This week we've got the co-writer of "Rounders" and Showtime's "Billions" (among MANY other projects you've seen), Brian Koppelman! Among his many accomplishments, he's an incredibly articulate student of the creative process and how artists find their voice. We covered all the difficult and joyous parts of creating for a living, Jordan Peterson, and a little Holocaust obvi.

00:00 Introducing: Brian Koppelman
1:25 Anatomy of an impression
3:26 Holocaust small talk
6:47 Chasing creative careers as a PARENT
9:06 Finding a renewable source of creative fuel
15:39 How Brian transitioned from biz to creative
25:56 How to deal with CRITICS
32:12 Ami and Brian NERD out over songwriting theory
35:13 The secret to creating art that's culturally relevant
38:48 Fighting imposter syndrome
46:35 Wondering about when you've MADE it
53:37 Amazing story about producing "Solitary Man"
57:55 Failure is MOST of the time

Follow Brian on Instagram at & listen to his podcast The Moment.

As always, find us on...
◘ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6geoUKSTVsEL2sMQ63pkSN?si=25df960bd85e40b6
◘ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buckle-up/id1589871008
◘ Instagram (@buckleuppodcast): https://www.instagram.com/buckleuppodcast
◘ TikTok (@thebuckleuppodcast): https://www.tiktok.com/@thebuckleuppodcast
◘ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoIZgc8_0dTwuwnQzqnyHlg

Links
◘ Mike's Newsletter: https://contextiseverywhere.beehiiv.com/
◘ Ami's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aj_comedy?lang=en#billions #podcast