Mentor Buffet

The Olympic 1500-meter champion Cole Hocker joins Alexi to recap his gold medal race in Paris. The two Oregon duck alums also discuss managing self-doubt, accessing your alter ego for peak athletic performance, and what makes a good coach. Cole also talks about his athletic style icons, Mike Tyson and former American Olympic 1500-meter champion Matthew Centrowitz.

The popstar and philanthropist Harry Hudson drops by Mentor Buffet to share his story and the lessons he’s learned from a handful of unexpected friends he’s made along the way—A Swedish music producer he met the day he dropped out of music school showed him what hard work really looks like, an elderly woman he met in chemotherapy guided him to find his purpose, and Jaden Smith helped him understand what real friendship is. There are so many lessons from Harry’s conversation with Alexi, but the main one is this: You’re always in the dream while you’re chasing it.

The chef Duff Goldman joins host Alexi Pappas on Mentor Buffet to discuss mentorship in the food world. Duff shares about how his stubbornness has made him resistant to accepting mentorship his whole life. Duff also shares his tips for how to trust yourself, how to harness the power of your subconscious mind, and how to cultivate a lasting state of optimism. Duff and Alexi also talk about Disneyland, “weirdo” status, and the secret to life.

The restauranteur and media icon David Chang joins host Alexi Pappas to talk about how to level yourself up by failing within boundaries. They talk about checking in with your actual priorities, the importance of being around people who are better than you, and what it really means to grow up. David also talks about the mentorship he received early in his career in the restaurant business and explains his worldview through the myth of Sisyphus.

Cat Cohen, the comedian, writer, and actress joins host Alexi Pappas to talk about her legendary age gap friendship with a woman named Marla who originally was her voiceover acting coach but then became a friend who taught her a bunch of life lessons she still cherishes today. Cat also shares about some of her peers in comedy who she’s learned from. The girls also discuss the movie they acted in together, the excruciating conditions that are sometimes necessary for creativity, and how to tell if your jokes are funny.

The chef and media extraordinaire Eddie Huang joins host Alexi Pappas to discuss how a handful of mentors have helped him stay in touch with himself and his values along his ever-evolving and sometimes turbulent business trajectory in the media world. Eddie shares what the editor of his book Fresh Off the Boat taught him about writing and how the lessons we learn making art always apply elsewhere in our lives too. Eddie recounts the day he met Anthony Bourdain and tells Alexi about how their friendship was predicated on a mutual commitment to always tell the truth. Eddie and Alexi also talk about the difference between judgment and understanding, the characteristics of a graceful mentor, and how to stay focused.

Grammy-winning artist Estelle tells host Alexi Pappas about how curiosity is her guiding light at this point in her music career. They discuss why Estelle’s famous for her collaborations, and she talks about making American Boy with Kanye West, Garden Shed with Tyler the Creator, and Oh No with Kaytranada. Estelle also shares her tips for staying present, talks about the importance of making honest art, and explains why everything is perfect.  Subscribe to Mentor Buffet for a new episode every Thursday.

Legendary Hollywood producer Debbie Liebling sits down with Alexi to talk about how she brought to life several shows and movies you love. South Park, Borat, PEN15, and more. The ladies talk about the start of Debbie's career at MTV in the 80s. They also talk about trusting your intuition, the importance of taking ownership over your desires, and how change is scary but sometimes you just have to embrace it.

GaTa is a true entertainer. He’s a rapper, an actor, a hype-man. In this episode of Mentor Buffet, GaTa sits down with Alexi to discuss how much he’s improved his acting, the importance of passion, and why he’s not ashamed to ask for help.  Subscribe to Mentor Buffet for a new episode every Thursday.

Joanne Molinaro, “the Korean Vegan," shares her journey from a 20-year legal career to becoming a food influencer and social media vegan extraordinaire. She discusses the discomfort of staying in an unfulfilling job and the pivotal role of two older women lawyers at her firm who mentored her into understanding her own self worth. Joanne also tells Alexi about the influence of the podcast host Rich Roll in her career transition. The ladies also talk about going to Disneyland as adults, the limits of perfectionism, and the importance of having a sense of humor.

Tommy Caldwell tells Alexi about his friendship with Alex Honnold. Tommy and Alexi talk about the transformative power of challenging situations. They reflect on spending time alone, the importance of trust and partnership in climbing, how we change before we realize it, and other things.

In Mentor Buffet’s fourth episode, Alexi and Melissa Villaseñor talk about what it’s like to achieve your biggest dream—and then what happens next. Melissa always wanted to be on SNL. And then she made it happen. And after six years as part of the cast she left the show. Melissa tells Alexi the advice she got from her mentors, the comics Whitney Cummings, Maria Bamford, and Bill Burr. The girls also talk about instant fame, making yourself laugh, and building confidence.  Subscribe to Mentor Buffet for a new episode every Thursday, anywhere you listen to podcasts.

In the third episode of Mentor Buffet, Diplo tells Alexi about a trip he took to India when he was 19 that changed his life forever. His friend Brent took him on an adventure all over the country, and Diplo learned how to be self-sufficient in the world, how to cultivate an independent spirit, and how to be disciplined—all foundational qualities to his successful music career. Diplo and Alexi also recount the time they ran the LA marathon together. They talk about why they love running. And Alexi tells Diplo a secret.  ButcherBox is giving us a special deal! Sign up today at butcherbox.com/mentorbuffetand use code mentorbuffet to get a special offer PLUS $20 off your first box! Subscribe to Mentor Buffet anywhere you listen to podcasts for a new episode every Thursday.

In the second episode of Mentor Buffet, Zach Braff shares with host Alexi Pappas about his relationship with his mentor Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs and Ted Lasso. Bill is the first person to give Zach a big Hollywood chance and he cast him as the lead of his show Scrubs as the iconic J.D. Dorian. They also discuss what it means to be yourself, what Zach learned making his debut feature film Garden State, the importance of gratitude, and how to avoid shin splints.  ButcherBox is giving us a special deal! Sign up today at butcherbox.com/mentorbuffetand use code mentorbuffet to get a special offer PLUS $20 off your first box! Subscribe to Mentor Buffet for a new episode every Thursday, everywhere you listen to podcasts.

In the premiere episode of Mentor Buffet, host Alexi Pappas talks to Rainn Wilson about his acting journey and how his mentors—three acting professors he met in school at NYU—taught him lessons that have stuck with him his entire career. Rainn shares about how Zelda Fichandler, the grande dame of American theater, shaped his definition of an actor, how Paul Walker taught him to assume he’s brilliant to build longstanding confidence, and how Ron Van Lieu helped him get out of his own way. Rainn and Alexi also discuss the importance of resilience, the value of being of service to others, and how to stay on your own team. Subscribe to Mentor Buffet anywhere you listen to podcasts for a new episode every Thursday.

Alexi Pappas's Mentor Buffet is a podcast about mentorship: Who influenced the people who influence us? Who helped them along their journey? Alexi is an Olympian, filmmaker, actress, and bestselling author, and she's leaned on mentors to help her level up faster than she could on her own. After losing her mom to suicide when she was four, she needed to find other people to lean on. Now, it's Alexi's turn to peel back the curtain on mentorship. In each episode of Mentor Buffet Alexi sits down with people who inspire her—athletes, entrepreneurs, creatives, and beyond—to have conversations about chasing dreams and befriending pain, through the lens of those who have shaped them into who they are today.