Jeannie Mai, host, style icon, mother, and one of the most recognizable voices in daytime television, opens up about her early Bay Area life that shaped her long before the spotlight. From leaving home at 14 and surviving sexual abuse, to learning how to reinvent, and soften without losing her edge, Jeannie reflects on the cost of becoming who the world sees + the courage it took to become who she actually is. Now in a new chapter she calls 'becoming', Jeannie talks honestly about divorce from her former husband Jeezy, motherhood, co-parenting, faith, healing, and what it really means to rise from the ashes. In this episode, Jeannie shares:
What she learned from navigating instability at a young age, and how it influenced her approach to love and healing
The community of women that rallied around her during her toughest moment.
How survival skills can quietly become limitations in adulthood
The difference between intensity vs. intimacy (and how chaos can masquerade as love)
How to recognize when you’re performing love instead of living it
Why being single can be “the most prized piece of land you’ll ever inherit”
Why divorce feels like “experiencing death alive”
Why the end of love often marks the beginning of real self-work
What “doing the work” actually looks like after divorce
Why healing requires time alone, but not isolation
The role of movement, strength, and progress in healing
Why not taking things personally is an emotional superpower
Jeannie opens up about the labels people love to slap on women (“divorced,” “single,” “46,” “mom”) + why they’ll never tell the full story
Why children don’t exist to heal us, but often reflect us
The tearful moment her daughter mirrored back words Jeannie had only ever prayed silently
How she loves to show up + surprise her friends
How to redefine healthy love without closing yourself off
How faith evolves when you stop asking and start listening

Follow Jeannie on Instagram @thejeanniemai and on her YouTube. 

Book recommendation: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Jeannie Mai, host, style icon, mother, and one of the most recognizable voices in daytime television, opens up about her early Bay Area life that shaped her long before the spotlight. From leaving home at 14 and surviving sexual abuse, to learning how to reinvent, and soften without losing her edge, Jeannie reflects on the cost of becoming who the world sees + the courage it took to become who she actually is. Now in a new chapter she calls 'becoming', Jeannie talks honestly about divorce from her former husband Jeezy, motherhood, co-parenting, faith, healing, and what it really means to rise from the ashes. In this episode, Jeannie shares:
<ul>
<li>What she learned from navigating instability at a young age, and how it influenced her approach to love and healing</li>
<li>The community of women that rallied around her during her toughest moment.</li>
<li>How survival skills can quietly become limitations in adulthood</li>
<li>The difference between intensity vs. intimacy (and how chaos can masquerade as love)</li>
<li>How to recognize when you&rsquo;re performing love instead of living it</li>
<li>Why being single can be &ldquo;the most prized piece of land you&rsquo;ll ever inherit&rdquo;</li>
<li>Why divorce feels like &ldquo;experiencing death alive&rdquo;</li>
<li>Why the end of love often marks the beginning of real self-work</li>
<li>What &ldquo;doing the work&rdquo; actually looks like after divorce</li>
<li>Why healing requires time alone, but not isolation</li>
<li>The role of movement, strength, and progress in healing Why not taking things personally is an emotional superpower</li>
<li>Jeannie opens up about the labels people love to slap on women (&ldquo;divorced,&rdquo; &ldquo;single,&rdquo; &ldquo;46,&rdquo; &ldquo;mom&rdquo;) + why they&rsquo;ll never tell the full story</li>
<li>Why children don&rsquo;t exist to heal us, but often reflect us</li>
<li>The tearful moment her daughter mirrored back words Jeannie had only ever prayed silently</li>
<li>How she loves to show up + surprise her friends</li>
<li>How to redefine healthy love without closing yourself off</li>
<li>How faith evolves when you stop asking and start listening</li>
</ul>
Follow Jeannie on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejeanniemai/?hl=en">@thejeanniemai</a> and on her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/HelloHunnaywithJeannieMai">YouTube</a>.&nbsp;
Book recommendation: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-body-keeps-the-score-brain-mind-and-body-in-the-healing-of-trauma-bessel-van-der-kolk-m-d/9e63236863805513?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=dsa_nonbrand&amp;utm_content=%7Badgroupname%7D&amp;utm_term=aud-2151538068632:dsa-19959388920&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=12440232635&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACfld4331xwUmYRn_8eNturPRM6Ny&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA6Y7KBhCkARIsAOxhqtMW3gaZdDsOInURGwYM5OYOJ0bA566AGJs6bRuog1v9yoOqM-pa-HwaAqWBEALw_wcB">The Body Keeps the Score</a> by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

