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A Bit of Optimism

A Bit of Optimism

By: Simon Sinek
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Summary

 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. Career Success Economics Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Real Reason You Feel Empty (Even When Life Looks Good) with Musician Mike Posner

    The Real Reason You Feel Empty (Even When Life Looks Good) with Musician Mike Posner
    May 5 2026
    If at some point, you've looked at your life—your job, your relationships, your achievements—and thought: “is this it?” This episode is for you. Mike Posner had that moment at 30. His life, by every external measure, was extraordinary: he had hit songs, Grammy nominations, millions in the bank. He was a pop star… And he was miserable. What followed was one of the most honest reckonings we've ever heard on this show. Mike walked across America, survived a rattlesnake bite, climbed Everest, and came out the other side with something no amount of success had ever given him: peace. Mike Posner is a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated recording artist, songwriter, and producer. But the reason you should listen to this conversation has nothing to do with any of that. It has everything to do with where he was and his incredibly human journey getting to somewhere better, more peaceful, and more meaningful. He even wrote a song about it—a follow up to his hit song “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” called “I Went Back To Ibiza.” In this episode you'll learn: ➡️ Why achieving your biggest goals can leave you feeling emptier than before you started ➡️ The difference between real vulnerability and broadcasting your pain online (and why intention changes everything) ➡️ Why comfort (not failure) might be the thing quietly hollowing out your life ➡️ What walking across America actually taught Mike about who he was and who he wasn't ➡️ Why self-improvement taken too far becomes selfishness ➡️ The one pursuit more valuable than success, grit, or getting to the top You don't need a Grammy nomination to relate to this conversation, you just need to have ever wondered if the life you're building is actually the life you want. This… is A Bit of Optimism. + + + Watch A Bit of Optimism on Spotify! If you’re subscribed to Spotify Premium, you don’t get any Spotify ads on my video. If you want to watch Mike’s new music video for “I Went Back To Ibiza,” check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDL6SEW4xKU You can find “I Went Back To Ibiza” wherever you stream music. + + + Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 The Real Reason You Feel Empty 00:06:51 Art as Alchemy: Turning Pain into Beauty 00:18:12 The Asymmetry Between What We Have and What We Give 00:20:32 Walking Across America: Getting Out of His Comfort Zone 00:24:54 The Snake Bite: When Attention Came From Pain 00:30:13 The Problem With Avoiding Discomfort 00:33:47 From Fraud to Peace: Mike's Transformation 00:36:31 Walking Each Other Home: The Purpose of Art and Life 00:38:56 The Pursuit of Peace, Not Just Hardship 00:48:48 Getting to the Top of Everest: Only Half of the Journey + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek
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    53 mins
  • The Real Reason Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work (And What Leaders Need to Hear) with Generations Expert Dr. Eliza Filby

    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
    Admit it, you've complained about at least one other generation. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z—somehow, they all end up with reputations built around what's wrong with them. Dr. Eliza Filby has a different suggestion: stop asking what's wrong with them. And start questioning what world they were handed. Eliza is a contemporary historian, generations expert, and the author of Sunday Times bestseller: Inheritocracy. And with more generations in the workplace than at any point in history, she is precisely the person we need to show us a new way to win… together. In this conversation, Eliza makes connections about how generational change is reshaping work, wealth, and modern life that I’d never thought to connect. She might just change how you see the world (and people) around you. In this episode you'll learn: ➡️ Why calling Gen Z "entitled" is the wrong diagnosis (and what's really driving the behavior leaders complain about most) ➡️ How retirement planning and eldercare became the new midlife crisis ➡️ How the economy changed after 2008 + quietly rewrote the rulebook for every generation that followed ➡️ Why belonging is becoming increasingly rare (even though we need it) ➡️ Why Millennials + Gen Z are more likely become homeowners by being loyal to their parents than by being loyal to their jobs ➡️ 3 things no AI will replace in the workplace… ➡️ What’s driving hyper-individualism + how do we fix it We all may have strong opinions about one another, but it’s time to focus on building greater understanding. This conversation is a good place to start. This… is A Bit of Optimism. + + + To buy a copy of Dr. Eliza Filby’s bestselling book Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad, head to: https://www.elizafilby.com/books Want to hear more from Eliza? Check out her It’s All Relative Newsletter: https://www.elizafilby.com/newsletter + + + Chapters 00:00:00 Rethinking the Generational Divide at Work 00:01:35 How Dr. Filby Became a Generations Expert 00:04:33 Defining Generations: Why They're Getting Shorter 00:08:42 The Fragmentation of Shared Experience 00:14:29 Conspiracy Culture Infiltrates the Workplace 00:16:16 The End of Job Security and the Rise of the Solopreneur 00:18:02 What Leaders Must Offer in the Age of Uncertainty 00:20:31 The Bank of Mom and Dad: Living in an Inheritocracy 00:28:23 Why Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work 00:31:35 The Changing Life Cycle: Delayed Adulthood and Pressured Midlife 00:41:45 Rising Individualism and the Loss of 'We' at Work 00:47:02 Gen AI: The Next Generation in the Workplace 00:50:44 The Solution: Let Humans Do What Can't Be Counted 01:00:42 Disrupting the Path to Mastery and Nurturing Human Skills 01:03:02 How the Generations Can Come Together + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • The Leadership Advice Nobody Follows (But Everyone Should) with Top Leadership Expert Don Yaeger

    The Leadership Advice Nobody Follows (But Everyone Should) with Top Leadership Expert Don Yaeger
    Apr 21 2026
    The most successful leaders, coaches, and teams in history share one counterintuitive secret: their main focus wasn’t winning. And yet… they won more than everyone else. My guest, Don Yaeger, learned this lesson from his mentor: legendary college basketball coach John Wooden. Don is one of my favorite master storytellers, a top business leadership coach, author of 44 books, 13 of them New York Times bestsellers, and a former Associate Editor at Sports Illustrated. Don has worked alongside the greatest athletes of our generation: Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps. But no relationship shaped him more than the 12 years he spent as Coach Wooden's mentee. Whether or not you're a sports fan, I promise you: the lessons Don shares are as universal as it gets. We explore what it really means to win in business and in life. The greatest leaders in history already figured this out. The question is why the rest of us aren't following their lead. In this episode you'll learn: ➡️ Why the winningest coach in college basketball history never talked about winning (and what he focused on instead) ➡️ The Bill Walton story that reveals how great leaders hold standards without exceptions (even for their best people) ➡️ How one conversation with John Wooden transformed Don's marriage & the weekly habit he's kept for 16+ years ➡️ What Delta CEO Ed Bastian's "virtuous cycle" can teach any leader about putting people before results ➡️ What a great mentor actually look like and how to know when you’ve found one If you've ever chased the short-term win at the cost of the long game… this episode is the reset you didn't know you needed. This… is A Bit of Optimism. + + + If you want to read a free chapter from Don's upcoming book The Business of Storytelling, head to: https://www.donyaeger.com/chapter/ Join the Leaderful app! Listeners can use promo code: STORY30 when you download the app or sign up at simonsinek.com. + + + Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 The Power of Appreciation: What You Look For, You Find 00:02:02 From Delivering Newspapers to Sports Illustrated: Don's Journey to Journalism 00:04:21 Don’s 12-Year Mentorship with Coach John Wooden 00:06:50 Coach Wooden's Philosophy: Pyramid of Success 00:09:00 The Bill Walton Haircut Story: How Wooden Managed Ego and Held Everyone to the Same Standards 00:10:33 Building Better Humans, Not Just Better Players 00:14:36 The Love Letters That Changed Don's Marriage 00:19:35 Looking for Things to Love: The Mindset That Changes Everything 00:22:23 Leading with Employee Care Over Customer-First Mentality 00:33:55 What True Mentorship Really Means: It's Not Transactional 00:47:07 Why Aren't More Leaders Following Coach Wooden's Example? 00:53:17 The Best Storytelling Advice: Know Your Audience + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek + + + Photo/Video credits for this episode: https://tinyurl.com/ycxdw52s
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    55 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Great consistency of storeys giving positive actions we can all use in most parts of our lives.

Inspiring positive actions.

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I find Simon so inspirational to listen to - no matter how many times I hear the same lectures/ted talks I love his optimism, consistency in his approach to inspiring in leadership.

So lovely to hear him chatting to other such amazingly successful people.

Love Simon Sinek

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Simon Sinek’s critical thinking and ability to extract the story, shines through every episode. Excellent content every time.

Simon Sinek is not the star, he makes sure every guest is!

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This is the best podcast for people that are looking deeper into their life and purpose,

The best podcast

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Every week, Simon talk to a different person about something that is thought provoking, and gives you a lot to reflect on, no matter what your background is..

always thought provoking subjects

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