<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:psc="http://podlove.org/simple-chapters" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL PODCAST]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>A podcast about not always being your best all the time. </p>]]></description><link>https://michaelpetkovic.substack.com/podcast</link><generator>Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 05:25:54 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://api.riverside.com/hosting/OUDjo6Wc.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><author><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></author><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:08:18 GMT</pubDate><copyright><![CDATA[2026 Michael Petkovic]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><ttl>60</ttl><category><![CDATA[Society & Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Health & Fitness]]></category><itunes:author>Michael Petkovic</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;A podcast about not always being your best all the time. &lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Michael Petkovic</itunes:name><itunes:email>hello@michaelpetkovic.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"/><itunes:category text="Health &amp; Fitness"/><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP. VI // WILL A COFFEE SHOP KEEP ME IN JAPAN A LITTLE LONGER?]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>In this episode, I talk about how I kinda got offered to start a business doing something I've wanted to do for a long time, but I scrapped years ago because I thought it was all too hard. </p><p></p><p>Have you ever had a dream and made every excuse under the sun for it not to work because you fear success, not failure?</p><p></p><p>Well, that's me in a nutshell. </p><p></p><p>I hope this story helps you make the right choices for you in your life because sometimes doing the thing you think you're meant to be doing just to please others might not be the right thing for you. </p><p></p><p>Enjoy!</p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">00b6daaf-074c-405d-bf55-10fbd8cd459e</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:05:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/328270c685589dc53f1f76a75ca27aafc24eafedcc78f552c512df7ba9a5aff5/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIwMGI2ZGFhZi0wNzRjLTQwNWQtYmY1NS0xMGZiZDhjZDQ1OWUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE1NDgyMDMxNTI3NGQ4MDkwN2U2NDU2L21pY2hhZWwtcGV0a292aWNzLXN0dWRpby1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctMTNfXzgtMTMtMjMubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="30545441" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/episodes/00b6daaf-074c-405d-bf55-10fbd8cd459e/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I talk about how I kinda got offered to start a business doing something I&apos;ve wanted to do for a long time, but I scrapped years ago because I thought it was all too hard. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Have you ever had a dream and made every excuse under the sun for it not to work because you fear success, not failure?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Well, that&apos;s me in a nutshell. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hope this story helps you make the right choices for you in your life because sometimes doing the thing you think you&apos;re meant to be doing just to please others might not be the right thing for you. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:15:55</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP. VI // WILL A COFFEE SHOP KEEP ME IN JAPAN A LITTLE LONGER?</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP. V // NOT ANOTHER JAPAN EXPERT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Everyone who has spent time in Japan likes to think of themselves as a bit of an expert. </p><p></p><p>I guess I'm no different. </p><p></p><p>But I think what sets my perspective on this apart from that of people who are deep into the academic side of Japan or the typical social media influencer is that my experience isn't about chasing clout. </p><p></p><p>I've never really spoken about my life in Japan, but in this episode, I try to unpack a few of my thoughts around the experience that I have had over 27 of both living in and visiting the country. </p><p></p><p>I talk about what got me here in the first place and how I learned to live in the country with minimal resources at the time and how that helped me learn more than I ever could any other way. </p><p></p><p>I've only scratched the surface on my Japan story, so stay tuned for more. </p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">5b2563d4-5948-464f-9e45-656a1a5f9ab6</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/73f473aca4c40d05f2fd941c7ff009be2c00530c72512b2a157bbecd08db3013/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1YjI1NjNkNC01OTQ4LTQ2NGYtOWU0NS02NTZhMWE1ZjlhYjYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0ZGIzMzBkMzU4NDgzMmE2ZTAxZmMwL21pY2hhZWwtcGV0a292aWNzLXN0dWRpby1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctOF9fNC0xNy0yMC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="38406417" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/episodes/5b2563d4-5948-464f-9e45-656a1a5f9ab6/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Everyone who has spent time in Japan likes to think of themselves as a bit of an expert. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I guess I&apos;m no different. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But I think what sets my perspective on this apart from that of people who are deep into the academic side of Japan or the typical social media influencer is that my experience isn&apos;t about chasing clout. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I&apos;ve never really spoken about my life in Japan, but in this episode, I try to unpack a few of my thoughts around the experience that I have had over 27 of both living in and visiting the country. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I talk about what got me here in the first place and how I learned to live in the country with minimal resources at the time and how that helped me learn more than I ever could any other way. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I&apos;ve only scratched the surface on my Japan story, so stay tuned for more. &lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:20:00</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP. V // NOT ANOTHER JAPAN EXPERT</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP IV // THE HABITUAL STUDIER]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>I have studied most of my adult life, and here I am at 47—still studying.</p><p></p><p>I use studying to make myself feel smarter because, for so long, I never felt like I amounted to anything.</p><p></p><p>But study can be a double-edged sword.</p><p></p><p>Too much and you'll always have your head buried in a book. Not enough, and you might not be able to achieve certain things.</p><p></p><p>This episode talks about that, how I am taking my study and doing something practical with it and what my research is about.