Most of us think that social media is the bastion of our younger generations. Until a middle-aged woman named Janis Burl proved that assumption completely wrong. She oversaw the team that built the TSA’s Instagram account (yes, the TSA has an Instagram account and it’s brilliant) into one of the most popular accounts on Instagram.
Yesterday
Revisited: How to Turn Stress Into Creativity With Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier
Team Simon here! As we take a short hiatus, A Bit of Optimism will return with brand-new episodes on March 24, 2026. Until then, we’re revisiting some of the conversations you loved and we still think about long after the microphones turned off. This week, we’re rewinding to Simo ... Show More
58m 33s
Feb 16
28 Years on the Force: Chief Angela Averiett on What It Really Takes to Change Police Culture
It’s often true that the most challenging conversations are often the ones most worth having. Conversations that bring up strong feelings, different experiences, and questions without easy answers. Policing, and how we can make it better, is one of those conversations.San Leandro ... Show More
1h 5m
Jan 2023
How To Own Your Personal Growth - w/ Jessica Machalani
Jess is a marketer by heart for more than 15 years. In 2007, she joined OMD, a top global agency in media communications. Throughout her time there, she's had the opportunity to work on a variety of businesses and brands across the Middle East and North Africa.We talked about her ... Show More
37m 28s
Nov 2023
Ep 189 - Danielle Weber: Navigating Success: Balancing Ambition with Relationships, Structuring Business Growth, and Embracing Failures
In this episode, we share a conversation with Danielle Weber. We discuss how to navigate the delicate balance between professional drive and personal relationships, uncovering the challenges of ambitious living. We delve into the strategic structuring of business for enduring suc ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 2021
Iris Smit on being your own hype girl + rockbottom in the middle of business success
This week I am joined by Iris Smit, the innovative beauty queen behind game-changing brands Quick Flick and Beauty Fridge. Today we chat all things from doing a degree you don't end up working in, running a business before entrepreneurs were trendy, how innovation for quick flick ... Show More
46m 53s
Oct 2022
Bootstrapping #Fail: Why the American “Solution” to Systemic Problems Keeps Falling Short
This week’s episode holds two complex truths simultaneously: That sometimes, the answer is working harder, and other times, the answer is policy, interdependence, and community. Sure, individual responsibility is important—but when we try to solve complex, collective problems wit ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2021
Grace Beverley: How To Build A Multi-Million Pound Empire At 24
Grace is an entrepreneur, brand founder, influencer and Oxford University graduate who defied expectations and took her post-grad journey in an unexpected direction by launching 2 major brands: [We Are] TALA (sustainable, slow fashion activewear label) and fitness app Shreddy. TA ... Show More
1h 58m
Oct 2022
064: Living in Your Desired Reality, Visualizing Your Goals & Trusting Your Destiny with Elaina Ray
Elaina’s on the podcast!! I absolutely loved speaking with Elaina today about her insanely successful business, how she managed to draw in the perfect man and a whole lot about business strategy, visualizing your desires and reaching for the very top. This one is definitely for m ... Show More
51m 18s
