Matthew’s passion for all things travel began in his childhood. He brings 25 years of entrepreneurial leadership experience in the luxury travel marketing, sales, and hospitality business development arena to Transcend Cruises. Matthew co-founded and served as CEO of e-Cruise, an online industry wide marketing and retention program, and created and led Chosen Voyage, a niche cruise charter company that has operated numerous full-ship programs with luxury ocean and river cruise lines.
Matthew subsequently served as a senior VP at INTRAV, a leading specialist cruise and tour operator, and has developed travel programs for clients including Starwood UK, Cunard Line, and Cuisinart. He has also launched cross-marketing programs between luxury cruise lines and retail partners such as Tourneau and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matthew is a principal at Reception Hotels and Resorts, where he completed development of a 160-room EVEN Hotel, the first adaptive reuse project for the wellness-driven brand, in a historic department store in downtown Pittsburgh.
Matthew is founder and chief visionary of the company. He is Transcend’s lead evangelist, and will oversee all sales, partnerships, ship design, and fleet development efforts.
On this episode of the show, Matthew shares his one way ticket to a state where we all live together in harmony. Plus, he highlights Transcend, the new charter-only river cruise line with a fleet of its own purpose-built vessels. Matthew spotlights how the company is changing the face of cruising by offering truly customized river cruise experiences for groups, whether a corporate event, family gathering, wedding celebration, and more. Further, he talks about looking at river cruising through the lens of sustainability.
As Matthew lives in Pittsburgh, PA, we wind down the conversation with why everyone in earshot needs to visit the Steel City.
Originally from the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, Scott Shelley is a Physics Laboratory Instructor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He moved to the US in 1997.
Scott has spent the last thirty years attempting to systematically visit every country in the world, while simultaneously minimizing the cost of flights. He believes that planning trips is half the fun. To date, he has visited 192 of the 193 United Nations Member States.
He lives in an old house with his extremely patient and understanding wife Julie (who quietly worries but never objects when he chooses a dangerous location to visit) and their three cats: Kit, Glow, and Noodle.
Apart from planning his global journeys, Scott enjoys seeing live music and collecting music memorabilia.
On this episode of the show, Scott shares his one way ticket to, in his words “rainy, kind of dank, Manchester England in the early 1980s” to enjoy the music scene then and there.
During the course of the conversation, Scott also shares:
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Mark your calendars for Saturday December 2nd, 2023. That’s when the Lifetime Channel will be releasing an original holiday movie, Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas. It stars Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, Nicolette Sheridan and Linda Gray, our featured guest on this episode of The One Way Ticket Show.
In an acting and directing career spanning well over 50 years, Linda is perhaps best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of JR Ewing on the mega hit TV series Dallas, which premiered 45 years ago.
During our conversation, Linda shares her one way ticket to curiosity and all of its many facets.
Plus, she highlights how she approaches developing a character and what she loves about playing other people; takes us behind the scenes of Dallas; reflects on the 1980s; recalls working as the leg model for the poster for the 1967 film The Graduate, and the excitement on set working with acting veterans in Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas.
For Linda's full bio, visit: lindagrayofficial.com
In Karen’s own words:
“I was 17 years old, traveling alone, when I boarded a plane to Europe. Living in a different culture I experienced the world in new and surprising ways and discovered myself. My love of travel was born. I didn’t return to the US for three years.
Since then I’ve traveled to more than 90 countries. I climbed Kilimanjaro, conquered my fear of falling to go on an elephant trek in Thailand, spent time in Berlin shortly after the wall came down, stayed with a Japanese family who taught me to make sushi and made friends across the globe.
In pursuit of my passion for travel I’ve lost and gained friends and lovers and made a radical career change. Travel is my addiction, and I don’t want treatment
I studied ceramics in college and graduate school but abandoned that career and switched to marketing so that employers would pay for my travel. In my new career as a marketing strategist and researcher I’ve traveled the world conducting thousands of meetings, focus groups and interviews. My skills as an interviewer have persuaded total strangers to talk candidly about the most intimate of subjects, personal bankruptcy, illness, and religion. When traveling for pleasure, those same skills helped me to draw out people’s stories. I’ve learned about their lives, as well as local customs and fashions and what makes them laugh. These conversations often led to invitations for dinner and personal tours.
“Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust” is a compilation of stories that explore how travel can change a life. Like my readers, I am an ordinary person. Through travel I’ve learned courage and risk taking and succeeded at things I didn’t know I could do.
Each story can be read and enjoyed independently. My hope is that they will tickle the travel bug in readers and encourage them to set off on their own adventures.
I live in New York City.”
On this episode of The One Way Ticket show, Karen shares her one way ticket to see what New York City was like from the 1920s onwards. Plus, she also shares her second book, "Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky Places, and Curious Cuisine". Throughout the conversation, we talk travel, travel, and more travel!
Michelle Lawton is a food and wine lover and founder of joyfulplate, a food and beverage research and branding consultancy. She is a happy home cook to her “Irishman” (aka her partner, Michael) in New York City, where she enjoys brainstorming on bike rides in Central Park and the kitchen -- her happy places.
Michelle holds an Advanced Wine Certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and shares her wine, food, and travel experiences on Instagram @joyfulplate and joyfulplate.com/inspiration.
Michelle is passionate about community, volunteering with the West Side Campaign Against Hunger in New York City for 15 years and with Les Dames d’Escoffier NY, a nonprofit supporting aspiring professional women in food and beverage hospitality.
Our guest on episode 39, Michelle returned to The One Way Ticket Show, where she shared a new one way ticket – to a place of protected health and joy. She also shares her book, Moderating a Love Affair with Food: 10 Tips to Mindful Eating and Drinking.
On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Yahya Mahamid following the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023. The interview is from Steven’s conversation with Yahya on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.
Yahya Mahamid is an Arab-Israeli speaker, educator, and activist. He serves as a mentor in various programs and works to empower and integrate youth from Israel’s Arab minority. Mahamid was raised in the city of Um Al Fahm and grew up with a negative image of Israel and the Jewish people, but personal interactions with Israelis challenged and changed his perceptions. Notably, he volunteered as a combat infantry soldier in the Israel Defense Forces and has since dedicated his life to educating others about antisemitism and misinformation about Israel.
During the conversation, Yahya shares his remarkable life’s journey and debunks myths about Israel.
On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, following the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023. The interview is from Steven’s conversation with her on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.
Fleur serves as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in charge of foreign relations, international economic development, and tourism. She is a co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, an association of Emirati and Israeli business and government leaders fostering bilateral trade, innovation, and cooperation. Fleur was born in London, grew up in Gibraltar, and immigrated to Israel in 2001.
During the conversation, Fleur discusses the current environment in Jerusalem, organizing support from the international community, and the special resilience of the Jewish people. She also discusses how Hamas is ISIS and how this a clear battle between good and evil.
On this special episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz sat down with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer to provide perspective on the barbaric invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 7 October 2023.
The interview is from Steven’s conversation with Dr. Schanzer on the Jewish National Fund USA podcast, IsraelCast.
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at FDD, where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. He is also on the leadership team of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power, a project on the use of financial and economic power as a tool of statecraft.
Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he played an integral role in the designation of numerous terrorist financiers. He has held previous think tank research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum.
Jonathan has written hundreds of articles on the Middle East, along with more than a dozen monographs and chapters for edited volumes. His new book, Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War (FDD Press 2021), challenges and corrects some of the wildly inaccurate news reported during the conflict. It is the first book published on the war. His three other books have made unique contributions to the field. State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State (Palgrave Macmillan 2013) argues the main roadblock to Palestinian statehood is the Palestinian Authority’s political dysfunction and mismanagement. Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine (Palgrave Macmillan 2008) is still the only book on the market that analyzes the ongoing Palestinian civil war. Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror (Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2004) was the first to explore the al-Qaeda franchises of the Middle East.
Jonathan testifies often before Congress and publishes widely in the American and international media. He has appeared on American television channels such as Fox News and CNN, and Arabic language television channels such as Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera.
A sought-after public speaker, Jonathan has traveled widely throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.
Jonathan has studied Middle East history in four countries. He earned his PhD from King’s College London, where he wrote his dissertation on the U.S. Congress and its efforts to combat terrorism in the 20th century. He speaks Arabic and Hebrew.
Born in Israel in 1942, Ory Slonim grew up amidst the ravages of the country’s War of Independence. Ory came from a seventh-generation family that lived in Hebron, grew up in Tel Aviv, married, and became a successful lawyer.
In 1986, Israeli President Haim Herzog appointed Ory as special counsel to the Defense Minister for issues of POWs & MIAs, from the civilian world, concentrating on families. Ory enlisted in the mission, gaining senior cooperation with the Mossad. For his work, he accepted a payment of one Israeli Shekel per year.
Over the next thirty-six years, Ory searched the world for young IDF soldiers, pilots and reservists who were captured in battles and never heard from again. His mission to find the missing boys saw him traveling to nations that did not recognize Israel, and meeting with terrorist representatives. In the capacity of knocking on doors worldwide, and on families of the POWs & MIAs, Ory became known as the “Door Knocker.”
In addition, Ory has tirelessly worked for Variety – the Children’s Charity, having served as President and Chairman of the organization in Israel and as International President between 2003 – 2005.
In 2011 Ory was honored by President Shimon Peres with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Distinction.
On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Ory shares his one way ticket to a future in a place where all soldiers, POWs & MIAs will be back home and where children in need will be okay.
During our conversation, Ory also shares what it’s like dealing with terrorists and non-state actors, the painful conversations he had with families of POW-MIAs, draws from Moliere who said how uncertainty is uglier than the worst certainty, and highlights the importance of giving.
For more, pick up a copy of Ory's book: "A Knock At The Door: The Story of My Secret Work with Israeli MIAs and POWs".
Matt Gutman is ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent based in Los Angeles. He reports for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “20/20,” “Good Morning America” and “Nightline.” He has reported for ABC from 40 countries across the globe.
A multiple award-winning correspondent, Matt has covered the COVID-19 crisis, the protests in American streets following the death of George Floyd, the immigration crisis, and countless foreign and domestic terror attacks. Over the past half-decade, he has been one of the most frequently used correspondents on “20/20.” Matt’s tireless reporting helped “20/20” win an Emmy® for its documentary on the 2017 Las Vegas massacre and a Christopher Award for its reporting on the Thai cave rescue. He followed every step of that treacherous mission to save the 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Thailand. Matt subsequently authored “The Boys in the Cave,” which chronicled the heroics of a motley crew of cave diving misfits, the US Airforce, and Thai Navy Seals who spearheaded the rescue.
Previously based in Miami, Matt won awards for his coverage of the Trayvon Martin Shooting and the BP Oil spill. From 2013-2018 he hosted the ABC Television Network’s Saturday morning show, “Sea Rescue,” which won the 2016 Emmy for “Outstanding Children’s Series.”
Before joining ABC News in 2008 where he started at ABC News Radio, Matt was a Jerusalem-based reporter for seven years, covering every major conflict in the Middle East.
Matt is married and a father of two. He is a graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts.
On this episode, Matt discusses his second book, “No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks”.
As an added bonus, Matt shares a new one way ticket – to the room in Tallahassee, Florida during the November 2000 election where the hanging chads were selected.
Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz is a curator, lecturer and public art consultant with a unique concentration in public art policy, modern and contemporary art for architecture and the landscape in the broader context of cultural, urban and environmental revitalization.
In 1968-1971 she founded “The Photographer’s Gallery,” the first gallery in New York City exhibiting photography as fine art.
She was Director of Commissions at Pace Gallery in New York from 1972-1982, implementing public sculpture projects with Pace artists.
In 1982 Joyce founded “Works of Art for Public Spaces, Ltd.”, dedicated to working with American and International artists creating major works of Art for Architecture. She is also one of the founding board members of ARTTABLE.
She recently established the Harold and Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz “Archives of Public Art” at the Fales Special Collections/NYU Bobst Library, of artists’ monographs, photographs and papers available for public art historical research. It now includes the archives of the Public Art fund and Creative Time.
In July 2023, Joyce released her book: “The Private Eye in Public Art”, published by Oro Editions.
On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Joyce shares her one way ticket to 25 years into the future to know what her two great-granddaughters are doing then.
