Molly Bloom’s life story is one-of-a-kind. Her Olympic dreams were dashed, so she planned on going to law school. Instead, she wound up running a high-stakes poker game where hundreds of millions of dollars would change hands in a night.
Mar 17
Revisited: What Dying Teaches Us About Living with Death Doula Alua Arthur
Team Simon here! While A Bit of Optimism is on a short break, we’re revisiting a few episodes you helped make some of our favorites. We’ll be back with brand-new conversations next week, on March 24th, 2026. In the meantime, we’re bringing back an episode that explores a word mos ... Show More
45m 7s
Mar 10
Revisited: The Kennedy Family and the Search for Self with Journalist Maria Shriver
Hello from Team Simon! We’re taking a short hiatus, but A Bit of Optimism will return with brand-new episodes March 24th. In the meantime, we’re revisiting some of our favorite episodes. Episodes that many of you who listened, shared them, and told us what resonated. This week, w ... Show More
43m 48s
Mar 3
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
Aug 2023
How I Manipulated The World's Richest Men: “They Lost $100 Million In One Night!” - Molly Bloom (Molly's Game)
In this new episode Steven sits down with the author, entrepreneur and ‘Poker Princess’ Molly Bloom.
Molly is a former Olympic skier, and at 21 years old was ranked No. 3 in North America in moguls. After an accident, she left skiing and took a years sabbatical from the Universit ... Show More
1h 34m
Dec 2021
Molly Mae: How She Became Creative Director Of PLT At 22
It feels like Molly-Mae has been a cultural figure for a long time, and yet she’s only 22. After coming off Love Island in 2019, Molly has only grown and become more relevant with time. One of the biggest influencers in the world, Molly is so much more than your typical reality t ... Show More
1h 41m
Apr 2024
Ep 61: More Than Just a Game with Molly Bloom, Entrepreneur and Author of Molly’s Game
Melissa sits down with Molly Bloom, the extraordinary woman behind Molly’s Game, who ran the world's most well known poker game. From her unexpected transition from competitive skiing to bartending at the iconic Viper Room in Los Angeles, Molly's entrepreneurial spirit led her to ... Show More
1h 14m
Nov 2021
Molly Ringwald: Avoid Absorbing Too Much Pain
Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, The Kissing Booth 3) joins us to discuss the things she admires and regrets about starring in John Hughes’ movies. Mayim and Molly bond over their early roles on Facts of Life, coping with rejection at an early ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2023
E184: - Molly McCann (UFC): Forged in fire, how adversity creates winners
<p>Molly McCann, also known as Meatball Molly, is a mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In this open and honest interview, Molly shares stories from her turbulent childhood, including her mum's struggle with addiction. Her mum was able ... Show More
1h 24m
May 2024
Molly McCann: Therapy, combat sports, and menstrual cycles
<p>Being deep in the middle of therapy can be draining. Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete Molly McCann has been working hard to understand her more toxic traits and behaviours, and her vulnerability has made her a stronger fighter.</p><p> </p><p>In this chat with Fearne ... Show More
1h 3m
Nov 2022
Molly’s Game – High Stakes Gambling, Extortion, and FBI Arrests
One-time Olympic mogul ski hopeful and host of the Torched podcast, Molly Bloom, ran a high-stakes poker game at the Viper Room in Los Angeles frequented by A-list celebrities, powerful politicians, big money investment bankers, and billionaires. When a famous actor usurped the g ... Show More
58m 59s
