Madonna, Music Videos & a Life of Giving: Ed Steinberg on Money, Success & Happiness

What happens when you spend a lifetime giving without expecting anything in return? On this episode of Give & Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov sit down with music industry pioneer Ed Steinberg for a fascinating conversation about success, money, generosity, relationships and what it really means to live a happy life. Ed shares stories from an extraordinary career that helped shape the modern music video era, including directing Madonna’s early music video for “Everybody,” working with artists including Prince and Queen Latifah, and building Rock America into a groundbreaking music video distribution and promotion company. But some of Ed’s most powerful stories have nothing to do with celebrity or the music business. After spending decades helping friends, artists and people around him, Ed now finds himself on the receiving end of that generosity. He explains why friends have repeatedly opened their homes to him, how relationships built over a lifetime can become more valuable than money, and why learning to receive can sometimes be harder than learning to give. Brian, Elizabeth and Ed also explore the complicated relationship between money and happiness, why trust can be one of the most valuable assets in business, the danger of transactional relationships, and whether people actually become more successful when money isn’t their primary motivation. It’s a funny, candid and unexpectedly moving conversation about the music industry, friendship, generosity, success and building a life you actually like living. In this episode: • How Ed Steinberg helped pioneer the modern music video business • Directing Madonna’s early “Everybody” music video • Working with Prince, Queen Latifah and other major artists • Why Ed never made money his primary motivation • How decades of generosity came back around later in life • Why receiving is just as important as giving • The importance of trust and reputation in business • Why money alone rarely creates happiness or fulfillment • Brian Potts’ philosophy on money, security and defining “enough” • Elizabeth Pyjov on compassion, purpose and choosing fulfilling work Subscribe to Give & Receive for more conversations about success, happiness, compassion and creating a more meaningful life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices