A Bit of Optimism
By Simon Sinek
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Subscribers: 1489
Reviews: 2
Episodes: 193
Mar 26, 2025
Apr 7, 2023
Description
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.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Rob Lowe Names Names: The Power of ‘Screw It’
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Sep 23, 2025 |
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The Future You Avoid Is Riskier Than the One You Face with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman
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Sep 16, 2025 |
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What Your Love Life Can Teach You About Work Relationships with psychotherapist Esther Perel
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Sep 09, 2025 |
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Your Instincts Know What You Want with Author Arthur Brooks
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Sep 02, 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
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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 05, 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 08, 2025 |
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The Quiet Power of the Empathetic Leader with Navy SEAL turned rowing coach Gordon Schmidt
|
Jul 01, 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 03, 2025 |
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Ask Yourself "What If?" with Milk Bar Founder Christina Tosi
|
Jun 03, 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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Where Is Simon Going? with journalist Cal Fussman
|
May 13, 2025 |
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The Cure for Nihilism with professor Suzy Welch
|
May 06, 2025 |
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(PART 2) The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest with National Geographic photographer Cory Richards
|
Apr 29, 2025 |
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(PART 1) The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest with National Geographic photographer Cory Richards
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Apr 22, 2025 |
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Find Your Allies Fast with philanthropist Melinda French Gates
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Apr 15, 2025 |
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Who Are You, Really? with journalist Maria Shriver
|
Apr 08, 2025 |
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The Search for Self-Love with podcaster Lewis Howes
|
Apr 01, 2025 |
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Revisited: Why Awkward Is Awesome with psychologist Ty Tashiro
|
Mar 25, 2025 |
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Does Gender Change How We Lead? with Retired Colonel DeDe Halfhill
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Mar 18, 2025 |
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The Myth of the Perfect Meditator with podcaster Jay Shetty
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Mar 11, 2025 |
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When Your 'Flaw' Becomes Your Edge with Comedian Hasan Minhaj
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Mar 04, 2025 |
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Humble Leaders Lead Better Teams with Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink
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Feb 25, 2025 |
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A Sweet Conversation About Dying with Death Doula Alua Arthur
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Feb 18, 2025 |
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The Secret Art of Micromanagement with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
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Feb 11, 2025 |
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You Are More Like Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier Than You Think
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Feb 04, 2025 |
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Kids (And Employees) Know More Than You Think with Dr. Becky Kennedy
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Jan 28, 2025 |
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Spite Is The Greatest Motivator with Watch Duty founder John Mills
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Jan 21, 2025 |
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The First Steps to Reducing Your Anxiety with author Mel Robbins
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Jan 14, 2025 |
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The Cure for Loneliness with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
|
Jan 07, 2025 |
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Trevor Noah Makes My Brain Hurt
|
Dec 17, 2024 |
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Should You Work With Your Friends? with my friend Will Guidara
|
Dec 10, 2024 |
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The Secret to Happiness with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger
|
Dec 03, 2024 |
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The First Steps to Find Love with Matthew Hussey
|
Nov 26, 2024 |
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Dr. Mark Hyman: To Live Longer You Need...
