Good morning, friends!

Last week, I published an interview with Jonathan Bush, the former Athenahealth founder and CEO who got pushed out of his company by activist hedge fund Elliott Management.

In May 2017, Elliott acquired a 9% stake in Athenahealth, launched a campaign pushing the company to explore strategic alternatives, and made an unsolicited takeover offer, criticizing what it called operational “failures.” “It was a deeply personal program that ran very well for [Elliott], and that neither I nor my board were equipped to handle,” Bush said.

Bush stepped down as CEO in June 2018. I asked him, “After getting fired by your board and having to resign from the company you founded, how did that affect you personally?”

He said:

“Failure is good for you, but it’s not fun. I think whenever somebody gets ripped down, there’s whatever accumulated asshole-ification that has been going on needs to be scrubbed. We all need that. Some of us use marriage, some of us use God, and some of us use good friends and wine. But when you’re wiped out, you scrub some of your arrogant barnacles off your hull. I had hubris. I didn’t think anybody would attack. I thought my shareholders were completely aligned with my strategy. I checked with them all the time. So I just wasn’t ready for the idea that there would be a new shareholder who wasn’t one of our shareholders, who would become one in one night and then say, ‘Nope, that entire agenda is the reason we’re here, and it’s all exactly wrong, and you should be fired immediately, and your company should never be public again.'”

There’s something to be said about who you are “before the fall” and the person you become “after the fall.” Bush used to carry himself with a carefree, jovial energy — playing drinking games with employees and laughing through high-stakes meetings.

That changed when he was forced to confront issues he never saw coming. Like he told me, he didn’t think he needed humbling — but life thought otherwise.

Sometimes, rock bottom is where the reinvention begins.

Check out the full interview here:

Zus Health CEO Jonathan Bush on Getting Targeted by Wall Street’s Most Feared Activist Investor

Polina Pompliano · Apr 8

In 2017, Jonathan Bush was busy running his healthcare company Athenahealth when Wall Street’s most feared activist investor began circling.

Read full story

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PROFILES.

— The CEO who turned Delta into the most profitable airline [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The CEO fighting with her competitor (and her family)
— The people re-building the Pacific Palisades
— The comedian building a media empire
— America’s Second Lady

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The CEO who turned Delta into the most profitable airline: Delta CEO Ed Bastian was celebrating the airline’s 100th birthday when he got the call: a Delta jet had crash-landed and flipped upside down in Toronto. But in a stunning display of training and teamwork, all 76 passengers were safely evacuated — no fatalities. Bastian swiftly took charge of the narrative, compensating passengers generously and praising his crew’s heroics. It was a defining moment for a leader who’s steered Delta through 9/11, bankruptcy, and COVID, and who’s now doubling down on a bold bet: that travelers will keep paying for premium, even when times get turbulent. (FORTUNE; complimentary link provided)

“I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. You just feel helpless.”

The CEO fighting with her competitor (and her family): The publicly traded kefir company Lifeway is fighting a takeover by the French dairy giant Danone, its partner of more than 25 years. But for CEO Julie Smolyansky, the Ukraine-born daughter of Lifeway’s founder, it’s personal — and her mom and brother are not on her side. (Forbes; alternate link)

“I’m not going to be bullied. I’m not afraid.”

The people re-building the Pacific Palisades: After a wildfire tore through L.A.’s ultra-wealthy Pacific Palisades, real estate players, billionaires, and displaced residents all began plotting its future. Some saw devastation; others saw opportunity. Developer Rick Caruso, whose luxury mall was miraculously spared, is now shaping the recovery effort — and possibly laying the groundwork for a political comeback. The fire didn’t kill the Palisades dream … it may have supercharged it. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“If he were in power, this would not have happened. I’m sure of it.”

The comedian building a media empire: Comedian Andrew Schulz has become one of the most influential voices in media by turning podcast banter into cultural power. From roasting Kim Kardashian to interviewing Donald Trump, Schulz blends edgy humor with viral reach — making him a go-to for both laughs and political moments. He insists he’s not chasing influence, but his presence is shaping how millions consume news, comedy, and everything in between. Love him or hate him, Schulz is no longer just cracking jokes, he’s driving the conversation. (Vanity Fair; alternate link)

“I was basically speaking to what people were feeling, but wasn’t represented on the news because it was so polarized.”

America’s Second Lady: Who is Usha Vance? The media-shy Second Lady, a Yale Law valedictorian and former Supreme Court clerk, found herself booed at the Kennedy Center — and thrust into the spotlight. As J.D. Vance becomes a central figure in Trump’s second term, Usha has become a central figure with her intellect, poise, and an outsider’s perspective. In this rare interview, she opens up about marriage, ambition, racism, and raising kids inside the belly of the political beast. (The Free Press)

“Obviously, our lives are not normal, and it feels almost absurd to say that they are.”

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