Hoda Kotb Explains Why She Left The Today Show And Became An Entrepreneur

Key Concepts

• Joy 101: A new venture focused on providing motivation, inspiration, meditation, and breath work resources.
• Breath work: A transformative practice involving specific breathing techniques to achieve clarity and energy.
• Begin Again Era: Embracing new learning and experiences in one's 60s.
• Leading from the back of the boat vs. Direct Communication: Shifting from a purely supportive role to one that includes direct and sometimes difficult conversations.
• Hiring based on enthusiasm and love: Prioritizing passion and personal connections in the hiring process.
• Good Enough Life vs. Aiming Higher: Challenging the notion of settling for a "good enough" life and encouraging the pursuit of more.
• Thoughts Become Things: The idea that positive thinking can manifest positive outcomes.
• Life as a Series of Waves: Understanding that life has ups and downs, and the importance of paddling back after a wave crashes.
• Fixing Your Gaze: Choosing what to focus on and how to interpret events to find joy.
• Present Moment Awareness: Slowing down and being more engaged in everyday experiences.

Leaving the Today Show and Finding Joy 101

• Hoda Kotb discusses her decision to leave the Today Show and start a new venture called Joy 101.
• She compares it to leaving something you love and finding something you love again, like falling in love after an ex.
• Kotb felt a sense of "meh" in her 50s despite doing all the "right" things (running, eating healthy).
• Jenna Bush Hager suggested breath work, which Kotb initially dismissed but then found transformative.
• Breath work led to instant clarity, energy, and a feeling of being "on fire."
• Kotb started exploring other practices like meditation and attending the Hoffman Institute.
• She created Joy 101 because she couldn't find a single online resource for motivation, inspiration, meditation, and breath work.
• The goal is to create retreats, a great app, and a community to help people feel better and reconnect with the joy of childhood.
• Kotb feels called to this venture due to the overwhelming noise and information in the world, making it difficult to find quiet and clarity.
• She emphasizes the need to filter information and create space for oneself to think and prioritize.
• Kotb meditates for 20 minutes every morning to settle her body, generate ideas, and gain clarity.
• Her brother, a medical resident, also meditates daily to cope with the demands of his job.

Entrepreneurial Learnings

• Kotb describes herself as a "beginner all over again" in her 60s, embracing a "begin again era."
• She acknowledges that while she's a natural cheerleader, being an entrepreneur requires having meaningful, straightforward, and sometimes painful conversations.
• Emma Greed, an entrepreneur on Joy 101's board, advised spending 25% of each day on hiring.
• Kotb prioritizes unbridled enthusiasm in hiring, valuing a "can-do" attitude over degrees.
• She emphasizes hiring based on love, bringing in her sister, best friend, and their connections.
• Kotb insists on a company culture based on love, not fear, allowing for carefulness and smart decision-making but rejecting fear-based thinking.

Overcoming the "Good Enough" Life

• Kotb discusses a concept from her book about the feeling that wanting more is greedy if things aren't terrible.
• She shares her personal experience of suppressing her desire to have children in her late 40s, feeling it was selfish.
• A conversation with a friend and seeing Sandra Bullock adopt a child inspired her to pursue adoption.
• She describes a pivotal moment when she received a text about her adoption process, writing down the exact time as a moment of transformation.
• Kotb emphasizes that asking for more (in her case, children) wasn't greedy but an expansion of her capacity to love.
• She encourages listeners to recognize their worth and not settle for a "good enough" life, stating that they are entitled to and worthy of more.
• She references Susie Welch's idea that a "B+ life" is dangerous because it prevents people from striving for an "A life."

Confidence and Change

• Kotb believes confidence is key to trusting that a change is the right one, at least for now.
• She emphasizes the power of positive thinking, stating "thoughts become things."
• She shares an anecdote about falling off a bike as a child, illustrating how negative thoughts can manifest.
• Confidence comes from getting back up after setbacks.
• Leaving the Today Show required all the confidence she had.
• She realized she was at the "top of the wave" at the Today Show and felt a calming gut feeling that it was time for a change.
• She uses the metaphor of life as a series of waves, where one must paddle back out after a wave crashes to catch another one.
• She advises recognizing when you're past the crest of a wave and embracing the excitement of starting something new.

Finding Joy and Fixing Your Gaze

• Kotb acknowledges that staying on a wave is also a valid choice for some people.
• She emphasizes that life is where you fix your gaze, referencing Shirley Ralph's story of focusing on Robert De Niro's compliment rather than his discouraging words.
• She highlights the importance of choosing what to focus on and how to interpret events to find joy.
• She gravitates towards optimistic people who are changing the world.

Success and Present Moment Awareness

• Kotb reflects on how her definition of success has changed from ratings and audience size to happiness and presence.
• Success now means a steady, thriving company, but also being present for her children's everyday moments.
• She shares a touching conversation with her daughter Hope about having Type 1 diabetes, highlighting the importance of slowing down and being present for such moments.
• Hope's analogy of climbing a tree and then needing to find a different tree reinforced Kotb's decision to leave the Today Show.
• Kotb concludes that success for Joy 101 will be when people are using it and feeling better. Success for her is happiness, a steady company, and being present in her children's lives.

Conclusion

Hoda Kotb's interview reveals a journey of self-discovery, entrepreneurial spirit, and a redefined understanding of success. From leaving a coveted position at the Today Show to launching Joy 101, she emphasizes the importance of embracing change, prioritizing joy, and being present in the moment. Her insights on hiring, overcoming limiting beliefs, and the power of positive thinking offer actionable advice for anyone seeking a more fulfilling life. The core message is to challenge the notion of settling for "good enough," to recognize one's worth, and to actively cultivate joy by choosing where to fix one's gaze.