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Nov 19, 2024 |
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Alexis Ohanian: Why I Left Reddit and Why Greed Can Inspire Good
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Nov 12, 2024 |
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What can we learn from a rural school in Kenya? with principal Carol Moraa
|
Nov 05, 2024 |
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Peace Is A Process with negotiation expert William Ury
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Oct 29, 2024 |
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Creating Astonishment with Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren
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Oct 22, 2024 |
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A Lifetime of Leadership with President Joe Biden
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Oct 15, 2024 |
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Revisited: How To Be A Friend with chef and entrepreneur Christina Tosi
|
Oct 08, 2024 |
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Revisited: Molly's Game with Molly Bloom
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Oct 01, 2024 |
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Revisited: We Cannot Heal Alone In The Loneliness Epidemic with Rabbi Sharon Brous
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Sep 17, 2024 |
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Confident Ignorance with rapper, novelist, and filmmaker Logic
|
Sep 17, 2024 |
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Wealth Is Togetherness with community organizer Kennedy Odede
|
Sep 10, 2024 |
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Landing Moonshots with Google's Innovation Chief Dr. Astro Teller
|
Sep 03, 2024 |
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Creativity Is Connection with poet IN-Q
|
Aug 06, 2024 |
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The Smell of Memory with scent designer Dawn Goldworm
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Jul 30, 2024 |
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Mastery is an Infinite Game with performance psychologist Mike Gervais
|
Jul 23, 2024 |
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Breaking Tradition with cellist Anastasia Kobekina
|
Jul 16, 2024 |
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How to Breathe Out Fear with freediver Li Karlsen
|
Jul 09, 2024 |
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More Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part Two
|
Jul 02, 2024 |
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Thinking About Thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part One
|
Jun 25, 2024 |
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The War On The Young with Professor Scott Galloway
|
Jun 18, 2024 |
|
Moral Courage with Diane Foley, mother of executed journalist James Foley
|
Jun 11, 2024 |
|
Humble Confidence with veteran and entrepreneur Blake Hall
|
Jun 04, 2024 |
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The Ultimate Infinite-Minded CEO with Trek Bicycle CEO John Burke
|
May 28, 2024 |
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Be Necessary with war journalist Sebastian Junger
|
May 21, 2024 |
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Invention is Reinvention with entrepreneur Eric Ryan
|
May 14, 2024 |
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The Definition of Success with author Neil Strauss
|
May 07, 2024 |
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Happily Friended with author Rhaina Cohen
|
Apr 30, 2024 |
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How To Eat with Glucose Goddess Jessie Inchauspé
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Apr 23, 2024 |
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Love Is Not Enough with couples therapist Shawn McBride
|
Apr 16, 2024 |
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We Cannot Heal Alone with Rabbi Sharon Brous
|
Apr 09, 2024 |
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Ideas That Stick with advertising legend Lee Clow
|
Apr 02, 2024 |
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The Anxious Generation with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt
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Mar 26, 2024 |
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How to Live to 100 with Blue Zones explorer Dan Buettner
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Mar 19, 2024 |
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Going To Mars with NASA director Laurie Leshin
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Mar 12, 2024 |
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Four Years in Solitary Confinement with political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez
|
Mar 05, 2024 |
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Redemption with charity founder Scott Harrison
|
Feb 27, 2024 |
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Supercommunicators with journalist Charles Duhigg
|
Feb 20, 2024 |
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Community Starts at Home with author Alexandra Hudson
|
Feb 13, 2024 |
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How To Be A Friend with chef Christina Tosi
|
Feb 06, 2024 |
|
Why Awkward is Awesome with psychologist Ty Tashiro
|
Jan 30, 2024 |
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A Theory of Everyone with behavioral researcher Dr. Michael Muthukrishna
|
Jan 23, 2024 |
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Atomic Habits with author James Clear
|
Jan 16, 2024 |
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Excellence with Silicon Valley Legend Jackie Reses
|
Jan 09, 2024 |
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Imperfections, Nuance, and Humanity with comedian Alex Edelman
|
Dec 19, 2023 |
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Drive with professional racer Danica Patrick
|
Dec 12, 2023 |
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The Value of Values with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
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A Curious Mind with movie producer Brian Grazer
|
Nov 28, 2023 |
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Talking to Animals with A.I. ethicist Aza Raskin
|
Nov 21, 2023 |
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A New Paradigm for Trust with entrepreneur Yat Siu
|
Nov 14, 2023 |
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Humanize with designer Thomas Heatherwick
|
Nov 07, 2023 |
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Teammateship with NBA champion Shane Battier
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
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The Future of Leadership with educator Elizabeth English
|
Oct 24, 2023 |
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Remember Love with the poet Cleo Wade
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
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Purpose over Profit with Thrive Causemetics CEO Karissa Bodnar
|
Oct 10, 2023 |
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Beautiful Conflict with the poet Yung Pueblo
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
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Power with author Robert Greene
|
Sep 26, 2023 |
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Failing Well with professor of leadership Dr. Amy Edmondson
|
Sep 19, 2023 |
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Happier-ness with author Arthur Brooks
|
Sep 12, 2023 |
|
Intuition vs. Reason with poker champion Liv Boeree
|
Sep 05, 2023 |
|
When to Quit with Steven Bartlett (Part 2)
|
Aug 29, 2023 |
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Sweating the Small Stuff with Steven Bartlett (Part 1)
|
Aug 22, 2023 |
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Community and Empowerment with Sharmadean Reid
|
Aug 15, 2023 |
|
The Book of Charlie with David Von Drehle
|
Aug 08, 2023 |
|
Leadership with General CQ Brown, Jr.
