Mike Safo

Latest Episodes:

Mike Safo with Laurie Woolever Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by podcaster, travel writer, author and former assistant of Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever. Laurie and I talk about her 2 new books: World Travel: An Irreverent Guide and of course, Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Autobiography. We hear why she chose to write the book in an oral format, all of the interviews she conducted and how she actually put this project together. First, we hear about Laurie growing up, being Mario Batali’s assistant and how introduced her to Anthony Bourdain. We chat about Anthony living the lifestyle of a rock star, how he always dreamed of being an author and of course, his book “No Reservations”. We hear about that famous Beirut episode and how that changed his life. We also talk about his addictive personality, whether it be narcotics, Jiu Jitsu, or even love. Laurie talks about all the places she traveled with Bourdain, her favorite time with him at the racetrack and what kind of boss he really was. We talk about the roller coaster ride of his life from the ups of his tv shows and being on CNN to the downs of meeting Asia and his tragic suicide. Laurie and I try to figure out how he is relatable to everyone from all walks of life, her favorite meal after a trip and the coolest person on her phone. The man who has influenced millions to travel and look at the world in a different way left a special legacy, hopefully Laurie’s book put it into words. Follow Laurie here and buy her book wherever books are sold. http://lauriewoolever.com/about https://www.instagram.com/lauriewoolever/ https://twitter.com/lauriewoolever

Mike Safo with Josh Harrellson, former Kentucky Wildcat and Knick Nov 15, 2021

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Joined today by former Kentucky Wildcat, New York Knick and current star of the Sun Rockers in Japan, Josh Harrellson. Josh and I talk about living in Asia, learning a new language and the safety and beauty of Japan. He talks about being a family guy, raising his daughter, welcoming his new son, and what silly things his daughter makes him do. We chat about Missouri, being a Cardinals fan, and the most famous person from St. Charles. We find out about Josh not playing basketball until high school, why he committed and then de-committed to Western Illinois, JUCO and then finally why he choose Kentucky. He reminisces about how Billy Gillispie AND BBN helped recruit him, the good and bad of Coach Gillispie and what he learned from him. We talk about Coach Calipari taking over when Josh was a sophomore, the feeling of seeing all the 5 star recruits come in, practicing with them and how, mentally, he dealt with a decrease in playing time. Of course we talk about the magical final four run, the “lob” off Jared Sullinger and when he first started looking at mock drafts. He shares his draft day story, playing with the Knicks in NYC, Lebron in Miami and then venturing overseas. Josh talks about how he found a home in Japan, their wacky schedule and how he deals with being a superstar out there. We hear what greasy foods he misses most, how he introduced himself to LeBron with a tweet, and why he wears # 55. From Pokemon cards to leaving frozen foods on the train, we talk about everything with Kentucky legend “Jorts”. Follow Josh on twitter, his wife and the Japanese league at: https://twitter.com/bigjorts55 Bleague.jp https://www.instagram.com/lauraharrellson/

Mike Safo with Author Ben Guest Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by basketball coach, traveler and author of the new book, “Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey”, Ben Guest. Ben talks about quitting his job and what made him write this book, the process of being a self-publisher and how he wants to grow this into his own business. This being Ben’s first “real” book, we chat about the process of making it, why now was the correct time to do it and the awesome memories that came back to him. He reminisces about growing up, what made him want to join the Peace Corps and being assigned to Namibia. Ben explains what made him drop it all to move back to Namibia and how he got back into coaching. We talk about his different coaching methods of being a more Zen-like calm coach, using meditation with his teammates, how he gained their trust and why he believes relationships can sometimes overcome talent on the court. Ben shares his experience about being high school coach of the year, starting his own professional basketball team and shocking the KBA and winning the title. From what Ben misses the most about Africa to why he stopped coaching basketball. All this and more with Ben Guest. If you enjoy traveling, basketball, self-help and everything in between then purchase his book and follow Ben here. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Guest/e/B091BV3YJQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bguest

