Olympic & Bundy

Elex Michaelson has always been a go-getter. Growing up in Agoura Hills, he was the student body president of his high school, captain of the basketball team and later the president of his fraternity at USC -- among many other things. In college, Elex interned at FOX 11 but not without first showing up unannounced and waiting to meet with the executive producer in person to secure the gig. He's since returned to FOX 11 as a Los Angeles news anchor and political reporter in what can only be described as a full circle moment. He’s always been interested in political journalism from the time he was a little kid. A self-described "political junkie," he's done one-on-one interviews with Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and many more. "I’m interested in the policy. The idea that it is still one of the great ways to help people and to affect people’s lives… I’m also interested in the politics and sort of the gamesmanship of it, and the characters. You have some of the most interesting, smart, dr

Craig Cooper is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, author of "Your New Prime: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick Ass Life After 40" and an advocate for health and wellness in men over 40. His life has led him down many different career paths, including skateboarder, lawyer, TV host, co-founder of Boost Mobile USA, head of venture capital firms and more. As a kid, he fell into a coma, nearly had his leg amputated and suffered from a serious heart condition -- all by the age of 18. Now in this 50s, Craig maintains an active and healthy lifestyle and aims to educate other men on how to live a life of wellness as they age too. Craig joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about growing up in New Zealand and Australia, his passion for outdoor sports, his health scares as a kid and what's led him to become an advocate for healthy living in men, investing, entrepreneurship and more. Share this story: https://bit.ly/2Hw2dSl Thank you to Craig! Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTune

Actor, director, producer, musician and more -- Tim Robbins is best known for his roles in "Shawshank Redemption," "The Player," "Mystic River," and the recent HBO series "Here and Now." But 37 years ago, he started a theater company in Los Angeles called The Actor's Gang, and throughout the success of his career, he's continued to act, write and direct plays there.  He joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about the play he's currently directing, called "The New Colossus," which features 12 actors sharing their ancestors' stories of immigration and fleeing from oppression to freedom. It’s performed in 12 different languages.   The play features live music, poetry and asks the question -- who are we as a nation right now?  "The New Colossus" is showing Saturdays through May 12, 2018 at The Actor's Gang in Culver City.  Share this story: http://bit.ly/2HP9k5h  Thank you to Tim Robbins!       Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher.         Connect on soc

Araksya Karapetyan is an anchor on FOX 11 in Los Angeles beginning at 4:30 a.m. and is a mother, wife and proud Armenian -- among many other things. Her family left everything behind in Armenia and immigrated to the United States when she was 7-years-old. A devastating earthquake, a brewing conflict with Azerbaijan and the demise of the Soviet Union all contributed to her family's decision to leave their homeland.    They settled in the South Bay of Los Angeles, and only able to speak Armenian and Russian at the time, she began learning English and adjusting to life in America.  She eventually went to college at Syracuse University and obtained a degree in International Relations and Broadcast Journalism. But it wasn't until she went back to visit Armenia that she found her true passion for journalism. Instead of doing the typical "touristy" things, she brought her camcorder and started interviewing people on the street to hear their stories.   Upon returning to America, she was hooked on storytelling

Katie Willcox has been working as a professional model for more than 15 years and went on to start her own agency, called Natural Model Management. She is the author of "Healthy Is the New Skinny: Your Guide to Self-Love in a 'Picture Perfect' World" and is responsible for the website and online movement of the same name.  Katie also holds body-positive workshops for girls and adult women -- aiming to educate others about media manipulation and to challenge the beauty ideal implemented by the media.  She joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about the modeling industry itself, as she began working as a plus-size model in high school, the false advertising we face as consumers, social media in 2018, raising a daughter of her own and much more!  Share this story: http://bit.ly/2qf30LU  Thank you to Katie H. Willcox!     Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher.       Connect on social:   Facebook.com/OlympicAndBundy   Instagram.com/OlympicAndBundy   Tw

Television as we know it today is multi-platform, but obviously it wasn't always that way. The early days of TV were very experimental, groundbreaking and sometimes kind of dangerous. Much of television's history was made here in Los Angeles -- as well as some big careers.  Joel Tator, who has produced and directed thousands of broadcasts, wrote a book about the history of LA television. Mitch Waldow is the archive manager at KTTV/KCOP and also is a veteran of the Los Angeles broadcast market.  Both Joel and Mitch joined me on Olympic & Bundy to share their memories and knowledge about the history of television in LA -- including the first television helicopter, the first big breaking news stories covered on television, the first live coverage of an atomic bomb, the careers of people like Betty White, Lawrence Welk, and more.  One of the many takeaways that I had from this conversation is that learning the history about television, including the struggles and difficulties to develop it, really mak

Shelby Rideout is the creator and founder of Bright Signs Learning, a program that introduces young kids to sign language and basic reading concepts in a fun and interactive way. She and her husband have four children and are currently in the process of adopting a fifth child.   When they first got married, however, they started trying right away to have children but were unable to get pregnant. They tried several rounds of IVF and had multiple miscarriages during the experience.   Shelby spoke very openly about her struggle with infertility and what it was like interacting with other expecting parents during that time in her life.  Simultaneously, they went through the adoption process. Shelby eventually went to Ethiopia to meet her baby daughter Tensae, which she describes as a "life-defining moment" when she finally became a mother.   And as the universe would have it, she also found out around the same time that she was pregnant with her son Jack.   She joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk

Actress Danielle Savre plays a firefighter in the new "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff called "Station 19." She didn't have to look far to draw inspiration for the role as Maya Bishop.  Her real-life sister Stephanie is a firefighter in Los Angeles and is someone she really looks up to.  To quote Danielle, "she's a badass."   When filming for the show -- Danielle says she prefers to wear the full, heavy firefighter gear (to fully commit) and gets little nuggets of information for the role from her sister and the firefighters advising on set. "I love racking their brains, and even stories that they didn't think would be important, for me as an actor, I'm like, 'No tell me these things!'" Danielle joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about the new “Station 19” series premiering March 22, her upcoming movie "Deep Blue Sea 2" that was shot in South Africa, growing up in Simi Valley, her audition process and more. Share this story: http://bit.ly/2FFGoil Thank you to Danielle Savre!   Subscribe to Olymp

Ben Indeglia is a senior at New Roads School in Santa Monica and the captain of the school's robotics team. Three years ago, he and math teacher Danny Figueroa combined forces to bring robotics to young students in Compton, called the Compton Robotics Club. The program started with about 20 kids in eight different schools and has grown to more than 200 students at 24 different schools.   Essentially, they've helped start a robot revolution in Compton public schools.  Ben and Danny joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about robotics, the kids they've gotten to work with, why robotics programs are important for schools and more.  If you'd like to help the Compton Robotics Club by volunteering or making a donation, visit comptonroboticsclub.com or connect with them on Facebook.   Share this story: http://bit.ly/2DeGFCS  Thank you to Ben and Danny!  Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher.    Connect on social: Facebook.com/OlympicAndBundy Instagram.co

Dr. Nikki Goldstein is a sexologist, podcaster and author. She’s on a mission to educate others about all things love, sex, relationships, dating -- as well as some of the taboo subjects that can come along with those topics. She joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk about everything from what is means to be “Single but Dating” in 2018, to her recent visit to an Orange County company making sex robots with artificial intelligence, to the porn industry and more.  And what does it even mean to be a sexologist?   She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Counseling and a Doctorate of Human Sexuality from San Francisco's esteemed Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality.  After speaking with her, I feel like Dr. Nikki was born to be a sexologist!  Share this story: http://bit.ly/2FIJkaH  Thank you to Dr. Nikki Goldstein!   Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher.   Connect on social:   Facebook.com/OlympicAndBundy   I

Grae Drake is a senior editor at Rotten Tomatoes. She often comes on Good Day LA to review upcoming films in theaters, but has done many other jobs beyond watching and critiquing movies. She's worked as a producer for reality TV shows like "Women on Death Row" and "Women Who Kill," as well as "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," jobs which she says made her cry on the regular.  We talked about what it's like to be a movie reviewer. How much does she read about a film beforehand, and what is she looking for in the film?  We also discussed some of films up for Academy Awards this year, including "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," "I, Tonya," "Darkest Hour," "Dunkirk," as well as her experiences interviewing people like Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Gosling and her special friendship with the great Samuel L. Jackson! Grae is witty, smart and just a very entertaining and fun person in general.  If you love movies, this episode is for you! Share this story: http://bit.ly/2okN6Q6 Thank you to Grae! 

Street artist Morley is responsible for art you've likely seen while walking down the sidewalk or driving through the various neighborhoods of Los Angeles. He's known for creating bold, typographic posters with a cartoon-like image of himself that he wheat pastes on utility boxes, boarded up buildings and other places that won't leave lasting damage. I first learned about Morley when a friend invited me to one of his pop-up art shows. I was immediately struck by his ability to so eloquently put into words exactly what I was feeling, and as it turns out, that's kind of his goal. "I wanted to create art that was broad yet somehow specific," he said. "I wanted a million people to walk by something that I had done and a million of them to say, 'I feel like he made that just for me.'" Morley first moved to Los Angeles as a screenwriter. Combining his talent for writing and art, he's found a way to combine the two passions into something that inspires other people moving through their day to day lives. Sh

When you get engaged and begin to plan a wedding, you find yourself having to make decisions about this or that: Are you going to wear a white dress? Will you have a best man? Will you do the bouquet and garter toss? I'm getting married, and the planning process has led me to question why some common wedding traditions even exist in the first place. As it turns out, some of them have quite bizarre origins. Kristin Banta is a Los Angeles event and wedding planner. Her company has put on some big parties, including the premiere party for "Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri" in Hollywood and plenty of beautiful, unique weddings. Our conversation in this episode covered topics such as: -Kristin's background and what led her to event planning. -Some of her favorite weddings that she's helped plan and design. -Wedding trends she's noticed for this year. -The origins behind common wedding traditions (begins around 28:30): 1) "Something Olde, Something New..." rhyme 2) The garter toss 3)

Growing up in Mississippi, Lance Bass wanted go to school for space engineering and become an astronaut before he rose to fame in NSYNC. A quick Google search will show you that the former boy band member has done many, many things beyond music -- including acting, TV hosting, cooking, documentaries and more. In fact, Lance moved to Russia in 2002 after NSYNC disbanded and went through several months of rigorous training to win a seat on a Russian Soyuz space capsule. He was certified by both NASA and the Russian Space Program. Funding ultimately fell through and he didn't get to go to the International Space Station, but his dreams of traveling to space remain. Lance joined me on Olympic & Bundy to chat about topics like marriage and starting a family, his pop star days, and of course, space travel! Share this story: http://bit.ly/2Etm9k1 Thank you to Lance Bass. Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher. Connect on social: OlympicAndBundy.co

Do you drink kombucha? The trendy fermented beverage used to just be found in health food stores and in the kitchens of home brewers, but now it's everywhere. There are a lot of health claims online about kombucha, but is it just hype? Andrew Thomas, director of marketing for KeVita, joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk all about kombucha. As KeVita is now owned by PepsiCo, his job is an interesting one when it comes to how to further market this kind of drink to people -- beyond the super health conscious. Our conversation covered many subjects, including: -Andrew’s background and how he began working at KeVita. -How kombucha is made and the typical ingredients. -The scary-looking “scoby” – what is it? -Kombucha and alcohol: How much is in it? -What are probiotics and what health benefits do they have? -Why does gut health matter? -The many health claims online about kombucha. -Other probiotic drinks and apple cider vinegar. -Some history behind kombucha. -How kombucha compani

I first met Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott of Tone It Up during an appearance on Good Day LA and have since continued to workout with them (well, online anyway). Together, they've created a gigantic fitness brand and community for women that offers a place to workout, get nutrition guidance, fashion and beauty tips, and most uniquely -- a place to find friendship. Fittingly, Tone It Up started with friendship when one approached the other at the gym -- both open to friendship and new opportunities. Armed with a tripod and camera, they began filming fitness videos in 2009 and started building an online audience. Their own authentic selves and friendship certainly inspired others. A community started growing where women could not only come to "tone it up," but feel confident and supported by other like-minded women. Fast forward to 2018, and the Tone It Up business has grown immensely. They've partnered with big brands, you can get their products at Target, they have their own app, they go on tou

The annual CES, also known as the biggest consumer technology show on the planet, wrapped up this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event showcases the latest innovations from big corporations and tiny startups, including a technology to "see through" cars in front of you on the road, a robot dog, an Alexa-enabled smart bathroom and more! Tech reviewer and FOX 11 editor Tshaka Armstrong joined me to talk about his experience at CES 2018 and some of the cool new products and technologies on the floor. Some of these inventions could soon be useful to consumers, while others may seem kind of impractical. It might be too soon to tell either way. Share this story: http://bit.ly/2DqekuR Thank you to Tshaka Armstrong! -Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher. -Connect on social: OlympicAndBundy.com Facebook.com/OlympicAndBundy Instagram.com/OlympicAndBundy Twitter.com/OlympicAndBundy

It's 2018, and California now has dispensaries selling legal pot. There are some dispensaries that opened January 1, some that may not open for a few weeks or months -- and some local governments that have opted not to open any for the foreseeable future (note: this episode was recorded 1/3/18 ). Two people who have been working to educate others about cannabis and to change the public perception about people who use it joined me on Olympic and Bundy to talk about all things marijuana in California. Kandice Hawes is the founder and executive director of Orange County NORML, part of a nationwide organization that works to reform marijuana laws. Stefan Borst-Censullo is an attorney who has worked in cannabis legislation, lobbying and more. Whether you are a regular cannabis user and want to know what has changed (i.e. How much can you buy now? How do these changes affect medical marijuana patients?), or perhaps you've never smoked or consumed a drop of THC in your life, everyone can get something out of

The difference between "old school bullying" and our current culture of connectedness is that it can be a 24/7 problem. You can no longer go home to get away from people at school -- it follows you home. Approximately 43 percent of kids say they have been victim to cyberbullying, according to stopbullying.gov, and 58 percent of them have not told their parents. Jamie Weddle is a school counselor at Beverly Vista School and El Rodeo School, working with kids age K-8. Mandy Amano works with the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation (MSMF), which is dedicated to stopping student suicide through school-based mental health programs. MSMF was started by Ron Silverman after losing his child, Matt, to suicide at age 18 -- and wants to ensure that no other child or family suffers through this pain. Jamie and Mandy joined me on Olympic & Bundy for a conversation about many topics related to student bullying, mental health and suicide prevention. "We can only fix what we can talk about." If you experienc

There is something weird and wonderful happening in the world right now, and that is the rise of "animal influencers" on social media. If you're like me, you might be wondering, "How does this cat have almost 4 million followers on Instagram?" And better yet, "How much is his owner making for doing this?!" Colleen Wilson, the founder of animal influencer management firm Pets on Q (and dog mom to @DeafDal), joined me on Olympic & Bundy to talk all about the fascinating and sometimes lucrative world of being a pet influencer. Colleen manages many Insta-famous animals that get deals with big companies, such as: @rheathenakedbirdie (442K followers) @venustwofacecat (1.4M followers) @juniperfoxx (2M followers) @nalacat (3.5M followers) @cobythecat (1.1M followers) If you think your dog or cat has a million dollar face, give this episode a listen! Share this story: http://bit.ly/2CHfIrJ Thank you to Colleen Wilson (www.petsonq.com) -Subscribe to Olympic & Bundy on iTunes, Google Play and Sti