Advertise on podcast: Get Real with Jim Weiss

Why does healthcare keep getting more expensive, even as technology gets better? Dan Mendelson has spent his career trying to answer that question, from the Clinton White House to founding Avalere Health and now leading Morgan Health at JPMorgan Chase. In this episode of Get Real, Dan joins Jim Weiss to unpack what’s driving costs, why employer-sponsored healthcare needs more attention, and how AI, better primary care and smarter benefits could improve care. They also explore women’s health, access to breakthrough treatments and what it will take to make healthcare work better for more people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alan Murray has spent decades inside the rooms where leaders make consequential decisions, from The Wall Street Journal and Fortune to today’s WSJ Leadership Institute. In this episode of Get Real, Alan joins Jim Weiss to talk about trust, leadership, AI and how technology is reshaping business and healthcare. They also explore the future of journalism, the changing role of CEOs and whether innovation could transform diseases like cancer. Then Alan gets personal, sharing how his own cancer experience changed the way he thinks about time, family, work and what matters most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Dempsey's non-profit, the Dempsey Center, is dedicated to offering wraparound support to cancer patients and the people around them impacted by cancer. On this episode, Jim and Patrick discuss the difference one person can make when they decide to turn a deeply personal experience into something that helps others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim sits down with Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca's Oncology Business Unit, to explore the breakthroughs reshaping cancer care and why this may be the most promising moment in oncology history. Dave's journey has taken him from the Pentagon to consulting, Genentech, and ultimately the leadership of one of the world's largest oncology businesses. Along the way, he's helped bring some of the most important cancer innovations to patients around the world. Jim and Dave discuss what came out of ASCO, the rise of AI in healthcare, precision diagnostics, antibody-drug conjugates, cell therapy, and the growing possibility that many cancers may one day become curable. They also tackle the perception problem facing the pharmaceutical industry, why global collaboration matters more than ever, and what it takes to lead through rapid scientific change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, and biotech CEO, Jeremy Levin has spent his career helping bring innovative medicines to patients. In his book, Biotech in the Balance, he argues that the future of healthcare depends on restoring trust in science, strengthening innovation, and keeping patients at the center of decision-making. In this episode of Get Real, Jeremy joins Jim Weiss to discuss the state of biotechnology, the challenges facing drug development, and why the next generation of medical breakthroughs depends on the choices we make today. This is a conversation about science, leadership, and the future of human health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rules of leadership are changing. According to Bob Pearson, success in the age of AI won't come from replacing human intelligence. It will come from learning how to amplify it. That's the central idea behind his latest book, The Compass. In this episode of Get Real, Bob joins Jim Weiss to explore how leaders can navigate a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence, why curiosity matters more than ever, and how organizations can adapt without losing their humanity. This is a conversation about leadership, innovation, and finding direction during times of rapid change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From helping build one of the world's leading oncology businesses to serving as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Frank Clyburn has spent his career at the intersection of healthcare, leadership, and innovation. His work helped shape the commercialization of breakthrough medicines, including advances that transformed cancer care. In this episode of Get Real, Frank joins Jim Weiss to discuss the lessons that shaped him, the importance of putting patients first, and how leaders can balance innovation, access, and business success. This is a conversation about resilience, opportunity, and creating lasting impact. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than two decades, Dr. Richard Pazdur helped shape the future of cancer treatment from inside the FDA, overseeing many of the therapies that transformed care for patients around the world. He played a central role in building the FDA's oncology review programs and accelerating access to groundbreaking medicines. In this episode of Get Real, Dr. Pazdur joins Jim Weiss to discuss the evolution of cancer care, the challenge of balancing speed with safety, and what it takes to bring lifesaving treatments from the lab to patients. They also explore the future of oncology, global innovation, and why there is still reason for optimism in the fight against cancer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Carhart-Harris is one of the world's leading researchers studying psychedelics, consciousness, and mental health. For decades, psychedelics sat on the fringes of medicine. Today, they're at the center of some of the most promising research into depression, well-being, and the human mind. Robin's groundbreaking work has helped uncover how substances like psilocybin and LSD affect the brain and their potential role in treating mental illness. Robin joins Jim to explore the science behind psychedelics, what brain imaging studies reveal about consciousness, and why researchers are rethinking the treatment of depression and other mental health conditions. They discuss the role of set and setting, the differences between clinical and non-clinical use, and what the future may hold for psychedelic medicine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Croak never set out to create one of the biggest product crazes of the 21st century. But when he spotted an unusual silicone rubber band at a trade show, he saw something others didn't. That insight became Silly Bandz, a global phenomenon that transformed a simple idea into a massive business. In this episode of Get Real, Robert joins Jim Weiss to share the entrepreneurial journey behind his success, from a challenging upbringing and early business ventures to building iconic brands, investing in startups, and teaching financial literacy. This is a conversation about spotting opportunity, trusting your instincts, and the persistence required to turn a simple idea into something extraordinary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Monica Coenraads’ daughter was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, she refused to accept that nothing could be done. As founder and CEO of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust, she has helped advance groundbreaking research aimed at treating the disorder at its genetic root. In this episode of Get Real, Monica joins Jim Weiss to discuss the personal journey that led her into rare disease advocacy, the promise of gene therapy, and what it takes to turn urgency, hope, and determination into scientific progress. This is a conversation about resilience, purpose, and the power of one family’s fight to change the future for thousands of others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim gets real about death with someone who's embracing that conversation. Tamatha Thomas-Haase, host of the podcast Grand Exit, has been living with metastatic breast cancer since 2018. While most of us avoid talking about mortality, Tamatha has made it her mission to confront it head-on and help others do the same. Jim and Tamatha explore what it means to live with uncertainty, redefine hope, and find joy in the time we have. They discuss caregiving, advocacy, and the unexpected lessons that come from facing life's inevitable realities. Tamatha believes that talking about death helps us live more fully. And by the end of this episode, we're sure you'll agree. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renée Fleming has spent her life mastering sound. Now, she’s convincing science to see its power. Renée joins Jim to explore Music and Mind, her groundbreaking book, and Music as Medicine, their pioneering initiative with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), focused on advancing research at the intersection of music, neuroscience, and healthcare. You'll learn about their partnership bringing scientists, clinicians, and artists together. You'll also hear why music affects everything from cognition to neurodegenerative disease, and how this growing body of research will transform healthcare. It’s a conversation about what is possible when science takes seriously something humans have always known: music changes us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Misty Copeland changed what was possible for generations of dancers to come. Jim and Kate sit down with Misty to talk about the determination it took to reach the top and why her focus today is on creating opportunity for others. They discuss motherhood and the work she's doing through The Misty Copeland Foundation to help young artists see themselves in spaces where they belong. This is a conversation about building something bigger than yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Maimah Karmo, surviving cancer was just the beginning. In this episode of Get Real, Jim sits down with Maimah, founder and CEO of the Tigerlily Foundation, who is 20 years out from a diagnosis of stage two triple negative breast cancer. Maimah made a decision early on: she wasn’t just going to survive, she was going to live with intention. She shares how her upbringing, from Liberia to building a life in the U.S., shaped her instinct to advocate for herself and others. And how, after her first chemotherapy treatment, she began building Tigerlily with nothing but a question, a prayer, and a purpose. They get real about what it means to thrive after cancer — physically, mentally, and emotionally. From daily practices to discipline to building community. Maimah shows that longevity isn’t just about time.It’s about how you choose to live it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.