|
Jul 04, 2023 |
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Preparing for Change with Cassandra Worthy
|
Jun 27, 2023 |
|
Trust with Jimmy Wales
|
Jun 20, 2023 |
|
Life Worth Living with Miroslav Volf
|
Jun 13, 2023 |
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Determination with Steven Pressfield
|
Jun 06, 2023 |
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Rewarding Kindness with Jimmy Darts
|
May 30, 2023 |
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Love Without Judgment with Ana Kirova
|
May 23, 2023 |
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The Soul of an Idea with David Copperfield
|
May 16, 2023 |
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Molly's Game with Molly Bloom
|
May 09, 2023 |
|
The Courage of Compassion with Robin Steinberg
|
Apr 04, 2023 |
|
A Goofy Episode with Bill Farmer
|
Mar 28, 2023 |
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Insane Vacations with Mike Reiss
|
Mar 21, 2023 |
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Down A Rabbit Hole with Seth Godin
|
Mar 14, 2023 |
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How To Be An Entrepreneur with Jeff Rosenthal
|
Mar 07, 2023 |
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The Wisdom of Anxiety with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary
|
Feb 28, 2023 |
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Guaranteed Joy with Richard Curtis
|
Feb 21, 2023 |
|
Exploration with Leland Melvin
|
Feb 14, 2023 |
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Taking Comfortable Risks with Scott Galloway
|
Feb 07, 2023 |
|
Digging Up the Past with Sarah Parcak
|
Jan 31, 2023 |
|
High Performance with Divesh Makan
|
Jan 24, 2023 |
|
Embracing The Fall with Carla Hall
|
Jan 17, 2023 |
|
Gen Z in the Workplace with Jonah and David Stillman
|
Jan 10, 2023 |
|
Ask Simon Anything: Part Two
|
Jan 03, 2023 |
|
Ask Simon Anything: Part One
|
Dec 27, 2022 |
|
Two Bits of Optimism with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part Two
|
Dec 20, 2022 |
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Two Bits of Optimism with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: Part One
|
Dec 13, 2022 |
|
Being Yourself with Kathryn Finney
|
Dec 06, 2022 |
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Live A Long, Happy Life with physician Mark Hyman
|
Nov 29, 2022 |
|
The Value of Interruptions with Janis Burl
|
Nov 22, 2022 |
|
The Sweet Bitter with Susan Cain
|
Nov 15, 2022 |
|
Kindness with James Rhee
|
Nov 08, 2022 |
|
How To Be An Optimist with Pat Berges
|
Nov 01, 2022 |
|
The Labor of Love with Francesca Hogi
|
Oct 25, 2022 |
|
Unreasonable Hospitality with Will Guidara
|
Oct 18, 2022 |
|
Partnering with Jean Oelwang
|
Mar 08, 2022 |
|
Vulnerability and Redemption with Adrian Grenier
|
Mar 01, 2022 |
|
Obscure Presidential History with Jeremy Deutsch
|
Feb 22, 2022 |
|
Happiness with Arthur Brooks
|
Feb 15, 2022 |
|
Giving What You Have with Mark Bustos
|
Feb 08, 2022 |
|
Giving A Sh*t with Phoebe Robinson
|
Feb 01, 2022 |
|
My True Crime Episode with David Mittelman
|
Jan 25, 2022 |
|
Rebuilding Community with Luma Mufleh
|
Jan 18, 2022 |
|
No More Lonely Friends with Marissa Meizz
|
Jan 11, 2022 |
|
Resolving Conflict with William Ury
|
Jan 04, 2022 |
|
Gratitude with Omar Brownson
|
Dec 28, 2021 |
|
Setting Boundaries with Sara Kuburic
|
Dec 21, 2021 |
|
Being Rich with Ron Finley
|
Dec 14, 2021 |
|
Hope with Shamma Al Mazrui
|
Dec 07, 2021 |
|
The Asymmetry of Power with Tristan Harris
|
Nov 30, 2021 |
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Family with Ari Emanuel
|
Nov 23, 2021 |
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Enchantment with Chloe Valdary
|
Jun 29, 2021 |
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The Value of Failing with Suneel Gupta
|
Jun 22, 2021 |
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Awesome Responsibility with Kyle Carpenter
|
Jun 15, 2021 |
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Raising Resilient Kids with Angela Duckworth
|
Jun 08, 2021 |
