Arthur C. Brooks is a bestselling author, acclaimed public speaker and professor at the Harvard School of Business, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. Earlier this year, Arthur joined Hoda Kotb for a conversation on the art and science of getting happier, and how to build the life you want. The two discuss practices to increase happiness, how to get unstuck, how to parent and why happiness is not a destination, but a direction. Arthur will join Hoda at the upcoming Making Spac...
Oct 09, 2024•42 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Hey Making Space fans! As a bonus, we’re giving you a special preview of Jenna Bush Hager’s new podcast, ‘Open Book with Jenna’. In the podcast’s debut episode, Jenna sits down with “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert and his wife of over 30 years, Evie McGee Colbert. Stephen and Evie recently partnered on a new cookbook, “Does this Taste Funny” and sat down with Jenna to share their favorite family recipes, funniest memories cooking together, and why humor is the key ingredient in their marriage. ...
Oct 03, 2024•5 min
Ina Garten is undoubtedly one of America’s most beloved cooks, known and adored for her approachable style and comforting, attainable recipes. And while Ina has a gift for making everything seem effortless, her many accomplishments have been the result of hard work, bold choices and of course, an exquisite attention to detail. Now, Ina is opening up like never before, in her new memoir, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens”, sharing her remarkable story for the very first time. Ina sat down with Hoda...
Oct 02, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Throughout her career, singer and songwriter Rachel Platten has used her voice to lift others up. Her music has touched the hearts of millions around the world, with messages of strength, hope and love, in anthems like “Fight Song”. But despite being known for one of the most empowering songs of all time, Rachel has lived through her own struggles with depression, anxiety and moments of self-doubt. Now also a mom and a mental health advocate, Rachel is back with new music and a fresh perspective...
Sep 25, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Jonathan Haidt is a bestselling author and social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business. In his latest book, “The Anxious Generation”, Haidt investigates the collapse of youth mental health, exploring the alarming effects of excessive screen time on children and what he calls “the great rewiring” of children's brains as they move from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. Haidt sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about his plan for a healthier, freer childhood, ...
Sep 18, 2024•46 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Taraji P. Henson is an actress, producer and mental health advocate. Taraji has shined in roles like “Hidden Figures”, “Empire”, and her latest project, “Fight Night”. Throughout her life and career, Taraji has overcome naysayers, proving who she is and what she has to offer. Taraji joins Hoda Kotb for season 6 of Making Space to talk about the importance of using your voice, speaking your truth and fighting for what you deserve.
Sep 11, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Grammy-award-winning and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson has taken the music industry by storm with hits like “Heart Like a Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine”, solidifying her status as a next-generation icon. Lainey has broken records and reached new milestones, all without compromising her voice. And while it may seem like Lainey is an overnight sensation, she’ll be the first to tell you that her success took time - she faced years of rejection and heartbreak before making it big...
Aug 23, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 28
Thomas Rhett was born with a passion for music that has carried him all the way to where he is now. In this beautiful conversation from April 2022, Rhett sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about his love for music, life as a husband and father of four daughters, and how he finds balance in it all.
Aug 14, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 27
In this very special solo episode, Hoda opens up about life at 60. She celebrates the decade ahead in this love letter to her personal journey. Hoda reflects on her life’s path, overcoming hardship and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Aug 12, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Simone Biles made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the most decorated American Olympic Gymnast. Biles joined Hoda Kotb live in Paris to reflect on the games, her triumphant return to the sport, and if she'll compete in the 2028 Los Angeles games.
Aug 06, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 25
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time. After dealing with mental blocks known as the “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics, Simone stepped away from gymnastics and made mental health her priority. Now, she’s making her return to the sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics, stronger than ever. She’s ready to “get the job done”, and bring home gold for Team USA. Simone sat down with Hoda Kotb in an exclusive interview, reflecting on her journey and her goals for Paris.
Jul 31, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Bette Midler is one of the most iconic entertainers of her generation. Her legendary career spans half a century, including a wide-range of music and Oscar-nominated roles. She’s won multiple Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes and Tonys, endlessly entertaining and inspiring fans. Midler sat down with Hoda Kotb to reflect on her life, the peak moments in her career and her new comedy film “The Fabulous Four”.
Jul 24, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 23
Diego Perez is a poet, meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author, widely known through his pen name, Yung Pueblo. Inspiring millions with his writing, his work focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. Yung Pueblo’s path to deep healing began after struggling with physical and mental health, finding that the way forward was to turn inward. He dedicated himself to meditation and trusting his int...
Jul 17, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Grammy-award-winning and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson has taken the music industry by storm with hits like “Heart Like a Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine”, solidifying her status as a next-generation icon. Wilson has broken records and reached new milestones, all without compromising her voice. And while it may seem like Wilson is an overnight sensation, she’ll be the first to tell you that her success took time - she faced years of rejection and heartbreak before making it big...
Jul 10, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Steve Harvey is one of the most influential entertainers of our time. But success for Harvey was far from guaranteed, and it didn’t come overnight. In this inspiring conversation from January 2023 , Harvey opens up about his path to success - both the highs and the lows. He sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about the struggles he faced, the lessons he’s learned and his advice for anyone who feels like they’re up against a challenge right now. Spoiler alert - you might as well keep going.
Jul 03, 2024•22 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Elise Loehnen is a bestselling author, editor, podcast host and former Chief Content Officer at Goop. She’s a synthesizer, a seeker and a sharer, leading with an open mind, and introducing us to new ideas, new concepts and new ways of thinking. At the heart of all she does is storytelling, taking all the life experience, wisdom and information she’s learned, and sharing it with the world. Loehnen sat down with Hoda Kotb to discuss her latest book “On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and ...
Jun 26, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Jamie Kern Lima is a self-made entrepreneur, CEO, thought-leader, founder of IT Cosmetics and bestselling author of “Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life”. After a lifetime spent battling self-doubt, she began to lean in to her own self-worth and turned her life around, all by learning to believe in herself. Lima is living proof that when you change what you believe you’re worthy of, you can change your entire life. Lima sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about the differen...
Jun 19, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Legendary singer and music icon Celine Dion sat down with Hoda Kotb for an NBC News Exclusive interview to discuss her life and health since being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. Dion began quietly experiencing mysterious symptoms affecting her body and her voice, and after more than a decade of testing and treatment, was diagnosed with SPS. Fearful she may never return to the stage, or to her beloved fans, Dion has spent the last several years unch...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 17
Ashley Graham is a supermodel, author, entrepreneur and activist, whose influence has reshaped the fashion and media industries and redefined traditional beauty standards. Graham has spent years advocating for body positivity and self-acceptance, breaking barriers and paving the path for the next generation of women. Graham sat down with Hoda Kotb for a bare and beautiful conversation, opening up about her childhood, what she’s learned over the course of her career and how she’s showing the worl...
Jun 05, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 16
As Maria Shriver has navigated her own personal journey, she’s figured out not only how to handle challenging times, but also how to live her most authentic life. She has spent a lifetime unpacking her experiences: whether it’s faith, family or friendship, Maria’s insight and wisdom is always profound. In this intimate and inspiring conversation from February 2023, Maria opens up like never before. She sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about her continual quest to heal, the importance of slowing d...
May 29, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Tembi Locke is a New York Times best-selling author, screenwriter, producer, actor and podcast host. Her book ‘From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home’ follows her real-life love story, that all began with a chance encounter in the streets of Florence, where she fell in love with an Italian chef. Her life-changing journey of love, loss, resilience and hope was adapted for the screen by Netflix, in the limited series starring Zoe Saldana. Locke sat down with Hoda Kotb for a beaut...
May 22, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Selena Gomez has spent most of her life in the spotlight, as one of the world’s biggest popstars and actors. After facing physical and mental health challenges, Gomez is stepping into what she considers to be her true calling, mental health advocacy. She’s partnering with Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to change the conversation around mental health, and to help youth struggling with the same challenges she’s faced. Hoda Kotb sat down with Gomez and Dr. Murthy for a candid conversation about t...
May 15, 2024•18 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Tiffany Haddish is a comedian, actress, producer, writer, New York Times Bestselling author, Grammy winner and an absolute force, on and off the screen. Haddish catapulted to fame, starring in films like “Girls Trip”, and has kept us laughing with her signature brand of honesty, humor and heart. But Haddish’s success didn’t come overnight, and it wasn’t easy. In Haddish’s new memoir, “I Curse You with Joy”, she opens up about the high and low moments she’s faced, sharing her personal struggles a...
May 08, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Sarah Jakes Roberts is redefining what it means to be a modern woman of faith. As a bestselling author, pastor, speaker, founder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, wife and mother, at her core, she is a leader, aiming to inspire thought, growth and change. She followed in the footsteps of her father, Bishop T.D. Jakes, to become a co-pastor at The Potter’s House Church in Dallas, using her voice to spread messages of compassion and love. Jakes’ most recent book ‘Power Moves: Ignite Your Confidence a...
May 01, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Carissa Moore is a World Champion surfer and Olympic gold medalist. Widely considered to be one of the female greatest surfers of all time, Moore is an inspiration both on and off the board. She burst into the world of professional surfing when she was a teenager, and by age 18, she became the youngest surfer to win a world title. She was crowned surfing’s first-ever female Olympic gold medalist, and has achieved legendary status as a dominant force in the sport. Earlier this year, Moore announc...
Apr 24, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 10
In honor of the fifth anniversary of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna¸Hoda is revisiting her conversation with co-host and friend Jenna Bush Hager from Season 1 of Making Space. As you’ll hear, Hoda and Jenna are friendly on air because they’re real friends off-air — and their friendship has only grown and deepened over the years. We are again inviting you into this intimate conversation, touching on everything from lessons learned by example during childhood to what it meant for Jenna to turn 40. To...
Apr 17, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Drew Brees spent 20 years as an NFL quarterback, playing on the New Orleans Saints for 15 seasons. Brees is a leader on and off the field, and in 2010, he led the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl championship, helping to bring back the spirit of the city after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. For Brees and wife Brittany, playing for the Saints was about more than football, it was a calling to be part of something greater. Brees sat down with Hoda Kotb to discuss his prolific career, li...
Apr 10, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Chip Conley is a bestselling author and co-founder of the Modern Elder Academy, the world’s first “midlife wisdom school”. After an impressive career in the hospitality industry, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, Conley is now leading a worldwide revolution to re-frame midlife. In his latest book “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age”, Conley is changing the narrative around midlife, helping ...
Apr 03, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Arthur C. Brooks is a bestselling author, acclaimed public speaker and professor at the Harvard School of Business, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. Brooks joined Hoda Kotb for a conversation on the art and science of getting happier, and how to build the life you want. The two discuss practices to increase happiness, how to get unstuck, how to parent and why happiness is not a destination, but a direction.
Mar 27, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 6
It’s hard to imagine Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis survived the childhood she did. Bullied at a young age for being different, Davis now realizes the power — and the potency — of those differences. Davis sat down with Hoda Kotb in spring of 2022 for an intimate conversation on overcoming trauma and how to shape your own future, one leg of the relay race at a time.
Mar 20, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 5
