“You can re-imagine anything.” This was life advice that fashion designer Phillip Lim was given by his mother. His family escaped the Khmer Rouge and came to America as refugees. They had no resources and had to start over from scratch. Somehow, Phillip rose to become one of the most successful fashion designers in the world. He started his label 3.1 Phillip Lim with his business partner when they were both just 31 years old.
In this heartfelt episode of House Call, we catch Phillip in a moment of evolution, surprising the fashion world by stepping away from his company and starting a new, unknown chapter in his life. As he opens up about his continuous journey of becoming, of re-imagining his life, Phillip and the Surgeon General ponder: how do you distinguish between success and fulfillment? How does being part of a community help our mental health? Why is creativity and sense of play so important? What is the connection between beauty and the values we live?
While they come from very different worlds of medicine and fashion, Phillip and the Surgeon General are both guided by love of community, a desire to help others, and the inspiration of their mothers.
(02:46)  What role has Phillip Lim’s mom played in his life?
(06:20)  How did Phillip Lim maintain a sense of optimism in his early life?
(09:20)  How did curiosity and creativity put Phillip Lim on an unexpected path?
(15:27)  How did Phillip Lim navigate the competitive world of fashion?
(18:54)  What practices does Phillip Lim use to stay grounded?
(23:02)  What is the difference between success and fulfillment for Phillip Lim?
(26:33)  How can we find the courage to make big life changes?
(31:58)  How is Phillip Lim building community and advocating for mental health?
(42:32)  What message does Dr. Murthy have for Phillip Lim’s mother?
(48:05)  Phillip Lim asks Dr. Murthy for advice on empowering others to be seen, heard, and show up for each other.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.

Phillip Lim, Fashion Designer & Mental Health Advocate
Instagram: @therealphilliplim @creatingspace_community @morethanourbellies @nytougherthanever

Fashion designer and Creative Director, Phillip Lim, was born to Chinese parents. A weekend job at Barneys South Coast Plaza led to an internship with Katayone Adeli, and eventually, a position on her design team. When Adeli relocated to New York, Lim remained in Los Angeles and co-founded his first label, Development. After four years at Development, Lim relocated to New York to launch 3.1 Phillip Lim where he spent 20 years at the helm of the pioneering, modern luxury brand before departing in late 2024 to pursue new ventures.Lim is recognized as one of the most talented and successful American designers in the fashion industry. He is the recipient of several prestigious industry honors including the Fashion Group International's Women’s Designer ‘Rising Star’ Award, the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear, the CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear, and the CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year.Beyond the label, Lim has become a leader, author, entrepreneur, and recognized community advocate. In 2021, he led the #STOPASIANHATE movement, co-founding a GoFundMe initiative that has raised over $7,000,000 to date. Lim continued growing his personal projects in 2021, launching the “House of Slay” alongside his best friends. The House of Slay established a community that served as a safe, inclusive space for underrepresented voices from all walks of life. The group was honored at the 2022 CFDA Awards with the CFDA Positive Social Influence Award. And in 2023, Lim co-founded Creating Space, a grassroots organization aimed at bringing attention and healing to the mental health crisis affecting the AAPI community.

Do you feel you can no longer talk with people who hold different opinions? Has anger become the predominant tone? If we want this to change, how can we as individuals, change the way we talk and connect when we differ?  

Dr. Francis Collins is a pro at stepping into spaces that many of us are avoiding right now. He’s remarkably good at finding common ground with people who think differently than he does.

You may know Francis as one of our nation’s greatest scientists. The former director of the National Institutes of Health and a physician-geneticist, he led the the National Human Genome Research Institute and successfully led the effort to sequence the human genome. He is also known for his landmark discoveries of the genes responsible for critical diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s Disease.

