Podcasts about optimists

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4037: Sabrina shares why resisting change often creates more suffering than the change itself, offering practical ways to move forward with resilience and self-compassion. From letting go of unhelpful venting to focusing on small daily progress, these insights can help you feel calmer, more grounded, and better prepared for life's inevitable transitions. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/embracing-change/ Quotes to ponder: “Venting is about expressing negative emotions, not solving problems.” “Where are our eyes? They're not on the side or the back of our heads. They're set at the front facing forward. Why? To remind us to look ahead.” “Every step forward, no matter how tiny it seems, deserves a pat on the back.” Episode references: European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/pewo20 Stumbling on Happiness: https://www.amazon.com/Stumbling-Happiness-Daniel-Gilbert/dp/1400077427 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 explains how her work is motivated by a belief in the importance of investing in children and families to build a stronger economic future. She argues for strategic public spending and challenges common economic narratives.  Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Katherine Anne Edwards 02:16 From Diplomacy to Economics 06:36 The Genesis of Optimist Economy 11:06 AI, Jobs, and Economic Policy 17:08 Self-Centered Economic Policies 21:24 Investing in Children and Childcare 30:55 Optimism as a Demand for Better 35:47 Myths of Generations and Economic Blame 43:53 Finding Optimism in Solutions 

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4036: Sabrina explores why resisting change often leads to more anxiety and frustration, while learning to adapt can create resilience, confidence, and growth. Drawing from personal experiences, workplace insights, and practical mindset shifts, she shares actionable ways to approach uncertainty with greater calm and control. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/embracing-change/ Quotes to ponder: "Fear of the unknown is a fundamental fear that is built into us by evolution." "An essential component of embracing change is learning to embrace the emotions you feel along the way." "The more you understand the change, the more power you'll have, and the better you'll feel about it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4036: Sabrina explores why resisting change often leads to more anxiety and frustration, while learning to adapt can create resilience, confidence, and growth. Drawing from personal experiences, workplace insights, and practical mindset shifts, she shares actionable ways to approach uncertainty with greater calm and control. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/embracing-change/ Quotes to ponder: "Fear of the unknown is a fundamental fear that is built into us by evolution." "An essential component of embracing change is learning to embrace the emotions you feel along the way." "The more you understand the change, the more power you'll have, and the better you'll feel about it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4036: Sabrina explores why resisting change often leads to more anxiety and frustration, while learning to adapt can create resilience, confidence, and growth. Drawing from personal experiences, workplace insights, and practical mindset shifts, she shares actionable ways to approach uncertainty with greater calm and control. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/embracing-change/ Quotes to ponder: "Fear of the unknown is a fundamental fear that is built into us by evolution." "An essential component of embracing change is learning to embrace the emotions you feel along the way." "The more you understand the change, the more power you'll have, and the better you'll feel about it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Sue Varma's groundbreaking work shows that “optimism” goes beyond just having a positive outlook – it brings about better outcomes. Optimists tend to achieve more success, report higher incomes and job satisfaction, adopt healthier habits, build stronger relationships, and experience greater overall life satisfaction, ultimately leading to increased happiness. Sue states simply that “optimists may be born, but practical optimists are made.” Practical Optimism is a mindset that can be learned – and Practical Optimism lays out a roadmap to success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if changing your mindset could completely change your life?In this powerful solo episode of The Van Deeb Podcast, Van shares the life-changing principles behind the Optimist Creed — a philosophy that has guided him for over 40 years in business, leadership, and personal growth.Van explains how positivity, gratitude, encouragement, and self-improvement can help youThis episode is packed with timeless wisdom and practical reminders that can immediately improve your outlook and your future.If you've been needing motivation, encouragement, or a reset… this episode is for you.ReferencesOptimist Club https://www.optimist.orgReal Estate Masterclass https://www.realestatemasterclass.online

“Send Coach John a message”I connected with this guy again, as it's been awhile since I've shared something from Coach AJ  / Mental Fitness (@coachajkings). This one is a reminder of some pure gold basics in life. It comes from football coach, Dabo Swinney who said, "It's the optimists who change the world." Success starts with your mindset and what you do every single day. A bad attitude holds you back. A great attitude takes you forward. "The only disability in life is a bad attitude." We all have this disability at times throughout our lives, along with others. Keep trying to be your best as I am doing the same. I'm reminding myself that my effort and attitude are the only things that I can really control - I need to keep working on these for sure.   Thanks for listening.  Please take a few moments to subscribe & share this with someone, also leave a 5 Star rating on Apple Podcasts and ITunes or other services where you find this show.  Find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/coachtoexpectsuccess/   on Twitter / “X”:  @coachtosuccess   and on Instagram at:  @coachjohndaly  - My YouTube Channel is at: Coach John Daly.   Email me at: CoachJohnDalyPodcast@gmail.com     You can also head on over to https://www.coachtoexpectsuccess.com/ and get in touch with me there on my homepage along with checking out my Top Book list too.  Other things there on my site are being worked on too.  Please let me know that you are reaching out to me from my podcast.  ** I would appreciate anyone to try clicking on the top of the show notes where it says "Send us a text" to leave a few thoughts / comments / questions.  It's a new feature that I'd like to see how it works. **

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Read my NEW BOOK -- The Price of Becoming -  www.LearningLeader.com/Becoming Eric Ries is the author of The Lean Startup, one of the most influential business books of the past 25 years, and the founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange, the first new U.S. exchange to both list and trade multiple stocks since NASDAQ launched 50 years ago. His new book is Incorruptible. Key Learnings The more successful a company becomes, the more valuable it is as a target. Companies are worth stealing and taking over. Most founders are naive about this and don't understand what's coming for them. They've been following the so-called best practices about how companies should be built, structured, and governed. Most of those best practices are value-destroying. Sol Price was a lawyer before he became an entrepreneur. He believed a lawyer had a fiduciary duty to put the client's interests before his own. So when he became a retailer, he asked: "Who's my client?" The customer. He treated the customer as the person he would rather die than betray. When competitors sold a product for less, he'd put up signs in his own store: "Don't buy this from me. You can get it cheaper somewhere else." He capped his margins at 14 percent. He paid above-market wages. It is so much easier to destroy than to create. One day, Sol came into work and couldn't get into his office because the locks had been changed. Investors had pushed him out and forced Fedmart to practice retail best practices. Within seven years, they bankrupted the company. We've built an economy that rewards people for cost-cutting without holding them accountable for the consequences to trustworthiness, brand, or culture. The origin story of Costco: Sol took two weeks off, then leased the office upstairs from Fedmart and started Price Club. One of the young guys who left with him, Jim Sinegal, had worked his way up from stock boy. Jim eventually started his own company using the Sol ethos. A few years later, their companies merged to form what we now call Costco. Wall Street routinely calls Costco the exception to every rule. Wall Street analysts say things like: "At Costco, they take money that rightfully belongs to shareholders and instead invest it in the customer experience." As if that's a criticism. Costco endures because it's protected by a governance fortress. A series of worst practices that resist outside pressure structurally. The $1.50 hot dog has been the same price since 1986. A McDonald's Big Mac was $1.60 in 1986. Today that same Big Mac in California is over $7. Costco sells more hot dogs than every Major League Baseball stadium in America combined. If they raised the combo to $7, it would be a billion dollars of extra net income. They could do it. They choose not to. "If you raise the price of the effing hot dog, I will kill you. So figure it out." Jim Sinegal said it to his COO in 2008 when costs were rising. Figure it out. Costco vertically integrated the hot dog supply chain. They own hot dog production plants in multiple cities. They worked deals with soda vendors. They did all that extra work for the privilege of not making more money on the hot dog. Harder is easier. "When you take the hard road, when you make a principled commitment, you get these almost unbelievable values. Because you're generating the most underrated and most valuable asset in all of business: trustworthiness." "Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life." Jerzy Gregorek, Olympic weightlifter. "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder. Nobody wanna lift these heavy ass weights." Ronnie Coleman, eight-time Mr. Olympia. Everyone wants the outcome. Nobody wants to do the actual thing. Culture and mission can be cultivated, not commanded. Most leaders get this wrong. They say "I'm in charge of my team." But can you command your team to have integrity? Can you command it to have a particular culture? You have to make consistent, responsible choices, just like cultivating health in your body. Get reps. Eric gave practice talks at a Hobee's restaurant at 7 AM to six people just to get the reps. Caring and trying to do a good job is so unbelievably rare. That alone is a competitive advantage. Feedback tells you something about the person giving it, not about yourself. If someone reads Eric's manuscript and says, "This book sucks," he hasn't learned anything about the book. He's learned this person doesn't like this kind of book. When he stopped arguing with negative customer reviews and started studying who they came from, he noticed patterns. People 16 and younger loved the product. People 16 and older hated it. He learned who his product was for. Separate qualitative from quantitative feedback. Qualitative is for hypothesis generation. Quantitative is for hypothesis validation. When test readers told him a chapter wasn't working, that was qualitative. When the platform data showed nobody was getting past that chapter, that was quantitative. You need both to know what to fix. It is always too early until it's too late. Eric tells the story of a multibillion-dollar founder he warned before his IPO. The founder talked to his bankers, lawyers, and CFO. They told him Eric was a downer. The founder went public anyway with conventional governance. Five months later, his stock dropped 90 percent, and he was ousted. The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second-best time is today. Eric's checklist for building an incorruptible company: Encode your mission into the corporate charter. Most founders have never read their charter. If your mission statement says one thing but your legal charter says another, you're lying. The easiest fix: file a public benefit corp filing (PBC). Two pages. 44 states. Your lawyer can do it tomorrow. Identify your fiduciary commitments. Who would you rather die than betray? Is it your customers? Your employees? Product quality? You decide. If your answer is nobody, you're a sociopath. The whole book is for the people who actually want to accomplish something. Align your employees to that mission. Make sure everybody on the team is committed to the same fiduciary priority. Create a director's oath. Like the Hippocratic Oath for doctors, but for your board. They must pledge to commit to the company's mission. Board betrayal and investor pressure are leading causes of death of companies in the modern world. Make the directors accountable to somebody. Power without accountability is corrosive to the human spirit. Novo Nordisk is governed by a nonprofit foundation. Patagonia is governed by a perpetual purpose trust. John Lewis Partnership in the UK is governed by an employee ownership trust. IKEA, Vanguard, and REI all have these structures. The data shows these companies are dramatically more stable and higher performing than conventional structures. You are not stuck in traffic. You are traffic. People love to blame the system. But you're not just a passenger. You're part of what creates the system. Where you work. What you buy. What you give your attention to. Every one of those choices is fueling somebody's company, somebody's algorithm, somebody's bonus. The richest people in the world spend billions on PR because they know your individual choices matter. Use that power. Eric's champagne moment a year from now: a grassroots movement around Incorruptible. This book won't get wall-to-wall media coverage. It's antagonistic to people in power. So Eric hopes readers will hand it to their founders, their bosses, their friends. If consumers and employees start demanding, "I want to work in an incorruptible company," that's the toast. Reflection Questions What is your equivalent of Costco's hot dog? The one commitment you'd defend even when it's financially painful, even when the easy move would be to abandon it? Have you ever read your corporate charter, or the foundational document of your team or department? Does what's actually written match what you say you stand for? Where in your work or life would the harder short-term path build something more durable in the long run? Are you willing to lift the heavy weights? More Learning #258: Jesse Itzler: Creating Your Life Resume & Living Outside the Box #529: James Clear: Setting Up Your Future Self & Becoming an Optimist #565: Noah Kahan: The Art of Asking For What You Want Podcast Chapters 00:00 The Price of Becoming - Pre-Order Now!  01:03 Meet Eric Ries  02:55 Is It Possible to Build an Incorruptible Company?  04:04 Why Culture Alone Won't Save You  05:13 Sol Price, Fedmart, and the Locks That Got Changed  07:56 Why Wall Street Calls Costco the Exception  09:11 The $1.50 Hot Dog Story  13:59 Harder Is Easier: The Principle Behind It All  16:48 Why Governance Is Just Soul Craft  19:50 Building the First New Stock Exchange Since Nasdaq  22:33 Eric's Communication Style: Reps, Not Talent  30:52 The Opportunity Hiding in Broken Markets  31:59 How to Know Which Feedback to Listen To  35:39 Qualitative vs. Quantitative: Why You Need Both  37:23 The Whole Foods Cautionary Tale  40:25 The Founder's Checklist for Building Something Durable  43:44 Encode Your Mission Into the Corporate Charter  47:35 You Are Not Stuck in Traffic. You Are the Traffic.  52:37 The Champagne Question: A Grassroots Movement  55:27 James Clear, Author's Equity, and the Future of Publishing 56:43 EOPC

Ever wonder why two people can experience the exact same event but walk away with completely different emotions? In this fascinating episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast Plus, hosts Duane and Eric Osterlind dive into the science of optimism and reveal how our attention shapes our reality. They explain that optimism isn't about ignoring negative experiences or forcing positivity – it's about training our brain to process both positive and negative information in a balanced way. Through practical examples and evidence-based strategies, they show listeners how to break free from negative thought spirals and develop genuine optimistic thinking. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, or just want to build more resilience, this episode offers simple yet powerful tools to help you unlock your inner optimist and transform how you experience life's challenges.Download: Unlocking Your Inner Optimist WorksheetKey TopicsThe difference between toxic positivity and genuine optimismHow attention bias affects our experience of eventsThe science behind optimistic versus pessimistic thinkingThree evidence-based strategies for developing optimismThe role of physical movement in changing perspectiveHow optimism builds resilience and creativityPractical daily exercises for training your brainTimestamps[00:01:27] The power of perspective: Same event, different experiences[00:03:42] The science behind attention and optimism[00:05:19] Why this isn't toxic positivity[00:09:30] Introduction to practical strategies[00:09:54] The two-chair technique explained[00:11:28] The daily spotlight exercise[00:13:02] The reframe challenge techniqueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's easy to sound intelligent by pointing out problems, predicting failure, or assuming the worst. But over time, I've noticed something important: the people who consistently create opportunities, build momentum, and achieve meaningful results tend to approach life differently. In this video, I talk about the tension between pessimism, realism, and optimism—and why I believe optimism is far more powerful than most people give it credit for. This isn't about ignoring reality or pretending challenges don't exist. It's about understanding that mindset shapes action, and action shapes outcomes. We also explore the daily practice of optimism, how realism fits into the conversation, and why the way you think influences far more than just your attitude. It impacts your decisions, your energy, your leadership, and ultimately your results. If you've ever wondered whether optimism is naive—or actually a competitive advantage—this conversation is for you.