Mike Safo with Pat Lynch, NYPD PBA President Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by NYPD PBA President, Police Officer Patrick Lynch. Pat and I talk about his childhood growing up in Queens, and how being a city worker was a route he knew he wanted to take. We hear about why Officer Lynch decided to raise his right hand and join the NYPD. Pat shares about graduating the police academy, getting stationed in Williamsburg in the 90th Precinct and how different it was back then to now. He describes the day to day battles and responsibilities the PBA has, from petitioning against the release of cop killers to making sure the NYC police officers are represented rightfully and fair. We talk about the current state of policing in this climate with a war on police officers, from bail reform to the protests. Morale seems to be at an all-time low and Pat and I talk about why that is, how that can be changed and if there is a glimmer of hope. Pat shared his experience meeting with President Trump, why it’s so important for cops to vote and how he was feeling before addressing the nation during the RNC. He beams with pride about his 2 son’s raising their right hand and joining the police department, and confesses what his biggest fear is for them. From meeting Joe Frazier to responding to the Miracle on the Hudson, Officer Pat Lynch shows why he deserves to be the head of the most powerful police union in the United States.

Mike Safo with Michael K. Williams & Lee Abbamonte (Re-Post from 2018) Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

Omar’s coming… BACK to the Mike Safo podcast… the iconic actor Michael K. Williams, aka “Omar” from The Wire and “Chalky White” from Boardwalk Empire” stopped by Jack Demsey’s to join Lee Abbamonte and myself for some shenanigans. Growing up, he was the furthest thing from a gangster kid and now the hipsters are taking over his beloved Brooklyn. Mike talks about his infamous roles as Chalky, and how he parlayed playing Omar on The Wire into meeting President Obama. What it’s like going through the acting and auditioning process and how I’m trying to find him a role that’s not so emotionally draining. He takes his passion for producing to his upcoming documentary, “Diamond in the Rough” on HBO which touches close to home. Things get personal during the filming of “The Night Of” as he tells us about his family members in the system. We hear Mike tell the story of his infamous scar, and how he came in contact with the person who gave it to him twice in his life. From playing and meeting Rick Ross to trying to smoke weed with Tupac and much, much more… over 90 minutes of me, Lee and Michael K. Williams! Check out Mike and Lee’s websites here.. http://www.michaelkennethwilliams.com/ http://www.leeabbamonte.com/

Mike Safo with Super Bowl Winning QB Brad Johnson Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by 17 year NFL veteran and Super Bowl winning QB, Brad Johnson. Brad and I talk about his former roommate John Lynch being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, spending the weekend in Canton and the parties he was attending. Brad talks about his trick basketball and football shots on TikTok that went viral, and what got him to start doing them. We chat about growing up in basketball rich North Carolina and why he chose to attend Florida State over Georgia Tech. Brad shares his experience playing with Deion Sanders at FSU and how “Neon” became his own brad. We discuss being a backup at Florida State, dominating the combine yet sitting around til the 9th round of the NFL draft before being selected by the Vikings. Brad tells us about his first few seasons there with Warren Moon, Cris Carter and John Randle, why he requested to go to London to get some playing time and how that time across the pond changed his career. We chat about dating Mark Richt’s sister and then years later reconnecting and getting married. Brad opens up about his two sons, both star athletes, Max and Jake, a QB and TE playing at LSU and what the Super League SEC will do for NFL careers. Finally, we chat about going from a 9th round pick to Disney World after winning Super Bowl 37. From cool memorabilia to a potential NFL team moving to London, even some Lionel Ritchie chat, all this and much more with NFL QB Brad Johnson. Follow Brad on the following social media platforms: https://twitter.com/Brad_Johnson_14 https://www.tiktok.com/@bigbadbrad14

Mike Safo with Erik Larson 2 Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson. Erik and I recorded at Legends in NYC and talk about the status of “Devil in the White City” being produced into a HULU original after the rights were purchased by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. We talk about the behind the scenes of writing a book, how he knows it’s finished, if he feels pressure or relief when the final draft is submitted and what he does with his thousands of pages of notes. Erik’s latest release, “The Splendid and The Vile” debuted during the beginning of the pandemic, and we talk about being on tour when the lockdowns began. We change course and talk about our love of tennis, the US Open and the current state of men’s and women’s tennis. Erik shares how 9/11 influenced him to write “The Splendid and The Vile”, why this book about Churchill is different than the others, and why Mary Churchill’s daughter decided to give Erik Larson the diary which was the missing piece to his book. We talk about if social media could have impacted Roosevelt and Churchill’s actions during that tumultuous time, how Londoners reacted to 57 days of bombings and how Churchill went from being compared to the Third Reich to having an 88% approval rating. From trying to get an invite to his famous marathon brunch to shows he watched during the quarantine. All this and more with one of the most popular and influential writers of our generation. Follow Erik on twitter and his website: https://twitter.com/exlarson https://eriklarsonbooks.com/