During the course of our conversation, Joyce also reflects on:
· Her lifelong love of art – particularly Native American and African Art - stemming from her visits as a young girl in the late 1930s to the Brooklyn Museum, the Met and MOMA (which she used to ride to solo via the subway)
· Visiting the 1939 World’s Fair and the futuristic GM pavilion
· The general role art plays in questioning and opening ones mind
· The role of public art and how it moved beyond sticks & stones to the art of ideas and place-making
· How public art shapes a space rather than fills it and how it provides a common cultural cue
· How from the very start, Chicago got public art projects right
· Collaborating with groundbreaking artists including: Louise Nevelson, Tony Smith, David von Schlegell and Isamu Noguchi
· Creating the Irish Hunger Memorial in New York City
· Arshile Gorky’s lost (then found!) murals at Newark Airport
· Why artists are the only narcissists she’ll ever forgive.
On this Summer Special of The One Way Ticket Show, Host Steven Shalowitz welcomes Hollywood icon, Ann-Margret, to the program.
The Swedish-born actresss and performer has won five Golden Globe Awards, has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammys, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and six Emmy Awards – winning one. She’s been a headliner at sold out shows, and has 56 films and counting to her credit, everything from "Viva Las Vegas" to "Grumpier Old Men", "Bye Bye Birdie" to "Carnal Knowledge", and "The Cincinnati Kid" to "The Break Up".
She has worked alongside the great performers of the 20th and early 21st century, including: George Burns, Bette Davis, Elvis, Steve McQueen, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jack Lemon, Claudette Colbert, Jack Benny, Sophia Loren, Jack Nicholson, John Forsythe, Anthony Hopkins, Carol Burnett, Anthony Quinn, John Wayne, Alan Arkin, etc.
In 2003, the USO honored Ann-Margret with its Spirit of Hope Award, named in honor of Bob Hope, her friend whom she performed with in Vietnam during the war.
In our conversation, Ann-Margret touches on:
Plus, Ann-Margret shares how her dear friend, actor Justin Chambers, said he was going to create a perfume for her. Twenty-five years in the making, the limited edition Ann-Margret Eau de Parfum has now been launched with all profits going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
To purchase, visit: www.annmargretperfume.com
Jens Kurt Heycke was educated in Economics and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, the London School of Economics, and Princeton University.
He worked as an early employee and executive in several successful technology startups, including one that pioneered the mobile Internet and produced software installed in more than a billion mobile phones.
Since retiring from high tech, he has worked as a writer and independent researcher, conducting field research around the world, from Bosnia to Botswana.
He is an internationally competitive masters cyclist, winning a bronze medal at the World Masters Games and top-ten places in other world championship events.
On this episode, Jens shares his one way ticket to a future America that fully realizes the melting pot ideal.
Plus, he shares ideas and introduces us to historical figures as outlined in his book: “Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire: Multiculturalism in the World’s Past and America’s Future”. These include:
Jens believes the answer to segregation isn’t more segregation, which he believes is a path we’re currently going down in the US. To remedy this, he calls for: Ending group distinctions, ceasing to pit one group against another, national team building exercises (borrowing from the “umaganda” example in Rwanda), and a type of national service program to foster social cohesion.
Jeh Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and the former Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2017), General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2009-2012), General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force (1998-2001), and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York (1989-1991).
In private life, in addition to practicing law, Johnson is on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin, U.S. Steel, MetLife, the Council on Foreign Relations, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, and is a trustee of Columbia University. Johnson is frequent commentator on national and homeland security matters on NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg TV and other news networks, and has written op-eds in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Lawfare, and elsewhere. As of March 2022, Johnson also hosts a classic R&B radio show on FM public radio station WBGO, 88.3FM, based in Newark, NJ.
