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Simon Sinek's Optimism Company
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The Golden Circle

Consciously or not, the leaders who truly inspire people do so by following a naturally occurring pattern that Simon calls The Golden Circle.

The Golden Circle provides compelling evidence of how much more we can achieve if we start everything we do by first asking a simple question: “Why?”  

It finds order and predictability in human behavior. Put simply, The Golden Circle helps us understand why we do what we do.

The Golden Circle can be used as a guide to vastly improve every aspect of your business or organization—from leadership and hiring, to product development, sales, and marketing.

It even explains loyalty and how to earn more. And it all starts with WHY.

The Golden Circle

Consciously or not, the leaders who truly inspire people do so by following a naturally occurring pattern that Simon calls The Golden Circle.

The Golden Circle provides compelling evidence of how much more we can achieve if we start everything we do by first asking a simple question: “Why?”  

It finds order and predictability in human behavior. Put simply, The Golden Circle helps us understand why we do what we do.

The Golden Circle can be used as a guide to vastly improve every aspect of your business or organization—from leadership and hiring, to product development, sales, and marketing.

It even explains loyalty and how to earn more. And it all starts with WHY.

Let’s define the rings of The Golden Circle, starting with WHY (of course!) and moving outward.

Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do what they do. When Simon asks WHY, he’s not referring to making money—that’s a result. Your WHY is your purpose, cause, or belief. WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care about the work you do?

When most organizations or people think, act, or communicate, they do so from the outside in (from WHAT to WHY). We say WHAT we do, we sometimes say HOW we do it, but we rarely say WHY we do it. But the WHY is the most crucial part of any endeavor or communication.

For example, the WHY of The Optimism Company is to inspire people to do the things that inspire them so that, together, each of us can change our world for the better.

Companies and people know HOW they do what they do and can typically communicate these processes clearly. HOWs are often utilized to explain that a product or service is better than a competitor’s—but HOWs can be so much more than that.

Our HOWs are the actions we take when we are at our natural best and are living out our WHY. It’s HOW you bring your WHY to life that makes you and your company unique. As a result, the combination of your WHY and HOWs is like your organization’s fingerprint.

Revisiting our example, these are the HOWs of The Optimism Company: keep our offerings simple, adopt an infinite mindset, try to see things from unconventional perspectives, and always find the silver lining.

Every single company and organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. This is true no matter how big or small, and no matter what industry. Everyone is easily able to describe the products or services a company provides or the job function they have within that system. WHATs are easy to identify and important to have, but are less impactful than the WHY.

To round out our example, the WHATs of The Optimism Company are our classes, courses, keynotes, podcast episodes (and so much more) that encourage people to learn and grow their human skills of leadership, communication, and trust.

The inspired leaders—every single one of them, regardless of their industry—think, act, and communicate from the inside out.

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

Want to see the TED Talk that started it all?
Check it out here:

Simon's TED Talks

Get into The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle for Individuals
The Golden Circle for Organizations

Here’s a downloadable packet to help you better understand the elements of the Golden Circle and how they can help you unlock your potential.

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Start with WHY
Live Online Class

Start your journey to discover your WHY with one of Simon’s Master Trainers.

Find Your WHY
On-Demand Course

Simon will be your video guide as you work through The Golden Circle to find your purpose.

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Start with WHY
Private Class

An inspired team is a limitless team, and we can make it happen with a private class taught by one of Simon’s Master Trainers.

Interested in bringing The Golden Circle to your whole company?

Contact our Experiences Team to book an unforgettable in-person or virtual event.

Get In Touch

FAQs

Simon wrote Start with WHY in 2009. He is the author of five books, including Leaders Eat Last (2013) and, most recently, The Infinite Game (2019).

Start with WHY was born out of pain. Simon lost his passion for his work…which was disconcerting, to say the least. He didn’t want to go to work any more. He no longer found joy in the thing he had been doing for years. Learning about starting with WHY changed all that. This simple idea completely transformed his life and his career in ways Simon could not imagine. He knew he had to share it with as many people as he could, and talk about it with whomever would listen.

Start with WHY is divided into 3 parts and 14 chapters. On average, Start with WHY takes 3-5 hours to read depending on your reading habits. We also offer at-a-glance materials to help you grasp the concepts of The Golden Circle on our Resources page. 

There are three components of The Golden Circle: WHAT, HOW, and, most importantly, WHY.

Our WHYs are an articulation of who we are.

For most, a good WHY statement is simple, easy to understand, and reflective of the person to whom it belongs. The WHY statement should not include WHATS (the tangible things we do/job titles/etc). It should embody who you are in every facet of your life, not just work.

We recommend that you read Start with WHY before you read Find Your WHY. Find Your WHY is the companion workbook to Start With WHY and came out numerous years after Start with WHY was published.

