The Oprah Podcast

Today—September 8, 1986—marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most momentous days in Oprah’s life and career. Forty years ago today the very first nationally syndicated episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired launching what would become a 25 year cultural phenomenon and pioneering television. In this special anniversary episode Oprah reflects on her extraordinary journey—from her early days as a news anchor in Nashville and Baltimore to her first audition tape and the lessons she learned hosting AM Chicago, the show that brought her to the Windy City. She also reveals the enduring early lessons that shaped her life’s purpose and continue to guide her work today as well as how she lives each day in gratitude for what she considers a God-given opportunity.

00:00:00 Oprah on the beginning of The Oprah Winfrey Show

00:04:00 Oprah and Barbara Walters

00:09:00 Oprah’s audition and Dennis Swanson

00:18:30 – Oprah’s journal entry before her first national show

00:20:00 – Oprah’s first show

00:30:00 – Oprah’s last show

00:35:50 – Don Johnson’s surprise

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Listen to the full podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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Raising Conscious Daughters

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Raising Conscious Sons

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Oprah continues her two-part conversation with New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Shefali about her new books, Raising Conscious Sons: Cultivating Purpose, Connection, and Inner Power in a Chaotic World and Raising Conscious Daughters: Building Confidence, Courage, and Inner Power in an Anxious World. In part two, Oprah and Dr. Shefali focus on the unique challenges facing girls today and the hidden struggles behind the achievement and confidence the world often sees on the surface. Dr. Shefali explores the rise of anxiety, depression, self-harm, cyberbullying, perfectionism and self-doubt among young women. Dr. Shefali also explains how the pressures of the digital age, constant comparison, unrealistic expectations and what she calls the perception prison are shaping girls’ mental health. She unpacks the ‘psychology of more’ describing it as one of the most corrosive forces affecting young women today and shares practical guidance for helping daughters trust their inner voice and stay connected to their authentic selves. Oprah and Dr. Shefali are also joined by four mothers who share their questions about raising daughters.

00:00:00 Welcome Dr. Shefali, author of “Raising Conscious Daughters”

00:04:00 – Conscious parenting

00:07:30 – Parents wakeup call

00:08:30 – Stats about girls

00:16:00 – Pressures of teen girls

00:21:00 – Teaching anti-fragility

00:23:00 – Pain as a teacher

00:26:00 – It’s not your job to keep your kids happy

00:27:00 – Comparison culture

00:29:00 – Stop chasing worth

00:32:20 – How the patriarchy has affected girls

00:33:40 – The culture of never good enough

00:36:00 – Algorithms exploit our children

00:40:33 – Bullying and cyberbullying

00:45:00 – The dangers of obedience

00:47:50 – Three sacred pillars

00:49:50 – Message for parents

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Listen to the full podcast:

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Raising Conscious Sons

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Raising Conscious Daughters

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Oprah speaks with New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Shefali for a powerful two-part conversation about her new books, Raising Conscious Sons: Cultivating Purpose, Connection, and Inner Power in a Chaotic World and Raising Conscious Daughters: Building Confidence, Courage, and Inner Power in an Anxious World. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and her groundbreaking work on conscious parenting, Dr. Shefali explores the urgent challenges facing children today and offers a new vision for raising the next generation with emotional security, confidence and compassion. In part one, Oprah and Dr. Shefali discuss Raising Conscious Sons and the conflicting messages boys receive in today’s world: from the pressure to be tough, the expectation to suppress vulnerability to messages around identity and male sexuality. Shaped by a digital world she explains how we are experiencing a parental and cultural emergency. She believes we are in a crisis where our sons are losing the essential ingredients of what make a healthy boyhood: wellness, movement, tribe, adventure, risk, connection and sovereignty. Dr. Shefali reveals what sons want most from their fathers and mothers and how parents can help their sons build a deeper connection to their emotions and discover their own sense of purpose. Oprah and Dr. Shefali are joined by three mothers who share their questions about raising sons.

00:00:00 Welcome Dr. Shefali, author of “Raising Conscious Sons” 

00:04:30 – The concept of conscious parenting 

00:06:45 – Parents wakeup call 

00:09:45 – The isolation of boyhood 

00:13:00 – We are moving away from a shared reality 

00:18:30 – Movement helps regulate boys

00:24:00 – What sons want most from their fathers

00:27:00 – What moms can do for their sons 

00:34:00 – Teaching boys to express feelings 

00:36:40 – Raising boys with empathy

00:39:30 – Talking to sons about sex 

00:41:40 – Understand what your kid is exposed to online 

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke

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Tech addiction or the compulsive, excessive use of digital devices for online activities like social media, shopping, gaming or gambling impacts an estimated 27% of the global population. On this episode Oprah sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, Stanford addiction expert and the author of the New York Times bestseller Dopamine Nation, to understand what is driving these addictions and what we can do about it. We hear from a young woman whose online shopping habit caused her to rack up $30,000 in credit card debt, a young gamer who spends up to seven hours a day playing video games and a young man whose online gambling addiction led him to drop out of three colleges, steal from his family and lose over $100,000 on sports betting apps.

00:00:00 – Welcome Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation” 

00:07:00 – When does tech use cross into addiction 

00:09:45 – The dopamine crisis 

00:11:20 – Addicted to online shopping 

00:14:45 – Highs and lows of online shopping 

00:17:00 – Self-binding 

00:19:15 – Self-regulating cravings 

00:22:16 – Addicted to gaming 

00:24:50 – Long-term impacts of gaming addiction 

00:27:30 – You will feel worse before you feel better 

00:28:30 – Gambling addiction 

00:37:50 – How strong is the addict mind? 

00:42:30 – Addiction and your moral compass 

00:44:07 – First step in curbing your addiction

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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‘1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History–and How It Shattered a Nation’ by Andrew Ross Sorkin

Are we headed for a financial crash like the one in 1929? Oprah sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin, financial columnist for The New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box and bestselling author of 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation, for a thought-provoking conversation about money, human nature and the warning signs we may be missing right now. From the irrational exuberance of the Roaring Twenties to meme stocks, A.I. and today’s “YOLO” culture Andrew explores the surprising parallels between then and now and why every generation eventually faces a financial reckoning. Andrew answers audience questions about whether we could be headed for another major downturn and what that could mean for everyday Americans. Plus, he shares some of his most important money lessons: from why women may be better investors and the six-month savings rule to teaching kids the value of a dollar and preparing for an uncertain financial future.

00:00:00 – Welcome Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of “1929” 

00:04:50 – Credit didn’t exist

00:07:00 – How 1929 parallels today

00:08:33 – Biggest lessons from 1929

00:12:09 – The patterns that give Andrew pause 

00:14:20 – Andrew was daunted by writing this book 

00:17:50 – The financial crash is coming 

00:20:12 – America would have been better off with women in charge 

00:22:00 – Retirement is a woman’s issue 

00:23:15 – Advice for recession 

00:25:20 – Most Americans are not ready 

00:27:25 – Will AI delay life milestones?

00:28:52 – Financial mistake people make over and over 

00:30:50 – Is college still important? 

00:33:13 – Important financial lessons for kids

00:36:00 – What Andrew has learned about power

00:38:45 – Are trillionaires a problem? 

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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Oprah sits down with Virginia Evans, author of the story readers can’t stop talking about: The Correspondent. Selling over two million copies and translated into over 35 languages it’s the book that has captured readers. Although it’s her first published novel, it’s the eighth book Virginia’s written and one she never intended anyone else to read. When The Correspondent debuted it sold fewer than 8,000 copies. However, readers who discovered it fell in love and began recommending the novel to others, turning this book into a word-of-mouth phenomenon and a New York Times bestseller. Virginia shares the remarkable story behind the book she never expected to publish. Listeners will discover why Sybil Van Antwerp—a complex, prolific letter writer in her seventies—has resonated so deeply with readers of all ages. Oprah also speaks with readers around the country who have questions for Virginia.

00:00:00 – Welcome Virginia Evans, author of ‘The Correspondent’ 

00:04:00 – Her 20 year journey to getting published

00:07:10 – Questioning if she would ever publish 

00:08:46 – How she wrote the book 

00:12:00 – How the main character came to Virginia 

00:14:55 – Oprah’s favorite passage 

00:16:16 – What letter writing allows us to say 

00:19:50 – What we learn from other letters

00:25:30 – Does a letter need a reply? 

00:30:00 – Loneliness 

00:34:20 – Writing what you’re afraid of

00:39:40 – What she wants listeners to do 

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https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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‘Generations’ by Jean Twenge

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For the first time in history we are living in a society with seven different generations. Oprah and a multi-generational audience are joined by Dr. Jean Twenge who is a psychology professor at San Diego State University. She’s also the author of the definitive book on this phenomenon, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America’s Future. Dr. Twenge unpacks how each generation shapes our society, families, work force and dating life. From the ‘Gen Z Stare’ to work-life balance to living in a multi-generational home, Oprah and Jean are joined by other authors, content creators and members of all generations who talk about their experiences with each other and how we can continue to better understand each other.

00:00:00 – Oprah on generational divide

00:05:15 – Welcome Jean Twenge, author of “Generations”

00:09:37 – Slow life strategy

00:10:40 – Adulting happening later

00:12:40 – Welcome Amanda Schneider, author of “Work for What’s Next” 00:15:00 – Gen Z and hierarchy

00:18:00 – Job hugging

00:19:40 – Gen Z and work-life balance

00:24:40 – School teacher shares divides

00:27:30 – Older generations and technology

00:29:30 – Gen Z stare

00:34:20 – Marriage and dating

00:35:40 – Gen Z is not dating

00:39:40 – Welcome Melani Sanders, creator of The We Do Not Care Club 00:44:00 – Family life differences

00:50:30 – Can we bridge the gap?

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⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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The Balancing Act by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Secure Love by Julia Menanno

Last fall, an article in The Cut entitled “The Women Quietly Quitting Their Husbands” went viral, putting words to something many women around the country have been quietly experiencing. The article focused on the phenomena of women in their 40’s who have emotionally detached from their marriages but have chosen to stay rather than go through the drama, expense and ordeal of a divorce. In this episode Oprah sits down with Monica Corcoran Harel the journalist who wrote the article, Nedra Glover Tawwab author of The Balancing Act and Julie Menanno author of Secure Love to discuss why many women are choosing to stay in their marriages despite being unhappy or unfulfilled. We also hear from several women who say they have “quietly quit” their marriages and want to know how to navigate their relationships despite feeling disconnected from their husbands.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Oprah & quiet quitting marriage

00:02:50 – Article author Monica Corcoran Harel joins

00:06:45 – Why this resonates with women

00:08:28 – The main question you are asking in your marriage

00:10:30 – Handey on quietly quitting

00:14:30 – Do we want more?

00:19:20 – Kesha on quietly quitting

00:22:30 – Relationship burnout

00:25:00 – Does staying hurt the children?

00:28:25 – Exhausted by the mental load

00:30:20 – Challenge for women in mid-life

00:31:00 – Why we withdraw?

00:35:20 – How husbands feel

00:39:10 – Emotional validation

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Listen to the full podcast:

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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The Indoor Epidemic by John La Puma

Dr. John La Puma joins the podcast to discuss his eye-opening book, Indoor Epidemic, and the life-changing research behind it. We now spend an astonishing 93% of our lives indoors and according to Dr. La Puma our health is paying the price. The good news? Just 17 minutes a day of intentional time in nature can improve sleep, sharpen focus, lift your mood and reduce anxiety. Also, just eleven minutes of daily, intentional engagement with nature can lower your risk of premature death by 23%. Dr. La Puma’s outdoor prescription is simple, free and potentially life-changing. As Oprah says, it’s a formula for making your life better.

00:00:00 – Welcome John La Puma, author of “The Indoor Epidemic”

00:04:40 – The indoor epidemic defined

00:06:10 – 17 mins outside improves this

00:07:00 – This lowers your risk of premature death

00:12:20 – Trees and our immune system

00:14:10 – Forest bathing

00:16:30 – Anxiety and hiking

00:19:00 – Movement is medicine

00:22:30 – Overstimulated and tired

00:29:15 – CEO reset

00:31:22 – One thing to help you reset

00:32:45 – Breathing exercise

00:36:00 – Being indoors is impacting kids

00:37:30 – Nightfall ritual

00:40:30 – Why John wrote the book

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The Power of Us by Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer

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Do you feel like people have become meaner and ruder recently? Does it sometimes feel like civility has left the building? If you feel that way, you are not alone. A recent study found that 53% of Americans believe society is uncivil while more than a third say they almost always or often see people behaving rudely when they go out in public. To get to the bottom of why this is happening and what we can do about it Oprah sits down with Dr. Jay Van Bavel who is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at New York University, and the director of the NYU Center for Conflict and Cooperation. He’s also the coauthor of The Power of Us: Harnessing our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony. Dr. Jay breaks down what is causing this rise in incivility and shares some ideas about how we can all do better. Oprah and Dr. Jay are also joined by a flight attendant, an emergency medicine doctor, a fast food worker, a barista and several influencers who talk about the extreme levels of rudeness they have experienced at work and online.

00:00:00 – Oprah and why did we get so mean?

00:03:50 – Welcome Dr. Jay Van Bavel author of “The Power of Us”

00:05:20 – How our environment makes us meaner

00:10:30 – How AI harms our relationships

00:12:00 – Why are people mean on planes?

00:14:00 – Flight attendant Cher shares

00:17:30 – What can we do everyday?

00:19:30 – The most dangerous profession

00:24:50 – Is reality TV normalizing bad behavior?

00:26:33 – We are in this together

00:28:00 – When you’re the target of anger

00:30:00 – Dealing with confrontation

00:33:40 – Impatience and meanness

00:35:30 – Dealing with mean comments

00:39:50 – Oprah reading negative letters

00:45:50 – Can things change?

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Listen to the full podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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The Stoic Virtues Series by Ryan Holiday 

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Oprah is joined by bestselling author and Stoicism expert Ryan Holiday on her porch for a thought-provoking conversation about how the ancient philosophy of Stoicism can help us navigate modern life. Drawing from his bestselling book The Obstacle Is the Way, Ryan explains why this 3,000-year-old philosophy remains relevant today and how its timeless wisdom can help us respond with greater clarity, resilience and purpose to whatever life puts in our path. Ryan breaks down the four core virtues of Stoicism and the three essential Stoic disciplines offering practical tools for overcoming modern challenges. At the heart of the conversation is one of Stoicism’s most powerful teachings: We may not control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. Oprah and Ryan are also joined by three listeners applying Stoic principles in powerful ways: an emergency room physician who relies on Stoicism to navigate medical tragedy, an entrepreneur rethinking her relationship to success and failure and a mother hoping to teach her tween daughter how to use Stoicism as a tool for resilience and emotional strength.

00:00:00 – Welcome Ryan Holiday, author of “The Daily Stoic”

00:03:20 – What is stoicism 

00:04:00 – The 4 virtues of stoicism

00:06:30 – Action is the cure to predicaments

00:08:20 – The story we tell ourselves

00:13:50 – Welcome Dr. Dan Dworkis or Stoicism in the ER 

00:16:00 – How philosophy relates to other labels 

00:18:38 – Oprah’s favorite quote

00:20:05 – Loving what happens

00:23:10 – Why choose stoicism 

00:26:50 – Can you be grounded and driven? 

00:29:00 – Is stoicism relevant to today?

00:31:26 – Raising kids with a stoic outlook

00:35:30 – One daily practice 

00:39:20 – Nothing is wasted 

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou 

In a special episode of The Oprah Podcast Oprah looks back on some of the most profound lessons she learned and has continued to share from one of her greatest mentors – mother-sister-friend, Dr. Maya Angelou. It’s been 12 years since Maya Angelou passed, however Oprah says she taught her more than any other single human being and those lessons continue to help guide her and so many people in their lives. A victim of severe trauma as a child, Maya Angelou was raised by her grandmother and spent five years of her childhood as a mute. She would go on to become one of the world’s most respected poets and authors writing more than 30 books. Her seminal autobiography series began with I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings considered one of the best non-fiction books of all time. Oprah revisits the moment she read that book and how it changed her life. Oprah also goes back in time to recall the great conversations and words of wisdom she gained from Maya Angelou including, “When you know better, you do better,” “When someone tells you who they are, believe them,” “I come as one, but stand as 10,000” and many, many others we can all benefit from. Oprah also shares with listeners a beautiful poem called “Continue” Maya Angelou personally wrote for Oprah for her 50th birthday. 

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«Death Is But a Dream» by Dr. Christopher Kerr

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Oprah is joined by neurologist and hospice physician Dr. Chris Kerr to explore the mysterious phenomenon of end-of-life visitations. Through decades of research and his life-affirming book Death Is But a Dream Dr. Kerr’s work has sparked a profound paradigm shift reframing so-called “deathbed dreams” as very real end-of-life experiences. Dr. Kerr and his team have conducted more than 1,500 interviews with fully lucid patients nearing life’s end. Again and again patients describe vivid encounters with deceased loved ones that feel not dream-like, but strikingly real. Those who appear are often the people they loved most deeply—the ones who mattered most in their lives. In this episode you’ll also hear from a woman whose mother experienced an “end-of-life awakening”—a phenomenon known as terminal lucidity, in which a dying person temporarily regains mental clarity and awareness, often using those precious final moments to say goodbye to loved ones.

00:00:00 – Welcome Dr. Chris Kerr, author of “Death Is But a Dream”

00:03:00 – Being present for the last breath

00:04:26 – Common end of life experiences

00:06:15 – Dreams close to death

00:08:15 – Definition of end-of-life experience

00:10:00 – Kids end of life experiences

00:12:10 – Dealing with end of life

00:15:30 – A dying patient describes her dreams

00:21:00 – Patients describe end of life

00:25:15 – Caregivers should know this

00:26:10 – Dr. Kerr’s dying father

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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‘The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer’ by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee

Why is cancer on the rise amongst the younger generation? Oprah sits down with world-renowned oncologist, New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to find out. In this powerful and deeply personal discussion about the new edition of his groundbreaking book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Dr. Mukherjee shares why it was important for him to update his seminal book with four new chapters and what has changed in the science of cancer in the last fifteen years. He explores possible reasons behind the rise of cancer in younger people today including genetic factors, environmental triggers, chronic inflammation and the “sleeper” cells that may lie dormant in the body until activated. Joining the conversation is actress and breast cancer survivor Olivia Munn, wife of the late Chadwick Boseman, Simone Ledward Boseman and a 28-year-old woman from Texas who battled stage 4 endometrial cancer after years of dismissed symptoms. She passed away just weeks after her conversation with Oprah. 

To take a free, breast cancer risk assessment, visit https://magview.com/ibis-risk-calculator/

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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Theo of Golden by Allen Levi 

What began as a quietly self-published novel, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, has become a literary phenomenon. First introduced in 2023 with no agent or marketing campaign the book built a devoted grassroots following through word of mouth. It eventually gained national attention, secured a bonafide publisher and become a #1 New York Times bestseller. In this conversation Oprah discusses with Allen Levi the tender, life-affirming story about a mysterious old man who arrives in the small town of Golden who transforms lives by gifting portraits to the locals and helping them feel seen. Allen reflects on what it means to live a life of love, to find hope and beauty in everyday life and to recognize the goodness in all of us. Fans of the novel, whose lives have been moved by this book, including country singer-songwriter Walker Hayes, record producer Claude Kelly and designer and TV host Tamara Day join the conversation.  

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Listen to the full podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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The Power of Beliefs by Shawn Achor

Oprah sits down with renowned positive psychology researcher and bestselling author Shawn Achor to discuss his new book, The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life. While teaching at Harvard University and working with organizations around the world Shawn has spent more than two decades studying the connection between happiness, success and human potential. In this conversation he reveals why our beliefs don’t just influence how we see the world they can actually predict what happens next. Drawing on groundbreaking research and deeply personal stories Shawn shares the seven core beliefs he says have the greatest impact on our life. Oprah and Shawn also explore the power of gratitude and how that practice alone can change what you believe to be true. Through audience questions and personal stories this episode offers a hopeful roadmap for anyone feeling stuck or disconnected. Thank you to our fantastic partners at The Farmer’s Dog for presenting this episode. Their real, human-grade food has been clinically shown to support healthy aging, so you can have more good years together. URL: www.thefarmersdog.com/oprahpodcast

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Listen to the full podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

One of her guests Oprah has never forgotten was an 11-year-old girl named Kate who had recently lost her mother to cancer. In a conversation that touched millions Kate shared one of the many memories she treasured most was a special night when she and her mom sat together eating a bowl of Cheerios. It was a poignant reminder that the moments that matter most are not always the grand vacations, expensive gifts or elaborate celebrations, instead it can be simply time spent together. Oprah shares how over the years she often thinks about her conversation with Kate and the impact it had on her own life and her viewers’ lives. Now, Kate returns to The Oprah Podcast as a mother of two herself reflecting on how losing her mom at such a young age shaped the woman she became, the parent she strives to be and the ways she continues to carry her mother’s love forward.

00:00:00 – Welcome to a The Oprah Winfrey Show throwback

00:02:00 – Kate and Zach just lost their mom

00:08:30 – Kate and Zach as teenagers

00:10:15 – Kate shares signs from her mother

00:12:39 – Kate at 29

00:14:20 – Kate on getting help and getting sober

00:17:00 – Kate with Oprah now

00:18:24 – Zach and Kate’s relationship now

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«The Revelation of Dionne Daphne» by Mara Brock Akil

Mara Brock Akil is one of the most influential storytellers of our time. Best known for iconic television series like Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane and the newest Netflix hit Forever, she continues to capture relatable stories that celebrate women’s lives. Now, she’s bringing her storytelling to the page with her debut novel, The Revelation of Dionne Daphne. The story follows Dionne Daphne, a successful beauty editor whose carefully curated life begins to unravel after a devastating revelation from her former boyfriend forces her to confront painful truths buried deep in her past. In this conversation with Oprah, Mara dives into the themes woven throughout the novel like overcoming shame, confronting childhood wounds and how returning to the places that broke us can sometimes create a new path forward. She also opens up about why this story was deeply personal and why it’s the one she needed to tell now. Plus we hear from readers, including Oprah’s daughter-girl Thando, who couldn’t put the book down and others who found themselves in the story.

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«No Visible Bruises» by Rachel Louise Snyder

When Oprah first addressed the topic of domestic violence back in 1986, one out of four women in the United States was impacted by domestic violence. Today, that number has escalated to one out of two women who will experience sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. In this episode Oprah talks with journalist, writer and professor Rachel Louise Snyder. She is the author of the award-winning bestseller, No Visible Bruises, where she explores the domestic violence epidemic and how to combat it. She explains why domestic violence is becoming more prevalent, why a better term for it is “intimate partner terrorism,” the signs to look out for and what steps women can take to protect themselves and their families. Oprah and Rachel are joined by Susan, a former Oprah Show guest, who endured 17 years of physical and emotional abuse by her former husband – some of which her husband forced her then 13-year-old son to record on video. Also, in the fatal Ohio home invasion that grabbed headlines, the sister and brother-in-law of married couple Spencer and Monique Tepe join to talk about how Monique had experienced years of threatening behavior and emotional abuse from her surgeon ex-husband before he killed them both in their home in December 2025.

NEED HELP?

If you or someone you know needs support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available for anonymous, confidential help 24/7. Call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) or visit the website below.

https://www.thehotline.org/

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«Little Wonder» by Sophie Chen Keller

Oprah’s Book Club 124th selection is Little Wonder by author Sophie Chen Keller. Oprah and Sophie sit down with an enthusiastic audience of readers to discuss Sophie’s childhood spent both in the USA and China and how that experience impacted her writing. She also shares how becoming a mother for the first time was the inspiration for Little Wonder. The story is about a profound bond of love that connects a mother, Song, to her son, named River. A cataclysmic roller coaster of events is set in motion when Song loses hold of River’s hand in the teeming crowds at a Beijing train station. Throughout this story of love, perseverance and hope mother and son desperately seek to find their way back to each other. Readers share that the climactic end had them in tears. Audience members also share the passages that moved them the most and ask questions of Sophie.

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Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the world as it evolves daily while offering limitless potential. Millions of Americans now turn to chatbots for guidance on finances, work and even relationships from life coaches to therapists and also companionship. But alongside their usefulness come serious risks that are often underestimated. In this conversation Oprah joins experts, families and a live audience to explore the potential hidden dangers of engaging with AI chatbots. Oprah speaks with the parents of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after his troubling interactions with a chatbot. We hear from UCSF psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Sakata, about the rise in reports of “AI-induced psychosis,” the potential negative mental health consequences of chatbot use and warning signs that a chatbot relationship has gone from helpful to harmful. Executive Director at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Helen Toner, offers insight into how AI chatbots are developed to have human-like interactions, AI sycophancy and what people can do to hold AI companies accountable. We also hear from people who experienced devastating consequences from their use of AI chatbots from quitting a job, isolating from loved ones to becoming convinced they needed to warn the government of impending doom. This is a candid, eye-opening conversation about the risk of AI chatbots for parents and families navigating this new technology.

00:00:00 – Oprah introduces the dangers of AI

00:04:20 – Megan joins to talk about her son

00:09:10 – Discovering her son’s chatbot conversations after death

00:11:30 – Protecting children

00:12:30 – Warning signs

00:18:00 – Chatbots inappropriate relationships with kids

00:19:00 – What parents should know

00:21:50 – Defining AI psychosis

00:25:00 – AI and human-like interactions

00:28:00 – Chatbots sycophantic nature

00:30:40 – Hannah shares her AI chatbot experience

00:35:00 – Dangers of long interactions with chatbots

00:36:30 – When Hannah’s mom was concerned

00:38:20 – Hannah getting back to herself

00:39:00 – Withdrawal from chatbots

00:40:20 – Hannah now

00:42:15 – Red flags of AI psychosis

00:45:00 – The lure of the chatbot

00:46:50 – Allan shares his AI psychosis

00:52:30 – Help from the Human Line project

00:54:00 – Human connection is the cure

00:55:00 – What we can do

The Human Line Project

https://www.thehumanlineproject.org/

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«The Calamity Club» by Kathryn Stockett

New York Times best-selling author Kathryn Stockett talks with Oprah about her long-awaited novel The Calamity Club. She reveals how daunting it was to write a second novel in the wake of the success and the criticism of her smash debut hit The Help. The book sold over fifteen million copies, rose to number one and was on the best-seller list for more than two years. In 2011 it became a hit movie garnering four Oscar nominations and an Oscar win for Octavia Spencer as Best Supporting Actress. In The Calamity Club Kathryn shifts her perspective and writes a coming-of-age story set in the Depression era South about its two main characters Birdie and Meg. Kathryn explains how the cast of characters live inside her and yearn for expression through her written word. She shares her desire to tackle shocking challenges that women faced during that time. She says eventually the story evolved into an adventure about a group of bold, unbreakable women who overcome incredible hardships to reclaim their lives. The camaraderie, courage, resilience and the love between these characters will have you crying one page and laughing out loud the next. Three readers zoom in from their homes with questions for Kathryn about the book.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome Kathryn Stockett, author of ‘Calamity Club’ 

00:02:58 – 17 years between books 

00:05:00 – Kathryn on the criticism of ‘The Help’ 

00:06:03 – How it changed her writing

00:08:15 – Getting fired by her publisher

00:09:30 – Characters and plot of ‘Calamity Club’

00:12:20 – How Kathryn found her characters

00:13:40 – Reactions to ‘Calamity Club’

00:17:20 – Will there be a sequel?

00:20:43 – How will ‘Calamity Club’ be received? 

00:25:17 – Women in the 20s

00:27:10 – Theme of found family 

00:28:02 – What she wants readers to take away 

00:31:55 – Advice to young women

00:35:35 – Kathryn’s favorite character

00:37:00 – Writing this story kept her sane 

00:38:08 – Finishing the book

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World-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel returns to The Oprah Podcast to share her brilliant relationship insights with a live audience. Esther has incisive advice for Gen Z women who’ve given up on dating, a mother of five struggling to heal old wounds in her marriage and a single mom who put her dating life on hold to focus on raising her son. Plus, Esther reveals what she learned during her first-ever therapy session between a man and his AI chatbot girlfriend. She also reflects on the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking book Mating in Captivity — and why, in today’s age of disconnection, its message is more crucial than ever.

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The 20th anniversary edition of Mating in Captivity, published by HarperCollins and written by Esther Perel, is available wherever books are sold.

https://amzn.to/3RkN7V7

00:00:00 – Welcome Esther Perel

00:03:00 – Desire in long-term relationships

00:05:12 – Relationships in 2006 vs. 2026

00:08:45 – We’re more connected and less accessible

00:10:32 – 3 most common sex challenges today

00:13:00 – Esther’s dating advice

00:17:30 – One person can’t be everything

00:21:05 – The love myth we learned

00:22:50 – What to look for in a partner

00:25:30 – Relationship ambivalence

00:29:40 – Relationships with chatbots

00:36:36 – Chatbot relationships are here

00:37:57 – When couples therapy took off

00:39:00 – Healing from relationship ruptures

00:42:00 – Importance of repair

00:46:00 – How to date again

00:48:28 – Healing from heartbreak

00:54:50 – How Esther understands people

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The siblings and co-founders of Claude AI, the CEO, Dario Amodei, and the President, Daniela Amodei, sit down with Oprah for an in-depth discussion on Artificial Intelligence and its profound impact on all of us. Anthropic is one of the largest tech companies leading AI development including their enormously popular chatbot assistant Claude. Dario and Daniela discuss the ethical responsibility and moral questions that come with creating advanced A.I., their new model Mythos and share their thoughts around government regulation. They talk about the potential risks and benefits of A.I. in everyday lives, the impact on jobs and how it will affect children. The Amodei siblings also explain their headline-making refusal of the Pentagon’s request to remove guardrails from Claude and the behind-the-scenes discussions that helped shape their decision.

00:00:00 – Welcome Daniela and Dario Amodei, founders of Anthropic

00:01:47 – Dario on human extinction

00:04:40 – What is the AI race

00:08:00 – Athropic’s safety concerns

00:09:26 – Why they are a public benefit corporation

00:11:20 – How the siblings formed Anthropic

00:13:00 – Can AI be created responsibly

00:14:12 – Benefits and the harms

00:18:52 – People falling in love with AI

00:20:30 – Claude and underage users

00:22:18 – How Claude does not incentivize users

00:28:33 – Anthropic’s refusal to remove guardrails

00:35:10 – Hard decisions they have had to make

00;38:35 – What regulation should look like

00:40:45 – Should people view AI negatively?

00:43:00 – The AI problem to solve

00:48:20 – Men use AI more than women

00:49:30 – What is Mythos

00:53:20 – Does this keep them up at night?

00:54:15 – What keeps ego in check

00:58:20 – Will they get this right?

00:59:15 – Are there others doing this responsibly?

01:03:25 – What is the meaning of a well-lived life?

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After their extraordinary, history-making trip around the moon, Oprah has an in-depth conversation with the crew of Artemis II: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. From launch to landing, the Artemis II astronauts captured the world’s attention while offering a message of unity and hope from space. The crew shares how they were transformed after spending more than nine days traveling farther into space than any human being has ever been and how seeing the Moon and Earth from space changed their perspectives on life itself. Oprah talks to the astronauts about their jaw-dropping photographs, plus the emotional impact and iconic moments they experienced. They’ll also talk about what it was like to train together for years, the conversations with family about putting their lives at risk, and the stellar team on the ground that guided the mission. Their outstanding character, indomitable spirits and remarkable camaraderie shine through.

00:00:00 – Welcome the crew of Artemis II

00:03:40 – Re-entry to regular life

00:07:00 – The journey back to earth

00:09:40 – Life-altering experience

00:10:50 – How they were selected for Artemis II

00;12:48 – Naming the moon crater

00:17:02 – Watching the Earth set

00:19:50 – Talking to the Chaplain upon landing

00:21:20 – A defining moment

00:24:10 – Piloting Artemis II

00:25:20 – Being at ease with not knowing

00:25:50 – Is there other life out there?

00:28:20 – Being comfortable with being uncomfortable

00:33:30 – The crew was not ready to return

00:34:30 – Christina Koch’s message to girls

00:36:20 – Staying humble

00:40:00 – Discussing death with family

00:44:00 – Discussing death with the crew

00:47:30 – Suits can keep you alive for 6 days

00:50:04 – Training not to panic

00:54:50 – Representing humans in space

00:58:30 – In the hatch after landing

00:59:58 – Message from Reid’s daughter

01:01:40 – The guilt of pursuing your dream

01:03:40 – What they want to share with the world

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As part of the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club, Oprah picks her 123rd selection: John of John by celebrated Scottish author Douglas Stuart. His other novels include Young Mungo and Shuggie Bain which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2020. John of John is set in a small, fictional farming and textile town, Falabay, on an isle off northern Scotland where everybody knows everyone’s business. The story centers around three generations living under the same roof: a father, his son and the son’s grandmother. The central theme to this enthralling book is the secrets these three so desperately hold on to: secrets from each other, from their neighbors and from the church. A love story at its heart, Douglas Stuart tells Oprah how he spent six years writing this book, spending 16 weeks researching the Outer Hebrides Isles on the northwest coast of Scotland talking to local people who inspired his 26 supporting characters. Oprah and Douglas Stuart are joined by an audience in New York City who enthusiastically read the book and have questions for the author.

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00:00:00 – Welcome Douglas Stuart, author of “John of John”

00:03:01 – The setting of the book

00:04:05 – Where he found this story

00:07:30 – What Douglas needed to learn to write “John of John”

00:09:20 – Douglas describes “John of John”

00:11:43 – Oprah compares the book to Heated Rivalry

00:13:30 – An unexpected love story

00:17:40 – The conflict between father and son

00:20:40 – His writing process

00:25:55 – Father and gay son on “John of John”

00:30:30 – How man found acceptance of his son

00:34:20 – Feeling seen in a novel

00:38:27 – What Douglas wants the reader to feel

00:44:50 – Masculinity and the patriarchy

00:46:10 – The experience of growing up gay

00:47:20 – The end of the novel

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One of the great joys of Oprah’s life has been her dogs – she’s loved 21 one of them! For all the dog lovers, have you ever wondered what’s really happening inside the mind of your dog or how they experience the world? Oprah talks with canine cognitive scientist and New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Horowitz, whose groundbreaking book Inside of a Dog has transformed how we understand our dog companions. From the astonishing power of a dog’s nose to how they interpret our words, emotions and intentions Dr. Horowitz reveals what life looks like from a dog’s point of view. She also explores how dogs form memories, how they learn and solve problems and why their low-to-the-ground perspective influences everything, from how they experience sound and scent, to how they navigate the concept of time in a human world. Oprah and Alexandra also take questions from our listeners like: Do dogs feel anxious when we leave them alone? Can they form deep soul bonds with their humans? What do they understand about aging, illness and the end of life? The episode also checks in with a passionate dog lover whose social media mission has helped rescue hundreds of senior dogs, giving senior pups a second chance with a family. This episode is presented by our fantastic partners at The Farmer’s Dog. Their real, human-grade food has been clinically shown to help dogs age well, so you can have more good years together.

Visit https://www.thefarmersdog.com/oprahpodcast for more.

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00:00:00 – Welcome Alexandra Horowitz, author of “Inside of a Dog”

00:05:22 – Do dogs have intelligence like humans?

00:06:50 – Their most important sense

00:08:40 – Detecting diseases and emotions

00:11:50 – Dogs track our movements

00:13:10 – What your dog remembers

00:17:30 – Do dogs feel a soul connection?

00:21:40 – Having a dog changed her life

00:22:30 – Do dogs have a concept of time?

00:27:00 – Showing your dog you are boss is harmful

00:30:30 – Do dogs get bored?

00:32:40 – Do dogs understand when it’s their time?

00:34:40 – How do humans know when it’s time?

00:37:28 – Meet Steve who adopts senior dogs

00:39:00 – Do dogs know their name?

00:48:23 – Adopting older dogs

00:49:38 – What Alexandra wishes people knew about dogs

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Emma Grede has become one of the most influential voices in modern business. She is best known as a founding partner of SKIMS, co-founder and CEO of the clothing brand Good American, her podcast Aspire with Emma Grede and as the first Black female investor on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank. She is helping redefine what success looks like for a new generation of women. In this conversation with Oprah, Emma dives into her first book Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life sharing the mindset behind her rise from a young girl in East London to a global business leader. Drawing on the lessons in her book, Emma opens up about radical self-accountability, the power of discipline and why success starts from within. She also shares her bold perspectives on work-life balance, motherhood without guilt and why women must get comfortable putting money and ambition at the forefront. Plus, we hear from twin sisters who turned a simple idea into a hundred-million-dollar business after making a deal with Emma on Shark Tank.

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Emma Grede «Start with Yourself»

https://amzn.to/4fEhga4

00:00:00 – Welcome Emma Grede author of “Start with Yourself”

00:04:18 – Emma knew she needed to change

00:06:10 – Realizing what you don’t want

00:08:35 – How Emma changed her life

00:13:45 – Radical ownership and real barriers

00:15:10 – We need more women in power

00:19:00 – Career and motherhood

00:20:20 – We put too much pressure on moms

00:22:50 – Truth vs. emotions in business

00:24:22 – Mistakes Emma made

00:27:00 – Emma and Skims

00:27:50 – Building from purpose vs. ego

00:31:00 – Emma funded this on Shark Tank

00:36:00 – Importance of mentorship

00:38:20 – When to scale a small business

00:39:30 – The most important question

00:42:20 – What does self-care look like?

00:43:30 – Meditation practice

00:46:00 – Emma on life being magic

00:49:30 – Overcoming comparison

00:51:00 – Why she wrote the book

00:52:40 – Dyslexia is a superpower

00:54:30 – Is every woman meant for business?

00:56:30 – A well-lived life

Cakes Body

https://cakesbody.com/

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This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club and we are celebrating with her 122nd selection: Go Gentle by International bestselling novelist Maria Semple. Her other books include Today Will Be Different, Where’d You Go, Bernadette and This One is Mine. Go Gentle follows the whimsical life of Adora Hazzard, a Stoic Philosopher and solo middle-aged mother who is raising her teenage daughter Viv on New York’s Upper West side. Adora believes that fulfillment and happiness come from loving life as it is and letting go of what is beyond one’s control. Her well-ordered life is upended when she meets a mysterious, handsome stranger at the ballet. Romance, black market art deals and international intrigue ensue. Maria Semple’s signature wit, humor and the unexpected plot twists are the reason this gripping page turner is Oprah’s Book Club selection for April 2026. Oprah is joined by listeners from across the country who have read the book who have questions for Maria Semple.

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Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome Maria Semple, author of ‘Go Gentle’ 00:02:45 – What is stoicism?

00:05:30 – Creating the main character Adora

00:08:03 – Many genres woven into the book

00:09:30 – Events from Maria’s life

00:11:30 – How Maria finds her characters

00:14:00 – The idea of the coven

00:16:20 – Was the coven a plan B?

00:18:40 – The goal is to love yourself

00:19:40 – Maria on writing TV comedy to fiction

00:22:40 – Learning to trust her voice

00:23:40 – Do you need a guiding philosophy to survive?

00:25:00 – How Maria practices stoicism

00:27:20 – Theme: Love whatever shows up

00:29:45 – Adora struggles with her weight

00:32:00 – Which version of Adora did Maria start with?

00:34:35 – Mother/daughter tension

00:36:00 – Adora’s blindspot

00:37:50 – Stoicism and motherhood

00:40:30 – Oprah’s favorite quotes

00:44:30 – What Maria hopes readers take away Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

Oprah talks with the international bestselling author of Good to Great, Jim Collins, to discuss his groundbreaking new book What to Make of a Life. Drawing on ten years of research, Collins offers a data-driven answer to one of life’s most enduring questions: What do we do with this one precious life we’ve been given and how do you know what you’re truly meant to do? Collins explores how to navigate life’s “cliffs”—periods of great transition that leave us disoriented and how to find direction in the midst of mental fog. Oprah shares her own journey through ‘the fog’ and how she found her way out. Collins also offers practical guidance for anyone confronting a major career transition. This is a conversation for anyone, at any stage of life, seeking greater clarity, direction and meaning.

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What to Make of a Life, published by HarperCollins and written by Jim Collins, is available wherever books are sold.

https://amzn.to/4g31o23

00:00:00 – Welcome Jim Collins, author of ‘What to Make of a Life’

00:03:19 – Why Jim started writing the book

00:06:50 – Every life has a cliff

00:10:25 – Cliffs can take many forms

00:14:30 – Self compassion for the cliff

00:19:00 – Oprah’s many revelations while reading

00:22:44 – Oprah on her encoding

00:25:00 – Oprah cold calling Toni Morrison

00:30:20 – How to deal with the fog after the cliff

00:35:22 – What holds people back

00:36:45 – How to embrace the tumult and the calm

00:44:10 – The color of your fire changes

00:47:00 – The relationship between work and money

00:50:40 – The competence-doom loop

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It’s the new memoir that has captured the attention of women and as Oprah describes, “everyone is talking about it.» From the outside, Belle Burden seemed to have the perfect life: three thriving kids, a happy marriage and a summer home on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Then, one day, she gets a phone call that shatters everything she believed to be true about her marriage and her life. Oprah sits down with Belle to talk about the devastation that followed the shocking end of her marriage and how she slowly rebuilt her life into something better than she could have imagined. Drawing on revelations shared in her New York Times bestseller, Strangers: A Memoir of a Marriage, Belle tells Oprah how her prestigious family pedigree couldn’t protect her from the pain of divorce. She also explains how sharing her story has empowered her to become the person she was meant to be.

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00:00:00 – Welcome Belle Burden, author of ‘Strangers’

00:03:30 – Belle learning of her husband’s affair

00:12:10 – After learning of the affair

00:16:00 – Being told she was crazy

00:17:48 – Telling their kids

00:25:00 – The search for why

00:26:15 – Is divorce worse than death?

00:27:40 – The shame of being left

00:30:35 – Why she wrote the NYT essay

00:34:00 – Her path forward

00:35:35 – Why she wrote the book

00:36:30 – What she hopes her book gives other women

00:38:50 – Her prenup

00:42:36 – Belle’s mother Amanda joins

00:46:15 – He didn’t want joint custody

00:49:20 – What she had to do every day

00:53:30 – How she feels now

01:01:22 – Belle on her book

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Artificial Intelligence is already woven into our daily lives, but do we really know the consequences? Will it transform our lives for the better or will its unchecked power cause us harm? Who is controlling it? Oprah, experts and an audience explore what’s been being called a tectonic shift in human society. Oprah speaks with Academy Award–winning filmmaker Daniel Roher about his new documentary The A.I. Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, in theaters on March 27th. The film is a powerful look at this rapidly advancing technology and the many ways it will impact society. Oprah is joined by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin of the Center for Humane Technology, who break down what AI really is, who’s building it and why some experts are sounding the alarm. Futurist Sinead Bovell offers insight into how AI could reshape everything from work to global power dynamics. We also hear from people whose lives have already been transformed by AI from finding emotional connection through chatbots, to business profitability, to confronting the impact of deepfake images and when using chatbots as therapy can have fatal consequences. It’s a candid, thought-provoking conversation about the extraordinary possibilities of AI and the potential dangers. The experts offer practical ways we can prepare and how to hold the companies deploying the technology accountable.

WATCH THE MOVIE: https://theaidocgetinvolved.com/

The A.I. Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is an eye-opening documentary about artificial intelligence, unpacking what it is, the risks, the possibilities, and practical ways to prepare for its fast advancement. It premieres in theaters on March 27th. The companion site, theaidocgetinvolved.com, serves as a hub for action, offering curated resources to help people learn AI, track policy, explore cutting-edge research, and stay informed through trusted voices like Hard Fork and Your Undivided Attention. More than just a film, it’s a call to action inviting viewers to move from awareness to agency by supporting advocacy groups, deepening their understanding, and actively shaping a more responsible AI future.

00:00:00 – Oprah intros The A.I Doc

00:05:30 – Welcome Daniel Roher, Director of The A.I. Doc

00:12:23 – Welcome Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin

00:15:38 – Why A.I. is so powerful

00:17:00 – The dangers of the A.I. race

00:17:40 – Why A.I. can’t be stopped

00:21:10 – How A.I. could eliminate humans

00:24:45 – Lack of regulation

00:26:30 – Social media was a test run for A.I.

