Building New Muscles With AI

Building New Muscles With AI

Author: Curiosity Media September 8, 2026 Duration: 51:11

Cal goes to the heartland to talk with a man who's spent decades teaching kids how to build strength the right way for a conversation on how his training approach overlaps with AI. Turns out, Michael Ockrim uses the same disciplined tactics to build digital muscles that can wrestle down insurance payments. This episode is a real-world look at how anyone (not just tech people) can start putting AI to work in their own life. Michael is a husband, father of four and founder of Mighty Oak Athletic in Westmont, Illinois. Consider this episode solid advice from the heartland.


For decades, Cal Fussman has built a remarkable career by asking the right things at the right time, drawing profound insights from icons like Muhammad Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Serena Williams. That same genuine curiosity drives every episode of Big Questions with Cal Fussman. This isn't about quick soundbites or surface-level chatter. Instead, Cal creates a space where guests-from visionary CEOs and legendary coaches to groundbreaking artists-feel comfortable exploring the pivotal moments and hard-earned lessons that truly shaped their paths. You'll hear conversations that meander into unexpected places, often uncovering the personal philosophies and resilient mindsets behind public success. Produced by Curiosity Media, the podcast serves as a masterclass in listening and human connection, relevant for anyone interested in the intersections of business, creative careers, and lifelong education. Each discussion feels like a deep dive into a life fully examined, offering tangible wisdom for navigating your own big questions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Big Questions with Cal Fussman
Podcast Episodes
The Stranger Inside of You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
Cal was 12 years old, bored out of his mind in junior high science class, waiting for the bell to ring. He had no idea his wandering brain was doing exactly what it was built to do – tell stories. We all carry the most e…
What? A Cowgarithm????? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:47
What do Clint Eastwood, a Montana snowstorm, and a herd of cattle have to do with artificial intelligence? Cal starts with the romance of the old cattle drives and the sound of the old show Rawhide, remembers the pull of…
The Theater That Taught Me How To Survive AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:13
Cal Fussman walks into a theater expecting to see a documentary about artificial intelligence. He walks out with a new understanding of the future of work. Through a surprising connection to Super Mario, a landlord named…
Founder vs. Cancer: A Real-Life Hail Mary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:02
After watching Project Hail Mary, Cal sees more than a sci-fi story about saving the stars—he sees a blueprint for how humans might survive the age of AI. That insight leads him to a real-life story even more extraordina…
Who Buys the Future If AI Takes Your Job? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:31
The headlines keep leading us to believe that AI is coming for your job. But Cal Fussman poses a question no one else is asking. If humans stop earning… who's left to buy what AI and the machines produce? As companies ra…
Ryan Gosling At Work In The Age Of AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:51
Cal plans to go out to the theater to watch the actor save the universe in Project Hail Mary. Cal doesn't know exactly what's going to happen, but he sees the plot as the perfect metaphor for how humans must look at the…
Beating The Airport Security Lines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:29
An electric razor is mistaken for a bomb. Security lines explode in Houston, New Orleans and Charlotte. TSA workers are on the job without pay. So Cal flips the script. Show up hours early and turn airport stress into pr…
A Tale Of Two Futures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
One future says the most human people win. The other says your job costs too much. Gary Vaynerchuk believes that as we become more "AI-ed out," the most human brands and people will dominate. Citrini Research predicts so…
The Asset AI Can't Create [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:26
One of the richest men in the world quietly became the largest private owner of farmland in America. Why? Is Bill Gates retreating from technology? Or is he making the most important AI bet of all? In this episode, Cal r…
Something Big Is Happening [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:37
As the world worked on last week, something exploded online. An article about AI by Matt Shumer was posted on X. It has already been downloaded more than 80 million times. The title? Something Big Is Happening. The impli…