Description:

Jeff Chu, an award-winning journalist, author, and "sort-of-kind-of farmer," joins Jen on the For the Love podcast to discuss his book, Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand. In the book, Jeff shares stories from his time at “The Farminary”, a twenty-one-acre working farm at Princeton’s Theological Seminary, where students explore life's biggest questions while cultivating the earth. 

Jeff reflects on his own struggles with faith, identity, and the expectations placed upon him as a gay man raised in a conservative Christian environment. His journey reveals the challenges of cultivating, not just plants, but also a spiritual life that is authentic, evolving, and inclusive​. 

In this conversation, Jeff, Jen and Amy discuss: 

Thought-provoking Quotes:

#JeffChu #GoodSoil #ForTheLovePodcast #SpiritualJourney

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://byjeffchu.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/byjeffchu

Twitter - https://x.com/jeffchu

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/byjeffchu

Substack - https://byjeffchu.com/contact#substack

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

If we’re lucky, most of us will live an abundant life that’s filled with a number of significant transitions. How we embrace those inevitable life changes and honor that growth can make a big difference in how we are prepared to meet future challenges.

Today, Jen and Amy have the pleasure of sitting down with Melinda French Gates to discuss how, at 60, she is stepping into this next beautiful season of life. By giving a rare glimpse into her interior life, and sharing previously untold stories included in her new memoir, The Next Day: Transitions, Change and Moving Forward, Melinda shares the heart-connecting lessons that we all can apply to the universal moments in our lives – including becoming a parent, the loss of a close friend, the loss of a marriage, knowing the right time to make a career move.

In this episode, we discuss:

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://www.pivotalventures.org/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melindafrenchgates

Twitter - https://x.com/melindagates

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/melindagates

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/melindagates

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@melindafrenchgates

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

In the summer of 2020, as Jen was beginning to process the loss of her 26-year marriage, there was one person walking her own similar but different journey, and understood many of the feelings of anger, grief, shame, and loss that Jen was just beginning to feel. Someone who knew how that disappointment felt.

Jessica N. Tuner, founder of the popular lifestyle blog The Mom Creative, was a few months ahead of Jen in processing the loss of her 16-year marriage to her husband and father of her three children. Today, Jessica shared with Jen and Amy what the road to recovery has looked like for her, including grieving the end of the life she thought she would have forever, the change of her identity, navigating  the messy false-starts, and clawing her way back from what felt like “the floor of hell”. Jessica compiled those hard-fought lessons into a book she’s hoping will be a manifesto of hope to others, called I Thought It Would Be Better Than This: Rise From Disappointment, Regain Control, and Rebuild a Life You Love.

***

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Nothing about what I thought my life was going to be, is my life now. Now I feel like I walk around in the world and I feel grief and loss and disappointment and dismay from everybody. It’s amazing how my eyes have opened. It was a big awakening to the loss people are living with everyday.–Jessica N. Turner

When we made the decision to divorce, I felt like I was sitting on the floor of hell, everything was dust, everything was different.–Jessica N. Turner

No matter how devastating the loss, the life you can still rebuild is astonishing. – Jen Hatmaker

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Say Anything film (1989) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098258/

Sixteen Candles film (1984) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/

Cameron Crowe - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001081/

John Hughes - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000455/

James Spader - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000652/

Some Kind of Wonderful film (1987) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094006/

I Go Crazy by Flesh for Lulu - https://open.spotify.com/track/2o1AevEuv39qZAVy6k2pmn

The Breakfast Club film (1985) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/

Weird Science film (1985) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090305

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off film (1986) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/

Planes, Trains and Automobiles film (1987) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093748/

Uncle Buck film (1989) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098554

Pretty in Pink film (1986) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091790

Beethoven film (1992) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103786

I Thought It Would Be Better Than This: Rise From Disappointment, Regain Control, and Rebuild a Life You Love by Jessica Turner - https://amzn.to/40yC1fF

Outlander - https://www.starz.com/us/en/series/outlander/21796

Onsite - https://experienceonsite.com/

ONSITE COURSE [BOOK ORDER BONUS]: What now? Practical steps to navigate disappointment and learn to dream again - https://bit.ly/3DTV4d4

Jen’s Maine MeCamp Bar Harbor Travel Guide - https://jenhatmaker.com/bar-harbor/

Going - https://www.going.com/

Guest’s Links:

Jessica’s website - https://jessicanturner.com/

Jessica’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessicanturner/

Jessica’s Twitter - https://x.com/jessicanturner

Jessica’s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicanturner

Jessica’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheMomCreative/

Jessica’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/TheMomCreative

Jessica’s Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/JessicaNTurner/

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

Maddie Corman is a seasoned American actress and playwright that you’ve seen in classic films including Some Kind of Wonderful, Maid in Manhattan, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and our favorite television shows like Law and Order, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Most recently, she has put her creative hand to writing and performing in a very raw and vulnerable autobiographical one-woman play called Accidentally Brave, that delves into Maddie's personal journey following the arrest of her husband on child pornography charges in 2015. Today, Maddie shares her story of navigating the aftermath, focusing on themes of resilience, healing, and redefining normalcy when life takes an unforeseen turn.

In this tender and transparent conversation, we discuss:

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://www.maddiecorman.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/msmaddiecorman/

Twitter - https://x.com/maddiecorman

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

This month’s JHBC selection, The Berry Pickers, by Nova Scotian author Amanda Peters has found a particularly receptive audience within book club communities, including the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, for exploring universal human emotions and experiences, and for  examining unique cultural perspectives.  By masterfully blending her father's compelling stories as a Maine berry picker with her own extensive career in Indigenous governance, The Berry Pickers delves into a unique and original plot surrounding a Mi’kmaw family that grapples with the corrosive effects of guilt and shame, and the possibility of redemption. Peters reveals how the debut novel initially took shape as a short story, but as the beautifully-flawed characters and tendrilled themes began to unfold, the narrative organically expanded into the full-fledged novel that it is now, which has been translated into an impressive 22 languages and has been awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. 

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://amandapetersauthor.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amandapetersauthor/

Twitter - https://x.com/amandapetersaut?lang=en

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

Today’s guest, Shannon Watts, has come to be known as a formidable force in the world. As the founder of Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots movement against gun violence formed after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy in 2012, her activism has mobilized millions of moms to successfully pass  over 500 gun safety laws. As Amy poignantly stated, Shannon’s work “has legitimately made a tangible impact on the safety of my kids in their classrooms”, demonstrating the profound significance of Shannon’s contributions.

Watts has since shifted her time and attention to empowering women, whom she credits as the real changemakers in any movement. She has founded the Firestarter School, a platform designed to help women reclaim their power and has a forthcoming book,  Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, releasing in the summer of 2025, which explores the necessary elements needed to ignite a fire in your life and pursue your passion and purpose.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://momsdemandaction.org/shannon-watts/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shannonrwatts/

Twitter - https://x.com/shannonrwatts

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fightlikeamother.org

Substack - https://shannonwatts.substack.com/

Moms Demand Action website - https://momsdemandaction.org/

Moms Demand Action Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/momsdemand

Moms Demand Action Twitter - https://x.com/momsdemand

Moms Demand Action Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction

Moms Demand Action YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/MomsDemandAction

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The best adventures are often found when we embrace curiosity. That’s a lesson that Tamron Hall has learned in her storied career as a cultural icon, Emmy-winning talk show host, and broadcast journalist, as well as in her role as a young parent to a son with a shy but investigative nature to explore the world around him.

In today’s conversation, Tamron talks to Jen and Amy about that curiosity and why it is a trait that should be celebrated and nurtured, both in our children and in ourselves. They talk about the many cultural treasures that already exist right in our own neighborhoods, if we open ourselves up to the beauty of exploring new places and faces.

And, Tamron also shares details with Amy and Jen about her latest labor of love, the children’s book that she just released called Harlem Honey: The Adventures of a Curious Kid, an endearing story inspired by her real-life son and his adventure visiting Harlem's most iconic spots, learning a valuable lesson about the meaning of home.