AM Live guest La Grande Optimist Club 5/19/2026

What if the biggest risk with AI isn't the technology itself, but staying on the sidelines while the world changes around you? In this solo episode of Why Not Now?, forever the technology optimist, Amy Jo Martin challenges the fear-driven narrative surrounding artificial intelligence and offers a more practical, human-centered perspective: AI as a tool for increasing agency, momentum, clarity, and quality of life. Drawing from personal stories, recent speaking engagements, parenting, entrepreneurship, the fast-moving reality of AI adoption and her Renegade Experiment, Amy Jo breaks down how artificial intelligence can help people stop overthinking, move through fear, and take meaningful action in both business and life. Instead of focusing on all the doom and gloom that seems to be littered across the media these days, she explores how curiosity, self-awareness, and intentional use of AI can create a competitive edge in a rapidly changing world. You'll learn: How to use AI to overcome procrastination and identify what's actually blocking your next move. Practical prompts that can help pressure test excuses, clarify decisions, and spark momentum in under 10 minutes. The difference between bandwidth and capacity - and why AI may free up more than just your calendar. How Amy Jo uses tools like ChatGPT and Claude in everyday life, from planning family logistics to making higher-quality decisions under pressure. This episode is a call to action for leaders, parents, creators, and anyone wondering how to stay relevant, intentional, and human in the age of AI.   Amy Jo Martin speaks globally on Humanizing AI, Leadership, Decision-Making, and the Future of Work. Learn more about keynote topics and availability: amyjomartin.com/speaking   Learn more about Amy Jo: https://amyjomartin.com/ Get Amy Jo's newsletter: https://amyjomartin.com/newsletter Watch Amy Jo's Speaking Reel: https://amyjomartin.com/speaking   Follow Amy Jo… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyjomartin/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyjomartin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyJoMartin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyJoMartinRenegade Why Not Now? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whynotnow/ Buy Amy Jo's book: https://amyjomartin.com/book Follow Renegade Global: https://www.instagram.com/renegade_global

We talk with Gary Lloyd and Gene Clausen about a practical way to remove a major barrier to music education: getting real instruments into kids' hands. We also hear how the Manhattan Optimist Club funds youth programs, builds community partnerships, and keeps the work fun and welcoming. • the story behind the Manhattan Optimist Instrument Recovery Program and why it started as a pilot project • how donated band and orchestra instruments can help students who cannot afford rentals or purchases • where to drop off gently used instruments across Manhattan through local bank partners • the partnership with the Kansas State University Instrumental Repair Program to help restore instruments • how GMCF grant funding helps cover repair parts and outreach costs • what Optimist Club membership looks like, including meetings, service projects, and fundraisers like the Chili Crawl • a quick thank you to the community for support during Grow Green Match and how that strengthens youth programs You can go online to ManhattanOptimistClub.com GMCFCFAs

Fish at 6 | Fish's #Cowboys Game-by-Game Predictions: 'The Optimist's Club' Version   ✭ Cowboys Roundtable - https://www.CowboysRoundtable.com   ✭ FISHSPORTS Substack - https://mikefishernfl.substack.com/   ✭ STRAIGHT DOPE. NO BULLSH. ✭   ✭ Fish Podcast - https://www.fanstreamsports.com/show/the-dallas-cowboys-fish-report/   ✭ PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE!   ✭ UNCLE FISH STORE - https://tinyurl.com/f82dh9sd   ✭ FISH Premium Club - https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeFisherDFW/community   ✭ Cowboys Roundtable - https://www.CowboysRoundtable.com   ✭ FISHSPORTS Substack - https://mikefishernfl.substack.com/   ✭ STRAIGHT DOPE. NO BULLSH. ✭   ✭ Fish Podcast - https://www.fanstreamsports.com/show/the-dallas-cowboys-fish-report/   ✭ PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE!   ✭ UNCLE FISH STORE - https://tinyurl.com/f82dh9sd   ✭ FISH Premium Club - https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeFisherDFW/community Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Giant Ideas, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, discusses how trust, purpose, and community design shaped one of the world's most used websites. He reflects on three photographs that define his life, Wikipedia's core purpose and why transparency, clear purpose, and walking the walk are central to trust.He also shares the trust framework of building trust, and why execution matters more than idea secrecy, and the real‑world costs of living in mistrust.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vcMusic credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING.Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING.Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

On the next Charlotte Talks, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joins us. Since taking office, he has worked on opioid crisis litigation, consumer scams and housing-cost reforms. He also recently won a case breaking up the Ticketmaster–Live Nation monopoly that could save ticket buyers money. Then we'll talk with Michael Graff, founder of the Charlotte Optimist, which just celebrated its first anniversary.

In this episode, we are joined by Elroy Dimson, Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School and co-creator of the Dimson-Marsh-Staunton (DMS) dataset, for a sweeping and deeply insightful conversation on financial history, market behavior, and the evolution of global investing. Elroy walks us through the origins of the groundbreaking Triumph of the Optimists, the challenges of assembling over 100 years of global return data, and the critical biases that once shaped our understanding of markets. We explore how expanding beyond U.S.-centric data reshaped expectations for the equity risk premium, why economic growth doesn't necessarily translate into higher stock returns, and what history reveals about diversification, factor investing, and investor behavior. Elroy also shares lessons from his work with major institutions like Norway's sovereign wealth fund, discusses the surprising long-term outperformance of railways, and offers a grounded perspective on future expected returns. This episode is a masterclass in using history to inform better financial decisions. Key Points From This Episode: (0:04:00) Introduction to Elroy Dimson and the significance of the DMS dataset. (0:05:07) Why understanding financial history is essential for thinking about the future. (0:05:24) The origin story of Triumph of the Optimists and assembling global return data. (0:09:06) How long-term datasets are built from academic and commercial sources. (0:11:33) Survivorship bias in historical indices and why it matters. (0:13:35) "Easy data bias" and how it leads to overstated historical returns. (0:15:32) Accounting for failed markets and geopolitical disruptions in global data. (0:18:33) How global data changed expectations for the equity risk premium. (0:21:09) Why 20th-century equity returns were a "pleasant surprise." (0:22:17) U.S. market dominance and the challenge of extrapolating its success. (0:24:11) Market composition in 1900 and the dominance of railway stocks. (0:25:52) Why railways outperformed despite shrinking market share. (0:29:03) The surprising disconnect between economic growth and stock returns. (0:31:28) Why investing in recovering markets requires extreme patience and conviction. (0:33:32) Value investing: historical success and recent struggles. (0:35:00) Why economic growth benefits many—but not necessarily stock investors. (0:35:59) The long-term benefits of global diversification. (0:40:01) Why diversification reduces risk—but doesn't create returns for everyone. (0:42:29) Explaining persistent home country bias among investors. (0:47:46) Industry diversification becoming more important over time. (0:49:50) The rise and evolution of size, value, and momentum factors. (0:54:17) Why factor premiums should be monitored—not blindly followed. (0:57:27) The equity risk premium: why it's crucial—and uncertain. (1:00:15) A realistic estimate: ~3% equity risk premium going forward. (1:02:33) Translating that into ~5% real expected equity returns. (1:05:10) Staying optimistic: invest long-term and live modestly. (1:05:58) The risk of pessimism: losing purchasing power in safe assets. (1:08:06) The evolving role of bonds as diversifiers. (1:09:55) Why market timing is a losing strategy. (1:11:00) Elroy's definition of success: happy children and grandchildren. Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Benjamin Warwick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/braden-warwick-a40b48a3 Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty w/Tom Libby & Jesan Sorrells---Explore how Eudora Welty's The Optimist's Daughter delves into themes of grief, regional identity, and the challenge of preserving cultural memory in a rapidly globalizing world. Jesan Sorrells and Tom Libby discuss the impact of community traditions, the evolving role of observation in literature, and the struggle to find objective meaning amid today's digital noise. They highlight the contrast between sincere storytelling and modern content creation, drawing leadership lessons from Welty's keen insight into relationships and local culture.Book Title: The Optimist's DaughterAuthor: Eudora WeltyGuests: Jesan Sorrells (Host), Tom Libby(Co-Host)---Time Stamped Overview---00:00 Exploring existential themes in media10:46 Discussing a lesser-known author14:13 Discussing influential female authors21:13 Discussing African American Identity24:16 Global access to regional language28:08 Taylor Sheridan and rural storytelling36:00 Future writers' digital observations41:56 Funeral and community support46:31 Laurel's perspective and social commentary53:22 Discussing early misconceptions of truth58:02 Muddied information and confusion01:04:35 Boxer confronts online critic01:09:58 Handling past failures in marketing01:11:41 Lessons in leadership and kindness01:15:56 Losing traditional learning methods01:22:08 Star Wars fandom and cultural shifts01:30:00 Generational conflicts and technology gaps01:35:42 Observing before taking action01:38:14 Concluding a discussion without resolution---Opening theme composed by Felipe Sarro - Bach - Silotti - "Air"  from Orchestra Suite No. 3, BWV 1068 Closing theme composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.---Pick up your copy of 12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership NOW on AMAZON!Check out the Leadership Lessons From the Great Books podcast reading list!---Subscribe to the Leadership Lessons From The Great Books Podcast: https://bit.ly/LLFTGBSubscribeCheck out Leadership ToolBox at: https://leadershiptoolbox.us/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ---

