139 episodes

The future is always bright…if you know where to look. Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism - I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

A Bit of Optimism iHeartPodcasts

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

The future is always bright…if you know where to look. Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism - I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

    Mastery is an Infinite Game with performance psychologist Mike Gervais

    Mastery is an Infinite Game with performance psychologist Mike Gervais

    Fierce competition can lead to burnout. How do we train ourselves to maintain excellence without giving in to the pressure to perform?
    High-performance psychologist Mike Gervais has a solution. He calls it mastery. Mike's approach to mastering our thoughts and emotions has helped Olympians win gold medals, the Seattle Seahawks win the Superbowl, and CEOs take their companies to the next level.
    Mike and I sat down to discuss the psychological tools to fine-tune our inner voices and why focusing on purpose instead of outcome empowers us to accomplish difficult things.This...is A Bit of Optimism.
    To learn more about Mike's work, check out his podcast:Finding Mastery
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 42 min
    Breaking Tradition with cellist Anastasia Kobekina

    Breaking Tradition with cellist Anastasia Kobekina

    Classical music could use a little disruption. For Anastasia Kobekina, that means playing outside of its rigid forms.
    An accomplished soloist, Anastasia has played with prestigious orchestras all over the world. She also bangs on her cello, improvises with Vivaldi, and sings.
    I was thrilled to sit down with Anastasia to discuss her musical experimentations and to hear her play some pieces from her remarkable new album Venice.
    This...is A Bit of Optimism.
    To learn more about Anastasia and her music, check out:
    kobekina.info
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    How to Breathe Out Fear with freediver Li Karlsen

    How to Breathe Out Fear with freediver Li Karlsen

    Courage isn't about bravado. It's about staying calm. Li Karlsen knows a lot about staying calm under the most inhospitable conditions. One of the most accomplished freedivers in the world, Li is a record-holding champion at holding her breath and diving hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface.
    I wanted to ask Li what freediving has taught her about managing stress and fear. It turns out the lessons she's learned in the ocean work just as well above the water. Something as simple as changing the way we breathe can have a huge impact on our own fear and stress.
    This...is A Bit of Optimism.
    To learn more about Li, check out:
    her AIDA stats
    @li_karlsen
    and her latest venture bkm.health
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 47 min
    More Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part Two

    More Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part Two

    In Part 2 of our conversation, Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and I continue our journey of out loud self-reflection.
    We discuss identifying our values, the two types of narcissists, explanation-based parenting, and exercising judgment over our own judgment. Listen to Part 1 here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
    This...is A Bit of Optimism.
    For more on Brené and Adam's work, check out:
    brenebrown.com
    adamgrant.net
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part One

    Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part One

    To become more self-aware, sometimes you need a friend. Two friends is even better.Brené Brown and Adam Grant swing by the podcast for one of our trademark conversations with no plan. It turns into a deep dive about knowing our selves and how self-reflection is sometimes best done with others. What's a little metacognition between friends?This...is A Bit of Optimism.
    For more from Brené and Adam, check out:
    brenebrown.com
    adamgrant.net
     
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 43 min
    The War On The Young with Professor Scott Galloway

    The War On The Young with Professor Scott Galloway

    Building wealth is an unequal pursuit. Scott Galloway believes no one is getting more screwed financially than young people.
    Scott argues what the U.S. is doing to the economic future of its youth is nothing less than a war on the young. The massive transfer of wealth from young to old is a topic he explores in his new book The Algebra of Wealth. I was delighted to have Prof G back on the show to share what's been on his mind lately, and enjoyed veering far off topic to discuss love, money, and the nature of true friendship.This...is A Bit of Optimism.To learn more about Scott and his work, check out:
    his book The Algebra of Wealth
    his podcasts at Prof G Media
    his TED Talk
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 2 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
1.6K Ratings

1.6K Ratings

bcramer292 ,

Always a joy and constantly intrigued

Love tuning into this podcast. I’m a newcomer to Simon and his work, but already a huge fan!

bchavard ,

A recipe for human kind

I came across this particular podcast, A bit of Optimism, in my early stages of “kicking the tires” on the whole podcast thing. What I instantly took away was a bit of optimism wasn’t all sunshines and rainbows, but the process, the recipe for finding the light in a dim, dismal, complex scenario. When life is lifing this podcast helped me have handlebars for how to approach those experiences. Through seeing the journey others went through it gave me perspective on how and why things might pivot and cause me to do so. When you gain perspective you gain a way to see why more grace, patience, listening, stepping back and leaning in are all part of the flow of understanding others, therefor understanding yourself more. I highly recommend this podcast in a world that can be so focused on just the muck and mud and not the strengths that come from that.

Docmyron ,

Challenging thinking

Each guest challenges my thinking in so many ways. I recommend this podcast often to fellow workers, and many of our graduate students.

Thanks for choosing these wonderful guests.

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