I'd Rather Be Reading I'd Rather Be Reading

I have always been a big proponent of books finding you when they’re meant to, and I recently read Daniel Pink’s latest book, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, which came out in 2022. I’ll be honest—I don’t think I had ever consciously thought about regret until reading his book. Then, I realized, by learning from the regrets of my past, I could at least try to do my best to prevent the regrets of my future. As I mentioned last week, I am taking a big leap professionally—today, actually, is my last day at Marie Claire, and in August I’ll begin my new role at People magazine. I felt safe and comfortable at Marie Claire, but when this People opportunity came up, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t try, even if the role intimidated me. So I took the leap, and I am proud of myself for doing that. Dan writes that none of us escape regret—well, save for a select few, which he explains in the episode today—and writes that regrets not only make us human, but they make us better. He writes that regret is “an essential component of the human experience” and “a marker of a healthy, maturing mind”; he also writes that regret is the most misunderstood emotion. Dan went deep on researching regret, even conducting the World Regret Survey to learn more about it. Wait until you hear in this episode some of the data he found from interviewing 15,000 people from 105 countries around the globe. He was able to break down regret into four core categories, which he expounds on in today’s episode: foundation, boldness, moral, and connection regrets. Today we talk about what the most common regrets are universally, if there is a time period in one’s life from which the most regrets stem from, the difference between “if only” and “at least” statements, and why regret, in his words, gives him hope. There’s a reason I bookended the last episode with Kathleen Griffith with this episode. The last episode talked about building the career and life of your dreams; this episode talks about what happens—regret—if we don’t go for it and say yes to the big life, the big goals, the big dreams. I am in a season of saying yes to the big life, the big goals, the big dreams, and I hope you’ll join me there. Let me tell you about the work of Daniel Pink, who is absolutely brilliant—you probably already know who he is, as his work has been so important for so long. He is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of seven books that have sold millions of copies around the world and won multiple awards. His books are known for helping both readers and organizations rethink how they live and operate, and some of my favorite books by Dan include Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. He is a graduate of Northwestern and Yale Law School, and from 1995 to 1997, he was the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. This was not planned, but today, July 23, when this episode drops, happens to be Dan’s birthday. So happy birthday Dan and thank you for this conversation. Take a listen.

 

The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink

I am so excited to introduce you today to a woman who will change the world for the better—and already is. Today on the show we have the dynamic Kathleen Griffith, whose book Build Like a Woman: The Blueprint for Creating a Business and Life You Love, came out on June 4 and, I am happy to tell you, is already a bestseller. Kathleen opens the book by writing that “This book is for every woman who is done and ready,” and talks about building a business and a life through the lens and framework of architecture and construction and building—think a demolition, a punchlist, a crew. This book is definitely for founders and entrepreneurs and those starting a business, but it’s also for those, like me for example, who may not be starting a business—yet, anyway—but who have ideas and who want to illuminate both their careers and their lives. As Kathleen puts it, “It will be painful, but it will be every bit worth it” as we construct the careers and lives of our dreams. The book champions the concept of a “total life” and in it we learn about an integrated life layout, where we can make a difference both at work and at home, and, though work/life balance will never be achieved, we can find a work/life integration that works for us. In addition to Kathleen’s own powerful words, the book is punctuated by the voices of boldfaced entrepreneurs like Jessica Alba, Arianna Huffington, and so many more—their voices are the icing on an already rich cake. In the book we learn about the three Cs of culture, category, and customer; what the difference is between a big B and a little b breakdown; what building like a woman means, and why doing so is a force to be reckoned with; and the book features questions to get our brains going to build the life we want. Kathleen says more than once in the book that the goal is to build a life that is “so perfectly imperfect, imperfectly yours.” And that’s just it—it’s your life. If you are living your life for anyone but you, a life that doesn’t fit anymore or maybe never did, a life that doesn’t feel right—then right now is the time to change that and start living the life of your dreams. Kathleen and her book have a roadmap on how to do that. Kathleen is a founder herself and CEO of Grayce & Co., a strategy agency for women. She specializes in the female consumer and is a forefront and outspoken champion and advocate for women. This book is a tool for success that will teach you skills like life design, wellness practices, money management, brand strategy, sales pitches, and so much more; you’ll leave with both a mindset and a skillset after reading. Kathleen is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, business strategist, TV producer, speaker, and now, author that has directed more than $500 million in marketing dollars and generated over a billion dollars in profit for clients ranging from Nike Women to Verizon. Let’s dig into our conversation with her.

 

Build Like a Woman: The Blueprint for Creating a Business and Life You Love by Kathleen Griffith

This book may have come out nearly four years ago, but it is just as needed today as it was in 2020: entrepreneur Kara Goldin’s Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters. Kara, who founded the flavored water brand Hint in 2005, calls herself an “accidental entrepreneur,” and founded Hint after a Diet Coke addiction, which—relatable. Kara’s mission is helping people fall in love with healthy choices, and this drove her decision to found Hint and expand it into verticals like sunscreen, for example. On the show today we talk about the importance of a mission, facing our fears, what living undaunted looks like, why she considers herself a disruptor, what she’d add to the book today, four years on, and so much more. I found Kara to be dynamic, passionate, kind, warm, and authentic, and in addition to writing Undaunted and founding Hint, Kara has also worked at TIME, CNN, and AOL; she is a wife and a mother of four kids; she, too, is a podcaster, and hosts The Kara Goldin Show, which I love; and she created The Kara Network as a place for fellow entrepreneurs to reach out and tell their stories as well as provide helpful insight to those interested in following a similar path. This book is part autobiography, part business memoir, and Kara is as real as it gets. Take a listen to our conversation.

 

Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters by Kara Goldin

What an episode we have for you listeners today as we conclude our JFK Jr. series. Today, July 16, officially marks 25 years since the plane crash that took the lives of John, Carolyn, and Lauren, and on the show today we have RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil, who have written the absolutely brilliant new book JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography, which is out today. RoseMarie also wrote the memoir Fairytale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss, which came out in 2012; we talk about Fairytale Interrupted on the show today, too. Rose and Liz’s new book, the oral biography, is one of the best books I have ever read—full stop. And not just about the Kennedys, but period. It is so rich with detail, honesty, transparency, courage, new information—even someone like me, who has read every book on the Kennedys I can get my hands on, learned so much in this read. So many people you expect to be interviewed are interviewed, but then there’s the unexpected barrage of celebrities, with everyone from Brooke Shields to Julia Roberts, Mike Tyson, Whoopi Goldberg, Carly Simon, President Bill Clinton, Wyclef Jean, Demi Moore, and Drew Barrymore making appearances. There is so much good here—I could not put it down. It is a full, robust portrayal of a life—John’s life. Rose was John’s assistant for five years and had an incredibly unique relationship with him—she was his personal assistant, which she writes in Fairytale Interrupted was the best job she ever had. They had such a fun dynamic—full of brother/sister teasing. Of Carolyn, though she was presented in the press as an ice queen, Rose speaks of her as this warm, generous woman, loyal, loving, kind. Rose had a front row seat to the creation and launch of his magazine, George, and was also deeply involved in John and Carolyn’s top-secret wedding planning. Rose was one of the first people to learn that John, Carolyn, and Lauren were missing, right behind Carole Radziwill, who we interviewed last week. This book is perfect to conclude our series on JFK Jr. and to honor John, Carolyn, and Lauren on this anniversary of their death. It’s told in one of my absolute favorite formats—the oral history—and I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation with Rose and Liz, who is an editor-at-large at People magazine, where she has worked for the last 30 years. These days, Rose is a strategic communications professional and also executive produced Paramount Network’s I Am JFK Jr. I can’t wait for you to hear from them both.

 

JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil

Fairytale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by RoseMarie Terenzio

Today on the show we have a living legend—Kathie Lee Gifford is here to talk about her faith and, listeners, you know I love to talk to guests about their faith. Kathie Lee has written a really compelling new book that juxtaposes the story of evil personified in King Herod with the living hope of Jesus told through the story of his mother, Mary. Kathie Lee writes in her new book Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior, which is out July 16, that she has been completely fascinated by the historical figure of Herod the Great since she went on a trip to the Holy Land back in 2012. Herod was Christianity’s first true persecutor, and was a tyrannical ruler; Kathie Lee writes that Herod’s story is the greatest story never told. This book is a historical narrative that reads like a modern-day thriller and is really not your typical nonfiction book—it reads like a novel, but it’s all true. In addition to the juxtaposition between Herod and Mary, there’s another juxtaposition in the book, which is the contrast between a king like Herod, with all his privileges, and then someone like Jesus, the King of the world, who was born in an animal pen. At the end of the book, Kathie Lee includes codas of really interesting conversations between her and her collaborator, Dr. Bryan Litfin, basically unpacking the book and talking readers through it. In those codas, she really vulnerably and bravely reveals some very personal details about her own life that helped me get to know her better and respect her even more. There’s no way you don’t know who Kathie Lee Gifford is, but just in case you don’t, she co-hosted Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Regis Philbin from 1985 to 2000, and also had an 11-year run with Hoda Kotb on the fourth hour of Today from 2008 to 2019. Kathie Lee has received 11 Daytime Emmy nominations and won her first Daytime Emmy in 2010 with Today. She has also served as an NBC News correspondent and got her start on Name That Tune back in 1978. She married sportscaster and former NFL player Frank Gifford in 1986, and he passed away in 2015; they share two children. In addition to her broadcasting career, Kathie Lee has released multiple albums and multiple books, including books about her faith, cooking, children’s books, and biographical books, like 2018’s The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi and 2020’s It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life. I tell Kathie Lee this on the show today, but I feel that all of that work was meant to get her right here, to the place where she has a platform and can share about her faith and invite others to join her in it. Take a listen to this powerful conversation.

 

Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior by Kathie Lee Gifford and Dr. Bryan Litfin

Most people probably know Carole Radziwill from her time on The Real Housewives of New York City and while, don’t get me wrong, I loved her on the show—that’s nowhere near the most interesting part of her story. Carole is an extraordinarily talented journalist and had an esteemed career in the field, even working as a war correspondent at one point. She worked as a journalist and a producer for nearly two decades at ABC News, during which time she earned three Emmys. Carole married her fellow ABC News producer, Prince Anthony Radziwill—son of socialite Lee Radziwill and nephew of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—on August 27, 1994; he died of cancer on August 10, 1999. Anthony’s best friend was his cousin, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Carole’s best friend was his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. In the summer of 1999—which Carole refers to as “the summer of tragedy”—Carole knew the end of her husband’s life was near. What she didn’t know, of course, was that on July 16, 1999, John and Carolyn, along with Carolyn’s sister, Lauren, would die in a plane crash. Carole lost the three people closest to her in less than a month of one another, all of them 40 years old and younger—Anthony had just turned 40 six days before his death. Of her life with Anthony, Carole writes in her brilliant memoir What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love, which came out in 2005, that “We are young and happy and have all the time in the world,” except, tragically, they don’t. The book tells priceless anecdotes, like how hilarious Carolyn was—she left Carole a note about her Gap sneakers saying that if she didn’t get rid of them, their relationship couldn’t continue in a growth-oriented way. Carolyn was selfless. She was compassionate. Interesting. She was a wonderful, caring, kind friend. One of my favorite anecdotes from the book was when she declined signing an autograph for someone, saying “You don’t want mine. You want Carole’s. She has three Emmys.” Carolyn had this ability to make someone feel like the only person in the room—the most important person in the room. Carole writes in What Remains “She made me believe I was captivating.” The entire world knows who Carolyn is; very few got to call her a best friend. In this book, we get to learn what it was like to be Carolyn’s best friend. So many of our conversations in this series have been about John—and rightfully so, as he was and, quite frankly, still is captivating. But this episode is basically all about Carolyn. Carole writes that both she and Carolyn were not the women that people expected Anthony and John to end up with. John, by the way, was already, devastatingly, writing the eulogy of his cousin and best friend Anthony before John himself died. Who would have ever thought John, and Carolyn, for that matter, would be lost before Anthony? On that awful night of July 16, as the 16th turned into the 17th, Carole was one of the first to learn that John, Carolyn, and Lauren’s plane was missing. She describes learning they were missing and the time between that and learning that they had crashed “the terrifying quiet.” She must have felt like time was suspended in space. The lack of answers. The ambiguity. The hope. The fear. All of it. After Anthony died, she left ABC News to write what became What Remains, which, let me tell you—the topic is fascinating on its own, but the writing? The writing is unmatched. It, not surprisingly, became a New York Times bestseller upon its release, and we’re talking all about it today.

 

What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love by Carole Radziwill