OPTIMIST In Progress

One of the upsides to the pandemic is that people have opened up to conversations around mental wellbeing. In fact, it seems like everyone is talking about mental health right now, but for most of us…

Olympic gold medalist and world rowing champion, Mark Hunter, talks to Drea and Tom about his three Olympic performances, what he refers to humorously as “the bad, the good and the ugly”.  His turbul…

As Optimists in Progress we hoped to spring into Season 2 firmly in a “post-pandemic” world or at least something approaching 'normal',  but as the pandemic morphs into an endemic, we are welcoming o…

We are living through a global pandemic, and viral contagion is something we are all very familiar with. But what about emotional contagion? How can the idea of collective energy help us to navigate …

Growing vegetables might seem an unlikely way to fight the power, but Jamiah Hargins has no doubt it offers a revolutionary means by which to address social inequity, build community and address prob…

Why do so many of us feel guilty or lazy when resting? This week on OIP, Tom and Drea discuss why our fast-paced, high-achieving culture values “busyness” and how taking an intentional pause seems at…

Cannabis entrepreneur Tamika Drew talks about how a debilitating disease led her to embrace cannabis as medicine and her personal journey to establishing her family-run cannabis business Biko Flower.…

‘Reframing’ or ‘cognitive restructuring’ is a concept accessible to all of us. Tom and Drea discuss how it takes some work, but we can shift our perspective in order to lift the lens of negativity an…

Renowned hospitality entrepreneur and influential San Francisco bar owner, Josh Harris, discovered his passion for bartending after a sports injury cut short his athletic ambitions in his early twent…

Inspired by their conversation with award-winning architect Michael Lehrer, Tom and Drea discuss how we can enhance - and even challenge - our own environments for better well-being and spark joy in …

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles awarded Michael Lehrer the gold medal, their highest award, describing him as "an architect fully engaged with architecture as a means to contribute t…

There's a lot of talk of burn out right now;  swathes of people are quitting their jobs (or seriously thinking about it) in what's being referred to as 'The Great Resignation'.  Companies are struggl…

After a 'hyper-accelerated' existence as the NY-based music editor for Vice, covering the underground music and recreational drug scene all over the world, author and journalist Michelle Lhooq moved …

In this episode we return to the concept of 'collective liberation' introduced last week in our conversation with Charlotte James and Undrea Wright of The Ancestor Project. How can this idea help us …

Charlotte James and Undrea Wright came together to create - or channel - a radical and transformative path to healing through 'sacred plant medicine'. Through their ground-breaking work with The Ance…

Most of us rush through the endless ‘to do’ list of daily chores feeling distracted and impatient. How often do we really pay attention to the thing that's right in front of us, to the task at hand? …

Whilst she may not recognize herself as an optimist (“rainbows and ponies?”), the work that UK based food writer and nutritional coach Lizzie King is doing to educate people about how to 'eat well' i…

It sounds a little like therapy-speak, but finding your authentic self, living authentically is just another way to say we’re ‘keeping it real’. Authenticity has always been highly valued in our soci…

Singer/songwriter Alice Smith was nominated for a Grammy for best newcomer when she hit the scene with her highly original sound and powerful stage presence. Record label politics though went on to h…

Much of the past year has been spent in isolation; we've been existing in small 'social bubbles', and relying heavily on technology to feel connected. Though quarantine helped our society to survive …