Secrets of the Better Halves

You don't just wake up one day and become a better half. Partners face tough choices and compromises, with feelings of both regret and blessings. In their 38 years together, Jennifer Granholm and our co-host Dan Mulhern have lived an extraordinary life together. On their first date, Jennifer brought a list of questions to learn if a relationship with Dan was worth pursuing. Needless to say, Dan passed. What followed has been a successful political life for Jennifer, taking her from Michigan Attorney General to two-time Governor to U.S. Energy Secretary. All along the way, Dan has been by her side, and has experienced unparalleled joy but also unpredictable questions of who he was and what he brought to the marriage. How do these better halves stay grounded and connected, and what can the rest of us learn from them? In this episode, we did something different; we put Dan in a holding studio so he could listen to our conversation with Jennifer. Then we let him join the conversation and what followed may be the best lesson in how better halves survive and thrive.

We invite you to share our podcast, click "follow" so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on social media. For more information about our hosts and this podcast, visit www.SecretsoftheBetterHalves.com

On Election Night 2016, Dan Mulhern and Markos Kounalakis had a chance encounter on a New York City rooftop. There, they discovered their commonalities and made a connection. Both are married to prominent political wives, Jennifer Granholm and Eleni Kounalakis, and both share the unique position of being the "number two" to wives who are out-front in the public eye. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on this dramatic night so you can hear the inside tales of how these two partners supported each other's "better half" during this crushing defeat. Hear Dan and Markos relive the moment-to-moment drama of the night, how they each supported their partners in different ways in the moments after the election defeat, and how their rooftop conversation led to an enduring friendship and the creation of our podcast series.

We invite you to share our podcast, click "follow" so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on social media. For more information about our hosts and this podcast, visit www.SecretsoftheBetterHalves.com

What happens when you find your better half, work with them, fall in love, and then suddenly a bomb strikes? That's what happened to one of our co-hosts, Debbie Phillips. In this episode, Debbie shares her journey of finding, working with, loving, and losing her better half with co-hosts Dan Mulhern and Markos Kounalakis.

We invite you to share our podcast, click "follow" so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on social media. For more information about our hosts and this podcast, visit www.SecretsoftheBetterHalves.com

"The After Show" is where we go to exhale after interviewing our guests. Hear what our hosts felt about the conversation, what surprised them the most, and what's their biggest takeaway.

Doctors John and Judy Gottman wrote the book on marriage, literally dozens of them! The world-renowned marriage therapists lead The Gottman Institute, whose mission is to help people create and maintain greater love and health in their relationships.

In this episode, we put the Gottman's in the patient's chair and see how they make their own relationship work. What is the secret to a long lasting relationship? What daily practices do they recommend for the rest of us? Is it possible for couples to resolve perpetual problems? What were their biggest peaks and valleys in their marriage? How do they navigate working together? How do they meld their two distinct styles, as a couple but also in their approach to couples in crisis? And how do they predict divorce by watching couples interact for just 15 minutes?

We invite you to share our podcast, click "follow" so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on social media. For more information about our hosts and this podcast, visit www.SecretsoftheBetterHalves.com

To learn more about John and Julie Gottman, visit The Gottman Institute webpage at www.gottman.com.

"The After Show" is where we go to exhale after interviewing our guests. Hear what our hosts felt about the conversation, what surprised them the most, and what's their biggest takeaway.

Our podcast is all about partnerships and how those in the public eye make their partnership work. Jennifer Siebel Newsom carries many titles: the First Partner of California, award-winning filmmaker, advocate, and mother. Jennifer admits life is "a dance." So we were curious, how does she take on all those roles and manage to be a better half to California Governor Gavin Newsom?

In this episode, we explore their dynamic relationship and get advice on how all of us can support our "better half." What values did she bring into the First Partner's office? How does she and the Governor forge a strong partnership at home, as partners and as parents? What lessons did they learn about each other during the toughest days of the pandemic? How did the tragic death of her sister impact her way of parenting?

We invite you to share our podcast, click "follow" so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on social media. For more information about our hosts and this podcast, visit www.SecretsoftheBetterHalves.com