Michael Bublé: How He Overcomes Self-Doubt Daily & The Ugly Truth About Fame

Summary

The School of Greatness – Michael Bublé: How He Overcomes Self-Doubt Daily & The Ugly Truth About Fame

Host: Lewis Howes
Guest: Michael Bublé
Date: September 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and revealing episode, Lewis Howes sits down with Grammy-winning singer and entertainer Michael Bublé to explore the realities behind fame, the everyday struggles with self-doubt, the challenge of balancing family and ambition, and the wisdom learned along a two-decade career. Bublé pulls back the curtain on perceived success versus true fulfillment, shares hard-earned insights about fatherhood and vulnerability, and discusses the legacy he hopes to leave far beyond the stage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Elusive Nature of “Breaking Through” in the Music Industry

Timestamps: 01:57–07:38

• Bublé openly discusses the disappointment of creating music he believes in that doesn’t achieve conventional “hit” status:
  • Shares the story of "I'll Never Not Love You"—its A-list collaborators and music video that was meant to be a hit but didn’t reach expected commercial heights.
  • Quote: “I have a hit song...and people told me, by the way, ‘Hey, do more TikTok.’ But I can’t...it's not reaching new people.” (04:35)
• On measuring success: Bublé reflects on the shifting industry, the ephemeral nature of hits, and the business model challenge for new artists.
  • Looks back at his own journey playing small clubs and emphasizes the importance of building a sustainable foundation versus relying on shows like The Voice for a break.

2. Vulnerability, Sensitivity, and Coping with Criticism

Timestamps: 07:38–10:11

• Bublé admits that negative feedback hurts deeply, driving both his artistry and insecurity.
  • Quote: “I want to be loved, man. Everybody wants to be loved. I’m really good at what I do because I’m insecure, because I’m sensitive.” (08:17)
• Talks about focusing on the few unsmiling faces in a crowd and the emotional cost of wanting universal approval.
• Self-awareness about his need for boundaries (his wife’s advice).

3. Balancing Ambition with Family Life

Timestamps: 10:11–19:49

• Michael candidly shares his struggles to stay present for his four kids and wife amid creative ambitions.
  • Quote: “I work so hard that I’m on my phone too much, and I’m thinking too much, and I’m working too much...” (10:28)
• Recognizes the importance of modeling ambition and hard work for his children, but acknowledges his wife succeeds better at maintaining balance.
• On career sacrifices for family:
  • Shorter tours; refusing to miss “the greatest memories of my life and they’re happening daily.” (23:06)
  • Quote: “I haven’t sold the records I should have. I haven’t done the amount of tours… But I will be miserable [if I missed family time].” (17:49)

4. Redefining Success and Legacy

Timestamps: 23:06–33:02

• Bublé’s perspective has shifted from chasing commercial milestones to cherishing moments with his children.
  • Touches on a health scare with his son that recalibrated priorities.
  • Advice from his father: “The days are long, but the years are short.” (23:18)
• Credits fatherhood and faith for deepening empathy and lessening ego.
  • Quote: “I thought my legacy would be the music...and then I realized, wow—none of it, really. My legacy will be how I made people feel.” (26:49)

5. The “Brand” Beyond the Stage – Consistency and Relationships

Timestamps: 28:00–29:48

• Proud of being the face of Rolex, but more so of his brand being defined by “the consistency of every single relationship.”
• Quote: “Branding isn’t the watch you wear...it is the consistency of every single relationship, discussion, meeting...” (28:40)
• Believes kindness, humility, and authenticity matter more than superficial markers of status.

6. Generational Shifts: Social Media, Perception vs. Reality

Timestamps: 47:17–51:01

• Contrasts commercial success with perceptions shaped by follower counts.
  • Acknowledges new metrics (e.g., social media) distort what it means to “make it.”
  • Remains vulnerable about personal insecurities despite external validations.

7. Building an Alter Ego ("The Batsuit") for the Stage

Timestamps: 52:45–54:49

• Explains how the confident, magnetic performer is a persona (the “Batsuit”) distinct from his everyday self.
  • Quote: “When I’m on stage, I become him. I become that guy. And who is that guy? Oh, he’s so cool. He’s the coolest...all the things I am most definitely not in real life.” (53:06)
• Encourages young artists to similarly adopt empowering alter egos for performance.

8. Artistic Influence, Impersonation, and Finding Authentic Voice

Timestamps: 57:59–62:16

• Describes imitating musical idols as a pathway to discovering his own voice.
• Even today, he writes songs channeling influences (“Bad Willie Nelson" voice).
  • Quote: “I would, like, mix it together. And...one day it was like, oh, no, now I found this.” (59:14)

9. Advice for Aspiring Artists, Fatherhood, and Living Authentically

Timestamps: 63:36–71:31

• On living with honesty, gratitude, and recognizing personal impact:
  • “Try as best you can to live with an attitude of gratitude.”
  • “Human beings have so much power...It doesn’t have to be big—one kind random act.”
  • “Try to be as honest with yourself as possible.”
• On self-acceptance: “I like me. I’m comfy in my skin...I don’t think it’s cool to try to be cool. I think it’s cool to be comfy in your skin.” (64:02)

10. Faith as the Anchor

Timestamps: 75:05–80:33

• Bublé says his faith is “number one,” foundational to his entire life—above career, even family.
• Quote: “I love my God, man. ...Every single show of The Voice...we don’t step out to that stage without holding hands. ... All pray together.” (77:56)
• Metaphor: Faith as a generator keeping the lights on in the darkness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On chasing success:
  “I’m not breaking through...I put out stuff and you’re like, ‘this is a hit’ and it doesn’t go higher...It’s not working for me, man.” —Michael Bublé (04:58)

• On vulnerability:
  “I’ll just cry...I want to be loved, man...I want to break that guy [in the audience not smiling].” (08:10)

• On fatherhood and priorities:
  “My kids won’t remember last night...but those are the greatest memories of my life and they’re happening daily. I don’t want to miss it.” (23:06)

• On legacy:
  “I thought my legacy would be the music...then I realized, wow, none of it really. My legacy will be how I made people feel.” (26:49)

• On fame and identity:
  “Fame is fleeting, but obscurity is forever...I was very sure that I needed to stay in Vancouver...I wasn’t strong enough [for LA].” (51:06)

• On alter ego and performance:
  “They call it the ‘Batsuit’...when I’m on stage, I become him...he’s so charismatic. He’s Teflon. All the things I am most definitely not in real life.” (52:59)

• On faith:
  “Number one is faith...ahead of the kids, ahead of my wife...I love my God.” (75:15) “Faith is that generator...though it may be dark and...scary, you’re allowed to keep that light on inside you.” (78:01)

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Highlighted Segments with Timestamps

• Breaking through, industry realities: 01:57–07:38
• Coping with criticism and self-doubt: 07:38–10:11
• Family and career balance: 10:11–19:49
• Fatherhood, legacy, and gratitude: 23:06–33:02
• Success vs. perceived success, social media: 47:17–51:01
• Identity and the on-stage alter ego: 52:45–54:49
• Faith and priorities: 75:05–80:33

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Key Takeaways

• Success is deeply relative and sometimes at odds with public perception. Even at the top, doubts and disappointments persist.
• Genuine connection beats fame. Ultimately, how you make people feel—family, fans, strangers—is the real legacy.
• Being present matters most, at home and professionally. Bublé’s honesty about negotiating life as an ambitious creator and a devoted father is a rare industry perspective.
• Self-acceptance is hard-won. Embracing vulnerabilities and practicing gratitude are key to sustained contentment.
• Faith, authenticity, and kindness anchor a meaningful life—public or private.

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Final Reflections

Michael Bublé’s candor is the heartbeat of this episode. In discussing both the ugly truths of his professional reality and the beauty of personal growth, he offers invaluable insight for artists, parents, and dreamers alike. Whether you’re seeking stardom or simply striving for greatness in your own lane, his journey is a reminder that fulfillment transcends accolades—it’s found in the everyday, in love and legacy, in gratitude and faith.

Transcript

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[A]

Thanks, Louis. Good to see you, brother. Man, it's nice to be home. Nice to be with you.

[B]

Good to see you, man.

[A]

Nice to see you too.

[B]

There's so many young artists out there that are great musicians or singers or performers or artists in general who have such incredible talent, but they're missing something. Like they're missing something from breaking through. What's the thing that usually great artists are missing from where they are? When you're like, you've got the talent but you're missing something, what is that missing that a lot of them have to get that opportunity, that breakthrough, that next level?

[A]

I don't know because I can't break through.

[B]

You tell me you can't break through?

