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.
BUY THE BOOK!
What to Make of a Life, published by HarperCollins and written by Jim Collins, is available wherever books are sold.
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/what-to-make-of-a-life-jim-collins?variant=44343300227106
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
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.
BUY THE BOOK!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/760850/strangers-by-belle-burden/
Vote now to support The Oprah Podcast for the Webby Awards
https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/individual-episode/interview-or-talk-show
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
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.
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.
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.
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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!
To buy Arthur Brooks’ new book The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness 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
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
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
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club and Oprah’s first pick of 2026 which is her 121st Book Club selection. The novel KIN by international bestselling author Tayari Jones explores the life-long friendship of two motherless daughters in the segregated South. The story explores how their decisions lead them to live vastly different lives causing them to grow apart. From page one to the stunning conclusion Tayari’s emotionally rich and witty novel inspires a soul-searching, introspective conversation about chosen family. Oprah and Tayari Jones talk with an audience of readers in New York City.
BUY THE BOOK!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635411/kin-by-tayari-jones/
00:00:00 - Celebrating 30 years of Oprah Book Club
00:03:20 - Oprah introduces ‘Kin’ by Tayari Jones
00:04:13 - Welcome Tayari Jones
00:06:42 - Thando on ‘Kin’
00:08:30 - Letters as storytelling
00:10:30 - The professor that inspired Tayari
00:12:35 - Tayari on the 8 years between books
00:17:38 - The plot of ‘Kin’
00:20:40 - Being a girl without a mom
00:22:00 - Belonging and sacrifice
00:23:57 - Tayari’s understanding of her mother
00:28:30 - What can save friendship?
00:30:15 - Honor your friendships
00:37:20 - The feeling of completing a novel
00:42:20 - Tayari on ‘Kin’
00:43:48 - How Tayari sees the world
SUPPORT THE SHOW
https://www.tayarijones.com/books/an-american-marriage/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Oprah Podcast on estranged families going #NoContact reached more than five million viewers and listeners and sparked widespread conversation across social media and online opinion platforms. In this episode, Oprah addresses some of the alternative points of view raised on Social Media. She invites the experts back for a discussion exploring new questions and additional ways of coping with this painful and sensitive issue. After award winning journalist Jemele Hill saw the original episode, she was inspired to share with Oprah her own family estrangement story for the first time publicly. Oprah also speaks to a woman who cut off contact with her sister and a married couple seeking advice for repair with their estranged parents. BUY THE BOOKS! 'Rules of Estrangement' by Dr. Joshua Coleman: 'Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents' by Dr. Lindsay Gibson: 'The Balancing Act' by Nedra Glover Tawwab: 00:00:00 - Recap of No Contact 00:00:00 - Welcome Tania, critic of Oprah 00:08:20 - Oprah wants to know how to do better 00:12:30 - Welcome Dr. Joshua Coleman, Dr. Lindsay Gibson, Nedra Glover Tawwab 00:19:14 - Welcome Jemele Hill who is no contact with her father 00:28:18 - One-third of gen-z go to therapy 00:32:35 - How individualism relates to estrangement 00:39:50 - How to stop judging your own need for emotional safety 00:43:20 - Working towards reconciliation Additional Resources: 'Uphill' by Jemele Hill: 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oprah speaks with global entrepreneur, tech pioneer and venture capitalist Jürgen Ingels to discuss what it takes to start a successful business as detailed in his book "Start, Grow, Sell: 50 Tips for Entrepreneurial Greatness." During this lively discussion, Jürgen shares the concrete and practical lessons he learned during his own entrepreneurial journey - which also apply to all aspects of our daily lives. Including how to take an idea from startup to success, how to focus your talents, find investors and build the right team. We hear from entrepreneurs with questions for Mr. Ingels including a woman named Sanna who was inspired to leave the corporate world to open her dream clothing store Happy on Main in Concord, MA after overcoming a personal challenge. Also Shark Tank alum Ashley whose company Tones of Melanin makes stylish athleisure for students and graduates of HBCUs - or historically Black colleges and universities. Also Shark Tank alum Ashley whose company Tones of Melanin makes stylish athleisure for students and graduates of HBCUs - or historically Black colleges and universities.
