QUESTION EVERYTHING

At 22, Danielle Brooks was being chased through subway stations by Orange Is the New Black fans while still struggling to afford the life her new fame seemed to require. The series helped turn Netflix into a cultural force and made her recognizable around the world, but behind the success, Danielle was afraid to negotiate, afraid of being replaced, and increasingly willing to let other people decide what came next. Now an Oscar-nominated actor, Grammy winner, wife, mother, and host of the podcast The Intermission, Danielle gets strikingly honest about the money, rejection, faith, ambition, and self-doubt that shaped her rise + the power she’s finally ready to claim. In this episode, Danielle shares:
The reality of becoming globally famous before becoming financially stable

Why she was still riding the subway while Orange Is the New Black fans chased her through stations

How the women of Orange Is the New Black were paid compared with the young stars of Stranger Things

Why feeling replaceable kept her from negotiating for the salary she deserved

The moment she realized she had allowed someone else’s fear to direct her career

Why she put her dream of hosting on hold, even after buying her first camera with $356

How Orange Is the New Black helped build Netflix + why Danielle almost turned down the role of Taystee

What she negotiated behind the scenes when the show asked her to appear topless

The Hollywood rooms that made her wonder, “Am I supposed to be here?”

Why losing The Piano Lesson film role made her question God and consider quitting acting

The truth about having to audition for The Color Purple again after earning a Tony nomination for the same role

Why Danielle refused to let her ego cost her the role that earned her an Oscar nomination

What Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg’s approval awakened in “little Dani”

The career milestone that finally made her think, “I’m in this + I’m not going anywhere”

Why she could sing as Sofia or Mahalia Jackson but was terrified to sing as Danielle Brooks

How motherhood, marriage, and faith changed her relationship with ambition and control

The dating rules that helped her recognize her husband + the ones she immediately broke

Why she named her daughter Freeya and the freedom she hopes to pass down to her

Her new podcast, The Intermission, and why she’s finally sharing the parts of herself that acting allowed her to hide

