How would you like to be judged for the rest of your life by the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Robin Steinberg was a public defender, where she had to learn to see her clients – who were often accused of heinous crimes – as human.  

The lessons she has learned about how to find compassion for people with whom we vehemently disagree are absolutely essential for this divided world.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Robin and her work check out:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/610838/the-courage-of-compassion-by-robin-steinberg-contributions-by-camilo-ramirez/

There is a very good chance that Bill Farmer has already made your life brighter and you had no idea.

That's because Bill is a Disney Legend. He has been the voice of Goofy since 1987, among countless other Disney and Looney Tunes characters. What started as a simple impression sparked an amazing career that has influenced millions with a message of optimism.

He views his work as an act of service. As a result, he brings his audience joy that they carry with them for the rest of their lives.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Bill Farmer and his work, check out: 

https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/its-a-dogs-life-with-bill-farmer

When you get one of the most successful comedy writers in television history to come on your podcast, naturally the first thing to talk about is...his trip in a homemade submarine to visit the ruins of the Titanic.

You see, Mike Reiss isn't just the funniest guy in the room — he's also the most well-traveled.  He's been to Iran, the North Pole, North Korea, and everywhere in between.  

Whether he's sharing travel anecdotes or writer's room memories from his 600+ episodes of The Simpsons, one thing is very clear: when Mike tells a story, things are going to get animated.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Mike and his work check out: 

His travel podcast "What Am I Doing Here with Mike Reiss": https://bleav.com/shows/what-am-i-doing-here-with-mike-reiss/

Our time, energy, and emotions are valuable because they are finite.

And yet conversations with Seth Godin always leave me feeling more patient, energized, and full of love.  

Seth is a prolific author and a marketing genius who knows first-hand how love can take an interaction from transactional to transformational.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Seth and his work check out: 

https://www.sethgodin.com/

A Song of Significance, out May 2023: https://geni.us/pdnqnz

Want to go fast? Go alone. Want to go far? Go together.

Most entrepreneurs aren’t lone wolves. Founders like Jeff Rosenthal know that the greatest ventures come with partners, mentors, and communities.

Being enthusiastic, generous, and kind attracts people who want to help—and together you can accomplish the unreasonable. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jeff and his work check out: 

https://summit.co/

https://summitimpact.org/

Anxiety is the crown jewel of human evolution. 

That’s the professional opinion of neuroscience professor and clinical psychologist Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, who is driving a paradigm shift in how we understand anxiety. The emotion isn’t a sickness or a flaw in human design – it’s an evolved advantage that protects us and strengthens our creative and productive powers. 

So even though anxiety doesn’t feel good…it can be good to feel anxious.

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Dr. Dennis-Tiwary and her work check out: 

https://www.drtracyphd.com/

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/future-tense-tracy-dennis-tiwary?variant=39708426797090

There are precious few moments in life that guarantee joy. That’s what makes time spent with Richard Curtis or watching his films so special – you just know you’re in for a great time.  

Richard is the patron saint of love in the movies.  He’s a writer and sometimes director known for optimistic, funny, and uplifting films like: Love Actually, About Time, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mr. Bean, and many more.

I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Richard on Valentine’s Day of all days to talk about love, joy, charity, and optimism.

This is…A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Richard and his work check out:

https://www.comicrelief.com/

Explorers discover new worlds and perspectives that change humanity forever.

Leland Melvin has spent his life exploring.  He’s been a rocket scientist, an astronaut, and an NFL player.

Now, he’s an educator who uses the dramatic ups-and-downs of his own life to inspire the next generation of explorers.  

This is… A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Leland and his work, check out: 

lelandmelvin.com

When is a risk worth taking? We have to learn to embrace the comfortable risks - the ones where the pain of failure is worthwhile or even valuable.  

Podcaster, author and NYU professor, Scott Galloway and I talk about a lot of things, including our concern that the youngest generation is too afraid of the risks worth taking and how that may be adversely affecting them. 

This is… A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Scott and his work check out: 

https://www.profgalloway.com/

https://profgmedia.com/the-pod/

https://profgmedia.com/pivot/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713560/adrift-by-scott-galloway/

Sarah has the coolest job: Space Archaeologist.

She uses satellites to find undiscovered sites buried deep beneath the ground. But the real interesting stuff is what we can learn about ourselves from studying our past.

This is… A Bit of Optimism. 

Watch Sarah's first TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFC5CwZVCEw&themeRefresh=1

Watch Egypt's Lost Cities on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pwms