We Can Do Hard Things

1. Why Cheryl chose Strayed as her last name – the only one not given to her by a man.  

2. How she ruined her life when her mom died, and how we can bear the unbearable.

3. Cheryl’s greatest lesson from her 3-month hike of the PCT, and her mom’s advice she uses everyday. 

4. How to make peace with our ITS – “inner terrible someone” – who lives in each of us. 

5. Why and how Cheryl is now exploring: “Can I be happy if my kids aren’t?”

About Cheryl:

Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, as well as the bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things, Brave Enough, and Torch. 

Wild was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. 

Tiny Beautiful Things is currently being adapted for a TV show for Hulu and will star Kathryn Hahn. 

In addition to writing her widely acclaimed essays, stories and scripts, Strayed has hosted two hit podcasts for the New York Times — Sugar Calling and Dear Sugars, which she co-hosted with Steve Almond. 

She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Brian Lindstrom and their two teenagers.

TW: @CherylStrayed

IG: @cherylstrayed

1. The question Carson’s sister asked that made him radically reimagine his life.  

2. Why Carson is having the best sex of his life.

3. How Carson received sign-off from his Mormon Bishop for his first queer date.  

4. The accident that left Carson paralyzed from the chest down at 23.

5. How ableism hurts us all.  

About Carson: 

Carson Tueller is a coach, speaker and activist whose work provides people with the tools they need to live authentic, fulfilling, and powerful lives. He identifies as queer and disabled. Carson grew up as a Mormon in a military family moving around a lot before settling in Utah. His own journey into powerful living began in 2013 when, in the same year, he came out, and was then injured in an accident that paralyzed him from the chest down. Since then, Carson has brought his work to international nonprofits and presidential campaigns – and when he isn’t coaching or speaking, Carson can be found at the gym, reading non-fiction, or playing Pokemon with his niece and nephews.

TW: @carson_tueller

IG: @carson_tueller

#disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth

1. Glennon, Abby, and Amanda share the most mortifying moments of their lives.

2. Pod Squaders’ hilarious voicemail confessions, which had Glennon, Abby, and Amanda cry-laughing in solidarity. 

3. Our new go-to strategy when humiliated (it involves prosthetic penises).

4. We test our hypothesis that sharing our most embarrassing experiences makes us feel less alone.

Chelsea Handler comes to We Can Do Hard Things to talk for the first time about her breakup with Jo Koy, her definition of real love, and her commitment to never abandon herself. 

About Chelsea:

Chelsea Handler is a comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate whose humor and candor have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. She was the host of E!’s top-rated “Chelsea Lately”, a tenure in which Handler was the only female late-night talk show host on-air. Her documentary series “Chelsea Does” was followed by her talk show “Chelsea” on Netflix in 2016. 

She has penned six best-selling books, five of which have reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, including 2019’s Life Will Be the Death of Me. In 2020, she released her first stand-up special in over 6 years, the critically acclaimed “Chelsea Handler: Evolution” on HBO Max, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. 

Most recently, she launched her iHeart Radio advice podcast “Dear Chelsea” and embarked on the “Vaccinated and Horny” Tour, bringing her sensational stand-up set to 40+ cities across the nation and winning “The Comedy Act of 2021” at the People’s Choice Awards.

TW: @chelseahandler

IG: @chelseahandler

1. How to make the first friendship move – and how to move on from a friendship with kindness and clarity. 

2. The advice Reese passes down to her kids about the three types of people you meet in life. 

3. Reese’s Hollywood experience as a young woman – and the solidarity she found in the Time’s Up movement.

4. How Elle Woods – in all her iconic glory – hilariously showed up while Reese was on real-life jury duty. 

5. Where Reese, Abby, and Glennon come down on Glennon’s take that most women feel they are either too much or not enough. 

About Reese

Reese Witherspoon, is an award-winning actress, entrepreneur, producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She won an Academy Award® for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line and was later nominated in that same category for Wild in 2014, which she also produced. Witherspoon also starred in beloved films Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde, and Election, as well as award-winning television series’ “Big Little Lies,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” and “The Morning Show.” Other film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, Universal Pictures’ animated musical comedy Sing and Sing 2. In addition to her acting and producer roles, Witherspoon is an author and entrepreneur. In 2016, she established Hello Sunshine, a media brand and content company dedicated to female authorship and storytelling across all platforms. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club and Reese’s YA Book Club, which focuses on storytelling with women at the center. Witherspoon recently sold Hello Sunshine to Blackstone in September 2021. Now Hello Sunshine is the cornerstone of a larger media company called Candle Media. Witherspoon is an advocate and activist for women’s issues across the globe.

TW: @ReeseW

IG: @reesewitherspoon

1. How horrifying advice from a therapist led Glennon to end things with Abby–and how they reconnected.

2. The moments from past episodes that changed us–including Amanda’s new strategy to prevent her anxiety from creating relationship problems.

3. How we decide what to share publicly and what not to–and why we think the dichotomy of “sacred things” versus “private things” is dangerous.                

4. Simple guidance to a man who asks how to stand in the fight for women’s rights, a question from 68-year-old Donna that we can’t stop thinking about, and the story of Tish’s We Can Do Hard Things song.