[A]

Listen, dude, you've broken through. I was driving yesterday And I was listening to. I think it's 103.5. Is that what it's called? KT K. And the DJ said, love this song. Not sure why it wasn't a bigger hit. This is Michael Bubles. Come on. I'll. I'll never not love you. And my wife was driving, and my wife looked at me, and she was like. She goes, what do you think? And I was like. My heart was like, oh. And I was like, my heart hurts. And I was like, it's a. I wrote a great song. That song was written with Michael Pollock. Michael Pollock wrote Flowers for Miley Cyrus. And this is a hit song. Damn. We wrote a hit song. And you know what? I made a music video where I spent a ton of dough. And the music video was my wife and I going through our. And it was a sequel. This music video was a sequel to the music video for Haven't Met yout Yet that I had made with my wife, you know? And I was like. I was like, I have a hit song. I was like, I'm going to make this music video, and people will remember the Haven't Met yout video. And then when they see this, that it ends. And the surprise ending of this I'll never not love you music video is that. It's this. It's part two. They're going to go crazy. Like, I was like, this going to be a hit. I'm going to have a huge hit. I got a big record company, you know? I mean, I got lots of support. This is going to be big for me. Like, how could it not? It's funny, man. I listened to the song on the radio yesterday on Coast. It's called Coast. And I was like. I was like, this is good, man. And my wife is like, well, why it wasn't a hit? And I said, like, I don't know. Wow. I said, I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. Can I blame it? Was it my fault for spending so much on a music video and not using that money to do online marketing? Because I'm too old and stupid to know that that's how it's done now. And people told me, by the way.

[B]

They said, hey, do more TikTok.

[A]

Yeah, don't do it. And I was like, but I can't do more TikTok. Because my TikToks, they don't go out to like that. You know what I mean? Like, they're reaching the people I have, but they're not reaching other people.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you know What? I mean, like, it's. So you're. The answer is I don't know, dude. And it's not working for me, man. Like, I put out stuff and you're.

[B]

Like, this is a hit and it.

[A]

Doesn'T go like higher, dude. Derek Huff. We did a music video together.

[B]

Music video with Haley. It was a great music video all.

[A]

And by the way, I wrote that with Ryan Tedder and we won the Grammy.

[B]

It's a great song.

[A]

Didn't douche, but it wasn't.

[B]

That's a dream for any artist to be able to hit a Grammy. And do I understand, Hundreds of millions.

[A]

I understand, but it didn't.

[B]

It didn't reach billions.

[A]

It didn't. It's not. Listen, if you ask people in my record company or my management, you're thinking if you ask them and go, was it a hit? They go, nope.

[B]

On a different standard that you guys have. But in any artist.

[A]

Well, you were asking me about being.

[B]

Successful, about breaking through. I'm breaking through.

[A]

I'm not breaking through.

[B]

You've broken through, though. You've broken through your sellout arena tours, your, you know, you're on the Voice that's breaking through. And you've been broken through for 20 plus years.

[A]

I guess. It never, it never.

[B]

I hear you on the, the songs here. I get it. I get it. You've broken through personally in a massive way.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And most people will never break through who have talent.

[A]

I. I don't know. Like, and they ask me, People ask me all the time. I'm like, I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand how it works. I don't understand with all the options that we have why someone blows up. Or then I get. It's even deeper then I'm like, okay, so your song blew up.

[B]

Now what?

[A]

Do you have a.

[B]

Do you have a follow song?

[A]

Do you have a follow up song? Or more importantly, do you have a sustainable business model that, that you can, you like, I feel like if you can sell two seats today and two seats tomorrow, even just that, two seats a day, like, there's a sustainable business. But how, how does that young person there used to be like, dude, when I was coming up, that's what I did. I played clubs, I played clubs, I played restaurants and bars.

[B]

30 people.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, anything. But you know what? I could go and they would pay me 120 bucks and I could 250 bucks and I could pay a couple sidemen and get, you know, my trio. And it's not there. So now it's like, the Voice. Listen to me. I love you. The Voice, but you should not. That should not be where people have to come to get their break. Like, the Voice is a really. Is lovely, but what a sh. T. Experience for any. Like, no musician should ever have to come out on stage with someone's back facing them. You know, thank God we're not judges. You know, the other show is judges. Oh, my God. I would. To be a judge. Thank God we're coaches. Where it's like, we don't need to give them critics critique critiques that we can say, how can we help you?

[B]

I'm curious about you. How do you deal with criticism when you put all your money, heart, and soul into a new song, a new album, a new project, and you think this is a hit, but for whatever reason, in your interpretation, it doesn't break the goals that you wanted to break. How do you deal with criticism in your career and not take it too personally?

[A]

I do. I just. I will sometimes. I'll just bite my. Right here. I'll bite right there, and I'll just cry.

[B]

I was like, what? Is he going to show me something here? I was like, what is this? Do you take it personally? Does it hurt you, though?

[A]

Of course it does. It really sucks. Yes. You want to be. I want to be loved, man. Everybody wants to be loved. And by the way, I'm really good at what I do because I'm insecure, because I'm sensitive. Like, dude, I will look out to that arena, and there's 15, 000 people, but I'm not playing to the 14, 999 that are grooving. I'm looking at that one dude who's like.

[B]

Who's on his phone or who's not. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And it's like, that. That. That's me. And I'm like, I want to break that guy. I'm gonna break that guy. Yeah. You know what I mean? I'm gonna break that guy. And that. But I'm sensitive. And by the way, I'm the same way at the dinner table if you take me and hang out with your buddies. And I feel like there's a silence or there's someone who's not comfortable. I can't handle it, man. I got to make sure that everyone's feeling good. Everyone's feeling good. And that's poam. And my wife tells me that I have a problem with boundaries. She tells me that people take advantage of me, that I'm too kind and that I can still be kind, but. But then I need to.

[B]

You need to be kind, but firm. Like.

[A]

Yeah, like. Like Reba. And I'm like, yeah, but it's just not me. You know, I try my best, man, but it's. Yeah, dude, it's just. I get. Of course I get hurt by it. I want to. I want every. You know, and it's funny. I look at my son. My. My son Noah, my oldest, and it's like. I look at him and like, oh, dude, you're me. I'm like, you're me, dude. You are. You know, and he'll say things like, no, I didn't just kid said me. And I was going to punch him in the head. And I'm like. I'm like, no, y. I'm like, I'm listening to him. Like, you are going to ever punch him in the head. You know, you love to talk tough. And it's one of those things where. And then I would have said. And I could have said, but you did it. I'm like, no, you didn't. You didn't. You're just like, me. Instead, you were. You said something nice and tried to de. Escalate, and then you walked away and went, oh, kill him. Yeah, that's just me, man. It's just me.

[B]

So how do you stay present with four kids, your wife, who's all demand your time and attention in a beautiful way, not in a negative way? How do you stay present with continuing to strive to accelerate your career and strive to flourish and develop your family life?

[A]

At the same time, I am failing miserably. Miserably, you know, because I'm not as present as I should be. And I'm so ambitious, and I work so hard that I'm on my phone too much, and I'm thinking too much, and I'm working too much. And so there's that part of it that's definitely negative. You know, it's like, I wish that I could put my phone down more. I wish that I could. And weirdly, at the same time, I'm also. I also think it's a positive thing that my children can watch their dad work his ass off. Like, for me, words are so cheap. And, you know, you want your kids to exercise, well, go to the treadmill. Get on the treadmill every day. And, like, they see you do it, they'll do it, you know? And it's like, I want them to know that being ambitious and working hard is a positive thing. Like. And by the way, mom is Way better at taking that time and really putting her phone down. But mom works hard, too. My wife. Yeah, my wife is not only acting, but she's producing and she's putting together these films and she's writing some of the films and, like. And so she just does it better than I do, you know? But I am not ready to stop. You know, it's important to me, my. My career, the. The creative process, whether it's me making a. A record or a movie or writing a song, it still fulfills me so much that I have to do it or I'll be unhappy. And if I'm unhappy, probably my wife will be unhappy. And if we're unhappy, the kids will be unhappy. So I'm doing my best, man.

[B]

It's interesting because, yeah, we, you know, I'm going to be a dad in a few months.

[A]

Because you don't know right now.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

You think you know.

[B]

Exactly. So it's shifting in certain ways already because I'm. I didn't tell you this before, but I'm pursuing the Olympics to play in the Olympics for sport. For a sport called team handball, which you've probably never heard of. It's kind of like water polo on a basketball court.

[A]

Yeah, I know. Exactly.

[B]

No water.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I've seen it. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. It's big in the Olympics, big in Europe.

[A]

Yeah. But I was on the pretty big court, too.

[B]

Yeah. Bigger court than the basketball court. Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like kind of soccer with your.

[A]

It's awesome.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It sounds exactly like I would want to go and hang with my dudes and get wasted and play. That's fun.

[B]

It's fun. And so the reason I'm saying this is because I've been planning to go back and forth from Spain to LA to play professionally, to get back on the USA national team, to go to the Olympics, which is here in three years in la. And I'm already starting to be like, oh, I can't go as much when I'm a dad, you know, and I need to really figure out the time. I can't be gone for six weeks. Maybe I can be gone for 10 to 12 days. So it's already learning how to.

[A]

I love hearing you talk about this. You know what I mean? Well, no, what I love is that you have this. This sort of plan in your head.

[B]

Which is all going to go away.

[A]

No, no. But because what you just don't know. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to tell you you're wrong about all of it.

[B]

I'm sure I am.

[A]

Oh, you're completely. No, it's not. It's not what you're saying. It's how you're saying it.

[B]

Tell me. Give me some advice.

[A]

Well, because you're saying you've got the career. Because exactly what you said was, you know, I know that I should go for this long, and then I should. And this because I shouldn't be gone for more than this time.

[B]

So how do you do with it?

[A]

How do you. Here's what you're not understanding. Give it to me. You're not going to be. You're not going to want to be gone for that long. And that's where this is all going to turn to for you. Because what you haven't. What you can't know because you haven't met the love of your life yet. And that little girl or that little boy will be the greatest thing that ever happens to you in your life. You have no idea. Because it's impossible to know. It's like telling someone what jumping in a pool of water feels like if they've never felt water in their. You know. You are about to fall in the deepest way. And you are not going to want to go away for that long. And by the way, the older that little meat popsicle gets, the less you're going to want to go away. You're going to miss them when you don't see them for hours. Forget about days.

[B]

Weeks.

[A]

Days and weeks. And I want to go and do this. You're going to want to do all the things.

[B]

How do you navigate your career?

[A]

Your career will fail and suffer in certain ways.

[B]

But how have you done it?

[A]

I haven't done it. I'm not as big as I should be. No, I'm not kidding. I'm not. I'm most definitely not. I haven't sold the records. I should have. I haven't.

[B]

You sold 75 million.

[A]

Doesn't matter. I haven't done the amount of tours. I did a lot of that, you know, in a different way. Before, my kids were grinding 24 7. 24 7. My tours were two months, two and a half months at a time, you know, 52 countries, you know, then you come home and you do the TV show and you do the special and you make a. You know, there's whatever.

[B]

Then you record another album.

[A]

And now it's definitely, you know, I do the voice because it's awesome to be on tv and I love the gig. Best gig ever.

[B]

That's cool.

[A]

You know, like, I Love being a part of people's life. Sounds like all cheesy, like you have to be a part of the kids, you know, to help younger. But really like people were there for me. Man, it's so cool to, to invest your time into watching someone else make their dream come true. But it's easy. The voice is easy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You get me and snoop and Reba McIntyre now, Horace jumping around and having fun. No, but we can't.

[B]

You can't, can't fail.

[A]

No, it's not that. It's that you can't get us in a room because we're all busy. Yeah. So you know What? You get five days, it's intense, you know, 12 hours or whatever it is.

[B]

And then it's done.

[A]

But we do it, it's intense. And then we're gone and Snoop goes off and does his thing and Reba and so it's great gig I do. I love corporate work. You know, I will tour, but it will be in bite sized.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How long are you touring at a time right now?

[A]

I won't go for. I will not go usually, dude, it's. So here's how you should tour. If you're, if you're a responsible touring artist and you want to make millions and millions of dollars, not just for you, but for the band and the agency, you should go for at least, without a doubt, a month. At the very least, one month gone, you know, more. It should be more. It should be six weeks. That's enough to make sure that your crew, your travel, you're not bringing people in and out, you know, everybody's there and economically it's, it's responsible.

[B]

Maximize it.

[A]

Yeah, you maximize it. You know, it's expensive to tour and it's a lot, you know, and then, you know, after that month and a half, then everybody gets their, their week off or their week and a half and then you're back and now you're going to go to the next country. Well, my last two tours were three weeks off, two weeks on, two weeks off, two weeks off, three weeks on.

[B]

Three, you know, so three weeks was the most.

[A]

The most, dude. And of course, my bringing the family accountant, my dad, my manager, you know, they were going, dude, do you know how much you're leaving off the table? Do you know that, you know, you didn't go to that you could have gone and played two shows in that country and two and you know, you could have gone and played four in London and then four in Manchester and. And I was like, no, no, and so, yeah, it's hurting me for sure, man. But I'm. I'm just telling you honestly, not because this gorgeous camera is on my face, but I will be miserable. I'll be miserable.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. What I need to what? To play more shows and make more money or have more power. And that's what kids can do for you. You know, that's what family can do for you. And it's funny. It's very sweet for me to sit here and watch you and, you know, and right now you're hearing me and you're trying to process it, but again, it's impossible to process. You know what? You're going to want to work. You're always going to want to be fulfilled. And you know what? You're smart enough to look at your wife and go, hey, this fulfills you, too. I love. You know, she's probably really happy when she's. And she probably complains, too, like we all do. And she probably goes, man, I don't want to do this anymore. You know, 15 hours on set, and I'm going to just be. You know what my wife would say to me constantly? She does now. We just came from Argentina. She made another beautiful movie, and she was like, I think I'm done.

[B]

Really?

[A]

She's like, I think I'm done. By the way, she's done this in a loop.

[B]

She said this every two years, right?

[A]

I'm done. It's too much. I just want. And then I'm gonna be a mom. It's enough to be a mom. I love being a mom. And then we get home, and she's home for four months.

[B]

She misses it.

[A]

And all of a sudden she's sitting there going, what do I do? I'm just a mom. She's like, I'm. This is all I do. I just. I'm just a service to drive them to school and take them to sports. And I'm like, babe, you. Because you're. You're a. You're a beautiful, incredible actress and businesswoman, and. And I see how much light is in her eyes when she's. She's on a. A day on set, and the scenes are intense and challenging and she's tired, and I can see how fulfilling it is. And I'm the same, and you're the same, and your wife is the same. But both of us have really tried to basically take it on as best as you can under the situation.

[B]

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[A]

Or what?

[B]

What advice do you have for yourself looking back before you had your first child where you were like this, I'm going all in on my career and this. Nothing's going to stop me. Would you have done anything different? You did it right?

[A]

I did it perfectly.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I'm doing it perfectly. And yeah. Will I sell as much or be as big or. No. But will I ever look back and go, oh my God, I missed the greatest moments of life, dude, I've watched so many people that I know in this business and other businesses and they struggle in there. Well, they missed it, man. They missed the kid. Especially the kids at this age. You know, till they're 12 or 13, they were working and kind of hurrying up the whole thing and, and, and then they realized that they searched for. They searched for those feelings and they searched for, for that, for the joy of, you know. Listen, dude, my kids won't remember last night. I'm just telling you. We watched. We watched Finding Dory or whatever the hell it's called. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. And all four of my kids were in our bed between me and my wife. I tickled them, you know, gave them tickles on their. They love their hair getting, you know, and they'll never remember that. They'll never remember falling asleep in my arms and they'll never remember that I carried each of them to bed because we make a bed in the room where they can. And for them, they won't. You know, they'll probably remember family holidays or that time that dad spazzed out when their marks weren't good or whatever, but those are the greatest memories of my life and they're happening daily. I don't want to miss it, man. I know I sound all cringy and like I'm being too sloppy and I'm so sure I'm right. I'm so sure I'm right. And if I'm wrong, let me Be wrong. But I don't understand people who have kids and don't feel this way. I don't understand it. I almost lost mine. Maybe that changed things, you know, that our son had a diagnosis that we thought were going to lose him, and it made us even more, but that's not even true because I was before that. I was already all in. All in, man. And, you know, I just. You know, my dad said it many times. He. I asked him his advice. Dad, I'm, you know, we're pregnant, or, I don't know, my wife. What am I. I don't know what I'm doing. And he would just say the same thing to me. He'd say. He'd say, partner. Calls me partner, my Lewis. He'd say, partner. No one knows what they're doing. But I can tell you this. He'd say, the days. The. The. The. The years are short, but the. The days are long. Or the days are. Excuse me. The days are long, but the years are short. And he was right. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. How could I not get sentimental and emotional about this? Yeah.

[B]

What is the biggest lesson fatherhood has taught you then?

[A]

Oh, it just changed everything. It. Change. Changed. It's just changed everything. It changed. I mean, listen, man, we're in a world where people are pretty cynical, and people will say things like, you know, people don't change. Tigers don't change their stripes. A leopard never changes at spots. Yeah, you do change, you know.

[B]

What was the biggest thing that changed about you when you had God?

[A]

My level of empathy. How much deeper my faith got, you know, God, a lot less ego driven.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Before, it was all about you, all.

