How would you like to be judged for the rest of your life by the worst thing you’ve ever done? Robin Steinberg was a public defender, where she had to learn to see her clients – who were often accused of heinous crimes – as human. The lessons she has learned about how to find compassion for people with whom we vehemently disagree are absolutely essential for this divided world. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Robin and her work check out: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610838/t...
Apr 04, 2023•44 min•Ep. 79
There is a very good chance that Bill Farmer has already made your life brighter and you had no idea. That's because Bill is a Disney Legend. He has been the voice of Goofy since 1987, among countless other Disney and Looney Tunes characters. What started as a simple impression sparked an amazing career that has influenced millions with a message of optimism. He views his work as an act of service. As a result, he brings his audience joy that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Thi...
Mar 28, 2023•26 min•Ep. 78
When you get one of the most successful comedy writers in television history to come on your podcast, naturally the first thing to talk about is...his trip in a homemade submarine to visit the ruins of the Titanic. You see, Mike Reiss isn't just the funniest guy in the room — he's also the most well-traveled. He's been to Iran, the North Pole, North Korea, and everywhere in between. Whether he's sharing travel anecdotes or writer's room memories from his 600+ episodes of The Simpsons, one thing ...
Mar 21, 2023•36 min•Ep. 77
Our time, energy, and emotions are valuable because they are finite. And yet conversations with Seth Godin always leave me feeling more patient, energized, and full of love. Seth is a prolific author and a marketing genius who knows first-hand how love can take an interaction from transactional to transformational. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Seth and his work check out: https://www.sethgodin.com/ A Song of Significance, out May 2023: https://geni.us/pdnqnz...
Mar 14, 2023•35 min•Ep. 76
Want to go fast? Go alone. Want to go far? Go together. Most entrepreneurs aren’t lone wolves. Founders like Jeff Rosenthal know that the greatest ventures come with partners, mentors, and communities. Being enthusiastic, generous, and kind attracts people who want to help—and together you can accomplish the unreasonable. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jeff and his work check out: https://summit.co/ https://summitimpact.org/...
Mar 07, 2023•34 min•Ep. 75
Anxiety is the crown jewel of human evolution. That’s the professional opinion of neuroscience professor and clinical psychologist Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, who is driving a paradigm shift in how we understand anxiety. The emotion isn’t a sickness or a flaw in human design – it’s an evolved advantage that protects us and strengthens our creative and productive powers. So even though anxiety doesn’t feel good…it can be good to feel anxious. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Dr. Dennis-Tiwary...
Feb 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 74
There are precious few moments in life that guarantee joy. That’s what makes time spent with Richard Curtis or watching his films so special – you just know you’re in for a great time. Richard is the patron saint of love in the movies. He’s a writer and sometimes director known for optimistic, funny, and uplifting films like: Love Actually, About Time, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mr. Bean, and many more. I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Richard on Valentine’s Day of all ...
Feb 21, 2023•33 min•Ep. 73
Explorers discover new worlds and perspectives that change humanity forever. Leland Melvin has spent his life exploring. He’s been a rocket scientist, an astronaut, and an NFL player. Now, he’s an educator who uses the dramatic ups-and-downs of his own life to inspire the next generation of explorers. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Leland and his work, check out: lelandmelvin.com
Feb 14, 2023•33 min•Ep. 72
When is a risk worth taking? We have to learn to embrace the comfortable risks - the ones where the pain of failure is worthwhile or even valuable. Podcaster, author and NYU professor, Scott Galloway and I talk about a lot of things, including our concern that the youngest generation is too afraid of the risks worth taking and how that may be adversely affecting them. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Scott and his work check out: https://www.profgalloway.com/ https://profgmedia.com/the-po...
Feb 07, 2023•39 min•Ep. 71
Sarah has the coolest job: Space Archaeologist. She uses satellites to find undiscovered sites buried deep beneath the ground. But the real interesting stuff is what we can learn about ourselves from studying our past. This is… A Bit of Optimism. Watch Sarah's first TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFC5CwZVCEw&themeRefresh=1 Watch Egypt's Lost Cities on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pwms...
Jan 31, 2023•39 min•Ep. 70
Divesh is one of the most connected people I know. Charming and opinionated, he advises and invests the fortunes of the most successful and wealthiest people on the planet. So I wanted to ask him what he's learned along the way and what we can learn from him. This is... A Bit of Optimism. For more on Divesh and his work check out: https://www.iconiqcapital.com/
Jan 24, 2023•46 min•Ep. 69
When you show up with love and aim only to give of yourself, everyone you interact with can feel it. Carla Hall has led a life and a career filled with zigs and zags. The two-time Top Chef contestant and current cooking contributor for Good Morning America went from accountant, to model, to author, to chef. She has done it all and shown up with love at every opportunity. She’s living proof that when you make decisions out of love—both for yourself and others—even your falls can be beautiful. Thi...
Jan 17, 2023•38 min•Ep. 68
Every generation is different, but one thing currently unites Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millennials: they are all struggling to understand Gen Z. David and Jonah Stillman are a father-and-son research team who specialize in generational differences and their impact on the workplace. David is Gen X, Jonah is Gen Z, and together they are helping today’s leaders understand the new generation. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jonah and David's work, check out: genguru.com https://www.amazon.com...
Jan 10, 2023•27 min•Ep. 67
New year, new opportunities, new questions! We’re ringing in 2023 with more answers to the hundreds of questions our listeners sent in from all over the world. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on my work, check out: simonsinek.com
Jan 03, 2023•21 min•Ep. 66
A few weeks ago, I put out an open call on social media to see what questions my listeners have for me. And there were a LOT of responses. So, as an end-of-the-year special, our next two episodes will be dedicated to answering your burning questions. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on my work, check out: simonsinek.com
Dec 27, 2022•23 min•Ep. 65
Remember how it was an incredible idea to get Brené Brown and Adam Grant on a call, have absolutely NO plan, and hit record? Well, this is the second part of that lovely, free-flowing conversation where we talk about creativity, leadership, and if the three of us love each other. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Brené and Adam's work, check out: https://brenebrown.com/ https://adamgrant.net/...
Dec 20, 2022•27 min•Ep. 64
What separates exceptional ideas from good ideas? Here’s an example of a good idea: Book two podcast guests and meticulously plan a conversation about creativity. Now, here’s an exceptional idea: Get Brené Brown and Adam Grant to join you on a call, have absolutely NO plan, and hit record. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Brené and Adam's work check out: https://brenebrown.com/ https://adamgrant.net/...
Dec 13, 2022•38 min•Ep. 63
Daring to be different feels risky. There’s constant pressure to “read the room” or “tone it down.” Kathryn Finney discovered at a young age that – when it comes to being authentic – the rewards are actually far greater than the risks. Kathryn is a model for how being yourself can get you ahead in both business and relationships. She is: an author, an entrepreneur, a fund manager, and a celebrated non-conformist. And she does it all in incredible style. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Ka...
Dec 06, 2022•23 min•Ep. 62
Turns out laughter isn't the best medicine. Medicine might not even be the best medicine. If you were to ask Dr Mark Hyman, he would tell you that food is the best medicine. Some would say Mark is a modern age miracle worker. In reality, he has figured out ways to help the body perform its own miracles. From curing diseases to extending our lifespans, his approach to wellness is unlike what most of us are used to. His work is inspirational, anthropological and downright fascinating. This is… A B...
Nov 29, 2022•42 min•Ep. 61
Most of us think that social media is the bastion of our younger generations. Until a middle-aged woman named Janis Burl proved that assumption completely wrong. She oversaw the team that built the TSA’s Instagram account (yes, the TSA has an Instagram account and it’s brilliant) into one of the most popular accounts on Instagram. And the best part of her story is how she got the job. The non-linear career path she followed may be a better way for us to find joy in our careers. So if you would k...
Nov 22, 2022•23 min•Ep. 60
There’s something profound in life’s bitter moments. The transformative beauty of a sad song, the anguished past of a story’s hero, the unexpected turnout of a crowded funeral. Turns out we often need darkness in order to appreciate the light. In our modern world, we focus so much on the pursuit of happiness that we often forego an appreciation of bitterness. Susan Cain has found a way to celebrate both the sweet and the bitter… in fact she’s written a bestselling book about it. This is… A Bit o...