Over 15,000 Pod Squaders joined live to celebrate One Year of the Pod and discuss:

1. Why Amanda started taking meds, Glennon keeps taking meds–and why Abby might consider taking meds :)

2. The brilliant preemptive post mortem strategy to help you emotionally recover from any gathering. 

3. Your frequently asked question of Abby: How she tracked down her first love connection at the Macaroni Grill.

4. The pie chart of showing up–and why it’s rarely ever 100%. 

5. Glennon shares her first steps up from the “landing” of her eating disorder relapse. 

CW // eating disorders discussion

1. The moment Natalie called Abby to invite her to be part of Angel City FC–the first majority, women-owned soccer franchise.

2. How to stop people-pleasing and learn to recognize a full body YES from inside of you.

3. Why and how Natalie shows up for big projects before she’s ready or qualified. (Dude Moves).

4. The best advice Natalie’s ever received–and why women should “Gossip Well.”

5. How Natalie counters gender expectations by over practicing empathy with her son and decisiveness with her daughter.

6. What Natalie says when a man suggests a woman is “crazy” or “difficult.”

About Natalie:

Natalie Portman is an Academy award-winning actress (BLACK SWAN), director, author, and activist. In Summer 2022, Portman will be hitting the big screen, returning to the Marvel universe as ‘Jane Foster’ in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER.

Previously Natalie appeared in Pablo Larraín’s film, JACKIE, in which she starred as First Lady Jacqueline F. Kennedy. For the role, Portman was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and won the Critics’ Choice Award. She wrote, directed, produced, and starred in A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS, which made its world premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and its North American premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Other past film credits include Noah Hawley’s LUCY IN THE SKY, Brady Corbet’s VOX LUX, and Alex Garland’s highly anticipated second feature, ANNIHILATION.

Natalie and her producing partner Sophie Mas recently inked a first-look TV deal with Apple TV+ for their production company MounatainA. Through this deal, they are producing the Apple Original limited series LADY IN THE LAKE, which will be Natalie’s TV acting debut. Natalie’s other past production credits include the documentary EATING ANIMALS, which she executive produced and narrated. The film examines mankind’s dietary choices and is based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s memoir.

In addition to her film work, Portman devotes her time to several humanitarian causes, with an emphasis on supporting women and girls. She is also a founder of National Women’s Soccer League team Angel City Football Club.

In Fall 2020, Portman released her debut picture book, NATALIE PORTMAN’S FABLES, which is a New York Times’ Bestseller.

Portman is a Harvard graduate with a degree in psychology and studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

IG: @natalieportman

1. Practical tips for guiding friends and family through your grief–and the permission slips to give yourself.

2. Why there is no such thing as grief etiquette–and how it’s less about what you say and more about what you do.

3. What it finally took for Marisa to surrender to the fact that she was not in control of her love or her grief. 

4. How to integrate love and grief in order to find joy again after loss–and how, 12 years after her mother’s death, Marisa includes her mom in her son’s life.

5. The life-changing perspective shift that Marisa gained from a conversation with Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton.

About Marisa:

Marisa Renee Lee is a called upon grief advocate, entrepreneur, and author of the upcoming book “Grief is Love.”

Deemed “the friend we all wish we had in times of need,” by Elaine Welteroth, Marisa is able to utilize research-based advice and wisdom to help others navigate the complicated and challenging emotions we face when experiencing loss, offering unique insights for women and Black communities.

She is no stranger to grief herself. In 2008, after a lengthy battle, she lost her mother to cancer. Shortly after, she lost her fertility, a pregnancy, and most recently, a cousin to the COVID-19 pandemic. These losses transformed her life and led her to question what healing truly requires outside the limited roadmap often handed to us by societal expectations. In the end, Marisa found that if we can own and honor what we've lost, we can have a beautiful and joyful life amid grief.

In addition to her work in the grief space, Lee is a former appointee in the Obama White House and CEO of Beacon Advisors, a mission-driven consulting firm primarily focused on racial equity. She is a rabble-rouser of social healing: former managing director of My Brother's Keeper Alliance; co-founder of the digital platform Supportal; and founder of The Pink Agenda, a national organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer care, research, and awareness.

Lee also regularly contributes to Glamour, Vogue, MSNBC, and CNN and serves as an expert for Ritual's wellbeing app. She is a Harvard graduate and an avid home cook. Marisa lives in the Washington DC area with her husband Matt, their newborn son Bennett, and their dog, Sadie.

TW: @MarisaReneeLee

IG: @marisareneelee

1. Sam’s life-changing strategies for (reluctantly) interacting with humans.

2. How we use humor to hide the lava of rage churning beneath our surface.

3. Sam’s friendship theory and why she doesn’t need a deep soul connection with every “lowercase f friend.”

4. Sam’s embrace of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)–and why she genuinely believes no one else is having a better time (except maybe Abby).

5. The behind-the-scenes story of the “Fat Babe Pool Party” Shrill show–and why that episode was one of the most important things she’s ever written.

About Samantha:

Samantha Irby writes the "Bitches Gotta Eat" blog, and is the author of WOW, NO THANK YOU; WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE; and MEATY. She has been a writer and/or co-producer for TV shows including And Just Like That, Work in Progress, Shrill, and Tuca & Bertie.

IG: @bitchesgottaeat