Today, we're talking about dogs and art, two of my favorite topics! In The Dog's Gaze: A Visual History, historian Thomas W. Lauqeur investigates why so many dogs are depicted in great works of art. We also chat about the long history of the relationship between humans and dogs.  Shownotes: Today's podcast is sponsored by Dancing Woman by Elaine Nell Orr Books Discussed:The Dog's Gaze: A Visual History by Thomas W. LaqueurTime Regained - Marcelle ProustFlesh by David SzalayKing: A Street Story by John Berger The Witch by Marie NdiayeSpies of the Balkans -  Alan Furst Guest Author Book Recommendation:Sheila Yasmin Marikar, author of Incidentals recommends With Friends Like You by Amy Chosick Bonus Dog Books: The Friend - Sigrid NunezThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Hadden Link to sign up for my Gelli Print Art Class (If it's not live yet, just keep an eye on this site!)  Come visit me at booth 210 at the Beverly Hills Art Show on May 16th and 17th.  Take a collagraph printmaking workshop with me on Sunday, June 28th from 1-4 pm at the Marin MOCA in Marin, California. Enter my book giveaway for The Optimists by Brian Platzer, closing on May 16th, 2026.  Penguin Press Instagram PageSupport the showGet your Books Are My People merch here!I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

In a world so divided by hate, how can we choose to show love? This week we are joined by journalist Jan Fran, who unpacks the horror of witnessing horror.

We're kicking off Porch Talk with Olivia, founder of The Optimist Pilates. SPOILER: Claire invited Laura and she didn't go. But Claire is a Pilates Believer. Before building one of Birmingham's most loved boutique Pilates studios, Olivia was a professional ballet dancer with the Nashville Ballet—a career that shaped her discipline, her identity, and ultimately, her pivot.After an injury changed everything, Pilates became more than recovery. It became a reset.On the porch, we talked about:– what she believes about mirrors in gyms and why – why Pilates is about so much more than your body– what confidence actually looks like in real life– balancing business, life, and kids – how she handles hard days (and keeps showing up anyway)– and yes… what to do when you get a bad Google reviewIt's the kind of conversation that makes you rethink what strength really looks like—physically, mentally, and emotionally, and laugh about the things we hope our kids don't find out about us. And Olivia is a listener! If you're curious about Pilates or you're Pilates Obsessed, this one is for you. But also, if you're a woman who loves hearing another woman talk about real life without some shiny, perfect facade, you'll love Olivia! If you wanna hang out on the porch and share some of your story, MESSAGE US! 

Katie Compa! Comedian! Friend! Delight! More! Her new stand-up comedy album is Incurable Optimist and is available all the places right now! You can follow @katiecompa on every platform and visit katiecompa.com for more information! We have a great chat! You can have a great listen! And this is only the first HALF of our conversation. For part two, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or simply click on over here to Patreon!

These episodes of #thePOZcast, live from Transform 2026 in Las Vegas, are proudly brought to you by our friends at Overalls What if your employees had one central hub to handle real life? Meet Overalls. A smarter way to support your team, combining expert human LifeConcierges™ with AI to solve everyday challenges across healthcare, caregiving, benefits, insurance, finances, life admin, and more. From start to finish, Overalls handles the details — using existing benefits where they fit, and filling in the gaps where they don't. So employees save time, reduce stress, and stay focused at work, while employers boost engagement and get more value from their benefits. Overalls is redefining how work supports life, helping employee teams from Reddit, Patreon, BeatBox, and more cross pesky to-dos off their lists every day. Learn more at https://getoveralls.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pozcast Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com TANYA E. MOORE As Chief People Officer, Tanya drives initiatives that empower West Monroe's employees and foster a high-performing, supportive culture. Tanya partners with leadership to develop the next generation of leaders, ensuring our people are fulfilled and our employee experience remains a key differentiator. Before joining West Monroe in 2023, Tanya was Chief People Officer at M.C. Dean and spent two decades with IBM, where she led award-winning programs that shaped the company's transformation. She holds an MBA in organizational development from the College of William and Mary. Outside of work, she serves on several advisory boards, including The Conference Board's CHRO Council, the William and Mary Consulting Board of Directors, and the She-Suite Board of Advisors. She is also a sought-after speaker on topics such as workforce transformation, the evolving role of HR, and leveraging AI to advance people and organizational transformation. Key Takeaways 1. Senior Candidates Should Run a Due Diligence Process, Not Just an Interview Tanya's 18-interview process wasn't excessive — it was intelligence gathering. She was evaluating CEO relationship dynamics, board influence, team readiness, and organizational appetite for change. Candidates at any level should approach interviews as a two-way assessment. 2. Know What You're Actually Looking For Before You Start As Tanya put it: smart, kind, humble people. Work she enjoys. Some fun. The clearer you are about your non-negotiables before you start a job search, the better your decision-making will be when offers come in. 3. Employee Ownership Changes the Employment Relationship With 74% of West Monroe employees holding equity in the company, the ownership mindset isn't a metaphor — it's structural. This is a genuine differentiator in total rewards and shapes how employees engage with the business and with clients. 4. Benefits Signal Culture, Not Just Compensation Tanya's view: the specific benefits matter less than what they reveal about a company's values. Organizations that invest in comprehensive, thoughtful benefits are signaling that they see employees as whole people — and that signal is what candidates are actually responding to. 5. COVID Permanently Raised the Floor on Benefits Expectations The pandemic gave people permission to stop and ask what actually matters. Flexibility, mental health support, and personalized benefits have moved from nice-to-have to expected — and companies that haven't caught up are losing candidates to those that have. 6. Open Roles Are a Hidden Employee Retention Risk Every unfilled position means someone else on the team is absorbing that work. The longer a role stays open, the more likely you are to lose another employee as a result. Time to fill is a culture and retention metric, not just a talent acquisition metric. 7. AI in Recruiting Should Eliminate Low-Value Steps, Not Human Connection West Monroe's approach to AI was surgical: identify every step in the recruiting process where technology could add value, and use it there — so recruiters can spend more time on the high- touch, high-judgment work that actually moves candidates. Automated scheduling and AI- assisted interview feedback are the easy wins. 8. Feedback Loops Are the Biggest Bottleneck in Consulting Firm Hiring Getting busy managers to interview isn't the hard part — it's getting their structured feedback afterward. Tools like BrightHire that record interviews (with consent) and auto-generate notes and scoring against the job description are solving a real, expensive problem. 9. Burnout Needs Programmatic Solutions, Not Just Resources Pointing employees to an EAP or mental health benefit isn't enough when burnout is systemic. West Monroe is exploring more customized, structured support for employees who are struggling — moving from reactive to proactive people care. 10. AI Is the Internet — Embrace It or Fall Behind Tanya's optimism about AI isn't naive — it's grounded in historical perspective. Just as nobody predicted what the internet would become, nobody fully knows where AI is going. Her advice: use it, test it, let it make you smarter. "F around and find out."   00:00 – Introduction Adam introduces Tanya Moore, CPO at West Monroe, and sets up a conversation about benefits, candidate experience, and the modern people function. 01:30 – Meet West Monroe & Tanya Tanya describes West Monroe's differentiators — quality, speed to value, client NPS — and traces her career from 20 years at IBM to her current CPO role. 04:00 – Being the Candidate: 18 Interviews Tanya shares what it was like to go through 18 interviews as a senior exec, why she didn't quit, and what she was actually evaluating along the way. 07:00 – What Senior Candidates Should Really Ask The questions Tanya asked that most candidates don't: CEO relationship dynamics, board influence and hands-on vs. hands-off style, team readiness, and what really happens when things go wrong. 10:00 – Modernizing People Ops at West Monroe, walking into an org with no succession planning and no workforce planning, and the systematic approach Tanya took to rebuild people functions from the ground up. 13:00 – Redesigning the Candidate Experience How West Monroe overhauled its recruiting workflows after adopting Greenhouse, dramatically improving time to hire, reducing cost, and elevating both candidate and manager experience. 16:00 – Time to Fill as an Employee Retention Metric Why open roles aren't just a talent problem — they're a burnout and satisfaction risk for the employees left picking up the slack. 18:30 – Employee Ownership as a Total Rewards Differentiator How West Monroe's half employee-owned model and 74% equity participation rate changes how people show up — and how it's positioned as a benefit in the recruiting process. 21:00 – Benefits Beyond the Basics From childcare and dog walking to expanded mental health support, Tanya breaks down what West Monroe offers and why COVID permanently shifted candidate expectations around benefits. 24:00 – Flex Benefits & the Future of Personalization Tanya's vision for benefits that let employees choose what matters to them — gym memberships, yoga, wellness stipends — rather than a one-size-fits-all package. 26:30 – Tackling Burnout Proactively West Monroe's evolving approach to burnout: moving beyond standard mental health appointments toward more customized, programmatic support for employees who need it most. 29:00 – AI in Recruiting: Where It's Actually Working From automated interview scheduling to BrightHire's AI-powered feedback tools, Tanya walks through specific efficiency gains that are giving recruiters more time for high-value human work. 32:00 – Getting Feedback from Busy Hiring Managers The real bottleneck in consulting firm recruiting isn't getting managers to show up — it's getting their feedback afterward. How BrightHire is solving that. 34:30 – An Optimist's Take on AI & the Future of Work Tanya closes with her big-picture view on AI — likening it to the early internet — and her direct advice to anyone still on the fence: "F around and find out."

Why do we generally feel like the world is getting worse, when by almost all measures it’s getting better? How do ideas "have sex”, and why does that matter for innovation? Why do brains tend to systematically misread the future? What if optimism is a more rational stance than pessimism? If innovation isn’t primarily about lone geniuses, what’s it really about? Join Eagleman with scientist and author Matt Ridley to explore what it means to be, in Ridley’s phrasing, a "rational optimist".

Don and Dude fire up an episode about albums built for a hazy 420 state of mind, from British space rock experiments to prairie bred retro rock perfect for late night clouds and long drives. Pink Floyd's early psychedelia and The Sheepdogs' warm, guitar heavy grooves share the spotlight as the guys explore how trippy textures and laid back riffs fuel the same smoky headspace.The Albums Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) English psych pioneers introduce themselves with a strange, playful, deeply trippy debut where Syd Barrett's surreal lyrics, space rock explorations, and free form jams turn fairy tales and cosmic prayers into a full body experience. Recorded at Abbey Road while The Beatles worked on Sgt Pepper, it slides between whimsical storybook pop and noisy improvisational freak outs, using tape effects and echo drenched organ to make outer space and inner confusion feel like the same room.The Sheepdogs – Learn & Burn (2010) Saskatoon bar band lifers cut a homegrown, 70s soaked guitar rock set aimed at the sweet spot between Led Zeppelin riffs and CSN harmonies, all warm tones, mid tempo grooves, and songs about drifting and digging in when life gets heavy. Cut at their DIY Sweatbox studio and later mixed in Philly, it plays like a lost FM staple, the record you throw on for a road trip, a porch hang, or a slow burning 420 afternoon.Diggin' AlbumsThe Props – Arrow EP (2026) LA upstarts slam sharp guitar rock into nervy new wave and post punk on a debut that feels like a neon lit coming of age flick, all hooks, tight grooves, and restless late night drive energy.Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland (1968) A sprawling, studio stretching double album where Hendrix fuses blues, soul, and psychedelia into long jams and iconic covers, the textbook lights out, headphones on trip.Ashley Monroe – Dear Nashville (2026) A veteran songwriter turns her long, complicated history with Music City into a letter like concept album, blending gratitude and bruised affection over lush Americana.Trashcan Sinatras – Ever the Optimist (2026) Scottish cult favorites return with jangly, reflective guitar pop that feels like catching up with old friends, all gentle melodies and quietly hopeful glow.Follow & Support Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky @albumnerds, and support by subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing with a fellow music obsessive who still loves hearing whole albums front to back.“Behind every good man is a woman, and that woman was Martha Washington, man. And every day George would come home, she would have a big fat bowl waiting for him, man.” – Slater, Dazed and Confused (1993).

The co-host of the award winning podcast, ‘The Worst Idea Of All Time', Tim Batt is one of New Zealand's sharpest comedic minds. He's taken some time away from the festival circuit to raise his children, but has decided 2026 will be his return. Batt is bringing his dry humour to the International Comedy Festival with a brand-new stand-up show, ‘Eternal Optimist', in which he, in his own words, “makes light” of the rising tide of fascism and offers a sincere apology for accidently causing a dire situation. He told Jack Tame that while the world's not looking the best it ever has at the moment, it's important to keep your chin up whenever you can. “For me it comes from a place of like, I wanna be useful, and I think you're not useful to anyone if you're sort of paralysed by the world, by all the negativity.” Circumstances have been getting tougher and tougher over the years and Batt believes the funk that causes can make people easier to manipulate. “We've really been put through the meat grinder,” he told Tame. “And I think that there are some pretty evil, very wealthy people who have taken advantage of the fact that they've got a lot of power and they've tricked us into thinking the wrong people are our issue.” Since everything seems to be getting worse in real life, Batt decided to take a more optimistic approach in his comedy show. Kind of. “I went in with a hiss and a roar being like, hey, let's flip the script a little bit. Yeah, we'll be radically positive in this one. Is that in the show? A bit!” Batt explained, agreeing with Tame's assessment that the show would be more “optimism adjacent”. His show won't be over the top “himbo comedy”, he stressed, focusing only on the positives – there will be some gallows and black comedy too. “I've got a lot of Irish heritage,” he told Tame. “I'm certainly down for having too many whiskeys and talking in a, very dark pub about how bad everything's gotten as well.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De levensgeschiedenis van Maarten van Rossem begint dramatisch. Als baby lag hij achtergelaten in een tuin die gebombardeerd werd. Misschien ligt daar de oorsprong van de bekende brombeer. Over zijn roem vertelt hij droog: „Plotseling kreeg ik verse champignons bij de groenteboer.” Ook zijn carrière relativeert hij: „In het land der blinden is één oog koning. Ik heb weleens een weddenschap gedaan dat ik de Australiëdeskundige van Nederland zou worden. Dat kan natuurlijk, omdat ze nooit verder vragen dan de actualiteit van de dag.”Toch is Van Rossem optimistischer dan je zou denken: „Het is niet alsof 8 miljard mensen elkaar lopen te beschieten.” Een noodpakket heeft hij niet: „Ik heb de ijskastdeur opengedaan en dacht: als ons wat gebeurt, houden we het wel een half jaar vol. Die tetterende oorlogszorg vind ik bezwaarlijk… donder nou op, wat is dit nou voor onzin.” De meermaals gecancelde brombeer is optimistisch en zelfs in voor een gesprek over de liefde en seks.Heeft u vragen, suggesties of ideeën over onze journalistiek? Mail dan naar podcast@nrc.nl.Presentatie: Pieter van der WielenRedactie en productie: Merel van Waalwijk van DoornMixage: AudiochefMuziek: Rufus van BaardwijkFoto: NRCZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Even in our darkest moments, we can build the skills to keep our spirits up. Deepika Chopra is a psychologist, visual imagery expert and founder of Things Are Looking Up, a consultancy devoted to the intersection of science and soul. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to develop optimism, how it's a key to optimal health, and why this isn't about toxic positivity. Her book is “The Power of Real Optimism: A Practical, Science-Based Guide to Staying Resilient, Curious, and Open Even When Life Is Hard.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

www.ILoveHomerAlaska.com

What's Wrong with being negative? You lose your mind. Signs of dementia. The missing hooker in Bahamas. How Bozo won me fifty bucks! Snake bites are up. Gas is up. Tipping is down. What's Wrong with condescending waiters, overpriced spices and the $11 watermelon is here )At Walmart.)

On episode 163, I speak with Brian Platzer author of The Optimists. We discuss many things including who influenced the creation of his protagonist and whether or not optimism can be taught. This episode is sponsored by Fangs of Fate by Rebecca Parcha. Click here to listen to the audiobook.  Sheila Yasmin Marikar , author of Incidentals recommends With Friends Like You by Amy Chozick. Rebecca Lehmann, author of The Beheading Game recommends The Unveiling by Quan Barry Click here to enter the The Beheading Game book giveaway, which closes on April 30th. Book Recommendations:Hard Feelings – Daniel SmithThe Lamb – Lucy RoseMaud Martha – Gwendolyn Brooks (a novella) add to list to give to momThe Patientce Stone – Atiq RahimiNever Let Me Go – Ishiguro Brian Platzer on instagram.Brian Platzer's Websitehttps://www.brianplatzer.comTake my Gelli Printing Class in Los Angeles The International Booker Prize Shortlist:The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran - Shida BazyarShe Who Remains - Rene KarabashThe Director - Daniel KehlmannOn Earth As It Ss Beneath - Ana Paula MaiaThe Witch - Marie NDiaye Taiwan Travelogue - Shuang-zi YangSupport the showGet your Books Are My People merch here!I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

LAFC faces Orlando City (bottom of the MLS table) and Cruz Azul (CONCACAF Champions Cup champions) in the next few days. While unbeaten, top of the West in MLS, a record scoreless streak to open the season, and in the CCC quarterfinals, LAFC is still struggling to score, with limited production from Bouanga and Son, both dealing with preseason injuries. And Eustáquio's injury is worse than we thought. Will Orlando be a trap game? Is Cruz Azul our biggest test yet? I don't know maybe stop reading the description and watch the show!???00:00 Welcome and Match Dates00:47 Merch and Patreon Plug01:12 Listener Banter Begins01:48 #HireDarren08:47 Call Amirian Law: 866-ARE-WE-BACK10:02 Storylines Intro10:46 Is LAFC Actually Good12:24 Injuries and Eustaquio Update14:20 Optimist vs Pessimist Debate16:34 Breaking Down the Low Block20:57 DPs Struggling and Context23:55 What Still Needs Fixing26:32 Fanbase Fighting and Nuance27:19 Invite Debate Live27:49 Community Over Comments29:22 Online Negativity Nuance30:15 Sonny Fans Clarification31:44 Orlando Match Preview33:11 Orlando Chaos And Griezmann35:39 Roasting Orlando Florida37:39 Cruz Azul Biggest Test39:36 Two Leg Mindset42:16 Neutral Site And Crowd Split44:13 Betted And Forget It44:31 Bet Controversy Ruling46:19 This Weeks Wild Bets49:39 Wrap UpJoin our Patreon and help us keep making this show.Merch and more at HappyFootSadFootPod.comYouTube: @happyfootsadfoot Twitter: @HaFoSaFoInstagram: @happyfootsadfootTikTok: @happyfootsadfoot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The CrazyFitnessGuy Show, host Jimmy Clare welcomes Andrea Johnson, The Intentional Optimist, for a grounded conversation about discovering who you are and leading in a way that actually fits your brain and values. Andrea shares how she helps leaders move from feeling stuck, overruled, and disempowered to becoming magnetic, values‑driven influences in their workplaces and communities. Drawing on more than 25 years in the university medical system, she explains why knowing your core values and communication style can reduce overwhelm, improve team dynamics, and make leadership feel more authentic and sustainable—especially if you've never seen leadership modeled in a way that looks like you. Together, Jimmy and Andrea dig into breaking free from “normal,” questioning old conditioning, and giving yourself permission to lead as your true, wonderfully different self. Key Takeaways: How to identify and honor your core values so your decisions and leadership feel more authentic Why communication style matters and how understanding it can improve teamwork and reduce conflict Practical steps to break out of limiting expectations and start leading in a way that fits you, not just your job title Support the Show: Shop CFG Merch and CFG Elite Podcast access (the mall): https://info.crazyfitnessguy.com/mall Facebook Stars - Support Content: https://bit.ly/facebook-stars Buy Me a Virtual Smoothie and other ways to support CrazyFitnessGuy: https://bit.ly/support-CFG Join exclusive content on Facebook (Subscribe): https://bit.ly/CFGVIP Leave a Review: https://www.crazyfitnessguy.com/reviews/ Stay Connected: CrazyFitnessGuy Main Site: https://info.crazyfitnessguy.com/cfg Jimmy's Site: https://info.crazyfitnessguy.com/jimmy Other Resources: Hydro Flask Recommendation: https://bit.ly/jc-recommends-hydro-flask Episode Promos and Promo Codes: https://info.crazyfitnessguy.com/promos Message CFG via PodMatch: https://bit.ly/message-cfg-podmatch Sponsors: https://www.crazyfitnessguy.com/sponsors/ Fitness Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only. Consult a healthcare professional before making any health or fitness changes. Chapters (00:00:00) - Tick to Do List(00:01:49) - The Crazy Fitness Guy Show(00:02:46) - Andrea Johnson(00:10:01) - The Weather App Is Not 100% Accurate(00:11:18) - When You Help People, What Are Their Core Values?(00:14:47) - The Importance of Communication(00:18:45) - Finding your true purpose in life(00:25:47) - Why do people not try new things?(00:32:03) - Jimmy Kimmel on Living Outside Of Others' Vision(00:34:10) - Why Do You Do What You Do?(00:37:20) - Getting Paid to Talk Fitness(00:38:03) - Invisible Mom's #(00:40:56) - What are some good resources for leadership?(00:47:34) - How to Deal With a Liar(00:48:53) - Favorite Podcast Podcasts(00:53:00) - "I Stalked" An Airbender(00:54:24) - Andrea Johnson on How To Reach People(00:59:50) - Crazy Fitness Guy: Stay Healthy, Stay Motivated