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.
——
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

Mistaking Chaos for Love: Jeannie Mai on Healing + Becoming

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/030a89de-9235-4cb9-9386-b3e1001fa6a5/transcript

Writer and cultural critic Christiana Mbakwe Medina joins Question Everything to dissect the strange, shifting logic of our current moment, from the collapse of celebrity mystique to our obsession with wealth, power, and proximity to influence. Christiana and Danielle, explore why “cancel culture” doesn’t really cancel anyone, how pop culture functions as soft power, and why so many modern myths, from the tradwife fantasy to the American Dream, are starting to crack. They also look ahead to what 2026 might bring: a more irreverent cultural mood shaped by fear fatigue, AI, and a hunger for something that feels human. In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why pop culture is a mirror of society, not a distraction from it
How celebrity lost its mystique in the age of access and social media
Why cancel culture rarely has lasting consequences
Why Lauren Sánchez Bezos may be one of the most important power brokers in culture right now
What the Diddy verdict reveals about power, fame, and forgiveness
How and why powerful men are so often culturally forgiven
What “soft power” really means—and how culture shapes politics more than we think
Why we confuse wealth with moral worth
How the American Dream functions more like a myth than a reality
What the tradwife / “soft life” fantasy is really selling to burned-out women
Why staying home is far harder and riskier than TikTok makes it look
How AI is quietly reshaping creativity and culture already
Why culture may be entering a more irreverent, punk era after years of fear and caution
What’s actually changing about fame, influence, and the influencer economy
Why celebrity apologies rarely work (and never really have)
How we should think about aging, relevance, and cultural exits (including Beyoncé)
What we’re misreading about power, gender, and modern ambition

Follow Christiana on Instagram @christianaama, and don’t miss her Substack and podcast, Pop Syllabus.

Book recommendation: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Substack:  https://popsyllabus.substack.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-syllabus/id1866754314

Writer and cultural critic Christiana Mbakwe Medina joins Question Everything&nbsp;to dissect the strange, shifting logic of our current moment, from the collapse of celebrity mystique to our obsession with wealth, power, and proximity to influence. Christiana and Danielle, explore why &ldquo;cancel culture&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t really cancel anyone, how pop culture functions as soft power, and why so many modern myths, from the tradwife fantasy to the American Dream, are starting to crack. They also look ahead to what 2026 might bring: a more irreverent cultural mood shaped by fear fatigue, AI, and a hunger for something that feels human. In this episode, you&rsquo;ll learn:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Why pop culture is a mirror of society, not a distraction from it</li>
<li aria-level="1">How celebrity lost its mystique in the age of access and social media</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why cancel culture rarely has lasting consequences</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why Lauren S&aacute;nchez Bezos may be one of the most important power brokers in culture right now</li>
<li aria-level="1">What the Diddy verdict reveals about power, fame, and forgiveness</li>
<li aria-level="1">How and why powerful men are so often culturally forgiven</li>
<li aria-level="1">What &ldquo;soft power&rdquo; really means&mdash;and how culture shapes politics more than we think</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why we confuse wealth with moral worth</li>
<li aria-level="1">How the American Dream functions more like a myth than a reality</li>
<li aria-level="1">What the tradwife / &ldquo;soft life&rdquo; fantasy is really selling to burned-out women</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why staying home is far harder and riskier than TikTok makes it look</li>
<li aria-level="1">How AI is quietly reshaping creativity and culture already</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why culture may be entering a more irreverent, punk era after years of fear and caution</li>
<li aria-level="1">What&rsquo;s actually changing about fame, influence, and the influencer economy</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why celebrity apologies rarely work (and never really have)</li>
<li aria-level="1">How we should think about aging, relevance, and cultural exits (including Beyonc&eacute;)</li>
<li aria-level="1">What we&rsquo;re misreading about power, gender, and modern ambition</li>
</ul>
Follow Christiana on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/christianaama/?hl=en">@christianaama</a>, and don&rsquo;t miss her <a href="https://popsyllabus.substack.com/">Substack</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-syllabus/id1866754314">podcast</a>, Pop Syllabus.
Book recommendation: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-warmth-of-other-suns-the-epic-story-of-america-s-great-migration-isabel-wilkerson/6dc87f955da3bcf1">The Warmth of Other Suns</a> by Isabel Wilkerson
Substack: &nbsp;<a href="https://popsyllabus.substack.com/">https://popsyllabus.substack.com/</a>
Podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-syllabus/id1866754314" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-syllabus/id1866754314&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1769090438065000&amp;usg=AOvVaw16fxriBDGat772BeayxJ6g">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-syllabus/id1866754314</a>

The Diddy Verdict Explains EVERYTHING About Men + Power Right Now

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0e17432d-6d6b-46b5-8781-b3d90171ef1c/transcript

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;

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

Gabby Reece– former pro volleyball player, Nike's first female signature athlete, co-founder of Laird Superfood, host of The Gabby Reece Show joins Danielle to talk about the real work of building a meaningful life. From the emotional tightrope of motherhood and ambition to the realities of aging, marriage, leadership, and letting go of people-pleasing, Gabby shares the lessons she's learned at every stage. What you'll hear in this episode:
How to build a life that won't leave you full of regret
What it means to "go first"—and how that philosophy shaped her life and career
Her thoughts on Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and mental health in sports
Her honest take on feminism, sport, and the sexualization of women's bodies
The quiet lie women are told about ambition—and how to design a life that actually fits
What her volleyball career taught her about winning, feelings and how to take up space
Why women in their 50s are calling it the "F.U. Fifties"—and what that really means
What she teaches her daughters about ambition, self-trust, and body image.
A behind-the-scenes look at her Nike shoe deal (the first of its kind for a woman)
Wellness hacks she swears by (including the real reason she started drinking coffee at 45)
The feminist contradiction she's still wrestling with
How marriage to Laird Hamilton has challenged and inspired her
The quiet power of consistency, mentorship, and saying no without apology

Follow Gabby here.

Listen to The Gabby Reece Show here.

Gabby Reece&ndash; former pro volleyball player, Nike's first female signature athlete, co-founder of Laird Superfood, host of The Gabby Reece Show joins Danielle to talk about the real work of building a meaningful life. From the emotional tightrope of motherhood and ambition to the realities of aging, marriage, leadership, and letting go of people-pleasing, Gabby shares the lessons she's learned at every stage. What you'll hear in this episode:
<ul>
<li>How to build a life that won't leave you full of regret</li>
<li>What it means to "go first"&mdash;and how that philosophy shaped her life and career</li>
<li>Her thoughts on Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and mental health in sports</li>
<li>Her honest take on feminism, sport, and the sexualization of women's bodies</li>
<li>The quiet lie women are told about ambition&mdash;and how to design a life that actually fits</li>
<li>What her volleyball career taught her about winning, feelings and how to take up space</li>
<li>Why women in their 50s are calling it the "F.U. Fifties"&mdash;and what that really means</li>
<li>What she teaches her daughters about ambition, self-trust, and body image.</li>
<li>A behind-the-scenes look at her Nike shoe deal (the first of its kind for a woman)</li>
<li>Wellness hacks she swears by (including the real reason she started drinking coffee at 45)</li>
<li>The feminist contradiction she's still wrestling with</li>
<li>How marriage to Laird Hamilton has challenged and inspired her</li>
<li>The quiet power of consistency, mentorship, and saying no without apology</li>
</ul>
Follow Gabby <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/?hl=en">here</a>.
Listen to The Gabby Reece Show <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gabby-reece-show/id1492179907">here</a>.

Go First: Gabby Reece on Courage, Self-Trust, and Living Without Regret

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ede10d0d-18f9-42f5-b568-b3cb014575e2/transcript

Mistaking Chaos for Love: Jeannie Mai on Healing + Becoming

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