Today, we remember the one and only Dolly Parton.

Dolly gave the world so much: her music, her humor, her generosity, her courage, and her unwavering commitment to being exactly who she was—and letting everyone else be exactly who they are, too.

We feel incredibly lucky to have had this conversation with her about trusting yourself even when it breaks your heart, beginning again at any age, mothering the world, and living a life of many colors.

We love you, Dolly. Thank you for showing all of us how to be more ourselves on purpose.

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Good Grief, the album, is out everywhere this Friday, and the documentary comes to theaters nationwide September 2!

Our dear friend Sara Bareilles joins us to talk about Good Grief—her deeply personal new album and documentary—and what she’s learning about grief, love, mental health, and the terrifying practice of trusting life to hold us.

Sara shares how infertility, loss, and some of her hardest moments became music; why grief might be love that has everywhere to go; and what becomes possible when we stop trying to fix ourselves and start telling the truth.

-Why Sara says avoiding pain doesn’t work: “It hurts anyway.”

- Sara on mental health, the fear of being “too much,” and learning to trust that life will hold her

-The unexpected connection between Sara’s infertility journey, Andrea Gibson, and the creation of Good Grief

-The stories and meaning behind the songs and lyrics including what it means to “worship your weather” instead of fearing your feelings

For everything Good Grief—the new album, documentary, and more—visit sarabmusic.com. 

About Sara: 

SARA BAREILLES is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, producer, activist, and New York Times best-selling author whose accolades include two Grammy Awards, three Tony Award nominations, and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. As a recording artist and songwriter, she has sold more than 3 million albums and 15 million singles in the U.S., and her songs have been streamed more than 3.5 billion times worldwide. On Broadway, she composed music and lyrics for Waitress. On the screen, she executive-produced and wrote original music for the series Little Voice. She plays Dawn Solano on the Emmy-nominated musical comedy series Girls5eva.

Her song "Salt Then Sour Then Sweet" appears in the Peabody Award-winning documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, on which she also serves as executive producer; the song was shortlisted for Best Original Song and the film was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2026 Oscars. 

Her new solo album, Good Grief, will be released this Friday, and Sara Bareilles: Good Grief, a documentary about the making of the album—which we are very proud to be Executive Producers on—comes to theaters nationwide on September 2. 

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As another school year begins, many of us are wondering if we're doing enough to prepare our kids for the world. But maybe the most important thing we can give them isn't in a backpack. Maybe it's our willingness to have the conversations we're most afraid of. Sonya Renee Taylor reminds us that our kids don't need perfect answers—they need honest, trustworthy adults who are willing to tell the truth, stay curious, and keep learning alongside them. Because our job isn't to protect our children from reality. It's to help them meet reality without losing themselves.

- How to talk to your kids about sex, climate change, injustice, and other hard topics

- Why becoming a "reliable narrator" matters more than being a perfect parent

- The simple way to respond when you don't know the answer

- Why your own growth is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids

About Sonya: 

Sonya Renee Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author of seven books, transformational thought leader, world-renowned activist, artist, and founder of the international movement The Body Is Not An Apology. She is podcast host, sought-after speaker and new world midwife. She is also an intuitive astrologer helping to decipher our unique soul work through the planets. Her work has reached millions of people by exploring the intersections of identity, healing, and social justice using a radical self-love framework. She continues to write, create, speak, teach, and transform lives globally.

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Who invented gender? Who decided the rules, wrote the script, and convinced us it was all just…nature?

Amanda traces the wild history of how gender became a system we call “natural,” “biological,” and “just the way it is.” Then ALOK joins to help us see the game we’ve been playing without even knowing it—and imagine what becomes possible when we stop mistaking the rules for reality.

Together, they discuss the history we’ve forgotten, the freedom we’ve been denied, and the beauty, weirdness, and possibility waiting for us outside the boxes.

- Why pink was once for boys—and what that reveals about the “natural” rules of gender

- How property, inheritance, religion, science, and power helped construct the gender binary

- Why attacks on trans people are a threat to everyone’s freedom

- The difference between fitting into the world and freely inventing your life

- Why ALOK says we don’t need more great thinkers—we need great lovers

For more ALOK on We Can Do Hard Things: 

74. ALOK: What makes us beautiful? What makes us free?

75. ALOK: How do we interrupt trauma? How do we heal?

293. The One Question to Finally Let Go of Control with ALOK 

About ALOK:

ALOK is an internationally acclaimed poet, comedian, public speaker, and actor whose work has captivated audiences in over 40 countries. You can catch them live on their EAT PRAY LEAVE world comedy tour. 

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So many of us are carrying the weight of uncertainty—about our families, our futures, our work, and our communities. Underneath all of that is something we don't talk about nearly enough: money. 

Financial educator Tori Dunlap helps us untangle the stories we've inherited about money and replace shame with something far more powerful: agency. Because the goal isn't wealth for wealth's sake—it's freedom. The freedom to leave what harms us, support what matters, and take care of ourselves and the people we love.

- Why women are taught to feel shame about money—and how to unlearn it

- The hidden money stories that may be shaping your life

- Why financial freedom is really about choices, safety, and agency

- Simple first steps to build a healthier relationship with money

About Tori:

Tori Dunlap is the Author of the instant New York Times bestselling book “Financial Feminist”; host of the #1 Business Podcast, Financial Feminist; and co-creator of Treasury, an investing education platform that has over $82M invested. After saving $100,000 at age 25, Tori quit her corporate job in marketing and founded Her First $100K to fight financial inequality by giving women actionable resources to better their money. She has helped over five million women negotiate salary, pay off debt, build savings, and invest. 

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If you've ever climbed into bed exhausted only to lie awake for hours, you're not alone.