[A]

About me, all about power, career, really. Fame, ego, you know. Oh, for sure. You know, for sure. And now I realize, you know, it's sad, but as I'm about to hit 50 in a few months, I'm like, man, I thought my legacy would be the music. I thought it'd be the songs I wrote or some kind of, you know, that at Christmas, I mean, everybody's. You know, everybody's playlist, living room and playlist. And. And then I realized, wow, that that's. None of it, really. None of it will be. That's. No one will remember any of that. My legacy will be how I made people feel. Not what I said, not what I did. And one day, you know, when I'm gone, people will come to my kids and they'll say, I met your Poppy.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I met your papi when he was peeing.

[B]

On the school of Greatness show in the bathroom.

[A]

And the guy that he used to. To see that was a janitor at Warner Records. And, and. And your dad was such a nice man.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

That's the stuff that will. I mean, that is it, dude. That's all we got, dude. You know, in this lifetime.

[B]

Anyway, that's it, man. Because if you're like the most famous singer of all time, but you're a jerk to everyone, that's what people are going to remember.

[A]

Not even a jerk. It's like, use your. Use your greatness, man. You know, and, you know, before this, before the camera started and you and I were talking about kind of Rolex and branding, I'm. I'm so proud to be the face of Rolex. I've been the face of Rolex for however many years.

[B]

Congrats, man.

[A]

Yeah, man. But branding isn't the watch you wear. It isn't the drink you have in your hand. It is the consistency of every single relationship discussion. Meeting a dude in the bathroom. Like, and by the way, you don't have to be nice. You can just.

[B]

You can be a prick, but that's your brand.

[A]

But if that is consistent, that's your brand. Yeah, man, that's.

[B]

It's your reputation. What your reputation is.

[A]

It is. Your reputation is that you. You know, and we're allowed to make mistakes and we're allowed to screw up and we're allowed to be young and stupid and do. Really, we all do it. Like, all of us. And then we're allowed to grow and, you know, you don't need kids to learn how to do that. You know, you just sometimes just a little bit of age and all that.

[B]

Did you think about branding growing up, when your grandfather was taking you to the jazz clubs and nightclubs, were you thinking or you more just like, how do I be the best singer that I can be and best artist? No performer? Or when did you start thinking, oh, my voice alone isn't what's going to make me great or successful or reach the goals that I want to reach. I need to be thinking strategically about the business, about relationships, about pr, marketing, branding. I need to be collaborating. Like, did you think about those things?

[A]

No, that. That literally those thoughts didn't start really affecting me until I would say, maybe five or six years ago.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Come on. When you're 45.

[A]

No, no, no. Yeah, come on. Totally.

[B]

You didn't think about any of that stuff. You just led with, like, I've got the greatest voice in the world and.

[A]

I'll just I was like, I'm a good entertainer. I love what I do. I used to talk about. I used to. I remember meeting Gordon Ramsay, and I was like, dude, you and me, we're the same. And he was like, what do you mean, we're the same? And I was like, we're both kind of like chefs, and we love what we cook, you know, but more than that, I think we love who we cook it for. And that's how I thought of myself. I was like, dude. And, you know, it's weird. The only thing I was serious about was, and this is going to sound weird as a Canadian, Even at, like, 15, at 14, I love the great American songbook. I love jazz. I love the writers, the arrangers, the orchestrators. I love the musicians. You know, you just said Les Paul, dude. I would sit and listen to Les Paul and Mary Ford. And I mean, I would. My grandpa used to put these records, and he would have this thing where you could put a record player and tape it onto the cassette. And then I would, like, find the song. I'd finally, I'm confessing that I love you. And I would listen to it, like, over and over, over and over. And I would. And I was always, like, so afraid. And I would think, like, man, why am I the only one my age that digs this the way I do? Why are they not hearing how unbelievable this is? How can they not? Even at that age, I was like, how can they not understand the artistry? How do people my age not get, this is so good. Like, this is grooving harder than any hip hop groove I've ever heard. Like, this is. Melodically, this is genius. This is incredible storytelling. Like, my God, the artistry, the musicianship, the. The singers, the songwriters, like, and I was so protective of it that even before I was ever even successful, I was, like, hoping there'd be more people like me. So every time, like, when I met Amy Winehouse for the first time, I was so excited. I remember hearing her and I was like, oh, my God, she's real. She's authentic.

[B]

What was that, like, mean?

[A]

Oh, she was awesome. She was. She was like. She was awesome. She was funny, and she didn't think it was going to happen for her.

[B]

I met her before, but she.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We would do, like, these weird, like, shoots for, like, these kind of indie mags and stuff. Really? Yeah.

[B]

When was this? When did you meet him?

[A]

Oh, God. I would be at that time. I was probably 27, but.

[B]

So you'd already been. You'd Already taken off at that point then?

[A]

No, I. I wasn't really. Things weren't going. So. I mean, people didn't really know who I was till I was 28. 27. 28. But they didn't know. They only knew in the Philippines or, like, South Africa.

[B]

You weren't big in America yet?

[A]

Oh, no, no, no.

[B]

But how old?

[A]

But I was so in England, I was, like, doing. I was doing, like, you know, I was signed a Warner, and I would go and do, you know, some, like, kind of event where they'd have, like, the upcoming. Right. People of. Of jazz. And it would be me and. And Jamie Colum, who. I'm still in love with Jamie Colum.

[B]

And so how old was Amy then when you met her?

[A]

Around, probably. I'm gonna get. Well, how. How.

[B]

She was 27 when she passed.

[A]

She was 27 young. She's 20, 21. Probably, like, just a kid, you know? Like, I mean, I was just a kid, too. Even though we go, like, oh, you were 27? But I was. But I was so excited. And I remember.

[B]

Did you guys ever sing together?

[A]

No.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. That'd be an amazing.

[A]

And I remember, too, like, there was the guy named Peter Sincati and kid in Canada named Matt Dusk, and I just. And people. I remember, like, the producer at the time, this producer I worked with, he would go to me, he'd say, like, hey, man, aren't you worried, like, about those other people? Like, you know what I mean, that they're gonna take. You know, they're gonna take the position? Of course, Harry Connick Jr. Was before us. And, dude, I was still to this day, man, that's like my.

[B]

It's great.

[A]

If I'm wasted in the bus with my dudes and we're gonna have, like, a party night, the first thing that goes on is Blue Light, Red Light, one of his great records that he wrote stuff and orchestrated, and he's a genius, man. Genius. And it's like, he was our godfather, man. He, like, was a big. You know, just this big part of letting us get in. And. And I remember this. This producer kept saying to me, hey, man, you know, you could. You got to be the one. And I was like, no, I don't. And he was like, what do you mean? And I. I don't know why, but my dad and I would talk about it. We'd always make the analogy of a furniture shop. And my dad. When I. And my dad would say to me, hey, Mike, would you rather. Would you rather own a great Furniture store, you know what I mean? And. And. And it sits on the street and you get the people coming by. Or would you rather have a subculture where you had all these amazing furniture stores and they were all special and different and it was, you know what I mean? Diana Krall and Levy and Jamie Cullum and Peter Sincati and Amy Winehouse in it. You know what I mean? And Gaga, who. I love Gaga too. And it's like, yeah, man, that's how we keep it alive. Like, that's how we keep it alive by building a subculture. All of us doing it in weird and different ways. And then. And then, like, me going to Snoop, I go to Snoop all the time and I'm like, dude, you understand, man, you're like the. Like, you're kind of like Louis Armstrong in a way where, you know, you bridge the gap between this kind of music and a brand new generation. And. And my music works with your music. Even though people might think that's weird, they shouldn't. Like, you know, the roots of jazz. The roots of jazz and swinging are where your music came from.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Like, that is. And so when you. When you actually. If you took a stencil and you took, like, gin and juice. I know this sounds silly, man.

[B]

And you break it down.

[A]

Well, man, you took a stencil of gin and juice and you put it out there, and then you took a killer ripping swing song that was just grooving and cooking, and you put them on top of each other. You would find way more similarities than you'd ever find differences. Like, it is the root, man. You know what I mean? It's different stylistically, but that king that we love is just swing. The boom, boom, boom. It's swing. It's what it is. It comes from rhythmically, that soulful, gorgeous place. And so I just love that. I love watching all those things grow together. And damn, man, I'm a protector of this stuff. Like, I want this to go long after I'm gone. I hope that I can find a young kid who sings like you, dude. There's a kid in England that I just wrote on Instagram. I don't remember his name, but I found him like George or something. His name is. He's good, man.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

He's good.

[B]

And I saw you bring that up.

[A]

Too young, but he's good. And I'm like, you know what?

[B]

Six, seven years, I'm gonna give him a call.

[A]

And you know what? Maybe I. Maybe I'll help him produce a record or maybe I'll do something where he can sort of be the next dude. Maybe he can take over. I don't know if he's a great entertainer. I don't know what he sounds like live, but I'll go check it out and find out. Cool.

[B]

Yeah, that's cool, man. Well, you did that. I saw the video of you with the guy who, like, the mom who, like, brought the kid up on.

[A]

Yeah. The little guy. Sam. I remember Sam.

[B]

Is that his name? Or he's like. And you're like, sam can sing, right? You did a whole little intro.

[A]

Sam couldn't just sing that. That night, I was. I remember being real. I had done, like. I think I'd done. That was one of 12 nights at the. I think it was the O2 or one of those places in London or it was in Manchester somewhere. I'd done a lot, though. I just remember that my voice was crushed.

[B]

You're like. You come up and give me a break.

[A]

It was like, now when I. And that'll show up in, like, my algorithm sometimes. And I'm like, damn. Sam couldn't just sing. He's saying that better than me. Like, he did. He sounded better than me at that. At that. At that point, I was like, oh, damn, Sam. Yeah.

[B]

When was that? Do you remember? Dude, I wonder what he's up to now.

[A]

I don't know. He tried. I think his mom and tried to go and do some like. Yeah. You know, But.

[B]

Yeah, that's great, man. Hypothetical situation. Let's say you could only do. You can only perform with one person, female and male, still alive, and one female. Male who's no longer with us. You know, I'm sure you could pick from thousands of people who are all great, but who would you personally want to do a duet with or sing with who's alive, still male or female, and someone who's passed, whether you perform with them already or you haven't.

[A]

Oh, there you.

[B]

And what song would you want to do with each one of them? Whether it be your song, their song, a cover of another song, putting you on the spot.

[A]

No, no. It's a great question. I mean.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Someone dead, I think would be. Either. Would one or two would be either as a male. It would be Dean Martin. Or it would be. It would be Elvis.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

One of those two.

[B]

That'd be incredible.

[A]

I think. Elvis. It would be.

[B]

What song?

[A]

Oh, man. Probably something that would be easy to harmonize, too. Like, something like. I was gonna say a ballad, but might be more fun to. It might be for more fun to sing. Just something that swung real hard, like. I don't know what it's called. I don't know what it's.

[B]

How's it go?

[A]

Goes. I've been searching over mountain I have been running all the way, baby Trying to. I think it's called trying to get to you. And, man, it was. It was just like. The guitar just rips and. Okay, he'd be. That would be amazing. And then Dean, I think. I think probably everybody loves somebody sometimes because I'm. I've always been a huge. Dean Martin's. Wow. A fan. And. And I think it's one of my favorite songs because of the content. The lyrical content. There's a line that I think is so wonderful and romantic, and I always think about my. It's the last line. Everybody loves somebody sometime and although my dream was overdue hi, everybody. Oh, God. No. It's the line. If I had it in my power I would arrange for every girl to have your charms then every minute, every hour every boy could find what I found in your arms oh, my gosh. And I thought. I always thought that was really so sweet and, like, so cool. And, dude, the way he delivered it was effortless. And he was my favorite. And again, more of a favorite because of. Not just because of what he did musically, but how in. In all the people that I met, you know, in. In this business, when I heard about how he treated people, that's. That's what I heard. I heard good things. And by the way, the same thing about Elvis.

[B]

He treated people well.

[A]

Yeah. Kindness, empathy, you know, humility. Wow. And I didn't hear that about some of the others who I had idolized, you know?

[B]

So what about female?

[A]

Female? That is a great question. It really is, man. It's a great question. God, it's hard not to say. It's interesting because it's hard not to say. Reba McIntyre. For someone who's. You know, who's. Now. Because I just. I love her. She is a. You know, people ask me often about the Voice, and they'll say, like, you know, what's Snoop like? And it's like. It's like, hey, you know what? If you. You know, Snoop is awesome, but the gangster is Reba.

[B]

Really? Why?

[A]

Because she's like. That woman is kind and she's classy and. But she is. She is so her. She is. That's it. She's her. She's. She's so comfy in her skin, and she's tough if she has to be but always kind. She's firm, but always fair. She's just so cool, man. Like, she's just. She's so cool. Always with a smile, always courteous, but, you know, you don't mess with her. Nobody messes with Reba. No way. And she's. She's still. It's the greatest. I mean, what a voice.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I love country music. I mean, for me, and it's weird, I know, for people, but country music and the great American Songbook are like the same thing. They are. They're the same. It's like I. When I think about Patsy Cline or I think about Willie Nelson or I think about Hank Williams or I think about Reba, it's like, that's the American songbook. I mean, I'm young enough where that probably should be the American songbook, you know what I mean? And. And country swings, too. So, so alive. Probably. Probably Reba. I really love her a lot. And. And she, you know, she's, you know, I just had dinner with her, and it's funny because she's the one. I said, like, I said, you know, how are you feeling about everything? And. And she said to me, she goes, man, I had no idea how hard it was going to be to get here. She said, but if. You know. But she said, but getting here was not nothing. Nothing close to as hard as it is to stay.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah. You know, we were just at sushi and she literally said to me, she's like, staying is hard. You have to.

[B]

It's hard to get to the. The top or make it right. It's hard to make it. Whether you're an athlete and you win a championship or you've got some level of success or a business or an artist, you have a hit song, but it's hard to stay a hit for years. It's like maybe some people do it for a year or two and then it's hard for them to replicate.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How have you been able to do that for 20 plus years?

[A]

Well, it's. It's interesting. It's a great. I mean, listen, it's a, it's an interesting question because I don't think there's a. There's an answer for it. I, I only say that because I think it really is in the eye of the beholder. And I think that firstly, dead female artist Keely Smith, who I knew and I loved, she used to sing with Louis Prima. If I could go back, have Keely when she was young and the best, I think that success now is. Is relative. And, and I mean to say really logistically relative because I can go on tour, I could sell tickets. You know what I mean? I think my brand is pretty good.

[B]

You got great. You're the face of Rolex. You have brand deals, you're on the Voice. You got opportunities. Christmas, you got all these things that are crushing, but.

[A]

I don't have 60 million followers. And if you ask my kids who's more successful?

[B]

Taylor Swift.

[A]

No, not, not even. It's like, you ask my kids, like, if there's like, there's a 20 year old artist out there who has 60 million followers. And, and you go like. And my, my kids are like, dad, we love you, but you're not. You're not at that level. You know what I mean? And this business has become very strange. I don't know if you ever have these conversations with musicians, but it's very strange because there's a big difference between successful and perceived as successful.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? Like, yeah, you know, and I know what my manager would say. My manager would say is, dude, listen, look at the statements. At the end of the year, Buble, you're successful.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. But there's also a lot of people with a lot of followers that make no money.

[A]

Well, that's. But, but, but, but they're seen as super duper famous.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And they really do change culture, you know what I mean? And they have a footprint in, in the, you know, the lexicon of music or whatever it is. So it's a weird. It's like. And, and there's very few that have both. There's, there's, there's Taylor Swift, but like, you know, there's. And so it's a weird question. It's like. And by the way, I'm just insecure, you know, I'm like this insecure and I always will be like, you know, how come I don't have more followers? Why does my wife have way more followers than me? You know, like, my wife is her. I don't even know what I have on Instagram.

[B]

My wife has more than me too.

[A]

Does she?

[B]

Yeah. Oh, she's huge in Mexico.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We can't walk around the streets same.

[A]

That's exactly.

[B]

Dude, I hold that because of me.

[A]

Because I hold the camera.

[B]

Yeah, me too, man.

[A]

Mobs. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

And then they're like, oh, wait, it's beautiful. Here's what you got to start doing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Something I did about actually before I met my. My wife. We have about a million and a half subscribers on our Spanish YouTube channel.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

So when I'm in Mexico, a lot of people come up to me who are fans of the Podcast in Spanish. Yeah, but I'm like, you got to start doing music in Spanish now.

[A]

I have. I've done a couple things. But, yeah, you're right.

[B]

That's the next level too, dude.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Interviews in Spanish. I love that you're fluent, Right? When you say fluent, I can understand.

[A]

Convos. I can have a conversation with you. Converbs and conjugation. I get lost very easily.

[B]

Argentina Spanish is very.

[A]

And my kids, too. My kids will say, like, they'll just always make fun of me and be like, yeah, why does mom speak such good English? But your Spanish sucks?

[B]

And I'm like, oh, God, I know. I'm. I'm. I can understand probably 60, 70%.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And Tiendo's cinquente porciento cuando tuablas lento conmigo, Pero necesito hablas lento.

[A]

Yes, I understand.

[B]

And clean.

[A]

See?

[B]

Limpio. Exactly.

[A]

But on the Voice, they always get mad at me.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Because every time a Latin artist comes, I go. And, like, Snoop goes, oh, mother.

[B]

Because you can do a little bit. If you can do a little.

