Blue Sky

In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son's severe addiction to alcohol. (Steve is not using his full name here to protect his son's anonymity.) While living what he would describe as a near perfect life – great marriage with his high school sweetheart, dream job, five great children – Steve discovers that his youngest child is struggling with an addiction that has driven him to the point of attempting to take his own life. Almost overnight, Steve's world is turned upside down as he and his wife try to face their new reality and save their son. With striking honesty, Steve describes his family's heartbreaking and terrifying challenges, and why he left his Wall Street job to study addiction and make helping others in this predicament his life's work. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Steve D's Story This chapter introduces Steve D, a former Wall Street executive who seemingly had a perfect life until his youngest son, Stevie, developed a severe alcohol addiction. 02:02 Stevie's Near-Death Experience Steve D recounts the terrifying night his son Stevie, then 16, attempted suicide on a railroad track due to his alcohol addiction and depression. Despite Steve's generally optimistic nature, he initially saw no way out of this devastating situation, but ultimately, Stevie's recovery proved him wrong. 08:01 Finding a Path to Recovery Steve explains that finding professional treatment was the crucial first step in their family's journey toward recovery. He also realized he needed to change his parenting approach, moving from being his son's friend to setting difficult boundaries and allowing natural consequences to help Stevie recognize his problem. 10:48 The Challenge of Parental Intervention Steve discusses the immense difficulty parents face in taking a hard line with a child struggling with self-harm and addiction, often leading to manipulation by the child. 14:53 Family and Marriage Impact Steve explains how Stevie's addiction severely strained his marriage, as he and his wife disagreed on how to handle the situation. Their older children intervened, leading to Steve and his wife finally getting on the same page with a unified approach, which was crucial for Stevie's recovery. 21:29 Addiction as a Disease Steve discusses the concept of 'raising the bottom' and intervening early in addiction, emphasizing that it's a disease, not a moral failing. He advocates for the slogan 'love the kid, hate the disease' to help parents detach from their child's hurtful behavior and focus on solving the underlying problem. 27:57 A Letter to Addiction Steve shares a powerful letter he wrote directly to 'Addiction,' expressing his profound hatred for the disease and his determination for his son to overcome it. This exercise helped him direct his anger appropriately, clarifying that the disease was the enemy, not his son. 31:21 Stevie's Recovery and Purpose Steve provides an update on Stevie's successful recovery, highlighting his son's transformation from a fun-loving child to someone who embraced sobriety and now helps others in recovery. Stevie is celebrating nearly eight years of sobriety, working at a sober living facility, and making a significant difference in the lives of many. 36:17 Steve's New Mission and Resources Steve explains how his son's journey dramatically changed his own life trajectory, leading him to retire from Wall Street to dedicate himself to addiction recovery advocacy. 48:09 A New Sense of Purpose and Optimism Steve reflects on how he now measures his success by the hours spent assisting families, embodying a profound sense of optimism and gratitude for his new life's direction.

The teenage years are always tough, not just for the teens but also for the parents, teachers, and coaches in their lives. Charlene Engstrom and Johan Fallby have decided to do something about this and their firm, Playwell Minds has developed an app and other teaching tools to develop in young people what they describe as "mental fitness." Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Playwell Minds The episode introduces Playwell Minds, an organization founded by Charlene Engstrom and Johan Fallby, focused on proactive mental fitness training for teens. Their app aims to help young people develop a positive mindset and coping skills. 01:42 Founders' Diverse Backgrounds Charlene Engstrom, from a corporate background, and Johan Fallby, with experience in sports psychology, share their unique journeys to co-founding Playwell Minds. They discuss how their different expertise contributes to their mission of helping young people. 06:20 Playwell Minds: Proactive Mental Fitness Playwell Minds provides a seven-step mental fitness methodology and an app for teens, focusing on proactive rather than reactive mental health support. The program draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, sports psychology, and positive psychology to help teens develop self-awareness and coping skills. 12:49 The Role of Phones and Apps The discussion delves into how Playwell Minds utilizes a phone-based app to reach teens, acknowledging concerns about screen time and social media. The app offers a private space for self-reflection and encourages positive habits through short, focused exercises, contrasting with the negative aspects of social media. 21:04 Teaching Realistic Optimism Charlene and Johan explain their approach to teaching realistic optimism, which involves self-awareness, enjoying the present, and accepting setbacks, drawing from CBT and positive psychology. They aim to counteract the unrealistic perceptions often fostered by social media by helping teens understand that life has ups and downs. 27:00 Parent and Community Involvement The founders emphasize the crucial role of parents, teachers, and coaches in supporting teens' mental fitness by fostering a common language and understanding. They also advise parents to encourage solutions and celebrate small achievements, rather than solely focusing on results and adding pressure. 33:02 Impact and Future of Playwell Minds Playwell Minds is actively pursuing formal research with universities to validate its positive impact, building on strong anecdotal evidence and survey results from over 1,400 students. The program is expanding from Sweden to the U.S. and France, with the goal of equipping teens with lifelong mental fitness skills. 43:10 Conclusion and Resources The hosts reflect on the challenging yet admirable work of Playwell Minds in helping teenagers navigate modern pressures with realistic optimism. Listeners are encouraged to visit playwellminds.com and their YouTube channel for more information and resources on teen mental fitness.

Jeff Korzenik, the chief economist at a major US bank, explains how predicting a labor shortage in the US led him to discover the growing movement around "second chance" hiring of people with criminal records. His passion for this work led him to write "Untapped Talent," a book that explains to companies the benefits of this type of hiring and offers a blueprint of how best to do it. Jeff describes how second chance hiring can transform lives and communities. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Jeff Korzenik's Work This chapter introduces Jeff Korzenik, Chief Economist and author of Untapped Talent, highlighting his unique background as a bank executive focused on hiring people with criminal records. 03:14 From Economics to Second Chances Jeff Korzenik explains how his work on second-chance hiring evolved from his economic research into labor force challenges, initially focusing on the opioid epidemic. 05:51 The Staggering Numbers of Incarceration Jeff outlines the immense scale of incarceration and criminal records in the United States, emphasizing how the U.S. is an outlier globally. 09:05 Creating Hope in Prison Jeff discusses the inherent unfairness of a system where a prison sentence can become a life sentence due to employment discrimination. He shares how his book, 'Untapped Talent,' is distributed to incarcerated individuals to instill hope and remind them that they are a valuable resource, not a burden, through the generous support of others. 14:15 Employer Barriers and Solutions Jeff addresses the common objections employers have to hiring individuals with criminal records: safety/liability, employee quality, and reputation risk. He explains that these concerns are valid but manageable through intelligent, business-based decisions, advocating for transparent and supportive hiring practices. 17:55 The Loyalty of Second Chance Hires Jeff highlights that successful second-chance hiring relies on traditional hiring models, adapted to understand and support candidates with criminal records. 23:23 Virtuous Cycle of Success Jeff explains the 'snowballing effect' of success in second-chance hiring, where companies known for fair chance employment receive high-quality referrals and build strong community relationships. 26:08 Empathy and Boundaries in Hiring Jeff advocates for people to visit prisons to humanize the incarcerated and understand their experiences. 33:28 Challenges Post-Release and 'Ban the Box' Jeff illustrates the immense hurdles individuals face immediately after release from prison, from securing basic necessities to navigating a changed world with minimal support. He explains why state-mandated 'ban the box' policies have often been ineffective, and instead suggests that voluntary removal of the box by truly committed employers sends a powerful, positive signal to job seekers. 39:17 Impact on Fellow Employees and Society Jeff discusses how to integrate second-chance hires into a company's workforce, emphasizing that transparency and context are key to addressing potential employee concerns. 43:43 Untapped Potential and Future Optimism Jeff expresses immense optimism about the future of second-chance hiring, despite being in the very early stages of leveraging this vast talent pool. 49:10 Resources and Multi-Generational Impact Jeff provides resources for companies interested in second-chance hiring, including the Second Chance Business Coalition and SHRM's 'Getting Talent Back to Work' certification. He underscores the profound multi-generational benefits of fair chance employment, emphasizing its role in breaking cycles of incarceration and fostering a virtuous cycle of community safety and economic prosperity.

Beatrice Erkers decided not to pursue a PhD after concluding that she wanted to do work that had more of a positive impact on the world. She made her way to the Foresight Institute and is now director of their Existential Hope program. In this episode, she describes her reasons for optimism and the work she's doing to create more hope around the benefits of emerging technologies. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Beatrice Erkers Bill Burke introduces Beatrice Erkers, Director of the Existential Hope Program at the Foresight Institute. Beatrice's work involves imagining positive futures with technology, and she co-hosts the Existential Hope Podcast. 01:54 From Literature to Foresight Institute Beatrice discusses her career path from comparative literature and history of science to her current role at the Foresight Institute. She explains how an internship and a desire for impactful work led her to discover 80,000 Hours, a resource for meaningful careers, where she found her current position. 05:21 Optimism and the Younger Generation Beatrice shares her inherent optimistic bias, fueled by frustration with pessimism and the influence of Hans Rosling's fact-based optimism. She addresses the concern about rising pessimism in younger generations, advocating for meaningful work as a source of purpose. 09:56 Existential Hope Program & Podcast Beatrice explains the origin of the Existential Hope Program, inspired by a philosophy paper on existential risk and hope. She emphasizes the program's focus on creating a library of hopeful resources and exploring desired futures through technology, with the podcast serving as a flagship for these conversations. 14:53 Hope: Optimism with a Plan Beatrice elaborates on the definition of hope as 'optimism with a plan,' emphasizing awareness of obstacles while believing in a better outcome. 19:03 Eucatastrophe and Penicillin Beatrice introduces the concept of 'eucatastrophe,' a term coined by Tolkien, as the opposite of a catastrophe, representing events that increase value in the world. She uses the invention of penicillin as a powerful example of a eucatastrophe, underscoring its profound positive impact on human life and the rapid advancements in medical treatments. 23:27 Emerging Technologies: Longevity, Neurotech, and AI Beatrice discusses exciting emerging technologies, including longevity research becoming mainstream and the revolutionary potential of neurotech for mental health. 29:40 Addressing Climate Change with Hope Beatrice tackles eco-anxiety by recommending Hannah Ritchie's 'Not the End of the World,' which uses data to show that climate change isn't as dire as often portrayed and that solutions exist. She emphasizes human problem-solving capabilities and the importance of focusing on high-leverage interventions rather than individual, often perceived as pointless, actions. 36:08 World Building for 2035 and 2045 Beatrice explains the Foresight Institute's 'world building' projects for 2035 and 2045, initially focused on AI timelines, which now reflect faster progress. 40:29 Foresight Institute's Future and 40th Anniversary Beatrice outlines the exciting future for the Foresight Institute, including its 40th-anniversary celebrations with three Vision Weekend events globally and the establishment of physical hubs in San Francisco and Berlin. The Existential Hope program will continue its podcast, explore in-person conversations, and expand into short-form media to disseminate ideas on positive AI futures more broadly. 45:04 Concluding Thoughts Bill Burke reflects on the inspiring discussion with Beatrice Erkers about envisioning a hopeful future and the importance of staying optimistic to achieve progress.

LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a "force of nature," and from the first seconds of this Blue Sky episode, you will understand why. Raised in Selma, Alabama she grew up surrounded by family members who were at the center of the civil rights movement in the United States. Being close to grandparents who spent much of their adult lives unable to vote led her to appreciate this franchise and their example continues to inspire her "get out the vote" work today. LaTosha describes being raised by strong women and not experiencing overt sexism until she ran for office in Alabama, but instead of letting this get her down, she channeled these experiences into the creation of the Southern Black Girls & Women's Consortium. LaTosha Brown also happens to be a talented singer and performer, and she shares this gift with us here as well. Chapters: 00:00 Introducing LaTosha Brown This chapter introduces LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter and Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium, highlighting her extensive background as a thought leader and activist. Host Bill Burke also shares his initial encounter with her and praises her infectious sense of hope and optimism. 02:24 Selma's Civil Rights Legacy LaTosha discusses her upbringing in Selma, Alabama, and the profound impact of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, even before she understood its historical significance. She shares deeply personal stories of her mother's experience integrating high school and her aunt's participation in Bloody Sunday, emphasizing the lasting effects of these civil rights efforts on her family and her own development. 11:17 Grandparents, Voting & Justice LaTosha recounts her grandparents' deep reverence for voting, stemming from their long struggle to gain the right to vote in Alabama. She also reflects on her lifelong fascination with power and justice, recalling childhood instances where she instinctively stood up against bullying, illustrating her innate desire to challenge the abuse of power. 21:05 Politics and Challenging Sexism LaTosha discusses her decision not to pursue a political career despite running for office multiple times, explaining that her focus shifted to making a greater impact through organizing and infrastructure building. 30:09 Love, Power & Blackness as a Gift LaTosha explains that Black Voters Matter is founded on Dr. Martin Luther King's philosophy of love implementing justice and power correcting injustice. 39:07 Southern Black Girls & Women's Consortium LaTosha shares the inspiration behind the Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium, an initiative to reverse underinvestment in Black women and girls in the South. She details the consortium's three core pillars: centering joy through activities like the 'Joy is Our Journey' bus tours, building an ecosystem of support organizations, and creating a new philanthropic model led by Black women and girls, including a partnership with Megan Thee Stallion to address mental health. 44:57 Sources of Optimism LaTosha reveals the three main sources of her unwavering optimism: her faith in a higher power and the miraculous nature of life, the incredible capacity of human beings to create and imagine, and the historical resilience of her ancestors, which allows her to thrive today. She emphasizes that optimism is a choice of focus, deeply rooted in appreciating the wonders of the universe and human existence.