We Can Do Hard Things

Hannah Gadsby joins for a conversation about neurodivergence, relationships, and shame. Gadsby describes how a later-in-life autism diagnosis reshaped the way they understand themself — a process they call an "exfoliation of shame." The episode digs into why neurodivergent and neurotypical people can experience the same interaction so differently, and why an ordinary "casual" conversation can feel like a marathon for someone who is masking. Gadsby also makes the case for not taking other people's differences personally, and explains what changed when they gave up self-deprecating humor and stopped apologizing for who they are. (This is a best-of re-air.)

Conflict resolution expert Priya Parker joins Glennon Doyle to discuss why avoiding conflict can be more damaging than fighting. She explains the difference between unhealthy peace and the healthy heat that deepens relationships, and she offers a framework for deciding when to confront, when to let go, and when to walk away. One key rule—name the behavior, not the person—makes difficult conversations easier to hear. The conversation draws on Parker's new book, *The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict*.

In this Best Of episode, science journalist Florence Williams explains the physical toll of heartbreak on the body and mind, discussing how loneliness can make us sick, the healing power of awe and nature, and practical ways to reconnect with life after loss.

A tribute episode revisiting the wisdom of feminist icon Gloria Steinem. She reflects on a core lesson of her life: that individuals are not inherently broken but are wounded by systems of oppression. Steinem shares her philosophy on leadership grounded in truth-telling, community, finding humor in struggle, and the collective work of liberation.

Glennon, Abby, and Amanda talk about the exhausting mental chatter that keeps so many people anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from their lives. Glennon shares the shift that helped her stop trusting every thought she had and find a steadier place beneath the noise. The conversation also covers grounding practices, refusing imagined obligations from strangers, and a relationship rule Glennon and Abby created during their wedding week. The episode is framed as a resource for anyone living inside their head.

In this tribute episode, the hosts remember Dolly Parton and replay their conversation with her from a previous episode. Dolly shares her enduring wisdom on trusting your own instincts even when it breaks your heart, starting over at any age, extending mothering love to the world, and embracing a life of many colors. Her humor, generosity, and unwavering commitment to being herself shine through every story and lesson. The episode serves as a celebration of Dolly’s legacy and a reminder to be more ourselves on purpose.

Sara Bareilles joins the hosts to discuss her new album and documentary Good Grief. She shares how infertility, loss, and grief became the creative wellspring for the project, reframing grief as love that has everywhere to go. They explore why avoiding pain backfires, the art of 'worshiping your weather' instead of fearing feelings, and what it means to trust that life will hold you. This conversation weaves music, mental health, and the terrifying practice of telling the truth.

As another school year begins, many of us are wondering if we're doing enough to prepare our kids for the world. But maybe the most important thing we can give them isn't in a backpack. Maybe it's our willingness to have the conversations we're most afraid of. Sonya Renee Taylor reminds us that our kids don't need perfect answers—they need honest, trustworthy adults who are willing to tell the truth, stay curious, and keep learning alongside them. Because our job isn't to protect our children from reality. It's to help them meet reality without losing themselves.

Amanda traces the constructed history of the gender binary—through property, inheritance, religion, and science—to show how what we call 'natural' was deliberately built. ALOK joins to explore the beauty, weirdness, and possibility that open up when we stop mistaking those rules for reality, and to argue that the attacks on trans people are really an attack on everyone's freedom to invent their own life.

Financial educator Tori Dunlap joins to unpack the stories we inherit about money and how they quietly shape our choices. The conversation examines why women especially are taught to feel shame about money, and how to replace that shame with agency. Tori reframes financial freedom not as wealth for its own sake but as choices, safety, and the ability to care for yourself and the people you love. The episode offers simple first steps for building a healthier relationship with money. It is a practical, compassionate entry point for anyone whose money anxiety is really about something deeper.

Glennon Doyle talks with sleep experts Leah Corkum and Marlee Boyle about her own struggle with chronic insomnia and how they helped her recover. They explain that insomnia is a treatable sleep disorder, not a personal failure, and why trying harder to sleep often makes it worse. The conversation covers the essential role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and the four specific strategies that finally improved Glennon's sleep cycles.

Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle explore the struggle to relax and reconnect with life beneath the endless to-do list. They discuss how over-functioning and perfectionism numb us to joy and play, and why life cannot wait for everything to be done. The conversation offers practical perspectives on reclaiming moments of aliveness and human connection.

Kerry Washington shares the deeply personal story of discovering a long‑held family secret and how it reshaped her identity and self‑trust. The conversation explores the hidden costs of family secrets, the difference between protection and deception, and why telling the truth can be the deepest act of love. Washington reflects on how living with unknown truths can warp one’s sense of self, and how reclaiming her story ultimately set her free.

Relationship expert Dr. Alexandra Solomon unpacks the 'Changer' and 'Accepter' dynamic that fuels recurring conflicts in nearly every partnership. She explains how our biggest fights about chores or phones are really about childhood wounds, fear of abandonment, and a longing to be seen and loved. Solomon offers practical insights on balancing the desire for growth with radical acceptance and shares tools for breaking reactive cycles. This best-of episode distills key concepts from her Relational Self-Awareness framework and her books on love and intimacy.

A Best Of episode celebrating 'beige flags'—the quirky, harmless personal habits that aren't quite red or green flags. Hosts Glennon, Abby, and Amanda share their own wonderfully weird behaviors, react to listener submissions, and explore why these idiosyncrasies are what make people lovable rather than concerning. The conversation embraces that nobody is normal and that's the whole point.

Samantha Irby, writer and author of MEATY and WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE, joins the show to discuss how humor becomes a survival mechanism during absurd times. She shares her philosophy of getting through life in five-minute increments, why laughter often masks deeper emotion, and practical strategies for navigating friendships and chaos with wisdom and wit.

Amanda Doyle traces the shocking history of abortion in America, from witch hunts to medical monopolies to the political strategy that turned it into a partisan weapon. Journalist and activist Jessica Valenti then joins to expose what extremists are doing now, why these attacks were never really about abortion, and how the vast majority of Americans actually support reproductive rights. The conversation offers a clear-eyed look at the current threats—including to contraception and IVF—and argues that hope itself is a strategic response when backed by action. Valenti also shares practical ways to support local abortion funds and protect your community.

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, discusses how following curiosity and joy shaped her unexpected life and career. The episode covers quieting the inner critic, the role of fun in decision-making, hosting wisdom, and the foundation of her long marriage. Includes a memorable story of Abby Wambach playing beer pong with Ina at a Taylor Swift party.

The hosts explore life's major transitions—empty nesting, midlife reinvention, and relationship redefinition. They discuss the grief and freedom of letting go of old roles, the opportunity midlife presents for reinvention, navigating blended family dynamics, and challenging arbitrary rules. A caller named Sexy Sue sparks conversation about dating, DTR conversations, and what relationships need.

Astrologer Chani Nicholas explores how childhood survival strategies shape adult relationships and emotional patterns. The conversation examines dysregulation, boundaries, healing, and the liberating insight that traumatic events weren't personal reflections of your worth. Nicholas draws on 20+ years of counseling astrology to show how understanding your birth chart can reveal relationship patterns and support radical self-acceptance.

World Cup champions Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy join the Pod Squad to demystify soccer and the World Cup. They break down the rules everyone pretends to understand (offside, cards, flopping), explain why the World Cup is the biggest sporting event on Earth, discuss how US men's success benefits the women's team, and play a game testing the hosts' FIFA knowledge.

In this tender and funny conversation, the three co-hosts reflect on the deep bond they share with their pets, exploring the idea that animals offer the closest thing to unconditional love. Amanda shares how her dog Séamus disrupted her rigid, spreadsheet-driven life, Glennon describes how only her beloved dogs Honey and Hattie truly understand her, and Abby confesses that a hamster named Biscuit somehow breached all her defenses and wormed into her heart. They discuss how, when the world feels overwhelming, the steady presence of a pet can anchor us back to ourselves and remind us we are still capable of love.

Amanda sits down with Tennessee state legislator Justin J. Pearson to trace how attacks on Black political power have long served elite minority rule. They discuss the history from Reconstruction to modern gerrymandering, why the Voting Rights Act became a target, and why multiracial coalitions terrify those in power. Pearson shares what he’s witnessing on the ground in Tennessee, his community organizing roots—including the successful fight to stop the Byhalia Pipeline—and offers concrete steps ordinary people can take to build power and protect democracy.

Glennon Doyle explores the "Sort Your Mail" strategy for processing criticism without being silenced by it. She distinguishes between feedback that helps you grow and noise designed to shut you down, examines why criticism feels so threatening, and addresses the specific ways women face criticism for speaking up.

Kaitlin Curtice, an enrolled Potawatomi citizen and author of Living Resistance, explores how trauma and colonization disconnect us from our bodies and Earth. She offers practical Indigenous-rooted practices for reconnection: checking in with your younger self, talking to houseplants, grounding through presence, and resisting the productivity-obsessed culture that keeps us stuck in our heads. The episode weaves together decolonization, embodiment, and everyday resistance as paths to wholeness.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, a licensed therapist and author of two New York Times bestsellers, reframes boundaries not as walls but as instructions for loving without disappearing. The conversation explores how burnout often signals a boundary that hasn't been spoken, addresses the false shame around being "needy," and offers practical tools for communicating needs clearly, ending arguments constructively, and recognizing when to exit relationships. This is essential listening for anyone exhausted by overfunctioning or people-pleasing.

Esther Perel explores how collective stress and trauma seep into intimate relationships, draining them of aliveness and desire. She explains why resentment grows when life becomes all duty and efficiency, how to distinguish exhaustion from actual brokenness, and why staying connected requires understanding that your partner cannot be your entire emotional village.

The hosts dive into the emotions we work hardest to avoid, why we often mask deeper feelings with anger, and how a 90-second wave of sensation can turn into hours of anxiety when we overthink. They examine why comparison leaves us feeling like failures and explore relationship patterns—like the chooser versus follower dynamic—that shape how we show up with loved ones. The conversation is a guide to stopping the mental spin and reconnecting with yourself.

Glennon Doyle sits down with her son Chase and his hero, poet and novelist Ocean Vuong, to explore motherhood as a force beyond the traditional role—one that works through art, connection, and people who truly see our children. The conversation weaves together reflections on raising boys, surviving trauma, grief as a gateway to deeper humanity, and the quiet recognition that parenting is never a solitary act. Ocean shares insights from his own experience of loss, while the three explore how mentorship and witnessing reshape what it means to mother and be mothered.

Amanda Doyle talks with democracy advocate Jon Golinger about a mysterious $400 million White House ballroom project that appears to be a front for a massive underground bunker. Jon reveals that the project is funded entirely by anonymous corporate donors, bypassing public oversight and transparency. He explains how the secrecy around the construction and the absence of competitive bidding or donor disclosure leave the public in the dark about what their government is actually building. The conversation illuminates how hidden funding can shape government decisions and why the loss of oversight matters for democratic accountability.

Poet and essayist Ross Gay explores joy not as escapism but as evidence of connection and presence in the world. The conversation centers on rebuilding your capacity for delight, the power of witnessing others' joy, and the daily practices that anchor us in aliveness and community. Gay's work moves beyond gratitude into active, radical joy—a way back into the world rather than away from it.

Amanda Ripley and Glennon Doyle reflect on winning a Webby Award and what it means to use their voice responsibly. They discuss why building Treat Media independently has changed what they can say and how, the risks and gains of leaving traditional media infrastructure, and the deeper question of accountability — why those in power aren't doing the jobs they were elected to do. The episode is about freedom, what happens when you stop playing along, and the real cost of truth-telling.

Amanda is joined by Congressman Ro Khanna for a no-spin, call-it-like-it-is conversation about the dumpster fire of Trump and Congress. We already know who Trump is. The more urgent question is—why is Congress too cowardly to do its job to stop him? Amanda and Rep.

Today we’re sharing our electric conversation with Jane Fonda. This one feels especially right for this moment—because so many of us are asking the same questions Jane has been answering with her life: How do we keep aging without disappearing?

The world is on fire—but we still have each other. This week, Glennon, Abby, and Amanda step away from the overwhelm to talk about what actually holds us: love, family, friendship, and truth.

Pod Squad, we’ve been doing a lot of hard things—so today, in the midst of all of it, we’re offering a little comic relief to keep us laughing, keep us dancing, keep us going.

It's birthday month for Glennon and Amanda, and if you’ve ever had a birthday that made you want to crawl into bed and also throw a parade and also cry in the shower and also text every person you’ve ever loved like: ARE WE OKAY?—welcome. You are among your people.

We’re told this is about bad guys, nuclear threats, and national security. History—and this moment—tell a different story.

In this deeply moving — and one of our all-time favorite — conversations, we take a beautiful, funny, honest dive inside the “wonderful, dangerous” mind of Tracee Ellis Ross.

Meggan Watterson joins Glennon and Abby for an urgent, unfiltered conversation about how to stay human in infuriating times.

This is one of the bravest, most life-changing conversations we’ve ever had on this podcast. In this unforgettable episode, beloved poet and activist Andrea Gibson joins us to share news they had just received: that their cancer was incurable.

Megan Falley takes over the mic to interview Glennon, Abby, and Sara Bareilles about Come See Me In the Good Light—their Oscar-nominated documentary honoring poet Andrea Gibson and the last year Meg and Andrea spent together.

At this moment, as the Epstein horrors are being revealed and many survivors are carrying fresh grief and reopened wounds, we wanted to return to one of the most grounding conversations we’ve ever shared.

Do not miss the first part of Amanda’s Epstein files conversation. To listen, click here: THE EPSTEIN FILES, EXPLAINED: Everything You Need to Know.