Start with WHY was written for anyone looking for a deeper sense of purpose in their work. Whether you are marketing, retail, anything between, or anything beyond, we all have a WHY that gives our lives meaning and fulfillment.

We believe everyone should find their WHY, so we have created a few ways to help.
    1. Start with WHY Live Online Class: You can join us in our Live Online Classroom as one of Simon’s Master Trainers guides you through a tried and tested process that will help you find a first draft of your WHY statement
    2. Find Your WHY On-Demand Course: Want to find your WHY at your own pace? With Videos of Simon as your guide, this on-Demand course will take you through the steps of drafting a WHY statement. All you need is a partner and an open mind! 
    3. One-on-one WHY Coaching: Serious about finding your WHY? You can even book a private session with one of Simon’s Master Trainers to dive deep and explore what your WHY means to you.
    4. Start with WHY keynotes, workshops, or private classes: Want to inspire the whole company? Get in touch with our Experiences Team to kickstart your team’s WHY journey.

Stay Connected

Certified WHY Coach Program Framework

Learn the exact process Simon Sinek uses to help people discover their WHY and guide them to inspire others.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of the program, you’ll be able to:

  • Explain The Golden Circle and its components — WHY, HOWs, and WHATs
  • Guide someone through a WHY Discovery process that leads to a resonant WHY statement and actionable HOWs
  • Help people use their Golden Circle to make better decisions and create positive change in their careers and lives

You’ll also develop essential human skills you can use every day:

  • Building trust
  • Listening to understand
  • Asking better questions
  • Handling emotional conversations with care

How You’ll Learn

The program includes four structured units combining independent learning, live training, and practice:

Day 1 – The Foundation

  • Get to know The Golden Circle 
  • Find out what it means to bring a Golden Circle to life
  • Learn what a WHY Discovery is, how it works, and what the benefits are

Day 2 – The Human Skills

  • Hone the human skills to guide someone through a WHY Discovery:
    • Creating psychological safety
    • Asking effective questions
    • Engaging in active listening

Day 3 – The Process in Practice

  • Learn notetaking strategies that will help you facilitate a WHY Discovery session
  • Develop the analytic and collaborative skills you need to help someone identify and articulate their WHY and HOWs

Day 4 – The Golden Circle in Action

  • Apply everything you’ve learned to facilitate a full WHY Discovery
  • Learn how to wrap up a session
  • Prepare for your next steps to becoming a Certified WHY Coach

Program Details

Format: 4 live classes + independent learning + group practice

Duration: ~ 8-10  hours per unit (including independent learning and live classes) plus ~5 hours to complete the final exam

Certification Requirements:

  • Complete independent work
  • Attend and participate in all live sessions 
  • Pass a final exam and performance assessment

Your Support Team

  • Regular updates and reminders
  • Opportunities to ask questions
  • Personalized feedback from master trainers
  • Ongoing support through your final evaluation

Program and Participation Terms and Conditions

Our mission is to create a supportive learning environment where we grow together to help others. By joining, you agree to show up in service to one another.

Professional Expectations

  • Attend and participate in ALL live classes in their entirety.
  • Complete ALL assigned online coursework.
  • Must be fluent in English.
  • Show up to live classes, community spaces, and group work with respect, kindness, and gratitude.
  • Support your fellow participants with a service mindset.
  • Keep all personal stories shared during the WHY Discovery process confidential.
  • Approach the WHY Discovery journey with empathy, integrity, and care for those you serve.

Participant Cancellation and Transfer Policy

  • Cancel up to 10 days before your cohort start date: Full refund.
  • Cancel less than 10 days before: We’re unable to offer a refund at this stage.
  • Transfer up to 7 days before: You may transfer your spot to another participant for a $200 (USD) fee.

Recording and Photography

  • Participants may not record or screenshot sessions.
  • The Company will record sessions and make them available internally for 30 days.
  • By joining, you understand you may appear on screen and agree that recordings and photos may be used by the Company for program or marketing purposes.

If you prefer not to be included, please contact the team before the first session at [email protected].

Unleash Your Infinite Mindset

Quantity: 1 quantity = 1 team of up to 20 participants

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The Art of Creating Fiercely Loyal Customers

Quantity: 1 quantity = 1 team of up to 20 participants

Teams 20+

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For teams of 20+ contact us

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Purchase: $999

The Art of Creating Fiercely Loyal Customers

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Buy Unleash Your Infinite Mindset and The Art of Building Fiercely Loyal Customers together for only $1,198.

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Curiosity is essential
                for progress.
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We fully agree, so we like to reward curiosity.
Use code GETCURIOUS for 20% off your next purchase.

A spark is something quite small and, by itself, not very powerful. But a spark has the ability to ignite. An idea is like a spark; alone it is just a set of words, but it too can ignite. A great idea can inspire others to dream bigger. Let us all work together to ignite something greater than ourselves.

Let us all be a Spark of Optimism.