(Bloomberg Opinion) -- How can you prospect for new ideas? How can those ideas be used to tell stories that are interesting and empowering? What is the best way to find an authentic voice? Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer, this week’s guest of Masters in Business, said he relies on his observational strength for “perspective on people that make them cinematic and compelling.”
The secret to all human connections and interactions, according to Grazer, is eye contact. He describes this as a tool he uses to create genuine — not transactional — interest, and a way to be present with others. Grazer makes it a point to meet someone new every month from outside of his field. This has led him to create a large network that includes people from both inside and outside of entertainment world. He describes this in his latest book, “Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection.”
Grazer co-founded Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard. His films include “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13,” “8 Mile,” “Splash,” “Backdraft,” “Liar Liar” and “The Da Vinci Code,” grossing more than $13 billion. His TV productions, including “Arrested Development,” “Sports Night” and “24,” have made twice as much as his films. His 2016 book “A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life” was a New York Times bestseller.
You can stream/download the full conversation, including the podcast extras on Apple iTunes, Overcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Bloomberg and Stitcher. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here.
Next week, we speak with Nobel laureate Robert Shiller, professor of economics at Yale, and author of a new book, “Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events.”
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Barry Ritholtz is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is chairman and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and was previously chief market strategist at Maxim Group. He is the author of “Bailout Nation.”
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