Apple's "1984" commercial, the Energizer Bunny, and the launch of Air Jordans all have one thing in common. They're all creations of legendary ad man Lee Clow. As creative director of Chiat/Day, Lee spent decades making work that transcended advertising and became cultural icons. He shared a close relationship with Steve Jobs, and his Think Different campaign revitalized Apple, transforming it into the brand we recognize today. As someone whose career started in advertising, Lee's a hero of mine, and I was thrilled to sit down with him. He shares the entertaining stories behind his most iconic work and some insights into Steve Jobs's leadership, his rare ability to fearlessly embrace creativity. This...is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Lee and his work, check out: Apple's "1984" Macintosh commercial Lee in the Creative Hall of Fame See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety disorders affect Gen Z at astronomically higher rates than previous generations. There's plenty to be anxious about in the modern world. But the reason behind Gen Z's mental health crisis might be simpler than you'd think. According to social psychologist and NYU professor Jonathan Haidt, the answer lies in growing up with a combination of smartphones and social media. In his new book The Anxious Generation, he argues that Gen Z's anxiety is a symptom of being the first generation to go through puberty on Instagram and TikTok, with iPhones available to access them constantly. Thankfully, Jonathan believes the problem is solvable. He shares some advice he has for concerned parents and tells me how we can fix the mental health crisis affecting our kids in just a few years time. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Jonathan's work, check out: anxiousgeneration.com jonathanhaidt.com And for parents, visit: letgrow.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us would count ourselves lucky to live to age 80. And yet, there are places on Earth where people regularly live to 100, suffer virtually no chronic disease, and live life with a sense of purpose. These "Blue Zones" are the focus of Dan Buettner's work. He's a National Geographic explorer, an author, and a documentarian. He spent years traveling and studying the Blue Zones to understand why these 5 places on Earth produce some of the happiest, and longest-lived, people in the world. Dan and I discuss why happiness is the key to longevity, creating Blue Zones in our own lives, and how a longer life can begin with simply rearranging your kitchen. This...is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Dan Buettner and his work, check out: his Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones or bluezones.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the private space industry races to colonize space for profit, where does NASA fit in to the equation? Laurie Leshin is just the person to answer that question. She's the Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the first female director in JPL's storied history. To her, NASA's future is defined by its mission — exploring the cosmos for the greater good of humankind. Laurie and I discuss the role of Space X and Blue Origin in the new space age and why NASA should set its sights on Mars, and flying to even deeper space beyond. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To find out more about Laurie and her work, check out: jpl.nasa.gov See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If great leaders are those willing to suffer for their beliefs, Leopoldo Lopez is certainly a great leader. After he led the massive 2014 Venezuelan protests that swept the nation, the regime of Nicolás Maduro sentenced Leopoldo to over a decade of political imprisonment. He suffered four years of solitary confinement and psychological torture before he escaped. Leopoldo tells me about his time in prison and how he cultivated the mental strength to endure. The story of how he smuggled himself into exile is a truly remarkable one. Most of us will never experience military prison, but what Leopoldo discovered about surviving enormous stress is something each of us can learn from. This…is A Bit of Optimism. To find out more about Leopoldo and his work, check out: worldlibertycongress.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thrills of pleasure-seeking don't last long before we need even more. And when the excitement isn't enough, what is? Scott Harrison's life as an elite nightclub promoter was an unending cycle of drinking, drugs, models, and fast cars. After ten years, his 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the melty ice cream, self-rising flour, and egg. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick clean. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lasting success requires innovation but how do we actually build teams that can 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/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All business leaders want to make a lasting impact, but very few have the scale and tools to change the entire planet. Doug McMillon has the scale and the tools. He is the CEO of Walmart and employs over 2 million people across the world. But it is Doug's commitment to leading Walmart based on its core values that makes him so important. So I sat down with him to talk about his 33-year career, in which he went from packing trucks in the loading bay to becoming the chief executive, to discuss the value of values and how Walmart can have an impact on the whole world. This is...A Bit of Optimism. For more on Doug and his work check out: https://corporate.walmart.com/about/leadership/doug-mcmillon https://corporate.walmart.com/about/history See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authenticity is exceedingly rare. Yet Brian Grazer embodies it with an unparalleled zest and refreshing innocence. Though Grazer might not be a household name, his tv shows and movies (like "A Beautiful Mind" and “Apollo 13”) have earned him 242 Emmy nominations and 47 Oscar nominations. He believes in the power of asking endless amounts of questions to shape stories that resonate on a deeply human level. Grazer is an unparalleled storyteller and offers a unique perspective on how to engage, question, and understand the world around us. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Brian and his work check out: His new book: https://www.amazon.com/Curious-Mind-Expanded-Secret-Bigger/dp/1668025507 https://imagine-entertainment.com/ https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Brian-Grazer/410161296 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When did we get so disconnected from the world around us? How can we find our way back? Aza Raskin thinks the answer might lie in humanity's greatest adversary - listening. As co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and of the Earth Species Project, Aza and his team are using Artificial Intelligence to decode the language of animals, from whales to crows, while remaining dedicated to ensuring the accelerating rise of A.I. remains safe and responsibly handled. This is...A Bit of Optimism. For more on Aza and his work check out: https://www.earthspecies.org/ https://www.humanetech.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have lost trust in almost everything. Yat Siu has a clear vision for how we can solve our large-scale trust issues and enhance human coordination. For every problem technology creates, technology also has a solution. This is…A Bit of Optimism. For more on Yat Siu and his work check out: https://www.animocabrands.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We used to care about beautiful architecture. Luckily, Thomas Heatherwick still does. He is on a quest to make the world less boring. You may not know Thomas yet, but you know his work. He's designed iconic buildings and experiences and he says our cities have become dreadfully unhuman and our lack of beauty is negatively impacting our physical and mental health. He's a truly original thinker with great insights into how to innovate, create, and humanize. This is...A Bit of Optimism. For more on Thomas and his work check out: His new book, Humanize: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Humanize/Thomas-Heatherwick/9781668034439 https://www.heatherwick.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.