Negativity is contagious. Learn how to recognize who might be messing with your mindset. #ThePitch #INICIVOX #VirtualMentorship

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. My book Midlife now exists. Buy it here, or leave it a rating here or hereFor more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW, join the group chat, and send me a poem for Listener Crit!Leave the show a rating here (actually, just do it on your phone, it's easier). Thanks!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Order Brian's book The Optimists! It's so good!– Let me know if you'd like a review copy of my forthcoming chapbook The Soft Black Stars: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com– Vanderpump Rules Season 12The Great Pottery ThrowdownSelling SunsetJiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)Queen of Chess (2026)how i be revising by Brandon TaylorSashay awayComing down in Ohio by Dave SmithEp 234: Midlife Show-and-Tell, ft. Katie DozierContrapoints Tangent: Liminal SpacesStep wellsSecret show notesMeanjin lives!Tropical Skiing by John ForbesLimiting Poetry's Feedback Loop by Steven SearcyEp 231: Insidious Tendencies, ft. Steven SearcyA Caveat-Filled Case for AtheismThe Via Negativa of R.S. Thomas on VersecraftNick Cave's Red Hand Files Issue #265The Siberian unicornA Holy Dread by R. A. VillanuevaBill Hicks: Pro Life

In this episode of the Kreatures of Habit Podcast, Michael Chernow sits down with Jake—host of The Optimist and founder of Thursday Labs—for an honest conversation about modern masculinity, men's mental health, and the evolving role of men in today's world.Jake shares two defining moments in his life from a painful experience in his early twenties to a later breakup that revealed how little language many men have for sadness, vulnerability, and emotional pain. Those experiences ultimately inspired him to start a podcast dedicated to asking the questions men often avoid.This episode is a thoughtful exploration of strength, vulnerability, responsibility, and growth, and what it truly means to show up as a man in today's world.If you're interested in personal development, relationships, emotional intelligence, and redefining masculinity, this conversation offers powerful insights and practical perspective.TIME STAMPS00:00 Men and Vulnerability 06:29 Lessons From the Twenties 11:03 Provide and Protect Today 17:13 The Simple Relationship Script 22:26 Rethinking the Word Masculinity 28:13 How We Got Here Historically 34:01 Where Are the Men 39:22 Power Leaders and Labels 49:27 Consequences and Transparency 55:40 Women Define Masculinity 01:04:43 Curiosity as Masculinity

In this episode of the Kreatures of Habit Podcast, Michael Chernow sits down with Jake—host of The Optimist and founder of Thursday Labs—for an honest conversation about modern masculinity, men's mental health, and the evolving role of men in today's world.Jake shares two defining moments in his life from a painful experience in his early twenties to a later breakup that revealed how little language many men have for sadness, vulnerability, and emotional pain. Those experiences ultimately inspired him to start a podcast dedicated to asking the questions men often avoid.This episode is a thoughtful exploration of strength, vulnerability, responsibility, and growth, and what it truly means to show up as a man in today's world.If you're interested in personal development, relationships, emotional intelligence, and redefining masculinity, this conversation offers powerful insights and practical perspective.TIME STAMPS00:00 Men and Vulnerability 06:29 Lessons From the Twenties 11:03 Provide and Protect Today 17:13 The Simple Relationship Script 22:26 Rethinking the Word Masculinity 28:13 How We Got Here Historically 34:01 Where Are the Men 39:22 Power Leaders and Labels 49:27 Consequences and Transparency 55:40 Women Define Masculinity 01:04:43 Curiosity as Masculinity 

Here's another compilation episode that includes the next batch of exclusive performances from previous appearance of #nextfavbands!This collection is from October 2024 to this time last year June 2025.  It also includes 2 of the 3 performers from last year's No Planet B Jamboree, 1 of the performers from this past Winter WonderJam, and all 3 of this year's No Planet B Jamboree performers.  Whoa!NextFavBand Sessions Vol9- "Long After Dark" by Roberta Faceplant- "Snakeskin Boots" by Drew & the Blue- "Good Love" by Dustin Douglas & the Electric Gentlemen- "Everything's Fine" by Dirty Dollhouse- "The Heart of this Town" by Cass Noelle- "Floor to Fall From" by The Hot Mamas- "Optimist" by Brian Dunne- "Goodbyes" by Kendall Lujan- "Bad Haircut" by Zoe Lemon- "Lose You" by Windser- "Flowers from the Funeral" by Erin Fox- "Out of My Hands" by Nervous Nikki & the Chill PillsBe sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and/or follow us on Instagram so you can keep up on the latest and find your #nextfavband !Text us your thoughts on this episode, and who should be OUR #NextFavBand...As always, our hope is to bring you "your next favorite band".  If you tuned in today because you already knew this musician - thank you very much!  We hope that you enjoyed it and would consider following us and subscribing so we can bring you your #nextfavband in the future.  And check out nextfavband.com for our entire catalog of interviews!If you have a recommendation on who you think OUR next favorite band should be, hit us up on social media (@nextfavband everywhere) or send us an email at nextfavband@stereophiliastudio.com.Thank you to Carver Commodore, argonaut&wasp, and Blair Crimmins for allowing us to use their music in the show open and close.  It makes everything sound so much better!Let's catch a live show together soon!#nextfavband #livemusic #music #musicinterview #musician  #singer  #guitar  #song  #newmusic  #explorepage  #instamusic #bestmusic #musicismylife #musicindustry #musiclife #songwriter #musiclover #musicfestival 

What happens when two people from completely different generations—each carrying their own hidden scars—find healing through an unexpected friendship? In this powerful episode of The Sisterhood of S.W.E.A.T., Linda Mitchell sits down with rising young actor Luke David Blumm to talk about his role in the deeply moving new film The Optimist. Luke shares insights from working on major projects like Where the Crawdads Sing, The King of Staten Island, and hit TV series including The Walking Dead, Watchmen, and The Sinner. At the heart of today's conversation is The Optimist, inspired by the true story of Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller—and the unexpected friendship that helps bring long-buried trauma into the light. This episode explores intergenerational healing, resilience, and the profound transformation that happens when we are finally seen, heard, and understood.

SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. Make a one-time donation (not tax-deductible)For more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW!Leave the show a rating here!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comSome of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Order Brian's book The Optimists! It's so good!– Now give Brian's book a 5-star review!– My chapbook The Soft Black Stars is out now!– A conversation Alice & I had for Poetry London!Frequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David Yezzi– Victoria Moul– Katie Dozier & Tim Green– George David Clark– Tristram Fane Saunders– Philip MetresOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith

Episode Re-release. We had tech issues on the first release and this info is too good for you not to hear! Talking about money shouldn't feel like emotional CrossFit, but for most of us it does. In this episode, Shari breaks down why money conversations get so charged—and why it's rarely about the numbers. You'll learn the difference between money values and money logistics, how childhood money wiring shows up in adult decisions, and how to stop trying to solve emotional issues with spreadsheets. Shari walks through four common money personalities (the Avoider, the Optimist, the Controller, and the Security-Seeker), explains what happens when they clash, and gives you practical timing rules, language swaps, and curiosity scripts that keep conversations from turning into fights, shutdowns, or silent scorekeeping. Be sure to grab Shari's ⁠Money Conversation Guide⁠ to learn how talk about money without spiraling, shutting down or starting a fight (with yourself or anyone else). Whether you're single, dating, partnered, married, cohabiting, or rebuilding after a breakup, this episode will help you communicate about money with more clarity, less defensiveness, and a lot more self-trust. If you're ready for personalized, judgment-free financial guidance, learn more about working with Shari. Shari Rash is the founder of GWA Wealth and the Host of Everyone's Talkin' Money. GWA Wealth is a virtual advisory firm helping women make confident, values-aligned decisions with their money. Visit ⁠GWA Wealth⁠ to explore your next step. Talkin' Points → where your money gets smarter. Real talk, practical tips, zero guilt straight to your inbox. ⁠Sign up here.⁠  Be sure to like and follow the show on your favorite podcast app! Keep the conversation going on Instagram ⁠@everyonestalkinmoney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Platzer's novel The Optimists was just reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. I interviewed him live at the Whitby about his beloved teacher, who fell victim to a stroke and whom he visited for years afterwards, how Sarah Jessica Parker interviewed him at a recent event, and the power of loyalty. It also features a love story gone wrong about teens and a star student's descent. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby's Important People! As a Z.I.P., you'll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby's Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode. (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2940: Sabrina of The Budding Optimist explains how recognizing manipulation, refusing to engage in toxic dynamics, and setting clear boundaries can protect your emotional well-being around difficult family members. By focusing on your inner worth and refusing to fuel negativity, you can reclaim your peace while maintaining control over how you respond to harmful behavior. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-deal-with-toxic-family-members-without-losing-your-mind/ Quotes to ponder: "When you know the weapons these toxic family members have in their arsenal, they can't use them to hurt you anymore." "They love it when they know they can push your buttons and get you all fired up, so don't let them." "You DON'T need their approval. You DON'T need their kindness. And you DON'T need their love. You have all that within yourself, you just have to remember what's already there." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2940: Sabrina of The Budding Optimist explains how recognizing manipulation, refusing to engage in toxic dynamics, and setting clear boundaries can protect your emotional well-being around difficult family members. By focusing on your inner worth and refusing to fuel negativity, you can reclaim your peace while maintaining control over how you respond to harmful behavior. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-deal-with-toxic-family-members-without-losing-your-mind/ Quotes to ponder: "When you know the weapons these toxic family members have in their arsenal, they can't use them to hurt you anymore." "They love it when they know they can push your buttons and get you all fired up, so don't let them." "You DON'T need their approval. You DON'T need their kindness. And you DON'T need their love. You have all that within yourself, you just have to remember what's already there."

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2939: Sabrina reflects on the painful reality that not every family relationship is healthy, even when we're taught that family should always come first. She explores the emotional toll toxic relatives can take and explains the common behaviors that reveal when a family member is harming your well-being. Understanding these warning signs is the first step toward protecting your peace and rebuilding healthier boundaries. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-deal-with-toxic-family-members-without-losing-your-mind/ Quotes to ponder: "Family always comes first." My mom used to tell me when I was little. "What helped both of us heal from the pain was the acceptance that not all family is worth putting first." "But you don't have to be a victim of toxic family drama, you can take control of the situation and stop toxic family members from draining your energy and damaging your mental health."

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2939: Sabrina reflects on the painful reality that not every family relationship is healthy, even when we're taught that family should always come first. She explores the emotional toll toxic relatives can take and explains the common behaviors that reveal when a family member is harming your well-being. Understanding these warning signs is the first step toward protecting your peace and rebuilding healthier boundaries. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-deal-with-toxic-family-members-without-losing-your-mind/ Quotes to ponder: “Family always comes first.” My mom used to tell me when I was little. “What helped both of us heal from the pain was the acceptance that not all family is worth putting first.” “But you don't have to be a victim of toxic family drama, you can take control of the situation and stop toxic family members from draining your energy and damaging your mental health.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When was the last time you sighed? Probably not that long ago. We tend to think of sighing as something we do when we're frustrated, tired, or relieved. But scientists have discovered that sighing plays a much deeper role in keeping your body functioning properly — and your brain actually has a built-in mechanism that triggers it. https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-and-stanford-researchers-pinpoint-origin-of-sighing-reflex-in-the-brain Some people naturally seem to expect things to work out, while others brace for disappointment. Is optimism simply a personality trait, or is it something you can learn? Psychologist Deepika Chopra — often called “The Optimism Doctor” and author of The Power of Real Optimism: A Practical, Science-Based Guide to Staying Resilient, Curious, and Open Even When Life Is Hard (https://amzn.to/4b9EG4S) — explains that real optimism isn't about pretending everything is fine. It's a mindset grounded in science that can improve resilience, decision making, health, and even longevity. Butter seems simple. It's just butter… right? Not even close. The butter you buy at the grocery store hides a surprising amount of history, science, and culinary nuance — from why it's shaped into sticks to why some butter is salted and some isn't. Anna Stockwell, New York–based recipe developer, food stylist, and author of The Butter Book ( https://amzn.to/47gj6u8), explains what actually makes butter different from one brand to another, when premium butter is worth it, and how understanding butter can dramatically improve the way you cook. Many people use mouthwash every day as part of their routine. It seems like a healthy habit. But there's growing evidence that regular use of some mouthwashes may come with an unexpected downside — one that most people never consider. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7125030 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cinco Paul is an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, producer, and songwriter. He is widely recognized for his work on major animated hits like the DESPICABLE ME trilogy, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, THE LORAX, and HORTON HEARS A WHO. This season, he is producing his Apple TV musical comedy series SCHMIGADOON! on Broadway.  In this episode, Cinco talks about the creation of the Schmigadoon! television series, his mission trip to Japan in his early 20s, and what runs through his mind in the middle of the night. Get your tickets to SCHMIGADOON! Cinco's Podcast Make Him Watch It Theo of Golden book

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie chats with her mom, Susie, about books for readers with PG-13 tastes. You get 10% off the Susie-approved reads mentioned in this episode when you use code SHOPMOMSELECTS at checkout online and in-store! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 572), or download and shop on The Bookshelf's official app: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff Hurricane Season by Lauren K Denton The Chancellor's Mansion: A Renovation Story of Family, Home, History, and Mystery by Jamie Arty A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband,Career, and Everything I Owned to Become A Nun by Sister Monica Claire Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker Summer Light on Nantucket by Nancy Thayer A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn Something to Look Forward To by Fanny Flagg Marce Catlett: The Fore of a Story by Wendell Berry My Beloved: A Mitford Novel by Jan Karon Theo of Golden by Allen Levi The Sisters of Book Row by Shelly Noble 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke More Than Enough by Anna Quindlan From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today's episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is listening to Annie is reading Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan. Susie is reading The Little Bookshop by the Harbor by Jean Stone. If you liked what you heard in today's episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.