If you ever found Jim Cramer entertaining and Bill Nye informative, you will find yourself halfway into loving the Optimist Economy. The hosts take their opinions, force them into context, impart humor upon the powers that be, and then attempt to practically solve complex economic faux pauxs. They offer economic explanations that don’t put you to sleep, but will also prove that other economists hate workers. Do not listen to any other economist on national media until you listen to these women. They help me hope and believe bigger about whats possible and how our economy has been chipping away at the american dream. Cheers.

This show is low-key brilliant. Listening to sensible talk on economics, delivered playfully, has brought me unexpected pleasure. Kathryn & Robin are wholesome & charming. They turn material that is typically tedious into digestible entertainment. Thank you ladies! You’re a breath of fresh air.

Best show to be entertained and informed.

Love the show and learn a lot… but who cares? I need the merch to show it off. Here are my pitches: - Workerbot ( perhaps in the got milk font) - I’d rather be consuming leisure - some remark to people who complain about paying taxes that I swear Kathryn said you would put on a t-shirt Please excuse typos written while pumping.

Fantastic content from a growing podcast. This one punches wasssay above its weight!

What a treat listening to these brilliant women! I would give five and a half stars if I could.

What I love about this podcast (and all of Kathryn’s work) is that the focus is on the people who actually make up the economy rather than just the numbers. Even when she puts on her “cold-hearted economist hat,” you can tell that she truly cares about the project of fixing problems in our system so that it can work better for everyone. Robin adds her own insights and asks great questions on behalf of all the non-economists listening, myself included.

Nice mix of info and sass

My regular dose of snark is back!!! Love you both 🤗

Optimist via spite

All I knew about economics before listening was (a) how to spell “economics”, and (b) supply and demand theory. Good golly but I have been taken to school. The hosts are smart and personable and smart and passionate and smart and curious and have I mentioned how intelligent and insightful and entertaining this podcast is? There is not a dull episode in the feed. Make a bowl of popcorn, start at the beginning, settle in, and prepare to get schooled. This ain’t your drunk uncle’s Thanksgiving adult table rant about what’s wrong with the world. The answers to the questions about the economy you didn’t even know you had lie within. Why are you still reading this? Click on subscribe.

Hello, I am young person who started listening to this podcast via the young person social security pitch. Unfortunately, I understand maybe 20% of what's going on, so can't understand the pitch.... and expect this to also hold for most of my peers. I would love it if there are episode(s) that are intro to the podcast (maybe even geared towards young people who are just starting Roth IRA accounts, starting to pay taxes, etc.) It seems like a great podcast, would just love to understand more and make better personal and political decisions!

A ray of sunlight in my world of doom and gloom

This show educates and entertains. It simplifies complex problems and does truly suggest solutions. These ladies are a treasure.

This podcast is truly a breath of fresh air. It is educational, it is informative, it is damn funny, and it really is optimistic in a time where it is very difficult to be. Love love love it!

In a world where news and media can make me feel helpless, it’s nice to hear a view that empowers you to feel that change is possible. Thanks for the great listen and learning experience.

Very enjoyable to learn and hear deep dives into topics with high level overview as well as data. Doses of humor and anecdotes I can relate to. I’m listening weekly and the clear eyed approach keeps a check on my cynicism.

Simply the best podcast around. The mix of humor and fact based economic policies, wrapped in a blanket of offering SOLUTIONS. Brightens my day.

If you are interested in the economy, money, investing, buying things, and who isn't, then you will love this podcast. Engaging, informative, but also occasionally hilarious,this duo and their team presents...the podcast, and the only podcast I have listened to now for a month since I found it. Wonderful job.

Kathryn and Anne walk through every topic in a very accessible way and they talk about even serious issues without anger, unlike so many other pundits. They assume their audience is smart but they don't assume everyone has an economics degree. Educational and fun!