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Learning to Love with Tim Shriver
|
Jun 01, 2021 |
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Thinking Differently with Matthew Barzun
|
May 25, 2021 |
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Having a Laugh with Michael McIntyre
|
May 18, 2021 |
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Respect with Nicole Avant
|
May 11, 2021 |
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Designing the Future with Brian Collins
|
May 04, 2021 |
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Confidence with Sara Blakely
|
Apr 27, 2021 |
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Vulnerability with Brigadier General Michael “Johnny Bravo” Drowley
|
Apr 20, 2021 |
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The One With Brené Brown
|
Apr 13, 2021 |
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Faith with Quilen Blackwell
|
Jan 12, 2021 |
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A Tension Deficit with James Harding
|
Jan 05, 2021 |
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The Infinite Game with Dr. James Carse
|
Dec 29, 2020 |
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Happying with Derren Brown
|
Dec 22, 2020 |
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Conversion with Ric Elias
|
Dec 15, 2020 |
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Generosity with Ann Marie Scichili
|
Dec 08, 2020 |
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Joy with Marco Bizzarri
|
Dec 01, 2020 |
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Fight with Love, Fight for Love with Aloe Blacc
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Nov 24, 2020 |
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Finding your Tribe with Amy Cuddy
|
Nov 17, 2020 |
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A Bit of Everything with Adam Grant
|
Nov 10, 2020 |
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Moving Forward with my sister Sara
|
Sep 14, 2020 |
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A Lot of Optimism (Or The One Where I Met Andy Grammer)
|
Sep 07, 2020 |
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Ethical Fading with Lenny Wong
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Aug 31, 2020 |
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Second Chances with Bruce Deel
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Aug 24, 2020 |
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Challenging Authority with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
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Aug 17, 2020 |
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Extreme Listening with Deeyah Khan
|
Aug 10, 2020 |
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Quiet Service with General Stan McChrystal
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Aug 03, 2020 |
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Courage with Guy Raz
|
Jul 27, 2020 |
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Gratitude with Carolyn Adams
|
Jul 20, 2020 |
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Shades of Grey with Jenna Arnold
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Jul 13, 2020 |
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Entrepreneurship with Helene and Seth Godin
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Jul 06, 2020 |
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Leadership with Bob Chapman
|
Jun 29, 2020 |
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Service with Maria Shriver
|
Jun 22, 2020 |
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How To Have Difficult Conversations with David Harris
|
Jun 15, 2020 |
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Hope with Curtis Martin
|
Jun 08, 2020 |
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Relationships with Christina Tosi and Will Guidara
|
Jun 01, 2020 |
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This is... A Bit of Optimism
|
May 26, 2020 |