When branded company podcasts are interview shows with the CEO or another senior exec, you get a little taste of the hosts personality and interests. Sometimes just a small element, especially if the guests are industry peers talking about industry topics. And sometimes a big and unexpected passion of the CEO, like in the show from PayPal CEO Dan Schulman:

Never Stand Still

The show ran for 39 episodes between 2018 and early 2022, so it’s a few years in the past now. In early seasons the show generally had business leader guests, but for the fourth and final season it took a wild, fun turn. The guests shifted more pop culture, including Matthew McConaughey, Maria Sharapova, and Howie Mandel in the episode I listened to. And there was a theme that I imagine is completely unique across branded podcasts - Dan Schulman is really into krav maga martial arts, and that is the through line across the episodes. The interviews are compelling, and I really enjoyed that the listener gets a much deeper peek than usual into the life of a tech executive.