We Can Do Hard Things

405. Finally Democracy Fighting Back! | Jessica Yellin on Hope from SCOTUS & Harvard 

This week, Amanda is back with friend of the show, Webby Award Winning Journalist, Jessica Yellin, to break down what’s happening in America and why this week there are a few stories to feel good about. 

-The alarming deportation case making headlines and how the courts are pushing back

-Why Harvard’s refusal to comply could set a powerful precedent for free speech

-The surprising way Wall Street is turning on Trump and what it signals

-What’s really going on with Hegseth and why his unraveling matters

Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering Webby award-winning independent news brand -- dedicated to helping you manage your  “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent. You can follow her on Instagram at Jessica Yellin.

And also, to get real time, clear and brilliant reporting, go to substack.com and search for her page newsnotnoise and subscribe there.

404. It’s Not Too Late! How We Save the Planet with Dr. Ayana Johnson

Glennon, Abby and Amanda speak with Dr. Ayana Johnson, a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help improve our climate future. 

For more, check out Dr. Ayana Johnson’s podcast What If We Get It Right? on Apple or Spotify.

About Dr. Johnson: 

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She co-founded and leads Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. Ayana authored the book What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save, co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet, and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. She earned a BA in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project. Above all: Ayana is in love with climate solutions.

In this deeply personal conversation, Kelly Clarkson – beloved artist, truth teller, and goddamn cheetah – joins us to discuss: 

About Kelly: 

Kelly Clarkson is one of the most popular artists of this era with total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles. Her multi-Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” has been picked up for its 5th and 6th seasons. Additionally, she was the winning coach on seasons 14, 15, 17, and 21 of “The Voice” and returned as a coach for Season 23.

Kelly is the recipient of three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, one MTV Movie & TV Award, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Association Award. 

Kelly will release her highly anticipated tenth studio album, Chemistry on June 23rd. 

TW: @kellyclarkson

IG: @kellyclarkson

We can do hard things, and yet, sometimes we can try easier. Glennon, Abby, Amanda – and the Pod Squad! — share the strategies they’ve used to suffer less – giving us simple Life Hacks for relationships, home, tech, travel, and saving time.

403. Save Your Life By Letting Go (of Codependency) with Terri Cole 

Licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, Terri Cole, returns to talk more about high-functioning codependency—a term Terri coined to describe those who appear highly capable but feel deeply exhausted, resentful, and overwhelmed in relationships. In part two of our conversation, we will discuss recovery: where to start and what healing looks like.

-The biggest cost to being an active HFC and how to stop paying the price

-How to stop giving immediate yeses and what to do instead 

-The two reasons we actually gossip and what it reveals about what we need to work on 

-Over a dozen actionable tools to release being a High Functioning Codependent

Check out part one of our conversation, Are You A High Functioning Codependent? Find Out with Terri, here: Part 1

On Terri: Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist and global relationship and empowerment expert and the author of Boundary Boss and Too Much! She has a gift for making complex psychological concepts accessible and actionable so that clients –including parents, celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs – achieve sustainable change.  You can find her through her blog, courses, her podcast, The Terri Cole Show, and at terricole.com. 

Check out www.terricole.com/hfc for a special offering from Terri.

402. Are You A High Functioning Codependent? Find Out with Terri Cole.

Amanda, Glennon, and Abby are joined by licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, Terri Cole, to talk about high-functioning codependency—a term Terri coined to describe those who appear highly capable but feel deeply exhausted, resentful, and overwhelmed in relationships. In this episode, we’ll explore how being overly invested in others' outcomes can take a toll on your peace and relationships, and how to begin your healing journey. Be sure to tune in next episode for a deep dive into codependent recovery and how to navigate the process.

-Why the more capable you are, the less codependency looks like codependency

-Terri’s personal story about how she finally got into recovery for codependency

-The two questions you should ask yourself as a codependent before you say yes to anything

-The three quick practices you must do to protect your energy

On Terri: Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist and global relationship and empowerment expert and the author of Boundary Boss and Too Much! She has a gift for making complex psychological concepts accessible and actionable so that clients –including parents, celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs – achieve sustainable change.  You can find her through her blog, courses, her podcast, The Terri Cole Show, and at terricole.com. Check out www.terricole.com/hfc for a special offering from Terri just for the podsquad!