His recent book, The Road to Wisdom, centers on principles he considers essential for navigating today’s polarized society: truth, science, faith, and trust. He finds both faith and science as essential for exploring this challenging question of how we connect with each other across divides. For Francis, love, beauty and goodness lie at the foundation of who we should be as humans. We should use our time together to experience these with others.

In this episode of House Calls, Francis shares his own stories of finding common ground and establishing genuine friendships, even in the face of fundamental disagreement. Drawing from his experience as a scientist and as a man of faith, he offers strategies for building relationships that lean on a positive view of humanity, and that free our minds from the negativity of social media, to re-create a society that feels better to all of us. As Francis says, “We the people are the solution to what has happened to we the people.”

A talented musician, Francis ends our conversation by sharing a song he performed with famed opera singer Renée Fleming. Written during the Civil War, the song was created to bring the country together during a time a great division. It remains so relevant today.

(03:24)    Why is Francis Collins known as “The Singing Scientist?”

(05:21)    What’s the connection between music and the brain?

(12:07)    How does Francis Collins view the divisions in our country?

(18:25)    What can we, as individuals, do to build connections with people who think and feel differently?

(24:46)    What are some strategies for having meaningful conversations across differences?

(28:35)    How did a friendship blossom from a conversation referred to as “a meeting with an elitist and a deplorable”?

(35:11)    How can we remove hostility from our dialogue?

(43:05)    How has Francis Collins’ book club become a safe space for him?

(45:41)    Why is it important to Francis Collins to help people?

(48:37)    What is the role of faith in Francis Collins’ life?

(52:16)    What don’t people talk more openly about their faith experiences?

(54:43)    Why don’t we talk more about values?

(01:01:22)    Why is the Civil War-era song Francis Collins and Renée Fleming sing still relevant today?

Dr. Francis Collins, Scientist & Former Director, NIH

About Dr. Francis Collins

Dr. Francis Collins is a physician-scientist. Under his direction, the Human Genome Project produced the first finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book in 2003. From 2009 to 2021, Collins served under three Presidents as the Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. Following a year in the White House as the President’s Acting Science Advisor, he oversees a research laboratory as a Distinguished Investigator in the intramural program of the National Human Genome Research Institute. He also leads a bold administration initiative to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States. His contributions to science, medicine, and society have been recognized by the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Templeton Prize. His most recent book is “The Road To Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust” (Little Brown and Worthy, 2024).

How do we find that fulfilment in a modern world where so many of us often feel lonely and unsure of our self-worth? For this bonus episode of House Calls, we share excerpts from a conversation between the Surgeon General and yogi & spiritual leader Sadhguru as they discuss what it means to live a fulfilling life.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls. 

Sadhguru, Yogi & Spiritual Leader

Instagram: @sadhguru @isha.foundation

X: @SadhguruJV @ishafoundation

Facebook: @sadhguru @ishafoundation

About Sadhguru

Yogi, Mystic, Visionary, and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Sadhguru is among the most influential people of our time. He is the recipient of the "Global Indian Award" by Canada India Foundation and three Presidential awards, including India’s highest annual civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. Sadhguru has spoken at various global forums and institutions, including the United Nations, the House of Lords (UK), the G20 Science Summit, TED, Microsoft, Google, Oxford, Harvard, Yale and MIT.
Over three decades ago, Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation, a non-profit human service organization. The foundation has offered powerful Yoga programs for human transformation to millions of people worldwide and has initiated path-breaking environmental and social outreach projects. As part of the Conscious Planet movement, Sadhguru launched #SaveSoil to address the soil crisis by uniting people across the globe to stand up for soil health, reaching over four billion people. In 2025, Sadhguru is launching 'Miracle of Mind' - a global movement to empower people to take charge of their mental health through a ground-breaking mental wellness app. 
Learn more about Inner Engineering, Sadhguru's introductory yoga, and meditation offering at Sadhguru.co/IE.

Have you ever wanted to gather people, but then something stops you? What if I burn the apps? What if the house is a mess? Will people bring something, or chip in?  Or, the biggest fear of all – what if nobody shows up? 

