Best Blake Robbins Podcasts (2025)

1
This Is... A Bit of Optimism 1:14

3d ago1:14

1:14

My career is an accident. It started when I set out to rediscover my passion and reignite a spark I’d lost — and that journey led me to the work I do now.If you know me from my books or my speaking, you know I’m fascinated by why people do what they do. What makes someone find joy and meaning in their life, or pursue something far greater than them…

1
Ask Yourself "What If?" with Milk Bar Founder Christina Tosi 47:44

3d ago47:44

47:44

What if this podcast turned into a baking show? For Christina Tosi’s third visit to A Bit of Optimism, we decided to find out. So we headed to Milk Bar to make compost cookies from things in my own pantry and my favorite beer bread from scratch! Christina’s not just my best friend—she’s the founder of Milk Bar, host of Bake Squad on Netflix, a cook…

1
The Steve Ballmer Interview 2:59:20

1d ago2:59:20

2:59:20

We sit down with Steve Ballmer, the legendary former Microsoft CEO and owner of the LA Clippers, for an epic conversation covering his 34 years at Microsoft. Steve listened to our Microsoft episodes and had some thoughts to share — and boy, did he deliver. Steve takes us point-by-point through the original IBM DOS deal that started everything, how …

1
Revisited: Love Is Not Enough with couples therapist Shawn McBride 47:49

10d ago47:49

47:49

We're taking some time off to bring you even more episodes of A Bit of Optimism that you're going to love! In the meantime, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes, like this one with couples counselor Shawn McBride. Relationships are hard. No matter how much we like, respect, or love someone, conflict seems inevitable. But even as we fight …

1
Revisited: The Secret to Happiness with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger 45:30

17d ago45:30

45:30

We're taking some time off to bring you even more episodes of A Bit of Optimism that you're going to love! In the meantime, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes, like this one with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger. We all want to live a happy life. But what does the research say about how to achieve it? For more than 86 years, researche…

1
Where Is Simon Going? with journalist Cal Fussman 50:18

24d ago50:18

50:18

Sometimes in life, we must stop and ask ourselves, “Where am I you going next?” Other times, it’s more fun to do a podcast takeover. No one has ever interviewed me quite like Cal Fussman. Cal has a gift – he pulls things out of you that you didn’t even know were there. A prolific Writer At Large for Esquire, Cal has interviewed legends like Muhamma…

1
The Cure for Nihilism with professor Suzy Welch 34:37

1M ago34:37

34:37

Sometimes in life, we choose the wrong path. When we feel like we're living a lie, it's hard to know what to do next. That’s where Suzy Welch comes in. She’s obsessed with helping people create lives worth living. A professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, Suzy teaches a popular class called “Becoming You,” where she takes students down a bruta…

1
(PART 2) The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest with National Geographic photographer Cory Richards 39:47

1M ago39:47

39:47

*Please note: At 9:01, Simon and Cory have a discussion about suicide. What happens after we attain success and glory? Where do you go when there's nowhere left to run from yourself? In Part 2 of my conversation with Cory Richards, Cory explains why reaching the summit of Everest marked the beginning of a long, painful fall from grace. After his tu…

1
Announcement: Acquired Live at Radio City Music Hall! 4:25

1M ago4:25

4:25

A few weeks ago, we told you that Acquired is doing something in New York City on July 15 with our good friends at J.P. Morgan Payments. Well, the big announcement is finally here: We are doing our 2025 Live Show… at Radio City Music Hall! Radio City is of course the iconic New York City theater that hosts the Rockettes and the Tony Awards, and has…

1
(PART 1) The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest with National Geographic photographer Cory Richards 47:27

1M ago47:27

47:27

What happens when we reach the top? There’s only one place to go. Cory Richards has scaled the world’s highest peaks and fallen to life’s lowest lows. An acclaimed mountain climber, photographer, and filmmaker, Cory has literally reached the top of the world. He climbed Mount Everest with no supplemental oxygen, became the first American to summit …

