When we want wisdom, we turn to people older than us. But there is a lot to be learned from younger generations too. Elizabeth English knows this. She’s the head of one of the most innovative schools in the country, The Archer School for Girls and has spent her career working with -- and learning from -- younger generations. We sat down to talk about: the problems facing parents today, why kids need and thrive from rules, boundary setting, phone addictions, and how her students make her hopeful ...
Oct 24, 2023•46 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast We are told from a young age to pursue love—romantic love, self-love, divine love. But how do you actually define love? And once you do, how do you find it? Cleo Wade is the right person to ask. She's a poet whose latest book is called “Remember Love: Words for Tender Times.” Our conversation about love led down many paths: we talked about appreciating pain, staying present, and the resurgence of poetry. This is... A Bit of Optimism. For more on Cleo and her work check out: her new book: https:/...
Oct 17, 2023•30 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast How do you run a thriving company that cares more about impact than about profit and margins? Karissa Bodnar is a genius CEO who dedicated herself to building a cause-based company. Thrive Causemetics started out of her one-bedroom apartment and now it’s a massively successful brand that has donated over $139 million of value to those in need. We sat down to talk about finding your purpose, leading younger generations, and so much more. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Karissa and her wor...
Oct 10, 2023•32 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast How are you? It’s a question we get asked everyday, but we hardly ever answer it honestly. When Diego Perez — also known under his penname, Yung Pueblo — started asking himself that question and answering honestly, his entire life changed. In this conversation, Diego opens up about his own struggles with addiction and shares hard-earned wisdom about conflict, spirituality, and so much more. This is...A Bit of Optimism. For more of Yung Pueblo's work check out: his new book out today The Way Forw...
Oct 03, 2023•44 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast How do people become powerful? Can understanding power protect us from those who wield it too strongly? When Robert Greene first set out to write about power, he didn’t have much of it. He worked odd jobs and was largely at the mercy of other people’s power. Now, his book “The 48 Laws of Power” has given him the power he wrote about. He sat down with me to share what he’s learned on both sides of that spectrum. This… is a Bit of Optimism. For more on Robert and his work, check out: https://power...
Sep 26, 2023•38 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Failure is the secret to success. Our failures are agents of inspiration, iteration, and innovation. Dr. Amy Edmondson is the Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and her newest book "Right Kind of Wrong" is all about how we can change our relationship with failures and start “failing well.” This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Dr. Amy Edmondson and her work check out: https://www.amazon.com/Right-Kind-Wrong-Science-Failing/dp/1982195061 https://amycedmondson.com/ ...
Sep 19, 2023•32 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast You’ll never achieve perfect happiness. This might sound like bad news, but it’s actually a good thing. Because being happy is not a final destination, it’s an ongoing practice. In short, it’s happier-ness. That’s a term Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey coined in their new book “Build the Life You Want” where together they lay out a blueprint for a better life. And they would know: Arthur has studied the science of happiness for over 25 years, and I have never had a conversation with him that I h...
Sep 12, 2023•43 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast When should we trust our gut and when should we depend on logic? Liv Boeree can actually answer that question. She won the World Series of Poker before retiring from the game to explore big questions about game theory, competition, and how we can all find more win-wins. This is…a Bit of Optimism. For more on Liv and her work check out: https://livboeree.com/
Sep 05, 2023•50 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast When should you quit a project and when should you persevere? As one of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, Steven Bartlett has thought deeply about this problem. Steven is used to getting people to open up on his podcast, but it turns out he’s just as insightful when the focus is on him. This is…a Bit of Optimism. For more on Steven and his work check out: His new book: https://smarturl.it/DOACbook His website: https://stevenbartlett.com/...
Aug 29, 2023•34 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast How you do anything is how you do everything. Steven Bartlett embodies this old adage. His high standards and focus on the finest details launched him from a broke university dropout to one of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs. At 30-years-old he has already founded multiple companies, starred on Britain’s hit tv show Dragon’s Den, and he is now the host of one of the planet’s most popular podcasts, Diary of a CEO. He is a leader for the new era. It was a joy to turn the tables on him a...
Aug 22, 2023•46 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Great businesses often look a lot like social movements. Sharmadean Reid knows this from experience—she has combined technology and culture to create multiple businesses around strong communities. She started her first business at 24, creating a nail salon that changed the beauty industry. Now she runs a media network for the next generation of women in power. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Sharmadean and her work, check out: https://thestack.world https://sharmadeanreid.com...
Aug 15, 2023•35 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to live a long and happy life? David Von Drehle has spent 40 years covering big stories and important figures as an award-winning journalist. But the best lessons turned out to be right next door. David’s latest book, “The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109 Year-Old Man,” is a best-seller about resilience, American history, and what it means to live well. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on David and his work check out: https://www.simonandsc...
Aug 08, 2023•29 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast For this 4th of July, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the birth of our nation. So I invited Air Force Chief of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr. to join me on the podcast. General Brown is the head of the Air Force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is also the current nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he is confirmed as Chairman later this year, it would make him the most senior-ranked member of the United States military. General Brown is humble, approa...
Jul 04, 2023•43 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Change is inevitable. And yet fear, anger, and confusion are often our first reactions to changes. Cassandra Worthy experienced the negative emotions that stem from change so many times that she now sees them for what they really are: signals for opportunity. Now, she helps companies and individuals thrive during times of major change. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Cassandra and her work check out: Her book Change Enthusiasm https://a.co/d/jlB2Xnk https://cassandraworthy.com/...
Jun 27, 2023•31 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Information is power. But how do we adapt now that most of the information we consume comes with a heavy bias? In an ironic twist of fate, it’s Wikipedia — the encyclopedia that anyone can edit — that has done one of the best jobs maintaining public trust in our polarized era. I sat down with the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, in front of a live studio audience to explore how we got here and how Wikipedia’s transparency and vulnerability may be a model for a better future. This…is A Bit of O...
Jun 20, 2023•39 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean for a life to go well? What matters most in our time on Earth? These are the most important questions of our lives and yet most of us have no clue how to answer them. Miroslav Volf is a theologian and professor who has been grappling with these ideas for decades. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture where he teaches a class called “Life Worth Living,” and recently wrote a book by the same name. It turns out, life worth living is life helping othe...
Jun 13, 2023•31 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Creative success is notoriously elusive, but those who have made the journey insist it comes down to three factors: hard work, luck, and talent. Steven Pressfield wants to add one more thing to that list: a muse. And he should know. His muse guided him to incredible success as an author of fiction, nonfiction, and movies including hit books like: The Legend of Bagger Vance, The War of Art, and Gates of Fire. Steven’s story of the long and bumpy road he took to find his muse and his success can h...
Jun 06, 2023•32 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast On the path to fame, most rising stars abandon their morals. Not Jimmy Darts. He’s done just the opposite. Jimmy started his career as a YouTuber pulling ill-advised pranks. Two decades later, he and his 20 million fans now make the world a kinder place by donating life-changing money to unsuspecting strangers who are spontaneously kind, compassionate, or generous. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Jimmy and his work, check out: https://www.jimmydarts.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/U...
May 30, 2023•25 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Dating doesn’t have to be about finding “The One.” At its most rewarding, modern love can be about growth, curiosity, and authenticity. Ana Kirova is the CEO of the dating platform 'Feeld’, a revolutionary app that helps people break free from traditional norms, explore alternative relationships, and discover the boundless potential for love that comes with accepting yourself and others without judgment. This is… A Bit of Optimism. For more on Ana and her work check out: https://feeld.co/...
May 23, 2023•34 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast “Soul” is a word that I've never really used, but it perfectly encapsulates what has made David Copperfield the most successful magician of all time. He has filled global audiences with awe for over 40 years. He made the Statue of Liberty disappear, escaped from Alcatraz, and walked through the Great Wall of China. And it turns out, the key to great magic is also the key to any great work: a visceral, emotional connection between the act and the performer. You have to find and honor the soul of ...
May 16, 2023•30 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Molly Bloom’s life story is one-of-a-kind. Her Olympic dreams were dashed, so she planned on going to law school. Instead, she wound up running a high-stakes poker game where hundreds of millions of dollars would change hands in a night. Molly made a lot of money. Celebrities, mafias, and federal informants soon took an interest in her and her game. Eventually, she lost everything and had no one to blame but herself. Her story later became the Academy Award nominated movie, Molly’s Game, and the...
May 09, 2023•50 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 
