Still Here, Still Trying

Episode 16 – You’ve Been Becoming This Whole Time In this episode of Still Here, Still Trying, Mike Baker leans into one of the quiet truths from his book The Optimist’s Way™ : that we’ve been becoming all along, even when it feels like we’re stuck or falling behind. Mike begins by reading the full passage from the book, then opens it up into reflections on work, art, and life. He shares the unsee...

Episode 15 – The Quiet Victories When you’re not thriving, but you’re still showing up. In this episode, I talk about optimism — not the shiny kind, but the kind that survives. The kind that limps forward when you’re full, tired, and no one’s clapping. I tell the story of a meeting in D.C. that left me gutted — not because of what was said loudly, but because of what was named quietly. I talk abou...

Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying Host: Mike Baker Closing song: “Apologies to the Future” From the book: The Optimist’s Way™ This episode lands a little late. And maybe that’s exactly right. Mike returns from a heavy trip to D.C. with a full heart, a tired mind, and a deep ache for something we’re all losing: our connection to each other. In a time when tension is rising, conversations are hard,...

Episode 13 – Say Yes: The Wild, Risky, Beautiful Things Lucky number 13. Most podcasts don’t even make it this far, but here we are — still here, still trying. This week, I’m talking about the power of saying yes when everything in you wants to say no. I read a passage from my book The Optimist’s Way™ that reminds us life doesn’t wait — we only get one chance to step outside our comfort zones and...

In this episode, Mike reflects on anxiety, the start of school, the Ted Lasso panic attack scene, and a brand-new piece of AI art he created called Even Heroes Feel It. This image is part of a larger series he’s building for a women’s health project later this fall — a collection of powerful visual stories about strength, survival, and connection. 👉 Check out the image here on ⁠Pictorem⁠ A messag...

Episode 11 – The Beer League Goalie Manifesto Fall hockey is back, and so is the chaos of beer league. The sticks are taped, the skates are sharp (for about ten minutes), and the cooler in the locker room is waiting like it’s the Stanley Cup. This episode is a survival guide from the crease — straight from your goalie. The weird one. The one who talks to his posts and willingly straps on fifty pou...

Episode 10 – The Optimist’s Guide to Everyday Disasters Description: Life’s curveballs don’t always come as big tragedies. Most of the time, they show up as everyday disasters: the pizza dough you tried to microwave, the Zoom call you dozed off in, the Silly Putty that left you bleeding on stage, or the hockey puck that knocks your helmet loose. In this episode, I share my Optimist’s Disaster Surv...

🎙 Still Here, Still Trying — A Spoken Word Special Description: This is different. No guest. No interview. No backstory. Just a spotlight, a quiet room, and words I’ve carried for years. Still Here, Still Trying is a spoken word piece for anyone who has ever smiled and said, “I’m fine” when you weren’t. For the leaders, the parents, the friends, the ones who keep showing up even when it’s heavy. I...

Some things you don’t “get over.” They change you. They move in and make themselves part of your life. And maybe the goal isn’t to erase them — maybe it’s to learn how to live, love, lead, and create with them still in the room. In this conversation, I explore: The culture of closure — how we set invisible timelines for healing and why they backfire. Carrying vs. moving on — personal stories and w...

🎙️ Episode 8 – The Quiet Work No One Sees Still Here, Still Trying This one’s for the things nobody claps for. The invisible labor. The off-stage leadership. The songs, the choices, the healing—done quietly, without an audience. I talk about what it means to keep showing up when no one’s watching, and then I walk through my newest EP—written during a weekend where I felt disconnected, heavy, and q...

Sometimes life shifts in a way that’s hard to explain. The plan made sense. The rhythm felt right. But something changes—and suddenly, you’re standing in a story that no longer fits. In this episode, I’m talking about those quiet turning points. The ones where leadership feels uncertain, identity feels blurry, and the version of yourself you thought you knew starts to evolve. I’ll share what it lo...

Episode 6: Hope in a Crazy World Still Here, Still Trying with Mike Baker There’s a strange heaviness in the air lately. People are tired in ways they can’t explain. The news is relentless. Politics feel like a battleground. The pressure to stay informed, stay productive, stay afloat — it adds up. In this episode, I talk about what it means to survive without shutting down, and how we stay hopeful...

Episode 5: Let’s Talk About Hope In this episode, I’m reflecting on what it means to hold onto hope in a world that feels increasingly divided and noisy. Hope isn’t something we wait to feel. It’s something we build through small choices, steady actions, and the ways we show up for one another. These aren’t easy times. Outrage spreads fast. Suspicion grows quickly. But there’s still a different wa...

Welcome to my first podcast episode. Still figuring this out. Still building the studio. But I didn’t want to wait for perfect. I just wanted to start. This episode is about my new album,  Too Much Noise. Why I made it. Where these songs came from. What they’re really about beneath the music. And why I believe this music might matter to someone who’s feeling lost in all the noise of the world. If...

In this episode, Mike takes you inside the songs that bring  The Optimist’s Way  to life — not as a soundtrack, but as part of the same ongoing conversation about hope, resilience, and the small, stubborn ways we keep showing up for ourselves and the people we love. These aren’t just songs. They’re reflections set to music. They hold space for the quiet moments, the unseen courage, and the daily c...

Episode 3: Making Space — What We Lose, What We Find This episode is about the space that loss leaves behind. Whether it’s a role we’ve outgrown, a relationship that’s run its course, or a version of ourselves we’re finally ready to let go of — there’s always a stretch of time where things feel empty. It’s easy to confuse that emptiness with failure. But space isn’t something to fear. Space is whe...

In this episode, I’m reflecting on something that’s been sitting with me lately — the quiet, powerful role that connection plays in our lives. Not the big, flashy moments, but the simple, human ones. A text from a friend. A shared laugh. A reminder that we’re not doing this alone. These are the moments that keep us going. They remind us we matter. If you’re feeling a little lost, a little worn dow...