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A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek

A Bit of Optimism

An inspiring podcast with Simon Sinek.

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Join me as I talk with people that inspire me about love, life, leadership, and silver linings. The hope is that we all leave with something I think we need these days… A Bit of Optimism.

Thanks for listening.

—Simon

Kerry Burnight

Season 6 · Episode 32

The Longevity Secret Nobody Can Sell You with Gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight

If you’ve ever dabbled in looking into how to extend your life, your social media feed might be inundated with the “hottest” longevity trends: from cold plunges to VO2 max tests to celebrity-endorsed supplements. As a society, we are obsessed with the idea of living longer.  And longevity has become a multi-billion dollar industry where everyone’s trying to sell you their secret to a longer life. But if you meet the people leading that movement, you start to ask yourself “are they even happy?” If we’re all trying to live all these extra years, we should also make sure we genuinely enjoy them.  That’s why I wanted to talk to Dr. Kerry Burnight about how we age. Known as “America’s Gerontologist”, she specializes in the mental, physical, and social aspects of aging. Kerry has spent two decades as a professor of geratric medicine, and co-founded the nation’s first elder abuse forensic center, where she saw older people isolated, exploited, and suffering. After years of arriving after the damage was done, she started asking a different question: what would prevent that suffering in the first place? Kerry’s answer is a concept she calls “Joyspan,” which is also the title of her New York Times bestseller *Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half*. Her work reframes how we think about our long lives: not as a problem to solve by suppressing the aging process, but as a chance to grow with age and build a life with intention and joy. **In this episode you’ll learn:** ➡️ Why the longevity movement lost its way (in a word: humility) ➡️ How Kerry’s mom changed her outlook on life in her late 70s, and is thriving at nearly 98 ➡️ Three questions you should ask yourself every birthday  ➡️ Why we should stop “growing older” and start “growing with age” ➡️ The one sentence that helps you find something good even when things are hard ➡️ How to help someone who’s stuck, without just commiserating  ➡️ Why friendship might be “the Ozempic of longevity” ➡️ The four practices of people who are still loving life at 100 This conversation isn’t about rejecting the gym or the green vegetables – you should take care of your body too! But the parts of life that make it worth living are often difficult to assign a metric. They take work too. And it’s never too early (or too late) to start. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + To get a copy of Kerry’s book, *Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half*, head to: [https://www.drkerryburnight.com/#joyspan](https://www.drkerryburnight.com/#joyspan) \+ + + Chapters ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Dedicating Your Life to Helping Others Age - **00:00:43** Beyond Lifespan and Healthspan: Introducing Joyspan - **00:02:20** Why the Longevity Movement Lost Its Way - **00:03:13** From Elder Abuse to Prevention: A Gerontologist's Journey - **00:04:45** How the Longevity Movement Lost Its Way - **00:10:40** Introducing JoySpan: The Missing Piece of Longevity - **00:13:48** The Chocolate Cake Principle: When Worry Is Worse Than the Thing - **00:16:59** What Funerals Teach Us About What Actually Matters - **00:18:20** The AGE Framework: Three Questions to Ask Yourself Every Birthday - **00:21:25** Why the Intangibles Matter More Than Metrics - **00:26:42** Growing With Age, Not Growing Older - **00:32:30** Pain Isn't a Mistake: Why We Need to Stop Vilifying Struggle - **00:32:45** Finding the Gift in Every Hardship - **00:47:20** The Third Leg of the Stool: Friendship as Longevity Medicine - **00:52:30** How to Talk to Young People About Aging (And Why Quality of Life Is the Key) - **00:57:08** Four Practices for a High-Quality Life at Any Age - **00:57:56** Redefining What It Means to Be Old \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek) \+ + + #SimonSinek \+ + +

October 27, 2026 59 min
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Ben Francis

Season 6 · Episode 35

Revisited: The Power of Doing One Thing Exceptionally Well with Gymshark Founder and CEO Ben Francis

Hello from Team Simon! Brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism are back next Tuesday, October 27. Before then, we're revisiting one last favorite: the company Simon names whenever someone asks which business actually lives the ideas he writes about. It's Gymshark, and its founder, Ben Francis. Maybe you know the pull: the bigger something gets, the more it feels like it should do more. More products, more markets, more people to please. It looks like growth. But it can quietly water down the very thing that made you special. Gymshark didn't start with a vision. It started with a website, a list of drop-shipped supplements, and months of waiting for anyone to buy anything. Then Ben spotted his nan's sewing machine on the dining room table and started making gym clothes for himself and his friends. Years later, with the business booming, Gymshark did what growing companies do and expanded into swimwear, hiking, and sportswear. The brand started to blur. So Ben pulled it all back to three words: We Do Gym. Ben is the founder and CEO of Gymshark, the gymwear brand he launched in 2012 while still working shifts at Pizza Hut. Today it's a billion-dollar global brand with a devoted community, a flagship store on London's Regent Street, and one ambition that shapes every decision Ben makes: to build a 100-year brand. I sat down with Ben at Gymshark HQ in the West Midlands, where the company values are painted on the walls in refreshingly blunt language. And I push him on the irony at the heart of the brand: how does a company built on humility make clothes designed for showing off? **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why the best businesses often start with ridiculously low ambitions ➡️ The "small menu" rule: why selling fewer things builds a better business ➡️ Why Ben stepped aside as CEO, and how it made him ready to take the job back ➡️ How a 100-year mindset changes who you hire (+ why "have they done it before?" is the wrong question) ➡️ His granddad's one-question test for a good year ➡️ Why even the most successful founders admit they're "just winging it" ➡️ Why the only competition worth winning is against yourself Ben's lesson is a freeing one: you don't have to be everything to everyone. Pick the thing you love, serve the people who love it too, and keep getting better at it. That's how you build something that lasts. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + Want to check out Gymshark? Head over to: [https://www.gymshark.com/](https://www.gymshark.com/) \+ + + **Chapters** ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Why Building a 100-Year Brand Changes Everything - **00:01:55** The Accidental Birth of Gymshark: From Supplements to Sewing Machines - **00:07:38** Setting the Bar Low: Why Small Ambitions Lead to Big Success - **00:10:34** The Temptation to Expand: When Gymshark Lost Its Way - **00:11:23** The Restaurant Menu Philosophy: Why Less Product Means Better Business - **00:13:48** Stepping Down as CEO: The Hardest Decision That Saved the Company - **00:20:43** What Cool Dads Build: The Personal Drive Behind a 100-Year Vision - **00:24:27** The American Mistake: When Freedom Killed the Brand - **00:27:45** The Onyx Launch: Selling to 1 Percent of Your Audience - **00:34:46** Did You Make Any Money This Year: Lessons from Granddad - **00:37:06** Give a Sh\*\*: The Honest Values Written on the Walls - **00:44:14** Winging It With Purpose: What Simon Learned in Fiji - **00:47:56** Two Types of Winging It: Foundation vs Quicksand - **00:53:21** The Head Nod Philosophy: Competition That Lifts Everyone Up - **00:57:13** Family First: When Your Kid's Hug Beats Every Business Win \+ + + 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](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek](https://instagram.com/simonsinek) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

October 20, 2026 1 hr 1 min
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Esther Perel

Season 6 · Episode 34

Revisited: Why Relationships Are the Secret to a Long, Happy Life with Psychotherapist Esther Perel

