Esoteric Systems: Why We Are Drawn To Them and How We Can Use Them to Serve Our Lives

The goop podcast is going on a summer break. Thank you so much to everyone who tuned in for conversations with thought leaders, creatives, and experts. I’m so grateful to everyone who has been part of this community. Our show will return soon with a new look, new guests, and even bigger conversations. I can’t wait to show you what we have in store. Stay tuned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode reshaping how we think about AI, Joan Nguyen and Sarah Willersdorf take over the podcast to talk about what's possible right now. Joan Nguyen is the co-founder and CEO of Bümo, the first AI family assistant to help parents instantly book care and handle the logistics of family life. Sarah Willersdorf is the former Head of Luxury, Fashion & Beauty at Boston Consulting Group, and a former CMO who now advises boards and CEOs on where AI actually drives value. They explore how execution is being democratized, why women are positioned to win in this shift, and what fundamentally can't be automated. They discuss how they're building in their lives every day, and why this moment is real—and closing. Key highlights: How they actually use AI in their lives every day—from household admin to building companies Why women have a unique competitive advantage right now: communication, judgment, strategy What builders are genuinely creating in this moment when execution costs have dropped What AI can't replace: human judgment, conviction, and deciding what's worth building The real opportunities and what's at stake in this moment Ready to start building with AI? If you're ready to start building with AI and want to know where to actually start, or what you should pay attention to—Joan and Moj created AI Maxxing, a 6-week mentorship program for founders, operators, and executives. The 1st cohort begins August 20.Visit joinaimaxxing.com and use code GOOP at checkout for exclusive 10% off. Connect with Joan Nguyen and Sarah Willersdorf: Follow Sarah Willersdorf on LinkedIn Follow Joan Nguyen on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on The goop Podcast, Gwyneth Paltrow sits down with Gregg Renfrew, founder and former CEO of cult-favorite clean beauty brand Beautycounter. Renfrew shares her story of building—and selling—a billion-dollar business, being unexpectedly sidelined, and ultimately pulled back in when things began to unravel. She opens up about letting go of ego, redefining success, and beginning again with clarity and purpose. Now, through her new venture, Counter, she’s rewriting the rules—focusing on product, transparency, and building with integrity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gwyneth sits down with Erin and Sara Foster—writers, producers, and Favorite Daughter cofounders—for a candid conversation about sisterhood, navigating IVF while building a career, and how humor and honesty, and trusting that it will all work out have carried them through reinvention, unexpected love, and success in their forties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can we use esoteric systems–astrology, numerology, tarot, manifestation–to better improve our lives? In this next episode of The Pursuit Series, Emily Hickey sits down with Gwyneth to talk about what esoteric systems are, why we are drawn to them, and the systems like Human Design that Gwyneth and Emily have used to improve their lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gwyneth sits down with Trae Stephens, the co-founder of the AI defense company Anduril, for a wide ranging and honest conversation about how new technologies are shaping our defense system. They talk about the core mission of Anduril, America’s relationship with defense today, Silicon Valley’s evolving relationship to religion, and on how Trae reconciles his Christian faith with an industry built around weapons and warfare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Crafting out a breakup text, planning dates, or just creating an entirely new romantic companion: AI has ushered in a new frontier for modern dating. Gwyneth Paltrow sits down with famed psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel to talk about the ways AI is affecting modern dating and relationships, what trust in a relationship means today, and how the institution of marriage has evolved over the past few decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it take to build a brand that enters the culture? In this episode of the Pursuit Series, brand strategist Emily Hickey talks with Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler about how they transformed SoulCycle from a single studio into a phenomenon. They revisit the early decisions that shaped the brand, the clarity of purpose that fueled its growth, and the instincts that helped them know they were onto something larger than a workout. Along the way, they reflect on finding inspiration at different stages of life and the value of trusting your own instincts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and goal coach Abbie Schiller guest-hosts this episode to talk about one of the lesser-known forms of grieving: identity grief. Whether you are a mother whose child just went off to college or someone switching careers, if you have ever felt unmoored after a major life change, this episode is for you. Schiller explains how identity grief shows up across an entire lifetime, not just midlife, why it hits some of us harder than others, and gives a framework for moving through it, not just around it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The technology coming out of Silicon Valley–and the people who lead those tech companies–touch every aspect of our lives. Gwyneth sits down with longtime tech journalist Kara Swisher to talk about the past and present state of Silicon Valley; including the increasing presence of AI in our lives, how tech and politics are intersecting right now, and her new series ‘Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,’ where she investigates the myths and facts coming out of the longevity industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices