Moral of the Story

When Emmy-award winning writer and producer Dave Finkel was just twenty, he got a job as the assistant to an A-list celebrity. He thought it would launch his career. Instead, it became a nightmarish ride through the darkness of his boss's tortured soul, with one moment -- a missed opportunity to intervene -- continuing to haunt him to this day.

LaSalle Network CEO Tom Gimbel takes us back to the early days of his company, when, as a young founder, he faced a difficult HR decision that forced him to decide between the easy way and the right way.

Varuna Co-founder and CEO Seyi Fabode has a filter for assessing people's ability to imagine a better future. In the early days of his first startup, he spoke at a VC conference hoping to raise awareness and build relationships. His filter led to only one relationship, but it would be one of his most important.

She was just a junior copywriter at iconic agency BBDO when Susan Credle got the rare opportunity to do a project with baseball legend Ted Williams. Obsessing over every detail, she thought this would be her chance to break into the big leagues. It didn't quite go as planned. 

Techstars Managing Director Neal Sales Griffin recalls how, as a teenager visiting family in Honduras, he not only bore witness to an unexpected rescue at sea, but, against all odds, helped save a life.

Actress and host Lisa Arch remembers Whoopi Goldberg's valley girl monologue all too well. After all, it not only reinforced her conviction that she was meant to act, but, after an impromptu reenactment, made a believer out of someone who would later help her meet her idol.

Comedian, actress, and writer Chase O'Donnell recounts how her obsession with The Suite Life of Zack & Cody would lead her on a journey to the neighborhood mall, a live taping of the sitcom, and eventually, years later, an unlikely rendezvous that would bring the whole thing full circle... with a coda.

During Raaja Nemani's backpacking trip to the Himalayas, his guide made a simple comment about luck. It would take months for Raaja, the CRO of MarketerHire, avid traveler, and lifelong learner, to truly grasp the meaning of the comment, but that understanding would have a profound effect on his worldview.

Kin + Carta CEO J Schwan recalls a pivotal moment in the early years of his nascent company Solstice, when, after being given a once in a lifetime opportunity from a marquee client, he had to choose between the easy way and the right way. With the future of his company hanging in the balance, this is the story of his decision and its ramifications.

Actress, comedian, and activist Maysoon Zayid recounts how a cruel comment about her disability set her on a determined course to achieve a new dream.

Actor and comedian John Lehr recounts one night in the early 90s when, in a chivalrous move, he decided to help some ladies get safely back to Manhattan after a late night party in New Jersey. The vehicle? A rubber dinghy. The route? Across the Hudson.What could possibly go wrong?

Basecamp co-founder and CEO Jason Fried takes us back to the beginning of his business journey, when, as a suburban 13 year old without any plans in life, he got a call from his neighbor Adam, who simply said, "Hey, you gotta see this."

Dr. Frank Vaught recounts a dark moment in his youth when he encountered not only flagrant racism, but an appalling bias from the law enforcement officers called to the scene. It would be one of many experiences that would reinforce for him that all too often, a Black man is treated as guilty until proven innocent.

Cleverbridge CEO Craig Vodnik had not spoken to his brother since their mom passed away twenty years prior. One day, he got a call: his brother had terminal cancer and was given only a few months to live. He tells the tale of the journey sparked by that call.

Culture Studio CEO Rich Santo recalls the day that has come to be known as "our crazy boating adventure." Take one enthusiastic boat owner, one determined drone pilot, a bad weather forecast, and a general disregard of safety procedures, and you'll have an idea of what's coming. 

Flowers for Dreams CEO Steven Dyme recounts a story of his family lore, an incredible tale told by his grandfather of his fight for survival during the Holocaust, and his fateful decision that would alter the course of the Dyme family history.

Serial entrepreneur David Kalt talks about being put on the spot with a surprise question from his company's CEO and how trusting his gut, corporate politics be damned, gave him the confidence to pursue the first of his many successful ventures.

Jellyvision CEO Amanda Lannert recounts the fateful Olympic ski run of Bonnie St. John, the first African-American to ever win medals in the Winter Olympics despite being an amputee.

@properties owner Thad Wong tells the improbable story of how, one long-ago summer in Nantuckett, a change jar led to the adventure of a lifetime.

SOCIALDEVIANT founder and CEO Marc Landsberg recounts his experience desperately and unsuccessfully trying to make conversation with a group in a London pub.

ADMCi and Saint Emeric co-founder Jim Jacoby talks ghosts, motorcycle accidents, and the difference between traveling with purpose without destination and a destination without purpose.

Stories are what bring us together. They engage, they entertain, they compel action. Good stories move us and they're unforgettable.On a quest to be a better storyteller, I am launching a podcast to learn from the best and share the wealth in the process!Introducing... Moral of the Story.