[A]

I can have a conversation. I can. Like, if you put me in the street in Mexico, you're good. I'm good, dude, that's great. I get where I need to go. I can do it all.

[B]

I can get where I need to go. But I sound like a baby. Like, I went to the barber in Mexico and I'm like, okay, for 30 minutes, we can understand each other, but I do not sound good at all.

[A]

My wife always say you talk like a caveman.

[B]

A caveman?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, I sound like a baby. Yeah. That's cool, man. So back to the fame and success.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What has happened? Money, fame, and success taught you.

[A]

Oh, God, that it's fleeting. Fame is fleeting, but obscurity is forever. Listen, dude, I still struggle with making sure that I separate who I am from what I do. It's hard to do. There's a reason I never left Vancouver. Like, we were talking about where we live, and, dude, I was. I was very sure that I needed to stay in Vancouver, and I felt like it was because I wasn't strong enough. If I had gone to LA to live, I probably, you know, not at this point now, but early on, I would have got washed into this interesting, you know, wanting to be cool and be with that group of people and, you know, them bringing me in. And so it was really nice for me to stay in Vancouver with all of my friends that I went to high school with and elementary school with that. Still treat me like that's funny that.

[B]

You'Re in a fantasy football league.

[A]

They do. If you see my group chat, it's just like. And it's funny, man. Like, they still. It's brutal. Like, if you. If you showed up in a Oscar and golfing or something, if you heard them talk about me, you know, the amount of disrespect and, like. But that's how it should be.

[B]

You love it. Yeah. Well, it brings your ego down.

[A]

Oh, my God. That's. And it's. I never left. And so I got. My mom and dad live four blocks away. My best friend lives seven houses away.

[B]

And so how do you separate your identity?

[A]

My kids go to the elementary school I went to.

[B]

That's cool.

[A]

It's like the same public school.

[B]

Then how do you separate your identity of who you are with the fame, success, and money that you have?

[A]

Oh, I always. I know it sounds so stupid, but I always. When I'm even with my kid, my kids know. My kids are like, poppy. Why are you putting. They'll call it the Batsuit. Why are you putting on the Batsuit?

[B]

So your. Your suit when you're on stage.

[A]

Batsuit. When I'm on stage and I become him. I become that guy. And who is that guy? Oh, he's so cool.

[B]

He's the coolest.

[A]

He's so cool.

[B]

He's the most charismatic.

[A]

He's so charismatic. He's Teflon. Nothing could ever affect him. He's funny. He's quick. He's, you know, Deb and Aaron and so all the things that I am most definitely not in real life. Really? Yeah, dude. Yeah. And I told my dudes on the Voice, like, because, you know, like, even the kid that won 26 of Romeo, we would be backstage and he would say, thank you so much, sir. Thank you, Mr. Buble, for helping me. And I'd say, like, hey, dude, this dude. Yes, sir. I'd say, this dude doesn't exist when you get on stage, okay? He'd say, yes, sir. I say, no, dude, you're about to become Batman. Okay? And he did. He. Boom. And he performed. And it was like, really? Yeah, man.

[B]

So what is that? Is that. What is the alter ego for you, then? Is it a Batman imagination or is.

[A]

What is.

[B]

Is there you have a. A name for it?

[A]

Because no, it's. It is just the alter ego. It's like, it's for sure it's the alter ego. It's like, I become Beyonce's Got it.

[B]

Gaga's got it. Like everyone's got it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They're different when they're not on stage.

[A]

Absolutely. And for me, I guess it's again, it's probably about protecting myself in many different ways, spiritually, mentally, you know, becoming him on stage. I think it's more attractive to people than an insecure. Than me being, you know, I'm still. I can still be stupid and self deprecating and. But most definitely, no. It's like, you know, you're, you know, you're him. You're him. You know, listen, me doing the voice there was a method to the madness. I said no for so many years. Really. My manager was like, listen, you want to make movies, right? And I was like, yeah, I'm an actor. And he said, you want to make, you know, do TV show? I said, yeah. And it was like, hey, then let's do the voice. Because these people know you. You know, they know you. You go on the odd interview or, you know, the converted come to see you in arenas all over the planet and they know you, but a lot of people don't know you. Interesting. And so he was like, I think this is a really great chance for people to really get to know you.

[B]

And so your full personality.

[A]

Yeah. And I was like, you know what? All right. And I had no idea I'd love it so much. Wow. But I think where this is going to is that that's the next step, right? Is for me to. To go now into and to, you know, to make movies.

[B]

And that's the next step, huh?

[A]

Yeah, that is the next step. It is happening as we speak. And I think it was nice for me to be able to not shock the audience. You know what I mean by going into that? It was nice to have that nice little bridge. Bridge.

[B]

That's interesting. That's cool. Hey, are you remembering to stay hydrated? And I mean actually hydrated. I'm sure you know by now that not all hydration is created equal. But Drip Drop has you covered so you aren't skipping out on important electrolytes. Drip Drop is doctor developed science backed proven fast hydration that actually tastes great. Their formula uses a precise ratio of sodium electrolytes and glucose for rapid fluid absorption. Delivering three times the electrolytes and half the sugar versus the leading sports drink. It's no wonder Drip Drop is trusted by firefighter fighters, medical professionals and over 90% of top pro in college sports teams. You can't go wrong without any of their flavors. But my go to is the orange. It's Always so refreshing and gets me feeling hydrated fast. I highly recommend it. Right now, Drip Drop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to drip drop.com and use promo code greatness. That's dripdrop.com promo code greatness for 20% off. Stock up now before the heat hits harD-R-I P-R-O-P.com and use promo code Greatness now. One of the hardest parts about B2B marketing is reaching the right audience. With LinkedIn ads, you can actually reach the audience you're intending to reach. On LinkedIn, you can put your message right in front of the exact people who are most likely to say yes. Whether you want to reach decision makers at Fortune 500 companies, small business owners, or skilled professionals in niche industries, LinkedIn lets you dial in your targeting with precision. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, and that's where it stands apart from other ad buys. You can target your buyers by job title, industry, company role, seniority, skills, company revenue, and all that. All the professionals you need to reach in one place. So stop wasting budget on the wrong audience and start targeting the right professionals only on LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn will even give you an extra $250 credit on your next campaign. So you can try it yourself. Just go to LinkedIn.com Lewis that's LinkedIn.com L E W I S Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. How did you learn about this kind of alter ego? Did you.

[A]

I was, I was always, I was 14 and it was really. The alter ego. Yeah, because I was on stage and when I was that young, 15 or 16, whether it was sit ins at jazz clubs, my grandpa would, would sneak me in. I was, you know, way under drinking age, which is 19 in Canada. And even then I had started to build this alter ego, you know, who I, you know, and the funny part was, is that I didn't have a chance to go and see Bobby Darin or Frank or Dean or any of those heroes. And so it really, you know, it was, it really came from just sort of failing a lot. And I probably looked like such a spaz. I probably did.

[B]

Was there like a moment where you're like, I'm gonna try something else. I'm gonna try to imitate one of my heroes on stage?

[A]

No, I did. And I did Broadway shows too, before. People don't know that too. I did, like, I was in a lot of theater. I did a lot of theater. You know, like, I did either. Whether they Were musical reviews or just straight theater? And so I was sort of fighting. And by the way, even vocally, I talk about this a lot, but vocally, I was like. I didn't know what I sounded like.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

You know what I mean? Like, I was taking a little bit of Frank and mixing it with a little bit of Elvis and Ella Fitzgerald's vibrato. And a little bit of the way that Bing would drop his epiglottis. And Dean, the way he would everybody loves somebody. Sometimes he would do these little flips with his voice and, you know, and then I would go and listen to the ink spots, and I would go, oh, I like the way that he sings in his head voice if I didn't care. And I would steal all of these. And I talk about this too much, but it's the truth. I would, like, mix it together. And how did Frank. Wow, Frank. Why does he sound so good when he sings I've got you under my skin? Oh, he's really hard on those I've got you. Those e's and U's and the vowels. And. And I would, like, just impersonate all these different people and Sarah Vaughn and Peggy Lee and. And the way that Louis Armstrong would sit way behind the beat. And then I just become just this probably really bad impersonator of all these depending on the song or this stuff. And then all of a sudden, one day it was like, oh, no, now I found this, you know, wow.

[B]

So I love how you just explained your whole life.

[A]

I still do it, too, dude. It's funny, I watched Chris Martin in this camera what song it was he had written. But he did this interview, and he was like, how'd you write the song? And he was like, oh, is this.

[B]

Where he's on the piano talking about it?

[A]

Yeah, he's like, I did this impersonation of. Was it. I think it was. I think it was Neil Young that he was like, I did this impersonation of Neil Young. How I thought Neil Young would do it. And I was like, holy, Chris. That's what I like. That's. That's it. Like, oh, so you basically started to become him. And when you did, that's where that. You know what I mean? That's where the song. And so even today, I do it. Like, I was writing a song. I just wrote, like, a holiday song called maybe this Christmas Last. And I was on the guitar, and I'm a terrible guitar player, but I was sitting in my room and I was feeling no pain, you know, And I Started, I wrote. So I played the first chord, and I was like, oh, I know what it is. I was like, I've been running all my life and. But I didn't do it as me.

[B]

Who'd you do it?

[A]

I did as Willie. So I was like, how? Because it sound real country. And I went, I was running. All my life I've been trying to get it right. And I did this. Bad. It's bad, but sentimental ain't a singer. And it was like this bad. Willie Nelson. But when I. When I did it and I sort of thought, what. How would I do this? And it just happened. And it was like the song came together and I was like, this is perfect. But you do you become these people, these influences. Wow. Yeah.

[B]

I've only got a few final minutes with you. Your team's letting me know we gotta get you off to the next press thing you're doing.

[A]

It's not a pressing. You know what I'm doing?

[B]

What's that?

[A]

My wife is, I want to say the most frugal. She's. But frugal with our money. And I said to her, like, she's got all these red carpets. She's just made a man. She just made a movie that's so good. It's not out yet. But she.

[B]

We're gonna Spanish movie, right?

[A]

Spanish movie. It's a true story. And she likes. Anyway, she's gonna win a bunch of awards, and I'm gonna have to go to a bunch of red carpets. And she needs to look good to clothes. She needs looks, right? Red carpet looks. And she's like, don't worry, I'll just go to wherever. And I was like, no, we should get a stylist. And she was like, do you know how much they cost together? A lot. So I'm going home. And the stylist has pulled a bunch of stuff for all these red carpet.

[B]

Things for you both.

[A]

No, for her.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And she's gonna. And I know her. So it's like, we've told the stylist, like, please put away this pipe. Because she'll look at stuff and she'll be like, I hate it. And it's like, you don't hate it.

[B]

You hate it because the price is so high.

[A]

The price is high. And. And. And she's protective of. It's not cheap. She's just protective of good. So that's what I'm doing.

[B]

That's cool.

[A]

We have it. What time is it right now?

[B]

It's time to get you out of here. It's 12:48.

[A]

Yeah. So one o'. Clock. They're gonna be at the house. Don't worry though.

[B]

Whatever. Okay.

[A]

She'll be fine.

[B]

We'll be few.

[A]

She doesn't look at the price tags.

[B]

She can get started without you. Yeah, I see. But I have a few final questions for you because I do want to respect your time and your wife and don't want you to be too late. What do you think is the biggest thing holding you back from being the next level of you as either a person in your career in all areas?

[A]

Oh, nothing now. Nothing. I'm in such a good place, man. I like me. That's good. You know, I'm comfy.

[B]

That's good, man.

[A]

Good. In my skin, that's great. I think I probably sound better than I ever sounded. I am.

[B]

On interviews or actually on stage.

[A]

No, like, music wise, I'm very confident. And you know, it's really weird too is that I've come to this place where, you know, man, I have a friend and he always says to me, cool is as cool does. And, you know, so many people are trying to be cool and they're real worried about looking cool. And I think I've hit this point where, you know, I'm like, man, I don't think it's cool to try to be cool. I think it's cool to be comfy in your skin and, you know what I mean? And yeah, it might sound all cringy, but we are in a cynical world where, you know, you're about to bring, you know, children in and if I'm not part of the solution of making it a better, brighter, sweeter kinder place, then I'm part of the problem. And so I'm good with. I'm good with just doing what I do. I'm good. I'm very good. Like, so, yeah, nothing's keeping me from it.

[B]

You know, I've got two final questions, but you've got 20 year anniversary of your album coming out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You got the Voice, which is out. You got, you know, great content on social media. I think you're going on tour later this year a little bit. For one week at a time maybe.

[A]

Yeah, I'm doing a little tiny thing.

[B]

Little stuff here and there. Where can people connect to really be involved in your world more and really see what you're up to? And from the album to the Voice, like, how can they support you?

[A]

They don't need to support me, you know, they don't need to. They've already done that. It's funny, man. I just went on a Disney cruise.

[B]

I saw the post about that.

[A]

Yeah, that's awesome. And I have my friends.

[B]

Antarctica. Is that what it was? Or what was it? Antarctica or where you.

[A]

It was Alaska.

[B]

Alaska. I was friends.

[A]

My friends. Some of my friends in the business called me and they were like, are you. Are you an idiot? They were like, why you went on a Disney cruise? Like, you just you and your family? And I was like, yeah. And they were like, they're like, did people make you crazy? And I was like, no. I was like, I did a lot of pictures and. And they were like, but did you. Did you get to, like, enjoy? Enjoy? And I was like, yeah. And I said the truth. I was like, those people. I made a million pictures. But if without those people, I never could have afforded to go on a Disney cruise. It's expensive.

[B]

Expensive, man.

[A]

Yeah. And so it's like, yeah, I could have done it without all those people. You know, it's funny. I've tried lately, because I was so. I'm old. Like, I'm not old, man. I'm not old in that way. I was old. And like. Like 10 years ago, eight years ago, everyone was like, you really should concentrate on your social media. And I was like, social media? No one's ever going to watch social media, you know? And so. But now I have this, like, really? I'm. I love connecting with people through it. You know what I mean? Whether I'm an idiot on Tik Tok or I'm. Or I'm like, you know, like, I had, like, my favorite post that I made, I think, in the Last Forever was. I said. I said, it's time to go back in the studio. I was like, it's time to go make another record. And I was like, so even though everyone tells me not to pull, I was like, you did it. I want to know.

[B]

I was like, do people want me to.

[A]

I was like, what do you want to hear?

[B]

What'd they say?

[A]

Weirdly, I actually. And I'm not usually this, like, professional, but I actually. Someone in my office went and broke down. There was. I don't even know how many thousands of responses through Facebook and all that, because they share the post everywhere. This massive percentage said, we want jazz, we want swing, but can it be originals in that style? And I was like. I was like, this is amazing. How come I'm not doing this more? And so I think more and more, I'd love to, you know, like, it's not. I don't Like, I don't know. I know I have a lot of friends that have like the team, you know what I mean? The team is doing it and I like doing it. I don't, I don't love a team doing it because every time I do it, it just feels like it's off brand and it. Something's weird about it, even if we can't articulate why it didn't work. So, I mean, that's where we meet now. Before I go on tour, I got to meet there. I got to go to Instagram and Facebook and whatever and TikTok and whoever the hell else you're supposed to be. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Well, make sure you follow Michael on, on Instagram for sure. You got great stuff there, man.

[A]

Yeah, my page is louisanalopilato.com.

[B]

Michael, my.

[A]

Wife is so hot. Let's be honest. They're gonna follow her more than they ever follow me. I would too.

[B]

I'm gonna have to connect our wives at some point because I'm sure they'll do a Spanish movie together or something.

[A]

Without a doubt, my wife would be thrilled. You know, it's funny too. I think that they would. I think my wife would love to connect with someone who may be able to understand better than anyone else exactly what work, what she's feeling.

[B]

Yeah, she's talking about. It's funny. Before we get to the last two questions, my wife is like, she's made 40 movies. She's. She. Her last one was number one on Amazon two weekends ago. Last year was number one on Netflix, the movie that she wrote and produced and started all this stuff. She's like, I don't need to make more movies for a couple years. I just want to be a mom, you know? But I'm already like. She's already got opportunities coming to her. Like the end of next year. I'm like, okay, be a mom. Yes. And you don't have. You can do both.

[A]

That's exact.

[B]

You know, it's like you don't have to make movies non stop.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

But you can figure out a way to do both.

[A]

We'll make it see her happy, right? When she.

[B]

She's like thrives, man. She's. Yeah, she's writing still. She's pregnant. She's like loving the creative process.

[A]

So anyway, same as my wife. It's the same.

[B]

Okay, two final questions. I gotta get you outta here before I ask them. I want to acknowledge you, Michael, for your authenticity, man. Just being truly who you are and being open and vulnerable and honest about all this stuff, the insecurities, the. The highs, the lows, everything you've been up to.

[A]

Thanks, Louis.

[B]

I think it's really cool that you've been able to be yourself for 20 plus years in this industry where most people lose themselves. I think a lot of people, you see them doing things, you're like, is that. Did they do that for attention? Is that really them? Maybe it got a lot of likes or followers or some type of financial opportunity for them, but you start to see them going off a little bit. And I want to acknowledge you for being consistently who you are as a father, as a husband, as a family guy.

[A]

First, thank you.

[B]

Through your career and not burning yourself out, not doing press every day, not doing touring every day, but saying, this is my dream life and it's okay if I'm not number one at everything of every moment or I'm always on tour in front of the biggest audiences, because the real value comes in when you're watching Dora the Explorer with your four kids in bed. And that's what you're going to remember the most. And your kids are going to remember that, even if you don't think they will. And so I acknowledge you for.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Being a great dad, showing up for them imperfectly the way you do, and. And doing it your way, man. Not to take Frank's words, but doing it your way throughout this journey.

[A]

Thanks.

[B]

And I know that you're going to continue to be a massive success for decades to come as long as you do it your way.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

So I acknowledge you for that.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I've got a. These two final questions. This is called the three truths questions. So it's a hypothetical scenario. Imagine you get to live as long as you want, but it's your last day on earth. And hypothetically, you've got to take all of your work with you so no one has access to your songs or movies or anything you ever make. Hypothetical. And for whatever reason, on the last day, you get to leave behind three lessons that you've learned with the world. I call it three truths. And this is what we would get to be reminded of you by these three lessons. What would be those three lessons for you that you would share with the world?

[A]

Ah, the three lessons.

[B]

And maybe you'd share it with just your family and we would get to hear it too. But what would be those three truths for you?

[A]

I think the three truths. One of them would be that to try as best you can to live with an attitude of gratitude.

[B]

Let's go.

[A]

Honestly, this life is very quick and, you know, being grateful I think is healthy. Second, I would say that I would hope to impart that individually, human beings have so much power. We feel small, we feel like we're alone, we feel like we're helpless, or at least that we can't help. But you have so much power just as an individual. And I mean, it doesn't have to be big. You just walk out of your apartment or your house and it is one kind random act. It's telling. It's saying good morning. It's telling someone you like their shoes. You have no idea how much you can impact and change somebody's life, you know? And three, try to be as honest with yourself as possible. Because it's easy to lie to people, but it's even easier to lie to yourself. And I think I can put myself in a position to know that if it was the last day on earth, I would hope that as I sat there alone with my own thoughts, that I would be able to know as my eyes were about to close and nothingness was coming, that I, even through all my flaws or faults, I liked myself.

[B]

That's beautiful.

[A]

You know, I spread the good word and carried that love of God in my heart and passed that on to my babies.

[B]

I've got one final question. That was beautiful. I might have to have you back on in the future.

[A]

Okay, let's go.

[B]

Because I did listen off.

[A]

You can edit this for sure. We are going out for dinner. The wives are going to hang. We're going to sit there. Let's speak Spanish.

[B]

Yeah, we'll try to listen.

[A]

Let's go.

[B]

Try to understand.

[A]

I can't wait to hear them. I'm deeply interested and honestly, I wonder what they're going to come up with. I'll bet you. I will bet you right now, we'll.

[B]

Make a movie together.

[A]

I bet you a million bucks they're going to do something together.

[B]

It will be featured in the book.

[A]

Because my wife has all of those movies on Amazon, Netflix, number all the same things you're talking about.

[B]

They probably know the same people. It's like, yeah, absolutely. Gosh. The only thing I really wanted to dive into more was faith, about your faith. But we don't have time for it, so I'm gonna have to do it another time. Or maybe this would be a private conversation that I'll share another time with with the audience because I did want to know about how your faith plays a role.

[A]

Well, before we go, why don't we just say something?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Because I think, trying to be respectful.

[B]

Of your time, they're letting me know.

[A]

Like, hey, I just think it's hugely important for me.

[B]

Yes. How is your faith impacted?

[A]

Well, it's everything we talked about, priorities. And, you know, that is number one. That's ahead of, ahead of the kids, it's ahead of my wife, it's ahead of my life, my business. Number one is faith. Number one is faith.

[B]

What is your relationship with God like?

[A]

Great. Really nice personal relationship. I'm a failure in every way. But it's funny, man. I was in bed last night and I was like, even in my own self, I was like, in my heart, I was like, God, I love you. I love you so much, you know? Like, I, I know I'm so imperfect. God, I wish I was better, but I was like, God, if I, if I. This was the, if this happened tonight and I didn't wake up, I love, I love that connection. I love it so much. I love that I share it with my children. I love it that my wife, that her faith was so strong that when I was wavering, that she. And I love that I can feel this and have this without ever making people feel pukey about it, because I have a hard time with people that smush it in your face. And so much of when we talk about faith, there's so much. I just cringe because I go, they're not there. There's no faith there. They're hiding behind their faith. And they think because they go to church on Sunday, but they're horrible people doing horrible things. That's not faith. You know, just because you say you, you know, whatever, you know, that's, you know, you know, that's all.

[B]

You're living it.

[A]

You live it, man. Are you living it or you're not living it? Because. And then there's this other thing. Like, I, I, I, like, watched Matthew McConaughey.

[B]

He's great.

[A]

And I was like, how cool. And this inspired me, man. No joke. And it's the reason why I know I'm turning people off sometimes. I know it, man.

[B]

What are you talking about? Your faith?

[A]

Yeah, man, I know that there's.

[B]

But you're turning a lot of people off.

[A]

Like, I am not going to get onto the top 200 jazz dudes in Rolling Stone because I'm not cool. Like, how could. Why I'm not cool. He's this, like, God loving dude.

[B]

Like, you're not drinking, an alcoholic. You're not on drugs, by the way.

[A]

Just so you know, I'm Doing all those things. Things.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I really am. I mean, I'm not perfect.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I love my God, man. Yeah, that's. You know, and, like. And then I, like. And, you know, I. By the way, just so you know, too, every single show of the Voice when it was me, Gwen, Snoop, Ribs, even now, now we don't step out to that stage without holding hands. Really, man.

[B]

All together.

[A]

All together, dude.

[B]

All praying together.

[A]

All pray together.

[B]

Who leads it?

[A]

Sometimes me, sometimes Snoop, sometimes Reba. Wow. Yeah. And you know what I mean? Never push it on people. Just like, hey, let's. You know what? Hey, give us the power right now to come out and help these young people and spread the light and the good word of love and empathy and kindness and goodness and maybe lead people towards it so they can feel this way in their tummy or whatever. And so when I talk about Matthew Connaughy, that was like. I remember watching and going, like, this dude is putting himself out there and there's somebody right now. Because it's weird how you can say, and nobody blinks an eye, but if you say, hey, praise God, that's great. God is great. People go, like, it's like, I've always found that weird. I was like, so I love that we. You and I have this great platform. And I don't care if someone watches this and they go, you know what? I feel the way I feel, whatever. I don't care if they're Christian or Catholic or Jewish or Muslim or whatever they are. And they go, you know what? I have this. I love my personal relationship with my God, the universe, whatever you want to call it. And you know what? That talk that I watched Lewis and Mike have, I can say that. I can. You know what? When my friends ask me or I'm out at dinner, I'm not going to be afraid to, you know, to say it, to. To put, you know, my cards down and say, yeah, yeah, I got a good, strong faith. Because it's weird for me, we're in a world where, dude, you know, I have a great pastor, that great pastor, Pastor Dave. Hey. And he did a sermon a couple months back, and it was awesome. And he was just talking about the lights being out, man. And he said, lights were out everywhere. And he said, you know, he said, I stayed at a hotel, and he said, and the lights in the city went out, but this hotel was an old hotel and had a generator. He said, so lights were out everywhere, but this old hotel, it stayed lit for us. He said, you know, we Had a little dinner, you know, we went to sleep, we plugged in our phones and he said, faith, Faith is that generator, he said. The lights are going out all over the place, he said, but faith is that generator, you know? And though it may be dark and though it may seem scary, you know what, you're allowed to keep that light, that pilot light on inside you and keep things lit up when everything else is getting dark. And that's what faith is, is. And so I hope that people have that for when they go through that time or when, even when they don't go through that time. Just, I think it lifts them up.

[B]

And helps keep that light on, man.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Gosh, beautiful. Next time we'll have to talk more about that. But final question, Michael, what's your definition of greatness?

[A]

Having this conversation with you, being completely present, talking about faith, and then going next door as quickly as I can before I get home because they're doing all you can drink mimosas.

[B]

There you go, right across the street.

[A]

Let's go.

[B]

Thanks, Michael. Appreciate you being here.

[A]

Thank you, Liz. Thanks.

[B]

I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally as well as ad free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our greatness+channel exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I want to remind you if no one has told you lately that you you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great.

[A]

Hey, everybody, it's Rob Lowe here.

[B]

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[B]

And basically it's conversations I've had that really make you feel like you're pulling up a chair at an intimate dinner between myself and people that I admire, like Aaron Sorkin or Tiffany Haddish, Demi Moore, Chris Pratt, Michael J. Fox. There are new episodes out every Thursday, so subscribe, please and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine relying on a dozen different software programs to run your business, none of which are connected, and each one more.

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