Hosted by Bill Burke · 🇺🇸 US · EN-US · 167 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Hosted by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, this weekly podcast will feature inspiring leaders, authors, researchers, and big thinkers who are taking on some of our world's toughest challenges with an infectious sense of optimism. Blue Sky takes its name from the meditation reminder that there's always blue sky above, sometimes you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it.
Bill Burke hosts Blue Sky, a society show with 167 episodes published.
Margo Walsh is an entrepreneur on a mission to prove that second chances are good for business. As founder of MaineWorks — a certified B-Corp — she has built a model that connects people with substance use disorder and/o
What if one of the most powerful tools for restoring your mental health, sharpening your focus, and cultivating optimism has been outside your door all along? In this episode of Blue Sky , neuroscientist Marc Berman — pi
What if the relentlessly negative news cycle is giving us a distorted picture of reality? In this episode of Blue Sky , Charles Kenny from the Center for Global Development makes a compelling, data-driven case that the w
Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist and co-host of Optimist Economy , discusses economic optimism, career paths, and the impact of policy on the American economy. She shares her insights on the job market and AI, and
Adam Mastroianni says he likes to " study how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across the table to the whole country buzzing around them." In this Blue Sky conversation, Dr. Ma
Once an ironman athlete and perfectionist, Risa August faced a devastating diagnosis that stripped away her former life. This is the story of how she found new purpose and adventure, transforming her approach to life, fr
Dr. Robert Soiffer took an interest in medicine at an early age when he played a physician in his first-grade play . Today, he is a leading physician, researcher, and teacher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world lead
While many of us wish we had more resources, more options, and more time, David Epstein suggests that it's scarcity and constraints that lead us to better outcomes . This notion might feel counterintuitive, but David exp
Sam Fankuchen shares his personal journey, beginning with a dramatic close call on 9/11 that profoundly influenced his career path. This pivotal moment led him to recognize the complexities and barriers within volunteeri
Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Harris is an experienced practitioner of holistic medicine and author of the book, Synchronicity . In this Blue Sky conversation, Ken describes the subtle but important difference he sees between coinci
Dr. Kate Lund has spent much of her career as a psychologist studying children and parenting . She's distilled much of what she's learned in her most recent book, Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting . In this epis
When Eddie Ndopu was two years old, his mother was told he wouldn't likely live past five . Now in his early thirties, Eddie is an internationally-known and Oxford-educated advocate for the rights of the disabled . In th
We all know that our jobs are a huge part of our lives, and the way we feel about our workplace, our supervisors, and coworkers has a lot to do with our ability to stay positive and mentally healthy a nd be optimistic ab
In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son's severe addiction to alcohol. (Steve is not using his full name here to protect his son's anonymity.) While l
The teenage years are always tough, not just for the teens but also for the parents, teachers, and coaches in their lives . Charlene Engstrom and Johan Fallby have decided to do something about this and their firm, Playw
Jeff Korzenik , the chief economist at a major US bank, explains how predicting a labor shortage in the US led him to discover the growing movement around "second chance" hiring of people with criminal records . His pass
Beatrice Erkers decided not to pursue a PhD after concluding that she wanted to do work that had more of a positive impact on the world . She made her way to the Foresight Institute and is now director of their Existenti
LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a "force of nature," and from the first seconds of this Blue Sky episode, you will understand why . Raised in Selma, Alabama she grew up surrounded by family members who were a
Julie Roland's background is impressive and remarkably varied . She's a retired naval aviator, magician, a law school graduate, a political staffer, and founder of the community-building nonprofit Just Tryna Make Friends
Older Americans are struggling with social isolation more than ever . This can lead to challenges with mental and physical health as people age, and one nonprofit is having great success trying to do something about it.
Jennifer Wong
interim director, geriatric specialist
1 appearance on this show
Dr Lynda Ulrich
Founder of The Goodness Exchange · The Goodness Exchange
1 appearance on this show
Dr Stanley Andrisse
scientist, author, professor · From Prison Cells to PhD
1 appearance on this show
Matt Ridley
author, journalist, businessman, member of The House of Lords · UKW
1 appearance on this show
Meghan Riordan Jarvis
specialized trauma therapist, author, and podcast host
1 appearance on this show
Marcy Syms
businesswoman and advocate for respect in leadership · Syms Corporation
1 appearance on this show
Jonathan Groff
Black-ish
1 appearance on this show
Daniel Pink
Behavioral science guru and bestselling author · Bonsall High School
1 appearance on this show
Ted Johnson
professor of pediatric oncology and co-director of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program at Augusta University · Cannonball Kids’ Cancer Foundation
1 appearance on this show
Angus Hervey
economist, journalist and TED icon
1 appearance on this show
Chris Anderson
Director of Technical Program Management · Independence Pet Holdings
1 appearance on this show
David Gardner
solicitor and former AHPRA investigator · Royal Borough of Greenwich
1 appearance on this show
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To pitch Blue Sky, visit https://www.theoptimisminstitute.com/ for contact information, then craft a tight one-paragraph hook that ties your expertise to a gap in their recent society coverage.
Blue Sky is hosted by Bill Burke. The show is categorised under society (culture) and has published 167 episodes.
Blue Sky has published 167 episodes.
Blue Sky regularly covers society, culture, health. It sits in the society category, with a culture focus.
Blue Sky is accessible for guests with genuine society expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Blue Sky hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Blue Sky average 47 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates Blue Sky's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
Methodology. Booking Probability™ blends Listen Score, 30-day Virality, open-to-guests detection, and Apple ratings. Data refreshed every 60 minutes. Listen Score and Booking Probability are calculated by PitchCentric. Last enriched 4 days ago.
