There is always blue sky above
sometimes you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it.
A podcast meant to inspire people with an optimistic and hopeful vision of the world and our future.
Marketing and Storytelling Expert Neal Foard Describes His Efforts to Make the Internet—and the World—a Kinder Place
On Deck:
A Bit Of Blue Sky
Feb 5
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Ep. 81
Zach Karabell Discusses His Thought-Provoking Work and Why He Continues to Be an “Edgy Optimist”
This conversation covers a lot of ground, including how Zachary views President Trump and the “chaos” and “hysteria” he expects will be created during his second term, the remarkable medical breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines, and his new Substack newsletter, “The Edgy Optimist.”… More -
Ep. 80
Daniel Pink Shares His Thoughts on Optimism, Pessimism, and the Positive Power of Regret
Daniel Pink joins Blue Sky for a lively and wide-ranging discussion. He describes the importance of what he sees as a personal portfolio that includes a predominance of optimism that’s balanced by a healthy and helpful dose of pessimism… More -
Ep. 79
Chloé Valdary Shares Her Thoughtful and Optimistic Work at Her Company, Theory of Enchantment
Chloé Valdary shares her unique way of thinking about –and training others –in the field of diversity and difference. She describes her fascination with human beings in all our complexity and resists and rejects our tendencies to put everyone into the limiting categories of “oppressors or oppressed.”… More -
Ep. 78
“A Bit of Blue Sky” Premiere
This month, to kick of 2025, Bill challenges his audience to make being more optimistic a New Years resolution… More -
Ep. 77
Don Carpenter on Closing “The Aspirations Gap” with Rural Youth
Don Carpenter has spent the bulk of his career working on youth development. Today he’s executive director of the Rural Futures Fund, an organization focused on kids in rural settings, working to help them close what he calls the “aspirations gap,” between them and their peers in more affluent settings… More -
Ep. 76
Olivia Clarke Describes Her Passion for Helping Herself and Others Find Humor in Their Battle with Cancer
When Olivia Clarke was first diagnosed with cancer and began treatment, she looked for ways to keep her spirits up as the grueling treatments and symptoms became increasingly difficult… More -
Ep. 75
Special Episode for Gratitude Month, Featuring Reflections on Gratitude from Bill Burke and Blue Sky Alums
Blue Sky host and founder of The Optimism Institute Bill Burke shares his thoughts on the tight link between gratitude and optimism and has selected excerpts from past episodes to drive this point home… More -
Ep. 74
Sucheta Kamath Describes Her Optimistic Approach to Enhancing the Lives of Others Through Executive Function Training
In this episode, Sucheta describes her latest venture, ExQ, uses a cutting edge, “game-based” tools to systematically train fundamental cognitive skills related to focus, mindset, planning, organization, goal management, impulse control, emotional regulation, and self-awareness… More
IN THE NEWS AND ON THE AIR
Being optimistic doesn't come naturally for everyone, but there are ways to incorporate more positivity into your life. Bill Burke, the founder of The Optimism Institute and the “Blue Sky” podcast, joins Hoda & Jenna to discuss a few tips for building a happier and more optimistic lifestyle.
From Founder Bill:
Appearing on “TODAY with Hoda and Jenna” was a lot of fun. The two hosts - and everyone involved with the show - were great work with, and I appreciated the chance to bring some of The Optimism Institute’s messages to a national TV audience.
The icing on the cake has been welcoming so many new listeners to “Blue Sky” and visitors to our site and social media, as well as hearing kind words of support from long-time followers and friends.
Founder Bill’s Guest Appearances:
WHAT TO EXPECT…
Meet the Host
Bill Burke founded The Optimism Institute in 2022 after an extensive media and sports career as an executive, writer, and producer. Bill served as CEO of The Weather Channel Companies after several years at Time Warner/Turner Broadcasting System, where he was the founding general manager of Turner Classic Movies before going on to become president of TBS Superstation. Additionally, for fifteen years he was the co-owner and chairman of the Portland Sea Dogs, the double-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
As a writer, Bill co-authored Ted Turner’s top-10 New York Times Best-Selling autobiography Call Me Ted and later co-wrote/produced/directed “Live Another Day,” an award winning feature-length documentary on the bailout of the U.S. auto industry.
Bill is a lifelong optimist (he has to be - he’s a Detroit Lions fan) and launched The Optimism Institute with a mission to inspire people with an optimistic, hopeful vision of the world and its future.