Employee of the Month
We spend most of our time working, so what does it take to (mainly) love what you do? How do even the most gifted, talented, intelligent, ambitious, disciplined, imaginative, inventive, and lucky people develop their point of view, find meaning, serve a greater good, deal with work place politics, rejection, finances, boredom, red tape, logistics, and creative roadblocks? What are the perks or enjoyable about forging your own path? Catie Lazarus and her guests delve into beauty, banality and absurdity of work, jobs, and labor.
126
BETTY HALBRIECH, Bergdorf's iconic personal sho...
In our interview, the wry and effervescent Betty Halbreich dispels any myths that fame or success is ever handed to you. At age 86, Betty is finally getting the public recognition for having helped style actresses, be it in front of the camera, like o...
17 min
127
OLYMPIA DUKAKIS talks about getting her Oscar s...
In 1987, Olympia Dukakis became world famous when she won an Oscar for her role in Moonstruck, and became the first (and hopefully only) winner to have her award stolen. Dukakis speaks about the robber and which Look Who's Talking made the most mo...
26 min
128
CINDY CHUPACK talks about writing for Modern Fa...
My favorite Employees of the Month are those who work hard, find duly deserved success, artistically and (ideally) financially, and never lose their humility. Enter Cindy Chupack. In our interview, the writer turned director spoke candidly about the su...
20 min
129
ADRIAN MARTINEZ talks about being Ben Stiller a...
Having worked in showbiz for over 20 years and in over 100 films, Adrian Martinez has carved out a niche as a character actor. Hollywood loves to pigeonhole actors, be it as a "nosy neighbor," "leading man" or "villain." F...
30 min
130
DANIEL FRIEDMAN, suit designer for LGBTQ, will ...
Due to a lithe frame, shorty Daniel Friedman always needed his suits to be tailored. So when the aspiring architect was forced to rethink his career, Friedman bet he could deliver custom suits better than what he could find. Industrious and ambitious, ...
31 min
131
ROSIE O'DONNELL on life after The View and her ...
Today, we’re in the midst of a new comedy boon for improv comedians, like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Stephen Carrell, Broad City, and Amy Poehler. But the biggest boon in stand up, where comics in blazers and belted, sometimes acid wash, jeans, stood a...
36 min
132
CYNTHIA NIXON talks about casting when you're n...
There are actors who anoint themselves activists, without considering that most activists don't suddenly claim they are actors, simply because they bought movie tickets. That said, there are consummate professionals, like Emmy, Tony and Grammy Aw...
42 min
133
CYNTHIA NIXON on being a bankable actress & the...
Cynthia Nixon is an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and, now, Employee of the Month Award winning actor. She speaks candidly about what it was like to have her mother direct her, growing up (and now raising children) in New York, recording audio books for V.C. Andr...
39 min
134
LIZ TUCCILLO discusses Sex in the City, Denny's...
At age 38, Liz Tuccillo's career took off. She joined the writing staff of Sex-in-the-City. She and comedian Greg Behrendt turned one of the episodes into a best selling comedic self-help dating book, "He's Just Not The Into You." ...
20 min
135
Syd Butler, bassist for Les Savy Fav & Late Nig...
Syd Butler, the bassist of Les Savy Fav and Late Night with Seth Meyers, talks about life on the road. Syd also reinvented the music industry when he founded French Kiss Records. While it doesn't technically record the best, worst, and longest kis...
22 min
136
JELLY D. quit advertising to play music, act, a...
JELLY D. is a freestyle rapper, actor, songwriter and, most importantly, my intern. He sets his own hours, after saving up from time spent working in advertising. He's currently performing in a trio Moondrunk and shooting a couple television pilot...
15 min
137
Pick-pocketing as a day job, OT Sherman reveals...
Ever been pick-pocketed? It feels awful to be on the receiving end, but those who do it, treat it more like an art form than a crime. Sherman “O.T.” Powell spent forty years as a pickpocket, and, in our interview, he shares his stories from the dark si...
23 min
138
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT sings live and describes the ...
With her stirring voice, shrewd insight, and mischievous wit, Martha Wainwright's songs captivated the sold out crowd at Joe's Pub's live taping of Employee of the Month.
Martha's super power is her range, both vocally and intelle...
29 min
139
JON STEWART's uncircumcised interview with Cati...
After announcing he was leaving The Daily Show, the first interview Jon Stewart gave was on Employee of the Month. He spoke with Catie Lazarus about creating an iconic political talk show to directing the film Rosewater to being fired from Woolworth by...
45 min
140
EMILY SPIVACK, author of Worn Stories, talks ab...
Emily Spivack has created multiple platforms for storytelling. Her latest greatest website WornStories.com is so popular that Emily ended up editing a companion book, Worn Stories, which is currently a New York Times Best Seller. If you're intere...
31 min
141
KEVIN AVERY, writer for HBO's Last Week Tonight...
Kevin Avery just received his first WGA (Writer's Guild) Award for writing on HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Avery, who previously served as head writer for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and a writer on VH1's Best Week Eve...
38 min
142
KRISTER JOHNSON talks about writing for The Oni...
Krister Johnson is a comedy writer who made a note for himself (awful pun intended) as part of the Christian rock duo God's Pottery. After a stint on Last Comic Standing and a book deal, Krister decided to return to his dream of writing comedy. Si...
36 min
143
MEL OTTENBERG, fashion stylist for Rihanna, exp...
MEL OTTENBERG is a fashion stylist. He frequently works with photographer Terry Richardson and is currently Rihanna's fashion stylist. Mel's work has appeared in and on the covers of Harper’s Bazaar, V, Details, I-D, Purple, Dazed & Confu...
18 min
144
ADAM GOLDBERG & JEFF GARLIN, creator of and sta...
There are few writers, regardless of the medium, who are as prolific as Adam Goldberg. His favorite topic is his family. While he says his actual childhood was far darker than what comes across in his comedy show THE GOLDBERGS on ABC, his affection for...
54 min
145
JUSTIN SAYRE on writing for 2 Broke Girls and p...
When Michael Patrick King saw a video of Justin Sayre, King, who produced of Sex in the City, 2 Broke Girls, and The Comeback, knew he'd found a like minded misfit. I imagine that's what happened. Granted, I can't imagine anyone not feel...
31 min
146
KATIE INNAMORATO, rogue taxidermist, as if ther...
Ever wondered what a taxidermist does exactly? I interviewed Katie Innamorato, a Taxidermist-in-Residence at The Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn, New York, to find out. Innamorato's passion for animals inspires her art, granted a messy form that...
17 min
147
FRANK BRUNI, New York Times columnist on SAT's,...
While becoming a staff reporter for The New York Times is a highly coveted post, Frank Bruni's career at the paper, is especially enviable. Bruni joined The New York Times in 1990 after working at a range of magazines and newspapers, including New...
24 min
148
TAYLOR SCHILLING & PIPER KERMAN, aka the Two Pi...
Taylor Schilling is up for her second Emmy Award nod for her portrayal of Piper Chapman on Netflix’s most popular series Orange is the New Black. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir about her experience in prision, it’s the first television show to shine th...
34 min
149
JOSHUA WOLF SHENK, Author of Powers of Two, exp...
How and why do we believe in the lone wolf who created everything when in fact most of us work with at least one partner? Others wish they could find that perfect partner-in-crime. Josh Wolf Shenk explains why these dyads are so potent in his book, POW...
33 min
150
STEPHIN MERRITT, of the Magnetic Fields, on fil...
Stephin Merritt, singer, songwriter, and musical polymath, is best known for his band The Magnetic Fields. Today, he performs with The Magnetic Fields, as well as Future Bible Heroes, The 6ths, The Gothic Archies. He also has written for the theater an...
20 min