Hello from Team Simon! We’re taking a few weeks off and will be back with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism on Tuesday, October 27.  Until then, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, including this one with a longtime friend of Simon’s: Esther Perel. For most of history, we stayed in marriages and jobs because we had to. Happiness was a nice bonus. Today we get to choose who we love and where we work, so happiness has become the glue that holds it all together. Few people have watched that shift as closely as Esther Perel. For four decades, she’s seen how love, family and work have been reshaped by no-fault divorce, the internet, and now AI. Her conclusion hasn’t changed: the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. It’s a line she first said out loud years ago, in a WHY Discovery session with Simon. Esther is a psychotherapist, the bestselling author of Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs, and the host of the podcast Where Should We Begin? Her card game “Where Should We Begin? At Work,” is built to spark real conversations between colleagues. In this conversation, Esther and Simon talk about why one partner can’t be our whole village, what kids lose when they stop playing in the street, and why an entry-level job may be the last great playground. Simon also shares a personal update: how he made peace with the question, "Why haven’t you been married?" **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why happiness went from a perk to the glue, in love and at work ➡️ The “relationship CV” everyone brings to work (+ how it shapes the way you handle conflict and authority) ➡️ Why we’re asking one person to give us what a whole village used to ➡️ How frictionless apps are changing what we expect from each other ➡️ Why entry-level jobs are the best place to scrape your knees ➡️ The number one relationship skill Gen Z should master before their first job ➡️ Why play is just risk that feels fun, and how it builds trust And remember, every relationship you treasure started as a conversation with a stranger. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + To learn more about Esther's work, visit: [https://www.estherperel.com/](https://www.estherperel.com/) And check out "Where Should We Begin? At Work" here: [https://game.estherperel.com/products/where-should-we-begin-at-work](https://game.estherperel.com/products/where-should-we-begin-at-work) \+ + + **Chapters** ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Why the Quality of Our Relationships Determines the Quality of Our Lives - **00:03:43** The Dual Revolution: How Work and Romance Transformed Together - **00:09:40** From Duty to Desire: When Happiness Became the Glue - **00:17:11** The Death of the Playground: Where We Lost Our Social Skills - **00:19:24** Why Lion Cubs Fight: The Mammal Lesson We're Ignoring - **00:25:46** The Harvard Study Secret: Relationships Are #1 Predictor of Happiness - **00:28:10** The Kindergarten Separation: A Cultural Moment That Reveals Everything - **00:30:17** The Two CVs: Your Work Resume and Your Relationship History - **00:31:04** The Predictive Technology Problem: Why Apps Are Ruining Human Connection - **00:38:56** The Three Models of Relationships: Romance, Scaffolding, and Friendship Networks - **00:42:49** Belonging vs Fitting In: Why Forcing Relationships Fails - **00:44:23** The Workplace Revolution: When Psychology Entered Business - **00:45:26** Where Should We Begin at Work: Using Storytelling to Build Connection - **00:46:20** The Entry-Level Crisis: Why Young Workers Are Most at Risk - **00:49:39** Remote Work Reality: Flexibility Without Dogma - **00:50:40** The Transactional Trap: Why We Skip the Coffee and Go Straight to Business - **00:56:20** Talk to Strangers: The Number One Skill Gen Z Needs - **00:57:48** The Discomfort Doctrine: Why Comfort Has Become Too Central to Life - **00:58:45** The Third Space: Finding Five Minutes Away From All Responsibility - **01:00:22** The Voice Matters: Why We Misinterpret Text and Need to Hear Each Other - **01:01:15** The Trojan Horses: Teaching Human Skills Through Work and Romance \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

October 13, 2026 1 hr 2 min
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Arthur Brooks

Season 6 · Episode 33

Revisited: Your Instincts Know What You Want with Happiness Expert Arthur Brooks

Team Simon here! A Bit of Optimism is on a short break, and brand-new episodes return October 27. Until then, we're revisiting a few conversations we keep coming back to. This week it's Arthur Brooks, a longtime friend of Simon's and one of his favorite people to talk to. Have you ever felt like you're falling behind? Everyone else seems to have a plan, a timeline and the next rung on the ladder lined up. Any detour, like a gap year, a pivot or a job that isn't quite right, feels like losing ground. Arthur Brooks thinks you're running the wrong race. Chasing a finish line is one of the surest ways to end up unhappy. He argues that happiness lives in the process, not the outcome. Arthur is a bestselling author and teaches one of the most popular classes at Harvard Business School: a whole course on happiness. He lives what he teaches, too. He played French horn professionally from 19 to 31 and then reinvented himself as a behavioral scientist. After that, he became president of a Washington think tank without ever having raised a dollar. When he left that job with no idea what came next, he walked the Camino de Santiago to find out. In this conversation, Arthur explains how to know when to trust your gut, why reinvention starts with curiosity rather than skills, and why meaning has collapsed for people under 35. Simon pushes on something that worries him: if AI takes away the struggle, what happens to the wisdom that struggle builds? **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ The 80/20/0 rule for knowing a big decision is the right one ➡️ Why reapplying your skills isn't the same as reinventing yourself ➡️ Why your career is a spiral, not a staircase ➡️ The "arrival fallacy," and why so many Olympic gold medalists struggle after they win ➡️ Why life's most unwelcome changes usually look like gifts in hindsight ➡️ The three parts of happiness  ➡️ Why feelings are the evidence of happiness, not the thing itself ➡️ Why Arthur calls AI a "dark triad," and what that means if you're using it as a therapist ➡️ What to do when you're between things: take a walk  Arthur's argument is a freeing one. Happiness lives in the doing, so you can be fully alive right now. You don't have to arrive first. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + If you want to see more of Arthur’s work, check out: [https://www.arthurbrooks.com/](https://www.arthurbrooks.com/) \+ + + **Chapters** ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Why Meaning Has Cratered in Modern Life - **00:02:00** Career Reinvention: The Spiral Path - **00:06:05** The Decision Formula: 80% Excitement, 20% Fear - **00:09:27** Moving "Backwards" to Move Forward - **00:14:12** The Arrival Fallacy & Why Progress Matters - **00:18:18** Navigating "Lifequakes" and Liminal Space - **00:22:26** The Metaphor of the Pilgrimage - **00:25:13** Intention Without Attachment - **00:27:16** How Fast Technology & AI Threaten Human Wisdom - **00:33:38** Lessons from Prisoners of War: Embracing Process Over Deadlines - **00:39:48** The Danger of Using AI for Human Connection - **00:41:45** The 3 True Elements of Happiness (Enjoyment, Satisfaction, Meaning) - **00:45:20** Cultivating Curiosity & Rethinking Education - **00:48:40** Superpowers in Neurodivergence - **00:52:25** Translating Ancient Wisdom: Be Alive Now \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

October 6, 2026 56 min
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Rob Lowe

Season 6 · Episode 32

Revisited: The Power of Saying "Screw It" with Rob Lowe

Hello from Team Simon! We're taking a few weeks off and will be back with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism on Tuesday, October 27. Until then, we're revisiting some of our favorite conversations, starting with one of the most fun we've ever had: Rob Lowe. Maybe you know the feeling: you've got an idea, a joke, a risk you want to take… and you talk yourself out of it before anyone else gets the chance. Rob Lowe has spent four decades doing the opposite. He calls it a healthy case of the "screw-its." It's how he survived an industry famous for chewing people up. He went from movies to *The West Wing* when movie stars didn't do TV, and from TV to hosting a game show when that was supposed to be career death. His secret isn't avoiding failure. It's never letting failure decide what he tries next. Rob is an actor, producer, and bestselling author whose career runs from *The Outsiders* and *St. Elmo's Fire* to *The West Wing* and *Parks and Recreation*. He hosts FOX's *The Floor* and the podcast *Literally! with Rob Lowe*, and stars alongside his son John Owen Lowe in Netflix's *Unstable.* In this conversation, Rob tells the story of his infamous Oscars song-and-dance number (and the open letter from Hollywood legends that followed it). He also shares the Letterman appearance that taught him to trust his instincts for good, and explains why authenticity has become the only currency that matters. And I push him on the question under all of it: can the rest of us learn to take a punch the way he does? **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why a healthy case of the "screw-its" is a career strategy, not a character flaw ➡️ What the world's top tennis players can teach us about bouncing back ➡️ The one practical rule for being more authentic: stop self-editing ➡️ Why the thing you least want to talk about is the thing that makes you relatable ➡️ Why "availability" might be a better word than "vulnerability" ➡️ How to spot performative authenticity (+ Rob's three red-carpet poses) ➡️ Why you can meet your heroes, but shouldn't get to know them ➡️ How humor makes even the hardest subjects easier to talk about Rob's lesson is a freeing one: take the work seriously, laugh at the absurd parts, and trust your gut on the next big swing. Worst case, you get a great story. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + If you want to listen to Rob’s podcast, *Literally! with Rob Lowe*, head to: [https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/literally-with-rob-lowe](https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/literally-with-rob-lowe)  Find out where you can watch Rob as host of GSN’s *The Floor*, weekends at 8pm ET: [https://www.gameshownetwork.com/the-floor](https://www.gameshownetwork.com/the-floor)  \+ + + **Chapters** ### Chapters - **00:00:00** The Oscars Disaster: When Rob Lowe Bombed on Stage - **00:01:59** From Teen Beat Cover Boy to Career Crisis at 17 - **00:03:33** The Fame Freeze: Why Celebrities Stop Growing - **00:05:29** The Secret to Staying Relevant for Decades - **00:06:55** Breaking the Rules: From Movies to TV When No One Did - **00:12:45** The Comedy Central Roast and the Price of Humiliation - **00:14:39** Learning to Trust Your Instincts After Letterman - **00:21:05** What Authenticity Actually Means in Hollywood - **00:31:30** The Art of Self-Deprecation Without Losing Respect - **00:38:00** Red Carpet Secrets: Man of the People, Blue Steel, and Iconic - **00:51:29** Don't Meet Your Heroes - Or At Least Don't Get to Know Them - **00:53:26** Finding Humor in the Darkest Moments - **00:57:01** Why Game Shows Are Actually the Hardest Thing He's Done - **01:01:18** Live in Gratitude and Manage Your Expectations \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

September 29, 2026 1 hr 2 min
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Amy Morin

Season 6 · Episode 31

What Mentally Strong People Do on Their Worst Days with Psychotherapist Amy Morin

Be honest: you've taken a mental health day that made you feel worse. You stayed in bed, you avoided the thing, and by evening it was still waiting for you—with less of the day left to face it. Amy Morin thinks the problem starts with the word. We treat mental health as something you either have or you don't… and framed that way, there's nothing to actually do on a bad day. Her work runs on the opposite premise: mental strength is a practice, and you build it like you'd build anything else. Amy is a psychotherapist, a clinical social worker, and the author of the bestseller *13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do* and the new *The Mental Strength Playbook*. She became a therapist at 22 and lost her mother at 23. Three years later—to the day—her husband died, and the mental health agency where she worked gave her three days of bereavement leave. She built the practices that became her book in real time, from there. In this conversation, Amy walks through exactly what she did to get mentally fit. Not as theory, but as the small, unglamorous things that got her out of bed. And I press her on the question nobody in her field says out loud: whether an industry built to help us has any incentive to finish the job. **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why the mental health day you take to feel better isn’t helping ➡️ How to tell whether to solve the problem or solve the feeling (most of us pick wrong) ➡️ The 15-minute daily exercise Amy's clients say lifts the weight of the world ➡️ Why "I am anxious" and "I have anxiety sometimes" build two different lives ➡️ How to compromise with yourself on a bad day instead of going all-or-nothing ➡️ Why "I'm just staying busy" is avoidance we've learned to compliment ➡️ What playing the victim actually gives you (+ why it's so hard to give up) ➡️ Simon's rule for hard days: no crying alone Amy's argument is a hopeful one: the feeling follows the action. Do one small, ordinary thing today, and you've already started. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + This episode is brought to you by SAP. Bring it with SAP GROW. The AI Cloud ERP for any size business. Learn more at [https://SAP.com/GROW](https://sap.com/GROW) \+ + + If you’d like to buy Amy’s new book, *The Mental Strength Playbook*, head to: [https://amymorinlcsw.com/books/](https://amymorinlcsw.com/books/)  \+ + + Chapters \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

