OPTIMIST In Progress

After the isolation and loneliness of the pandemic, we are rediscovering the positive benefits of social connections again and no one understands this better than our guest this week, Dr Jonathan Leary, who has taken holistic wellbeing to a whole new level. Dr Leary created Remedy Place, the world's first social wellness club, which is founded on alternative and natural health principles, providing a space for connecting without toxicity and optimizing the body’s own methods for healing itself. So take a dip into the conversation with OIP this week and you never know ... you might leave yearning for an ice bath, or at least, take the plunge into kickstarting your daily routine … More about Remedy PlaceMore about Dr Jonathan LearyFollow @remedyplaceTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

As we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic and at a time of great alienation and dislocation from society, how do we find a sense of belonging and strength in others and the wider community? To answer this, Tom and Drea reflect on the conversation with frontline optimist Tony Kim who, like many children of immigrants, grew up straddling two cultures and learned to navigate and embrace the superpowers of his third culture. Tony’s unique perspective of being both an outsider and insider demonstrates that we can belong in multiple spaces and if we can strive to be a little more fluid in our thinking, says Dr Letamendi, we can relearn to be comfortable in different environments again.Listen to Optimist in Progress: Tony KimMore about Tony Kim and Hero WithinTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

This week on OIP, we talk to Naomi Hallum, the CEO of Million Dollar Vegan, about taking on the enormous mission of educating and empowering people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. While the environmental, ethical, personal, and public health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are overwhelmingly compelling, the world’s resistance to giving up animal products makes this global endeavor a particularly challenging one, she tells Tom and Drea. Nevertheless her commitment is unwavering - after all, if you have managed to persuade Pope Francis to fight climate change, through diet change, that is one mighty reason to feel hopeful that consumers can make better choices for a better world tomorrow.More about Million Dollar VeganFollow @milliondollarveganMore about VeganuaryMore about The Time in Between by María DueñasTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

Almost two decades Tom Kay quit his corporate job in London and moved to a small Cornish village to build a company that inspired a love of - and connection to - the sea, in order to better protect our oceans for future generations. Finisterre, makes functional, sustainable clothing for cold water surfers clothing and is one of the pioneering, future-facing brands putting people and planet ahead of profit.  Founder Tom Kay talks to Drea and Tom about his maturing relationship with the sea, the inspirational initiatives they are involved in to expand ocean access for all, and his work as a volunteer helmsman of the local lifeboat. More about Finisterre More about the Finisterre FoundationFollow @finisterreMore about the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (UK) More about B CorpsListen to BBC Shipping ForecastTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Tony Kim is the founder of Hero Within, a lifestyle fashion brand for fanboys and fangirls of pop culture and the cosplay community. A child of Korean immigrants, he talks to Tom and Drea about the struggles of growing up in the “inbetween” space between two cultures and eventually discovering the superpower of his “third culture”. With the help of his own non-traditional family, his passion for all things nerdy and the San Diego Comic-Con inspired a unique calling that was reaching the peak of success when the pandemic hit. Tony talks frankly about holding on to his creative vision while his business pivoted to manufacturing PPE and finding the hero within to remain optimistic in a rapidly changing climate.  We hope you enjoy the conversation ...More about Hero WithinFollow Tony Kim on TwitterMore about Comic-ConMore about Seth GodinListen to Wayward Son by KansasTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Jon Alexander is co-founder of New Citizen Project, and for the past decade he has looked deeply at the impact that the dominant narrative in which we all live - the consumer story -  has shaped our lives, our institutions and most troublingly, our self perception. In his new book, Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us,  he hopes to show us how to reclaim the word "citizen" in its truest sense - together, people - and empower us to work towards a more community-centric future. But how to untether ourselves from the culture of high capitalist consumerism? What exactly are the steps to do that? Tom and Drea talk to Jon about collective power and hackers in Taiwan, a new breed of businesses shaking things up, and the future role of elected leaders as facilitators or space-makers.More about Jon Alexander and CitizensMore about New Citizen Project More about author Rebecca SolnitListen to the How to Citizen podcastWatch The Jam: A Town Called MaliceTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Groundbreaking cannabis activist and consultant Andrew DeAngelo has been a key actor in the legalization of this industry. This week on OIP he talks to Tom and Drea about his personal connection with cannabis on both sides of the law and his commitment to redressing past and continuing injustices through The Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization he co-founded with his brother. They also discuss the use of the arts and culture to remove the stigma that still looms large over marijuana use. His deep conviction to social change and his willingness to make personal sacrifices are an inspiring reminder that grassroots activism starts from within. More about Andrew DeAngeloMore about Last Prisoner ProjectListen to Bullshit Anthem by Fantastic NegritoMore about The weldon projectMore about Cage Free CannabisMore about Michael Pollan's How Coffee and Tea Created the Modern WorldMore about Tony Kushner's Angels in AmericaTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