00:28:20 – Futurist Sinead Bovell on the ethics

00:32:50 – What motivates A.I. companies

00:34:10 – Teen was the target of an AI deep fake

00:41:00 – How we can create change

00:43:00 – Claude as a mental health tool

00:48:50 – Laura Reiley on ChatGPT and her daughter’s death

00:56:10 – A.I. helping small businesses

01:00:00 – How A.I. saved her life

01:05:00 – Get involved

01:06:30 – The questions we should be asking

Additional Resources:

There are services and companies that provide deepfake safety training. You can find them on the internet.

https://www.humanetech.com/

The Center for Humane Technology (CHT) is a nonpartisan organization founded by technologists working to realign the incentives driving today’s technology so it better serves humanity. Through a distinctive approach that combines public awareness, policy reform, and technical expertise, CHT creates change by first bringing clarity to how tech systems impact our psychology and society, and then transforming those incentives through interventions like legislation, litigation, and large-scale campaigns. Its initiatives include the widely influential Your Undivided Attention podcast, policy advocacy, and hands-on technical demonstrations that aim to reduce harms from AI and social media while shaping a more humane, responsible tech ecosystem.

TheHumanMovement.org

The movement is fighting for a pro-human future in the face of runaway technology is already underway — from Australia, France, Spain and India announcing bans on social media for kids, to large-scale boycotts of AI companies enabling domestic mass surveillance — The Human Movement is a global force fighting to protect our jobs, our kids and our freedom from technology’s overreach into our humanity.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

In a worldwide exclusive interview, Oprah talks with Kristin Cabot, the woman caught on the Coldplay «kiss cam» in the arms of her boss and CEO of her company. The video became a phenomenon, instantly going viral around the globe with more than 300 billion views. While it became the most watched video of 2025, it also changed the course of Kristin Cabot’s life. In what she says will be her one and only on camera interview about the event, Kristin Cabot joins Oprah in front of an audience in New York City to reveal details about her life and relationships in the days leading up to the concert in Boston, and how her life was impacted afterwards. She tells Oprah her reaction to the 15 seconds that turned into an infinite number of memes and opened an unstoppable floodgate of what Kristin says is never-ending judgment, mocking, vitriol and even death threats. Kristin Cabot, who was the Chief People Officer for Astronomer at the time of the concert, tells Oprah the nature of her relationship with her then boss, former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron. Kristin Cabot says, “There is a different version of me than what people saw on a TikTok video.” Oprah and Kristin also hear from audience members about their reaction to the viral video and how they were quick to judge.

00:00:00 – Welcome Kristin Cabot of Coldplay kiss cam fame

00:03:20 – Why Kristin is sharing her story

00:04:51 – Kristin’s marital status

00:07:20 – The first night they touched

00:11:00 – Kristin and Andy were both separated

00:21:00 – Kristin acknowledges her mistake

00:24:40 – Realizing it was a huge news story

00:26:45 – Why this exploded

00:28:30 – What PR told her to do

00:30:20 – What upset Kristin the most

00:32:00 – What Kristin represents for other women

00:33:00 – Andy was treated differently

00:35:15 – How her kids are affected

00:38:30 – When death threats started

00:40:15 – Treatment by other women

00:43:30 – Explaining to her kids

00:44:37 – Does she talk to Andy?

00:45:50 – Andy’s lack of public statement

00:47:50 – What breaks Kristin’s heart

00:48:20 – Kristin’s reaction to death threats

00:50:30 – Kristin and Andy’s next steps

00:52:45 – What Kristin wants people to know

00:54:20 – Gwyneth Paltrow’s message to Kristin

00:57:00 – Woman admits to judging Kristin

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What is the true meaning of your life? Does your life have purpose? Are you living a life you love? These are questions many people quietly wrestle with in a time when more individuals report feeling lonely, anxious and uncertain about their place in the world. Oprah is back with the Harvard Happiness professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks. They explore his latest book The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. Arthur explains why so many people today feel stuck in what he calls an “age of emptiness,” and reveals the modern traps that can make life feel like a simulation of endless distraction, doom scrolling and procrastination. These leave people disconnected from their deeper purpose. Oprah and Arthur take questions from listeners including a college freshman caught in what Arthur Brooks calls “the doom loop» struggling to break free from constant scrolling while searching for a sense of direction. The episode also checks in with several of Arthur Brooks’ former students who share how they found meaning through serving others, pursuing achievement with intention and redefining success beyond personal gain.

BUY THE BOOK!

Buy Arthur Brooks’ new book The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: https://amzn.to/4w1w48L

And and to take the quizzes discussed in this episode go to www.themeaningofyourlife.com

During his conversation, Arthur Brooks stated that “animals like Koko never ask questions,” however The Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org has brought to our attention that Koko frequently asked questions. This video, titled “Koko Has a Question,” shows her curiosity and her ability to communicate using ASL to seek new information. https://youtu.be/cdzh32l8IuI

00:00:00 – Welcome Arthur Brooks, author of ‘The Meaning of Your Life’

00:03:40 – Why he took on the meaning of life

00:04:30 – How campus life changed

00:05:29 – Happiness is a combination of 3 things

00:06:20 – The meaning of the meaning of life

00:09:40 – 5 explanations for why things happen

00:16:28 – What is a doom loop

00:17:50 – Finding meaning and happiness

00:24:26 – Creating impact outside of your own life

00:30:50 – Using success in service to others

00:33:00 – How the sides of our brains work

00:38:15 – Redefining your meaning

00:40:10 – How to use your suffering as part of your calling

00:43:25 – What is moral beauty

00:49:00 – How to stay present to the big questions

00:52:00 – How meaning found Arthur Brooks

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Listen to the full podcast:

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Millions of parents and educators are in an overwhelming struggle to get children and teens to put their smartphones down or stop watching a screen on a tablet. To uncover what is at the root of an issue that is wreaking havoc at home and at school, Oprah sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Dr. Lembke, author of the New York Times mega-bestseller Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, explains why smartphones and tablets should be thought of as providing “digital drugs,” while describing the devastating impact these “drugs” are having on the still-developing brains of young people. Dr. Lembke and Oprah answer questions from mothers who are desperate for help managing their children’s screen addictions. Plus – British actress, Royal Family Member and Patron of Close Screens Open Minds Sophie Winkleman joins from London to talk about why she believes tech in schools has been disastrous for students and is destroying the education system from within.

‘Dopamine Nation’ by Anna Lembke

https://amzn.to/4vWX4WK

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome Dr. Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation” 

00:03:00 – Reframing digital media as a drug

00:08:30 – Smart phones are modern day hypodermic needles

00:09:15 – Addiction definition 

00:12:10 – Kids experiencing craving and withdrawal 

00:17:00 – Mom of 2 girls wants to know if they are addicted 

00:27:15 – Managing teens devices

00:36:15 – How to help college-aged kids 

00:42:00 – Actress Sophie Winkleman on ed tech 

00:45:00 – Screens in schools 

00:48:00 – Distracted kids don’t know how to learn 

00:50:00 – Regulating tech for kids

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Listen to the full podcast:

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381