A Bit of Optimism
Simon Sinek
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
50 snips
May 12, 2026 • 1h 2min
Stop Telling Us Everything Happens for a Reason with Anti-Victim Tom Nash
Tom Nash, speaker and motivational storyteller who survived meningococcal disease and became an advocate for agency and anti-fragility. He challenges the idea that everything happens for a reason. He explains choosing amputation, the Artist/Author/Alchemist framework, how support can both help and hinder, and what a last meal reveals about longing and identity.
158 snips
May 5, 2026 • 53min
The Real Reason You Feel Empty (Even When Life Looks Good) with Musician Mike Posner
Mike Posner, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter behind Cooler Than Me and I Took a Pill in Ibiza, gets candid about feeling empty at the height of fame. He talks about success as a trap. Pain, art, and intention come up in a raw way. There’s also his walk across America, a rattlesnake bite, Everest, and the search for peace over comfort.
242 snips
Apr 28, 2026 • 1h 25min
The Real Reason Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work (And What Leaders Need to Hear) with Generations Expert Dr. Eliza Filby
Dr. Eliza Filby, contemporary historian and generations expert, digs into why younger workers are responding to a world of layoffs, expensive adulthood, and family dependence. She explores how 2008 rewrote the rules, why belonging is fading, how inheritocracy is reshaping ambition, and why AI makes human trust, care, and judgment even more valuable.
413 snips
Apr 21, 2026 • 55min
The Leadership Advice Nobody Follows (But Everyone Should) with Top Leadership Expert Don Yaeger
Don Yaeger, leadership speaker, bestselling author, and former Sports Illustrated editor, shares lessons from mentor John Wooden. They dig into why great leaders focus beyond winning. They explore nonnegotiable standards, what real mentorship looks like, and a weekly letter habit inspired by Wooden. They also touch on people-first leadership, family strain, and storytelling that starts with the audience.
83 snips
Apr 14, 2026 • 1h 6min
Why This Baseball Team Has a 4.2 Million Person Waitlist With Savannah Bananas Founder Jesse Cole
Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas and creator of Banana Ball, turned baseball into a fan-first live spectacle. He shares how decades of experiments, Disney-inspired guest design, and relentless nightly improvement built a 4.2M waitlist. The conversation covers making shows accessible, playful team identity, surprising promotional gambits, and a long-term vision for joyful, communal experiences.
216 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 54min
Ken Burns and the Art of Telling the Whole Story
Ken Burns, legendary documentary filmmaker behind The Civil War and Baseball, discusses why stories must hold contradictions. He talks about resisting binary thinking, choosing which stories to tell, and how complexity and empathy reshape our view of American history. Short takes on memory, national identity, and why long-form storytelling matters.
130 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 55min
What Happens When You’re Naive Enough to Try with KIND Founder Daniel Lubetzky
Daniel Lubetzky, entrepreneur who built KIND and founded PeaceWorks, blends business with social purpose. He discusses how naiveté fuels bold entrepreneurship. He explains building trust-based company culture, protecting brand integrity, and using commerce to bridge divides. He shares why small acts of kindness and long-term thinking matter for business and society.
375 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 1h 6min
AI Can Do Everything… Except This (Why Humans Still Win) With Restaurateur Will Guidara
Will Guidara, restaurateur, bestselling author, and former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, explores why human connection matters more as AI grows. He talks about unreasonable hospitality, tiny acts of care that build loyalty, and using automation to create better experiences. Plus, a memorable Basque cheesecake story and a funny look at the hidden cost of achievement.
97 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 45min
Revisited: What Dying Teaches Us About Living with Death Doula Alua Arthur
Alua Arthur, a death doula and end-of-life educator, talks about how a career shift led her to helping people and families face mortality. She explores why we avoid honest language around death. She shares how bedside support fills emotional and practical gaps. The conversation also touches on planning before crisis, lost rituals, grief, and how remembering life is finite can change how we move through it.
64 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 44min
Revisited: The Kennedy Family and the Search for Self with Journalist Maria Shriver
Maria Shriver, journalist, author, and member of the Kennedy and Shriver families, reflects on identity beyond legacy. She discusses reclaiming self after loss and divorce. They explore how friendship, curiosity, and vulnerability deepen connection. Maria reads from her new poetry and shares practices for finding voice and belonging.
