AJ Buckley Show

What happens when a woman who once put ice in her red wine takes over a distillery at 58, wins Distillery of the Year, and disrupts a multi-trillion dollar industry? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Pixie Paula, the force behind Striped Pig Distillery, whose story reads like something out of a movie, except every single word of it is true. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with wisdom about entrepreneurship, faith, manifestation, and what it means to turn water into wine in more ways than one. Pixie opens up about growing up with a father who lived under floorboards to survive, lied about his age to join the army just to have a bed, and gave her the greatest gift of all by never saying can't. She shares the story of sweeping hair at a salon for a nickel an hour, watching Avon ladies sell lipstick and make bank, and realizing at a young age that she wanted to be an entrepreneur, not someone doing manual labor for pennies. Pixie reflects on her mother being the first in her family to complete college, working as an old school telephone operator, and instilling in her the belief that she could reach for the stars no matter what. AJ and Pixie dive deep into the moment she walked into American Express pregnant, took the Series Seven exam while about to deliver baby number five, and peed in the chair because she refused to forfeit the test. She talks about becoming the first sexual harassment case for American Express, fighting for equal pay for equal work, and why she didn't even want the money but realized how important it was to be the example. Pixie also shares the story of redesigning American Express in 1994, getting the call from the CEO who said she didn't qualify for the job but loved her attitude, and becoming a top-rated trainer who changed lives across the country. Then comes the story of the dream that changed everything. Pixie walks AJ through the New Year's Eve dream where the entire sip and share model was revealed to her, the moment she realized she could leverage the bar that nobody was using at black tie fundraisers, and why turning water into wine was the first recorded miracle of Jesus for a reason. She talks about taking over Striped Pig Distillery when it was nearly insolvent, seeing bourbon as an asset class appreciating at 400% a year, and why the angel share, perfection under pressure, and aging bourbon taught her more about God than she ever learned in church. Pixie also opens up about her divorce, losing everything, taking a loan against her bourbon to survive, and the glorious moment she paid off the note the day before it was due and got her bourbon back. She shares the historic tale of the Striped Pig from 1838, the first viral drinking game, the first meme, and the first speakeasy before Prohibition, and why that story became the foundation of her brand. 00:00 Intro: The Striped Pig Story & Distillery of the Year 02:07 Childhood & The Power of Not Saying Can't 02:12 The Avon Lightbulb: First Lesson in Entrepreneurship 06:00 The Floorboards: A Father's Survival Story 13:31 Nine Lives & Medical Anomalies 16:50 Breaking Barriers: The American Express Story 19:45 Peeing in That Chair: The Series Seven Exam 24:08 Equal Pay for Equal Work: The First Case 26:51 Magic Powers & Tuned Into the Universe 30:52 Who Are You? The Forum & Finding Possibility 36:22 The Dream That Changed Everything 42:48 Turning Water Into Wine: The First Miracle 51:05 Sip and Share: Disrupting a Multi-Trillion Dollar Industry 53:12 The Bar Nobody's Leveraging 1:03:46 The Striped Pig Legend: 1838 Going Viral 1:05:02 Divorce Bourbon & Getting It Back 1:14:33 369: The Numbers & Master Path 1:28:58 Forrest Gump & Learning About Love 1:39:31 I Need the Key to Unlock My Feet 1:48:13 Get Me Out of My Own Way 1:54:30 Frequency Is What You Frequently See Follow Pixie Paula & Striped Pig Distillery Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pixiepaulaofficial/reels/) IG: https://www.instagram.com/stripedpigdistillery/ Website: https://www.stripedpigdistillery.com Ryah | Girl Mom 💗 (@ryahgirlmom) | TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@ryahgirlmom) Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com

What happens when the creator of one of the most iconic television shows of all time sits down to talk about bagels, pickleball, fires, fatherhood, and the pitch that changed everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Doug Ellin, the writer, director, and showrunner who created Entourage, the HBO series that defined a generation and changed television forever. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with behind the scenes stories about Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, the Writer's Strike, and why Doug left Los Angeles for good. Doug opens up about meeting AJ at a Nashville bagel shop, his new life in Tennessee after fleeing the fires and crime of LA, selling his Manhattan Beach home, and what it's like raising a three year old daughter at 55 years old. He shares his thoughts on sugar, discipline, participation trophies, and why the younger generation isn't lazy but lacking real leadership. Doug reflects on growing up on Long Island, his father who passed away at 93, and the reversal of roles when the child becomes the parent. AJ and Doug dive deep into Doug's journey from stand up comedy to screenwriting, working in the mailroom at New Line Cinema, and the moment Mike DeLuca gave him 10 grand out of his own pocket to make a short film. Doug shares the story of almost directing The Parent Trap at 22 years old, bombing the meeting, and learning the brutal reality of Hollywood where you can go from hero to zero overnight. He talks about the lawyer who promised to be with him for 30 years and never called him back, the independent film that got released on 2200 screens and tanked his career, and the Curb Your Enthusiasm spec script he wrote in 45 minutes that saved everything. Then comes the story everyone wants to hear. Doug walks AJ through the birth of Entourage, the moment Mark Wahlberg and Lev Levinson pitched him the idea of following Mark's friends around with a camera, and why Doug thought it was the stupidest idea he'd ever heard. He shares the HBO pitch that felt like they owned Hollywood, the 50 thousand dollar script deal, and the two years of torture where HBO made him write 40 drafts including one insane note about Windtalkers that forced him to rewrite the entire script in a new dialect in Palm Springs in 120 degree heat. Doug also opens up about casting lightning in a bottle with Dylan McDermott, Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, and Jerry Ferrara, the moment he knew Jeremy Piven would kill it as Ari Gold, and why AJ's audition with the yo dog you didn't get me the Coke line was over the second he walked in the room. He reflects on Long Island energy, why authenticity matters, and the importance of showing up for people even when you're not super close. Doug and AJ also get into the Writer's Strike, why Doug was so anti strike after COVID, the crews who got wiped out, and why less writers are working now than before the strike. Doug breaks down the difference between problem solving and problem creating, why he hates most actors, and why the crew members who show up three hours early and stay three hours late deserve more credit than anyone in Hollywood. This conversation is packed with wisdom about gratitude, friendship, fatherhood, discipline, and what it means to build something that lasts. If you grew up watching Entourage, if you're a writer trying to navigate the industry, or if you just want to hear one of the greatest behind the scenes stories ever told, this episode will blow your mind. Follow Doug Ellin Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mrdougellin/?hl=en) Doug Ellin (@mrdougellin) / X (https://x.com/mrdougellin) Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com

What happens when a kid from Santa Cruz, California hears about Navy SEALs at 11 years old and never looks back? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Andy Stumpf, the former SEAL Team Six operator who jumped from 36,500 feet, raised $700,000 for charity, became a professional BASE jumper, and built one of the biggest podcasts in the world, Cleared Hot. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with wisdom about identity, fatherhood, discipline, and what it means to be defined by who you are, not what you did. Andy opens up about growing up in a Navy family, his dad being a machine gunner on patrol boats in Vietnam, and the moment he first heard about Navy SEALs. He shares the story of bringing a Navy recruiter home when he was a junior in high school, sitting her down with his parents who signed the paperwork when he was 17, and heading off to boot camp in the Chicago area right after graduation. Andy talks about the attrition rate at BUDS, the injury rate that most people don't realize until they go back as instructors, and why he made it through on his first attempt by focusing on the micro adversities instead of the macro goal. AJ and Andy dive deep into what it was like growing up on a construction site with his mason father, moving pallets of bricks at 11 years old, learning how to compartmentalize pain and focus on the one trip instead of the thousands ahead, and why those micro challenges on a job site prepared him for Hell Week more than any class at SEAL training ever could. Andy reflects on the reality that mental toughness and resilience are both born and trained, the importance of challenging yourself at a micro level before the world does at a macro level, and why setting an alarm and making your bed is just as powerful as a cold plunge if you're starting from scratch. Then comes the story of getting shot in 2005 while deployed with a SEAL Team Six squadron, being on the other side of the door from Tyler Gray on the same target, and the long road of nerve damage recovery that made him a BUDS instructor while he rehabbed. Andy opens up about doctors telling him I don't know more times than he could count, the frustration of not having a definitive answer, and why he ultimately became the last determining factor in whether or not he was ready to return to the teams. Andy also shares the story of the world record wingsuit jump from 36,500 feet, going 18 miles in the air while wearing shorts and a t-shirt under his gear because it was negative 50 at altitude and 100 degrees on the ground. He talks about raising $700,000 for the Navy SEAL Foundation, the sequential steps he took to make it happen, finding mentors with immense experience, and why by the time you get to the day, if you've done the requisite training, it's not that big of a deal. Andy also opens up about his years as a professional BASE jumper, flying wingsuits through canyons in Switzerland, the behind the scenes work that never makes it to YouTube, and why Tom Cruise is next level because of the months of training he does before every stunt. Andy also opens up about his divorce, the most alone he's ever felt in his life, the questions he had about himself as a man and a father, and why it was harder than going through SEAL training multiple times. He talks about the importance of asking for help, the strength it takes to admit when you need it, and why he has never been turned down or judged when he's asked for it. Andy also shares his North Star, his wife's ability to see the best in people, and the quote he lives by: what you allow in your presence is your standard. Follow Andy Stumpf Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/andystumpf212/?hl=en) Cleared Hot Podcast: https://www.clearedhotpodcast.com/ Cleared Hot Podcast - Powered By BRCC - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@ClearedHotPodcast) Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com

What happens when an actor walks into a room with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and nearly has a panic attack before landing the role of a lifetime? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Richard Speight Jr., the actor, director, and musician whose career spans from Band of Brothers to Supernatural, and whose stories about fatherhood, filmmaking, and the cost of ambition will leave you inspired and emotional. Richard opens up about growing up in Nashville as one of five kids, starting tap dancing as a young boy because he wanted to be Fred Astaire, doing local theater, and landing his first acting gigs in Disney Channel movies shot in his hometown. He shares the story of working on Ernest Goes to Camp, getting exposed to being on set as a teenager, and the moment he applied to the University of Southern California film and theater school, where he learned the mathematical precision of comedy, the rhythm of storytelling, and why Steve Martin albums and Bugs Bunny taught him more about entertainment than anything else. AJ and Richard dive deep into what it means to understand story, why some actors have a film IQ that allows them to see the heartbeat of a scene, and how Richard trained himself to never just point out a problem without offering a solution. Richard talks about the difference between problem solving and problem creating, why changing lines as a guest star is a no go but as an indie film actor it's all hands on deck, and the responsibility every storyteller has to make the story as good as it can be. Then comes the story everyone wants to hear. Richard walks AJ through the audition process for Band of Brothers, the moment he almost had a nervous breakdown in the waiting room when Tom Hanks walked by with a giant beard while losing weight for Castaway, the angry coach voice in his head that told him to shut the fuck up and go in there, and the callback at Lantana Center where Steven Spielberg unclipped the camera from the tripod and went handheld to shoot Richard's audition while Donnie Wahlberg chain smoked his face off. Richard shares the months of waiting, the assumption he didn't get the job, and the phone call that changed his life when his agent told him he was the first guy cast. Richard opens up about the nine months in England shooting Band of Brothers, the responsibility of playing Skip Muck, a real man who died in the Battle of the Bulge, and how he tracked down Skip's family through the Chamber of Commerce, opened up wounds that had been closed for 40 years, and received letters that he plastered all over his room. He talks about the monologue he delivered about swimming the Niagara River that wasn't in the script but came from a letter Skip's sister sent him, the moment he got into it with HBO because they weren't going to invite Skip's family to the premiere, and why he told them they could uninvite him but his people were coming. Richard also shares the story of going to Tom Hanks and telling him Skip Muck wasn't being established enough in the story, the fear that he might get fired, and the night Tom asked him to write a scene that would be shot in a deuce and a half with five characters. Richard wrote the scene, including the line feet hand neck balls extra socks warms them all, and Tom Hanks asked if it was a real World War II rhyme. Richard also talks about the disposable camera Neil McDonough used to take a photo of Tom Hanks peeing, the eight by ten he framed and titled Battle of Draining the Bulge, and why Band of Brothers affected everything in his life, how he views himself as an actor, as a man, as an American, and as a patriot. Follow Richard Speight Jr. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dicksp8jr/ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/p/Richard-Speight-Jr-100045112053422/) Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com

