Hosted by Simon Sinek · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 224 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
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.
Simon Sinek hosts A Bit of Optimism, a business show with 224 episodes published.
We tell ourselves the reason we never chase the big dream is that we're not ready, not brave enough, doomed to fail. Nelly Attar would tell you she felt all of that too… but she chased them anyway. Nelly is a psychologis
Sixteen years ago, an unknown CEO running a manufacturing company in the Midwest saw my TED Talk and recognized something in it. He sent me a letter and we made plans to meet. What started as a one-hour lunch turned into
Be honest: AI makes you a little nervous. Maybe you're afraid it'll take your job. Maybe you're overwhelmed by all the advice about prompts and agents and which chatbot to use. Or maybe you're just quietly hoping it'll a
Most of us are so certain about, well, everything. We think we can predict what's coming, what that off-hand comment really meant, what that look was about, what's going to go wrong. And according to Dr. Ellen Langer, th
In a world of job-hopping, side hustles, and an endless LinkedIn feed, Tim Harris did something almost no one does anymore. He stayed put. Few executives spend an entire career helping build a dynasty. Tim Harris spent 3
Hello from Team Simon! We're taking a quick break this week and will be back with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism next Tuesday. Until then, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes — when bestselling novelis
Maybe this sounds familiar: you leave a party and spend the rest of the night convinced everyone was upset with you. Or you replay something you said in a meeting for days and second-guess every last word. Vanessa Van Ed
We often comfort ourselves with the idea that things happen for a reason, or define our struggles as a test of strength. Tom Nash might ask you to reconsider. Tom is a speaker, former DJ, and globe-trotting advocate for
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
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 suggestio
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
We talk a lot about building successful things. But what does it actually take to build something people love? Jesse Cole has built an entirely new genre of entertainment: The Savannah Bananas and the Banana Ball League.
We live in a world that pushes us to simplify everything: right or wrong, good or bad, this or that. It makes things and our place in the world easier to understand. But the truth is rarely simple… in fact, it’s often me
Naiveté is one of the most powerful assets an entrepreneur can have. In fact, I think some of the most meaningful things in the world only exist because someone was naive enough to try. Daniel Lubetzky would know. In a c
As businesses race toward faster systems, smarter tools, and total automation, something critical is getting lost: human connection. And ironically, the rise of AI is making that gap impossible to ignore. In this episode
Team Simon here! While A Bit of Optimism is on a short break, we’re revisiting a few episodes you helped make some of our favorites. We’ll be back with brand-new conversations next week, on March 24th, 2026. In the meant
Hello from Team Simon! We’re taking a short hiatus, but A Bit of Optimism will return with brand-new episodes March 24th. In the meantime, we’re revisiting some of our favorite episodes. Episodes that many of you who lis
Team Simon here! As we take a short hiatus, A Bit of Optimism will return with brand-new episodes on March 24, 2026. Until then, we’re revisiting some of the conversations you loved and we still think about long after th
Scott Galloway and I don’t always see the world the same way, but our friendly debates almost always lead us back to common ground. It’s probably why we enjoy talking to each other as much as we do. If you haven’t heard
It’s often true that the most challenging conversations are often the ones most worth having. Conversations that bring up strong feelings, different experiences, and questions without easy answers. Policing, and how we c
Dr Ellen Langer
psychologist, Harvard professor, 'Mother of Mindfulness' · Harvard University
1 appearance on this show
Tim Harris
molecular biologist, biochemist and geneticist; science and business leader; Operating Partner at SV Health Investors; board member at Phenome TX; visiting professor at Columbia University · Janelia Research Campus
1 appearance on this show
Vanessa Van Edwards
leading human behavior researcher, bestselling author, founder · Science of People
1 appearance on this show
Tom Nash
International Speaker & Storyteller · UBS Asset Management
1 appearance on this show
Mike Posner
1 appearance on this show
Dr. Eliza Filby
historian and generational expert
1 appearance on this show
Don Yaeger
11 Time NY Times Bestselling Author · Greatness, Inc
1 appearance on this show
Jesse Cole
Texas High School Swim Coach · J&A Mindful Connections
1 appearance on this show
Ken Burns
documentary filmmaker · Dream Team
1 appearance on this show
Daniel Lubetzky
CEO of KIND Snacks and Shark on "Shark Tank" · Kind Healthy Snacks
1 appearance on this show
Will Guidara
Restaurateur Extraordinaire and Hospitality Innovator · Unreasonable Hospitality
1 appearance on this show
Alua Arthur
NYT best-selling author and death doula · Going with Grace
1 appearance on this show
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A Bit of Optimism is hosted by Simon Sinek. The show is categorised under business (careers) and has published 224 episodes.
A Bit of Optimism has published 224 episodes.
A Bit of Optimism regularly covers business, careers, education. It sits in the business category, with a careers focus.
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Episodes of A Bit of Optimism average 58 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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