OPTIMIST In Progress

After the isolation and loneliness of the pandemic, we are rediscovering the positive benefits of social connections again and no one understands this better than our guest this week, Dr Jonathan Leary, who has taken holistic wellbeing to a whole new level. Dr Leary created Remedy Place, the world's first social wellness club, which is founded on alternative and natural health principles, providing a space for connecting without toxicity and optimizing the body's own methods for healing itself. So take a dip into the conversation with OIP this week and you never know ... you might leave yearning for an ice bath, or at least, take the plunge into kickstarting your daily routine … More about Remedy PlaceMore about Dr Jonathan LearyFollow @remedyplaceTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

As we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic and at a time of great alienation and dislocation from society, how do we find a sense of belonging and strength in others and the wider community? To answer this, Tom and Drea reflect on the conversation with frontline optimist Tony Kim who, like many children of immigrants, grew up straddling two cultures and learned to navigate and embrace the superpowers of his third culture. Tony's unique perspective of being both an outsider and insider demonstrates that we can belong in multiple spaces and if we can strive to be a little more fluid in our thinking, says Dr Letamendi, we can relearn to be comfortable in different environments again.Listen to Optimist in Progress: Tony KimMore about Tony Kim and Hero WithinTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

This week on OIP, we talk to Naomi Hallum, the CEO of Million Dollar Vegan, about taking on the enormous mission of educating and empowering people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. While the environmental, ethical, personal, and public health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are overwhelmingly compelling, the world's resistance to giving up animal products makes this global endeavor a particularly challenging one, she tells Tom and Drea. Nevertheless her commitment is unwavering - after all, if you have managed to persuade Pope Francis to fight climate change, through diet change, that is one mighty reason to feel hopeful that consumers can make better choices for a better world tomorrow.More about Million Dollar VeganFollow @milliondollarveganMore about VeganuaryMore about The Time in Between by María DueñasTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

Almost two decades Tom Kay quit his corporate job in London and moved to a small Cornish village to build a company that inspired a love of - and connection to - the sea, in order to better protect our oceans for future generations. Finisterre, makes functional, sustainable clothing for cold water surfers clothing and is one of the pioneering, future-facing brands putting people and planet ahead of profit.  Founder Tom Kay talks to Drea and Tom about his maturing relationship with the sea, the inspirational initiatives they are involved in to expand ocean access for all, and his work as a volunteer helmsman of the local lifeboat. More about Finisterre More about the Finisterre FoundationFollow @finisterreMore about the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (UK) More about B CorpsListen to BBC Shipping ForecastTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Tony Kim is the founder of Hero Within, a lifestyle fashion brand for fanboys and fangirls of pop culture and the cosplay community. A child of Korean immigrants, he talks to Tom and Drea about the struggles of growing up in the “inbetween” space between two cultures and eventually discovering the superpower of his “third culture”. With the help of his own non-traditional family, his passion for all things nerdy and the San Diego Comic-Con inspired a unique calling that was reaching the peak of success when the pandemic hit. Tony talks frankly about holding on to his creative vision while his business pivoted to manufacturing PPE and finding the hero within to remain optimistic in a rapidly changing climate.  We hope you enjoy the conversation ...More about Hero WithinFollow Tony Kim on TwitterMore about Comic-ConMore about Seth GodinListen to Wayward Son by KansasTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Jon Alexander is co-founder of New Citizen Project, and for the past decade he has looked deeply at the impact that the dominant narrative in which we all live - the consumer story -  has shaped our lives, our institutions and most troublingly, our self perception. In his new book, Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us,  he hopes to show us how to reclaim the word "citizen" in its truest sense - together, people - and empower us to work towards a more community-centric future. But how to untether ourselves from the culture of high capitalist consumerism? What exactly are the steps to do that? Tom and Drea talk to Jon about collective power and hackers in Taiwan, a new breed of businesses shaking things up, and the future role of elected leaders as facilitators or space-makers.More about Jon Alexander and CitizensMore about New Citizen Project More about author Rebecca SolnitListen to the How to Citizen podcastWatch The Jam: A Town Called MaliceTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Groundbreaking cannabis activist and consultant Andrew DeAngelo has been a key actor in the legalization of this industry. This week on OIP he talks to Tom and Drea about his personal connection with cannabis on both sides of the law and his commitment to redressing past and continuing injustices through The Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization he co-founded with his brother. They also discuss the use of the arts and culture to remove the stigma that still looms large over marijuana use. His deep conviction to social change and his willingness to make personal sacrifices are an inspiring reminder that grassroots activism starts from within. More about Andrew DeAngeloMore about Last Prisoner ProjectListen to Bullshit Anthem by Fantastic NegritoMore about The weldon projectMore about Cage Free CannabisMore about Michael Pollan's How Coffee and Tea Created the Modern WorldMore about Tony Kushner's Angels in AmericaTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

The beginning of a new year can often bring on pressure to make significant changes in our lives. But how often do we really pay attention to the thing right in front of us, to the task at hand? This week, we revisit an episode of Optimist in Progress, in which Dr Drea Letamendi shares her insights on how to create moments of mindfulness as we fold laundry, chop carrots or do the dishes. By tuning in to those repetitive tasks, and connecting to the sensations of everyday activities, she explains, the small moments take on a new significance, creating a profound sense of gratitude, and enhancing our mental wellbeing.For more on Jon Kabat ZinnFor more on the Zen koan, Chop Wood, Carry WaterA brief intro to ZenA definitive guide to Zen by Alan Watts - The way of ZenTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It's easy to feel the heaviness of the setbacks of the past year, and let's be honest, 2022 has already served up some doozies. Nonetheless, as we move through the year ahead, Tom and Drea discuss how to pause the everyday demands and make plans that spark joy; the importance of saying yes to new things and how we can reframe some of the disappointments of the pandemic. Taking these small steps can help us as we build the practice of optimism and look forward to a more content and intentional future.Follow Tara Roth on TwitterMore about the Goldhirsh FoundationMore about  LA2050To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Tom and Drea talk to future-shaper Tara Roth about what's ahead for social innovation in Los Angeles, the  convergence of business and philanthropy, and the conviction and tenacity needed to really create, drive and support meaningful and lasting social change in the city and beyond. As president of the Goldhirsh Foundation, Tara has spearheaded some remarkable and diverse initiatives from My LA2050 - a grassroots and crowd-sourced campaign that backs proposals for improving Los Angeles - to supporting the legalization of street vendors, to a bold and pioneering universal basic income project in Stockton.  Listen up, all you social entrepreneurs.Follow Tara Roth on TwitterMore about the Goldhirsh FoundationMore about LA2050More about Rick HansonRead Invictus by William Ernest HenleyTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

After OIP's inspiring conversation with Citizen Cope - a musical artist who has successfully tuned into his intuitively-creative process throughout his career - Tom and Drea reflect on the concept of “flow” - a mental state  that is also referred to as “being in the zone”. This transformative feeling of energized focus and absorption is related to our sense of happiness and fulfillment, but how do we find it? Is there a formula for this special attunement of mind and body? And most importantly, can we bottle it?More about Mihaly CzikszentmihalyiMore about Citizen CopeFollow @citizencopeTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

This week on OIP, the phenomenally-talented recording artist and producer, Clarence Greenwood, AKA Citizen Cope, talks to Tom and Drea about his musical journey from learning the trumpet at school to signing with multiple major labels and working with renowned artists such as Carlos Santana and Sheryl Crow. He discusses his uniquely  intuitive and poetic creativity and the challenges he faced along the way - from debilitating stage fright to the pressures of producing music for his label while touring. Today, he helps create musical opportunities for young people and has found his own inner peace, which enables him to create the authentic work he set out to do while finding new and empowering ways of engaging with his audience.More about Citizen CopeFollow @citizencopePavarotti singing Nessun DormaAretha Franklin's Nessun DormaMore about Turn Around ArtsTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