BUY THE BOOK!
https://www.amazon.com/Start-Grow-Sell-Entrepreneurial-Greatness/dp/9401474133
00:00:00 - Welcome Jürgen Ingels, author of “Start, Grow, Sell”
00:04:50 - Jürgen’s first business venture
00:10:20 - Jürgen’s work ethic
00:11:40 - Jürgen changed payment systems
00:15:00 - Biggest business mistakes
00:18:30 - Going the extra mile
00:23:50 - Drive revenue and scale
00:28:20 - Keep your word
00:31:20 - 3 tips for scaling your business
00:34:40 - Entrepreneurs: better after 40
00:35:38 - Passion is crucial
00:37:30 - Always ask why
00:43:30 - Jürgen’s definition of a well lived life
Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social:
https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/
https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did you know that experiencing awe can improve your health and your overall well-being? Oprah talks with University of California, Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner to delve into his latest book "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." During this inspirational conversation Dacher explains how each of us has the potential to experience awe every single day and shares how encountering awe can lead us to greater fulfillment and happiness. Based on his extensive research Dacher outlines and describes what he calls the “Eight Wonders of Life” or the eight experiences that most commonly trigger awe. Throughout the discussion Oprah and Dacher each share their own deeply personal encounters with awe.
BUY THE BOOK!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622175/awe-by-dacher-keltner/
00:00:00 - Welcome Dacher Keltner, author of “Awe”
00:04:30 - Awe decreases depression
00:07:40 - Awe and death
00:10:20 - Finding awe everyday
00:11:05 - 8 awe experiences
00:20:20 - how Awe affects our health
00:21:36 - Awe vs gratitude
00:24:45 - How awe can heal divisions
00:26:50 - Making space for awe and kids
00:28:20 - Develop an awe practice
00:29:50 - Psychedelics and awe
00:36:00 - Everyone can experience awe
The Science of Happiness Podcast
What does it take to live a happier life? Learn research-tested strategies that you can put into practice today. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/series/the_science_of_happiness
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oprah is joined by award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Wallace to talk about her transformative new book "Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose." Drawing on six years of research, Wallace shares how mattering - the feeling that we are valued and have an opportunity to add value - is a fundamental human need essential to our well-being. She believes there's been "an erosion of mattering" and provides actionable steps to deepen your connections, reconnect to your sense of purpose and navigate challenges with greater resilience. Joining the conversation is Jennifer's close friend and lifestyle icon Ina Garten. Oprah and Jennifer also speak with a military wife who learned how to bring mattering back to her marriage and an extraordinary young man who went from being a sanitation worker to a Harvard Law School graduate.
BUY THE BOOK!
'Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose' by Jennifer Wallace: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/756179/mattering-by-jennifer-breheny-wallace/
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Welcome Jennifer Wallace, author of “Mattering”
00:05:50 - Ina Garten joins
00:07:05 - The importance of mattering to yourself
00:08:40 - How Ina shows people they matter
00:09:30 - The importance of showing up
00:10:50 - One easy way to show people they matter
00:12:20 - The thread that ties us together
00:13:40 - Extrinsic and intrinsic values
00:15:50 - Professor Gordon Flett on why mattering is life or death
00:18:12 - How mattering affects our longevity
00:21:00 - How to get through hard moments
00:23:00 - How Army partners struggle with mattering
00:28:00 - Our resilience is tied to our relationships
00:34:00 - Mattering to ourselves raises the bar for all relationships 00:35:20 - A former sanitation worker's observations on mattering
00:42:00 - Supporting support staff
00:44:50 - Mattering at work
00:46:00 - The 4 important feelings to mattering
00:48:10 - What to do if you feel like you don’t matter
Additional Resources:
‘Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir’ by Ina Garten:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770511/be-ready-when-the-luck-happens-by-ina-garten/
Gordon L. Flett, Ph.D.
https://www.yorku.ca/lamarsh/gord-flett/
‘The Wives: A Memoir’ by Simone Gorrindo:
The Reciprocity Effect:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices