A Bit of Optimism

Life as a nightclub promoter in New York City was an unending cycle of drinking, drugs, models, and fast cars. After ten years, Scott Harrison's vices caught up with him, and a health scare forced him to reflect on his life.

Scott felt decadent, wasteful, and morally bankrupt. He decided to completely reverse course. Scott spent the next 2 years in West Africa on board a nonprofit hospital ship, where he saw a level of human suffering that led him to his true calling.

Today, solving the global water crisis is Scott's life's work, and he's built one of the most trusted nonprofits in the world to do just that. His organization charity: water has raised over $750 million, helping more than 17.4 million people access clean drinking water.

Scott shares with me the painful road that led to his transformation and why living a life of service can be a path toward redemption.

This...is A Bit of Optimism

If you would like to help solve the global water crisis, visit:

charitywater.org

For more on Scott, check out:

his book Thirst

Great communicators aren't born that way. They're self-made.

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose new book, Supercommunicators, explores how some people have unlocked the secret language of connection.

Charles and I discuss what makes these "supercommunicators" unique, why we need stories to convey ideas, and how being honest once saved a CIA recruiter his job.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Charles's work, check out:

his book Supercommunicators

charlesduhigg.com

In a divided society, idealists believe we can overcome our differences.

Alexandra Hudson is one of those idealists. Disillusioned by the backstabbing she witnessed in federal government, she began to research how we can repair the divisions keeping us apart. 

We discuss what being civil means in a dog-eat-dog culture and why building a more connected community can start on the front porch.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Alexandra and her work, check out:

her book: The Soul of Civility

alexandraohudson.com

When life gets tough, true friends ask for help.

Christina Tosi is that kind of friend. She's someone I can trust with anything and someone I can cry with. She also happens to be a world-class pastry chef, a genius dessert maker, and the founder and CEO of Milk Bar. 

We reflect on the art of asking for help and how sometimes all we need from a true friend is 8 minutes of their time.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Christina and her work, check out: 

https://www.christinatosi.com/
https://milkbarstore.com/

For more on the power of an 8-minute phone call, check out this New York Times article.

And, by the way, I wanted to share Christina's recipe for making an Ice Cream Loaf. It's magic. 

You will need:

2 cups (1 pint) of softened ice cream

1 cup of self-rising flour

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the melty ice cream, self-rising flour, and egg. Do not overmix.
3. Pour the batter into loaf pan.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick clean.

Enjoy.

Awkwardness gets a bad rap, but the trait is often an indicator that someone is extraordinary.  

Psychologist and author Ty Tashiro has spent a great deal of time studying (and living!) social awkwardness. He's fascinated by how the same traits that cause us social embarrassment can also drive exceptional accomplishment. 

As a fellow awkward person myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Ty about the advantages of being awkward, what the socially fluent can learn from awkward people, and the best way to navigate conversations in loud clubs.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Ty and his work check out: 

His book: AWKWARD: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome.

tytashiro.com

What makes humanity unique?

Dr. Michael Muthukrishna is fascinated by why our species behaves the way it does. In his book, A Theory of Everyone, Michael seeks to answer some of the deepest questions humans have about ourselves and how our cultures came to be. Why do humans create culture? What do all our societies have in common? And how can this knowledge help us build a better future?

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

In our conversation, Michael references a paper published in Science titled "The Church, intensive kinship, and global psychological variation." You can read it here.

To learn more about Michael's work, check out:

michael.muthukrishna.com

In the New Year, we all aspire to become better versions of ourselves. But how do we change our behavior so new habits actually stick?

Well, James Clear is THE expert on habits. His book, Atomic Habits, is the #1 New York Times bestseller with over 15 million copies sold.

Together, James and I break down his powerful approach to forming better habits, breaking the bad ones, and living the life we desire.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about James and his work, check out:

jamesclear.com

Lasting success requires innovation. But how do we build teams that keep innovation in their DNA?

Jackie Reses is Silicon Valley royalty precisely because she knows how to hire, build, and lead the best teams for the best companies. Jackie was a senior executive at Yahoo!, Alibaba, and Square and now she is the founder and CEO of a new bank disrupting retail finance.

We talked about what it takes to empower people to invent new things and how grit, paranoia, and excellence breed success.

This is...A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Jackie and her work check out: 

https://www.lead.bank/

Great comedians have the ability to point out some of the madness, ridiculousness, and nuance that exists in the world.

Alex Edelman is already one of the greats.  His current show, "Just For Us," is a transformative experience for his audiences, as he regales them with his experience as an unwelcome interloper at a meeting for white supremacists.  

Our conversation was just as enlightening. We discussed how imperfections are beautiful, how seeing humanity in others is the first step to peace, and if IHOP is good, evil, or something in-between. 

This is...A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Alex and his work check out: 

https://www.justforusshow.com/

https://www.alexedelmancomedy.com/

Drive can get you to peak performance. 

But what happens when you enter the next chapter of your life? 

Danica Patrick was one of the best drivers in the world, the only woman in a field perennially dominated by men.  But that was years ago. Now, she is finding meaning beyond wins, races, and results. 

It turns out, the best part of drive is the journey.  

This is...A Bit of Optimism. 

For more on Danica and her work check out: 

https://danicapatrick.com/