On her 35th birthday, Danielle sits down with content creator Alexandra Hayes for an intimate conversation about milestones, identity, ambition, friendship, and what it really means to become yourself. Together, they unpack the emotional baggage and pressure we carry around birthdays, and the quiet ways our priorities shift as we grow. In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why birthdays bring up both celebration and pressure
Alexandra’s complicated relationship with birthdays and her mantra: “A day is just a day”
How family dynamics and early disappointments shape how we experience milestones
Danielle’s childhood birthdays, family traditions, and when birthdays started getting harder
The pattern of unmet expectations ruining birthdays
How the “one word” birthday planning framework could change your celebration 
Learning to be a better friend by becoming the kind of friend you want to have
The idea that your gift and your curse are usually the same thing
The athlete metaphor for life: prepare, perform, recover—and realizing recovery was missing
How to be more protective of time, energy, and who gets access to your life
Letting go of forcing things and trusting that what’s meant for you won’t miss you
The power of other people’s belief in you 
Looking ahead: sovereignty, self-trust, alignment, ambition without self-abandonment, and what Danielle & Alexandra are stepping into next

Keep up with Alexandra here, listen to her podcast Hello Hayes, and read her Substackhere. 

On her 35th birthday, Danielle sits down with content creator Alexandra Hayes for an intimate conversation about milestones, identity, ambition, friendship, and what it really means to become yourself. Together, they unpack the emotional baggage and pressure we carry around birthdays, and the quiet ways our priorities shift as we grow. In this episode, you&rsquo;ll learn:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Why birthdays bring up both celebration and pressure</li>
<li aria-level="1">Alexandra&rsquo;s complicated relationship with birthdays and her mantra: &ldquo;A day is just a day&rdquo;</li>
<li aria-level="1">How family dynamics and early disappointments shape how we experience milestones</li>
<li aria-level="1">Danielle&rsquo;s childhood birthdays, family traditions, and when birthdays started getting harder</li>
<li aria-level="1">The pattern of unmet expectations ruining birthdays</li>
<li aria-level="1">How the &ldquo;one word&rdquo; birthday planning framework could change your celebration&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Learning to be a better friend by becoming the kind of friend you want to have</li>
<li aria-level="1">The idea that your gift and your curse are usually the same thing</li>
<li aria-level="1">The athlete metaphor for life: prepare, perform, recover&mdash;and realizing recovery was missing</li>
<li aria-level="1">How to be more protective of time, energy, and who gets access to your life</li>
<li aria-level="1">Letting go of forcing things and trusting that what&rsquo;s meant for you won&rsquo;t miss you</li>
<li aria-level="1">The power of other people&rsquo;s belief in you&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Looking ahead: sovereignty, self-trust, alignment, ambition without self-abandonment, and what Danielle &amp; Alexandra are stepping into next</li>
</ul>
Keep up with Alexandra <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexandrahayesrobinson/?hl=en">here</a>, listen to her podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3ASu2iCJp9WB2FnbwGNRpi?si=AOnNakfASFafTploG7AVOw&amp;utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=22aaadb88c464012">Hello Hayes</a>, and read her Substack <a href="https://substack.com/@alexandrahayesrobinson?r=1s18e4&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=ig&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio">here</a>.&nbsp;

Behind every headline is a person + a deeper story. Question Everything with journalist Danielle Robay cuts through social media buzz to uncover the voices, ideas, and cultural moments that shape how we see the world. Each week, she asks bold questions that challenge assumptions and reveal the nuance behind the narratives, inviting you to look closer at the world, and at yourself. Because there's always more to the story.
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Danielle is also the creator of the bestselling QUESTION EVERYTHING card game series, which has sparked connection and conversation in thousands of living rooms around the world. She's also the co-executive producer (alongside Reese Witherspoon) and host of Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. With her signature curiosity—dubbed "The Queen of Questions"—and a background in political science, Danielle brings both heart and rigor to every conversation. A Gloria Steinem Fellow and mentee of Larry King, she's carried forward a legacy of curiosity and connection, interviewing icons from Taylor Swift to Malala Yousafzai in more than 8,000 hours of elevated conversation.

QUESTION EVERYTHING

The Birthday Pressure We Don’t Talk About with Alexandra Hayes

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7614eabf-db0a-49d9-a638-b3d201102692/transcript