This podcast is wonderfully quirky but so intelligent and thoughtful. Have enjoyed every episode

Great podcast - easy to understand without losing nuance, entertaining. Economics for economists and non economists alike. Be informed and ready when someone brings up federal budget and national economic issues. Feels like chatting with very smart friends.

Lacked any insight into the intricacies of demand and supply. Totally ignored long term incentives or policies to reduce delivery costs. If no copays what happens to demands? What incentives are needed for people to take better care of themselves and prevent illnesses and injuries? Look at what’s happened with LASIK eye surgery and cosmetic surgery-very competitive and keeps costs down.

I look forward to this podcast every week. I absolutely love it when Kathryn goes on a heater and cooks. I wish the episodes were longer. Thank you so much ladies!

…to getting a pilcrow tattoo. Yes, permanently etched on my body, because I love this podcast so much. It’s witty, funny, hopeful, thoughtful, and it’s hits the mark every week on my drive to work. Keep on keepin on optimists.

I’v been a listener almost since their beginning. Dr. Edwards and Robin are one of my podcast highlights of the week. I will start with my criticism: I am still disappointed the title is Optimist Economy, not Optimist EconomIST (it was right there!)(Terms and Conditions: it’s called consonance, I did have to Google it) They are thoughtful, honest, and, as billed: optimistic! I always learn something, and because Dr. Edwards is actually an economist, she presents information in context, with a much better understanding than almost any other news/media/podcasts/influencers. She’s not trying to scare anyone, she wants her audience to understand the problems, and that they aren’t intractable. Robin is an editor, and her perspective and questions keep the show grounded at “not-an-economist” level. They are also HILARIOUS. In fashion of a true nerds, they find comedy in surprising places, and I laugh out loud at least once per episode, and I look forward to their Executive Orders through the whole episode. Please subscribe, you will not regret it. If Planet Money zoomed out to policy level, or Marketplace admitted Friedman was wrong, they would still both be chasing after Dr. Edwards and Robin. (Of note, due gratitude to Sophie and the editors, but I love the tire-fire-vibe. It’s nice to know other professional, smart worker-bots are a bit of a tire-fire and we admire them through it!)

I won’t bury the lead, these wonderful women walk the razor thin line between “professional podcast” and “I’m eavesdropping on a fascinating conversation at a party I’m not smart enough to be at.” They provide insight into the real things, big and small, with your job, taxes, Social Security, you name it, in a way you can understand and that really will leave you optimistic, for a change.

Just right blend of education, entertainment, and trash talking. Best way to spend your down time.

I find the discussions here fascinating in a very relatable way. Makes me feel less stupid.

It’s so refreshing to hear from an economist who actually gets it. Cost of childcare? Labor rights? Kathryn gets it on a personal level and can discuss policy levers that could address real day-to-day issues (if only our leaders did anything useful). I’m not prone to optimism but I’ll still tune each episode for Kathryn and Robin to break down these impactful economic issues.

I really enjoy this show. It’s funny, engaging, informative, and gives me hope about our future. It feels like listening to two smart, goofy friends chat about the economy, which is a privilege as “the economy” baffles me. Andy, thanks for turning me on to this!

It’s been a while since I added a new “serious” podcast to my weekly rotation (the last few years have been rough…), but then I happened upon Optimist Economy and was quickly hooked (in a good away!). Kathryn and Robin are a dynamic duo, breaking down timely economic / kitchen table issues in what I find to be incredibly fun, informative, and accessible ways. It’s always great when you can listen to a podcast mainly for the hosts, their banter, and the smiles they put on your face, and still come away learning something you didn’t know you didn’t know. Highly recommend!

I’m always smiling and I always learn something when listening to this podcast.

This is the only podcast that i refuse to let myself get behind on. I love being able to learn about such a difficult topic, seeing both the big picture and the small details, and it’s always presented with optimism. You both make my week, every week, and give me hope in dark economic times that were completely avoidable.