1. What to do when you’ve done everything you were supposed to do and ended up in a place you don’t want to be. 

2. Why the question “What do you want?” is terrifying – and how to start answering it authentically for yourself.

3. The power of imagining what does not yet exist in order to make space for new possibilities. 

4. The gift of a “midlife crisis”

5. What a mother’s job really is.

About Celeste:

Celeste Ng is the number one New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere. Her third novel, Our Missing Hearts, is available now. Ng is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, and her work has been published in over thirty languages.

TW: @pronounced_ing

IG: @pronounced_ing

Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins us to dive deep into: going to therapy with her 87-year-old mom, how to love adult kids well, the metaphor that got her through breast cancer, and why we should all be excited about getting older. 

About Julia: 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is one of Hollywood’s most influential, iconic actors and producers. She starred in and executive produced HBO’s hit series Veep, she was Elaine Benes in Seinfeld and Christine Campbell in The New Adventures of Old Christine. She has received 11 Emmys with 26 nominations; she broke records for the most Emmys won. She was recently honored with the White House’s National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists who advance the arts in the United States.  

On April 11, she released her new podcast, “Wiser Than Me,” a 10-part series of candid, witty conversations with women over 70. And her fantastic new film You Hurt My Feelings is being released in May.  

TW: @OfficialJLD

IG: @officialjld

401. What in the World is Happening with Your 401(k) & Tariffs?? | Jessica Yellin with What We Need to Know 

Amanda and Webby Award Winning journalist, Jessica Yellin, delve into the intricacies of Trump's recent tariff policies and their impact on the global economy.

-Why manufacturers are even less likely to open factories in America now than before 

-How tariffs will affect American business, the global space, the stock market and YOUR pocketbook 

-The resistance to Trump’s tariffs policies we’re starting to see in congress

-The reason this is considered the greatest self-inflicted wound on the American economy by any president in history. 

Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering Webby award-winning independent news brand -- dedicated to helping you manage your  “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent. You can follow her on Instagram at Jessica Yellin.

And also, to get real time, clear and brilliant reporting, go to substack.com and search for her page newsnotnoise and subscribe there.

400. Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson: Their Mother’s Last (Life-Changing) Advice 

Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, co-hosts of the new podcast In My Opinion (IMO), join Glennon and Abby for a heartfelt conversation about love, loss, and the wisdom their late mother, Marian Robinson, left behind. They open up about parenting in the spotlight, the courage to disappoint others, and the lessons that continue to shape their lives.

-The final words from Marian Robinson that changed everything

-Why Michelle is finally choosing herself—and how to break free from people-pleasing

-The biggest challenge facing kids today—and how parents can help

-The one piece of advice they want to pass on to their own children

Michelle Obama’s passion for storytelling has set sales records, garnered awards and accolades, and earned her global acclaim. Her memoir, Becoming, spent over 130 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list, sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. American Factory, the first film produced by her and her husband Barack Obama’s media company Higher Ground, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2020. Upon its release in 2020, The Michelle Obama Podcast was the most successful original in Spotify history, bringing in more women listeners over 40 than any other podcast. Through the Obama Foundation, she founded the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which supports adolescent girls' education and empowerment around the world. 

Craig Robinson: 

Craig Robinson is the Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and host of the Higher Ground podcast Ways To Win. From 2017-2020, he served as the vice president of Player Development and Minor League Operations for the NBA’s New York Knicks. Previously, he was a Division I head men’s basketball coach at Oregon State and Brown, and spent more than a decade working as a trader in the investment banking industry. He is the brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Together, they are the hosts of the new podcast IMO (In My Opinion) with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.

Check out our first episode with Michelle Obama here: https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/193-michelle-obama/id1564530722?i=1000606222468