The Person Who Believed In Me

Before Harvey Mason Jr. became the CEO of the Recording Academy and a legendary music producer who worked with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, he was a college basketball player at the University of Arizona headed to the NBA. Then a torn ACL ended his career in one awkward landing, leaving him watching soap operas in a dorm room, depressed and driving around Tucson pitching jingles to Chinese buffets and brake shops. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the Grammy executive sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when he was still figuring out who he was: Clive Davis, the legendary music mogul who put him in a room with Aretha Franklin and changed everything.

Harvey opens up about the day he walked into Clive's bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, nervous and blown away by the flowers and the speakers and the man who had signed his father as an artist decades earlier. He talks about playing I Like Them Girls for Clive, watching him close his eyes and nod his head, and getting the yes that gave him a confidence boost he didn't know he needed. He shares what it was like to produce Aretha's vocals, pushing her so hard she sent a furious letter to Clive saying Harvey wasn't the right producer, only to send him flowers the next day after hearing the recording and calling it one of her favorite vocals ever. He reflects on recording Whitney Houston for seven hours when she'd only promised him 15 minutes, convincing her to keep going by saying his only job was to make fans say that's the best Whitney Houston song I've ever heard.

There's also a raw reflection on belief, identity, and what it means to be pushed. Harvey talks about his father, drummer Harvey Mason Sr., who believed so fiercely in him that it became both a gift and a weight, and how that shaped the way he raised his own kids. He opens up about playing for Coach Lute Olson at Arizona, feeling like Olson didn't believe in him for years, and only realizing decades later that the hardest coaching was actually the deepest belief. He shares what he learned from teammate Steve Kerr, who asked the team on a bus ride how can you be sleeping on the way to the game? and taught him there was another level to greatness. And he reflects on what it means to be the first Black CEO of the Recording Academy, why he's never content, and why the truth is when you're in the moment of somebody believing in you, sometimes it doesn't feel like belief at all.

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Chapters ☀️
Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: The Man Who Believed When the Dream Ended
00:02:02 The Bungalow Meeting: When Clive Davis Said Yes
00:09:27 Producing Aretha: The Flowers After the Fury
00:13:36 Seven Hours with Whitney: Negotiating with a Legend
00:15:53 What Makes a Great Producer: Listening and Serving
00:18:21 The Weekend Controversy: Leading Through Change
00:20:45 Coach Olson: The Belief That Felt Like Doubt
00:26:26 The Final Four and Steve Kerr's Leadership
00:28:13 The Torn ACL: When Basketball Dreams Die
00:29:47 Selling Jingles in Tucson: The Pivot to Music
00:43:35 The Pressure of a Legendary Father
00:42:31 I Love Watching You Play: Parenting Differently
00:48:26 First Black CEO of the Recording Academy
00:51:10 Coach Olson's Final Words: You'll Be As Successful
00:52:08 Never Fulfilled: The Lists and the Chase
00:56:20 To Clive: You Changed the Trajectory of My Life
00:59:11 The Ultimate Form of Belief: When It Feels Like Doubt

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Harvey Mason Jr.

Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

CONNECT WITH US:

The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Sebastian Maniscalco became one of the highest paid comedians in the world — selling out five shows at Madison Square Garden and earning his own Sirius XM channel — he was a waiter at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, spending seven years serving nuts to celebrities while bombing at open mics. Then Mitzi Shore, the legendary owner of the Comedy Store, saw something in him that the rest of the industry had missed. In this deeply personal conversation, Sebastian sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when he barely knew her, and how she gave him the one thing he needed most: a place to belong.

Sebastian opens up about the moment Mitzi grabbed him after his audition and said the words that changed everything: Come back for 10 minutes next week. He talks about skipping straight to paid regular status, getting hot spots one week and 1:30 a.m. slots in front of four people the next, and how Mitzi manipulated lineups to build his thick skin without him realizing it. His relationship with her was never verbal — her love came through the stage time she gave him, and his came through never letting her down.

There's also a raw reflection on family and work ethic. Sebastian's father Cecilion, a 79-year-old hairdresser, still cuts hair and refuses to retire because he believes stopping means dying. He rented Sebastian a lawnmower as a kid to teach him about business expenses — making him cut grass while allergic to it — and after a quadruple bypass, his first question from the hospital bed was when he could go back to work. Sebastian bought his parents cars last year, because the journey was never just his. He covers a lot of ground

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Chapters ☀️ Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: The Woman Who Gave Him a Stage
00:03:00 Why Her? The Audition That Changed Everything
00:09:29 The Hulk Hogan Documentary: A Morning Cry About Family
00:11:20 From Anger to Disbelief: Finding His Voice on Stage
00:13:36 Seven Years at the Four Seasons: The Nuts That Never Got Stale
00:16:18 Renting the Lawnmower: Learning Business from Dad
00:21:40 Selling Satellite Dishes in the Ghetto: The Kiosk Days
00:29:54 The Photo That Made Him Cry: When They Were a Unit
00:33:37 AI and Comedy: Using Technology to Brainstorm Ideas
00:39:53 The Grind: Boxing Rings, Bowling Alleys, and Blood-Stained Canvas
00:42:05 The Sandman Moment: Worst Night Ever, Best Lesson Learned
00:45:40 From 91 People to 91,000 Tickets: The Madison Square Garden Journey
00:47:39 The Introvert Comedian: Steam Rooms and Recharging Alone
00:52:36 The SNL Sketch: When Marcello Called
00:53:59 Thank You, Mitzi: A Relationship From Afar

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:

The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew. In each episode, David asks one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? David is also a CBS News contributor and host of Beg Knows America, airing every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Sebastian Maniscalco

Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Live Production: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)

Social: Mariah Maull, Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Sharon Stone became one of Hollywood's most iconic stars, she was a kid from rural Pennsylvania getting sent to the principal's office for teaching her classmates cursive and multiplication. Then her father - a blue-collar machine shop worker with the touch of kings - walked in and said: Here's what's going to happen. It's not going to stop. She's going to keep right on doing it. Are we clear?

In this unguarded conversation with David Begnaud, Sharon shares the story of the man who believed in her when the world told her to be less - and reflects on the life that followed. She opens up about the nine-day misdiagnosed brain hemorrhage she survived against 1% odds, the assault she didn't understand for a decade, the custody battle she lost to an ex-husband who ran the only newspaper in town, and why being a sex symbol meant the world assumed she was stupid instead of surviving.

She talks about being the 13th choice for Basic Instinct, fighting through every makeup test to wipe off the bimbo overlay, and a mother who never once said I love you. And she shares what her father - who died exactly four months to the day after calling to say he had four months left - would want the world to know.

Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com

Chapters ☀️
Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: The Man Who Believed When Nobody Else Did
00:04:59 The Principal's Office: Here's What's Going to Happen
00:09:42 The Confrontation at 14: I Will Never Love You Again
00:15:45 Growing Up in Rural Pennsylvania: The Girl Who Dyed Her Hair
00:22:30 I'm Not a Quitter: The 1% Chance of Survival
00:29:59 The Psychic Gift: Babies, Animals, and Knowing Things
00:49:07 The Attack: What Really Happened That Day
00:56:39 Not a Sex Symbol: The 13th Choice for Basic Instinct
00:39:22 The Vanilla Milkshake: A Father's Love in a Mason Jar
01:00:51 Four Months to the Day: Cleaning Every Can on Her Hands and Knees
01:04:10 Work Your Own Door: The Legacy of Joseph William Stone III

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Sharon Stone

Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

CONNECT WITH US:

The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Arthur Brooks became a Harvard professor, bestselling author, and one of the world's most influential voices on happiness and human behavior, he was a 34 year old PhD student standing in front of a room full of Nobel Prize winners, delivering what he calls a catastrophic dissertation defense. Then James Q. Wilson, the most distinguished social scientist of the 20th century, walked up and said the words that changed everything: You know, you got something special here. If I can ever help you, just let me know. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the renowned social scientist sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when no one else did.

There's also a raw reflection on faith, struggle, and the complex problem of God. Arthur talks about the priest who rejected him, why he believes therapy isn't about solving problems but living with complexity, and why your marriage is not a problem to solve. He shares the one regret he carries every day, why he still asks if his father would be proud of him, and how losing his parents too soon led him to move his entire family to one place so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He opens up about the meaning crisis destroying young people today, why happiness is love and love is a choice, and why the greatest act of selfishness is refusing someone's generosity.

Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com

Chapters ☀️
Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: The Man Who Changed Everything
00:01:14 The Catastrophic Dissertation Defense That Led to Destiny
00:01:46 From French Horn Player to Social Scientist
00:06:31 The Email That Opened a Door: Will You Let Me Help You?
00:08:56 The Calling You Can't Articulate: Right Brain vs Left Brain
00:10:58 Faith, Struggle, and the Complex Problem of God
00:15:03 Complex vs Complicated: Why Your Marriage Isn't a Problem to Solve
00:18:19 The Power of Being Present: You Can Only Love Right Now
00:20:55 Growing Up Brooks: The Mathematician and the Artist
00:23:29 Why I Quit Music: When You Don't Love the Craft, Only the Dream
00:25:48 Every Day I Ask: Would My Dad Be Proud of Me?
00:28:12 Moving the Whole Family to One Place: Learning from Loss
00:30:03 The Meaning Crisis: Why Young People Are Suffering
00:31:55 How to Find Your Calling: Earning Your Success and Being Needed
00:33:05 The I Self vs The Me Self: Why Looking Inward Makes You Miserable
00:33:41 The Funk and How to Get Out: Forcing Yourself to Serve
00:36:27 Why We Connect Through Struggle, Not Success
00:37:58 James Q. Wilson's Legacy: Community Policing and Broken Windows
00:39:36 Did You Ever Ask Him Why He Believed in You?
00:46:26 The One Takeaway: Happiness Is Love, and Love Is a Choice

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Arthur Brooks

Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

CONNECT WITH US:

The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Joel Kim Booster became an Emmy-nominated writer, actor, producer, stand-up comedian, and the star and creator of Fire Island, he was a 17 year old kid living in his car, kicked out by his adoptive parents for being gay, and convinced he was going to hell. Then Sarah Casey, a classmate he barely knew, turned around in choir and said the words that changed everything: If you ever need a place to stay, you can come and stay with me and my family. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, one of comedy's sharpest voices sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the girl who became his chosen family when his own family walked away.e can give you is a place to belong when the world says you don't. And sometimes, that's all you need to become exactly who you were meant to be.

Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com

Chapters ☀️
Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: The Girl from Choir Who Saved His Life
00:01:47 The Offer That Changed Everything: If You Need a Place to Stay
00:03:32 Coming Out in a Homeschooled Evangelical Home
00:05:50 The Exorcism: When Your Father Tries to Cast Out Demons
00:06:56 Bipolar and Undiagnosed: The Difficult Kid Nobody Understood
00:08:00 Adopted from Korea: The Complex Relationship with Janet and Ken
00:11:47 Moving In with the Caseys: A Year of Being Seen and Loved
00:13:16 Pastor Tim's Words: There Is No Biblical Basis for Hell
00:15:18 A Version of the Future I Never Considered Before
00:19:33 The Dad Who Showed Up: Quiet Support and Complicated Love
00:23:05 Neither of Them Have Ever Seen My Work: Making Peace with Distance
00:24:08 The Cases Helped Me Reconcile: Bridging the Gap with His Parents
00:25:23 Therapy and Honesty: Why He Gives His Parents Grace Now
00:27:53 Relationships Are Complex: Arthur Brooks and a Better Word
00:29:58 Best Friends from Housemates: The Porch Talks That Built a Bond
00:31:11 She Always Believed I Would Be Right Where I Am
00:33:10 Sarah the Minister: Following in Her Father's Footsteps
00:38:10 Rejection from Casting Directors Hurts More Than Family Rejection
00:39:30 Diagnosed Bipolar Two: Six Months Before the Pandemic
00:41:00 John Michael: The Man Who Loves Him Unconditionally
00:51:01 I Never Considered What It Would Be Like to Be Loved
00:51:51 The Last Six Months: Finding Stability Through Marriage and Medication
00:52:33 Not a Single Person Would Have Predicted This: Proving It to Himself
00:53:35 Chosen Family: The People Who Bump Into Your Life and Change It
00:54:10 She's a Superhero: Real Work That Changes the World
00:55:59 For the Little Girl: Giving Back to Sarah's Daughter
00:56:23 Twenty Years from Now: Kids, Stability, and Less Self-Promotion
00:57:31 To His Younger Self: You Know Jack Shit, But You'll Figure It Out

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Joel Kim Booster

Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

CONNECT WITH US:

The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast