Fierce competition can lead to burnout. How do we train ourselves to maintain excellence without giving in to the pressure to perform?

High-performance psychologist Mike Gervais has a solution. He calls it mastery. Mike's approach to mastering our thoughts and emotions has helped Olympians win gold medals, the Seattle Seahawks win the Superbowl, and CEOs take their companies to the next level.

Mike and I sat down to discuss the psychological tools to fine-tune our inner voices and why focusing on purpose instead of outcome empowers us to accomplish difficult things.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Mike's work, check out his podcast:

Finding Mastery

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Classical music could use a little disruption. For Anastasia Kobekina, that means playing outside of its rigid forms.

An accomplished soloist, Anastasia has played with prestigious orchestras all over the world. She also bangs on her cello, improvises with Vivaldi, and sings.

I was thrilled to sit down with Anastasia to discuss her musical experimentations and to hear her play some pieces from her remarkable new album Venice.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Anastasia and her music, check out:

kobekina.info

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Courage isn't about bravado. It's about staying calm. 

Li Karlsen knows a lot about staying calm under the most inhospitable conditions. One of the most accomplished freedivers in the world, Li is a record-holding champion at holding her breath and diving hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface.

I wanted to ask Li what freediving has taught her about managing stress and fear. It turns out the lessons she's learned in the ocean work just as well above the water. Something as simple as changing the way we breathe can have a huge impact on our own fear and stress.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

To learn more about Li, check out:

her AIDA stats

@li_karlsen

and her latest venture bkm.health

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In Part 2 of our conversation, Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and I continue our journey of out loud self-reflection.

We discuss identifying our values, the two types of narcissists, explanation-based parenting, and exercising judgment over our own judgment. 

Listen to Part 1 here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more on Brené and Adam's work, check out:

brenebrown.com

adamgrant.net

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To become more self-aware, sometimes you need a friend. Two friends is even better.

Brené Brown and Adam Grant swing by the podcast for one of our trademark conversations with no plan. It turns into a deep dive about knowing our selves and how self-reflection is sometimes best done with others. What's a little metacognition between friends?

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

For more from Brené and Adam, check out:

brenebrown.com

adamgrant.net

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Building wealth is an unequal pursuit. Scott Galloway believes no one is getting more screwed financially than young people.

Scott argues what the U.S. is doing to the economic future of its youth is nothing less than a war on the young. The massive transfer of wealth from young to old is a topic he explores in his new book The Algebra of Wealth. 

I was delighted to have Prof G back on the show to share what's been on his mind lately, and enjoyed veering far off topic to discuss love, money, and the nature of true friendship.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

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

his book The Algebra of Wealth

his podcasts at Prof G Media

his TED Talk

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Seven years after ISIS killed her son, Diane Foley met with one of his killers. Somehow, she was able to find the humanity in her son's murderer. 

ISIS held journalist James Foley hostage for 2 years before publicly executing him in 2014, when they uploaded a YouTube video of James's beheading. After her son's murder, Diane Foley started The Foley Foundation, working to free American hostages held abroad, teach journalist safety, and inspire people to act with moral courage.

I asked Diane how she found the moral courage to meet ISIS terrorist Alexanda Kotey and see him as a human being. If Diane could find the grace to connect with her son's murderer, the rest of us can find the moral courage to see the good in those with whom we so vehemently disagree.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

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

her book American Mother

The Foley Foundation

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Humility stems from confidence. Confident leaders can admit when they're not the smartest person in the room.

Blake Hall exemplifies the type of leadership we need more of in business. A former Army Ranger, Blake was awarded the Bronze Star for leading his platoon in combat during the Iraq War. Now he's the CEO and co-founder of ID.me, a digital wallet that simplifies online identity verification.

I sat down with Blake to discuss how his combat experience informed his journey as an entrepreneur and why the smartest leaders lead with humility.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

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

id.me

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The jump from $250 million to $2 billion in revenue doesn't happen overnight. Over 25 years, John Burke transformed Trek Bikes into a global powerhouse — one mom-and-pop bike store at a time.

The key to John's success is simple but powerful. Create value for others first, and you too shall be rewarded. 

John and I discuss why the best way to win isn't to focus on "winning," but to focus on "play," and how the principles of The Infinite Game have guided his leadership. And he tells me why creative leadership is exactly what's missing in American government.

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

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

his book, A Bold Plan For America

TrekBikes.com

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War reporters risk their lives to document conflict. And yet, after a career living on battlefields, Sebastian Junger's closest brush with death was surviving an aneurysm.

Sebastian's story of his sudden internal hemorrhage and making sense of what he saw while dying is the subject of his new book In My Time of Dying. As someone who usually writes as an outside observer, it's an atypical and personal exploration of death.

I was privileged to speak with Sebastian about the fragility of life and why being necessary to others is one of our highest needs of all. 

This...is A Bit of Optimism.

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

sebastianjunger.com

his book, In My Time of Dying

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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.