Sarah Harmeyer, the founder of Neighbor’s Table, calls herself a “people gatherer,” and is an expert at bringing people together. Sarah offers some practical advice and much comfort. In her view people just want to be invited. As she says, we should be about blessing, not impressing.

Also – In the spirit of building more connection, we have released “Recipes for Connection.” Gathering stories and ideas from all over the country, this booklet offers all sorts of ideas for connecting over food. So whether you’re deepening relationships with old friends or creating new connections, we hope “Recipes for Connection” will be an inspiration to get together.  

Download the booklet at SurgeonGeneral.gov/recipes.

(01:51)  Sarah Harmeyer and why she started Neighbor’s Table

(11:29)  What are the essential ingredients for gathering people?

(13:45)  What are some things Sarah does to create a great vibe?

(21:43)  How gathering simply comes down to caring and kindness

(25:57)  Gathering is joy and service

(29:27)  Who is the new Surgeon General of SoHip, Dallas?

For Ada Limón, the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate, poetry is her way of connecting — to others, to ourselves, to our natural world.  Ada’s work is deeply personal, inspired by gratitude for loved ones, awe and nature, and her struggles with scoliosis and infertility. In this conversation with the Surgeon General, she reflects on her process for writing, which she says often starts with the simple act of seeing what’s around her. When Ada shares her poems, she finds joy in other people seeing their own feelings and life experiences in her writing.In the course of this conversation she beautifully recites two of her poems. “The Raincoat” was written for her mother. The other, “In Praise of Mystery,” is shooting through outer space right now on a NASA aircraft bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa.

(07:36)  Can poetry help keep us grounded?
(10:33) How does poetry help when language fails us?
(12:35)  Ada shares her poem "The Raincoat”
(17:50)  What are some unexpected ways poetry opens people up?
(22:40)  What if we don't "get" poetry?
(26:42)  What is it like to live the life of a poet?
(31:38)  How Ada gets herself in the mindset to write
(38:08)  On staying present
(44:02)  How life challenges shaped her creativity
(52:14)  How does Ada define success at this point in her life?
(59:36)  A reading of her poem "In Praise of Mystery."
(01:03:08)  What gives Ada Limón hope?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls. 

Ada Limón, 24th U.S. Poet Laureate

Instagram: @adalimonwriter

Facebook: @poetadalimon

About Ada Limón

Ada Limón is the author of six books of poetry, including “The Carrying,” which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her book “Bright Dead Things” was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Her most recent book of poetry, “The Hurting Kind,” was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize. She is also the author of two children’s books: “In Praise of Mystery,” with illustrations by Peter Sís; and “And, Too, The Fox,” which will be released in 2025. In October of 2023 she was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, and she was named a TIME magazine woman of the year in 2024. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship and wrote a poem that will be engraved on NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft that will be launched to the second moon of Jupiter in October 2024. As the 24th Poet Laureate of The United States, her signature project is called “You Are Here” and focuses on how poetry can help connect us to the natural world. She will serve as Poet Laureate until the spring of 2025.

How does parents’ mental health influence their kids’ mental health?

Why are parents today feeling so overwhelmed?

How can parents let go of trying to be the perfect parent?

As the father of two young kids, parenting is a common theme the Surgeon General explores with guests. Given the resonance of the Surgeon General’s recent advisory on parent mental health & well-being, this episode digs into the House Calls archives. We revisit moments with guests including Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Aliza Pressman, as they share their expertise—walking through great practical advice about navigating disagreements with children, warning about the impacts of technology, and examining how parents and children share their nervous systems—while also sharing moving personal parenting moments.

(02:47)    How are parents feeling these days?

(03:35)    Why are parents so often feeling overwhelmed?

(07:00)    How does parents’ mental health influence their kids’ mental health?

(09:28)    How should parents think about their role in their kids’ mental health?

(12:43)    How can men support each other to be more connected fathers?

(18:42)    Why should we embrace being an imperfect parent?

(20:58)    Why is it helpful to think through goals for parenting?

(22:24)    A brief exercise to help us stay focused on what’s most important to us when we’re parenting our children.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

What can life in space teach us about living well on earth?

As an astronaut, Kayla Barron she has lived this very question. As a member of the NASA’s mission to the International Space Station, she and her crew spent 177 days in orbit. In that time, she performed two space walks. Before becoming an astronaut, she earned a degree in nuclear engineering and served as one of the first female Submarine Warfare Officers in the US Navy. Turns out life on a submarine has a lot in common with life in space.

In this conversation, Kayla shares what it was like to look back on earth from space and the emotions it sparked. She remembers how she kept alive her connection with her family on earth, while she also formed essential, and meaningful relationships with her fellow astronauts on the space station. She opens up about the struggle that came after completing her mission, and the difficulty of finding her footing literally and emotionally. For Kayla, lving in space was a contemplation on what really matters in life.

This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience. Thank you to our friends at NASA for making this conversation possible.

(03:33) Did Kayla Barron always dream of becoming an astronaut?

(08:51) Becoming an astronaut — by applying online

(13:13) What was going through Kayla Barron’s mind during launch?

(16:19) What are those first few hours being in space really like?

(19:29) What perspective about life on earth did being in space give Kayla Barron?

(21:33) If Kayla Barron had to pick just one profound realization from space, what is it?

(23:09) Teamwork in space

(28:20) Readjustment to life on earth

(32:39) Grieving the end of a mission in which she felt the least lonely she had ever felt in her life

(37:33) Did Kaya Barron’s experience in space change how she engaged with people on earth?

(41:12) How her experience in space influences how she parents her child

(45:34) How does Kayla Barron keep herself grounded?

(48:00) Audience Q&A: What are some practical steps Kayla Barron took to address her emotions about returning to life on earth?

(51:02) Audience Q&A: What surprised you most about being in space?

(54:09) Audience Q&A: How did you keep yourself emotionally open to receiving daily feedback from your team?

(58:24) Audience Q&A: Did you ever feel afraid in space?

Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls

Kayla Barron, Astronaut

Instagram: @astro_kayla

Facebook: @astrokayla

About Kayla Barron

Kayla Barron was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. She reported for duty in August 2017. The Washington native graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering. A Gates Cambridge Scholar, Barron earned a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cambridge. As a Submarine Warfare Officer, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. She served as member of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which launched on November 10, 2021. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts safely splashed down on Friday, May 6, 2022 completing the agency’s third long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 177 days in orbit.

If we find ourselves off track in life, how can we ground ourselves and find our flow again?

When Josh Groban first stepped on stage as a shy 7th grader assigned a solo by his music teacher, his own mother didn’t know he could sing. Fast-forward three decades, and Josh has sold 35 million records worldwide. Josh’s rise to fame as a singer, songwriter and actor happened relatively quickly, he says, and along the way, he sometimes lost sight of what he cared about, pursued the wrong things, and experienced loneliness and depression. Through those difficult times, Josh sought therapy and built deeper connections with loved ones and learned to turn to them for support.

In this episode, Dr. Murthy and Josh Groban explore the challenges of navigating life when it becomes overwhelming, the power of the arts to heal, the importance the arts for young people, and how music has the power to transport us.

(07:09) Did Josh ever imagine his music could bring healing for people?

(09:30) Why are teachers so important for young artists?

(08:18) How Josh dealt with self-doubt

(23:01) What helped ground Josh as his fame grew?

(27:03) How does Josh know when he’s chasing the right things?

(33:34) How does Josh find the balance between hustle and flow?

(40:32) The isolation of fame

(49:43) The courage to work with a therapist

(55:30) The power behind Josh’s song “River”

(01:04) What do the arts do for our mental health & well-being?

(01:07:36) How is Josh Groban supporting the arts for young people?

(01:10:12) Why does Dr. Murthy feel so connected to Josh Groban?

(01:13:36) Why should we pursue experiencing the arts in our lives?

(01:17:02) Where has Dr. Murthy turned for inspiration or solace in music?

(01:18:47) Can we create more access to the arts for young people and turn STEM to STEAM?

Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls 

Josh Groban, Singer and Actor

Instagram: @joshgroban

Facebook: @joshgroban

About Josh Groban

Josh Groban possesses one of the most outstanding and instantly recognizable voices in music. A powerhouse vocalist and dynamic renaissance man, he has sold over 35 million albums worldwide. ATony, EMMY, and five-time GRAMMY Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist, his catalog spans a series of chart-topping blockbuster albums, including “Josh Groban” (5x-platinum), “Closer” (6x-platinum), “Noël” (6x-platinum), “Awake” (2x-platinum), “Illuminations”, “All That Echoes” (gold), “Stages” (gold), his first UK #1 album, “Bridges”, and his most recent release, “Harmony”. Along the way, he has packed arenas throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Asia.

Groban made his Broadway debut in 2016 with a starring role in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” for which he garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actor In A Musical. In the spring of 2023, Josh took to Broadway once again, performing in the highly anticipated revival of “Sweeney Todd”, playing the title role which earned him Tony and GRAMMY Nominations along with widespread acclaim.

Groban is also a known presence on television, with appearances on “Glee”, “The Simpsons”, “The Office”, “CSI: NY, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, and “The Crazy Ones” as well as in the feature films “Coffee Town”, “Muppets Most Wanted”, and “Crazy, Stupid, Love”. In addition, he starred in the NETFLIX series “The Good Cop” in 2018.

In 2022, he returned to the hallowed stage of Radio City Music Hall for his Great Big Radio City Show residency and launched a nation-wide live tour. Also that year, Groban also starred in ABC’s special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” as none other than the Beast.

Groban remains an active arts education philanthropist and advocate, and his Find Your Light Foundation helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness.

What does Dr. Ruth have to say about facing loneliness?

Dr. Ruth Westheimer was a legend who broke taboos around talking about sex and relationships. At her core, she cared deeply about human connection. In 2023, she was named the nation’s first honorary Ambassador to Loneliness for the state of New York.

In honor of Dr. Ruth, who passed in July 2024, the Surgeon General offers a remembrance and shares a few nuggets of wisdom she recorded while working on her last book, “The Joy of Connections.”

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   

Dr. Ruth, Sex Therapist & Author

Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer broke stigmas for more than forty years, beginning in the 1980s with her nationally syndicated radio show “Sexually Speaking”. She authored or co-authored forty-six books on many topics and was named New York’s Ambassador to Loneliness, the first such position in the United States. A beloved therapist known to millions as “Dr. Ruth,” she passed away in July 2024.

Parental well-being is linked to the well-being of kids – it affects kids’ health, their learning, and, ultimately, their futures.

But right now, parents and caregivers are incredibly stressed. That stress is harder to manage when you feel you’re on your own, which is why it’s concerning that parents, particularly single parents, report high levels of loneliness.

In this week’s episode of House Calls, Dr. Murthy talks about why we need a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize parents’ well-being. He also reads a preview of his latest advisory, Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents.

Learn more at https://surgeongeneral.gov/parents.

(00:02)    Why is parent mental health so important?
(00:54)    What is The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Parent Mental Health and Well-Being?
(01:12)    Why is parenting one of the hardest jobs?
(02:22)    Why is parenting so essential to our society as a whole?
(02:55)    What are some modern-day parenting challenges?
(04:39)    What has the U.S. Surgeon General learned in his conversations with parents across America?
(05:18)    How can parents’ mental health and well-being be better-supported?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.