September 22, 2026 1 hr 2 min
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Amy Chan

Season 6 · Episode 30

The Dating Advice Making Us Worse at Love with Relationship Expert Amy Chan

The internet is flooded with advice for dating in the smartphone age: know your type, trust the spark, watch for red flags, protect your peace, never settle. It sounds like self-respect, but relationship expert Amy Chan thinks it’s a big reason dating feels impossible right now. Her argument: we need to correct the lessons we’ve learned when it comes to dating. The person who’s great on a first date isn’t necessarily great at a relationship. Instant chemistry isn’t always a good sign. A red flag could just be an imperfection. And keeping our options open has made a lot of us genuinely bad at choosing someone. Amy is the founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp and the author of *Unsingle: How to Date Smarter and Create Love That Lasts*. For nearly two decades she’s looked at dating through psychology and neuroscience — why we’re drawn to certain people, why relationships fall apart, and what actually predicts whether one lasts. She started her career helping people end relationships… Now, she teaches them how to build one. **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why “instant chemistry” is one of the worst predictors of a lasting relationship ➡️ The quiet qualities research says actually predict a happy partnership ➡️ Why dating skills and relationship skills are two completely different skill sets ➡️ How the algorithm rewards red-flag advice 10X over green-flag advice (and what that’s doing to you) ➡️ Situationships: why the breakup hurts more when there was never a breakup ➡️ “Leaky energy,” micro-cheating, and the honest test for both ➡️ The 9-date experiment Amy gives clients who are stuck dating the same person ➡️ How the right relationship shrinks old wounds  ➡️ Why discomfort is a critical skill dating requires Amy’s advice isn’t about finding a better person. It’s about becoming someone better at love. And that’s advice all of us could use!  **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + This episode is brought to you by SAP. Bring it with SAP GROW. The AI Cloud ERP for any size business. Learn more at [https://SAP.com/GROW](https://sap.com/GROW) \+ + + To get a copy of Amy's book, *Unsingle: How to Date Smarter and Create Love That Lasts*, head to: [https://missamychan.com/#books](https://missamychan.com/#books)  \+ + + **Chapters** ### Chapters - **00:00:00** Why Modern Dating Advice Is Making Us Worse at Love - **00:02:26** From Broken Heart to Breakup Bootcamp - **00:09:50** Why Dating Feels Harder Than Ever - **00:11:35** The Two Different Skill Sets: Dating vs. Relationship - **00:12:26** Online Dating and the Imagination Problem - **00:14:17** The Coffee Date Defense and the "Five Out of Ten Rule" - **00:15:53** The Cure for Avoidant Attachment - **00:18:13** The ADHD Love Bomb Confession - **00:24:49** What Self-Care Culture Gets Wrong About Commitment - **00:30:31** Situationships: The Safe Space That Keeps You Stuck - **00:33:07** Leaky Energy and Micro-Cheating - **00:35:08** Amy's Seven-Year Relationship and Emotionally Corrective Experiences - **00:39:28** The Instant Chemistry Trap - **00:40:59** The Nine-Person Dating Experiment - **00:44:37** Why Young People Aren't Dating Anymore - **00:45:49** Bad Feelings Don't Mean It's Bad - **00:48:02** The Single Skill That Saves Relationships \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek)