Kathryn Anne Edwards is a gift to the nation in this difficult time we are living through. She gives me hope that we can solve the problems we face. I eagerly await each new episode. Some feedback. When I first started listening to the show, I thought some of the laughter was a bit much. But I've learned to embrace laughing at the silly economy we all live in. I don't know if it makes me a better person or not. Who can say? WRT a recent episode where the origin of the high five was contemplated for an extended period of time, and there was some consideration as to how it came about, I can add that before the high five there was the, "give me five" where one person would put out their hand, palm side up, and say, "Give me five!" to their companion. This was in vogue for some time before the clearly superior high five came about.

Never would have thought I’d get excited when a new episode of an economics podcast drops, but Kathryn and Robin made it happen. Easy to understand, fun to listen to, sometimes makes me optimistic about American economics and politics. Sometimes.

I enjoy the content of the podcast but I really don’t enjoy listening to bleeped content. Come on, either leave the language intact, or don’t use it… or if there’s a provider-based reason, let me know an alternate provider where I can get a non-bleeped version.

I so enjoy!

This has quickly become not only my favorite economics podcast, but one of my favorite podcasts in general. Kathryn is a great explainer, she’s fabulous at humanizing the topics discussed, and sometimes she’s straight-up hilarious. I also like that she backs up what she talks about with facts and examples, so it’s not just someone spouting wild opinions with no basis in reality. Don’t miss this one.

My favorite podcast for understanding how the economy and economic policy affects everyday Americans. Plus it’s so giggling inducing every episode. I love it.

It’s so common for economic discussion to end up in places that are difficult for the average person to understand. You do a wonderful job of breaking it down for us. Thank you!

Kathryn and Robin make economics fun and understandable. Love the retcons, terms and conditions, the exec orders, and all the Social Security talk.

Altruistic, fact based, genuine and real podcast. Will call anyone out for their good or their bad. Best part of my week!!

Fits very neatly into my favorite niche of very wonky and nerdy but also unapologetically empathetic and progressive. Demonstrating that economics isn’t just a tool for the worst people in the world to justify their greed.

You two are so positive. It makes me smile. Intelligent great discussions. Add more history. Maybe add a historian common guest.

Katherine is brilliant and articulate. Robin asks great questions. The duo is complimentary and it works. There is also great humor, like retcons and “terms and conditions” that are truly entertaining. I love the personal stories too, which I often can connect with as an ex-Houstonian. Most importantly, the show presents well reasoned points of view that have challenged my thinking time and time again. My only complaint, and what I feel could move the show from good to great, is if the team could show more constraint over personal biases, which manifest as jabs at the president—or at men. They can be prevalent and take away from the show’s credibility. I should add my wife gets irritated by the giggling. I do not mind it at all. But on long road trips, when I’m thinking “What better way to kill 45 mins to an hour and learn something than to listen to Optimist Economy?”, she will not allow it. Lastly, I recommend dialing in to Robin’s other social media and Substack to go deeper on the topics she covers.

I'm always eager to listen (or re-listen) to Kathryn and Robin. I'm learning about economics, our country, and all kinds of small side quests. Y'all are smart and funny and so very thoughtful. Love Retcon and Executive orders!

I love your dynamic and approach, even where there are areas that I personally disagree with the framing or ultimate conclusion of an issue. I’ve been burning through the back catalogue to fend off existential dread. Frankly worried about what will happen when I run out.

Absolutely love this podcast- my fav genre is smart woman analyzing important things. Loved the social security episode, never thought I’d say that.

I have been a faithful listener to this podcast since its inception and love it. Kathryn and Robin do an amazing job at making economic problems understandable and (even more importantly!) solvable. Economics has always been presented to me as math rather than public policy and Kathryn is so talented in presenting complex economic issues in an optimistic light (especially making sense of the economics of the last 16 months) and Robin asks all the right questions. This has been such a grounding podcast for me — it will bring knowledge, perspective, optimism, and humor to your day. I even sent it out in our family Christmas card as my #1 recommended podcast. Thank you for your work!