Fail Better with David Duchovny

Lemonada
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Fail Better with David Duchovny

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To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Introducing: Pack One Bag

    Hey, Fail Better listeners. It’s Thanksgiving week, and I’m sharing a show that trades in some of the same themes of this holiday: family, hardship, and reunion. The show is called Pack One Bag, featuring Stanley Tucci and the documentarian David Modigliani, and it tells the true story of how David’s Italian family was split apart by war and Fascism. They uncover the romance on the run that made so many things possible — like for David’s grandfather to win the Nobel prize and for the family he left behind to face the Nazi occupation. This limited series from Lemonada is a must-listen, and you can find the rest of the episodes here: https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebag  EPISODE 1 -- In 1939, Franco Modigliani escaped Fascist Italy for the United States. He'd go on to win a Nobel Prize, but his grandson, David, is most interested in the romance-on-the-run that made it all possible. When David digs into his grandparents' fairytale escape, he uncovers a darker side of the story - and a romance of his own. For more, tap to follow @packonebag on Instagram, TikTok and X and visit the show's website. Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  2. Aimee Mann Is In My Pantheon

    19 NOV

    Aimee Mann Is In My Pantheon

    It was a real magic moment to connect with Aimee Mann, a musician I’ve listened to for decades. She indulges my curiosities about lyric choices and instrumental training, and I learn how much goes on behind the scenes of an Aimee Mann production. We talk about the traumas of her past, which hardships do and do not influence her work, and why there feels like a creative imperative to turn pain into art. Then, to lighten things up (at least a little) we bond over some of our favorite artists of years past, like the sneakily somber Steely Dan.  Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    55 min

  3. 19 NOV · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

    PREMIUM: Reflections on Aimee Mann

    I still can’t get Aimee’s lyrics out of my head, including some of her best opening lines. Her ability to evolve creatively has me looking at my own career, and I also contemplate why I didn’t dig too deep on the concept of commercial success during our discussion.

    17 min
  4. Catching Up with Gillian Anderson

    12 NOV

    Catching Up with Gillian Anderson

    Gillian Anderson and I share a connection unlike any other. The Dana Scully to my Fox Mulder, we are the only ones who understand what the other was going through during those X-Files years. But so much was left unsaid — until now. We got a chance to open up about the ways we might have failed one another during that wild ride, and we both examine the ways we’ve grown since. Gillian also caught me up on all her ventures and adventures — her work, her writing in the sexual fantasy compilation Want, and her cheeky new “unconventional wellness” line of soft drinks. It’s good to rediscover an old friend. Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. And this week you can hear even more from my conversation with Gillian! But only with Lemonada Premium. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 4m

  5. 12 NOV · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

    PREMIUM: More From My Conversation with Gillian Anderson

    Gillian and I had so much to talk about that not all of it could make it into the episode. Lucky for you Lemonada Premium subscribers, we’re making the rest of the conversation available to listen to. Here, Gillian and I chat more about her recent book, Want, a collection of anonymous letters from hundreds of women on sex and desire, and the mission behind it all. Plus, I get some thoughts off my chest about celebrity beverages.

    16 min

  6. 12 NOV · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

    PREMIUM: Reflections on Gillian Anderson

    Gillian’s new beverage line had me thinking about when I met someone with elite gustatory powers, and how it sent me into a tailspin about taste. But the real story here is gratitude.

    12 min

  7. 5 NOV

    Introducing: My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani

    This week I’m excited to tell you about My So-Called Midlife, a new podcast by Reshma Saujani and Lemonada Media. “Is this it?” That’s the question that host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted — so why does she feel so unsatisfied with midlife? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group chat behind her, she’s calling in reinforcements. Through conversations with Chelsea Clinton, Emily Oster, Cheryl Strayed, and more, Reshma’s on a mission to help figure out how to stop trying to just get through this time of life… and actually start living it. Here’s a recent episode of My So-Called Midlife. Listen as Reshma chats with her friend, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, about how to stay present while balancing kids, a marriage and the highest of high-pressure jobs. Hear the rest of My So-Called Midlife wherever you get your podcasts, or head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/mysocalledmidlifefd Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  8. Jia Tolentino Battles The Internet

    29 OCT

    Jia Tolentino Battles The Internet

    Jia Tolentino has the internet to thank for some of her biggest successes. In the 2000s, it offered her connections beyond her strict religious community and gave her a place to share her writing with her millennial peers. Her “online” insights carved out a niche at The New Yorker, and her 2019 essay collection, Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, made a big splash with readers who felt similarly mired in digital disillusion. But these days she’s swearing off social media and seeking out the sublime elsewhere. Jia and I discuss the joys and perils of living life online (or even adjacent to it), the unexpected impacts of digital surveillance, and what all of this means for raising children.  Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min
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About

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

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