Mike Safo with Psychic/Medium Chris Medina Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by celebrity Psychic and Medium Chris Medina. Chris talks to me about the challenges of growing up in California with a Mexican mother and an Apache Indian Father. He shares how he knew he had this special gift at the age of 4 years old and how his family not only encouraged him, but were also entertained by his talents. Chris opens up about spending time in a bubble as he battled allergies, being under 10 years old and speaking to the afterlife, and how he mentally dealt with being a medium. We hear why Chris curbed his current career, and got into the insurance business for 20 years until his guides told him it was time to be the “Howard Stern of Psychics”. Chris’ calm, no bullshit approach makes him stand out in the psychic world and makes him a favorite among celebrities. I ask the questions we always wanted to know: can you turn off hearing from the dead, what does he watch at 1am, and does he ever hold back information during a reading. Chris gives me a quick reading about my personality and is spot on! We chat about his podcast “In Your Head”. From aliens to what he thinks about virtual reading and where the psychic/medium industry will be in 5-10 years from now. All this and more with the incredibly talented Chris Medina. Follow Chris and check out his podcast using the links below: http://www.chrismedina.guide/ https://twitter.com/PsychicChrisM

Mike Safo with Brad Balukjian, author of "The Wax Pack" Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by author of one of the best sports books of the year, The Wax Pack, Brad Balukjian. Brad and I talk about his friendship with The Iron Sheik, why the proposed book idea didn’t happen and how their relationship is now. He shares what inspired him to grab a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, open and it and travel the country with the plan of interviewing the ball players. We chat about how he got started on the project, what was his goal and what he thinks of the current card market. We discuss Richie Hebner, Gary Templeton and Carlton Fisk and how he had to balance not fan-boying out and asking difficult questions. Brad tells us about visiting his favorite ball player, Don Caren, growing up and what it was like to hang out with him and have a catch with him. Brad explains why he included personal details from his life into the book such as his OCD, his relationship with his dad and past relationships. From funny stories involving Rick Sutcliffe to the tragic heartbreaking interview with Doc Gooden’s son. Brad takes the reader on a ride through their childhood using our favorite toy, Baseball cards. Follow Brad and purchase the book here. Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradbalukjian Website: https://bradbalukjian.com/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZQWSFNK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Mike Safo with Paul Knepper, Author of "Knicks of the Nineties" Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Joined today by author of the incredible book “Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers that Almost Won It All”, Paul Knepper. Paul and I chat about growing up in the Big Apple, why he moved to the Lone Star State and what he misses the most about New York City. He talks about this being his first book, what made him want to tackle the subject and the difficulties of writing a sports book by juggling games, stats and stories. We touch on the cornerstone of the Franchise, Patrick Ewing, what his expectations were, why he was perfect for NYC and why he is the most underrated superstar of our generation. We talk about the importance of Pat Riley and how he changed from Hollywood to a gritty defensive minded coach. We discuss the wars with Jordan and the Bulls, the Charles Smith missed layups and how there was always “one thing” missing from that illusive championship. Paul and I talk about the importance of Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks and the other iconic Knicks of the 90’s. We talk about 1994 in NYC with the Rangers and Knicks owning the back pages and OJ owning the TV. We relieve some of the classic rivalries during that time (Heat, Pacers, Bulls). From missed opportunities with free agents to Allan Houston and Spreewell coming to the Garden join us try to capture a special decade in New York History. Follow Paul here and purchase this tremendous book: Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulieknep Book: https://theknicksofthenineties.com/ Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Knicks-Nineties-Oakley-Starks-Brawlers-ebook/dp/B08KBLCKX7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37JXHLUSHVO2Z&dchild=1&keywords=the+knicks+of+the+nineties&qid=1622393865&sprefix=knicks+of+nin%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1

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