Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom: Recent Episodes
Brendan Davis
A weekly podcast about making it big as a foreign fish in the world's biggest pond - China!
Every week from Beijing, host Brendan Davis talks with a fellow foreigner who is doing something challenging, unique or maybe even just a little bit crazy. Guests ranging from venture capitalists to standup comedians share funny stories, useful insights, and occasionally, cautionary tales about their lives in China.
The podcast aims to be invaluable for anyone considering making a similar move, plus entertaining and relatable enough to be fun for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
This month’s “Fretful Laowai: Rear Window Edition” finds KEVIN GEIGER and Brendan catching on 3 main topics: the new normal, our new thoughts about the state of things, and the new directions we’re going in - all observed from our respective rear apartment windows: BD in Los Angeles, and Kevin in his new home of Taipei. Enjoy!
"Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD do something.” MENGFEI LI shares his perspective as a former international journalist who lived in the US for 13 years, but who also has the clarity of someone trained to be a detached observer. We discuss how political reactions affected the spread of COVID-19 in different countries; the near-term futures we can anticipate; the power of engaged citizenship; and most provocatively, the meaning of the word FREEDOM.
Knowing your audience. Multinational branding. The ideal brand-customer relationship. Creating tangible, transformative results through trust and understanding each others needs. Gumpian journeys and near-death experiences as deep-game changers. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and harnessing the energy of facing your fears. The importance of contingencies in long-term planning, and how if you think you’re still in the same business today that you were two months ago, you’re likely in trouble. Veteran music businessman JOSH LEVINE of the “Rebel Radio” podcast and I get into all of this and more. Episode Permalink: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/josh-levine-entertainment-brands-and-creatives AMP Music Summit (online, May 6): https://ampmusicsummit.com Josh’s "Rebel Radio” Podcast: https://www.rebelradio.net Mark Levine (Josh’s dad) interview: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com/mark-levine-a-true-friend-of-china
RONALD PAREDES designed the logo of the podcast you’re listening to, but that’s only a tiny hint of what he’s all about. On our first talk (linked below) we talked about his background in Venezuela and his initial move to China when things went south in his home country. Today we discuss his experiences lately in Nantong, China as a father, husband, freelancer artist and designer, and socially aware human. Ronald cares deeply about women’s rights, homeless or otherwise displaced people, the overnight bricking up of the back road out of his town, rising nationalism and racism, the lack of acceptance and growing outright resentment he receives from less-educated people in his relatively rural home, and his feeling of being rootless and floating as he enters middle life. It’s a moving, candid, and powerful share by Ronald, and I’m honored to bring it to you. Ronald Paredes online: https://mundosanto.art "Creativity Roots” latest episode: https://creativityroots.com/2020/04/22/change-happens-within/ “The Daily" April 20th episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/podcasts/the-daily/coronavirus-how-long-lockdowns.html Ronald Paredes 2017s interview: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com/022-the-war-of-art-ronald-paredes
In the last week I’ve been a guest on THREE shows I love, so instead of releasing new interviews of my own, I wanted to take a break and acknowledge / share the shows that folks were nice enough to invite me on. Special THANKS to all involved with making the Grey Space Podcast, The Cinematography Podcast, and the CinemATL Podcast. Links below to check them all out! Grey Space Podcast: https://youtu.be/VSKCGHftiX8 CinemATL Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/ycyuhxan The Cinematography Podcast: http://camnoir.com/podcast/ep71/
My guests this week are JOHN PETERSON and CHRIS SANDERS. John is a friend from all the way back in high school, and Chris has been a great friend and business / creative collaborator in LA for over 15 years. They are on two opposite sides of the country and dealing with the pandemic response in their own ways, and each talk adds an interesting perspective to the mix. Chris is also this week’s long-form interview guest on “If I Knew You Better”, linked below. CHRIS SANDERS on “If I Knew You Better” - Permalink: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/chris-sanders-austin-hollywood-and-masonry
This week my monthly freeform check-in show with KEVIN GEIGER - a little ditty that we call the “Fretful Laowai Radio Hour” - moves BACK to it’s original home, “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”! Kevin and I discuss the latest and not always greatest news in our respective worlds as we stay at home away from home. Please SHARE-RATE-SUBSCRIBE and most of all, be safe! DHL China PPE shipping deal (in Chinese): https://marketing.5idhl.com/overseasstudent2020/?tracking=&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 Kevin Geiger AWN article: https://www.awn.com/blog/new-normal Kevin Geiger on “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=geiger Kevin Geiger on “If I Knew You Better”: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=geiger
STAR BURLEIGH, BRIAN ENGELMAN, JONO KENYON | Pandemic Perspectives from Los Angeles, Louisville, and Auckland Star is a fashion stylist and designer based in Los Angeles but whose work is around the world. Brian is a media entrepreneur who left LA to move to Louisville, Kentucky. Jono is a British actor back home n Auckland, New Zealand whose vacant ROOM in LA I’m staying in as we wait out the next chapter in the pandemic drama. Listen and hear how three people are having very different responses to this unique time. NOTE that these conversations were all recorded at various points LAST week relative to the release date. The differences between now and then are stark. STAR BURLEIGH online: http://www.starburleigh.com BRIAN ENGELMAN online: http://www.thenewamericanmedia.com JONO KENYON on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5645314/
Welcome to the rebooted podcast! For the time being, I’ll be doing special episodes talking to all sorts of people, in and out of China, about their response to the pandemic and the impact it’s having on them. This week we hear from Jeff Marder and Susie Qin. Jeff is a musician in NYC with strong ties to China, and Susie is a resident of Beijing who shares her experiences both with COVID-19 as well as SARS v1.0, which she lived through as a high school student - two great short chats back-to-back. Please enjoy, be safe, and tune in next week for more! Previous long-form “BFMK” interviews: Jeff Marder: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com/077-broadway-music-freemasonry-martial-arts-more-jeff-marder Susie Qin: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com/089-susie-qin-from-erdos-to-beijing-places-in-between Brendan Davis online: Twitter: @VeritasInLux Web contact: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/contact-us
In this week's episode - cross-posted on both "If I Knew You Better" and "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom"! - I discuss the BFMK reboot, a new layer for KNEW, the great new episode of “How China Works” done by my partner Yingying Li, and much more. KNEW is adding a feature that I think of as “Marc Maron hosts The Daily”, while the revived BFMK will take my solo China-centric chats in a new direction. Please check them all out via the links below, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE if you enjoy, and stay safe and sane while we head into the next exciting chapter of global humanity. Show libraries: “If I Knew You Better”: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com “How China Works”: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com
This is a short introduction to a very personal series of interviews I did on my other show, “If I Knew You Better". They deal extensively with domestic abuse, sexual secrets, and escaping violence in the home. But there is also lots of humor and inspiration here, so I hope you check it out. Parts 1 and 2 are searchable everywhere and also linked below; the finale - Part 3 - is coming next week. Act 1 | Into The Unknown: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/ellen-shook-my-mom-part-1-into-the-unknown
Act 2 | Us Against The World: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/ellen-shook-my-mom-part-2-us-against-the-world
We’re coming off an extended hiatus on my NEW podcast, "If I Knew You Better", and looking forward to a great 2020 of new shows. This week, I sit down with KEVIN GEIGER again for a special New Years Eve edition of the two-man jam we call the Fretful Laowai Radio Hour. Enjoy the show, and please join me NEXT week when I interview…my Mom. Happy New Year! http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/kevin-geiger-fretful-laowai-nye-special
October’s solo episode of my new show could be called “If You Knew ME Better”. This is a very candid and revealing one, as I share details about my father and his life that I never have publicly, so I wanted to share it here, too. NOTE: trigger warning for those sensitive to stories of domestic violence that you might want to skip the second half of this one. SHARE: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/brendan-davis-about-my-father
This week I’m cross-posting an 8-minute shortie episode to both “If I Knew You Better” and my original, retired podcast “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”. There are THREE recent episodes of my other show, “How China Works” (co-hosted with Yingying Li), that I really don’t want you to miss. Check out those shows and our guests MARK LEVINE, FU HAN, ISABEL CROOK, & JESSE APPELL via the links in the shows notes, and subscribe to “How China Works” and “If I Knew You Better” so you don’t miss anything. Thanks! LINKS: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com/resources
Writer-Producer-Director KEVIN GEIGER & I had a long-running “bonus feature” on THIS show called the “Fretful Laowai Radio Hour”: a very popular free-form conversation about all sorts of current China-Hollywood & related issues. I’m very pleased to now bring "Fretful Laowai" to my NEW show, “If I Knew You Better”, as a recurring feature. Please search it in YOUR favorite podcatcher or find it right HERE to listen & SUBSCRIBE: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/kevin-geiger-the-fretful-laowai-radio-hour
Okay! All good things must come to an end, and in this - the last episode of “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” - I say THANK YOU to many of the people who’ve helped me make it as good as it can be. The catalog of over 120 shows will stay live forever, but to hear me on NEW shows, please search and visit “If I Knew You Better” or “How China Works”. Thanks for over 2 great years! MORE: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
“How China Works”: LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-china-works/id1440747395 / ALL PLATFORMS: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / WEB: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
Nick Cheng is a popular British comedian based in Beijing, and a natural storyteller. And he has some great stories to tell: some are funny, most are fascinating, and a few - discussing a family member’s suicide attempts, his coming out while a member of the Royal Navy - are wrenching. But all are worth hearing, and I am glad to share them with you on this very special LAST REGULAR EPISODE of “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”. Please enjoy! LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/nick-cheng
This week I want to tell you about another of my podcasts, “How China Works”. My co-host Yingying Li interviews 2-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Malcolm Clarke about his new film BETTER ANGELS. If you like THIS show, I think you’ll like THAT one, too, so I hope you’ll check it out! APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/0001-introduction-to-how-china-works/id1440747395?i=1000422918906&mt=2&app=podcast / ALL PLATFORMS: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / WEB: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
Michael Nakan is the founder of Clipper Media Capital, a London-based production and packaging company. He cut his Hollywood teeth on the US version of “House of Cards” and then in NYC at HBO before returning home to the UK to work in development for DARKEST HOUR director Joe Wright. He's also established a China office of his UK firm and is successfully bridging the gap between the two markets. A great talk!
LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
MICHAEL NAKAN / Clipper Media Capital: https://www.clippermedia.co.uk
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more here:
APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
Weiko Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, & he continues to work throughout Asia, but it’s in Hollywood that he’s really made his name. His upcoming book, Crazy Screenwriting Secrets (Michael Weise Productions, avail July 1) is both a solid art & craft writing manual, AND a knowledgable how-to on navigating the often-treacherous waters between China and the global cinema industry, as epitomized by Hollywood. If you follow the world entertainment business with any degree of seriousness, YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS SHOW. Just sayin’. Enjoy! FULL BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/weiko WEIKO LIN book: Crazy Screenwriting Secrets - Pre-Order now on AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Screenwriting-Secrets-Capture-Audience/dp/1615933018 BRENDAN DAVIS on “The Carl King Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carl-king-podcast/id1202709564?i=1000440895085 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/carlkingdom/brendan-davis-interview-carl-king-podcast-15-060619 or SEARCH “The Carl King Podcast” in your favorite podcatcher SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more here: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
Today Kevin Geiger & I bring you a special “Fretful Laowai: Summer Vacation" edition of Big Fish! In it we discuss our new alliance on the movie I’m developing in France, film festivals, some recent guests on my new podcast “If I Knew You Better”, my appearance on “The Carl King Podcast”, and what the changing tides (personal, professional, international) mean for us both. We aim for fun, informative, & thoughtful too; hope you enjoy it! LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/kg-fl-june12
KEVIN GEIGER links: Peewee Frogbooks http://peeweefrog.com/news.html Magic Dumpling Entertainment www.magicdumpling.com BRENDAN DAVIS on “The Carl King Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carl-king-podcast/id1202709564?i=1000440895085 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/carlkingdom/brendan-davis-interview-carl-king-podcast-15-060619 or SEARCH it in your favorite podcatcher SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
Fei Wu is the host of the Feisworld podcast, a documentary filmmaker, & a digital marketer. She left China to finish high school in the US, where she’s lived for almost 20 years now, but lately she’s been revisiting her China roots and supporting her artist mother, whose famous paintings illustrating Chinese literature classic The Dream of the Red Chamber made her famous and which are now getting a permanent gallery home in Qingdao. We also touch on Fei’s passion promoting palliative care for the sick & dying, which she developed after her father’s long illness and passing when she was a little girl. This topic just became highly relevant to me, too, as my own father died just this past Monday (after the interview was recorded). The first 10 minutes of the show is me talking about that, but the interview with Fei is fun, enlightening, fresh, and optimistic about the power of art to transform. Please enjoy this very special episode of the show, and visit https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources for links and more.
Steve Katz has possibly the most eclectic background and resume of anyone I’ve ever spoken to. His early influences in the 1960s, like Ray Harryhausen and Famous Monsters magazine, mixed with watching rehearsals at the nearby Westport Country Playhouse with visiting directors like Woody Allen to the influence and support of his parents to propel him into an artistic life from the very beginning. That led him to, among other things: learning film cameras via a cousin in New York who worked on TV shows like “Car 54, Where Are You?”; putting together psychedelic light shows in NYC at places like the Fillmore East and working with bands like The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Byrds, and Sly & The Family Stone starting at age 19; playing bluegrass banjo; working on John McTiernan’s first film; befriending “Saturday Night Live” writing legend Michael O’Donoghue and seeing a legendary short film he directed, “The Clams”, go on to open a season of “SNL” and catch a big break as a TV writer; he continued to work and grow and eventually established himself as a writer-director-producer in Hollywood; created the first digital previz on the feature Clear and Present Danger; and eventually, all his experience brought him to - yes - China, where he has been involved in many projects big and small. But of all the references I just name-checked, the one that originally cemented Steve’s name in my mind back in the day was that he wrote a truly legendary cinema book called Film Directing: Shot by Shot, published by the then-upstart Michael Weise Productions. It was released in 1992, which is when I was in film school, and it instantly became required reading in my Film Production courses! It’s familiar blue cover was updated a few years ago to announce the new, 25th anniversary edition, which was freshly and thoroughly revised for the digital age. It’s easily the film book I have gifted to more people than any other, and it was a real treat to get to hear some of Steve’s stories in-depth. Among the crazy but true tales already mentioned, we scratch the surface on Steve’s several engagements as Michael Jackson’s personal filmmaking tutor - a story he has NEVER told before! Steve was resident at the Neverland Ranch for months at a time, was flown into luxury hotels to work with the star, sometimes just watching movies late at night. He also saw things in his time around MJ that will likely merit another show entirely, but we will have much more on that topic another day. We even overlap on his interest in the intersection between art and neuroscience, among many other wonky and highly specific topics. To top it off, he’s also a good friend of one of my best friends, Kevin Geiger, so the “small world” meter is off the charts with this one for me. More on all that later. For now, though, you can visit the blog post at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources for links, contact information, and I hope you enjoy this epic conversation with Steven Katz!
Elliott Zaagman has built a professional life as a writer, podcaster, investor in, & consultant to the leaders of some of China’s most famous (& infamous) tech companies. He appears in print & on-air internationally speaking truth about that environment. Ell co-hosts the China tech Investor podcast w/James Hull and has been on my other shows several times too, so we started from a place of comfort and dove deep from there. LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
Today is both my 3-year “Chinaversary” and the 2-year anniversary of launching THIS VERY PODCAST! In all that time, I’ve released about 300 hours worth of podcasts, and I’m looking forward to many more. Please SEARCH and join me on “If I Knew You Better” & “How China Works”, and thanks for all your support. It means the world to me. MORE: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links
Millions of people in the tech & startup world know Steve Hoffman as “Captain Hoff” from Foundersspace, a leading incubator from Silicon Valley that is now omnipresent throughout China. But very few people know that his FIRST career was as a development executive in Hollywood, and this is the first time Steve’s talked about all this in-depth since beginning his China adventures. The lessons he's learned from his success shaping startups & stories are invaluable, & applicable regardless of your vocation or location. I especially love his closing thoughts: “Are you putting your time into the most important things? Given who you are and where you are in your life, what's the most value you can be creating for the people around you and the world around you, and can you focus your energies on that instead of getting distracted by all these other things?” This was a very fun and special conversation, so I hope you check it out. LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/steve-hoffman-2019
James Goodnight is an Arts Center graduate who adventured around the US after school, but that was just the start. He moved to Beijing 10 years ago and built a career as a commercial photographer, specializing in car ads. He’s also a big fan of indoor watersports, and tells us all about that. James’ story involves a lot of synchronicities and I just had one of those days myself yesterday, so I share my own weirdly funny tale in the intro. LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/james-goodnight
Lee Chen is a familiar face on US TV, but her own story is more impressive & incredible than the many shows she’s appeared in. For starters, she’s probably the only successful Hollywood actor who got their start in a "Chairman Mao Thought" propaganda performance troupe towards the end of the Cultural Revolution in China. She was born in Inner Mongolia, was a founding-class member of the Johns Hopkins Chinese Program at Nanjing University, then moved to the US for grad school - earning two Master’s degrees - and began a dual professional life as an academic and an actor. She landed in Chicago after grad school, and fell into studying acting at the famous Piven Theater Workshop. Lee worked and studied for years, moved to Hawaii for a second Masters, did every theater production she could, and finally moved to Hollywood. Today, Lee has built an eclectic film, TV, & theater career with roles ranging from the dramatic to the absurdly funny. She also worked diligently over a 20 year period to move her ENTIRE family - one by one - over to the US from China. I was lucky to meet Lee when she accepted a role in a small film I produced, and when I heard her incredible story I knew I had to get her on the mic to share it with you, too. I am cross-posting this show "If I Knew You Better" and my original China-focused podcast “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” too, but no matter where you hear it, I hope you enjoy it. DO NOT MISS this one! MORE: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/lee-chen
Returning champion Kevin Geiger (Magic Dumpling, Peewee Frog; ex-Disney) is back for another freewheeling China chat! We start with an outline and let it rip from there. Big fun, and a big reason I rebooted the podcast. We talk about returning home & expat ennui (hence the “Fretful Laowai” show handle), our new projects, how to (and how NOT to) package and produce a feature film (note: it really helps if you hire a rockstar cinematographer, and then he brings on partners who’ve worked on Green Book, the latest Star Wars, Interstellar, etc) and lastly: how to tell if you’ve been in China for too damn long. Enjoy! LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/kg2019
To introduce “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” listeners to my NEW, globally-focused podcast “If I Knew You Better”, I decided to share this particular China-related episode with actor Raymond Ma. Raymond has worked with everyone from Ali Wong & Awkwafina to Chuck Lorre & Aaron Sorkin. He was born in Hong Kong & lives in Los Angeles. I hope you enjoy this special bonus! Please visit https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/raymond to learn more!
Tom McGregor is a widely-read China journalist from Dallas, Texas living in Beijing. His upcoming book US vs. China: From Trade War to Reciprocal Deal (being published under his given last name Pauken) draws on his experiences being both very pro-Trump AND pro-China. Our views diverge at the expected point, but we have the kind of respectful chat which we both agree we’d like to hear more of, so I hope you’ll check it out. LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/tom-mcg
This week I talk about rebooting “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”, my other show (w/Yingying Li) “How China Works”, my NEW show “If I Knew You Better”, & I tell a pretty incredible “moving to China / crazy synchronicity" story which I’ve never told on the mic before. BLOG & LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/reboot
Check out this special episode from Paris as I dish out the details of what I've been up to here, the future of THIS podcast, the launch of my NEXT podcast, how to attend a sneak preview in Los Angeles of the film my team and I recently completed, and when I’ll be back in China - in theory. Enjoy! BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home
Today I’m presenting a live recording of a special event I did at the Beijing American Center at the US Embassy to China back in December, 2018 with my former Migration Media partners Mike Shaw and Chrislyn Choo, plus Cara Gleeson. We were introduced by Janice Englehart at the BAC, the event was organized by Leslie Dong, and my esteemed friend and colleague Jonathan Garrison was kind enough to moderate the discussion. Enjoy!
BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/bac-final
CARL KING is a true polymath: someone who’s professionally good at many things. He’s a screenwriter, published book author, composer, engineer, director, producer, & more. Carl has worked with numerous legends in the progressive music and geek culture scenes, including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Kevin Smith, the late Jon Schnepp, Brendon Small, and many others. And among his massive credits list, Carl created our theme music! So since Carl’s work (with drums by Mike Stone!) is the FIRST thing you hear on this podcast, I thought it made sense to have him on as my LAST regular guest on the show, too. Wait - last show, you say? What!? More details in the show. Enjoy! BLOG & LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/carl-king
FRIENDS & FANS: today marks the last regularly scheduled solo “BFMK” show for me. It’s been an amazing journey! And although I'm sad to end this chapter, I'm also very excited to introduce you to the NEW interview show I am launching in a month. It will be similar to BFMK, except that it features people making moves in the greater world instead of having a specific focus on China. We have ONE last regular “BFMK” interview show dropping on Monday, January 28, so please enjoy that, and this one! APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-iTUNES / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Stitcher / WEB: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Web
Welcome to 2019! I’m jumping the show numbers ahead to reflect the actual number of shows released so far. And I'm in Los Angeles this week & for awhile in general, so I’m making some other changes & expanding the idea of what’s possible. Check out today’s show, which doubles as my January solocast, to hear all the latest. Cheers! APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-iTUNES / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Stitcher / WEB: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Web
Susie Qin is from Erdos, Inner Mongolia, sat for her CPA exam in San Francisco, and now lives in Beijing. On this episode we cover a lot of subjects: the hard-drinking culture of Erdos, her unique experience in college, working for an infamous Chinese boss, her volunteer work at Shepard’s Field Children’s Village in Tianjin, and more. NOTE: This show contains a vivid story of domestic violence starting around 28 minutes in, so please be advised. It’s a special show, and I hope you enjoy.
BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/susie-q
On this special lucky Holiday Edition of the show (#88!), Kevin Geiger and I talk about: his wife Wen’s recent award-winning VR project on the Dunhuang Caves, the value and necessity of offshore creative development, his new children’s book, my writing ambitions, upcoming LA and Paris trips, and the future of this show - including a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. Enjoy! BLOG + LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/kg-dec18
Haus of Lily are Beijing’s finest drag queen revue. Three of the nine current queens were in the studio tonight, and we may not break the internet, but we DID kill the wine before the show even started. We have fun, get real, laugh our heads off, and talk about damn near everything you can imagine. NOTE: I put the “Explicit Language” rating on this for a REASON. Consider yourself warned - and enjoy! 😄 BLOG:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/haus
Today I can announce that I am honored to have been invited, along with my Migration Media cohort, to speak at the US Embassy here in Beijing on Thursday, December 13, in celebration of International Migrants Day. We've put together what should hopefully be a fun and fascinating evening, and I hope you’ll join us if you can. More information and the SIGN UP link are in the blog post below. BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/bac
Andy Braun is a photographer and art director who left the beautiful horse country of Kentucky to explore the world. He spent a lot of time in Germany growing up, and moved there to work for awhile after college, but it was China that drew him to stay - at least for the last 4 years and counting. Good fun talk, great guy - enjoy! BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/abraun
On this week’s Side Dish, Yingying Li and I talk about lessons learned from doing “How China Works”, which is at the halfway point of Season 1 as of today - but this isn’t a promo. It’s a jumping-off point for some real talk about how the crazy and ever-changing US-China dynamic is affecting us, our friends, our plans, and how we are changing our trajectories as a result. BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/yy-sd-nov30
Meredith Sides is the kind of effortlessly funny that makes her a freakin’ joy to talk with - so much so that I had to edit 15 minutes of me rambling and BSing with her out of the raw interview (which is on me and not her for sure). But she’s also deadly serious about a topic near and dear to her heart: nut butters. She's an addict, and along with her friend and co-founder Katie, she created and runs NAKED Nut Butters to bring the joys of all-natural blended nut products to the Beijing market and beyond. BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/msides
Kevin Geiger makes another appearance on the ‘Fretful Laowai’ edition of "Big Fish Side Dish” to talk mobile cat cremation, “faux”ga, Stan Lee, VPN-less communications during my LA trip, speaking accidental Chinese, impending Thanksgiving fun, Kevin’s love for “How China Works”, and more. BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com
Author. Speaker. Personal development guide. A Ted Talker. He’s been on “The Howard Stern Show”, “Larry King Live”, and now he’s at my studio in Beijing. Bart Baggett has worn many hats, but perhaps “sherpa” is the one that fits best. His new company is Prism Life Design, his new book is the title of this podcast episode, and his energy is contagious. Enjoy! BLOG + ALL LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/bart
Today I’m dropping this hot take on my recent trip to LA as my November solo show. The actual details of the project I was there for are under wraps for now, but the trip itself is the star of THIS show - so I hope you enjoy my sleep-deprived tangential ramblings. BLOG + ALL LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/bd-nov18
Nillah is a journalist from Kenya who came to China and developed a strong career in radio. She does several shows on CRI including “My China Story”, which will have me on as a guest on the Friday that this episode releases. We discuss issues of home, local versus regional versus national identities, how the arc of her career has developed and where she might go next. Great talk! BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/nillah
Returning champion Elliott Zaagman is back, and this week he lights it UP! He gives us the quick info about HIS new show with James Hull that’s powered by TechNode, the “China Tech Investor Podcast”, we discuss MY new show with Yingying Li called “How China Works”, he fills me in on the legend of the GeekPark Mafia, AND as a palate cleanser from all the love up to that point, he goes HARD at Bytedance. Dude! Don’t miss this one. BLOG & LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/zaag2
This is one of the VERY BEST shows I've ever done:
Simply put, JEFF MARDER is a world-class talent. He has established himself as an A-list Electronic Music Designer, keyboardist, and Conductor for numerous Broadway shows, tours, Cirque du Soleil, and the Radio City Christmas Show. He’s also the former pianist with the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and toured the world with them for 6 years. In his spare time he’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practicioner, travel blogger and music tech guru.
Jeff is also, like me, a Freemason, which is where our friendship began - and which I talk about in detail myself publicly for the first time ever, here or anywhere. This is one of the most candid and interesting talks I have ever had on the mic, and easily one of the most personal and meaningful shows I’m likely to release, too, so I really hope you check it out.
I’ll do a FULL TRANSCRIPT for this one as soon as possible and publish that also. Please enjoy, share, rate, review, and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts, and enjoy!
BLOG / LINKS: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/jmarder
In this episode of “Big Fish Side Dish”, I sit down with Mike Shaw, the founder of Migration Media (MM) and host of “Migratory Patterns”, and Chrislyn Choo, fellow MM team member and the creator of her 2-pronged project “Chrysalis”, to discuss the MM platform, the proper launch of the 1.0 version of the MM website, our various shows, my NEW show “How China Works” with Yingying Li, and much more. Good fast talk. Enjoy!
All links at the BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/bfsd-mm
Aladin Farré is a Parisian documentary filmmaker and editor based in Beijing. He is also the host of “Middle Earth: China’s Cultural Industry Podcast”, a monthly show that I happen to like a lot. In this episode we discuss all of the above as well as Aladin’s experiences navigating his way into the Chinese film industry and the absolute necessity of finding a good local partner. Plus, I share some news about Migration Media, my new show with Yingying Li called “How China Works”, and more. Enjoy! All links at the BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/aladin
On today’s “BFSD”, where previous “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” guests return for a catch-up chat, KEVIN GEIGER and I discuss degradations in environments physical and political, raising kids to have both coding and wilderness survival skills, the future of tech and society as we blow past AI and march towards the Singularity, and much much more. It’s RAW, unedited (and therefore a bit rambly), sometimes dark but always honest, and pretty fun. Enjoy!
All links at the BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/kg2
This week’s episode features Sean Koopmans. Sean is a Dutch Canadian who moved to Beijing in 2002. He left a world of vintage cars and clean air and came to China, where he found little of either. There’s not much of a big local community for the former, but after some other stops along the way, he decided to do something about the latter. Enjoy!
All links at the BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/seank
This week I am SUPER EXCITED to be sitting down with my friend YingYing Li to announce the project we have been hard at work on: “How China Works”! It’s a new daily podcast designed to help foreigners become “China-smart” and to help Chinese people better understand the outside world, in 15 minutes or less per day. The goal is that Yingying and I will use our combined, hybrid perspective - crossing cultures, generations, and genders - to help find common ground and build better understanding between East & West. The Intro episode drops November 1 and the full series launches November 5. More information coming soon! YingYing Li on “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom": https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/8/8/yingying-li All links at the BLOG POST: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/yyl-hcw
There’s BIG NEWS coming from the Migration Media world over the next couple of months, and today’s show highlights a great interview you might’ve missed with Chrislyn Choo, one of the MM partners, recorded shortly after I first met her, along with a new introduction to give you the rest of the story since the initial release. This show is being released on the same day that Chrislyn is releasing her NEW blog / video series, THE CHRYSALIS CHRONICLES, linked below - it is fantastic and you should check it out now! The whole thing has been remixed, remastered, and re-contextualized to give you a cool new experience listening to it. Please enjoy, and check out Chrislyn’s new video series and blog via the links in the show notes! Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/cchoo2
Jan Smejkal grew up in a small village in the Czech Republic but has become a leader in the startup world, based out of Shenzhen. He is a successful founder himself who now runs the world’s largest entrepreneurial community, Startup Grind, in China and throughout the Asia Pacific region. We had a focused, inspiring talk - a very tight show. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/jans
While most of China is on vacation enjoying National Golden Week, a yearly holiday celebrating the founding of the PRC, I’ve been busier than usual. So I decided to do a short solo show to play catch-up on what’s happening, what’s going on, and what’s coming up. A regular show plus another “Big Fish Side Dish” are coming up next week! Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
In this inaugural episode of “BIG FISH SIDE DISH”, Jonathan Garrison and I riff on how punk rock and other hardcore music helped shape our childhoods and changed our life trajectories. A 12-pack of Harbin Beer might’ve been involved. In a related note, you get to hear how much I curse when I don’t pay attention and mind my manners. Enjoy. ”Big Fish Side Dish” is a companion show to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” that invites a previous show guest to sit down for a more casual conversation focused on a specific topic - unedited and uncensored. Check out JG’s previous episode of “BFMK” HERE: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/4/18/jonathan-garrison
Eric Selley has his degree in education from Toronto and works as a truly professional teacher here in Beijing, but these days he is becoming best-known as a comedian. Eric brings a great energy and a fresh perspective to the recent comedy-themed episodes of “BFMK” and shares his thoughts on joke writing, the differences between audiences in Toronto, NYC, Australia, and China, and much more. Enjoy!
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/eric-selley
To lift directly from his LinkedIn, which says it far better than I ever could: Elliott Zaagman is best known as an executive coach, corporate trainer, and writer who focuses on how Chinese leaders and organizations interact with their global employees and the public. He focuses on leadership development, HR, and PR and is both an enthusiastic evangelist for, and honest critic of, China's tech industry. Elliott is wicked smart and insightful, very funny, and we have one of the most real conversations - ranging from the curious debt structures in many Chinese businesses to the notable underrepresentation of Asian faces at the Bilderberg Meetings - that I've had on the show. Great talk. Enjoy!
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/ez
David Jacobs grew up in an idyllic part of Virginia, began traveling on a fluke, and ended up in China - where he’s stayed far longer than he ever expected. Along the way, he became a key part of the Beijing comedy scene, where he currently manages Comedy Club China (CCC). CCC is responsible for hosting open mics and quality gigs many nights a week as well as bringing in ever-bigger names for special shows, helping to expand the scene and push the boundaries of what’s possible here.
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/david-jacobs
Christiana Zhu has taken an unusual path to becoming the creator of Yeyo, a plant-based coconut yogurt that is one of my new favorite things. She’s a Kiwi of Chinese ancestry who first moved to China to apply her unique perspectives in the marketing and tourism industry, but a major health scare and the lack of local food options to deal with her challenges steered her towards embarking on the cool journey she’s on today with her company Marvelous Foods. As an omnivore myself I especially respect that she promotes plant-based foods primarily as a healthy addition to ANY diet, and I’m eager to taste whatever new flavors of Yeyo's fro-yo variety that she whips up next. Enjoy! Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/czhu
Chozie Ma is a master of so many realms of experience - musical, audio-visual, VVIP travel, and more - that it was hard to know where to start with our interview, but his wonderful hospitality made it really fun to find our way through his narrative. Chozie - short for “Chinese Aussie”, which summaries his cultural heritage - spent a few weeks in India right after our interview and is on a sailboat somewhere between Spain and Italy as I type this, which gives some idea of the adventurous spirit that led him to make the amazing life he has created for himself. He first found success as a DJ, promoter and then club owner in China, but that is just the beginning. This was a really inspiring interview for me to do and I hope you enjoy it as well.
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the blog post below, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/chozie
Igor Torgeson is a writer, actor and filmmaker from Los Angeles. He is an old friend and we had a great time catching up and chatting here in China recently. Igor talks about his journey in the comedy world, shares his hot take on Beijing, and we even talk a little about what the shifting cultural dynamics back home mean for the entertainment business at large. We had a great time recording this one, and some of the outtakes were so funny that I left them in. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/igor
This week’s guest is Italian writer-director-producer Gianluigi Perrone. Gian applies his passion for and training in neuroscience to his cinematic efforts. In his wide and varied career so far he’s worked with, been mentored by, or has significantly crossed paths with cinema legends like Argento, Bava, Jodorowsky, and Tarantino, among others, and he is a fascinating guy to chat with in general. Film nerds and China business watchers alike will LOVE this episode. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/gianluigi
Yingying Li is an expert in cross-cultural leadership and the founder of Silicon Valley-based startup Yingfluence. Yingying’s credentials are impressive: she has a decade of experience working in the U.S., China, Brazil, India and Turkey, and is trilingual in Chinese, English, and Portuguese. Her clients as a cross-cultural management consultant include billionaires and executives from Facebook, LinkedIn, Cisco and Intel. Yingying also serves as a mentor at Founders Space, the top global accelerator for overseas startups, which was founded by Steve Hoffman (guest #5 on the podcast).
Yingying and I had a fairly epic talk, covering topics ranging from her childhood in Kaifeng, China to her journey ever farther west, and concluding with her thoughts on how to build all the needed bridges between China and the rest of the world to enable the best possible future for all of us. This is one of my favorite shows yet, and I hope you enjoy it.
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/8/8/yingying-li
Marina Barayeva is a portrait photographer based in Beijing. She’s also the host of her own podcast, “Marketing for Creatives”, on which she interviews a wide variety of experts to help entrepreneurs grow and expand their own creative business. Her own story of how she came from a relatively small city in Russia to building a successful career here in China is a lesson in taking chances and letting your instincts guide you. Marina has a true passion for learning and helping people by sharing her knowledge, and it really shows in our chat. We had a great talk, and I hope you enjoy the show!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/marina-b
This week’s episode of the show features Egyptian comic Mohammed Magdi! He’s been based in Shanghai the last five years, and we talk about how he crafts an act that is both topical and personal, and can work in cities and countries across the world. I also have a special short interview with returning champion Chelsey Mark, fresh back from his move home to Manitoba to do a gig in China. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/7/25/moh-magdi
Sometimes when life gives you lemons, you make some lemonade. That’s what happened to me just the other day, en route to Seoul, South Korea, when a major flight delay led to the opportunity to make four great new fast friends: Daniel, Samuel, Alice, and Youn. The five of us formed a little bit of a posse and had so much fun hanging out that I was moved to record a special “airport edition” of the podcast with them. They all have very different stories and I was glad to get to meet them and to talk to all of them, even briefly, for the show. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/airport
Nigel Mainville grew up in the Massachusetts version of small-town USA. But a curiosity about the greater world led him to an early interest in Japanese manga, a high school study abroad year in Taiwan, and then to mainland China. By day, Nigel uses his fluent Chinese to teach kindergartners, but several nights a week he can be found rocking the mic at one of the many standup comedy gigs around Beijing. He is having success here but his sights are set on a much bigger stage. We talk about all that and more in this week’s show. Enjoy!
SHOW NOTES: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/7/11/nigel-mainville-comedy-across-cultures
This is a recording of a special LIVE event I was part of on July 5, 2018: “Podcasting in the ‘Jing: A Panel Discussion” along with the hosts / creators of several other great shows:
- John from China Tech Talk (Technode)
- Kate and Noah from Environment China (Beijing Energy Network)
- and Yajun Wo Men podcast (Radii)
We talked about the unique challenges of producing a show here as well as the best practices we’ve discovered to create them, the reasons we make our shows, the opportunities the shows have created for us, and what we hope the audience takes away from them. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/7/7/special-live-event-podcasting-in-the-jing-a-panel-discussion
Mike Shaw and I are pleased to be co-announcing the launch of our new global expat platform, Migration Media. I am moving this show to the MM platform and Mike has just released the first episode of HIS new show, "Migratory Patterns", under this banner, too. There is lots in the works and MUCH more to come from not only us but from a whole host of contributors from around the world (!), so I/we hope you will become a friend and a fan and enjoy the journey with us.
This special short episode will give you the basic information, but please check us out and friend us up at all the socials and other sites below to stay in touch!
Get social with Migration Media at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MigrationMedia.Global Twitter: twitter.com/migrationmedia_
Instagram: www.instagram.com/migrationmedia_global/
Soundcloud feed: soundcloud.com/migration-media
Website: www.migrationmedia.net
And check out Mike Shaw’s new show “Migratory Patterns” here: http://anchor.fm/migratory-patterns
Marc Iserlis is an American "third culture kid" raised by Russian parents in Singapore. Marc attended British school, learned Russian from his parents at home, studied Mandarin, and has worked and traveled both in mainland China and extensively throughout central as well as southern Asia. He has grown up with a very unique perspective on the world and is working hard to best sort out how to bridge the various gaps that exist between our various cultures.
More info as always on the BLOG post at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com!
Heads-up to Beijing-based listeners: I get to participate in a panel discussion with other local podcasters being held at the nakedHub in Dongdaqiao on Thursday, July 5. The event is FREE and runs from 7:30-9:00PM. I wanted to get the word out ASAP and figured this was the best way to do so. Learn more in this super-short episode.
Regular full interviews resume this coming Wednesday and don't stop, so check back soon for more and come see us chat it up live onstage if you'll be in town.
Check out all episodes at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/ ! :D
Another short episode this week, recorded again from a hotel room in Yibin. This time I do a short interview with four of the crew members who helped shoot the documentary film I was brought here to direct. Director of Photography Mayela Magrou is a returning champion, having been previously featured way back on episode #16: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2017/9/6/troys-team
I'll be back next week with another regular episode and a full interview. Enjoy!
This week I am location directing a TV documentary in Yibin, Sichuan Province, China, and I am not posting a regular episode. Instead, here is another quickie, kind of an audio note to my friends here, to update you on what's happening and to tease the ACTUALLY HAPPENING live event in just a few weeks, in Beijing. More details asap!
Find all episodes at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/
This week we have a very special episode of the show, featuring 3 great guests. I’m proud to be a media partner helping to announce the upcoming Voices of the Belt and Road Podcast, which is part of the Belt and Road Advisory. Ravi, Greg, and their other partner Max have been joined by James LaLonde to help bring voices to the unfolding story of the Belt and Road Initiative (the BRI). Much more to come, to be sure. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/6/14/ravi-prasad-greg-stec-james-lalonde-voices-of-the-belt-and-road-podcast
Have you ever wanted to build an online course teaching a topic you’re passionate and knowledgable about? Past show guest Luke Priddy did. Luke has successfully been using Udemy as a channel for his brand Cloud English, which brings his take on English language pedagogy online to share it with a wider audience. As I prepare to release my own very first Udemy course (The Complete Podcasting Course, available on Udemy mid-late June 2018), I wanted to get all the best advice and tips I could from Luke to help me prepare and make it as good as it can be. I learned a lot, some of which is Udemy-specific but much of which is applicable to learning and building presentations in general, so I am sharing a tightly edited highlights edition of our chat as a bonus episode. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/6/9/bonus-teaching-tips-for-udemy-luke-priddy
Cynthia Santana is from Boston and she pretty much defines the term “free spirit”. She has a background in acting and education, has traveled extensively, and knew she wanted to spend some time living and working abroad. Here in Beijing, Cynthia has become a regular at poetry slams around the city, and she is working to put together her own business that puts her poetry on clothing, using commerce to spread a very positive, loving message. Enjoy!
Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/6/6/cynthia-santana-the-poetry-of-emotion
If you love podcasts, you might've heard of a contest recently being run by Squarespace and Gimlet Creative called CASTING CALL. It's essentially a podcaster talent search, with the winner getting a mini-series and maybe a full series on the Gimlet Media platform, home of many great shows (including one of my favorites, Mogul).
The new show I pitched is called "Repatriated". This is what it's about:
"This is a show about real people from around the world who are on the journey of their lives: returning to their country of origin. My plan with 'Repatriated' is to identify and follow a handful of people who are preparing to make a global move of their own, and to follow them and the people in their lives throughout a season - before, during, and after the move."
The rules don't prohibit contestants from sharing their entry, so here is mine for you to check out if you're curious. Chelsey Mark was nice enough to come back in and role-play a version of himself who is poised to return home to Canada soon, and he reflects on this from the perspective of having lived 18 years in China and considers what waits for him and what he'll leave behind.
The demo is only 3 minutes and I'd seriously love to hear your thoughts, so please have a listen and let me know - here, via the Contact form, or on any of the socials. Thanks!!
Luke Priddy is a teacher, traveler, a “maker” and a thinker. He is the founder of Cloud English, a co-founder of Yoli, a GPS treasure hunter, and a self-described “slightly unconventional” guy who finds grace in the middle spaces of life. We had a great talk, and Luke is such a natural interviewer that he even turned the tables and had me answering the questions more than usual. Enjoy. Find all links at the BLOG post here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/5/30/luke-priddy-teaching-and-traveling-with-cloud-english-yoli PREORDERmy e-book LITTLE FISH IN THE BIGGEST POND here: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/book/
Hi everyone! Today I'm excited to announce that I am hard at work on a complete course on podcasting, which will be available on Udemy.com in just a few weeks.
Udemy is a leading resource for life-long education, and since I've had so many requests to help people with making their own shows, I thought I'd combine two things I love - podcasting and teaching - to create a course of my own that I can point people to.
If you've thought about starting your own podcast, I hope this course can answer all your questions and more. In the meantime, as I work on it, please let me know any questions you have so that I can make sure I cover as much as possible. Thanks! - Brendan
This week’s guest is Jeff Towson. Jeff has a very eclectic career, ranging from finance to healthcare and media. He is a professor of finance at Peking University, an investor, and a popular blogger and influencer online on topics most often related to business in China. I’ve enjoyed and have learned a lot from reading his articles and watching his videos, which you can find at his website or on his page on LinkedIn, and I’ve linked a few of my favorites below. Enjoy!
LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/5/23/jeff-towson-finance-healthcare-and-investing-in-china
“I want people to know what it takes to be happy.” In a sentence, that sums up talking with Chelsey Mark. Chelsey - aka Mai Xiao Long in Chinese - is from a family of actual Canadian legends. His father was a long-term Member of Parliament, his grandfather helped build the Canadian railroads, but Chelsey came to China to find his calling. He’s been here 18 years, and as he says in the interview, he moved here a boy but it made him a man. He started in music, became an in-demand emcee, and from 2007-2012 he was the official host of NBA China’s coverage. Chelsey has done seemingly hundreds of great, high-profile interviews and entertainment gigs, whether hosting, singing, dancing, acting, rapping, playing an instrument, doing comedy, or leading a motivational event. In terms of public performance, there isn’t much that he hasn’t done, and I imagine he’ll be very successful in everything he does next. SHOW NOTES and all links at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/5/16/chelsey-mark
Fei Wu is our very first guest who has now done two full episodes. I wanted to have her back on to discuss everything she’s been up to lately related to China. In this episode we talk a lot about the dominant Chinese audio platform called XimalayaFM and Fei’s upcoming efforts to help bridge the gap for international podcasters and consumers to use and enjoy it. Since Fei is a Chinese person who speaks the language but has lived more than half her life in the US and has run a successful English-language show for 3.5 years now, I think she’s pretty much an ideal person to help open that platform up to a more international audience. SHOW NOTES and all links at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/5/9/fei-wu-chinese-podcasting-mastering-ximalayafm
James LaLonde is a 6th generation Texan. He grew up on a ranch in South Austin and has had a very unexpected journey. He was part of Microsoft’s early efforts in Japan, but he always had his eye on China. Among other notable accomplishments, he co-founded Yodo1, the most successful private company in China's online gaming space, as well as Yoli, the leading on-demand language learning app on WeChat. He is a mentor and entrepreneur as well as the author (in three languages) of his upcoming book The Tao of Startups. Enjoy! Show notes and more info available at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/5/2/james-lalonde-the-language-of-entrepreneurship
Chrislyn Choo is a storyteller, which takes shape in the form of writing, photojournalism, video, and in her daily life. She’s young but already highly accomplished, with a degree in Neuroscience from Duke University and a regional Emmy-award for her work documenting the harvesting of clean energy from pickle water - which I had no idea was even a thing! She’s also a curious inquirer of different cultures and a dedicated student of the nature of identity. Chrislyn is on a still-evolving identity reclamation project of her own, and we had a really fast but thought-provoking conversation ranging from identity issues to dealing with the effects of generational trauma, and more. Visit the BLOG post for all links and more: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/4/25/chrislyn-choo
From the event invitation:
"Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) offer local entrepreneurs a fascinating look into future for its April’s learning event open to the Beijing entrepreneur community. “EO Seize the Future” brings together the Founders from 5 local start-ups to share insights about how they are targeting industries poised to grow into huge segments of China's economy." Speaker bios and more available HERE.
Jonathan Garrison was a VP at Goldman Sachs, a former General Manager of Dalian Wanda Group, an Executive Producer on the movie SOUTHPAW, and is founder and CEO of En Route Media. He also used to be the frontman for a punk rock band called DTX back in the days when you could still run into Henry Rollins in the crowd, or have someone pull you up onstage to belt out a song before tossing the mic and diving back into the mosh pit. It’s been quite a journey and it’s a great episode. Enjoy! Visit the BLOG post for all links and more: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/4/18/jonathan-garrison
This week's guest is Manya Koetse. Manya is a sinologist & japanologist from Amsterdam and the founder & editor-in-chief of What’s on Weibo, which is an independent blog that sheds light on trends in China by closely following its social media, the latest digital developments and changing media landscape. Among the trending topics we discussed as we recorded last week are the results of the 19th National Party Congress, especially the end of term limits for the President; the visit of Kim Jong-Un to Beijing, and what the Sino-NK diplomatic thaw means for US-China relations; and the so-called “Halalification” of China, among others. Good show! Check it out! Get all the links and other info via the BLOG post: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/4/4/manya-koetse
Nigula Babayeva has quite a tale. She was working as an auditor at a Big 4 accounting firm in her native Azerbaijan, but she wanted more adventure in her life. She applied for a scholarship to an international MBA program in Beijing, and while she waiting for a decision from the school, she had a near-death experience, nearly drowning in the Caspian Sea. The very next day Nigula found out she was accepted, so she bought a one-way ticket, moved, and THEN told everyone back home she was leaving. She’s been here two years now, and along the way - from her former job running social media at restaurant / crossfit gym mashup GLO, to her current day job as, again, an auditor, Nigula has also applied her lifelong love of athletics to become a serious martial arts practitioner. She won 3rd place in her very first international wushu competition and hasn’t looked back. Nigula trains jiu-jitsu with world-renowned competitor and coach Paulo Tavares, among her other pursuits. Good talk, great story. Enjoy!
BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/3/28/nigula-babayeva
Hi everyone! This short video episode is another bonus - our next regular show drops this Wednesday - to encourage newer listeners to check out some of the cool episodes in the archives.
BLOG: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home
LISTEN: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com or wherever you got THIS episode!
While I am on the road in Zhengzhou this week I have another short solo show for you. There were three different guests I hoped to bring you from here but we just couldn’t make the scheduling work, so I’ll bring them to you via Skype another time. For this one, we have: * a recap of cool recent shows you might’ve missed but should really check out, and why * a little bit of a “highlights” travelogue from Zhengzhou * some notes about upcoming shows and future plans for the podcast
I'll be back with one (or more) regular episodes of the show next week. Thanks for listening, and see you then! Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or wherever YOU get your podcasts Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
This week’s guest is Zach Cagle. Zach originally moved to China from Atlanta to study, but a love of cooking for friends and a challenge from a buddy led to his creating Zax BBQ, in Zhengzhou. Zax BBQ has been honored by TripAdvisor as not only the best foreign restaurant in Zhengzhou - a modern city of 8-10 million people - but as THE best restaurant in Zhengzhou. Having eaten there the last two nights in a row, I can definitely see why. Zach and I have a free-wheeling and wide-ranging conversation about America and China and everything in-between that occurs to us in the time allotted. Enjoy! Check out the BLOG post for all links at: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/3/14/zach-cagle
This week’s guest is Kevin Geiger. Kevin is a founding partner of creative development company Magic Dumpling. Kevin has a pioneering, lifelong background in animation and VR, working on and off at Disney for many years both in Burbank and China, as well as building two versions of Magic Dumpling between Disney stints. He also owns a children’s book company called Peewee Frog that is doing some really cool stuff.