As the year draws to a close, it is oftentimes a period of reflection - and not always in a good way. Many of us sway towards focusing on the things we haven't accomplished, our personal shortcomings and what goals we plan to set ourselves in the future. This week, Tom and Drea are energized by the inspiring optimism of Apryl Electra Storms and talk about strategies for banishing those end-of-year, self-loathing blues. At a time when life can get hectic and overwhelming before the holidays, a little self-forgiveness and kindness can go a long way. We are all optimists in progress.Follow @aprylelectraFollow @doctorgodmusicFollow @minusmoonshineTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It's difficult not to be captivated by Apryl Electra Storms' infectious optimism. In this episode the entrepreneur and co-founder of Minus Moonshine talks to Drea and Tom about their journey from chef to musician to owner of a ground-breaking alcohol-free drinks store in Brooklyn. Apryl has disrupted and defied expectations their whole life, living intuitively and constantly encouraging a reframing of scenarios to help themselves. Apryl talks candidly about identifying non-binary, the challenges they have faced, and the life-changing importance of language for trans people to feel safe and accepted in society.Follow @aprylelectraFollow @doctorgodmusicFollow @minusmoonshineListen to Depeche Mode on YouTubeListen to Massive AttackMore about Fleetwood MacMore about Joni MitchelTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

What keeps us going after a devastating loss, crisis or tragedy? How do we recover and even flourish after a traumatic event? This week on OIP, Tom and Drea discuss the remarkable resilience and positivity of bartender and chef Matthew Biancaniello. His restaurant, Mon-Li, was burned in the Woolsey fire, but ultimately he expressed feeling liberated by this event, and freed up to pursue his creative endeavors. They discuss whether our fundamental need for survival is instinctive or whether it can be learned and nurtured to prepare us for whatever life might hold.More about Matthew BiancanielloMore about Viktor E FranklFollow @eatyourdrinkMore about Mon-Li More about the Woolsey fire (LA Times)To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Meet an indomitable creative force on OIP this week, and perhaps the best embodiment of the proverb “fall down seven times, stand up eight”. Category defying and self-taught bartender and chef, Matthew Biancaniello, came to fame with the legendary, farmers market-inspired cocktails he constructed at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, and at Malibu's Mon-Li, where he created what has been described as “the most extravagant cocktail experience.” He found his calling unexpectedly, but the ride has been a wild one and it shows no sign of slowing down ...   More about Matthew BiancanielloFollow @eatyourdrinkMore about Mon-Li More about Tosha SilverMore about the Woolsey fire (LA Times)Listen to whale music on YouTubeTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

After existing for so long with pandemic restrictions, even the most familiar spaces can make us feel anxious or intimidated. And then there are those places and moments - the  gym, the public speaking event, the difficult conversation - that make the adrenaline rush, and not always in a good way. Flight often ensues.  But psychologists agree that some degree of discomfort is a good thing, a growth opportunity. Tom and Drea discuss some of the empowering tools to employ to prepare yourself for uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations, including “setting the table” of expectations, creating a positive association and voicing our vulnerabilities.More about Hero's Journey FitnessTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

When self professed nerds Christy Black and David Nett felt a little out of place in traditional gyms, they decided to create their own inclusive space where all bodies - and minds - could feel that they belong. Hero's Journey is Los Angeles' first fitness space specifically designed for the “geek community”, and it feels like part of a broader cultural change that embraces individuality and non-conformist ways of being. Christy and David discuss how their compassionate coaching approach eschews the body shame and competition that fuels much of the fitness industry. And if you want an anime figure skating themed workout? No problem. Capes are optional.More about Hero's Journey FitnessMore about Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley RobinsonMore about Mr RogersMore about Carl SaganMore about Battlestar GalacticaTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Last week's conversation with Reginald "Syience" Perry got a lot of love and started up many conversations. When trying to work out which theme or insight to explore in this follow-up episode, we really struggled.  We don't use the term "self-actualized" lightly, but when it comes to Syience … So, this week's episode we're calling "Syience lessons".  If you haven't heard the conversation from last week, go ahead and listen to that first. Then tune in to Drea and Tom as they talk "durable" or active stillness, creative visualization, Stoicism and dispositional optimism, working towards deeper connections with yourself and with others, and a whole bunch of other stuff we might all really benefit from practicing. And to be clear, it will take some practice.Follow @syience1More about Reginald "Syience" PerryTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

