Podcast · 163 episodes
A Bit of Optimism, page 2
by Simon Sinek · English
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 me, or simply help me see things in a different way. Some guests are household names, and others you may be meeting for the first time. But each one of them has something to share that can help all of us grow. So if you’re looking for a spark — some insight, inspiration, or just a reminder that good things are possible — join me on A Bit of Optimism! Let’s grow together.
All episodes, page 2
Why This Baseball Team Has a 4.2 Million Person Waitlist With Savannah Bananas Founder Jesse ColeJesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas, explains how the team turns baseball into nonstop live entertainment by “winning the upper deck,” prioritizing fans’ first-time experiences, and treating…14 Apr 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 29 chapters
Ken Burns and the Art of Telling the Whole StoryKen Burns discusses how documentary filmmakers “simplify” complex history without erasing contradictions, arguing that objectivity is impossible and that good storytelling holds multiple truths at…7 Apr 2026 · 54 min · 20 chapters
What Happens When You’re Naive Enough to Try with KIND Founder Daniel LubetzkyDaniel Lubetzky argues that “naivete” (believing change is possible) fuels entrepreneurship and peacebuilding.31 Mar 2026 · 55 min · 24 chapters
AI Can Do Everything… Except This (Why Humans Still Win) With Restaurateur Will GuidaraThe episode argues that as AI automates more tasks, human connection becomes the key differentiator—“kindness is pretty much AI proof.” Will Guidara (former co-owner of 11 Madison Park; executive…24 Mar 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 30 chapters
Revisited: What Dying Teaches Us About Living with Death Doula Alua ArthurDeath as a way to live more clearly; why “death” language and end-of-life planning should be direct; death doulas as emotional/community support beyond medical care.17 Mar 2026 · 45 min · 22 chapters
Revisited: The Kennedy Family and the Search for Self with Journalist Maria ShriverMaria Shriver’s book I Am Maria and how she reclaimed her identity amid the Kennedy legacy, heartbreak, and changing definitions of “home,” “I am,” and success.10 Mar 2026 · 44 min · 22 chapters
Revisited: How to Turn Stress Into Creativity With Grammy-Winner Jacob CollierJacob Collier revisits how to turn stress into creativity through music theory-as-emotion, “arrival/departure” in keys, and using audiences as instruments.3 Mar 2026 · 59 min · 28 chapters
The Confidence Conversation We Need to Have with Scott GallowayScott Galloway and the host debate “healthy masculinity” and argue that confidence is the core ingredient—showing up emotionally (e.g., laughing out loud), taking social risks, and building…24 Feb 2026 · 55 min · 18 chapters
28 Years on the Force: Chief Angela Averiett on What It Really Takes to Change Police CultureHow Chief Angela Averiett says police scandals and excessive force stem mainly from broken corporate culture and poor leadership, and how “policing from the inside out” requires psychological safety,…16 Feb 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 29 chapters
When Pop Fandom Becomes a Force for Good with AJR’s Adam MetHow AJR’s Adam Met uses pop-fandom engagement strategies (collaboration, “fan-first” design, and gamified participation) to drive climate and civic action, arguing for hyper-local, policy-focused…10 Feb 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 27 chapters
What Grit Really Teaches Us About Happiness with Professor Angela DuckworthWhat “grit” and achievement mean for happiness when society overemphasizes rugged individualism; the episode argues that belonging and deep friendships are core to well-being, and that workplaces…3 Feb 2026 · 56 min · 24 chapters
Matthew McConaughey on How to Fall Back in Love with Your LifeMatthew McConaughey discusses how to fall back in love with life by getting comfortable with discomfort, using journaling for self-clarity, and making career pivots when success turns into boredom.27 Jan 2026 · 59 min · 24 chapters
Revisited: Trevor Noah Makes My Brain HurtThe episode is a conversation about how people connect (and misconnect) through small talk vs “deep” talk, how public personas create wrong assumptions, and how communities form or break down under…20 Jan 2026 · 56 min · 22 chapters
Revisited: Kids (And Employees) Know More Than You Think with Dr. Becky KennedyHow to respond to kids (and employees) during fear, uncertainty, and misbehavior—using “information not fear,” validating noticing, skill-building over blame, and “sturdy leadership” with clear…13 Jan 2026 · 44 min · 20 chapters
Revisited: The First Steps To Reducing Your Anxiety with Author Mel RobbinsReducing anxiety by (1) acting immediately with the “five second rule” and (2) stopping control of other people via Mel Robbins’ “Let Them Theory” (focus on “let them” + “let me” within your control).6 Jan 2026 · 57 min · 19 chapters
Revisited: The Beautiful Brilliance of Boredom with Creative Polymath Elle CordovaElle Cordova argues that boredom (or “good nothing”) is a creative resource, especially when paired with curiosity, questions, and intentional gaps from distraction.30 Dec 2025 · 1 h 3 min · 31 chapters
A Bit of Optimism Will Return in the New YearA holiday thank-you episode from A Bit of Optimism, celebrating listeners’ support and announcing a break until the new year.23 Dec 2025 · 3 min · 2 chapters
Prepare for the Life You’re Meant to Live With Chaplain John FoxPreparing for life’s “pivot” by building habits and discernment before opportunities arrive; finding meaning beyond a high-finance identity; and what chaplaincy looks like in hospitals, hospice,…16 Dec 2025 · 1 h 8 min · 32 chapters
Revisited: Your Unhappy Brain Needs Some Assistance with Happiness Expert Mo GawdatMo Gawdat’s “happiness practice” revisited—happiness as a default state that’s restored by removing stressors (“negation strategy”), plus reflections on holding opposing emotions and using loss as a…16 Dec 2025 · 1 h 8 min · 39 chapters
How Losing Everything Taught Her to Help Everyone: Joan Howard’s StoryJoan Howard’s life story of going from wealthy trust-fund life to homelessness, and how that experience led her to volunteer and work for Food on Foot, an LA organization that serves unhoused people…9 Dec 2025 · 51 min · 21 chapters
A Rebel With a Cause (and a Cone) with Jeni’s Ice Cream Founder Jeni BrittonEntrepreneurship as rebellion and an “act of love,” using mixtapes as the metaphor; plus how Jeni Britton’s ice cream philosophy (creative flavors, service, togetherness) connects to health and later…2 Dec 2025 · 53 min · 19 chapters
The Culture That Converts Even the Biggest Cynics with former WD-40 CEO Garry RidgeHow WD-40’s culture (values + behavior + consistency) drives engagement, reduces fear, and still delivers strong financial performance—using “tribe” and “coach” language, servant leadership, and…25 Nov 2025 · 57 min · 19 chapters
Choose Your Seven Humans Wisely with author Fredrik BackmanFredrik Backman and host discuss choosing “seven humans” (a small circle of close people), loneliness, and how meaningful relationships are built through intention, repeated showing up, and “time”…18 Nov 2025 · 58 min · 21 chapters
The Smartest Way To Be Stupid with comedian Matthew BroussardHow comedy and math overlap as empirical, instant-feedback “feedback loops,” and why people feel stupid when they’re actually being taught badly; includes advice on learning, validation, and career…11 Nov 2025 · 1 h 5 min · 26 chapters