For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast
New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker and her friend Amy Hardin host a weekly podcast about navigating the middle years of life. They discuss topics like careers, parenting, marriage, divorce, and spiritual evolution with humor and insight. Each episode features conversations with interesting guests who bring expertise on relevant topics. The show aims to reassure listeners that they are not alone in life's journey.
Episodes
[ENCORE] Beyond the Hug: How Sara Cunningham Built a Movement of Radical Welcome
Description:It's Pride Month, and we couldn't think of a better time to bring back one of our most beloved episodes. Sara Cunningham — founder of Free Mom Hugs — first joined Jen back in 2018, when she was a Christian mom from Oklahoma City who had just started showing up at Pride parades with a handmade sign and a button. A lot has happened since then.
What began as one mom extending her arms to
Testify to Love: Avalon's Untold Story | For the Love
Description:If you grew up on Christian music in the '90s, there's a good chance Testify to Love wasn't just a hit song—it was the soundtrack to a season of your life.
Three decades after Avalon first released the iconic anthem, Jen sits down with original Avalon member Michael Passons, longtime Avalon vocalist Melissa Greene, and country music star Ty Herndon to talk about the remarkable re-rele
May 2026: James McBride’s Deacon King Kong
We were supposed to talk about Deacon King Kong. We did not.
When Jen sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist James McBride to discuss the Jen Hatmaker Book Club's May selection, the conversation took a hard left turn into something far richer — a wide-ranging tour through one of the most remarkable lives in American letters.
James opens up about a scrappy and troubled adolescence
Big Baby and New Beginnings: Kevin James Thornton on Sin Clowns, Standups, and Second Acts
Description:He's back — and this time he brought a memoir. Comedian Kevin James Thornton returns to For the Love, and if you thought you knew Kevin from his hilarious auto-tuned TikToks and wired-headphone microphone bits, this conversation will lovingly surprise you.
Kevin's debut memoir, Big Baby: On Endings, Beginnings, and an Interdimensional Cat, traces his journey from performing as a liter
Encore: Whales, Boats, and Vulnerability w/ Tyler Merritt
Recorded live from the Oregon coast on the final day of MeCamp, this special two-part conversation between Jen and her partner Tyler Merritt is the perfect blend of hilarity, heart, and honesty.
In Part 1, Jen and Tyler share stories from their MeCamp adventures — including a whale-watching excursion that got a little too close for comfort, and a near-death boat ride they’ll never forget. They al
Bonus: Introducing Family Lore
Every family has its legends, the stories told and retold until they become gospel. Family Lore is a new weekly podcast that revisits those tales with curiosity, digging into the history behind each one to uncover what's true, what's myth, and what it all means. Enjoy this preview, then catch full episodes wherever you listen: https://link.pscrb.fm/f0281/FLFD
To learn more about listener data an
When the Floor Shifts: Belle Burden on Truth As Foundation
Description:There are some books you read with your whole body. Strangers by Belle Burden is one of those books.
Belle was married for twenty-one years. Three kids. A life that, from the outside, looked like everything you're supposed to want. Then on the seventh day of the pandemic lockdown, a stranger left her a voicemail — and by the next morning, the man she thought she knew was gone.
Belle
Somewhere Between the Mountains and the Spreadsheets — You Are Not As Alone As You Think You Are: A Listener Voicemail Episode
Description:Some episodes we plan. This one you created.
This week, Jen and Amy are stepping back and letting the people they do this whole thing for take center stage. It's Listener Voicemail Day — and honestly? It might be our favorite kind of episode. Because nothing reminds us why this community exists quite like hearing your actual voices.
So we're bringing your calls to you — from all kind
Dr. Thema Bryant: How to Find, Keep, and Nurture the People Who Truly See You (By Starting with Yourself)
Description:Some conversations are so good, they deserve a second life.
As we've been building out our Chosen Family series — exploring what it actually takes to find, keep, and nurture the people who truly see you — we kept coming back to this tender conversation because it was resonant then but it hits differently now.
Dr. Thema Bryant is a psychologist, author, professor, ordained minister, a
Amy Grant: The Long Road Back to Yourself (The Me That Remains)
Description:There are artists whose music marks a moment—and then there are the ones whose songs stay with us for a lifetime.
