Latest news with #ThePivotPodcast
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barack Obama says work-life balance isn't real for successful people
Former President Barack Obama admits that if you want to find career success, you shouldn't expect to always have work–life balance; it's okay to 'throw yourself into work,' as long as you make up for it later, he says. After a hard-core campaign season, he set a strict rule as president to have dinner every night with Michelle and his two daughters, Sasha and Malia. If finding success in your career is on your bucket list, you might need to get used to working lunches and staying past 5 p.m. That's, at least, according to former President Barack Obama, who recently revealed that achieving proper work–life balance will not always be possible. 'If you want to be excellent at anything—sports, music, business, politics—there's going to be times of your life when you're out of balance, where you're just working and you're single-minded,' he admitted on The Pivot Podcast. It's a lesson he—and his family learned the hard way. The 63-year-old admitted that when he first ran for president, he was on the constant grind for over a year and a half. While he said he would take some breaks during the weekends, his wife Michelle was largely left picking up the slack at home, taking care of the kids, even while she had a full-time job of her own. Though the time away from his family led to two terms in the White House, Obama admitted it wasn't sustainable. As president, he set a rule where he had family dinner every night at 6:30pm—even if he had to go back to work later. And while some leaders might think it takes away valuable work time, he said the opportunity to decompress with family was actually incredibly impactful. 'They ground you and give you perspective, and over time, that makes you better,' he said. Even as a former president, Obama admitted that his political accomplishments—what kept him away from his family—won't be what he remembers at the end of life. Instead, it'll be the love and memories he had with his children. 'I don't think there's a perfect formula,' he said at an Obama Foundation event in 2019. 'I think it starts with recognizing that on my deathbed, I am confident that I will not remember any bill I passed, I will not remember any speech I gave, any big crowds.' That's not to say career aspirations are not important, he said, it just means the level of commitment someone can give to their work all depends on what life is like at home—and vice versa. 'There will be phases in your life where you have to prioritize different things,' Obama said. 'There are times where it will be okay for you to just throw yourself into work because everything's in a pretty good place. There are going to be times where you have to maybe make some sacrifices on the work side because things aren't all okay at home.' For couples, the same premise applies—sometimes sacrifice will be made to aid the other to focus on their dream, but the favor has to be returned. 'In both cases, (Michelle and I) try to say, you can have it all—but you can't have it all at once,' he told The Pivot Podcast. 'You have to recognize there may be times in your life that you are going to be busy, and the other person has to put up the slack, but you have to be willing to do that for the other person as well and try to create some equity inside the family.' Fortune has reached Obama for comment. The debate over work-life balance isn't just top of mind for political leaders—but business leaders, too. LinkedIn's cofounder, Reid Hoffman, has previously said that work–life balance is not much of an option for entrepreneurs who want to break through the competition. 'If I ever hear a founder talking about, 'this is how I have a balanced life'—they're not committed to winning,' Hoffman told Stanford University's 'How to Start a Startup' class in 2014. 'The only really great founders are [the one's who are] like, 'I am going to put literally everything into doing this.'' But like Obama, Hoffman had one exception to the grind: dinner with families. 'When we started LinkedIn, we started with people who had families. So we said, sure, go home have dinner with your family,' Hoffman said late last year on the Diary of a CEO podcast. 'Then, after dinner with your family, open up your laptop and get back in the shared work experience and keep working.' For other leaders, having structured work–life balance is non negotiable. In fact, Laxman Narasimhan, the former CEO of Starbucks, previously told Fortune that he's 'very disciplined about balance.' 'It's got to be a pretty high bar to keep me away from the family.' This story was originally featured on
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
The awkward coverup over Channing Crowder's Bill Belichick/Jordon Hudson comments continues
Contrary to the opinions of those who have nothing better to do than complain about our periodic Bill Belichick/Jordon Hudson stories, we do many other things than write about the most oddly compelling story in all of football. For example, I've resisted (for now) the temptation to post more items with quotes from the recent visit by Pablo Torre to #PFTPM for a 45-minute chat on all things Belichick/Hudson. Some things, however, can't be ignored. In an article focusing on the recent sports media misadventures of Ryan Clark, John Mamola of Barrett Sports Media mentioned something very interesting. The portion of the WQAM radio show in which The Pivot Podcast co-host Channing Crowder said Hudson 'choreographed' Belichick's solo interview with Clark is gone. Expunged. Disappeared. Kaput. From the show's website. From its Apple podcast feed. From its Spotify podcast feed. We checked, just to be sure. Both the portion of the show during which the comments were made on May 16 (hour three) and the full May 16 show are gone from all three platforms. Only hours one, two, and four remain. Here's what Crowder said, beyond sharing his perception that Hudson 'choreographed' the interview: 'She kind of coordinates and brand manages. She has her paws on the situation. It's different . . . It was weird to be around Belichick and Jordon. . . . I don't see Belichick in that light. But he just smiles and nods. . . . His old lady is different. . . . She lurks. It's weird to know him as Coach Belichick running the entire organization as G.M., head coach, talent coordinator, all