This week, OIP steps into another dimension with multi Grammy-award winning producer and creative dynamo, Reginald “Syience” Perry. He talks about his roots in Flint, Michigan and the remarkable, self-willed leap that led him to NY and - in less than a year - to collaborations with artists such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend and Mary J Blige. Syience's true calling though, as he tells Tom and Drea, came in the form of myriad dreams directing him towards a new way of story-telling - an epic collision of music, fiction and technology or what he calls his “universe in a box”. He talks about channeling this transcendental creative flow into his ambitious 10-year project, Radio Flyer, returning the power of imagination to education and reclaiming true, authentic connections. And if this sounds a little mind-blowing - it is … Listen now.Follow @syience1More about Reginald "Syience" PerryMore about The Harder They FallListen to Alice Smith on OIPMore about InterstellarMore about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindWatch the trailer: Ready Player OneTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

One of the upsides to the pandemic is that people have opened up to conversations around mental wellbeing. In fact, it seems like everyone is talking about mental health right now, but for most of us it is pretty intangible, and responses still seem to be limited to general terms - “fine/not fine (but not sure how else to describe it) ...”This week Dr Drea (UCLA) talks to Tom about how using a continuum model, perhaps a color scale, can help us  recognize the shades and subtleties of mental health, and give us the tools to understand, and help others understand, where we're at. Among professionals, the discussion around mental wellness is shifting from a binary model of diagnosis to a dimensional approach; one which could help us all reframe our own path back to active optimism.More about the Five zone model of mental health / the mental health continuumFull list of resources for mental health helpNational Alliance on Mental IllnessMore about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)Listen to Mark Hunter on OIPTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Olympic gold medalist and world rowing champion, Mark Hunter, talks to Drea and Tom about his three Olympic performances, what he refers to humorously as “the bad, the good and the ugly”.  His turbulent journey forced him to develop the mental strength and resilience to deal with pressures that came with competing at a time when mental health was not openly discussed in sport or indeed in the world at large. He credits today's athletes for courageously opening up the conversation around mental health in competitive sports, talks about how he recognizes his own ‘triggers', and shares his hopes for supporting future athletes in their field and beyond.More about Mark HunterWatch Eminem's Lose Yourself on YouTubeTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

As Optimists in Progress we hoped to spring into Season 2 firmly in a “post-pandemic” world or at least something approaching 'normal',  but as the pandemic morphs into an endemic, we are welcoming our new season of guests into a time of cautious acclimation to a new reality. In this first episode of Season 2, Tom and Drea reflect on where we find ourselves right now, and some of the positive habits we can build to accept, cope and ultimately thrive in this next, constantly shifting phase. Listen in to our conversations with change-makers and future-shapers over the coming months. Activists, athletes, entrepreneurs, musicians, chefs and many other guests share how their own paths to active optimism have helped them find radical joy and purpose in this time of flux.Read more about:Kubler-Ross stages of grief / change curveAcute v chronic stress and post-covid stress disorderFORBES: Delta Variant and second wave of health issuesSuicide rates among youth of color are risingThe Nation: Howard Zinn, Optimism in UncertaintyTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

We are living through a global pandemic, and viral contagion is something we are all very familiar with. But what about emotional contagion? How can the idea of collective energy help us to navigate through difficult times, and empower us to create something better? In this episode Drea and Tom talk 'collective effervescence', how we can spread that positive energy deliberately or unconsciously and how we should seek out other people to guide us through - and raise our spirits - when we find it harder to see.More on Crop Swap LARead about Jamiah Hargins and Asante Micro Farm To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

Growing vegetables might seem an unlikely way to fight the power, but Jamiah Hargins has no doubt it offers a revolutionary means by which to address social inequity, build community and address problems centuries in the making. He quit a career in finance to focus on social entrepreneurship, founding Asante Microfarm and Crop Swap LA, and his vision of an urban paradise is, he believes, fully achievable if we engage in active optimism, and break out of the ‘self perpetuating cycle of non-action'.More about Crop Swap LAMore about Asante MicrofarmMore about LA 2050More about Enviroscapela.comListen to Tao Te Ching on Soundcloud To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Why do so many of us feel guilty or lazy when resting? This week on OIP, Tom and Drea discuss why our fast-paced, high-achieving culture values “busyness” and how taking an intentional pause seems at odds with this concept of productivity. They talk about how writing our own ‘permission slips' to ditch the ‘to do' list and instead experience moments of idleness is actually the key to better creativity and focus, as well as an empowering boost for our mental health.For more information on Timeka Drew's Biko FlowerMore about The Liberty Tree FoundationTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Cannabis entrepreneur Tamika Drew talks about how a debilitating disease led her to embrace cannabis as medicine and her personal journey to establishing her family-run cannabis business Biko Flower. She tells Tom and Drea about how her Nigerian ancestry and strong female leadership inspired her along the way and the vital importance of continuing her social activism work in the field of corporate cannabis.For more on Biko FlowerMore about Nat TurnerMore about The Liberty Tree Foundation More about The Poor People's Economic Human Rights CampaignListen to Luna Lovebad To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

‘Reframing' or ‘cognitive restructuring' is a concept accessible to all of us. Tom and Drea discuss how it takes some work, but we can shift our perspective in order to lift the lens of negativity and distorted thoughts. Sometimes a small shift in thinking can have a huge impact in our daily lives.More about 'Cognitive reframing' TED talk: How to make stress your friend Follow Josh Harris @josh_the_bon_vivants More about The Bon Vivants To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Renowned hospitality entrepreneur and influential San Francisco bar owner, Josh Harris, discovered his passion for bartending after a sports injury cut short his athletic ambitions in his early twenties. He talks poignantly about his early struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, the calm he found being on the other side of the bar and navigating the cocktail renaissance sober.  As the hospitality industry makes tentative steps towards recovery, Josh shares how his commitment and resolute mindset help him face the post-pandemic challenges ahead, with a little pick-me-up from vintage hunting along the way.For further info on anything you have heard: Follow @josh_the_bon_vivantsFor Josh's vintage finds, follow @bvintaesfMore about Pig & PunchMore about The Bon VivantsTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Inspired by their conversation with award-winning architect Michael Lehrer, Tom and Drea discuss how we can enhance - and even challenge - our own environments for better well-being and spark joy in our daily work spaces/lives. As companies make decisions about a return to the office, how could we evolve traditional work spaces to allow for greater creativity and dignity?More on Happy by Design by  Ben ChannonMore on  Michael LehrerTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles awarded Michael Lehrer the gold medal, their highest award, describing him as "an architect fully engaged with architecture as a means to contribute to society as a whole."  Michael has worked for clients across the social spectrum, but a great deal of his focus has been on finding innovative solutions to the crisis of 'houselessness' in LA.  He speaks to Drea and Tom about the importance of architecture as a means to restore our dignity and our humanity as a society, the creative opportunities afforded by 'focus in reverie', and the overwhelming power to be found in a simple smile.For further info on anything you've heard: Lehrer ArchitectsChandler: Tiny Little homesIsabel Wilkerson's CasteWatch: The Titans that built AmericaMore about David Hockney To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks  @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi  @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

There's a lot of talk of burn out right now;  swathes of people are quitting their jobs (or seriously thinking about it) in what's being referred to as 'The Great Resignation'.  Companies are struggling to fill roles, and it feels that something transformational is happening in society. Are we on the edge of something truly significant or do we just need a summer off before we head back to the workplace in September?  Tom asks Drea to articulate what burn out actually is as they discuss the unexpected upside of stress, and Tina Turner's pre-performance nerves.References: Forbes article on workers quitting in droves and The Great ResignationKelly McGonigal TED talk - How to make stress your friendTina Turner doc - Tina (on HBO) To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks  @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi  @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