Follow Danielle on Instagram here.
Watch Danielle on InnerMission here.
Book Rec: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
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What does it mean to raise confident, emotionally healthy kids in a world of AI, social media, beauty standards and the manosphere? Dr. Shefali Tsabary, clinical psychologist and author of the 2010 bestseller The Conscious Parent, joins Danielle to unpack her new books, Raising Conscious Daughters and Raising Conscious Sons. Dr. Shefali lays out a new reality of childhood, including the ways girls are excelling while struggling internally, why boys are searching for new models of masculinity and how algorithms are competing with parents for our children’s attention. She shares insight into everything from “good girl” conditioning and the male gaze to screen time, self-worth, curfews and whether 30 minutes of truly present parenting can actually be enough. Plus, Dr. Shefali challenges us to rethink what it means to be a “good” parent in our world today and shares why raising secure kids may have less to do with controlling them and more to do with trusting, listening and showing up. In this episode you’ll learn:
How watching Netflix’s Adolescence gave Dr. Shefali a new sense of urgency around raising boys and ultimately inspired her book Raising Conscious Sons
How AI and social media are competing with parents for kids’ attention, attachment and connection
Why boys are increasingly drawn to the manosphere and what parents can do to model a healthier version of masculinity.
How parents can teach boys to process rejection, vulnerability and difficult emotions instead of suppressing them.
Why children and teens may turn to AI chatbots for validation and emotional support.
How parental phone use can impact a child’s self-worth and sense of being seen.
Why lowering expectations in early childhood can actually help kids build confidence.
How giving kids age-appropriate choices can develop independence, resilience and self-trust.
Why raising a “good girl” can unintentionally teach daughters people-pleasing, obedience and silence.
Why girls can appear successful on the outside while struggling with anxiety, perfectionism and pressure within.
What the Kardashians can teach us about beauty standards, female empowerment, the male gaze and the messages young girls absorb from culture.
Why Dr. Shefali challenges the idea that women dress entirely “for themselves”—and why understanding our desire for external validation matters.
Why strict rules and too much parental control can sometimes create more rebellion in kids
How algorithms influence what we see, want and believe, and why Dr. Shefali believes our social media feeds are increasingly leading us to being “brainwashed.”
Why Dr. Shefali says Emma Grede’s viral “three-hour mom” comment may have a point: quality time with kids can matter more than quantity.
Dr. Shefali’s Book Recommendation: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Grab a copy of Dr. Shefali’s books, Raising Conscious Daughters here and Raising Conscious Sons here.
Follow Dr. Shefali on Instagram.
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What happens when you start earning more than your partner, friends or even your parents? What does it actually mean to be rich? New York Times bestselling author, Financial Feminist host and Her First $100K founder Tori Dunlap challenges the different financial lessons taught to women and men, reveals the investing mistake she sees constantly and explains why building wealth requires us to think beyond cutting expenses. Danielle and Tori also talk candidly about buying versus renting, out-earning a partner, separating net worth from self-worth—and why talking openly about money can deepen our relationships.
In this episode:
The financial audit that reveals whether you have an earning problem or a spending problem.
Why women are taught to save while men are taught to invest—and how that difference can shape a lifetime of wealth.
The overlooked second step that keeps money in many Roth IRAs, 401(k)s and brokerage accounts from actually being invested.
Why your earning potential may matter more than finding another expense to cut.
How multiple income streams helped Tori reach her first $100,000—and what she would do differently today.
Why renting isn’t “throwing money away” and buying a home may be an emotional decision rather than a financial one.
The hidden complications of out-earning your partner, parents or friends.
Why women can feel shame both when they’re struggling financially and when they’re succeeding.
How talking openly about money can create greater honesty and intimacy in your relationships.
Why having a high income means little if you don’t know how to protect, invest and sustain it.
The difference between a $10 purchase and a “$10,000 decision”—and which one deserves more of your attention.
Why automating your savings is one of the simplest financial habits with the greatest return.
How Tori learned to separate her net worth from her self-worth.
Why money management is a learned skill, not a trait you either possess or don’t.
How financial freedom can help you become “unfuckwithable”—able to leave any room, job or relationship that doesn’t respect you.
Tori’s Book Recommendation: Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Grab a copy of Tori’s book, Financial Feminist, here.
Follow Tori on Instagram.
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Priya Parker wants us all to stop running from conflict and she says there is actually an art to fighting! The bestselling author of The Art of Gathering is back with her new book The Art of Fighting, a guide to having the hard conversations that can actually bring us closer together. Priya joins Danielle to unpack why avoiding conflict may be making us lonelier, how to figure out which relationships are worth fighting for, and why every fight may be revealing something deeper that we want. Plus, Priya looks at some of pop culture’s most memorable conflicts: from Issa and Molly’s friendship rupture on Insecure and Ross and Rachel’s infamous fight on Friends to the real conflict hiding inside The Devil Wears Prada. If you’ve ever avoided a difficult conversation, struggled to speak up, or wondered whether it’s time to repair a relationship or walk away, this episode will change the way you think about fighting. Priya shares:
Why avoiding conflict might actually be making us lonelier
How healthy conflict can bring us closer together
Why the fights we avoid can reveal what we really want
How to figure out what you’re actually fighting about
Why conflict can be an unexpected form of intimacy
How to know when a relationship is worth fighting for — and when it’s time to walk away
What to do when a friendship starts to feel different
Why some friendships need to evolve as we change
What Insecure gets right about friendship breakups and “the dangerous truth”
What the Ross and Rachel fight on Friends teaches us about group dynamics
Why Priya thinks we’ve misunderstood the real conflict in The Devil Wears Prada
A new way to look at Miranda Priestly’s iconic cerulean sweater speech
How to ask better questions during difficult conversations
Why you don’t have to resolve every fight in the moment
The surprising reason some of our hardest fights can become a doorway to deeper connection
Priya’s Book Recommendation: The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
Grab a copy of Priya’s book, The Art of Fighting, here.
Follow Priya on Instagram.
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Danielle Bayard Jackson is one of the world's leading experts on female friendship. She's a friendship coach, researcher, and the bestselling author of Fighting for Our Friendships. Today will forever change the way you think about friendship. Danielle shares:

The two questions every friend wants answered
How to handle conflict in friendships as adults
How to make friends as an adult
Why female friendships are essential to our mental, emotional, and physical health
How to navigate conflict without ending the friendship
Friendship jealousy, envy, gossip, and why they're more nuanced than we think
The hidden reason adult friendships change during different seasons of life
Danielle Robay shares the friendship betrayal story that went viral on TikTok and Instagram
Why desire is important even in platonic relationship
Friendship burnout and how to handle it
How to know when it’s time to let a friendship go (and how to handle it)
Gossip! Why it’s not ALL bad (and how to differentiate the two)
Wedding drama, bachelorette parties, birthdays, and mismatched expectations
Friendship burnout and how to show up when life feels overwhelming
The difference between being a nice friend and a good friend
Simple ways to become a better friend starting today
Book Recommendation: Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends by Marisa G. Franco PhD
Follow Danielle Bayard Jackson here.
Grab a copy of her book here.
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