This week, Jen sits down with beloved returning guest Amy Grant to talk about her long-awaited new album, a project shaped by time, reflection, and a life that’s been fully lived. After a significant health crisis and a slow, intentional return to music, Amy is creating fr
April 2026: Maddie Mortimer’s Maps of our Spectacular Bodies
Description:This month in the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, we’re reading a novel that doesn’t just tell a story—it inhabits one.
Jen sits down with author Maddie Mortimer to talk about Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies, a breathtaking and formally inventive debut that explores what it means to live inside a body that is changing, remembering, and, ultimately, letting go. At the center is Lia, a woman
Jen Hamilton on Birth Vibes: Reclaiming Agency in One of Life’s Most Vulnerable Moments
Description:If you’ve ever felt the quiet fear of placing your body—and your baby—into a healthcare system you don’t fully understand, this conversation is for you.
Today, Jen and Amy sit down with labor and delivery nurse, educator, and internet big sister Jen Hamilton to talk about her brand-new “book baby,” Birth Vibes. With more than a decade at the bedside and millions who trust her honest,
Molly Sims on Midlife Confidence (That Doesn’t Come From Perfection)
Description:This week, Jen and Amy sit down with actress, model, entrepreneur, and Lipstick on the Rim host Molly Sims for a conversation that starts light and breezy—backstage at a Hello Sunshine Shine Away event—and quickly moves into something deeper: what it’s like to live in a body that’s been watched, evaluated, and monetized for decades… and how your relationship to that body inevitably cha
We Will Not Be Aging Quietly: Claiming Your Most Powerful Season with Katie Fogarty
We Will Not Be Aging Quietly: Claiming Your Most Powerful Season with Katie Fogarty
Description:
What if the years everyone warned you about turned out to be the ones you'd been waiting for?
Today, Jen and Amy sit down with Katie Fogarty—a former journalist, career coach, and the voice behind one of the most vibrant midlife podcasts in the country, called A Certain Age—for an honest, energizing
[ENCORE] Your Body Deserves Pleasure Too: A Conversation with Vanessa Marin
Description:If any conversation belongs squarely in our “The Body Knows: Midlife In Our Skin” series, it’s this one, and for one simple reason — pleasure is a body conversation. Desire is a body conversation. And if midlife has shifted how you feel in your own skin, this episode meets you exactly there.
Vanessa Marin is a licensed psychotherapist, sex educator, and bestselling author of Sex Talks
Fertility Is a Health Marker: The Bigger Picture of Hormones and Women’s Health with Dr. Natalie Crawford
Description:This week, Jen and Amy sit down with double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Natalie Crawford, author of The Fertility Formula, for a wide-ranging conversation about hormones, inflammation, stress, and the powerful (and often misunderstood) signals our bodies are constantly sending.
While Dr. Crawford’s work is rooted in fertility, this episode zooms out to
March 2026 JHBC: Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden
Description:Some stories feel less like books and more like quiet companions. Theo of Golden is one of those.
This month in the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, Jen sits down with author Allen Levi to talk about the small-town novel that has quietly captured the hearts of readers around the world. Set in the fictional town of Golden, Georgia, the story introduces us to Theo — a mysterious newcomer whose l
Kate Bowler on the Ache That Makes Us Human—and the Joy That Makes Us Whole
Description:If you’ve ever whispered, Is this it?—if you’ve been doing “all the right things” and still feel that unfinished ache humming under your skin—go ahead and hit download.
Jen is joined by her beloved friend (and actual genius) Kate Bowler to talk about her new book, Joyful Anyway—a bracing, funny, tender rebellion against the optimization industrial complex. This is not a “choose joy” p
Bonus: Grace for the Weird-Ass Brain: “The Bloggess” Jenny Lawson on How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay
Description:What does it mean to be okay when nothing is okay?
Not fixed.
Not optimized.
Not cured.
Just… okay.
This week, Jen and Amy sit down with bestselling author and professional weirdo Jenny Lawson to talk about surviving — and sometimes even thriving — inside a brain that does not always cooperate. Jenny’s new book, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, is a field guide for tender huma
The New Perimenopause: What’s Actually Happening to Your Body with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Description:For years, women in their late 30s and 40s have walked into doctors’ offices saying the same thing: “I don’t feel like myself.”
They’re exhausted but can’t sleep. Gaining weight but eating less. Anxious, foggy, irritable, disconnected. And too often, they’re told it’s stress. Aging. Depression. Just part of being a woman.
But what if it’s something else?
This week, Jen and Amy sit d
Shannan Martin on Counterweights: Holding Grief and Joy in the Same Hands
Description:What do we do when the world feels like too much?
When the headlines won’t let up, when grief and uncertainty sit heavy in our bodies, when we’re carrying more than we ever thought we could—how do we keep going without numbing out or falling apart?
This week, Jen sits down with beloved writer and friend Shannan Martin to talk about her new book Counterweights, a tender, practical gui
Welcome to Becoming You with Suzy Welch
Today we are thrilled to introduce you to a voice we think can really help us navigate some of the big life questions we’re facing right now: Suzy Welch. Have you ever wondered, “What should I do with my life?” Or, “Should I stay or should I go?” Or, “Is there anyone out there who actually tells the freaking truth about life and work today, but also does not leave me in despair?” Wonder no more!
[ENCORE] Wonder in the Wilderness: David Gate on Poetry, Care, and Staying Tender in a Harsh World
Description:Sometimes a conversation lands so gently—and so powerfully—that it deserves another moment in the light.
In this encore episode, Jen revisits her conversation with poet, writer, and visual artist David Gate, whose work explores themes of care, community, and spiritual resilience.
Jen first discovered David the way so many of us discover the words that change us: late at night on Inst
Clarity, Voice, and the Long Way to the Sentence with Anne Lamott
Description:Today’s bonus episode is a joy from start to finish. We’re sitting down with treasured friend Anne Lamott—beloved writer, teacher, and spiritual guide—whose voice has shaped how so many of us think about faith, truth, writing, and what it means to be human on the page.
Anne returns to For the Love to talk about her upcoming book, Good Writing, co-written with her husband, journalist a
Your Kid Isn’t the Problem (And Neither Are You) with Mandy Grass
Description:If parenting has you oscillating between “I’ve got this” and “I need to lie down immediately,” press play.
Today, we’re stepping into one of the most humbling arenas for compassion and grace: your own living room. Because fierce compassion isn’t just for coworkers and complicated relatives—it’s also for the tiny humans melting down over the wrong color cup or the soccer uniform that d
JHBC February 2026: Nikki Erlick’s The Measure
Description:What if you were handed a single piece of information that could change everything you think you know about your life?
For this Jen Hatmaker Book Club episode, Jen sits down with novelist Nikki Erlick, author of the wildly imaginative and deeply human novel The Measure—a story that asks one unsettling question: What would you do if you knew exactly how long you had to live?
In The Me
What If Desire Is the Map? A Wilderness & Wonder Conversation with Jay Stringer
Description:Many of us were taught that desire is dangerous—something to manage, suppress, or feel ashamed of. But what if desire isn’t the problem at all? What if it’s not just about sex or attraction, but about the places we feel most alive?
Today, Jen and Amy sit down with FTL fan-favorite Jay Stringer, a licensed therapist and author whose work helps people understand the deeper stories shapi
Impossible to Ignore: Norah O’Donnell on Women, Power, and Collective Courage
Description:What does it look like to strive ardently for justice and equality without losing yourself in the process?
Today, Jen sits down with Norah O’Donnell—award-winning journalist, anchor, and managing editor of the CBS Evening News—for a conversation about courage, compassion, and the women who have quietly shaped the arc of American history.
Norah’s new book, We the Women: The Hidden Her
The Wake-Up Call: What Changes in Midlife—and Why You’re Not Imagining It
Description: Description:
What happens when the life you’ve been managing no longer fits?
Jen Hatmaker sits down with Nedra Glover Tawwab, Emily Nagoski, Kobe Campbell, and Kate Bowler for an honest conversation about what it really means to wake up in midlife.