After a 'hyper-accelerated' existence as the NY-based music editor for Vice, covering the underground music and recreational drug scene all over the world, author and journalist Michelle Lhooq moved to LA and a 'California Sober' lifestyle (the now zeitgeist phrase she originally coined in jest). Her outlook ("where optimism meets absurdity") is perhaps more in line with Gen Z than her own 'ironic cool Millenial' gen, and her exploration into the evolving counterculture, the protest scene and the shifting nature of 'illicit' substances provide a fascinating glimpse into the intersections of avantguard culture, politics, social and racial justice.  Michelle talks to Drea and Tom about partying, particularly post-pandemic, as a form of connection and healing, the positive actions of the 'disassociation generation', and sobriety as a political stance. Follow Michelle Lhooq @michellelhooq Subscribe to her newsletter - RaveNewWorld.Substack.comFor more on her book "Weed" To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks  @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi  @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

In this episode we return to the concept of 'collective liberation' introduced last week in our conversation with Charlotte James and Undrea Wright of The Ancestor Project. How can this idea help us to create a more equitable future for all? For many of us this concept might be unfamiliar, and taking action to undo historic oppression and systemic injustices may feel overwhelming and can be very uncomfortable. Dr Drea Letemendi talks to Tom Johnstone about "doing the work", what small steps we can all take in our daily lives to stop perpetuating existing inequities and how “decolonizing the individual” can lead to recovery and restoration in the broader community. To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks  @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi  @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone More about the Ancestor ProjectResources for Anguish and ActionRead these books for Action

Charlotte James and Undrea Wright came together to create - or channel - a radical and transformative path to healing through 'sacred plant medicine'. Through their ground-breaking work with The Ancestor Project, the Baltimore-based pair seek to integrate the ancient practice of legal psychedelics and non-psychoactive substances to support therapeutic journeys for the BIPOC community. This week on OIP, these remarkable frontline optimists talk with great consideration about reclaiming “Sacred Earth medicines” from historical systems of oppression, the badass indigenous ancestors we should look to for guidance, and how the aim of this work goes far beyond the self, towards a deeper collective liberation.For further links and reading see below:The Ancestor Project LEARN MORE ABOUT “Our badass indigenous ancestors”: Fannie Lou Hamer - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedomsummer-hamer/Lilla Watson - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/queensland-review/article/abs/lilla-watson/16131B34E295C6039BCBC01804CB5344The Four Agreements - Miguel RuizBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - Of water and the spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé -  MOVE:- Kemetic yoga - https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-black-history-of-yogaLISTEN:-The Healers: The Last Chapter by Black Motion - https://blackmotion.lnk.to/TH10https://thenativemag.com/black-motion-the-healers-last-chapter/ To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks  @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi  @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

Most of us rush through the endless ‘to do' list of daily chores feeling distracted and impatient. How often do we really pay attention to the thing that's right in front of us, to the task at hand? In this episode of Optimist in Progress, Dr Drea Letamendi shares her insights on how to create moments of mindfulness as we fold laundry, chop carrots or do the dishes. By tuning in to those repetitive tasks, and connecting to the sensations of everyday activities, she explains,  the small moments take on a new significance, creating a profound sense of gratitude, and enhancing our mental wellbeing.For more on Jon Kabat ZinnFor more on the Zen koan, Chop Wood, Carry Water A brief intro to Zen A definitive guide to Zen by Alan Watts - The way of Zen To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Whilst she may not recognize herself as an optimist (“rainbows and ponies?”), the work that UK based food writer and nutritional coach Lizzie King is doing to educate people about how to 'eat well' in every sense certainly demonstrates an inherent commitment to building a better future for people and planet. Raised in a family of obsessive “foodies”, long summers spent in Tuscany had a huge influence on shaping Lizzie's understanding of farming, seasonality, ingredients, and the importance of sharing the experience of preparing, cooking and eating together with your people, whoever that might be.For more info about Lizzie KingFor Lizzie's book Lizzie Loves Healthy Delicious Nutritious (US) Further reading: Earthed by Rebecca Schiller To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit  optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It sounds a little like therapy-speak, but finding your authentic self, living authentically is just another way to say we're ‘keeping it real'. Authenticity has always been highly valued in our societies, particularly for artists and creatives, but what about the rest of us? How do we live an authentic life, and make sure our actions are closely aligned with our values and personal beliefs. Nobody wants to be called a faker. Jung and Gandhi had plenty to say on this,  and it was one of Shakespeare's recurring themes. In the words of Polonius to his son Laetres: “This above all else: To thine ownself be true.”If you are looking for more on this theme, listen to “Unlocking us with Brené Brown”To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Singer/songwriter Alice Smith was nominated for a Grammy for best newcomer when she hit the scene with her highly original sound and powerful stage presence. Record label politics though went on to have profound consequences for her on both a professional and a very personal level. She explains how her people, her commitment to her art, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity allowed her to reconnect with herself and gain strength from that traumatic period to become the artist she is today.For more on Alice or listen to her  latest album Mystery on Spotify, Apple music or wherever you get your music from. To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Much of the past year has been spent in isolation; we've been existing in small 'social bubbles', and relying heavily on technology to feel connected. Though quarantine helped our society to survive this virus, as Dr Drea explains to Tom in this episode, isolation is the opposite of what we need to foster resilience. Rebuilding those connections, even the minor daily interactions with strangers, is the key to healing and reviving our emotional and physical worlds. Just be prepared for some awkward elbow shaking and hug-ducking along the way.For more on  Cameron Hughes, Harvard Loneliness Studies, Gazing Therapy & Marina Abramovic Art Experiment see links below: Cameron Hughes, King of CheerHarvard Loneliness StudiesArthur Aaron Research & Gazing theoryMarina Abramovic Art Experiment To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Cameron Hughes is a professional cheer guy. He whips crowds of all sizes into a frenzy of excitement, abandoning self-consciousness to create a shared high - moments of pure elation and connection. In conversation with Drea and Tom, he explains how loss in his childhood led to this unlikely calling, describes the 'cheer sense' that allows him to read a crowd of thousands in an instant, and how, through the pandemic period even the 'King of Cheer' sometimes needs a cheer.For more on Cameron HughesDavid CogginsIron CowboyTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

For most of us living with partners or lovers, the past year of lockdown has been testing from a relationship perspective. The intensity of existing in the same space, in such close proximity, has led to a spike in divorce rates, and at the very least, stifled the romance and made our relationships somewhat functional. This week Drea and Tom get personal to discuss how important it is to remember to actively like our partners, and how intimate whistles and acoustic hacks might help keep things on track as we emerge back into the world.More about John Gottman's theories on love and marriageTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea  Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

Some people are born with a proclivity for optimism. Actor and performer Karen David is one of those fortunate individuals, but as she acknowledges, that doesn't mean she doesn't have to work constantly at honing her skill.  As the daughter of immigrants, she was often treated like an interloper, but her eight year old self found solace in singing Whitney Houston loud, dancing around in her basement and creating vision boards that inspire her still today. She talks to Dr Drea and Tom about the importance of tapping therapy and meditation in her optimism practice, as well as some more lighthearted tricks to survive lockdown tensions with loved ones.For anything on Karen David: Twitter: @KarenDavidInstagram: @karendavidofficialFacebook: @KarenDavidMusicMore about tapping or Brad YatesTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinks 

Wondering why so many of us were nurturing sourdough starter, planting seeds and signing up for an online language course this past year? Dr Drea mines the field of positive psychology and introduces the theory of 'broaden-and-build', something as humans we are hardwired for. Regardless of our circumstances, we can all access positive benefits simply by ensuring we embrace novel experiences. Just walking a new route home can significantly improve our physical state, our creativity and mental functioning, as well as improving social harmony and connectedness.  Embrace it and dive in!Read more: The Atlantic: What the pandemic is doing to our brainsTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstoneFollow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinks

Travel & food writer, and Los Angeles native, Krista Simmons spent her pre-COVID career exploring food cultures around the world. She talks candidly to Tom and Dr Drea about the impact of lockdown on her mental health, her work, and the food & hospitality industries across the globe. Despite the destruction wrought by the virus, she identifies seeds of hope, and an opportunity to rebuild the food industry in a way that could create a more equitable society, heal cultural wounds and reverse the environmental destruction, with a little help from 'the G.O.A.T', David Attenborough.To find out more about Krista Simmons visit: @kristasimmons Twitter https://twitter.com/kristasimmonsFacebook https://www.facebook.com/itskristasimmonsPodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/fork-in-the-road/id1509620739Additional references discussed in the podcast:  1. David Attenborough - A Life on Our Planet2. The Truffle Hunters directed by Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw3. Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung4. Krista's Fork in the Road episode on Belcampo's organic carbon-positive farm -   Can Raising Cattle Be Good For the Climate? with Belcampo's Anya FernaldTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinks 

We have just passed the year mark, things are beginning to open up after an extraordinary, challenging and for some, tragic twelve months.  Dr Drea Letamendi talks to Tom about ways to process the past year in order to move forwards and thrive.More information on the Kubler-Ross model (5 stages of grief) This podcast was recorded at the Britely, a new private social club opening this spring on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.  or follow  @thebritelyDirector of Programming and Partnerships is Annalise Ghiz (also featured on the podcast). To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Dr Drea  Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinks

Play seems like the last thing any of us are prioritizing right now, but a conversation between Dr Drea and Tom highlights the importance of play for all of us - as a way of coping, connecting, surviving and even thriving through these late pandemic days. What actually constitutes play though is a fascinating thing to consider...Alan Watts Quotes: “This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ8so-ld-l0  (3:23- 4:00)“Existence, in the physical universe, is basically playful.”https://www.openculture.com/2018/11/alan-watts-dispenses-wit-wisdom-meaning-life-three-animated-videos.htmlFollow Todd Stashwick @tstashwickTodd Stashwick's Nerd Circus To get in touch email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Dr Drea  Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinks

Actor and improv artist Todd Stashwick, self confessed purveyor of all things geeky, and Tiki aficionado, firmly believes that practical optimism, or as he refers to it, intentional positivity, can solve most of the problems we face in our lives. In this episode Todd discusses his 'optimism operating system' with co-hosts Dr Drea and Tom, a system rooted in a very practical Mid-Western Lutheran upbringing, shaped by a life of repeated rejections in the acting world, and illuminated by the insights of Alan Watts, the importance of play and getting right back up after being 'kicked in the optimism balls'.To get in touch email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Todd Stashwick @tstashwickTodd Stashwick's Nerd Circus can be found at thenerdcircus.comFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinks

It can be hard to recognise when you need to stop what you're doing and take rest, especially when people are relying on you; and particularly during these times. Ours is a society which celebrates overt displays of productivity;  'doing nothing' is seen as being lazy, work-shy or anti-social. Dr Drea and Tom explore the notion of active rest, and rest as resistance.Follow Christine Adams @officialchristineadams Her non-profit is @weareweseeyouHer School is morganoliverschool.orgTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Christine Adams is an actor, currently playing a lead role in CW's television series 'Black Lightning'. It's clear that working as an actor takes resilience, but it's her other life, that of a political activist and founder of a non-profit, set up to get the vote out in Georgia, that best demonstrates the depths of her gritty optimism. Her belief that if we take action, we can make meaningful change happen. A beautiful take on seizing small moments of joy amidst all the madness, and not turning away from the inequities we see around us every day, no matter where we are.Follow Christine Adams @officialchristineadams Her non-profit is @weareweseeyouHer School is  morganoliverschool.orgTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It is easy to lose sight of the progress we are making as we work towards goals, whatever they may be; to lose heart because aren't happening as quickly or as radically as we might have hoped.  In this microcast, Dr Drea suggests that we pay more attention to what we are actually achieving, taking time to celebrate the small wins as a way to set ourselves up for long term success.To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone