Former Today anchor Hoda Kotb has no regrets about leaving the hit morning show to dedicate her life to her young children and new career pursuits.

When it comes to life lessons, Hoda Kotb is one of America’s most relatable teachers.

Over the course of her remarkable career, the beloved former Today show anchor has shown millions of viewers what resilience, authenticity and courage truly look like.

She learned early on that being underestimated was unacceptable, that rejection is often part of the process and that it is never too late to chase a dream—no matter what society says about age, timing or expectations.

That outlook has made the four-time Emmy Award-winner an especially powerful voice for women navigating change, uncertainty and reinvention.

Whether discussing career setbacks, surviving breast cancer, becoming a mother later in life or leaving one of television’s most coveted jobs, Kotb continually encourages people to trust themselves and move toward joy instead of fear.

Among her many honors are the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for reporting in 2002 and recognition as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018.

The six-time author also inspired readers with her bestselling memoir Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee, which chronicled the highs and lows that shaped her life and career.

Today, Kotb is embracing another fresh chapter. The mother of daughters Haley Joy, 9, and Hope Catherine, 7, recently launched Joy 101, a wellness platform focused on mindfulness, encouragement, reflection and intentional living.

Kotb strongly believes in the message from the 1973 Broadway musical Seesaw: “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. Where you start has zero bearing on where you’re going to wind up,” she explains.

As such, she recalls graduating in 1986 from Virginia Tech with a journalism degree and going home to Northern Virginia with a dream of launching her broadcast career.

Sporting a stylish new green suit and an abundance of confidence, she set out on a road trip that would test her resolve. “I told my mom, ‘I’m going to get that job, and I’ll be back to pack my stuff,’” she recalls.

Her first stop was Richmond. It didn’t go as planned. The news director watched barely a minute of her precisely prepared audition tape before delivering a blunt verdict that she was “green, inexperienced and simply not ready.” He sent her to a colleague in Roanoke, where she met the same cold reception.

The rejections piled up. From Memphis and Birmingham to the Florida Panhandle, Kotb faced 27 face-to-face rejections over 10 days. The industry consensus was clear: “She didn’t have it.”

Defeated and driving home, she spotted a sign for Greenville’s News Center 15. On a whim, she met with news director Stan Sandroni. This time, the reaction was different. “Stan couldn’t take his eyes off the tape,” Kotb says. “He looked at me and said, ‘I like what I see.’ I started sobbing like a baby. That man gave me my break.”

That “yes” launched a legendary career that led to Dateline NBC and eventually the anchor chair at Today, from 2018 to 2025. Her takeaway remains a universal lesson: “All it takes is one yes,” she says. “Don’t walk past an open door, because you never know what is around the next corner.”

How did you persevere through difficult times?
Sometimes you feel like you are always going upstream, and you are exhausted and are sure it will get easier. It’s about finding the ‘flow.’ I believe that taking a jump is worth it, whether into a new job or a relationship. If it doesn’t work, you simply regroup and try again. If it does go well, it’s a home run.

Please share a story that reflects one of your big breaks on TV.
I’m in the newsroom working on a story, and my boss, Stan, comes in and asks, ‘Who has a blazer?’ I came running over with my jacket, and he asked me to anchor the news because the beloved anchor Ann Martin was out sick. So, I am ready with my blazer on, and I’m supposed to say, ‘Good evening, I’m Hoda Kotb, Ann Martin is out sick.’

Anne was a legend in Greenville; their answer to Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Meredith Vieira, Savannah Guthrie and Gail King all rolled into one. She cut the ribbon at the new Piggly Wiggly. She was in all the parades. I saw the words, looked at the camera, and I said, ‘Good evening. I’m Ann Martin.’ I walked into the newsroom, waiting for Stan to fire me, but he wasn’t there. I come to work the next day, and he says, ‘Well, that was horrible, but Anne is still sick, do you want another go?’

What is one of your big pride-filled accomplishments?
I hopscotched around the country. I went to NBC. I worked with Kathie Lee Gifford; I worked with Jenna Bush Hager. Savannah Guthrie and I got to break a glass ceiling because we were the first two female anchors on a network show.

How did you decide on later-in-life motherhood?
I thought that door had closed after my divorce until I saw Sandra Bullock adopt her son at my exact age. I realized it was still possible. When I finally got the text that Haley Joy was here, I wrote down the time of the text, and it was 11:54 a.m., and I knew this was the moment when everything changed.

My baby fit into my life like a missing puzzle piece and filled me up in a way I could never have imagined. I am 61 years old. I have a third grader and a first grader, and my first grader just lost her front tooth the other day.

What sparked your career shift?
About a year ago, I was watching my 7-year-old daughter, Hope, go up and down a tree in our front yard, and she mentioned that maybe I should find ‘a different tree to climb,’ referring to my career. It was exactly what I needed to hear. She taught me to carve my life up like a ‘delicious pie’ to make it more manageable.

Tell me about your children’s books.
The first one, I’ve Loved You Since Forever, was released in 2018 and was adapted into a sweet lullaby by Kelly Clarkson. The second, released in 2019, is called You Are My Happy, and celebrates the things in life that bring us gratitude.

Why leave the Today show after such success?
It was a scary jump because I loved my colleagues (Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie) like family. But in my 50s, I realized I had the dream job and, more importantly, the family I never thought I’d have. I wanted to see what it felt like to be a “beginner” again in my 60s.

What were some of the challenges along the way?
I was a pleaser. I just thought, ‘Let me be what you need me to be,’ which is something we all do in our lives. What does someone else need or want? I will be that person. Then you find yourself kind of twisting into a pretzel. I think there’s a point in your life when you are in the flow, and it feels right.

You have often said that being in service is a key.
Yes. I heard this story, which greatly touched me because it reminded me of what it’s like to find your purpose. There was a man named Ken Behring, a prominent real estate guy, who had a lot of dough, so he bought himself a big house, fancy cars and expensive jewelry for his wife. He thought he was going to be happy. Six months later, he was back feeling kind of meh. So, he made more money, bought the big house on the hill, a fancier car and a private jet. He thought he needed more stuff. Then he bought the Seattle Seahawks, an NFL football team. He thought it was amazing, and for one year, he felt great. But it dissipated … again.

Then what happened?
One day, a buddy of his told him, ‘I’m taking a bunch of wheelchairs to people who need them. Do you want to come with me?’ So, Ken goes to Bosnia and delivers wheelchairs to 75 people who are disabled and waiting for them. They start opening them up and helping the people into the chairs, and one of the guys looks at Ken intently and says, ‘I want to look at you and memorize your face so that when I get to heaven, I can say thank you again when I see you.’

Ken said that was the first feeling of joy and elation he had ever had, and it taught him major life lessons: that when you find that thing that helps you feel your purpose, that’s being in the flow. It’s about finding that passion and taking that big leap. [Ken Behring, who died in 2019, became a major philanthropist focused on museums, education, and the environment.]

Tell us about your new project, Joy 101.
I have put all of the goodness into my app, Joy 101. It’s an app designed to lift people up with pep talks and wellness tips. I want to share things that make you feel good, and ways to make your body feel good. I am saying, ‘Let’s put that big load down, throw our shoulders back, and understand that life can be lighter, better and more invigorating. I want to be like Mr. Rogers and say, ‘Let’s find the helpers, because we are right here!’

What is your primary life lesson to share?
It is never too late to pursue your dreams—big or small. Put down your ‘heavy backpack’ and find whatever makes you happy.