Laughing Through the Breakdown with Zarna Garg

Reshma interviews former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern live on stage about her new book, A Different Kind of Power! This thoughtful conversation covers Jacinda’s leadership style built on compassion and kindness, becoming a mom while in office, and how to navigate self-doubt and imposter syndrome without letting them define you. Plus, Jacinda discusses her difficult decision to resign at the height of her power and shares what’s giving her hope right now. This program was recorded live at the Chicago Humanities 2025 Spring Festival on June 8, 2025. Event produced by Jesse Swanson. Associate produced by Nikki Konomos. Event stage managed by Sophia Fishkins. Event produced and mixed by Dan Glomski. Follow Jacinda Ardern @jacindaardern on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Shannon Watts talking about stepping away from organizations we founded. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor, producer, and screenwriter Lena Waithe recently completed a 10-day silent retreat during which she had a lot of time to ponder big topics and ideas like attachment, legacy, acceptance, and detachment. After Reshma shares that she’s also done a Vipassana, she and Lena dig deep into ambition, the American Dream, the patriarchy, and the expectations that often get attached to love. Reshma also asks Lena about her career, including how she decides what stories to tell and what Lena learned about writing from the creators of Friends.  Follow Lena @lenawaithe on Instagram.  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too many women in midlife think they’re too old, too busy, or too inexperienced to go after their dreams. Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts wants you to know none of that is true! She lays out how to push that nonsense aside and follow your desires in her latest book, Fired Up. She and Reshma get into how to figure out what you’re passionate about, why midlife is the perfect time to pursue what fires you up, and how to reconcile the idea that focusing on these things will take away from being a mother. Plus, how Shannon reframes failures in order to keep moving forward. Follow Shannon @shannonrwatts on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That super-intense, sweat-inducing workout you think you need to be doing to see results? Yeah, that’s not the best way to exercise in your midlife, says exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy Sims. She and Reshma dive into tons of practical tips and tricks for getting and staying healthy in midlife, including how to increase your fiber and protein intake, improving your sleep, and the importance of listening to your body. Plus, why Stacy doesn’t recommend fasting for women. Follow Stacy @drstacysims on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Shields has been in the public eye since she began modeling at 11 months old. Days ahead of her 60th birthday, the actress, model, and author tells Reshma she’s in her “give no f*cks” era. Brooke talks about coming to terms with aging in front of the world, as chronicled in her latest book, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old. They also discuss how aging affects our hair and scalp, which inspired Brooke to start Commence, a hair care company designed for women over 40. Plus, Reshma pays Brooke a compliment that makes her emotional. Follow Brooke @brookeshields on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronaut Christina Koch was about to go out on her first spacewalk, staring out into a “big gaping hole of blackness,” when her heart started racing. So she channeled that fear into focus – reminding herself of all the training she’s done to prepare her for this moment – and stepped out of the airlock. Christina tells Reshma all about the 328 days she spent in space (including the mundane chores astronauts have to do on board the International Space Station) and they discuss Christina’s next mission, Artemis II, which will venture around the moon in 2026. Plus, how NASA designed a training program for Christina that takes into account perimenopause. Follow Christina @astro_christina on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re excited to introduce you to Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan, a new show from Lemonada Media.   As Meghan, Duchess of Sussex builds out a business of her own, she’s getting advice and insights from a handful of amazing women who have scaled small ideas into successful companies. These fly-on-the-wall conversations will no doubt inspire anyone who’s interested in turning their own entrepreneurial dreams into a reality and anyone else who just wants to hear what really happens behind the scenes.    In this inspiring and deeply honest conversation, Meghan and Reshma reconnect after first meeting years ago, when Girls Who Code was expanding into the UK. Now, they sit down to talk about the hard stuff: redesigning workplaces for women and how to make the hard choice to put your health (and yourself) before your work. After you listen, be sure to follow Confessions of a Female Founder wherever you get your podcasts, or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/confessionsofafemalefounderfdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zarna Garg needed a change. After 16 years as a stay-at-home mom, Zarna had lost her own ambitions and knew it wasn’t sustainable. She attempted – and failed at – a long list of businesses before she found her calling as a stand-up comic. She cracks Reshma up with stories about how soccer socks drove her to the brink of madness and shares advice for midlifers looking to make a change in their own lives. Follow Zarna @zarnagarg on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your weekends are spent going from one kid’s soccer game to another kid’s dance rehearsal to another kid’s robotics tournament, Dr. Becky Kennedy wants you to know one thing: it’s your weekend, too. The psychologist, mom of three, and founder of Good Inside tells Reshma that not only is it good for you to prioritize yourself, it’s good for your kids to see you doing that, too! They also talk about mom rage, how the “maternal instinct” narrative actually holds women back, and why some of Dr. Becky’s clients tell her they actually look forward to their kid having a meltdown in public. Follow Dr. Becky @drbeckyatgoodinside on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When there's a fire, you can do one of three things: run away, stand and watch, or run toward the flames. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has spent her career running toward the flames. Most recently, she went to Washington to ask President Trump for aid after an historic ice storm hit northern Michigan – and ended up, as The New York Times put it, “an unwilling participant in his unending reality show.” But she did it because the people of Michigan needed her to stay and get the help they needed. Reshma also asks the Governor about getting called “that woman from Michigan,” her decision to share that she was sexually assaulted in college, navigating a divorce, and if she has any plans for 2026 when her term is up.   Follow Governor Whitmer on Instagram @truegretchwhitmer and on X @truegretch. Check out her book, True Gretch, which also has a YA edition.   You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.    Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife    Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors   To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.