Nov 15, 2022•25 min•Ep. 59
You went to Harvard undergrad, you went to Harvard Law, you became a hot-shot Private Equity guy. So your next move is obviously…? If you’re James Rhee, you walk away from all of it and discover what really makes a business grow: the intangibles. What started out as a six month project to help a company avoid liquidation turned into a seven year passion filled with new friends, compassion, and lots of goodwill. And the results were profound. It turns out intangibles can be measured and kindness ...
Nov 08, 2022•19 min•Ep. 58
Don’t you hate it when you’re coasting along -- not a care in the world -- and then it feels like life comes out of nowhere and hits you like a car, almost paralyzing you? Well, for Pat Berges, that wasn’t just a feeling…that actually happened. Like many of us, Pat is not a natural optimist. He had to learn how to find optimism during this dark period. Not only did it help him recover, but what he learned continues to help him be, well, optimistic. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Pat and...
Nov 01, 2022•27 min•Ep. 57
It’s what all the poets write about, all the musicians sing about, and all the brokenhearted cry about. That’s right… It's time to talk about love. I was lucky enough to talk to Francesca Hogi, a love coach and all around incredible person, about how we can traverse through the world of digital dating, rejection, and modern day love. So… care to join us? Great. It’s a date. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Francesca and her work check out: https://francescahogi.com/ https://www.instagram....
Oct 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 56
If you walk up to someone and say “you’re being unreasonable!” most people would be offended. Will Guidara, however, would take it as a compliment. A renowned New York restaurateur, Will transformed Eleven Madison Park into the best restaurant in the world by reinventing how they offered hospitality....they made it unreasonable. I had a chance to sit down and talk to him about how he learned the power of being unreasonable. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Will and his work, check out his...
Oct 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 55
Some of the most successful people in the world all have a secret power. It’s not their experience or technical expertise that matter most – it’s their partnerships. As the President and founding CEO of Virgin Unite, Jean Oelwang has had a ringside seat to remarkable people and how they build deep business and personal relationships. She has spent over 15 years working with some of the world's greatest partnerships as they learned to become better versions of themselves, and in doing so, multipl...
Mar 08, 2022•22 min•Ep. 54
We've all been told in our darkest times: "Don't worry this will get better"...but what happens if everything's going right? Should we be afraid that the other shoe will drop? Well, for Adrian Grenier, the other shoe dropped. He was the star of Entourage, the biggest show on television for a decade. He had fame, money, and everything else. Until one day when his girlfriend abruptly dumped him. At that moment, he was forced to see himself in a new light -- which inspired him to follow an entirely...
Mar 01, 2022•24 min•Ep. 53
We all know a bit about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, but which President was drunk at his inauguration? Who was the first gay president? And what kind of parent would name their kid “Millard Fillmore”? For this Presidents' Day, I called the brilliant Jeremy Deutsch, the king of presidential history, to drop some obscure presidential knowledge and give a couple hints about our presidential future as well. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jeremy and his work check out: https://www....
Feb 22, 2022•25 min•Ep. 52
Can we ensure that we will stay happy through every phase of our lives? Arthur Brooks discovered that there is a clear fork in the road that we will all face at some point. Some of us will struggle to find lasting happiness and the other will only get happier as time passes. The trick is knowing what to do to get on the happy path. The best part - Arthur tested his theory on himself…and it worked! He offers lots of words of wisdom -- and lots words I had to look up -- to help guide the rest of u...
Feb 15, 2022•30 min•Ep. 51
When people want to do good they often get stuck because they don’t know what they can do. Mark Bustos figured out that to do good, all we need to do is what we are already good at, but to do it for someone else. Mark is a hairstylist turned humanitarian who will inspire anyone who hears his story to give more. This is…A Bit Of Optimism. For more information on Mark and his work check out: https://www.instagram.com/markbustos/ https://www.mydarlingivy.com/ https://www.silvervineroom.com/...
Feb 08, 2022•19 min•Ep. 50
