The Carlos Watson Podcast

Fame Is A 200-Pound Saint Bernard. Eriq La Salle On Training It Before It Runs You Over

218K views · 1d ago · 22:49

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Topics: Eric La Salle: Rejection, Faith & Finding His Way · Growing Up in Hartford, Connecticut · Lessons From a Hardworking Single Mother · The Work Ethic That Shaped His Career · Learning to Bounce Back From Rejection · From Hartford to Juilliard

He Lost Millions Speaking Out On Palestine. He’d Do It Again

300K views · 1w ago · 14:15

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Topics: Mark Lamont Hill: His Moment Is Now · Growing Up in Working-Class Philadelphia · The Reader, Writer & Wrestling Fan · Why He Dropped Out of Morehouse · Spending His Tuition Refund on a Car · From Homelessness to Finding His Way

He Worked At Wendy’s. Then He Joined The CIA.

424K views · 3w ago · 19:46

Guest: David McCloskey

What does the CIA really know about global conflicts, presidential decisions, and the secrets that never make the headlines? Carlos sits down with David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst who helped write the President’s Daily Brief for George W. Bush and Barack Obama. David shares what surprised him most about working inside the intelligence community, from high-level surveillance operations to counterterrorism missions in Iraq.

Topics: David McCloskey on the CIA, Israel & Zelensky · Meet Emmy-Winning Journalist Carlos Watson · David’s Childhood & Early Influences · How David Got Into the CIA · Was the CIA Like Jason Bourne or James Bond? · Inside a Top-Secret Surveillance Program

David & Tamela Mann On 38 Years Of Marriage: 'It's Not Just Tolerating Each Other'

563K views · 4w ago · 17:25

"I'm yelling because I'm a soprano." That's how my guest fights with her husband of nearly 40 years. And honestly, it tells you everything about why this couple has lasted in an industry that eats marriages for breakfast.

Topics: Welcome & Meet David and Tamela Mann · Their Favorite Roles: "Meet the Browns" & "You Deserve My Praise" · How They Found Their Gifts as Kids · Comedy, Singing & Why They Prefer Different Lanes · How They Met as Teenage Singers (and Married) · The Love & Relationship Tour: Celebrating Black Love

There Was A Real Plot To Assassinate Nelson Mandela. He Helped Stop It

519K views · 1mo ago · 37:06

What happens when a young man is recruited into the secret world of apartheid-era South Africa—and ultimately risks his life to help stop an assassination plot against Nelson Mandela? Carlos sits down with former spy and intelligence operative Bradley Steyn for an extraordinary conversation about violence, transformation, espionage, and the fight for a new South Africa.

Topics: The Plot to Assassinate Nelson Mandela · Meet Bradley Steyn · From Ballet to Special Forces · The Shooting That Changed His Life · “Kind Eyes” Saves Him · When His White Skin Saved His Life

He Was Homeless, Living Out Of A Van. Then Steve Harvey Called Him Up On Stage

479K views · 1mo ago · 26:31

Guest: Sam Sparks

What happens when trauma, survival, and faith shape the person you become? Carlos sits down with Sam Sparks for a deeply personal conversation about growing up without knowing his biological father, childhood trauma, becoming a father at a young age, homelessness, and the anger that shaped much of his early life.

Topics: Growing Up Without Knowing His Father · The DNA Papers That Changed Everything · Where the Anger Began · Becoming a Father at 15 · Childhood Trauma · How Trauma Shaped His Life

Dating Younger Men, Polyamory & Finally Living Life on Her Own Terms

390K views · 2mo ago · 14:01

What if you stopped waiting for permission to live your life? Carlos sits down with actress and wellness entrepreneur AJ Johnson for a candid conversation about travel, purpose, relationships, spirituality, aging, and living life on her own terms.

Topics: Where Is AJ's Happy Place? · Why Ghana Changed Everything · Stop Waiting for Work to Take You Around the World · New Year, New You Retreat · Is There More to Life? · Living Without Permission