A Bit of Optimism

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

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 at

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 conve

In 2005, Neil Strauss published The Game, a book about his years living in the pickup artist community. The Game sold millions of copies, stirred up huge controversy, and made Neil a bestselling author. Neil has totally reinvented himself since writing The Game, and I wanted to talk with him about walking away from that identity of success. This led to a much deeper conversation a

Society treats marriage like the end goal of human intimacy. Platonic friends can never be as important as romantic partners. What would life look like if we made friendship the goal? Journalist and producer Rhaina Cohen tackles this question in her book The Other Significant Others. She tells the stories of people who made platonic friends the closest people in their lives, doing

It's not just what we eat but how we eat it that counts. Eating the same meal in a different order can dramatically change how we feel! Glucose Goddess is the viral Instagram account of Jessie Inchauspé, who's inspired millions of people to change how they eat. With simple and easy dietary hacks, Jessie teaches people how to prevent glucose spikes -- large influxes of sugar into o

Relationships are hard. No matter how much we like, respect, or love someone, conflict seems inevitable. But even as we fight and disagree, we can also learn the skills we need to resolve our problems. For over two decades, Shawn McBride has helped thousands of couples do the work to strengthen their relationships. And he has tons of practical advice. Shawn sat down with me to disc

Loneliness is now an epidemic, with devastating impacts on our health. How can we rekindle the deep human connection we need now more than ever? For Rabbi Sharon Brous, this question is the focus of her work. Considered one of the most influential rabbis in the U.S., she's founded her own congregation and has led multiple White House faith events. In her new book, The Amen Effect,

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, tran

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 hi