1
Epic Systems (MyChart) 3:57:02

2M ago3:57:02

3:57:02

What if we told you that the most important company in US healthcare was run from a farm in rural Wisconsin? And that farm contained the world’s largest subterranean auditorium, as well as Disneyland—style replicas of Hogwarts and the Emerald City? What if we told you that the person who started, runs and owns this establishment has legally ensured…

1
Find Your Allies Fast with philanthropist Melinda French Gates 38:35

2M ago38:35

38:35

Change happens to all of us whether we choose it or not. What’s the best way to go through transition, especially when it’s something we didn’t want? Melinda French Gates has seen her fair share of big transitions. A philanthropist, author, and champion for female empowerment, she spent decades building the Gates Foundation into one of the mighties…

1
Who Are You, Really? with journalist Maria Shriver 41:41

2M ago41:41

41:41

We often define ourselves by what we do or who we are to other people. But at our core, who we are is often something much deeper, and sometimes wildly different, from the version that the world sees -- or projects onto you. Maria Shriver was born into the legendary Kennedy and Shriver families, arriving with a script already written for her—an ide…

1
The Search for Self-Love with podcaster Lewis Howes 51:15

2M ago51:15

51:15

Self-love is never as easy as we think. Is it possible to fall in love with ourselves the way we fall for other people? Lewis Howes knows that learning to like yourself, let alone love yourself, can take decades. After surviving a traumatic childhood, Lewis spent years working on himself to try and understand what it takes for human beings to achie…

1
Revisited: Why Awkward Is Awesome with psychologist Ty Tashiro 31:51

2M ago31:51

31:51

A Bit of Optimism is on hiatus this week, so we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations! In this episode, Simon talks with psychologist Ty Tashiro about social awkwardness and why being awkward can actually be a superpower. ***** Awkwardness gets a bad rap. But being awkward is often an indicator that someone has extraordinary. Psychologist…

1
Indian Premier League Cricket 4:28:07

2M ago4:28:07

4:28:07

When you saw this episode pop up in your feed, you either jumped for joy and hit play immediately (in which case you’re not reading this), or you said “Huh. That’s a surprising episode.” Well, if you’re in group two, boy do we have a treat for you! IPL is the fastest-growing, most dynamic and most disruptive force in the sports industry today… and …

1
Does Gender Change How We Lead? with Retired Colonel DeDe Halfhill 40:39

3M ago40:39

40:39

Is there such a thing as female leadership? Or is gender not a factor? DeDe Halfhill would say yes and no. A retired Air Force colonel, Dede spent 20 years in the military, where she advised some of the military’s most powerful leaders during the War in Iraq. She was often the only woman in the room for weeks on end. And while DeDe found the princi…

1
The Myth of the Perfect Meditator with podcaster Jay Shetty 50:25

3M ago50:25

50:25

We turn to ancient philosophies to help us cope with the stress of modern life. But what if ancient wisdom could use some help from the modern world? Jay Shetty has made it his life’s work to make wisdom, peace, and purpose available to everyone. After living as a monk for 3 years, he left his monastic lifestyle with the hope of spreading what he l…

1
When Your 'Flaw' Becomes Your Edge with Comedian Hasan Minhaj 44:43

3M ago44:43

44:43

To recognize your own talent takes time and self-awareness. But to find the courage to pursue it? That often requires a spark of inspiration from someone else. For Hasan Minhaj, that spark came from an unexpected trio—a teacher, a roommate, and Napster. A former correspondent on The Daily Show, Hasan’s natural gift of gab allowed him to build a wid…

1
Humble Leaders Lead Better Teams with Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink 42:07

3M ago42:07

42:07

Most people believe the only way to lead is to become the best at something. But what if great leadership means admitting you’re not the best at anything? Jocko Willink believes the secret to his greatest achievements come down to one thing – humility. A retired Navy SEAL commander, Jocko served 20 years in the U.S. military, leading one of the mos…

1
Rolex 5:00:35

3M ago5:00:35

5:00:35

Rolex is a series of paradoxes. They sell obsolete and objectively inferior mechanical devices for 10-1000x the price of their superior digital successors… and demand is stronger than ever in history! Their products are comparable to a Hermès Birkin bag in price, luxury status and waitlist times… yet they produce over 1m units / year (roughly 10x a…

1
A Sweet Conversation About Dying with Death Doula Alua Arthur 45:22

4M ago45:22

45:22

Death is a word we like to avoid. We dance around the subject or use vague euphemisms to not hurt anybody. But what if being open about our deaths meant we could live happier lives? That’s where Alua Arthur comes in. Alua is one of the most prominent death doulas in the country, which means it’s her job to help people die. She offers support to her…

1
The Secret Art of Micromanagement with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky 44:06

4M ago44:06

44:06

People aren’t born great leaders. They learn to become great leaders. For Brian Chesky, the learning never stops. As the co-founder of Airbnb, he had to transition from an impassioned entrepreneur with a brilliant idea into a CEO responsible for thousands of employees. To make the hard decisions necessary for Airbnb to survive the COVID pandemic, a…

1
You Are More Like Grammy-Winner Jacob Collier Than You Think 57:33

4M ago57:33

57:33

To create something truly original, do we build something new or break what came before? Perhaps the answer is both—simultaneously. Jacob Collier does exactly that. A brilliant songwriter and musician, he’s known for transforming his live audiences into massive three-part choirs, making music with the very people who attend his concerts. His album …

1
Kids (And Employees) Know More Than You Think with Dr. Becky Kennedy 42:42

4M ago42:42

42:42

Parenting is the hardest job in the world—and it turns out, it’s also one of the best training grounds for leadership. Dr. Becky Kennedy, aka the “Millennial Parent Whisperer,” became an essential voice for caretakers by offering practical, actionable parenting advice that resonated with millions during the pandemic. As a clinical psychologist and …

1
TSMC Founder Morris Chang 2:54:56

4M ago2:54:56

2:54:56

We flew to Taiwan to interview TSMC Founder Morris Chang in a rare English interview. In fact, the last long-form video interview we could find was 17 years ago at the Computer History Museum… conducted by the one-and-only Jensen Huang! This episode came about after asking ourselves a version of the Jeff Bezos “regret minimization” question: what c…

1
Spite Is The Greatest Motivator with Watch Duty founder John Mills 39:02

5M ago39:02

39:02

When the wildfires struck Los Angeles, turmoil quickly consumed the city. People were desperate for clear, reliable information—unsure of evacuation routes or how to track the fires as they spread in a history-making wind storm. Then, we found Watch Duty. This intuitive app became our lifeline. The visionary behind the app is John Mills, a seasoned…

1
TSMC (Remastered) 2:27:50

5M ago2:27:50

2:27:50

We dive into the unbelievable and unlikely history behind the quietest technology giant of them all: the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Founded in 1987 by the then-56 year old Morris Chang, already a legend in the semiconductor industry by virtue of his meteoric rise and fall at Texas Instruments, TSMC today manufactures nearly all the…

1
The First Steps to Reducing Your Anxiety with author Mel Robbins 54:35

5M ago54:35

54:35

Life can feel overwhelming, especially when we're too drained to even get out of bed. So, how do we push through those days? For Mel Robbins, facing this very question turned her life around. Struggling with $800,000 in debt and at rock bottom, she became obsessed with finding practical ways to regain control. Fast-forward to today, and Mel is a be…

1
The Cure for Loneliness with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy 46:39

5M ago46:39

46:39

Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. Where do we go to feel like we belong? As the Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy has been a leading voice in bringing the loneliness crisis to light, stressing its devastating impact on public health. As his second term nears its end, he leaves behind a powerful reflection in his lett…