Together, they explore where awakening often shows up first—our relationships, bodies, mental health, and faith. This isn’t about fixing
[Encore] Why ‘Let Them’ Might Be the Kindest Words You Can Say to Yourself
Description:
Jen revisits this fan favorite episode with Mel Robbins. Buckle up, listeners. It was only a matter of time before our paths crossed with Mel Robbins, one of the most respected experts on change and motivation in the zeitgeist, and today is that day. Known for being the host of the #1 ranking education podcast in the world, bringing deeply relatable topics, tactical advice, tools,
When Listeners Say, “Me Too”: Finding Familiarity in Shared Stories – A Listener Voicemail Episode
When Listeners Say, “Me Too”: Finding Familiarity in Shared Stories – A Listener Voicemail Episode
Description:In this special listener voicemail episode, Jen and Amy turn the mic outward—listening closely to the voices, stories, and wisdom of the community that makes this show what it is.
From reflections sparked by our Wake Up Call season to deeply personal responses to Jen’s book Awake, these
January 2026: Eliana Ramage’s To The Moon and Back
Description:
This month in the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, Jen is joined by novelist Eliana Ramage to talk about her stunning debut, To the Moon and Back—a book that is as page-turny as it is tender, and as expansive as it is rooted.
Jen and Eliana trace the actual arc of this book—how it began with an unforgettable spark of an idea at Dartmouth (about an “astronaut girl” who shows us that our stori
She Works Hard For The Money: Jean Chatzky
Description:Today we’re talking about something most of us sideline, postpone, or avoid entirely until life forces our hand: MONEY. This is a topic our host Jen Hatmaker knows all too well. For years, Jen let her then husband handle all of the bills, the budgeting, the taxes, the investments, everything. When she walked through divorce in midlife, she had to start from zero. It was humbling, terri
Nedra Glover Tawwab: The Wake-Up We Need About Love, Boundaries, and The Balancing Act Behind Healthy Relationships
Description:Many of us were taught that strength looks like independence. Don’t need too much. Don’t ask for help. Don’t lean on others. And then—somewhere along the way—we find ourselves lonely, exhausted, or quietly resentful, wondering why connection feels so hard and so heavy at the same time. We want closeness, but we’re afraid of needing too much. We want support, but we don’t know how to as
[ENCORE]Small Steps, Big Change: Waking Up To The Hidden Power of Our Habits with James Clear
Description:Sometimes a wake up call doesn’t arrive as a crisis. Sometimes it arrives as a quiet realization: the way I’m living isn’t actually working.
In this encore episode, we revisit a powerful conversation with James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits, whose work has helped millions rethink how real, lasting change actually happens. Not through willpower, reinvention, or overnight t
Wake Up Call: Your Body Was Never the Problem with Body Liberation Advocate, Chrissy King
Description:This is your wake up call: your body was never the problem.
By midlife, so many women are exhausted—not just by life, but by decades of being told to manage, fix, discipline, and override our bodies. Wellness culture promised health and control. What it often delivered was shame, disconnection, and the quiet belief that rest, ease, and joy had to be earned.
Today’s conversation asks
Kanika Chadda-Gupta On Becoming The Woman We Are Meant To Be In The Eye Of The Storm
Description:Today’s guest is someone who instantly made an impression on Jen when they met at a recent Hello Sunshine event in LosAngeles, when she moderated a Shine Away panel with Jen and beloved 9010 star and recent For the Love guest, Jennie Garth. Within five minutes Jen thought, “Okay… she’s one of us.” Warm, sharp, steady — Kanika Chadda-Gupta has this grounding presence that makes a whole
December 2025: Madeline Martin’s The Secret Book Society
Description:Today, we’re stepping into the candlelit, corseted world of Victorian England with New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin—a master of emotionally rich, meticulously researched historical fiction. Madeline’s novels (The Last Bookshop in London, The Librarian Spy, The Keeper of Hidden Books) have introduced millions of readers to hidden corners of history where ordinary people
Social Media Sensation Melani Sanders Reminds Us That We Are Enough and We Do Not Care
Description:Buckle up, friends — today’s episode is a whole ride in the best possible way. Our guest is Melani Sanders, the founder of the global We Do Not Care Movement™, a viral sisterhood of women who are reclaiming humor, agency, and sanity in the absolute circus that is perimenopause, menopause, and midlife.
Melani went from full-time mom of three to an overnight cultural phenomenon when a c
[BONUS] The Rest of Our Lives: A Conversation About the Long Middle with Ben Markovits
Description:What happens after the dream you built your life around ends?
In today’s tender and searching conversation, Jen and Amy sit down with acclaimed novelist Ben Markovits to talk about his forthcoming book, The Rest of Our Lives—a story that lingers in the quiet spaces of midlife, marriage, parenting, friendship, and the quiet reckonings that arrive when the future you imagined no longer
Human Flourishing in a Distracted World: Theologian Lee C. Camp Offers a Wake Up Call To Living Well
Description:What if the most faithful thing we could do right now is simply pay attention?
In this episode of For the Love, Jen and Amy sit down with theologian, ethics professor, and artist Lee C. Camp for a soulful conversation about the kind of faith that wakes us up to what truly matters. As part of our Wake Up Call series on faith, Lee invites us to slow down and notice the world—our lives,
The Long Arc of Becoming: Listener Voices From the Other Side of Awake
Description:As we close out the year, we wanted to do something a little different—and a little more tender.
In this special end-of-year episode of For the Love, we’re turning the mic over to you. Over the past months, your voicemails have poured in, telling the story of what it’s been like to read Awake: the unraveling, the naming, the grief, the relief, the courage, the slow return to yourself.
The Book of Alchemy: Suleika Jaouad Gives A Masterclass on How We Heal Ourselves Through Creation
Description:Today’s guest, Suleika Jaouad, first captured our collective hearts with her searing memoir Between Two Kingdoms — a book that traced her diagnosis of leukemia, the brutal treatment that followed, and the long, complicated journey of coming home to herself again. It was a Jen Hatmaker Book Club selection back in March 2023, and it has stayed with so many of us.
Suleika is an Emmy Awar
Roadtrippin with Jen + Sharon McMahon
Description:
In this live, wide-ranging conversation, Jen Hatmaker is joined by bestselling author and civic educator Sharon McMahon (Sharon Says So) for an honest, funny, and deeply grounding discussion about truth, courage, faith, and what it means to stay awake in uncertain times.
Beginning with Sharon joining Jen on stage, the two explore everything from dating after divorce and the wisdom o
[ENCORE] What We’re Ready to Let Die: A Conversation on Peace & New Life with Father James Martin
Description:Peace can feel elusive — globally, socially, personally. So what does it look like to reclaim it? And how do we rise when everything feels beyond dead?
In this encore episode, we look back on one of our most galvanizing conversations from our For the Love of Peace series with Father James Martin — Jesuit priest, bestselling author, and one of the most trusted spiritual voices in Ameri
Joy Enthusiast, SC Perot, Is Bringing Joy To Our Weary World This Holiday Season
Description:Today we’re talking to someone whose work really hits right where we live this year — in that messy middle space where you know you need joy, but you’re not totally sure how to find your way back to it. Sarah Catherine “SC” Perot created Styles of Joy, which is genuinely one of the most grounding, practical, soul-forward frameworks we’ve encountered in a long time.
SC is an author, s
November 2025:Ruth Hogan’s ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’
Description:
If you’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ the bestselling debut novel by British author Ruth Hogan, you know exactly why it captured our hearts and was selected as our JHBC November Fireside Read selection. This book is a whimsical, tender, and deeply human story about a man who collects seemingly insignificant lost objects — and the woman who inherits b
Road Tripping with Jen + Kelly Corrigan: On Faith Shifts, Patriarchy, Divorce, Parenting, and Choosing Curiosity Over Certainty
Description:In this Road Tripping episode, Jen is joined by one of her dearest friends — the brilliant and beloved author and interviewer, Kelly Corrigan. Kelly read Awake cover to cover (twice!) and came armed to the live Awake Book Tour event in Denver, Colorado with ten of her favorite lines from the book, inviting Jen to riff on each one in real time. What unfolds is a night of belly laughs, t
Road Trippin with Jen + Tyler Merritt: On Grief, Midlife, Creativity, and the Unexpected Stories That Save Us
Description:
In this special Road Tripping episode, Jen invites her partner, actor/activist/author Tyler Merritt, to join her live after a last-minute schedule pivot. What unfolds is a night of honesty, hilarity, vulnerability, and deep connection.
Jen reads two scenes from Awake—one from the earliest days of shock and grief, and one from the chaotic, hilarious adventure of dating again at midli
Introducing: unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Introducing: unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a bestselling author, board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and women’s health advocate, is already known for transforming conversations about midlife and menopause. Now, she is extending her reach with her new podcast, unPAUSED, to share her expertise and empower even more women.
On un
Beyond Words: Listening to a Hidden Community — Ky Dickens and The Telepathy Tapes
Description:
In today’s mind-bending episode, prepare to challenge everything you think you know. Today, we're inviting listeners into a radically inclusive conversation that reimagines ideas about communication, consciousness, and human connection.
Award-winning filmmaker and storyteller Ky Dickens joins us to discuss The Telepathy Tapes, her viral podcast documenting the lived experiences
[ENCORE] Joy Sullivan: Choosing Change and Finding Your True North
Description:
We’re revisiting one of our most-loved conversations from this show—an exploration of how transformation takes shape in our lives and how we can bravely meet it, even when it’s terrifying.
In this encore episode, we look back on Jen’s conversation with poet and community-builder Joy Sullivan, whose own “chosen change” became a leap toward more sanity, more love, and more joy.
After
A Meditation on Motherhood, Midlife, and the Way We Begin Again: Tembi Locke on ‘Someday, Now’
Description:
Today’s guest is someone whose work has touched millions of hearts around the world. You probably fell in love with her through her luminous debut memoir ‘From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home’, which was later adapted into a limited series on Netflix and became a global success.
Tembi Locke has held many roles: accomplished author, producer, screenwriter, actor,
October 2025: Jen Hatmaker's ‘Awake’
Description:
Tune in for this very special #JenHatmakerBookClub episode where Jen gives unprecedented access to look behind the scenes at her own writing process and collaboration that went into the publishing of “Awake”. For today’s conversation, Jen sits down with Vice President and Editorial Director for Avid Reader Press, Lauren Wein, to delve into the journey of bringing Jen's book "Awake" t
Please Stay: Scott Erickson and Justin McRoberts Plunge the Deep Waters of Being ‘In The Low’
Description:
In this heartfelt episode, Jen and Amy welcome friends, Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson, to delve into the tender complexities of depression, creativity, and faith. Together, Scott and Justin have built a body of work around the intersection of art, prayer, and healing, including their newest project: In the Low: A Prayerbook for the Seasons of Depression. Today they share person
Introducing: The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi
Description:
Part systems expert, part permission giver, Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius, has made it her mission to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t. From simplifying a to-do list, to calming back-to-school chaos, tips on getting kids to clean their rooms, time management tips, travel hacks, recommended reading to make your life easier, Kendra
Love Over Dominance: John Fugelsang on the Future of Christianity
Description:
The number of people who have said, ‘Jen, you and John Fugelsang should have a conversation’ is approximately one thousand. So naturally, we thought, let’s have that conversation where a million listeners can tune in and enjoy it too.
Strap yourself in for a wild ride as Jen Hatmaker chats with the ever-entertaining comedian, actor and broadcaster, John Fugelsang, host of the Tell M
Road Trippin with Jen + Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Heather Land
Description:
For a special treat this week, we’re bringing you some highlights straight from Jen’s recent Awake book tour in a limited series we’ve dubbed “Road Trippin’ with Jen”. Every tour stop, audience, and special guest brought its own kind of magic, so we’re excited to share some of the best moments with you here on the podcast.
On this Road Trippin’ stop, Jen shares the stage with two p
Encore Pushing Back On Patriarchal Narratives with Elise Loehnen
Description: In this episode of the Matriarchy series, we explore how deeply ingrained patriarchal narratives can create a policing effect on the behavior of women.
Author, Elise Loehnen, discusses her book "On Our Best Behavior" which examines how concepts like the seven deadly sins have historically been used to restrict women's behavior and police their adherence to an idealized form of "good
Parents Have Feelings, Too: Why Your Emotional Health Is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids with Hilary Jacobs Hendel
Description:
If you have ever lost your cool with your kids and then felt the crushing wave of guilt that comes sweeping in after—this episode is for you.
This week, Jen and Amy sit down with psychotherapist and emotions educator Hilary Jacobs Hendel, author of ‘It’s Not Always Depression’ and the new book ‘Parents Have Feelings, Too’, to talk about what happens when we stop ignoring our own emo
Lights on a Similar Path: ‘Awake’ Readers Reflect On Finding Their Way
Description:
In this moving episode, listeners share their own tender and personal stories inspired by Jen's bestselling book, "Awake," which debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list. The touching and heartrending voicemails coming in from readers of “Awake” highlight our yearning to build our lives on solid foundations, our propensity to reach for community and friendship, a
September 2025: Shelley Read’s Go As A River
Description:
Sometimes you read a book that just wrecks you in the best possible way — the kind of story that stays in your bones long after you close the last page. Go As A River is exactly that kind of book. It is a lyrical and haunting coming-of-age novel set amid the rugged beauty of Colorado’s Western Slope in the late 1940s through the mid-20th century. Inspired by true events—the disappea
[Encore] Turning Pain Into Possibility: The Beauty That Comes After Loss with Poet Maggie Smith
Description:
Sometimes the deepest growth comes from the hardest seasons. An untreatable diagnosis, a painful divorce, the loss of hard-earned savings—when life tears apart the script we imagined for ourselves, we’re left to wrestle with who we are, what we value, and how to begin again.
In this special encore episode, poet and bestselling author Maggie Smith joins Jen for a tender, hopeful conv
A Lantern for Others in Dark Spaces: Jen Hatmaker on Sharing Her Most Tender Story
Description:
The day has finally arrived—Awake is officially out in the world. In this episode, Jen Hatmaker opens up about a story she's held tightly for years, a story she's finally ready to share.
Jen takes us behind the scenes of writing Awake—a memoir told in vivid vignettes and written in real-time, as if each scene was recounted the very day it happened. The book is broken into three part
I’ll Have What She’s Having: Power, Purpose, and Perimenopause with Tamsen Fadal
In this episode, we're joined by Emmy Award–winning journalist and fierce midlife advocate, Tamsen Fadal, who has become a trusted voice for women navigating the complex — and often misunderstood — journey of menopause. Through her work and her new book, How to Menopause: The Essential Roadmap to Resilience and Empowerment in Midlife and Beyond, Tamsen is on a mission to rewrite the narrative arou
[Encore] Revolutionary Relationships: Loving Others Through Tension and Disagreement with Rozella Haydée White
Description:
Have you ever found yourself at odds with someone you deeply care about—unable to agree on something that really matters? Is it possible to stay connected, even when your beliefs clash? This seemed like an important question to answer, so we decided to go back into our archives to bring forward this 2021 conversation about one of the most challenging forms of reconnection: loving and
I Love You and I Need To Go: Elizabeth Gilbert Takes Us On A Journey All The Way To The River
Description:
As a luminary in contemporary literature, Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing has shaped the zeitgeist through adventure, spiritual exploration, creativity, and what it means to live a life of integrity. Her work consistently resonates with a global audience, prompting introspection and inspiring personal journeys of self-discovery.
In this episode, Elizabeth Gilbert delves into the intrica
August 2025: Catherine Newman’s Sandwich
Description:
Today’s episode is an absolute treat. Catherine Newman, the beloved author of both fiction and nonfiction writing, known for her sharp wit, emotional resonance, and profound insights into everyday life, sits down with Jen to talk about our August JHBC selection, Sandwich, which quickly gained national attention for its honest, tender, and hilarious reflection on real life in the mess
Listener Lowdown: The Good, The Great, and the 'Wait, What?'
Description:
In this episode, we open the mic to our incredible podcast community, spotlighting the diverse feedback and personal stories from our listeners that have shaped our discussions. Hear firsthand accounts of the impact our guests and their insights have had.
Listeners Melinda, Tracy, Joanna, Erin, Kelly, Laura, and Sarah share a wide range of experiences: navigating major life changes
Putting Out Fires and Dancing Among the Flames: Austin Channing Brown on the Work and Joy of Being “Full of Myself”
Description:
Today, Jen has a discussion with her longtime friend, brilliant thought-leader and activist, Austin Channing Brown. You probably know Austin from her viral first book, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, which flew off shelves in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, as we were witnessing worldwide protests, calls for police reform, and a radical change
Gird Your Loins: Dr. Celeste Holbrook Delivers the “Sex Talk” You Never Had but Deserved
Description:
Today’s conversation might have you clutching your pearls and purity rings. Jen and Amy sit down with Dr. Celeste Holbrook—sexologist, educator, and author of Missionary Position: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Sex After Purity Culture—for the candid, hilarious, and healing “sex talk” you never had but always deserved.
From busting purity culture myths to unpacking women’s complicat
[Encore] Stop Lying to Yourself: Dr. Sara Kuburic Wants You Take Ownership of Your Choices for True Happiness
It’s time for another beloved encore presentation and this time we are bringing back this powerful podcast therapy session for your benefit and enjoyment.
Dr. Sara Kuburic, an existential psychotherapist and author behind The @Millennial.Therapist, offers profound insights into taking ownership of our lives. Dr. Kuburic champions the idea that we are free and responsible agents, shaping our own
“You’re So Brave”: Tyler Merritt Turns the Tables on Jen in Part 2 of Their Vulnerable Conversation
Description:
In Part 2 of this episode, we push even deeper — into the personal, the creative, the brave, and the sometimes scary places we go when we dare to tell the truth. This time, Tyler Merritt has turned the tables on Jen and he’s asking the questions!
We talk about what it’s like to be seen, judged, misunderstood — and still choose honesty. We talk about Awake and the vulnerability in
Whales, Boats, and Vulnerability w/ Tyler Merritt Part 1
Recorded live from the Oregon coast on the final day of MeCamp, this special two-part conversation between Jen and her partner Tyler Merritt is the perfect blend of hilarity, heart, and honesty.
In Part 1, Jen and Tyler share stories from their MeCamp adventures — including a whale-watching excursion that got a little too close for comfort, and a near-death boat ride they’ll never forget. They al
July 2025: Chris Whitaker’s All The Colors of the Dark
Chris Whitaker didn’t come to writing the usual way. His path began with a series of harrowing experiences in young adulthood that left him searching for tools to process trauma and find peace. As a boy, he’d found comfort in libraries, and it was there he discovered a book on writing-as-therapy that encouraged him to fictionalize his pain and set stories in places of joy. Writing became a lifelin
Mary Katherine Backstrom On Finding Peace and Goodness in the Quiet of the Wilderness
Description:
What happens when the faith you were raised with no longer fits? Join us as we explore faith deconstruction and what it looks like to hold on to what matters while letting go of harmful narratives.
Our guest, Mary Katherine Backstrom, knows this journey well. Once rooted in evangelical certainty, her world began to unravel—her marriage, career, and faith all shaken. In her raw and hi
No Filter, Just The Mirror: Trisha Yearwood on Reinvention, Songwriting & New Seasons
Description:
We’ve got an absolute legend in the house. She's a country music powerhouse, a Grammy winner, a TV star, a best-selling cookbook author, and honestly, probably the only person who could out-sing you and out-cook you on the same day — we’re talking about the one and only Trisha Yearwood.
You know this queen’s voice from classics like 'She's in Love with the Boy' and 'How Do I Live' —
Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Ambition, Chasing Our Dreams, and Our Brave, Beautiful Yeses
Priyanka Chopra is an award-winning actor, producer, and humanitarian—and one of the most recognizable faces in the world. In this 2021 conversation, she reflects on her memoir Unfinished, sharing her journey from India to the U.S. and the lessons she’s learned about identity, ambition, and reinvention.
Priyanka talks about the power of perseverance, trusting your instincts, and embracing failure
A Rebellion of Care: Poet David Gate on Words as a Lifeline During Difficult Times
Jen has been a quiet superfan of David Gate ever since discovering one of his poems on Instagram and instantly texting it to six friends. A British-born poet, writer, and visual artist, David explores themes of care, community, and spiritual resilience. Today, he joins Jen and Amy to talk about his latest work, A Rebellion of Care—a powerful blend of essays and poetry rooted in tenderness, authent
I Choose Me: Jennie Garth on Midlife, Reinvention & Owning Your Next Chapter
Jennie Garth is best known to Gen-Xers for her iconic role playing Kelly Taylor on the megahit television series Beverly Hills 90210. Fans of the show may remember Kelly’s pivotal “I Choose Me” episode (airing thirty years ago this past May) when she stood between dreamboats Brandon and Dylan and declared that she was choosing herself.
Jennie shaped an entire era of pop culture, and now, at fif
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