We’re often asked if we’ve seen a pattern of success among the many thousands of entrepreneurs and creatives we’ve interviewed over the years and when we say yes, folks naturally ask what it takes to succeed and without a doubt one of the most essential ingredients for success is optimism. Cynics may often be right, but it’s only when an optimist is right that the world changes. Below, you’ll find more discussion around optimism and how to develop and foster it.
Eric Zaragoza
Where does my optimism come from? My optimism began with my younger brother. We grew up in a broken home, but somehow, he always found a reason to smile. Even in the simplest moments, he carried this light with him. A hug. A smile. A small act of kindness with no conditions attached. Read More>>
Kendra Leonard
As odd as it may sound, a big part of my optimism stems from some of the toughest parts of my life. I’m naturally a quite bubbly and positive person, but facing, walking (sometimes crawling) through, and overcoming challenges is a major part of my daily optimism. Starting at about 10 years old, I began to battle weight and poor body image issues. Read More>>
Jason Dennen
After years of searching to find my limits, one day I ran into my greatest challenge—a skydiving accident that nearly took my life. In a split second, a huge gust of wind slammed me through a fence and into the side of an airplane hangar at 30 mph while I was landing my parachute. Read More>>
Aethier Chairon
My optimism is one of my greatest skills as a young adult, especially now in the current climate politically, economically and of course environmentally as well. I haven’t always been the radical optimist I am now, and I think I only can be as positive as I am in part because of the time I’ve spent in life feeling rather down. Read More>>
Adrienna Hood
I’ve always been naturally optimistic, but resilience has deepened that optimism over time. Life has definitely handed me challenges, but those experiences taught me to look for meaning, growth, and possibility—even in difficult seasons. I’m the kind of person who asks, ‘What can I learn from this?’ instead of staying stuck in what went wrong. Read More>>
Richard Schwartz
You have to! It keeps you alive. There’s no other choice. Anything else is self-defeating. That’s the short version, but it’s true. Every time life throws another curveball — and I’ve had my share — I remind myself that optimism isn’t some easy choice; it’s the only way to keep moving forward. My music focuses on that. Read More>>
Bruce Rowe
I prefer to (and do) refer to myself as a positivist rather than an optimist. What I mean by this is that I believe that most of the time, if we continue to live and to live well and work toward positive ends with an open heart, good or positive things will happen, and that, to paraphrase Dr. Read More>>
David Johnson
My optimism doesn’t come from a single moment or a single influence. It comes from a pattern I’ve seen repeated throughout my life: things have a way of working out when I stay engaged, stay curious, and keep moving forward. I’ve learned that optimism isn’t blind hope; it’s a disciplined choice to look at challenges through the lens of possibility rather than limitation. Read More>>
Benjamin Donnell
Every day is filled with a countless amount of decisions. What to eat, what to wear, what to say, etc. A large part of what affects your day usually isn’t one of those more “simple” decisions. The big deciding factor I see that affects your whole days outcome depends on if you are optimistic or pessimistic. Read More>>
Vanessa Plaza Lazo
My optimism comes from the passion and love for the things I do, aspire and my desire to achieve them. I believe in manifestation and the power of effort and consistency. Throughout my life I’ve seen the results of that consistency and effort I’ve put on the work I do that has taken me to where I am now. Read More>>
FATELL
My optimism comes from my faith and also knowing that no matter what I’m going through or how bad my life becomes that there is always someone out there in a worst situation than myself. I count my blessings daily while forever trusting the process. Read More>>
Destiny Sardinas
People often see me as someone optimistic, outgoing, or strong, but very few people see the deeper parts of me that created that light. Wha t many don’t realize is that I became this way through surviving difficult seasons quietly. Read More>>
Larissa Rzemienski
My optimism comes from seeing the strength in people every single day. In my counseling work and on the yoga mat I watch individuals show up with so much courage, even when life has been really hard. I went through my own deep healing after losing my husband young, and yoga became such a powerful part of that journey. Read More>>
Ilan Presman
My optimism comes from my passion for creating and entertaining. Ever since I got into filmmaking, I truly realized that this type of work lands me in positions where almost everything can go wrong at all times. Between failed projects, inconsistent equipment, and unreliable collaborators, most things end up not working out the first time. Read More>>
Emiliana Henriquez
Living an optimistic life usually requires trust: a trust in myself and my abilities, and a trust that I live in a world that wants only the best for me, even when it may not seem so. Every time I am able to overcome a challenge, I can’t just thank the good that has happened in my life. Read More>>
Faheem Qazi
My optimism comes from experience and perspective. A quote that resonates with me is, ‘What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things that you said you were grateful for today?’. We would be a lot more grateful, appreciative, and optimistic about the things we have! Read More>>
Spooky Bambina
For me, my optimism comes from sheer, innate hope. I once saw a clip of the legend Jane Goodall, who said this: “If we lose hope, we’re doomed.” My optimism comes from this constant hope I cultivate, the hope that things will get better. Despite this, I’d consider myself more of a realistic optimist than just an optimist. Read More>>
Jessie Nagel
I was raised in a loving household, where we were encouraged to think beyond ourselves (and for ourselves). My mom ran a neighborhood lending library with our books because we were lucky to have so many, and she and my dad both led community organizing projects. I saw in their endeavors plenty of hard work and hope, which one might call optimism. Read More>>
Christina Cevetillo
My optimism comes from knowing what’s possible when people stay consistent and keep showing up, even when things feel uncertain. I’ve seen businesses completely transform from having little visibility to building real communities and momentum just by staying intentional and not giving up too early. I also think being an entrepreneur teaches you resilience very quickly. Read More>>
Suzy Siegle
I’m a very optimistic person in general and see so much good in the world, others, and my own life. My optimism comes from my faith in God and belief there is a higher order to the world and it works for our good, especially during difficult times. In moments of challenge, uncertainty, or doubt, I have faith there is purpose unfolding I may not fully understand in the moment. Read More>>
Raha Dabiri
I believe my optimism comes from my encouraging and wholesome support, my dearest family and closest friends. I have a strong trust in the law of attraction, exuding good and positive energy, as well as practicing gratitude everyday. Read More>>
Kristin Gaither
I get my optimism from knowing that everything is happening for me not to me. It’s all a part of God’s plan. Every moment has purpose, if it’s failure; what lesson did I learn? If it’s success; what allowed me to achieve this success and how can I help others achieve similar success by teaching this knowledge? Maintaining optimism allows me to live life happily no matter what the outcome is and pivot with the right mindset. Read More>>
Bub
I believe the very essence of existence is optimism. Especially in today’s turbulent times, it can feel like—what’s the point? But there always is, and there always will be. As an artist, no matter where your creativity or inspiration comes from, you work from a place of hope—from a lens of magic. To know that everything around you was created by someone just like you makes it feel accessible, possible—like nothing is truly out of reach. Read More>>
Stacey V. Levinson
As a Family Law and Trust attorney, I regularly work with divorce and death. Clients are many times experiencing extraordinarily challenging times, sometimes the hardest of their lives, and it’s my job to help them through it all. When I talk about my job with friends and family, they inevitably ask me how I love this work so much and why it fulfills me. Read More>>