In this special episode of You’re Not Gonna Believe This B******t, Amanda lays out decades of the history, facts, and reporting of the Epstein case—clearly, chronologically, and in one place. This is not about conspiracy theories or salacious details.

What really happened at Girls Just Wanna Weekend? (Short answer: joy, gyrations, no restraint.) Glennon and Abby take you inside Brandi Carlile’s Mexico gathering—a wildly safe, queer weekend beaming with music, connection, and collective joy.

Everything is chaotic and overwhelming. The news is relentless. So we did the only thing that felt honest: we showed up, unprepared, and talked about how we’re actually feeling–and what helps us stay engaged, grounded, and human in this moment.

In this special, urgent, must-listen conversation, Brittany Packnett Cunningham helps us understand what’s happening in Minnesota right now—and why it’s not an isolated moment.

By the end of January, most of us have realized the truth: our resolutions didn’t fail—we just never needed them. Instead of trying to fix ourselves (again), this conversation invites us to do something braver: get curious about who we already are underneath all the shoulds.

Amanda’s first You’re Not Gonna Believe This B.S. show is here: The myths and truth of BILLIONAIRES!

What happens when your mind makes a convincing case for staying safe—but your body is quietly asking you to move toward something warmer?

We start the year by asking a simple question: Why does something that’s supposed to be fun—like youth sports—feel so awful?

We’re starting 2026 with a quick hello and a warm welcome to our YouTube listeners. This brief episode explains a small but intentional shift in how we’re sharing the show. We’re re-routing back to audio-only to stay aligned with what feels best for us. If you’re joining us from YouTube, thank you.

Glennon sits down with artist and healer Eset Rose for a grounding, soul-stirring conversation – live from the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts – about what it really means to stop abandoning ourselves.

Please be sure to listen to Part 1 of our conversation with Sonya Renee Taylor: ⁠Astrology for Skeptics: Sonya Renee Taylor Reads Our Charts ⁠ In the second part of our soul-shifting conversation, Sonya Renee Taylor returns to read Amanda’s astrological chart and shed more truth and wisdom on why we

The radiant and revolutionary Sonya Renee Taylor joins us to dive deep into astrology, in a conversation that will leave you feeling empowered, braver, and wiser.

Ashley C. Ford returns to the pod today for a deeply personal, raw, and revelatory conversation about how we can love the world, our people, and ourselves through this trying moment.

The legendary, hilarious, and ferociously tender Rosie O’Donnell is here for an unfiltered conversation about how to survive the world while feeling it all.

How do we ever know what is enough – or feel like enough – in a world that pushes us to incessantly perform, perfect, collect, and earn?

Who is your Inner Child, and what are they (still) saying? It’s amazing how strongly our little selves show up in our adult lives.

Did you know that gospels of women leaders were in the Bible — and then in the Fourth Century, they were literally torn out of all Bibles and destroyed??? Except a few of them were buried and discovered a thousand years later.

Pod Squad: It’s just us this episode. Glennon, Abby, and Amanda are snuggling up on the metaphorical couch to answer your questions and spiral together about: – Is writing about yourself self-indulgent? – Is camping a vacation or a trip?

At last, the brilliant force of nature, Cynthia Erivo, joins us for a deeply personal, mind-blowing, and heart-swelling conversation about dignity and belonging.

We made a movie. You can watch it now. Our first film – COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT– is now available for you to watch on Apple TV starting this Friday, November 14.

Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom – MacArthur Genius award winner and brilliant chronicler of our times – unmasks the American stories that got us to this place—and explains, with amazing precision and clarity, how we can imagine our way out.

In this delightful, hilarious, and deeply honest conversation, our friends (and neighbors!) Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney tell us: - What really happened the night the Jimmy Kimmel Live show was suspended, - How they told their kids, - How they loved each other through the crisis; - How we can st

Psychologist Lindsay C. Gibson discusses her bestselling framework for understanding and coping with emotionally immature parents, partners, and in-laws — people who cannot handle emotional complexity.

Elizabeth Gilbert opens up about the loss of her partner Rayya Elias to cancer, how grief transformed her understanding of love, and how she found the courage to live and create again.

Brene Brown and Glennon discuss how to raise children who are resilient, empathetic, and shame-resistant — parenting strategies that build connection rather than compliance.

Martha Beck joins Glennon and Abby to discuss the concept of integrity as alignment between who you are and how you live — and why most people are living out of integrity without realizing it.

Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab teaches Glennon, Abby, and Amanda how to create drama-free relationships through clear boundaries — why boundaries are acts of love, not selfishness.