Ira’s Everything Bagel | US Arts and Culture Podcasts

What separates high performers from everyone else? According to Joshua Lifrak, it’s not just talent—it’s mindset.
This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira sits down with Joshua Lifrak, author of “Win Today: Six Steps to Mental Resilience, Peak Performance, and a Thriving Life,” to un-pack the powerful psychology behind success—and why winning the moment right in front of you is the ultimate game-changer.
Drawing from his background in sports, Joshua explains how momentum is built through small, intentional actions, and why accomplishment is simply the byproduct of a consistent process. He shares the six-step framework that helps anyone—from athletes to entrepreneurs—build mental resilience and perform at their highest level.
The conversation dives deep into:
Why elite performers treat the mental game as a competitive advantage
How defining your personal story and setting clear intentions can transform your trajectory
The difference between real positivity and “toxic positivity”
How to manage negative thoughts and overcome the brain’s natural negativity bias
The power of gratitude and daily resets to rewire your mindset
Why growth is a choice—and how marginal gains compound into major success
Joshua also shares personal insights on using knowledge, strategy, and action to over-come adversity—and why “there’s always a way” if you refuse to buy into negativity.
Whether you're striving for peak performance or simply looking to live more intentionally, this episode offers a practical, inspiring roadmap to help you win today—and every day after that.
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WHAT YOUR GOOGLE SEARCHES REVEAL ABOUT YOU (AND ALL OF US)

This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira sits down with Simon Rogers, author of "What We Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind," for a fascinating and unexpectedly uplifting conversation about the stories hidden inside the world’s largest dataset—our searches.
Simon shares how Google Trends became a powerful lens into human behavior, capturing everything from life’s smallest moments (“how to boil an egg”) to our deepest emotions around grief, parenting, and connection. What began as a personal exploration—sparked by the loss of his mother—evolved into a groundbreaking narrative that blends data, storytelling, and humanity.
Along the way, Simon discusses his unlikely journey from someone who once disliked math to becoming a pioneer in data journalism, how he learned to tell compelling stories through numbers, and why our collective search habits reveal far more commonality than division.
This episode explores:
How our everyday questions reflect shared human experiences
Why data can tell emotional, deeply personal stories
The emerging “science” of understanding humanity through search
How technology—and even AI—shapes the way we think and learn
Insightful, thought-provoking, and surprisingly hopeful, this conversation will change the way you think about every search you make.
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A FAMILY’S DARK LEGACY—AND THE COURAGE TO TELL IT

This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira sits down with New York Times bestselling author Phyllis Karas to explore the powerful and deeply personal story behind her book, "Curse of the Blumenthals."
Wearing the title “cousin” as a badge of honor, Phyllis shares why she felt compelled—after years of waiting—to finally confront her family’s past. What began as a personal journey evolved into a four-year investigation involving genealogists, librarians, family letters, and long-buried photographs.
At the heart of the story are two defining events—an accident and a murder—that cast a long shadow over generations of the Blumenthal family. Phyllis discusses the emotional weight of revisiting painful memories, including visiting a cousin in prison as a child, and the difficult choices she faced in deciding what to include in the book.
Blending her journalistic instincts with intimate family knowledge, Phyllis peels back layers of secrecy to reveal how trauma shaped the lives of fifteen cousins—and how understanding the past may offer a path toward healing.
This is a conversation about truth, legacy, and the courage it takes to face “the elephant in the room”—because every family has a story… and some stories demand to be told.

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BRETT HELLINGS TAKES A “CHANCE ON LOVE” — AND TEAMS UP WITH ROCK LEGENDS

Singer-songwriter Brett Hellings joins Ira for a lively and insightful conversation about music, creativity, and the power of taking risks.
In this episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Brett discusses why he chose to remain an independent artist and why the freedom of the indie path has been such an incredible experience for him. He shares how technology has empowered artists to create and release music on their own terms—and why he encourages fellow musicians to “go find yourself” creatively.
The conversation also dives into Brett’s energetic party anthem “Here to Have a Good Time,” which gained attention on the syndicated radio show hosted by rock legend Alice Cooper, and how a surprising collaboration helped shape his latest work.
Brett’s new single “Chance on Love” features an extraordinary lineup of musicians, including guitarist Richard Fortus of Guns N' Roses, bassist Darryl Jones of The Rolling Stones, legendary drummer and bassist Charley Drayton, and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Carey Frank.
The result is a soulful power ballad about love, connection, and the life-changing possibilities that come when we take a chance on someone else—and ourselves.
Along the way, Brett reflects on why he still isn’t jaded after decades in the music business, how gratitude shapes his outlook, and how fatherhood helps him slow down and appreciate the creative process. For Brett, songwriting is a lifelong calling—one where the goal is simple: don’t let the ego get in the way of the music.
Photo by Michael Halsband
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