[ENCORE] Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Ambition, Chasing Our Dreams, and Our Brave, Beautiful Yeses

Priyanka Chopra is an award-winning actor, producer, activist, and humanitarian and, undoubtedly, one of the most recognizable faces in the world. Today, we’re revisiting this wonderful conversation from 2021, when Priyanka released her very introspective memoir, Unfinished, which was a deeply personal exploration of identity, ambition, and reinvention that traced her incredible journey from India to the U.S., and how she’s learned to leap—with both feet—into new seasons and new callings. She reminds us that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s part of the path. And that sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is walk away from what no longer fits.

Priyanka shares some of the secrets of her success, including: 

  • How much our success is attributed to luck versus hard work
  • The ability to create opportunities or recognize when opportunities are present 
  • Having the tenacity to look through your circumstances and push forward with perseverance
  • Having hunger in your belly for more
  • Why a sense of risk-taking and comfort with failing will serve you well

Whether this summer finds you on the edge of something new, recovering from something hard, or wondering if it’s too late to start again—we hope this episode reminds you: your dreams are still yours. They’re still possible. And you are absolutely allowed to say yes to them.

A Rebellion of Care: Poet David Gate on Words as a Lifeline During Difficult Times

Jen has been a quiet superfan of David Gate ever since discovering one of his poems on Instagram and instantly texting it to six friends. A British-born poet, writer, and visual artist, David explores themes of care, community, and spiritual resilience. Today, he joins Jen and Amy to talk about his latest work, A Rebellion of Care—a powerful blend of essays and poetry rooted in tenderness, authenticity, and resistance. From writing to flour milling and homesteading, David’s life is a living practice of nurturing both self and community with intention.

Key highlights from this conversation include: 

  • How radical tenderness can be an act of resistance
  • Why are many people living  radicalized lives without realizing it, and often for things they don’t truly care about
  • How homesteading is a rebellion against modern food practices
  • Reimagining masculinity and what it could look like in a better world
  • Building community and friendship as a vital source of joy and support in life
  • How anger and joy are companion emotions
  • The sacredness of everyday practices

I Choose Me: Jennie Garth on Midlife, Reinvention & Owning Your Next Chapter

Jennie Garth is best known to Gen-Xers for her iconic role playing Kelly Taylor on the megahit television series Beverly Hills 90210.  Fans of the show may remember Kelly’s pivotal “I Choose Me” episode (airing thirty years ago this past May) when she stood between dreamboats Brandon and Dylan and declared that she was choosing herself. 

Jennie shaped an entire era of pop culture, and now, at fifty-two, she is embracing an incredible new chapter of life—one filled with bold conversations about aging, empowerment, self-love, and the beautiful messiness of midlife. Through her thought-provoking “I Choose Me” podcast and a forthcoming memoir of the same name, Jennie is using her platform to champion other women over fifty by challenging outdated narratives around aging and sparking empowering conversations.

Today, Jennie, Jen and Amy talk about what choosing yourself looks like on a normal day, and what it means to be graduate beyond our growing family years into a more independent space where a new age of self-discovery is possible because, as Jennie reminds us, choosing “you” isn’t selfish—it’s the most powerful act of self-respect.

June 2025: Sophie Cousens’ Is She Really Going Out With Him?

As a former TV producer turned novelist, Sophie Cousens’ books have been published in over 20 languages. Her previous novels—including This Time Next Year and Before I Do—have delighted readers around the world with their warmth, humor, and honest portrayal of love in all its messy, beautiful forms.

Today, we sit down with Sophie to discuss her decade of experience producing some of our favorite TV shows like The Graham Norton Show and Big Brother and how that valuable experience behind the scenes in television shaped the way she now tells stories as a novelist, allowing her to thread the needle between heartfelt and funny, heartwarming and satirical. We talk about her approach to writing—does she prefer to start with a character or a plot?–as well as how she brilliantly employs a variety of  familiar rom-com setups (friends-to-lovers, missed connections, etc.) yet, they never feel overt or cliché.

If you’ve ever tried to date post-divorce, juggled motherhood with figuring out who the heck you even are anymore, or questioned whether love in your 40s is even worth it—you’re going to enjoy today’s conversation about our June JHBC selection, Is She Really Going Out With Him?  With nods to fairy tales, dating apps, and the iconic Joe Jackson song that inspired the title, the book asks: how do you start over when you’re not 22 anymore—and how do you know when it’s real?

Megababe Founder, Katie Sturino, on Resilience, Risk-Taking, and Saying Yes to Something New

Katie Sturino is one of those people who makes you feel instantly braver just by being in the room. With her bold fashion choices, unfiltered honesty, and joyful presence online, the powerhouse founder of Megababe, style influencer, and unapologetic voice for body confidence has inspired so many of us to rethink how we see our bodies and ourselves.

Her first book Body Talk, part memoir, part manifesto, focused on the all too important topic of learning to love the skin you’re in. Now, she’s back—and this time, she’s putting her hand to fiction! Of course, we wanted to talk to this multi-hyphenate about what it’s like flexing yet another new muscle.

Katie and Jen talk about the inspiration behind Sunny Side Up, a book Jennifer Weiner has called a modern-day Bridget Jones’ Diary (without the toxic self-loathing) and Katie shares what the writing process was like, an experience Katie  equated to being put through a pasta machine. She and Jen also reminisce about when they first met almost a year ago—backstage at an Oprah special and the grueling decisions they grabbed with (as so many women do for such an event)—what to wear. 

Who Deserves Your Love? KC Davis on Boundaries, Healing, and Letting Go

KC Davis is a licensed professional counselor, an author, a speaker, and, frankly, one of the most compassionate, funny, down-to-earth voices out there. During the pandemic, she created an amazing platform called Struggle Care where she has been teaching us how to care for ourselves (and our homes) without stigma or shame. Like—if the laundry’s piled up or the dishes aren’t done, it doesn’t mean you’re lazy or broken. It just means you’re living life. It’s a gracious approach to self-care that we wildly embrace. 

KC’s first book, How to Keep House While Drowning, was a total game-changer for so many women  who’ve felt overwhelmed by the everyday—and now she’s back with a brand new book called Who Deserves Your Love, helping us figure out which relationships we want to invest in, which ones need boundaries, and maybe even which ones we need to step away from. 

This conversation goes to some deep places. We talk about:

  • What mistreatment looks like in relationships, as opposed to abuse
  • The stories that we tell ourselves about another person’s behavior when we get caught up in the vulnerability cycle
  • What it means to be morally neutral
  • How to use a relationship decision tree to evaluate and make decisions about a relationship
  • And the sticky secret to enforcing boundaries

With accessibility, humorous relatability, and vulnerability,  KC is here to help us navigate the messy, complicated work of loving people and loving ourselves.

May 2025: Viola Shipman’s (aka Wade Rouse’s) The Page Turner

Beloved author Wade Rouse—who writes under the pen name Viola Shipman—joins Jen for a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply insightful conversation about writing, identity, and honoring the women who shape us. Known for his evocative novels rooted in love, memory, and family, Wade shares the origin of his pen name (a tribute to his grandmother), the transition from memoir to fiction, and how Michigan became the emotional landscape for so many of his stories.

In this touching episode, Jen and Wade dive into:

  • The joy (and exhaustion) of book tours
  • The beauty of writing from grief
  • The fight against genre-shaming in publishing
  • Why women’s voices in literature matter more than ever
  • His latest novel The Page Turner, and what inspired it
  • His upcoming project that’s giving Golden Girls a queer twist

Whether you’re a book lover, an aspiring writer, or someone who believes in the power of personal stories, this episode is packed with inspiration, connection, and literary magic.

Maggie Smith on Art and the Gift of Our Attention

We need art and beauty now more than ever. In this very special episode with acclaimed poet and writer, Maggie Smith, she shares insights with Jen and Amy from her new book ‘Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life‘ and discusses how creativity is a gift that is present in all of us and that every decision we make is a creative act. In fact, Maggie believes that creativity can serve as a form of homecoming, helping individuals to reassemble themselves amidst life’s hardest challenges.

Their conversation also delves into the writing process and reveals the messy and iterative nature of creating art. Maggie talks about the transformative power of writing, the importance of reframing our experiences with new language, and how to maintain a sense of wonder in life, which is essential for personal growth.

Key takeaways include:

  • The gift of your attention is a form of love.
  • No one else can tell your story; it must be you.
  • It’s never too late to start creating. And, the first draft is always a mess; embrace the process.

A Celebration of the Women Who Made Us This Way: Melissa Radke Returns to the For the Love Podcast

Melissa Radke is the best friend you never knew you always wanted with a Texas-sized heart and sense of humor to match. She’s also an author, speaker, TV personality, and For the Love fan-favorite, best known for her gut-busting sense of humor, deep honesty, and fierce Southern sass. Melissa first gained a national following with her viral videos about parenting and real life, which led to a reality show (The Radkes) and a bestselling book (Eat Cake. Be Brave.) A fierce advocate for women finding their voice—especially in midlife—Melissa brings laughter and tears to everything she touches. Her newest project, Chicken Fried Women, a collection of stories (with a companion podcast series) celebrates the women—battered on the outside, tender on the inside, some salty, some spicy—who made us who we are.

In this life-giving conversation filled with snort-laughs and tears, we talk about: 

  • The incredible women who raised us, taught us, prayed for us, and even humbled us when we needed it most
  • The stories that have become legend in our families—Melissa tells a story about her Aunt Melba helping her mother with fastening her girdle in a cramped church bathroom stall that left Jen and Amy in stitches
  • The friends who have shown up for us in times of crisis with remedies and solutions that we never could have fathomed for ourselves

[ENCORE] Matrescence: Unraveling the Myths and Realities of Being a Mother with Lucy Jones

Today we’re revisiting the profound biological, psychological and social shifts experienced when becoming a mother – a process known as “matrescence.” Jen sits down with science journalist Lucy Jones, who experienced a seismic identity shift that arose after the birth of her first child.  

Lucy and Jen unpack groundbreaking neuroscience research and they expose the deep-rooted myths and unrealistic expectations surrounding modern motherhood. From the minimizing of postpartum struggles to the pressure of “natural birthing” ideals, Lucy reveals how these systemic fictions can breed shame, isolation and maternal mental health crises.

Jen and Lucy discuss:

  • The concept of “matrescence” – the biological, psychological and social transition to becoming a mother that renders profound identity changes
  • How modern cultural myths and idealized notions of motherhood as blissful and “natural” can be deeply alienating and contribute to maternal mental health issues
  • The systemic lack of scientific research and societal rituals to prepare and support women through the seismic transformation of matrescence
  • The need to construct new narratives, share vulnerable experiences, and build community care around the modern realities of the matrescence