The beginning of a new year can often bring on pressure to make significant changes in our lives. But how often do we really pay attention to the thing right in front of us, to the task at hand? This week, we revisit an episode of Optimist in Progress, in which Dr Drea Letamendi shares her insights on how to create moments of mindfulness as we fold laundry, chop carrots or do the dishes. By tuning in to those repetitive tasks, and connecting to the sensations of everyday activities, she explains, the small moments take on a new significance, creating a profound sense of gratitude, and enhancing our mental wellbeing.For more on Jon Kabat ZinnFor more on the Zen koan, Chop Wood, Carry WaterA brief intro to ZenA definitive guide to Zen by Alan Watts - The way of ZenTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It’s easy to feel the heaviness of the setbacks of the past year, and let’s be honest, 2022 has already served up some doozies. Nonetheless, as we move through the year ahead, Tom and Drea discuss how to pause the everyday demands and make plans that spark joy; the importance of saying yes to new things and how we can reframe some of the disappointments of the pandemic. Taking these small steps can help us as we build the practice of optimism and look forward to a more content and intentional future.Follow Tara Roth on TwitterMore about the Goldhirsh FoundationMore about  LA2050To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Tom and Drea talk to future-shaper Tara Roth about what's ahead for social innovation in Los Angeles, the  convergence of business and philanthropy, and the conviction and tenacity needed to really create, drive and support meaningful and lasting social change in the city and beyond. As president of the Goldhirsh Foundation, Tara has spearheaded some remarkable and diverse initiatives from My LA2050 - a grassroots and crowd-sourced campaign that backs proposals for improving Los Angeles - to supporting the legalization of street vendors, to a bold and pioneering universal basic income project in Stockton.  Listen up, all you social entrepreneurs.Follow Tara Roth on TwitterMore about the Goldhirsh FoundationMore about LA2050More about Rick HansonRead Invictus by William Ernest HenleyTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

After OIP’s inspiring conversation with Citizen Cope - a musical artist who has successfully tuned into his intuitively-creative process throughout his career - Tom and Drea reflect on the concept of “flow” - a mental state  that is also referred to as “being in the zone”. This transformative feeling of energized focus and absorption is related to our sense of happiness and fulfillment, but how do we find it? Is there a formula for this special attunement of mind and body? And most importantly, can we bottle it?More about Mihaly CzikszentmihalyiMore about Citizen CopeFollow @citizencopeTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone 

This week on OIP, the phenomenally-talented recording artist and producer, Clarence Greenwood, AKA Citizen Cope, talks to Tom and Drea about his musical journey from learning the trumpet at school to signing with multiple major labels and working with renowned artists such as Carlos Santana and Sheryl Crow. He discusses his uniquely  intuitive and poetic creativity and the challenges he faced along the way - from debilitating stage fright to the pressures of producing music for his label while touring. Today, he helps create musical opportunities for young people and has found his own inner peace, which enables him to create the authentic work he set out to do while finding new and empowering ways of engaging with his audience.More about Citizen CopeFollow @citizencopePavarotti singing Nessun DormaAretha Franklin's Nessun DormaMore about Turn Around ArtsTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

As the year draws to a close, it is oftentimes a period of reflection - and not always in a good way. Many of us sway towards focusing on the things we haven’t accomplished, our personal shortcomings and what goals we plan to set ourselves in the future. This week, Tom and Drea are energized by the inspiring optimism of Apryl Electra Storms and talk about strategies for banishing those end-of-year, self-loathing blues. At a time when life can get hectic and overwhelming before the holidays, a little self-forgiveness and kindness can go a long way. We are all optimists in progress.Follow @aprylelectraFollow @doctorgodmusicFollow @minusmoonshineTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

It’s difficult not to be captivated by Apryl Electra Storms’ infectious optimism. In this episode the entrepreneur and co-founder of Minus Moonshine talks to Drea and Tom about their journey from chef to musician to owner of a ground-breaking alcohol-free drinks store in Brooklyn. Apryl has disrupted and defied expectations their whole life, living intuitively and constantly encouraging a reframing of scenarios to help themselves. Apryl talks candidly about identifying non-binary, the challenges they have faced, and the life-changing importance of language for trans people to feel safe and accepted in society.Follow @aprylelectraFollow @doctorgodmusicFollow @minusmoonshineListen to Depeche Mode on YouTubeListen to Massive AttackMore about Fleetwood MacMore about Joni MitchelTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

What keeps us going after a devastating loss, crisis or tragedy? How do we recover and even flourish after a traumatic event? This week on OIP, Tom and Drea discuss the remarkable resilience and positivity of bartender and chef Matthew Biancaniello. His restaurant, Mon-Li, was burned in the Woolsey fire, but ultimately he expressed feeling liberated by this event, and freed up to pursue his creative endeavors. They discuss whether our fundamental need for survival is instinctive or whether it can be learned and nurtured to prepare us for whatever life might hold.More about Matthew BiancanielloMore about Viktor E FranklFollow @eatyourdrinkMore about Mon-Li More about the Woolsey fire (LA Times)To get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Meet an indomitable creative force on OIP this week, and perhaps the best embodiment of the proverb “fall down seven times, stand up eight”. Category defying and self-taught bartender and chef, Matthew Biancaniello, came to fame with the legendary, farmers market-inspired cocktails he constructed at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, and at Malibu’s Mon-Li, where he created what has been described as “the most extravagant cocktail experience.” He found his calling unexpectedly, but the ride has been a wild one and it shows no sign of slowing down ...   More about Matthew BiancanielloFollow @eatyourdrinkMore about Mon-Li More about Tosha SilverMore about the Woolsey fire (LA Times)Listen to whale music on YouTubeTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

After existing for so long with pandemic restrictions, even the most familiar spaces can make us feel anxious or intimidated. And then there are those places and moments - the  gym, the public speaking event, the difficult conversation - that make the adrenaline rush, and not always in a good way. Flight often ensues.  But psychologists agree that some degree of discomfort is a good thing, a growth opportunity. Tom and Drea discuss some of the empowering tools to employ to prepare yourself for uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations, including “setting the table” of expectations, creating a positive association and voicing our vulnerabilities.More about Hero’s Journey FitnessTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

When self professed nerds Christy Black and David Nett felt a little out of place in traditional gyms, they decided to create their own inclusive space where all bodies - and minds - could feel that they belong. Hero’s Journey is Los Angeles’ first fitness space specifically designed for the “geek community”, and it feels like part of a broader cultural change that embraces individuality and non-conformist ways of being. Christy and David discuss how their compassionate coaching approach eschews the body shame and competition that fuels much of the fitness industry. And if you want an anime figure skating themed workout? No problem. Capes are optional.More about Hero’s Journey FitnessMore about Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley RobinsonMore about Mr RogersMore about Carl SaganMore about Battlestar GalacticaTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

Last week’s conversation with Reginald "Syience" Perry got a lot of love and started up many conversations. When trying to work out which theme or insight to explore in this follow-up episode, we really struggled.  We don’t use the term "self-actualized" lightly, but when it comes to Syience … So, this week’s episode we’re calling "Syience lessons".  If you haven’t heard the conversation from last week, go ahead and listen to that first. Then tune in to Drea and Tom as they talk "durable" or active stillness, creative visualization, Stoicism and dispositional optimism, working towards deeper connections with yourself and with others, and a whole bunch of other stuff we might all really benefit from practicing. And to be clear, it will take some practice.Follow @syience1More about Reginald "Syience" PerryTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone

This week, OIP steps into another dimension with multi Grammy-award winning producer and creative dynamo, Reginald “Syience” Perry. He talks about his roots in Flint, Michigan and the remarkable, self-willed leap that led him to NY and - in less than a year - to collaborations with artists such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend and Mary J Blige. Syience’s true calling though, as he tells Tom and Drea, came in the form of myriad dreams directing him towards a new way of story-telling - an epic collision of music, fiction and technology or what he calls his “universe in a box”. He talks about channeling this transcendental creative flow into his ambitious 10-year project, Radio Flyer, returning the power of imagination to education and reclaiming true, authentic connections. And if this sounds a little mind-blowing - it is … Listen now.Follow @syience1More about Reginald "Syience" PerryMore about The Harder They FallListen to Alice Smith on OIPMore about InterstellarMore about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindWatch the trailer: Ready Player OneTo get in touch with us, email: podcast@optimistdrinks.comFor more about the show visit optimistdrinks.com and click on the journal pages.Follow Optimist Drinks @optimistdrinksFollow Dr Drea Letamendi @arkhamasylumdocFollow Tom Johnstone @tommyjohnstone