September 15, 2026 50 min
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Rob Willis

Season 6 · Episode 29

Why Trying to “Sound Smart” is Losing You the Room with Strategic Story Producer Rob Willis

Have you ever sat through a presentation and felt your attention just start to…drift? Chances are, it wasn't the content. It was the delivery. A year ago, Rob Willis was a corporate trainer with years of experience and a sharp eye for what makes people listen. He wondered if what he taught in workshops would resonate with a larger audience. So he started making short videos that break down what makes great speakers great: from their word choice, to structure, to the energy they brought to any room or conversation.  Rob even made a video breaking down *my* method of public speaking. In his video,  Rob dissects my signature opening line, and my friends couldn't stop sending it to me. One hundred videos in one hundred days later, Rob's videos are going viral on a regular basis, and a whole new audience is eager to learn from him. But what I find most interesting about Rob is where he actually learned all of this. Not in a classroom. He learned it by giving free walking tours in Berlin, where nobody pays up front and anyone can leave at any moment. If you're boring, people simply walk away — no tip, no small talk, just people voting with their feet. Rob and I discuss what that taught him about holding a room, why the smartest person in the room is rarely the most persuasive one, and the handful of simple, almost mechanical shifts that separate a forgettable pitch from one people actually remember. **In this episode you'll learn:** ➡️ Why "if I just explain it better" is the most common, and most inaccurate, assumption speakers make ➡️ Rob's trick for holding anyone's attention, whether it's a boardroom or a crowd on a street corner ➡️ What real charisma is made of (hint: it's not confidence, it's belief) ➡️ Why so many people suddenly sound fake the moment they step on stage ➡️ 5 things you can do in your next meeting to immediately present better  You don't need a TED Talk on your calendar to get something out of this one. Any of us who wants to be understood — in a meeting, a pitch, a hard conversation — will find something worth stealing. **This… is A Bit of Optimism.** \+ + + This episode is brought to you by SAP. Bring it with SAP GROW. The AI Cloud ERP for any size business. Learn more at [https://SAP.com/GROW](https://sap.com/GROW) \+ + + Want to keep up with Rob and his video breakdowns? Check out: [https://robdwillis.carrd.co/](https://robdwillis.carrd.co/) \+ + + Chapters ### Chapters - **00:00:00** The Former Tour Guide Who Cracked the Code - **00:03:12** Why Trying to Sound Smart is Losing You the Room - **00:03:48** 100 Videos in 100 Days - **00:06:16** Breaking Down the Patterns: What Makes Simon Sinek Work - **00:07:33** Learning to Speak Without a Plan - **00:11:41** The Knowledge Deficit Trap: Why More Information Doesn't Always Work - **00:12:33** The Tour Guide Philosophy and Tracking What Actually Works - **00:16:20** Simon's Book Writing Journey - **00:23:10** The Art of the Distilled Message - **00:25:53** The Bolt of Lightning Myth: How Great Ideas Really Happen - **00:26:55** Let Them Get There First: The Power of the Aha Moment - **00:29:10** Hans Rosling and What is True Charisma - **00:31:47** Speaking With Conviction, Not Questions - **00:34:30** The Speaking Voice Trap: Why You Sound Weird on Stage - **00:36:42** Five Things You Can Do Tomorrow to Become a Better Speaker - **00:44:14** The Five-Minute Rule: Why Less is Always More \+ + + 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/](http://simonsinek.com/) Leaderful: [https://simonsinek.com/leaderful](https://simonsinek.com/leaderful) Podcast: [http://apple.co/simonsinek](http://apple.co/simonsinek) Instagram: [https://instagram.com/simonsinek/](https://instagram.com/simonsinek/) Linkedin: [https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/](https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/) Twitter: [https://twitter.com/simonsinek](https://twitter.com/simonsinek) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek](https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek) \+ + +

September 8, 2026 47 min
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