</p><p></p><p>Enjoy!</p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">9a5197b2-a261-489c-8db4-79955b992438</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:28:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/60f6445d45835e08cb606bf8b4d716057f3e64fc568a5614ad3c80267af95503/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5YTUxOTdiMi1hMjYxLTQ4OWMtOGRiNC03OTk1NWI5OTI0MzgiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0NWQ3MDM0MDNkY2NmNDYxNGEzNDBjL21pY2hhZWwtcGV0a292aWNzLXN0dWRpby1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctMl9fNS0xMi0zLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="30803739" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/episodes/9a5197b2-a261-489c-8db4-79955b992438/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;I have studied most of my adult life, and here I am at 47—still studying.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I use studying to make myself feel smarter because, for so long, I never felt like I amounted to anything.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But study can be a double-edged sword.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Too much and you&apos;ll always have your head buried in a book. Not enough, and you might not be able to achieve certain things.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode talks about that, how I am taking my study and doing something practical with it and what my research is about.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:16:03</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP IV // THE HABITUAL STUDIER</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP. III // Father Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>As a relatively new dad living in another country (Japan), I don't have many other dads around that I can talk to. </p><p></p><p>The culture is different here, and while I have some of the greatest friends, getting personal is not really something that is done. </p><p></p><p>Maybe it's a language barrier thing, or maybe it's just the way things are here. </p><p></p><p>To do something about it and to provide an outlet for other dads in a similar position, I started hosting a once-a-month event called 'Father Time'.</p><p></p><p>What started out as me posting about it on LinkedIn has led me to share it in my podcast. </p><p></p><p>Here's a quick rundown of what Father Time is about. </p><p></p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">60d4a67f-d316-4565-a9c1-3b8a148703c2</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 01:56:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/d13fa59a21e21734dbf26dc0b22fa281f7c1872e8a095ea9cb0f422a3f715a13/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI2MGQ0YTY3Zi1kMzE2LTQ1NjUtYTljMS0zYjhhMTQ4NzAzYzIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0NGNkZjdiOWU5ODNmODhhOWE1MjhjL21pY2hhZWwtcGV0a292aWNzLXN0dWRpby1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTctMV9fMTAtMjEtMTEubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="13224376" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;As a relatively new dad living in another country (Japan), I don&apos;t have many other dads around that I can talk to. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The culture is different here, and while I have some of the greatest friends, getting personal is not really something that is done. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maybe it&apos;s a language barrier thing, or maybe it&apos;s just the way things are here. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To do something about it and to provide an outlet for other dads in a similar position, I started hosting a once-a-month event called &apos;Father Time&apos;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What started out as me posting about it on LinkedIn has led me to share it in my podcast. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here&apos;s a quick rundown of what Father Time is about. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:06:53</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP. III // Father Time</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP. II // Can Freedom Pay The Rent?
]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p><br /><br />This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://michaelpetkovic.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=CTA_1" target="_blank">michaelpetkovic.substack.com</a></p>]]></description><link>https://michaelpetkovic.substack.com/p/suboptimal-podcast-ep-ii-can-freedom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">substack:post:204058615</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:56:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/a551df617f8cbec8e13ae91569270b7485e783fc75e331f3f7ad68788b01d071/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIyYzI1OTkxNS1iMGI4LTRmY2QtYmVkYS1mYWViNzYwMjNhMjAiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvaW1wb3J0cy9wb2RjYXN0cy82NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUvZXBpc29kZXMvMmMyNTk5MTUtYjBiOC00ZmNkLWJlZGEtZmFlYjc2MDIzYTIwLzc4NWZhZTUyZjg2ZTRkMDk5ZWMyZmUwOWVlOGUxN2FmLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="40221195" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://michaelpetkovic.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=CTA_1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;michaelpetkovic.substack.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:41:54</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/episodes/2c259915-b0b8-4fcd-beda-faeb76023a20/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP. II // Can Freedom Pay The Rent?
</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUBOPTIMAL EP. I // I thought I'd make an intro podcast to kick off.]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Thank you for tuning in!</p><p></p>]]></description><link>https://michaelpetkovic.substack.com/p/i-recently-started-substack-so-i</link><guid isPermaLink="false">substack:post:203026796</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Petkovic]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:52:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/f78c7cd4dc57ee4cbd07cee373e41b44392c40a158bc305b93368d7e2afb50e8/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5N2Q5NmY0OC0zZTMzLTQ4ZGYtOGQ1MC0zYmQ0NDI0Zjc2NDMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2YTQzMWEwZTFlY2U4YWQ5ZDM4ZjEwMTIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvaW1wb3J0cy9wb2RjYXN0cy82NzhkYzE4Ny1jZDBjLTQwYTYtYjhiNi0yOGZiYTkzYzAyZGUvZXBpc29kZXMvOTdkOTZmNDgtM2UzMy00OGRmLThkNTAtM2JkNDQyNGY3NjQzLzVhYTlkOTU3OTZmMDI3OGQxYjg2OGQ0NmNhNTE4NWUwLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="16886534" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Thank you for tuning in!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:17:35</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/678dc187-cd0c-40a6-b8b6-28fba93c02de/episodes/97d96f48-3e33-48df-8d50-3bd4424f7643/3f8d1c6d0bac59e18243f572333caed5.jpg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:title>SUBOPTIMAL EP. I // I thought I&apos;d make an intro podcast to kick off.</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>