitter: Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

Dr. BJ Miller on What Death Can Teach You About Living a Freer Life [Ep. 9] Jul 22, 2019

After being electrocuted at age 19, BJ Miller had three of his limbs amputated. He went on to a career in palliative care, working with patients with terminal or life-altering illnesses. Recently he turned his experience into his first book, A Beginner's Guide to the End (co-written with Shoshana Berger) and started his own palliative care company, Mettle Health. On this episode, Dr. Miller and Clay talk about what it takes to accept death as a reality (instead of something to be avoided) and how that can liberate you in both small and profound ways.

Follow them: Dr. BJ Miller (@bjmillermd); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

A$AP Ferg on Protecting His Mental Health and the Dangers of Fame [Ep. 8] Jul 15, 2019

You know A$AP Ferg as a rapper and A$AP Mob member. But in this episode of Airplane Mode, the man born Darold Ferguson goes back to the days when he was a young teen designing and selling tees, trying to build a business and maintain creativity. He talks about the ways he stays grounded and protects his mental health now that he's a world-famous artist. About what Pharrell taught him about failure, how Jay Z opened his eyes about therapy, and what he learned from the death of his friend A$AP Yams.

Follow them: A$AP Ferg (@ASAPferg); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

Author Mark Manson on the Difficulties of Success [Ep. 7] Jul 01, 2019

When Mark Manson set out to write his second book, Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope (out now), he had to live up to the immense shadow cast by a first book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, a self-improvement bestseller that's sold nearly nine million copies by taking down mindless positivity and embracing life's difficulties. On this episode, he talks about the challenges of trying to recreate that success and how it parallels the idea he’s exploring in his newest book: at a time when humans are more comfortable than we’ve ever been, why is depression, anxiety, and unhappiness on the rise? Plus, he digs into why true freedom is about self-limitation and what it’s like to write a book with Will Smith.

Follow: Mark Manson (@IAmMarkManson) and Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

Director Bing Liu on Why Everyone Keeps Ghosting One Another [Ep. 6] Jun 24, 2019

With his Oscar-nominated documentary “Minding the Gap,” director Bing Liu proved himself a talent at deftly unpacking emotionally complex topics (in that case, three young skateboarders navigating the trauma left by domestic abuse). For his next project, the 30-year-old is tackling Millennial love. So when Clay asked him how we got to the point where we’re all ghosting each other, Liu had plenty of thoughts. In particular, how we can end ghosting, why he believes most relationships fail, and the secret to being more honest with your partner.

Follow: Bing Liu, @BingLiu89; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

Dealing With Anxiety, Shrooms, and Self-Trust with the Creator of 'Bojack Horseman' [Ep. 5] Jun 17, 2019

Raphael Bob-Waksberg—the visionary behind Bojack Horseman and author of a new collection of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory—is an expert at exploring dark, complex ideas in in ways that leave you feeling more optimistic and less alone. On this episode, he talks about how he's overcome that nagging fear of not doing enough, learning to trust in his gut, and what psychedelic mushrooms taught him about facing death.

Follow: Raphael Bob-Waksberg, @RaphaelBW; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

Steven Johnson on Making Long-Term Decisions You Won't Regret [Ep. 4] Jun 10, 2019

Steven Johnson's made a career of cracking complicated topics, having written 11 (!) books that unpack everything from neuroscience to the origins of good ideas. In this episode, he and Clay dig into Johnson's most recent, Farsighted, which deep-dives into the secrets of making long-term decisions—the type that will affect your life 5 (or 25) years from now. Their conversation covers all the big stuff: the key to good judgment (and how to develop it), why showers are so helpful when making choices, and how A.I. will change the way we make decisions forever.

Follow: Steven Johnson, @stevenbjohnson; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

Pete Holmes on "Having Sex With Everything That Is" [Ep. 3] Jun 03, 2019

Comedian Pete Holmes—creator and star of HBO show Crashing, podcaster (You Made It Weird), and new author (Comedy Sex God)—has survived some existential crisis and come out the other end with a plan for living joyously. It just takes some work. He also explains why expectations can get in the way of all that joy, why “everything happens for a reason” is B.S., and what he means when he says you should “have sex with everything that is.”

Follow: Clay Skipper: @skipperclay; Pete Holmes: @peteholmes; GQ: @gqmagazine

Aminatou Sow on How to Build a Personal Brand Without Being a D**k [Ep. 2] May 28, 2019

Aminatou Sow is the smart-as-hell, wildly successful multi-hyphenate super-person we all dream of being—she's a strategist, a podcast host ("Call Your Girlfriend"), a soon-to-be-published author, a network-builder (Tech LadyMafia), and, yes, an influencer. But she's one who uses her clout for good. (“I am definitely a capitalist sellout,” she says. “But also, I’m doing it with a purpose.”) In this episode, she explains how to build a personal brand without sacrificing your soul, how to effectively say no to people, and why you should never email someone to ask, “Can I pick your brain?” Plus, as always, our guest's Favorite F**k-Up.

Follow:

@aminatou (Twitter)

@gqlevelup (Twitter)

Annie Duke on How to Benefit From Being Wrong [Ep.1] May 20, 2019

Being wrong sucks, but not only for the reasons you think. Guest Annie Duke, former pro poker player and author of "Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts," has built a life on embracing uncertainty and making the "wrong choice"...and come out the other side with some important advice. She explains how you can make peace with being wrong, why we listen to overconfident people, and how you can use uncertainty in the face of a decision—whether it's ordering dishes at a restaurant or making a major career change— to your advantage. Also discussed: the Crusades, "noodling in public," and (as always) our guest's Favorite F**k-Up.

Airplane Mode: The Trailer May 06, 2019

Get ready for Airplane Mode, GQ's new podcast. Each week, host Clay Skipper digs deep into conversation with successful, thoughtful people like former pro poker player Annie Duke, director Bing Liu, and businesswoman/strategist/"good influencer" Aminatou Sow. Subscribe to make sure you hear the first episode of Season 1 as soon as it launches.

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