What happens when a father gets a phone call that changes everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Will Yun Lee, the actor who has fought James Bond, Wolverine, and some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but nothing prepared him for the fight of his life when his three year old son had a massive stroke thousands of miles away from home. Will opens up about being born in Virginia, his father being one of the first taekwondo masters to come to the United States, his parents getting divorced when he was five, and spending six years moving from family to family while his dad tried to figure out life. He shares the story of moving to Hawaii at 10 years old, living in a motel where the kitchen and bathroom were the same, his dad driving taxis, and getting beat up constantly until he finally asked his father to teach him martial arts. Will talks about putting on his first white belt at 13, training six hours a day, becoming obsessed with Bruce Lee, and setting his sights on the Olympics after Taekwondo was introduced in 1988. AJ and Will dive deep into what it was like moving 23 different schools growing up, always being the scared kid walking into a new place, and how college became his first real home because it was the first time he didn't move within 12 months. Will reflects on taking over his dad's martial arts schools, building them up to 1200 students, and the moment he realized if he was going to be broke, he might as well chase acting. He shares how Jason Scott Lee in the Bruce Lee story inspired him as the first Asian American he saw on screen who was cool, how he packed up a Jeep Wrangler with a thousand bucks and a boom box and moved to LA, and why he knew he had to become a white belt all over again. Will takes AJ through his journey of turning down every martial arts audition for three years because he needed to learn how to act, the moment he auditioned for Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan, and what it was like shooting the opening sequence of a James Bond movie at Pinewood Studios. He talks about working with David Leitch and the 8711 stunt team, learning choreography through repetition and forms, and why he loves the language of understanding camera and action at the same time. Will also opens up about working with Ben Stiller, watching masters like Chad Stahelski obsess over every frame of fighting, and why Bruce Lee will always be the GOAT for shooting fight strategy on film in the 1970s. Then comes the story that will break you. Will shares the phone call he got while shooting Falling Water in New York, his wife telling him their three year old son Cash was in the emergency room, his whole right side of his body not working, and the devastating diagnosis of Moya Moya, a rare brain disease that left Cash with only three pipes carrying blood to his brain instead of a thousand. Will walks AJ through the four year dark tunnel with no light, the misdiagnosis, the chemotherapy Cash didn't need, the 11 hour drips every other week, and the three massive strokes that should have ended his life. He talks about his wife wrapping 12 gifts on Sunday nights to get through 12 hour chemo days, the moment he asked why us, and how faith and thousands of prayers saved his son's life. Today, Cash is 13 years old, training at Nike camp, competing in tennis tournaments, and defying every piece of paper that says he shouldn't be able to walk or talk. Will also opens up about what that journey taught him about his wife, how marriages can go left or right during trauma, and why he picked the right one who became stronger because of the mission. He reflects on his father never giving speeches but teaching through how he greeted people, how his eyes sparkled around kids, and why his North Star is still the man who left an imprint on his soul. Will also shares what it was like shooting The Odyssey with Christopher Nolan for seven months, hiking 45 minutes up mountains in 40 pounds of gear, no trailers, no food, just pure filmmaking, and why Nolan is a master who somehow makes the weather bend to his will. Follow Will Yun Lee IG: https://www.instagram.com/willyunlee/ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WillYunLeeOfficial/) Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com