***

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Prince - https://www.prince.com/

The Tamron Hall Show - https://tamronhallshow.com/

Jen Hatmaker Gets Real About Healing After Divorce on The Tamron Hall Show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkm0RqfRYMI

As the Wicked Watch: The First Jordan Manning Novel by Tamron Hall - https://amzn.to/4hnc8qn

Harlem Honey: The Adventures of a Curious Kid by Tarmron Hall - https://amzn.to/4hJEuea

Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall - https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/show/deadline-crime-with-tamron-hall-investigation-discovery

The TODAY Show - https://www.today.com/

Sisterwives Tell All - https://www.tlc.com/shows/sister-wives/episodes/sister-wives-tell-all

Ebony Glenn, Illustrator - https://www.ebonyglenn.com/

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle - https://amzn.to/4jOvGFz

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume - https://amzn.to/3CCSsjc

Billie Holliday - https://billieholiday.com/

The Apollo Theater - https://www.apollotheater.org/

A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen by Tamron Hall and Lish - https://amzn.to/3ErTZJq

Building Bridges, Not Walls: Tim Shriver on Dignity that Transcends Disagreements - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-64/building-bridges-not-walls-tim-shriver-on-dignity-that-transcends-disagreements/

Guest’s Links:

Tamron’s website - https://tamronhallshow.com/

Tamron’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tamronhall

Tamron’s Twitter - https://x.com/tamronhall

Tamron’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TamronHall/

Tamron’s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tamronhall

Tamron’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/tamronhallshow

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:

Today, Jen and Amy have an intimate conversation with preeminent perimenopausal and menopausal specialist and women’s health advocate, Dr. Louise Newson, who has been described as the “medic who kickstarted the menopause revolution” for her commitment to increasing awareness and knowledge about hormones, perimenopause and menopause through her books, podcast, and educational videos on social media.

In this candid and enlightening conversation, we discuss: 

Thought-provoking Quotes:

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause by Dr. Louise Newson- https://amzn.to/3Rf4LFQ

Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre - https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/book-an-appointment/

Balance App - https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/

The Dr. Louise Newson Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7dCctfyI9bODGDaFnjfKhg?si=b382cda4537246d5&nd=1&dlsi=b4764565942d4037

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/menopause_doctor/

Twitter - https://x.com/drlouisenewson

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@menopause_doctor

Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7dCctfyI9bODGDaFnjfKhg?si=b382cda4537246d5&nd=1&dlsi=b4764565942d4037

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women’s basketball is on the rise and The Women’s Hoops Show is here for every buzzer-beater, breakout star, and game-changing moment. Join host Jordan Robinson as she dives deep into the WNBA, college hoops, and the rise of new leagues like Unrivaled to bring you insightful conversations with players, coaches, and analysts. If you love women’s basketball, this is your year-round home for the biggest stories in the game.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special SXSW2025 edition of For the Love, Jen Hatmaker sits down with Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, the Senior VP and Executive Dean at Western Governors University (WGU) School of Education. As a lifelong advocate for educators, Dr. Johnson is at the forefront of reimagining how we train, support, and sustain teachers in today’s challenging educational landscape.

Jen, a former teacher herself, brings her deep passion for education into this conversation, unpacking the real issues educators face today—from teacher shortages to burnout—and discussing how innovative models like WGU’s competency-based education are transforming access to learning.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Dr. Johnson’s Path to Leadership: How she transitioned from working in corrections to becoming a pioneer in online education.

Competency-Based Education: What it is, how it differs from traditional models, and why it’s a game-changer for adult learners.

Educator Burnout & Retention: The state of teacher well-being and what’s being done to ensure teachers not only enter the profession but thrive in it.

School & Community Support for Teachers: How schools, administrators, and parents can create environments where teachers feel valued.

Future Trends in Education: How AI, technology, and apprenticeship programs are shaping the next generation of educators.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

• “We don’t believe in courses just for the sake of courses. Everything at WGU is designed to build skills that translate directly into a career.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson

• “Retention is just as critical as recruitment—if we don’t take care of our teachers, we will never solve the teacher shortage crisis.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson

• “Teachers are literally helping us raise the next generation. Every second of what they do matters.“ - Jen Hatmaker

• “The future of education must include personalization, technology integration, and real-world experience to prepare students for success.” - Stacey Ludwig Johnson

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Guest’s Links:

Website - https://www.wgu.edu/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/westerngovernorsu/

Twitter - https://x.com/wgu

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/WesternGovernorsUniv

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wgu

Stacey Ludwig Johnson’s Website - https://www.wgu.edu/blog/authors/stacey-ludwig-johnson.html

Stacey Ludwig Johnson’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-ludwig-johnson-0bba1715/

Connect with Jen!

Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/

Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/

Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker

Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker

The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices