Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Fanbases are some of the most powerful forces on the planet.
They show up. They buy the tickets. They travel across countries and time zones. They memorize lyrics, study interviews, hunt for Easter eggs, and turn the smallest detail into an entire universe of meaning. They collaborate, they organize, and they care deeply.
Fan communities are savvy. They are smart. And when they are invited in, they create extraordinary momentum.
Adam Met, best known as the “A” of indie-pop band AJR, believes that this kind of energy can extend far beyond concerts or comment sections. He is asking a bigger question. What if we harnessed that same passion, creativity, imagination, and sense of belonging to improve the communities we live in?
Adam has spent years studying how to move people from curiosity to action. He’s also a climate activist, the founder of the nonprofit Planet Reimagined, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, and the author of the bestselling book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World.
In our conversation, Adam explains how the same principles that make music meaningful - ownership, storytelling, participation, and belonging - can be applied to social movements, civic engagement, and climate action, to name a few. From designing fan-first concert experiences to rethinking how we engage people around complex issues, Adam argues that emotion is the engine of progress.
This episode isn’t really about music.
And it’s not really about climate either.
It’s about how we bring people together, help them feel invested, and create experiences that inspire them to act.
This… is A Bit of Optimism.
---------------------------
To buy Adam’s book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World, head to: adammet.net/amplify
If you want to learn more about Adam’s climate work, check out: planetreimagined.com
And don’t forget to stream AJR’s latest EP, What No One’s Thinking: ajrbrothers.com
+ + +
Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.
Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do.
Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game.
+ + +
Website: simonsinek.com
Live Online Classes: simonsinek.com/classes
Podcast: apple.co/simonsinek
Instagram: instagram.com/simonsinek
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/simonsinek
Twitter: twitter.com/simonsinek
Facebook: facebook.com/simonsinek
Simon’s books:
The Infinite Game: simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game
Start With Why: simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why
Find Your Why: simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why
Leaders Eat Last: simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last
Together is Better: simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better
+ + +
#SimonSinek
Chapters
00:00 Intro
05:37 AJR: From Street Performers to Selling Out Madison Square Garden
07:56 Music Is the Marketing and the Show Is the Product
09:30 Designing Albums Like Broadway Shows
10:18 A Fan-First Philosophy (And Why It Works)
11:45 Games, Collaboration, and the Jigsaw Puzzle That Went Viral
13:22 Turning Fan Engagement Into Movement Building
17:16 Why the “Climate Movement” Isn’t Working
24:26 Why Hyper-Local Action Moves People to Act
25:23 Phoenix, Extreme Heat, and 1,000 Signatures in One Night
29:18 Why In-Person Connection Is the New Currency
33:12 Finding Common Ground With Glenn Beck
39:49 Politics vs Policy... and Why Caring Is Apolitical
47:03 People Enjoy Good Stories, but Great Stories Inspire Action
50:19 How to Build Movements That Actually Work
Fanbases are some of the most powerful forces on the planet.
They show up. They buy the tickets. They travel across countries and time zones. They memorize lyrics, study interviews, hunt for Easter eggs, and turn the smallest detail into an entire universe of meaning. They collaborate, they organize, and they care deeply.
Fan communities are savvy. They are smart. And when they are invited in, they create extraordinary momentum.
Adam Met, best known as the “A” of indie-pop band AJR, believes that this kind of energy can extend far beyond concerts or comment sections. He is asking a bigger question. What if we harnessed that same passion, creativity, imagination, and sense of belonging to improve the communities we live in?
Adam has spent years studying how to move people from curiosity to action. He’s also a climate activist, the founder of the nonprofit Planet Reimagined, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, and the author of the bestselling book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World.
In our conversation, Adam explains how the same principles that make music meaningful - ownership, storytelling, participation, and belonging - can be applied to social movements, civic engagement, and climate action, to name a few. From designing fan-first concert experiences to rethinking how we engage people around complex issues, Adam argues that emotion is the engine of progress.
This episode isn’t really about music.
And it’s not really about climate either.
It’s about how we bring people together, help them feel invested, and create experiences that inspire them to act.
This… is A Bit of Optimism.
---------------------------
To buy Adam’s book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World, head to: adammet.net/amplify
If you want to learn more about Adam’s climate work, check out: planetreimagined.com
And don’t forget to stream AJR’s latest EP, What No One’s Thinking: ajrbrothers.com
+ + +
Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.
Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do.
Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game.
+ + +
Website: simonsinek.com
Live Online Classes: simonsinek.com/classes
Podcast: apple.co/simonsinek
Instagram: instagram.com/simonsinek
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/simonsinek
Twitter: twitter.com/simonsinek
Facebook: facebook.com/simonsinek
Simon’s books:
The Infinite Game: simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game
Start With Why: simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why
Find Your Why: simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why
Leaders Eat Last: simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last
Together is Better: simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better
+ + +
#SimonSinek
Chapters
00:00 Intro
05:37 AJR: From Street Performers to Selling Out Madison Square Garden
07:56 Music Is the Marketing and the Show Is the Product
09:30 Designing Albums Like Broadway Shows
10:18 A Fan-First Philosophy (And Why It Works)
11:45 Games, Collaboration, and the Jigsaw Puzzle That Went Viral
13:22 Turning Fan Engagement Into Movement Building
17:16 Why the “Climate Movement” Isn’t Working
24:26 Why Hyper-Local Action Moves People to Act
25:23 Phoenix, Extreme Heat, and 1,000 Signatures in One Night
29:18 Why In-Person Connection Is the New Currency
33:12 Finding Common Ground With Glenn Beck
39:49 Politics vs Policy... and Why Caring Is Apolitical
47:03 People Enjoy Good Stories, but Great Stories Inspire Action
50:19 How to Build Movements That Actually Work