that stuff, and then to see this tiny, little 95-pound girl kind of — pretty much telling him what to do.' Wrote Mamola: 'Did Ryan Clark ask to have that hour removed? Did Bill Belichick or Jordon Hudson ask to have it removed?' Those are very fair questions. It's an extreme measure for any radio station to delete archived audio. The longer it's up before it's gone, the more awkward it is to scrub it from the web. While it's not known whether Clark's, Belichick's, and/or Hudson's fingerprints are on the removal of the Crowder audio, it's just another delayed-action development that kicks up the broader story's otherwise settled dust. Clark's one-on-one with Belichick delved into issues that had begun to fade away from view, such as the disastrous CBS interview. Crowder's apology, followed by Clark's unpersuasive effort to show that Hudson didn't control the Belichick interview, woke up the echoes of a wrinkle that had been largely forgotten after the control-alt-delete of Memorial Day weekend. Bottom line? It's all very weird. And Clark pulled himself and his popular podcast into the lingering morass by doing something seemingly far more detailed, planned, and (yes) choreographed than the usual podcast interview, where the guest shows up, talks for a while, and then leaves. It's obvious at this point that the Belichick interview was anything but a spontaneous and organic conversation, free from selective editing over which Belichick (and/or Hudson) may have had control. The best evidence of this fact is that Clark finagled the first (and only, so far) sit-down interview with Belichick and Hudson — and killed it. That general strangeness of the Belichick/Hudson story has returned to the center of the radar screen because it wasn't enough for Crowder to apologize for saying what he said about Hudson. Those words had to be erased from digital existence. At the behest of someone. Someone who doesn't realize the simple wisdom of leaving well enough alone.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Clark acknowledges coordination with Bill Belichick over editing of Pivot interview
The Pivot Podcast episode featuring an interview with Bill Belichick could be destined to serve as the basis for an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out. After the extended Memorial Day weekend, which operates as a de facto hard reset for many media narratives and storylines, Channing Crowder of The Pivot Podcast issued a public apology for things he had said more than a week earlier about Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend/publicist/handler/idea mill/creative muse Jordon Hudson. Which brought the story back to the front burner. Again. Among other things, Crowder had said Hudson "choreographed" the interview. After Crowder apologized, co-host Ryan Clark denied that the interview was "choreographed." While then explaining several things about the interview that sounded a lot like, you know, choreography. We published an article (it's available here) and posted a link on Twitter. Clark retweeted our link with this message: "Well Mike. It wasn't a pre-show meeting. Both Channing & Fred [Taylor] were on the same flight delayed from Miami. I was already in NY. So I was there first. As for serving the viewers we will not do that at the expense of people who volunteer to give us their time. We have had various reasons for edits, & exemptions. From contractual agreements, second thoughts, or just not liking how it felt. Moving slimy in the name of clicks is not worth the integrity of our show. Jordon was not contacted nor involved in any conversation about the timing in which what we documented could be released. That conversation took place between Bill & I." Clark's message ignores most of the points we made. Why was Hudson involved in a 90-minute meeting before the interview started? Why was what would have been the first EXCLUSIVE! sit-down with Belichick and Hudson not released? What does this mean, and how was it reflected in the interview process, or the editing? 'Jordon wanted to be represented in a certain way, wanted their relationship to be represented in a certain way. . . . And the conversations we had afterwards, before the show was released, what we'll show or what can we show about Bill speaking about her and the rest of our interview?' By insisting that Hudson had no control over the interview, Clark seems to be saying Belichick exercised extensive control over the interview. Clark also may have revealed that some sort of "contractual agreement" covered the Belichick interview. Then there's this comment: "As for serving the viewers we will not do that at the expense of people who volunteer to give us their time." At some level, that's fair. No one should expect an interviewer to try to attack the reputation of or destroy the relationship with the subject of the interview. But it's not normal for an interviewer (when the interviewer is an actual journalist) to coordinate with the subject of the interview before, during, or after the interview. It's also not normal for an interviewer to get approval from the subject of the interview as to the questions that will be asked and/or the answers that will be used, and those that will land on the cutting-room floor. Frankly, it feels as if Clark allowed himself to become part of Belichick's external P.R. team. Exercising journalistic freedom and integrity doesn't mean Clark should have "mov[ed] slimy in the name of clicks." However, at the other extreme resides the danger of moving slimy in the name of access. And friendship. And financial gain. And whatever else led to a one-on-one between Clark and Belichick that seemed every bit as choreographed as a lawyer conducting a scripted direct examination of a star witness — especially during the part where Clark seemingly aided and abetted the airing of Belichick's ongoing beef with CBS. In summary, there's something very strange about all of this. The more Crowder and Clark talk about it, the stranger it gets. There apparently were communications between Clark and Belichick, after the interview ended, regarding how it would be edited and presented. There could be a "contractual agreement" regarding the interview. There's definitely raw video of Clark interviewing Belichick and Hudson together. So, yes, this looks like a job for Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick reveals second-best defensive player he's ever coached in NFL
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has never wavered in his belief that Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was the greatest defensive player he's ever coached. But who was the second greatest? Advertisement The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach revealed that former Patriots All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison gets that honor when appearing on "The Pivot Podcast". Belichick was making a point that every player is different, and it's his job as a coach to play to their strengths to get the most out of his players on the football field. While deep-diving on coaching strategies, he also gave high praise to Harrison. "You just try to play to the players' strengths," said Belichick, the current head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. "Rodney Harrison was the second-greatest defensive player I coached behind Taylor, but he's different than Devin McCourty. "They're both great players. You try to let them do what they can do and let them play the game to their strengths. I think that's your job as a coach, to get the team prepared to play and then put them in a position where they got a fair fight." Advertisement Harrison is a Patriots Hall of Famer and All-Dynasty player who has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist multiple times. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and one of the best defensive backs in NFL history. His arrival in New England was transformative, and it helped elevate the team as back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Belichick stands firm in his belief that he has coached the greatest players of all time at every phase of football—Taylor on defense, Tom Brady on offense and Matthew Slater on special teams. It's an incredible compliment to Harrison to be on that list of all-time great players under the greatest coach of all time. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Bill Belichick reveals second-best defensive player he's ever coached
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Ryan Clark acknowledges coordination with Bill Belichick over editing of Pivot interview
The Pivot Podcast episode featuring an interview with Bill Belichick could be destined to serve as the basis for an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out. After the extended Memorial Day weekend, which operates as a de facto hard reset for many media narratives and storylines, Channing Crowder of The Pivot Podcast issued a public apology for things he had said more than a week earlier about Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend/publicist/handler/idea mill/creative muse Jordon Hudson. Which brought the story back to the front burner. Again. Among other things, Crowder had said Hudson 'choreographed' the interview. After Crowder apologized, co-host Ryan Clark denied that the interview was 'choreographed.' While then explaining several things about the interview that sounded a lot like, you know, choreography. We published an article (it's available here) and posted a link on Twitter. Clark retweeted our link with this message: 'Well Mike. It wasn't a pre-show meeting. Both Channing & Fred [Taylor] were on the same flight delayed from Miami. I was already in NY. So I was there first. As for serving the viewers we will not do that at the expense of people who volunteer to give us their time. We have had various reasons for edits, & exemptions. From contractual agreements, second thoughts, or just not liking how it felt. Moving slimy in the name of clicks is not worth the integrity of our show. Jordon was not contacted nor involved in any conversation about the timing in which what we documented could be released. That conversation took place between Bill & I.' Clark's message ignores most of the points we made. Why was Hudson involved in a 90-minute meeting before the interview started? Why was what would have been the first EXCLUSIVE! sit-down with Belichick and Hudson not released? What does this mean, and how was it reflected in the interview process, or the editing? 'Jordon wanted to be represented in a certain way, wanted their relationship to be represented in a certain way. . . . And the conversations we had afterwards, before the show was released, what we'll show or what can we show about Bill speaking about her and the rest of our interview?' By insisting that Hudson had no control over the interview, Clark seems to be saying Belichick exercised extensive control over the interview. Clark also may have revealed that some sort of 'contractual agreement' covered the Belichick interview. Then there's this comment: 'As for serving the viewers we will not do that at the expense of people who volunteer to give us their time.' At some level, that's fair. No one should expect an interviewer to try to attack the reputation of or destroy the relationship with the subject of the interview. But it's not normal for an interviewer (when the interviewer is an actual journalist) to coordinate with the subject of the interview before, during, or after the interview. It's also not normal for an interviewer to get approval from the subject of the interview as to the questions that will be asked and/or the answers that will be used, and those that will land on the cutting-room floor. Frankly, it feels as if Clark allowed himself to become part of Belichick's external P.R. team. Exercising journalistic freedom and integrity doesn't mean Clark should have 'mov[ed] slimy in the name of clicks.' However, at the other extreme resides the danger of moving slimy in the name of access. And friendship. And financial gain. And whatever else led to a one-on-one between Clark and Belichick that seemed every bit as choreographed as a lawyer conducting a scripted direct examination of a star witness — especially during the part where Clark seemingly aided and abetted the airing of Belichick's ongoing beef with CBS. In summary, there's something very strange about all of this. The more Crowder and Clark talk about it, the stranger it gets. There apparently were communications between Clark and Belichick, after the interview ended, regarding how it would be edited and presented. There could be a 'contractual agreement' regarding the interview. There's definitely raw video of Clark interviewing Belichick and Hudson together. So, yes, this looks like a job for Pablo Torre Finds Out.