As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson was the head of the third largest cabinet department of the U.S. government, consisting of 230,000 personnel and 22 components, including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Services, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and FEMA. Johnson's responsibilities as Secretary included counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, protection of our national leaders, the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to natural disasters. In three years as Secretary of DHS, Johnson is credited with management reform of the Department, which brought about a more centralized approach to decision-making in the areas of budgets, acquisition and overall policy. Johnson also raised employee morale across the Department, reflected in the September 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
As General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Johnson is credited with being the legal architect for the U.S. military’s counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration. In 2010, Johnson co-authored the report that paved the way for the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell by Congress later that year. In his book Duty, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote that Johnson "proved to be the finest lawyer I ever worked with in government - a straightforward, plain-speaking man of great integrity, with common sense to burn and a good sense of humor." According to published reports, Johnson provided the opinion that was the legal basis for U.S. special forces to enter Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011.
Johnson is a 2022 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a 2021 recipient of the American Lawyer’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as “an American statesman [who] has devoted his career to the public interest,” and a 2018 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award, presented at the Reagan Presidential Library, for “contribut[ing] greatly to the defense of our nation,” and “guiding us through turbulent times with courage and wisdom.”
In 2020 the Chief Judge of New York State asked Johnson to conduct a comprehensive review of equal justice in the New York State courts. On October 1, 2020 Johnson issued a public report with his findings and recommendations, all of which the Chief Judge has committed to adopting.
Johnson has debated at both the Cambridge and Oxford Unions in England, and in November 2019 was conferred honorary life membership in the Cambridge Union. Johnson is a graduate of Morehouse College (1979) and Columbia Law School (1982) and the recipient of 13 honorary degrees.
Johnson married “the girl next-door,” literally, Dr. Susan DiMarco, in 1994. Susan is a retired dentist, a volunteer at the southern border and in numerous other activities, and, at the request of the U.S. Navy, is the sponsor of the Virginia-class submarine USS NEW JERSEY (SSN-796). In February 2023, Johnson and his family history were profiled on an episode of PBS’ Finding Your Roots.
For Jazz fans, tune into “All Things Soul with Jeh Johnson", once a month on Saturdays from 8 – 10 am on WBGO 88.3 FM.
On this episode, Secretary Johnson shares his one way ticket to Birmingham, Alabama on May 20, 1961, to resume the Freedom Rides, and highlights the role they had in the US Civil Rights Movement.
During the course of our conversation, he also covers his family history as unearthed by Henry Louis Gates on Finding Your Roots, how he approached managing the Department of Homeland Security, concerns about cybersecurity and AI and his love for classic R&B which he features on his radio show.
A multiple Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer, Peter Greenberg is America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. Known in the industry as “The Travel Detective,” he is the Travel Editor for CBS News, appearing on CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and Sunday Morning, among other broadcast platforms.
Greenberg produces and co-hosts an ongoing series of acclaimed public television specials, “The Royal Tour,” featuring personal, one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state. Along with such figures as the King of Jordan, Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Israel and Presidents of Mexico and Peru, Greenberg’s newest special features the President of Tanzania.
The consummate insider on reporting the travel business as news, Greenberg also hosts the television show, “The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg,” airing on Public Television. The series offers more than 50 half-hour episodes with cutting-edge travel information and insider tips you need to know before you ever leave home, plus in-depth reports on the good, bad, and yes, even ugly aspects of travel.
Greenberg also has launched a series of one hour specials called HIDDEN, revealing special destinations and unique experiences that you won’t find in the guidebooks or brochures. Destinations include Turkey, Poland, and Canary Islands, to name a few.
On radio, he hosts the nationally syndicated “Eye on Travel,” broadcast each week from a different remote location worldwide, and is heard on hundreds of CBS radio stations across the U.S.
Greenberg is also author of The New York Times best- selling Travel Detective series. His most recent book, The Best Places for Everything, comes in the wake of such titles as Don’t Go There! and The Complete Travel Detective Bible.
He has also been a featured guest on CNN, NewsNation, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” and “The View.”
Travel Weekly named him one of the most influential people in travel, along with Bill Marriott and Richard Branson. In 2012, he was inducted into the U.S. Travel Association’s Hall of Leaders for his contributions to the travel industry. Among his other honors, Greenberg received a News & Documentary Emmy Award as part of the “Dateline” team for outstanding coverage of a breaking news story, “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Greenberg began his career in journalism as West Coast correspondent for Newsweek in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He won a national Emmy Award (Best Investigative Reporting) for his ABC “20/20” special on the final orphan flight out of Vietnam, “What Happened to the Children?” Greenberg also received an Emmy Award for “Miracle on the Hudson” for NBC Dateline.