1
Trevor Noah Makes My Brain Hurt 56:36

6M ago56:36

56:36

It’s our last episode of 2024, so I decided to invite comedian Trevor Noah on…to get as serious as possible. Most Americans know Trevor as the former host of The Daily Show, a bestselling author, and a stand-up comedian. But his brand of humor isn’t just a barrel of laughs— it’s raw, witty, thought-provoking, and often makes you see the world in a …

1
Mars Inc. (the chocolate story) 3:53:12

6M ago3:53:12

3:53:12

M&M’s, Snickers, Milky Way, Double Mint, Ben’s Rice, Pedigree, Whiskas, VCA, Banfield… all the brands you know, owned by the company you know nothing about: Mars, Incorporated. And Mars itself is 100% owned and deeply intertwined with the Mars family, who are currently the second wealthiest (and perhaps first most secretive!) family in the United S…

1
Should You Work With Your Friends? with my friend Will Guidara 49:26

6M ago49:26

49:26

They say business and pleasure don’t mix. But what about business and friends? My dear friend Will Guidara is the perfect person to dive into this question because we're actively trying to get into business together. And, let's just say, it requires a lot of effort. In addition to being someone I love, Will is a renowned restaurateur, known for own…

1
The Secret to Happiness with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger 45:30

6M ago45:30

45:30

We all want to live a happy life, but what does research say about how to actually achieve it? For more than 86 years, researchers at Harvard University have been trying to answer that question. In one of the longest-running and most comprehensive studies of human happiness, Harvard tracked 724 teenagers through every stage of their adult lives sin…

1
The First Steps to Find Love with Matthew Hussey 48:48

6M ago48:48

48:48

Finding love is a journey. We might take some wrong turns along the way. Matthew Hussey helps people find love, and sometimes, redefine their relationship with love. Matthew is a dating coach who balances practical advice about the art of attraction with the importance of centering our own sense of self in our search for love. Starting as a teenage…

1
Dr. Mark Hyman: To Live Longer You Need... 48:04

7M ago48:04

48:04

Close friends are the best thing for your health. Friendship, it turns out, is one of life’s best medicines. If you don’t believe me, believe Dr. Mark Hyman. Mark is one of the leading voices in the functional medicine movement, which is all about taking a holistic approach to our health for natural healing and preventing disease. The smallest chan…

1
IKEA 3:19:19

7M ago3:19:19

3:19:19

IKEA may be the most singular company we’ve ever studied on Acquired. They’re a globally scaled, $50B annual revenue company with no direct competitors — yet have only ~5% market share. They’re one of the largest retailers in the world — yet sell only their own products. They generate a few billion in free cash flow every year — yet have no shareho…

1
Alexis Ohanian: Why I Left Reddit and Why Greed Can Inspire Good 1:04:18

7M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

In 2020, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian resigned from his own company in protest. After 15 years building Reddit into a social media juggernaut, why leave? The answer is values. Alexis is the kind of entrepreneur and investor who believes that integrity and long term profits go hand in hand. It’s the reason he started his new company 776, allowin…

1
What can we learn from a rural school in Kenya? with principal Carol Moraa 39:58

7M ago39:58

39:58

Kenya's Maasai Mara is rugged, beautiful, and tough. Values are everything for the people who live in this rural countryside, On a trip to Kenya, I had the opportunity to visit The Mara. The intelligence and grit of the young people there blew me away! I met incredibly driven young women determined to uplift their families from poverty. Carol Moraa…

1
Peace Is A Process with negotiation expert William Ury 42:07

7M ago42:07

42:07

Peace is a process, not an outcome. It's a process that must begin with understanding the other side. Few people on this planet have as much experience making peace as William Ury. William spent decades as a peace negotiator, resolving the world's most intractable conflicts — from avoiding nuclear catastrophe in the Cold War to mediating ethnic ten…

