6 Powerful Takeaways from My Interview with Hoda Kotb

Earlier this month, I hosted my annual Women in Wellness lunch in New York City, a gathering designed to bring together the most generous and powerful women in wellness for deeper conversations about purpose, connection, and what it actually means to live a meaningful life.

This year’s special guest was Hoda Kotb, who recently stepped away from the Today Show and launched her new company, Joy 101, a platform focused on helping people reconnect to themselves through meditation, breathwork, retreats, mindfulness, and community.

We talked about self trust, burnout, flow, motherhood and identity, joy as a compass instead of a reward, and the courage it takes to choose a life that feels aligned even when it makes no sense on paper.

There were so many moments where I heard the audience audibly gasp. Many shared with me later that the conversation sparked both teats and inspiration. 

1. Sometimes reaching the top of the mountain is what allows you to leave it

Hoda shared a story about turning sixty while hosting the Today Show. NBC threw her a huge celebration on the plaza. Her family was there. Her closest friends were there. Professionally, she had reached a level most people spend their lives chasing.

And standing there, instead of wanting more, she felt calm. She realized: this is the mountaintop.

Shortly after, she watched her daughter climbing a tree in their yard. When her daughter reached the top, Hoda asked, “Now what are you going to do?” And her daughter answered, “I guess it’s time to find a different tree.”

That line stayed with me because so many of us assume that once we build something successful, we’re obligated to stay there forever. But maybe growth is less about staying put and more about listening when something inside us shifts.

2. Self trust might be the most important wellness practice of all

One of the things that struck me most was Hoda’s ability to trust herself, even when the decision made no logical sense from the outside. She talked about how, after deciding to leave the Today Show, she could finally put her head on the pillow and sleep peacefully.

So many women spend years overriding themselves. We ignore exhaustion. We dismiss intuition. We keep choosing what looks impressive or safe instead of what actually feels true.

Hoda said something I loved: self trust wasn’t built because life always worked out perfectly. It was built because she learned she could survive hard things.

3. Joy is not a reward, it’s information

For a long time, I believed that if something felt joyful or easy, it probably wasn’t important enough. If I wasn’t grinding or proving myself, maybe it didn’t count. I think a lot of women feel this way. More of my thoughts on Joy As A Guidepost, Not A Reward here.

Hoda and I talked about how we’ve been conditioned to believe worthwhile things should feel hard. But what if joy is actually data? What if ease is not laziness, but alignment?

4. Flow feels different than performance

One of my favorite stories Hoda shared was about working with Kathie Lee Gifford in the early days of their show together. Hoda described herself as hyper prepared, gripping cue cards, terrified of making mistakes, and trying to control every detail.

Finally Kathie Lee looked at her and said, “What are you doing? I’m right here.” Then she told her to throw away the cards. That was the moment everything changed. Instead of performing, they started connecting.

So much of life works this way. We spend so much time trying not to fail that we forget to actually experience what’s happening, but sometimes flow only appears once we loosen our grip.

5. Most of life is just “Wednesday”

This might have been my favorite insight of the afternoon.

Hoda talked about how life is made up of huge exclamation-point moments: births, graduations, promotions, heartbreaks, diagnoses, endings. But most days are not extraordinary. Most days are just… Wednesday.

And the real practice is learning how to find joy there too. Not in the giant milestones or the applause, but in the tiny moments we usually move too fast to notice: a child holding your hand, a quiet conversation, a walk, a sunset, a moment of laughter.

We underestimate how much our lives are actually built from these ordinary moments.

6. Purpose is often hiding inside of what lights you up

At one point, we talked about my favorite Howard Thurman quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

That really felt like the thread running through the entire conversation. Don’t chase achievement for achievement’s sake. Forget about chasing validation. Don’t become who you think you’re supposed to be.

Hoda talked about learning to pay attention to what energizes her and what depletes her. About allowing herself to choose a life that feels aligned instead of simply impressive.

I don’t care about her fame, accolades and career. What inspired me most was that she has chosen her life on purpose.

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If you take one thing away from this conversation, let it be this: you are allowed to choose a life that feels good to live.

You are allowed to evolve. You are allowed to outgrow old versions of yourself. And maybe joy is not something frivolous we squeeze in after the important stuff is done. Maybe it’s actually the compass.

If you liked this recap, you might also like:

• Mom Burnout: How To Stop Doing It All
• How To Build Real Friendships In Midlife
• Are You Stuck In the Gratitude Trap?