After experiencing chronic insomnia, Glennon found the two sleep experts who helped her sleep again. In this conversation, Sleep Works founders Leah Corkum and Marlee Boyle explain why insomnia isn't a personal failure—it's a treatable sleep disorder—and share the practical strategies that could change your life.

- Why "luging" is different from simply being tired

- The surprising reason trying harder to sleep often makes insomnia worse

- The four strategies that helped Glennon improve her sleep cycles.

- Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is considered essential treatment

For more on Sleep Works, go to https://www.sleep-works.com/, and follow @sleep_works.

Marlee Boyle:

Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT); Certified in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH); BSc Biology  Marlee is a registered respiratory therapist, certified in clinical sleep health. Her interests include treating sleep disordered breathing, CBT for insomnia, and sleep coaching for neurodiverse clients.  

Leah Corkum:

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN); Certified Child & Infant Sleep Consultant, BA Psychology. 

Leah is a Licensed Practical Nurse certified in CBT for insomnia and a Child and Infant Sleep Consultant through the Family Sleep Institute. She has spearheaded initiatives like shift worker education, long-term care facility sleep strategies for staff and residents, and teaching drug-free sleep techniques to hospital staff for better patient outcomes. 

Together, Marlee and Leah co-founded their company, Sleep Works in 2022 after recognizing the growing rates of sleep problems and lack of sleep services available to the public in Canada. Sleep Works provides sleep education, counseling, coaching, courses, and keynotes virtually so anyone can access support for their sleep health from the comfort of their homes.

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Sometimes the hardest thing isn't working harder—it's remembering how to be alive.

After Abby and Glennon stage a Relaxation Intervention for Amanda (which immediately goes off the rails), the conversation becomes something much deeper: why so many of us struggle to rest, why we've negotiated away our playful selves in the name of responsibility, and how over-functioning can keep us from fully living.

- Why so many of us don't know how to relax—and what that's really about

- How over-functioning and perfectionism disconnect us from ourselves

- The surprising moments that bring us back to joy, play, and connection

- Why life isn't waiting on the other side of your to-do list

- A simple "proof of life" practice to help you feel more human

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Sometimes the truth doesn't break a family apart—it finally sets everyone free. Kerry Washington shares the deeply personal story of discovering a long-held family secret, reclaiming her self-trust, and realizing she had spent years living someone else's story. We talk about what family secrets cost us, the difference between protection and deception, and why telling the truth can become the deepest act of love.

About Kerry: 

Kerry Washington is an Emmy-winning, SAG, and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, producer, and activist. Washington received widespread recognition for her role as Olivia Pope in the hit drama Scandal. In 2016, Washington launched her production company Simpson Street, whose projects include Confirmation, “American Son”, Emmy award-winning, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience”, The Fight, and Little Fires Everywhere. Washington is a lifelong activist and founder of Influence Change (IC21), an initiative that partners with nonprofits to increase voter turnout. For her efforts, Washington has been honored as one of TIME Magazine’s 2022 Women of The Year.

Washington released her first memoir, Thicker Than Water, which is available now.

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How much of loving someone is accepting them exactly as they are—and how much is asking them to grow? Relationship expert Dr. Alexandra Solomon unpacks the "Changer" and "Accepter" dynamic that shows up in nearly every relationship, revealing why our biggest conflicts are rarely about the dishes, the phones, or the therapy. They're about our deepest fears, oldest wounds, and longing to be seen and loved.

- Whether you're the Changer or the Accepter in your relationships

- What your biggest relationship fights are really about

- How childhood patterns shape the way you love

- When to ask for change—and when to choose acceptance

- How to stop fighting and start understanding each other

About Alexandra: 

Alexandra H. Solomon, PhD, is internationally recognized as one of today’s most trusted voices in the world of relationships, and her framework of Relational Self-Awareness has reached millions of people around the globe. A licensed clinical psychologist in private practice, couples therapist, speaker, author, and professor, Dr. Alexandra is passionate about translating cutting-edge research and clinical wisdom into practical tools people can use to bring awareness, curiosity, and authenticity to their relationships. She is the host of the Reimagining Love Podcast and author of Love Every Day, Taking Sexy Back: How to Own Your Sexuality and Create the Relationships You Want and Loving Bravely: 20 Lessons of Self-Discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want. 

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Remember Beige Flags? Today we’re celebrating the quirky little habits that aren't red flags or green flags—just delightfully... huh? In this laugh-out-loud Best Of, Glennon, Abby, and Amanda confess their own wonderfully weird behaviors, react to your funniest Beige Flags, and remind us that nobody is normal—and that's exactly what makes us lovable.

- What Beige Flags are—and why everyone has them

- Glennon's quest to finally feel "comfortable"

- Why Abby sounds like she's from yonder yore (and answers banana phones)

- Amanda's legendary collection of washed-out Ziploc bags

- The funniest listener Beige Flags—and whether they're secretly red or green

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Some days, survival looks less like hope and more like finding something to laugh about.

The brilliant Samantha Irby joins us for a hilarious, wise, and unexpectedly comforting conversation about making it through absurd times. 

Sam shares her philosophy for getting through life one bearable five-minute stretch at a time, why humor is often hiding something deeper, and the simple strategies that help her navigate people, friendship, and the chaos of being human.

- Why laughter can be a survival skill

- Sam's life-changing strategies for dealing with humans

- The "lowercase-f friend" theory that will free your relationships

- Why JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) might be the key to happiness

About Samantha:

Samantha Irby writes the "Bitches Gotta Eat" blog, and is the author of WOW, NO THANK YOU; WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE; and MEATY. She has been a writer and/or co-producer for TV shows including And Just Like That, Work in Progress, Shrill, and Tuca & Bertie.

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