1
Meta 6:17:26

7M ago6:17:26

6:17:26

Meta is a company everyone knows (literally, everyone). But, somehow, it’s also a company that few people feel they actually understand. Their products are used by more humans than any other’s in history — almost half of the entire world’s population daily. But… what is Meta? Why do they do what they do? How do they do what they do? Ask ten people …

1
Creating Astonishment with Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren 56:08

8M ago56:08

56:08

Astonishment. A feeling of amazement so powerful you have to stop in wonder. As President and CEO of the Chicago Bears, Kevin Warren's job is to astonish people with sports moments they'll never forget. A veteran executive of professional football, he's also served as COO of the Minnesota Vikings and Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. For Kevi…

1
A Lifetime of Leadership with President Joe Biden 32:52

8M ago32:52

32:52

Leadership is deeply personal. As people change, the way they lead has to change, too. Few leaders have navigated as much change as Joe Biden. He was elected to the Senate at 29 and will end his time as President at 82. The number of things he has witnessed and been a part of over the course of his career is remarkable. His journey has been shaped …

1
Revisited: How To Be A Friend with chef and entrepreneur Christina Tosi 39:25

8M ago39:25

39:25

Friends can help us get through life’s toughest moments. But a true friend remembers to smile about the good times. That’s why I wanted to revisit my conversation with the founder and CEO of Milk Bar, host of Netflix’s Bake Squad, and author of several cookbooks including Dessert Can Save the World, my dear friend Christina Tosi. Christina is the t…

1
Revisited: Molly's Game with Molly Bloom 49:30

8M ago49:30

49:30

Some people’s life stories are too crazy not to tell. So today, we’re revisiting one of my favorite episodes, my conversation with Molly Bloom. Her story is so riveting it's no surprise it became a star-studded Hollywood film. After her Olympic dreams were dashed, Molly wound up running an illegal, high-stakes poker game where hundreds of millions …

1
Acquired LIVE from Chase Center (with Daniel Ek, Emily Chang, Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg) 2:23:44

8M ago2:23:44

2:23:44

Here it is: the complete video of the most unbelievable night of Acquired’s nine-year life… our sold out live show at the Chase Center in San Francisco. We joked during the months (months!) of preparation leading up to this event that it was like planning a wedding for 6,000 Acquired fans, and the guest list included Jamie Dimon, Daniel Ek, Emily C…

1
The Mark Zuckerberg Interview 1:27:44

9M ago1:27:44

1:27:44

Mark is the iconic founder CEO of our time. At Chase Center on September 10, 2024, he did an unprecedented thing: a live conversation in front of 6,000 people on Meta’s company strategy, sharing stories from early Facebook history, and his thoughts on the future of AI, VR, and AR. Mark was remarkably candid in our discussion, and gave us a window i…

1
Revisited: We Cannot Heal Alone In The Loneliness Epidemic with Rabbi Sharon Brous 34:12

9M ago34:12

34:12

Grief can paralyze us. Most of us aren't given a manual about how to comfort someone grieving or how to ask for help with our own pain. That's why I wanted to revisit one of my favorite conversations, with Rabbi Sharon Brous. I talked with her about being present to someone else's pain and what it means to heal together in the loneliness epidemic. …

1
Confident Ignorance with rapper, novelist, and filmmaker Logic 59:43

9M ago59:43

59:43

Vision, not skill, is the heart of creativity. But when a creative vision gets too big for one person, the key is to ask for help. Logic is a platinum-selling rapper who’s made waves in the hip hop world. After a troubled childhood, he started making music with a positive, introspective message, eventually receiving nominations for two Grammy Award…

1
Wealth Is Togetherness with community organizer Kennedy Odede 36:22

9M ago36:22

36:22

The slums of Kenya are a tough place to grow up. Stealing a mango could get you killed. Kennedy Odede grew up in Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum. A street kid at age 10, he dreamed of factory work for 10 cents a day. But after stealing a mango out of hunger, a stranger's single act of kindness changed the course of his life. Today, Kennedy is t…

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