Sheryl Lee Ralph on Dreams, Determination, and Defying the Odds

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an Emmy-winning actress, singer, and advocate whose radiant spirit and decades-long career, from Dreamgirls to Abbott Elementary, have inspired generations. Sheryl opens up to Hoda about choosing joy as her “strong suit,” the resilience that carried her through rejection and reinvention, and how she learned to believe in herself even when others didn’t. She reflects on lessons from her parents, a surprising run-in with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and why following her own path turned out to be the most rewarding part of her journey. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Selma Blair is an actress, author, and advocate whose career has spanned film, television and stage, with standout performances in Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions, and Hellboy. After publicly revealing her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS), she has become a powerful voice for chronic illness awareness, inspiring others through her honesty, resilience, and vulnerability. Selma sits down with Hoda to discuss her lifelong health struggles, her relationship with her late mother and the strength that carried her through acting, motherhood and moments of uncertainty. She reflects on her friendships with fellow stars navigating MS, including Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and why she refuses to let anything stand in the way of the life she’s determined to live. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clea Shearer is the co-founder of The Home Edit, star of the hit Netflix series, Get Organized with The Home Edit, and a New York Times bestselling author who’s sharing the lessons she’s learned in her cancer journey in her new book, Cancer Is Complicated and Other Unexpected Lessons I’ve Learned. Clea opens up to Hoda about how she learned to advocate more for herself amidst her cancer journey, the importance of accepting help from others and why she views her diagnosis not as “why me,” but as “why not me.” In addition, she shares how she spoke to her kids about her diagnosis and how her perspective has broadened after the trying experience. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award-winning actor, bestselling author, and now the writer of Poems and Prayers, a deeply personal collection of poetry and reflections spanning 30 years that explores faith, hope, and purpose. Though he is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, McConaughey admits he’s never felt the “ah, I did it” feeling, leading him on a search for deeper meaning through family, teaching, writing, and even advocacy, including speaking at the White House after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. In this conversation, McConaughey sits down with Hoda to reflect on his evolving relationship with humility, gratitude, and belief and why writing has become his way to understand the world, inspire others, and remind us all to keep believing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey TODAY fans! As a bonus, we’re giving you a special preview of Jenna Bush Hager’s podcast, ‘Open Book with Jenna.’In the season’s debut episode, Jenna sits down with three-time Grammy-winning artist, and lead vocalist of the Zac Brown Band, Zac Brown.From his humble beginnings playing in coffee shops at age fourteen to his upcoming residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, Zac reflects on the milestones that shaped his path. He opens up about fatherhood, founding Camp Southern Ground, and the creative process behind his upcoming album Love and Fear, which features collaborations with icons like Snoop Dogg and Dolly Parton. To listen to the full conversation, just search ‘Open Book with Jenna’ wherever you’re listening to follow now, or click here: https://www.today.com/open-book-with-jenna Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Linda Cliatt-Wayman spent 20 years teaching special education before rising to oversee all high schools in The School District of Philadelphia, but her defining moment came when she stepped up to lead Strawberry Mansion High School: a school that no one wanted to run. With fierce love, high expectations, and unshakable hope, Wayman and her team turned despair into possibility. In this conversation from a Joy 101 event earlier this year, Wayman sits down with Hoda to share how she inspired real change in her students and how she’s continuing that work in her latest chapter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chart-topping rapper Big Sean has spent nearly 15 years in the spotlight, but his path to success wasn’t always easy. The Detroit native joins Hoda Kotb to reflect on his evolving relationship with fame, from believing he was destined for stardom at a young age to how he views notoriety today. In this revealing conversation from April 2025, he also shares lessons from his new book, Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace, a guide he follows to be the best version of himself every day. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestselling author, acclaimed public speaker, and Harvard Business School professor Arthur C. Brooks joins Hoda Kotb for an inspiring conversation on the science and practice of happiness. They discuss how to cultivate joy in everyday life, get unstuck during challenging times, and why happiness is not a final destination but a direction you can intentionally choose. In this conversation from March 2024, Brooks draws from his years of research into what makes life meaningful, insights that also shape his new book, The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life, out this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erin Andrews is a fixture on the NFL sidelines. She’s been a sportscaster for more than two decades, and is a legend in the sports industry. But like the rest of us, not every season has felt like a winning one for Erin. She’s learned that some test your strength, your endurance and your drive to keep going. Erin opened up to Hoda Kotb about the road to becoming one of sports tv’s brightest stars, her cervical cancer diagnosis, her battle with infertility and her journey to motherhood. Erin continues to inspire on and off the field, as she celebrates the busiest and best season of her life yet. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Goldie Hawn is a Hollywood legend. And while she never set out to be a movie star, the Academy Award winning actress, producer and director has had a prolific career spanning more than five decades, with iconic roles in films like “Overboard”, “Private Benjamin” and “The First Wives Club”. And while Goldie is beloved for her work on-screen, she is also making an impact off-screen, with her charity MindUp, created with a mission to promote mental health and fitness for children, after facing her own struggles. Goldie sat down with Hoda Kotb to talk about her accidental rise to fame, her famous family and where she finds her purpose. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.