Among all the great points that Kevin makes based on his extensive experience and perspective working here is the main, macro one - namely, that China IS changing, but that it won't change for YOU. We also discuss the point that you can’t view China and attempt to solve any challenges you may be having in dealing with or understanding it through an outside lens, especially a western one. To interact successfully and satisfyingly here, you have to gain some real local perspective and develop an alternate set of instincts that are relevant for this reality as it is, not what you imagine it to be. Lots of food for thought in this episode, and many good words to heed before diving into anything over here.
But it's not all serious; in fact, it's mostly a fast, fun and (hopefully) funny talk, and I hope you enjoy it. Links to check out all of Kevin's very cool enterprises are in the show notes; if you're a China-curious creative, this episode is especially a don't-miss.
Before we get into the interview I want to take a minute and tell you about our sponsor, Stackry. Stackryis the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. I have an update on my own Stackry story: I see from the Stackry website that I’ve had one big batch of items delivered to their warehouse in New Hampshire, and I have one last order on it’s way to them. As soon as everything arrives, Stackry will do their packing consolidation magic and get everything moving towards me here in Beijing. I’ll update you as my Stackry story continues, and it’s really easy to use their site and get yours started, too. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment.
Enjoy!
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at:
Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=174877&refid=stpr
SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018 Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!
GUEST:
Kevin Geiger links:
Personal website - www.kevingeiger.com
Linkedin profile - www.linkedin.com/in/kevingeiger
Magic Dumpling's website - www.magicdumpling.com
Peewee Frog's website - www.peeweefrog.com
VR/AR/animation blog - https://www.awn.com/blogs/reality-bites
HOST / SHOW:
please LIKE “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
This week's guest is Alan Paul. Alan is a former Guitar World and Wall Street Journal writer from the US who somehow became a notable Beijing-based blues musician. Alan wrote a memoir called Big in China about his crazy musical experiences here, and tells the story of how it all began - thanks to a broken guitar, a Chinese repairman who was also a secret musical wizard, and their shared love of Stevie Ray Vaughn. And in a strangely related note, Alan also has a huge connection to legendary Southern rock group the Allman Brothers Band. From writing about and interviewing them over a 25 year period, Alan became an insider in their world, and he talks a lot about his best-selling Allmans book One Way Out. The story of how it came to be, in part, because of Allmans drummer Butch Trucks’ discovery of and respect for Alan’s China book is pretty awesome. Great talk. "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom" is sponsored by STACKRY. Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment.
Lastly, the "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom" Facebook group has really been growing lately, and the show is now also available on the Stitcher platform! Apple Podcasts and iTunes downloads and subscriptions are still as important as ever, but I’d also really like to have a nice showing on Stitcher our first few weeks if possible, so please check out the Facebook group, SUBSCRIBE in Apple Podcasts and/or Stitcher if you want to help the show find new fans, and thanks in advance!
SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at:
Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=174877&refid=stpr SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018 Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment! GUEST:
Alan Paul LINKS:
www.facebook.com/alanpaulauthor
www.alanpaul.net/blog
One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band
Big in China audio book: http://amzn.to/2FaeKcm
Big in China Band
Friends of the Brothersband HOST / SHOW:
please LIKE “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/ Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
This week’s show, and show notes, are both longer than usual - but with very good reason! Hang on, it’s going to be a fun and occasionally wild ride... My guest today, for the first show in the Year of the Dog, is none other than internationally esteemed writer and lecturer Peter Levenda. Mr. Levenda has a truly massive and very influential body of work, including his groundbreaking China business book “The Mao of Business”, and he is considered to be something of a legend in certain circles. For roughly 40 years, Levenda has taken a very rational, scientific and historical approach to researching topics that are most commonly viewed through a conspiracy theory lens, and he’s won the respect of mainstream scientists, academics, and fans around the world as a result. Lately, Levenda is most well-known for his work with former rockstar @TomDeLonge of Blink182 and his “To The Stars” initiative, which is responsible for facilitating the recent high-level US Government disclosures regarding the UFO phenomenon, as reported on the front page of The New York Times and other newspapers around the world. This is an outgrowth of Levenda's earlier work writing extensively on post-WW2 issues related to the fate of various bad guys who escaped Germany and their subsequent roles in the founding of the US space program and other intrigues. But what’s most relevant to OUR show today is Levenda’s passionate interest in and pioneering role doing international trade with China, beginning in 1984. Among other topics, we discuss: his early studies doing translations of Chinese alchemical texts as he earned his Master’s degree, and their relationship to Cabalistic material; his 34+ year career working with and traveling in China, and his impressions of how the country has grown and evolved as he has met and worked with people from all walks of life here; the disconnect between the “virtual China” that most outsiders conceive of versus the reality of the place; China’s sense of itself and how approaching it with a colonial, antagonistic attitude is a recipe for disaster; how China’s own space program will likely distinguish itself in the near future; the broader power dynamics at play in the East versus the West and what a smart China strategy should consider; and much more. We also cover the “To The Stars” project somewhat as well as other random tangents that pop up here and there, so it’s a relative buffet of Levenda goodness.
This one gets very philosophical yet is extremely practical too. Peter is not only learned, he is also dryly funny and we had a wonderful chat. With all due respect to my other guests, I have to say that this is possibly my favorite episode of the show so far, so I really hope you’ll give it a listen and that you enjoy it if you do! Also - we have a NEW, international sponsor this week! Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world. The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. I’m building my very first Stackry shipment from the US to China right now; it’s really easy to use their site and get started. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment. Alright! This is a giant intro, but it’s a pretty epic show. All the links are also available on the blog page at crazyinagoodway.com. Now, please enjoy my interview with Peter Levenda. SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018
Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment! GUEST:
Peter Levenda website: http://peterlevenda.com | Peter Levenda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Levenda/100012276609499 | Peter Levenda on Twitter: @Peter_Levenda “To The Stars” website: https://coi.tothestarsacademy.com
The New York times article referenced in the show: "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program" https://nyti.ms/2kB62aH HOST / SHOW:
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis | Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux | Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
This week’s guest is Blake Stonebanks. Blake first landed in Kunming, China way back in the late 90s. He studied the language, fell in love with the people and the culture, and with the exception of a few years in New York as a geographic detour, he has been China-based in one way or another ever since. He’s worn a lot of hats, including as an editor in media and currently as a data researcher, and he has his finger on the pulse of what’s now and has lots of ideas of what’s next as well as maybe anyone. He’s also channeling some of those ideas into writing “hard” science fiction that's set in the near-future term. We discuss cultural biases towards data privacy, future studies and their impact on tech and society, and how the distinct differences between East and West drive innovation in sometimes drastically differing directions, among other things. Great talk!
All links available at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/home/2018/2/14/blake-stonebanks
This week we have another special BONUS video episode, with just me. In it, I give you an update about what’s been going on and what’s coming up next, and I also share some cool things that I’ve seen, done, or taken part in lately. Find more episodes or say hi on the website at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com and I’ll see you next week!