Fear and anger seem to dominate the headlines. So, to start the New Year, I thought it would be a good idea to find out if there is anything we can do to get to a resolution. And William Ury is about the best person to help figure that out. The author of “Getting to Yes” and co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Program, he has helped negotiate disarmament pacts between nuclear superpowers, ease religious and ethnic strife in the Middle East, and find common ground among warring factions in Venezuela. So I called William to see if he could start the new year by resolving, well…all of America’s current problems. And the result made me feel quite hopeful. This is…A Bit of Optimism.

Resolving Conflict with William Ury

The future is always bright…if you know where to look. Join me each week for A Bit of Optimism - I talk to inspiring people who teach me more about life, leadership and general interesting things.

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Self-Improvement

Starting a company from scratch isn't easy. Doing it multiple times seems downright impossible.
Eric Ryan is one of those serial entrepreneurs. Most known as the co-founder of Method soaps, he's also the founder of Olly vitamins, Welly first aid kits, Cast jewelry, and he has more ventures planned. 
I sat down with Eric to ask him about his creative process. What follows is a conversation about serial creativity and why reinvention is the key to repeating creative success.
This...is A Bit of Optimism.
To learn more about Eric and his work, check out:
methodproducts.com
 
 
  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Invention is Reinvention with entrepreneur Eric Ryan

In 2005, Neil Strauss published The Game, a book about his years living in the pickup artist community. The Game sold millions of copies, stirred up huge controversy, and made Neil a bestselling author. 
Neil has totally reinvented himself since writing The Game, and I wanted to talk with him about walking away from that identity of success. This led to a much deeper conversation about what success even is. Is meaning tied to outcomes, or is intention enough? 
Neil and I don't see eye-to-eye on everything in this conversation, but I love talking with him because he challenges my ideas. I hope this episode challenges you as well, to continue questioning what the definition of success should be. 
This...is A Bit of Optimism.
To learn more about Neil and his work, check out:
neilstrauss.com
The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
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The Definition of Success with author Neil Strauss

Society treats marriage like the end goal of human intimacy. Platonic friends can never be as important as romantic partners. 

What would life look like if we made friendship the goal? Journalist and producer Rhaina Cohen tackles this question in her book The Other Significant Others. She tells the stories of people who made platonic friends the closest people in their lives, doing things together like buying houses, executing a will, and raising children. 

I wanted to talk with Rhaina because redefining what friendship means in our lives lets us connect in new and deeper ways outside the rigid boundaries of a marriage or relationship. And it might take the pressure off our romantic partners to fulfill every one of our social needs.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Rhaina and her work, check out:
rhainacohen.com
her book The Other Significant Others See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happily Friended with author Rhaina Cohen

It's not just what we eat but how we eat it that counts. Eating the same meal in a different order can dramatically change how we feel!
Glucose Goddess is the viral Instagram account of Jessie Inchauspé, who's inspired millions of people to change how they eat. With simple and easy dietary hacks, Jessie teaches people how to prevent glucose spikes -- large influxes of sugar into our bodies that make us tired, stress our organs, and cause us to age.
Since adopting her eating habits, my energy has never been better. I was thrilled to talk with Jessie about creating Glucose Goddess and her personal story behind showing people a better way to eat.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.
For more on Jessie and her work, check out:
@glucosegoddess
glucosegoddess.com



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How To Eat with Glucose Goddess Jessie Inchauspé

Relationships are hard. No matter how much we like, respect, or love someone, conflict seems inevitable.
But even as we fight and disagree, we can also learn the skills we need to resolve our problems. For over two decades, Shawn McBride has helped thousands of couples do the work to strengthen their relationships. And he has tons of practical advice.
Shawn sat down with me to discuss the three biggest problems couples face, why I'm a huge fan of his Instagram, and how love can keep relationships afloat, but it's often not enough.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Shawn and his work, check out:
@couples_counseling_center
@shawnmcbridespeaks

and couplescounselingcenter.org
  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resolving Conflict with William Ury

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