Greenberg is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Aviation Space Writers Association of America.
His website, PeterGreenberg.com, is one of the leading travel news resources for consumers and industry insiders alike. When he is not traveling the globe, Greenberg also serves as an active volunteer firefighter.
Our guest on episode 109, Peter returns to the program where he briefly revisit his one way ticket destination to Fire Island. During our conversation, he also shares:
For more, visit: petergreenberg.com.
Gretchen Carlson, is an acclaimed journalist, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and internationally recognized trailblazer for women’s rights in the workplace.
In 2016, she boldly went public with harassment claims against then Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, paving the way for the #MeToo movement. Her story has been told in the movie Bombshell and the Showtime mini-series The Loudest Voice.
Gretchen is no stranger to your screen, having spent over 30 years as a journalist. She notably hosted the Saturday edition of The Early Show on CBS News, Fox News’ Fox & Friends, and The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson.
Today, Gretchen is ushering in a new movement as a co-founder of Lift Our Voices, a nonprofit organization fighting to eradicate forced arbitration clauses and non-disclosure agreements in workplace contracts that keep toxic workplace issues silent.
Gretchen is relentlessly dedicated to sharing her story to help create safe, welcoming, and harassment-free environments in workplaces all across the world.
Gretchen Carlson is a change maker, and she’s just getting started.
On this episode, Gretchen shares her one way ticket to a world where courage in coming forward about bad behavior at work is celebrated and not punished!
In our wide ranging conversation, Gretchen also highlights the two pieces of bipartisan legislation she tirelessly worked to pass. The first provides sexual misconduct survivors the right to file their claims in open court, even if they have a forced arbitration clause in an employment contract. The second invalidates existing NDAs and non-disparagement agreements prohibiting current, prospective or former employees and independent contractors from disclosing sexual harassment and assault, provided they have not yet initiated a legal claim.
Plus, Gretchen shares the need to change our culture – especially among boys and young men, why HR is like the KGB, and her reflections each July 6th, the anniversary of the day she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes.
On this special episode of “The One Way Ticket Show”, Host Steven Shalowitz shares the “7 Ps” that got him through his cancer diagnosis and treatment. They are:
As he mentioned in the recording, credit for the first 3 Ps goes to his Rabbi. Steven added on the remaining 4.
After listening to the episode, share it with anyone going through a rough patch who may need a little encouragement.
Melissa Biggs Bradley is the CEO and founder of Indagare, a membership-based luxury travel agency and media company that combines curated content with high-touch service and leverages its global network to create extraordinary, meaningful experiences for sophisticated travelers. Since launching, the company has been named to Inc.’s Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S. and to Crain’s 50 fastest-growing companies in New York. Indagare believes that how you travel matters and its mission is to inspire and empower people to change their lives–and the world–through travel and to have a positive impact on the places they visit.
In 2022, Melissa launched a successful podcast on SiriusXM, Passport to Everywhere, where she takes you to dream destinations and hotels, shares insider travel intel and introduces you to extraordinary people she has met through her travels. She is also passionate about Africa, having traveled there more than 35 times–her book, Safari Style: Exceptional African Camps and Lodges, was published by Vendome Press in 2021.
Melissa also leads immersive small-group trips around the world. Among the journeys she led last year: a first-ever journey to Antarctica, a trip experiencing the world-famous cuisine of Massimo Bottura and Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, an art and design-focused trip in the South of France and more. Indagare has partnerships with brands such as the Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Architectural Digest for exclusive journeys hosted by top editors and influencers.
Prior to launching Indagare in 2007, Melissa was the founding editor of Hearst’s Town & Country Travel and the travel editor at Town & Country magazine. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at Columbia University and her B.A. from Yale College.
On this episode, Melissa shares her one way ticket to Paris in the 1920s. Melissa also highlights the joys of slow travel, the importance of having exchanges with people that our different than us, and packing tips for being a carry-on only traveler. Plus, Melissa spotlights how Indagare has offset carbon emissions for all its travelers, and more . . .
Melissa is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance.
Steven is the author of eleven bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 50 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review.
Alongside his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is also the co-founder of The Buddy Sue Hospice Home for Old Dogs, a canine elder care facility, and Rancho de Chihuahua, a dog rescue and sanctuary.
On this episode, Steven shares his one way ticket to “flow”. In the course of the conversation, he describes what flow is, its importance, and how people can get into flow. Plus, he dives into peak performance aging as reflected in his latest book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad.
This is truly a wide ranging dialogue where everything from “loving kindness meditation” to ageism in hiring, to even the problems of posting photos while traveling are discussed.
Steven is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
Born in Bosnia.
In Europe illustrated and art directed posters, record covers, books and comics.
Arrived in U.S. in 1986.
Was commissioned as an illustrator for many of the major magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and around the world.
In 1991 became an Art Director at Time Magazine, in charge of International editions.
In 1992 became an Art Director of New York Times Op-Ed pages.
In 1995 established Mirko Ilic Corp., graphic design and 3-D computer graphics and motion picture title studio.
Received Medals from Society of Illustrators, Society of Publication Designers, Art Directors Club, I.D. Magazine, Society of Newspaper Design, and others
His work is in collections of institutions such as Smithsonian Museum, SFMOMA in San Francisco and MoMA in New York has 38 of his designs in their collection.
He taught advanced design classes at Cooper Union with Milton Glaser, and master degree classes in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts.
He also organizes and curates shows and lectures around the world.
The most known of them is the Tolerance Project: A Traveling Poster Show, which appeared more than 157 times in 46 countries around the world.
He is the co-author of the following books with Steven Heller:
“Genius Moves: 100 Icons of Graphic Design With” (North Light Books, USA, 2001)
“Handwritten” (Thams & Hudson, UK, 2004)
“The Anatomy of Design” (Rockport, USA, 2007)
“Stop, Think, Go, Do” (Rockport, USA, 2011) “Lettering Large: The Art and Design of Monumental Typography” (The Monacelli Press, USA, 2013)
“Presenting Shakespeare: 1,100 Posters from Around the World” (Princeton Architectural Press, USA, 2015)
“Head to Toe: The Nude in Graphic Design” (Rizzoli, USA, 2018)
“Milton Glaser: POP“ (The Monacelli Press, USA, 2023)
And also he has co-authored these books with Milton Glaser:
“The Design of Dissent“ (Rockport, USA, 2005)
“The Design of Dissent, Expended Edition“ (Rockport, USA, 2017)
On this episode, Mirko shares his one way ticket into the light. He also talks about the origins and the importance of the Tolerance Project, why great ideas are often right under our noses, shares how good design is something we don't notice, and more.
Mirko is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
Hamad is a Qatari comedian who grew up in Ireland, a rare commodity in the Middle East or anywhere else. Having spent time in Qatar, Southern Ireland and the US he’s had a unique opportunity to experience the diversity in cultures, which helped form his identity and approach to comedy.
With a broad repertoire, his experience ranges from stand-up comedy (his life’s passion and deepest love!), to being a keen ambassador for children’s charities, cancer awareness and local franchises, VIP corporate events and conferences, and producing online shows.
Despite the humor, Hamad is quite an intense character with a very serious side, and has a strong desire to teach, help, assist and educate, all common themes in his social commentary. Obviously not a run of the mill kid, he believes in freedom of speech, saying it as it is, and spreading ones wings.
Known internationally for hitting a Burger King drive-through on a camel no less, Hamad likes to break down barriers and boundaries. Where’s the humor in staying confined?!
On this episode, Hamad shares his one way ticket to a complete symbiotic relationship between man and technology. He also highlights what people should know about Qatar, the breathtaking Qatar National Museum, the 2022 World Cup, if there’s such a thing as Qatari humor, and more.
Hamad is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
James Willcox is one of the founders of Untamed Borders, a travel and logistics company that offers bespoke trips and small group adventures to some of the world's most interesting and inaccessible places. Specializing in cultural, trekking, marathon and skiing trips, Untamed Borders offer some of the most unique itineraries in the travel market today. Operating in the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia, Untamed Borders takes over 250 guests a year to unusual and largely unvisited areas of the world. Travelling in small groups and using local guides, the Untamed Borders mission is to add positive benefit to the countries and communities they visit.
Some of James' more notable achievements include pioneering ski tourism in Afghanistan and Iraq, organizing marathons in Afghanistan and Somaliland (the first mixed gender sporting events in the history of those respective countries) and more recently, arranged the logistics for Michael Palin's travel documentary in Iraq.
While James, our guest on episode 264 returns to the show to briefly re-visit his one way ticket to 300 years into the future somewhere in the mountains, the focus of our conversation here is his most recent adventure through Afghanistan. James covers logistics, security, changes he has and hasn’t seen in the country over the course of numerous visits, etc.
Plus, among other unforgettable experiences, James highlights camping out at the the 65m-tall Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which remotely stands alone in western Afghanistan, in all its 12th century magnificence.
James is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
Michael Fabiano is a distinguished international opera singer. As a tenor, he regularly performs at leading opera houses worldwide. In 2014, Michael won both the Richard Tucker Award and the Beverly Sills Artist Award, making him the first singer to win both prestigious honors in the same year.
His musical artistry is matched by his passionate commitment to arts education. Michael is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of ArtSmart - a non-profit that transforms the lives of youth in under-resourced communities across the US through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship by paid, professional artists.
While opera is his passion, Michael’s large focus is building a better future for Americans seeking greater upward mobility. It is his belief that the arts is one of the great unifiers and a catalyst for success in life.
Additionally, as an entrepreneur, Michael is a partner in Resonance, an operating system for creative organizations and businesses that streamlines everything from payroll to spreadsheets and email to employee communication.
He is an active private pilot, a life-long baseball umpire, and writes extensively in blogs and articles about the American educative experience.
On this episode Michael shares his one way ticket to Mars. Plus, in our sweeping conversation, he highlights why arts education is critical to a child’s development, and why college campuses should be marketplaces of ideas (which he believes they’re currently not). Michael also calls for a re-imagined opera experience, which includes cell phone use and food and drink enjoyed in the theatre itself.
Michael is just one of the exceptional individuals featured on the podcast where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guest where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former United States Senator, Joseph I. Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals, etc.
Annie Fitzsimmons is a travel creative and editor and has worked in the travel industry for more than 17 years, traveling to six continents and reporting–on destinations, people, culture, hotels, and restaurants, and more – through numerous content platforms.
Annie is currently writing and researching her book for National Geographic and Disney Publishing, “Hotels of a Lifetime," to be published in 2024.
Most recently, she worked as Luxury Travel + Advisor Editor for AFAR Media, also hosting AFAR Live and Live from AFAR. Prior to AFAR, she was an editor at Virtuoso - one of the industry's leading networks for travel advisors - and held many roles at National Geographic over nine years, as their first and only Urban Insider, traveling the world and reporting on cities, culture, and lifestyle as their major female brand voice. She was a founding member of their Editorial Council, as well as spokesperson and foreword writer for two NatGeo books, The World’s Best Cities and The World’s Most Romantic Destinations.
Annie has been a keynote speaker and panelist on travel trends, media, and content at events around the world, including SXSW in Austin, World Travel Market in London, the International Tourism Conference in Latvia (sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Riga), the Hospitality World Congress in Barcelona, and ILTM Americas in Mexico.
She is based in west London with her family, after living in her beloved NYC for more than a decade. She has been a licensed NYC tour guide since 2008.
On this episode, Annie returns to the show to revisit her one way ticket to Switzerland, to update us on her book, and to share 10 more “if these walls could talk” hotels. They are:
1. Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, Côte d’Azur
2. Hotel Sacher, Vienna
3. Hotel d’Angleterre & Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen (tie)
4. Baur au Lac, Zurich
5. Carlton, Cannes
6. Reid’s Palace, Madeira
7. Hotel Jerome, Aspen
8. Hotel Eden Rock, St. Barts
9. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
10. Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express, Train
Annie is just one of the engaging personalities featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Former CIA Director, General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Icon, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former Senator, Joe Lieberman; CNN Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; "1000 Places to See Before You Die" Author, Patricia Schultz; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, etc.