A Bit of Optimism
My career is an accident. It started when I set out to rediscover my passion and reignite a spark I’d lost — and that journey led me to the work I do now. If you know me from my books or my speaking, you know I’m fascinated by why people do what they do. What makes someone find joy and meaning in their life, or pursue something far greater than themselves? I started A Bit of Optimism to explore those ideas and expand my own perspective. This podcast is a trove of honest conversations, with people who challenge me, teach...
18 episodes summarized
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Episodes (227)
What Happens When You Stop Optimizing and Start Committing with Former LA Lakers President Tim Harris
Jun 2, 2026
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Revisited: Choose Your Seven Humans Wisely with Author Fredrik Backman
May 26, 2026
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How to Stop Being Socially Awkward (According to Science) with Behavioral Scientist Vanessa Van Edwards
May 19, 2026
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Stop Telling Us Everything Happens for a Reason with Anti-Victim Tom Nash
May 12, 2026
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The Real Reason You Feel Empty (Even When Life Looks Good) with Musician Mike Posner
May 5, 2026
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The Real Reason Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work (And What Leaders Need to Hear) with Generations Expert Dr. Eliza Filby
Apr 28, 2026
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The Leadership Advice Nobody Follows (But Everyone Should) with Top Leadership Expert Don Yaeger
Apr 21, 2026
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Why This Baseball Team Has a 4.2 Million Person Waitlist With Savannah Bananas Founder Jesse Cole
Apr 14, 2026
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Ken Burns and the Art of Telling the Whole Story
Apr 7, 2026
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What Happens When You’re Naive Enough to Try with KIND Founder Daniel Lubetzky
Mar 31, 2026
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AI Can Do Everything… Except This (Why Humans Still Win) With Restaurateur Will Guidara
Mar 24, 2026
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Revisited: What Dying Teaches Us About Living with Death Doula Alua Arthur
Mar 17, 2026
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Revisited: The Kennedy Family and the Search for Self with Journalist Maria Shriver
Mar 10, 2026
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Revisited: How to Turn Stress Into Creativity With Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier
Mar 3, 2026
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The Confidence Conversation We Need to Have with Scott Galloway
Feb 24, 2026
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28 Years on the Force: Chief Angela Averiett on What It Really Takes to Change Police Culture
Feb 16, 2026
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When Pop Fandom Becomes a Force for Good with AJR’s Adam Met
Feb 10, 2026
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What Grit Really Teaches Us About Happiness with Professor Angela Duckworth
Feb 3, 2026
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Matthew McConaughey on How to Fall Back in Love with Your Life
Jan 27, 2026
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Revisited: Trevor Noah Makes My Brain Hurt
Jan 20, 2026
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Revisited: Kids (And Employees) Know More Than You Think with Dr. Becky Kennedy
Jan 13, 2026
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Revisited: The First Steps To Reducing Your Anxiety with Author Mel Robbins
Jan 6, 2026
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Revisited: The Beautiful Brilliance of Boredom with Creative Polymath Elle Cordova
Dec 30, 2025
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Revisited: Your Unhappy Brain Needs Some Assistance with Happiness Expert Mo Gawdat
Dec 23, 2025
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A Bit of Optimism Will Return in the New Year
Dec 23, 2025
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Prepare for the Life You’re Meant to Live With Chaplain John Fox
Dec 16, 2025
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How Losing Everything Taught Her to Help Everyone: Joan Howard’s Story
Dec 9, 2025
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A Rebel With a Cause (and a Cone) with Jeni’s Ice Cream Founder Jeni Britton
Dec 2, 2025
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The Culture That Converts Even the Biggest Cynics with former WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge
Nov 25, 2025
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Choose Your Seven Humans Wisely with author Fredrik Backman
Nov 18, 2025
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The Smartest Way To Be Stupid with comedian Matthew Broussard
Nov 11, 2025
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The Man Who Proved Me Right with CEO Bob Chapman and the Barry-Wehmiller Team
Nov 4, 2025
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Rob Lowe Names Names: The Power of ‘Screw It’
Sep 23, 2025
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The Future You Avoid Is Riskier Than the One You Face with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman
Sep 16, 2025
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What Your Love Life Can Teach You About Work Relationships with psychotherapist Esther Perel
Sep 9, 2025
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Your Instincts Know What You Want with Author Arthur Brooks
Sep 2, 2025
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The Power of Doing One Thing Exceptionally Well with Gymshark Founder and CEO Ben Francis
Aug 26, 2025
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Simon Goes Nuclear with nuclear energy influencer Isabelle Boemeke
Aug 19, 2025
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The Brilliance of Boredom with creative polymath Elle Cordova
Aug 12, 2025
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The Privilege of Bad Experiences with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim
Aug 5, 2025
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The Business Case for Good Manners with etiquette coach William Hanson
Jul 15, 2025
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Live Like You Have 2 Years Left with dancer and cancer survivor Angela Trimbur
Jul 8, 2025
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The Quiet Power of the Empathetic Leader with Navy SEAL turned rowing coach Gordon Schmidt
Jul 1, 2025
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Your Unhappy Brain Needs Some Assistance with happiness expert Mo Gawdat
Jun 24, 2025
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We All Get Cancelled One Day with Somebody Feed Phil’s Phil Rosenthal
Jun 17, 2025
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The Extraordinary Magic of Ordinary People with author Brad Meltzer
Jun 10, 2025
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This Is... A Bit of Optimism
Jun 3, 2025
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Ask Yourself "What If?" with Milk Bar Founder Christina Tosi
Jun 3, 2025
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Revisited: Love Is Not Enough with couples therapist Shawn McBride
May 27, 2025
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Revisited: The Secret to Happiness with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger
May 20, 2025
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