{"id":40173,"date":"2025-09-24T06:44:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T06:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/40173\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T06:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T06:44:16","slug":"hoda-kotb-on-her-new-book-joel-schiffman-co-parenting-and-new-beginnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/40173\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoda Kotb On Her New Book, Joel Schiffman Co-Parenting and New Beginnings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hoda Kotb has always admired people who have made extraordinary jumps in life. In recent years she\u2019s taken her own leaps of faith<\/a> \u2014 both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n

Now, she wants to help you take a leap of your own.<\/p>\n

Just read the dedication of her new book<\/a>, \u201cJump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life,\u201d and you’ll get the idea: \u201cThis book is dedicated to you, my darling. Curious, hopeful, determined, you.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a sit-down interview with TODAY.com, Hoda elaborates further on her book\u2019s beginning. \u201cThat\u2019s to the reader, because that\u2019s how I feel,\u201d she says. \u201cAs you pick up the book, that\u2019s why you\u2019re getting it. I think everyone needs a dedication, too, and it\u2019s for the reader.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cJump and Find Joy\u201d is filled with motivational quotes and stories from people who have left lasting impressions on Hoda over the years. This includes the deep conversations she has had with guests on \u201cMaking Space\u201d<\/a> since she began hosting the podcast in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is true, I have talked to tons of people,\u201d Hoda says, adding that she highlighted those who are \u201ctop of mind\u201d and \u201cthe most impactful\u201d to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd also people who jumped in different areas, like in relationships and personal stuff,\u201d she says, citing \u201cincredible\u201d writer and \u201cMaking Space\u201d guest Anne Lamott<\/a>, who found love later in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just looking for people who took risks, people I admire and love, and I put them in,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Some of those other individuals include country singer Thomas Rhett<\/a>, motivational speaker Mel Robbins<\/a> and actor Viola Davis<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In between the stories of others, Hoda infuses some of her own. She recalls her hardworking parents\u2019<\/a> move to America, her transition from local news<\/a> to Dateline<\/a>, her marriage and divorce in the 2000s, and the end of her romantic relationship with former fianc\u00e9 Joel Schiffman<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think what happens as you get older is you just don\u2019t care,\u201d Hoda says lightheartedly about her decision to share some of her life\u2019s more personal details in the book, which she co-authored with longtime collaborator Jane Lorenzini. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was talking, I was like, \u2018I think what\u2019s real is real, and that\u2019s life.\u2019 And so, you just kind of go forward with it, and let it be what it is,\u201d Hoda explains. \u201cI just decided, you know, it\u2019s all of me. That\u2019s kind of the point of life. You have the dark places and the bright, shiny places.\u201d <\/p>\n

The 1 Lesson Hoda Wants Readers to Take Away From Her New Book<\/p>\n

In a book filled with so many inspirational stories, Hoda hopes the takeaway for readers is simple: \u201cTaking the jump is always worth it \u2014 because if it\u2019s right, home run. You jumped into a new job \u2026 a relationship. If it\u2019s not right for some reason, then what you\u2019ve done is you\u2019ve taken something off the list that\u2019s occupying space in your head.\u201d <\/p>\n

She cites an example of someone who dreamed of always being a florist trying it, and not liking it.<\/p>\n

\"HodaHoda hopes her latest book motivates readers to dream big and step outside their comfort zones.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you\u2019re not going to be 85 going, \u2018What would\u2019ve happened if I just opened that flower shop?\u2019 Well, it wasn\u2019t for you. So, I think the idea is give it a go. You\u2019re very resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoda says sometimes people \u201cjump into\u201d where they already are \u2014 \u201cjust deeper into it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI hope people realize: Try it. Try it, and see what happens,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Jumping Out of Her Relationship<\/p>\n

TODAY viewers and fans of Hoda will remember her relationship with Joel Schiffman \u2014 from the early days of their courtship and eventually adopting<\/a> two beautiful girls, to closing that chapter of a romance by ending their engagement in 2022<\/a> after nearly a decade together. <\/p>\n

In \u201cJump and Find Joy,\u201d Hoda offers a bit of insight into the decision to transition their relationship from couple to friendship.<\/p>\n

Hoda shares in the book that after she attended the Hoffman Institute \u2014 a one-week retreat that aims to help those feeling stuck through \u201ctransformational work,\u201d according to its website <\/a>\u2014 she felt \u201ceverything had shifted,\u201d including her relationship. \u201cOur \u2018us\u2019 felt different,\u201d she wrote. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve always been connected and will always be connected for many reasons,\u201d Hoda tells TODAY.com, adding that Joel was just over at her home with their daughters, Haley and Hope<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will co-parent in a beautiful way, but I also think our \u2018us\u2019 is more of a, like, we\u2019re dear friends now. And that\u2019s beautiful, and it\u2019s enjoyable and it feels right. We were laughing the other day just in hysterics, and I feel like this is the right relationship for us to have.\u201d <\/p>\n

Hoda\u2019s Best Advice on Co-Parenting \u2014 And How She and Joel Do It<\/p>\n

For anyone who may be in a similar situation co-parenting, Hoda says, \u201cYou just have to be honest about it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cKids catch pretending. They know that Joel and I care so much for each other, and they also know that we love them dearly,\u201d Hoda says of Haley, 8, and Hope, 6. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s about carving out time. It\u2019s not his time, my time. It\u2019s our time. That\u2019s how we do it.\u201d <\/p>\n

A typical weekend day with Joel includes \u201call kinds of things,\u201d according to Hoda. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do a barbecue. He\u2019ll give the girls a kiss. He says, \u2018See you in the morning.\u2019 He\u2019ll come back in the morning. \u2026 I think they understand your vibe. I really adore Joel, and they know it. I\u2019m not pretending, I\u2019m not faking it. So, once they see that, they go, \u2018Ah, OK. This is good. This is good for us.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Hoda\u2019s Evolution in Her Relationships<\/p>\n

Hoda\u2019s been embracing authenticity in her relationships for the past few years, which is another jump she made thanks to her time at the Hoffman Institute.<\/p>\n

In the book, she remembers having to stand in front of other participants as well as leaders of the Hoffman Process and, like the others, share why she was there. <\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I could say that I wanted to better myself or something vague like that,\u201d she wrote. \u201cBut when I looked around at all the people who\u2019d shared their raw truth, I felt so moved by their honesty. They deserved the same from me. So, I said it. I told the truth about why I had come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018I am a total phony in my relationships,\u2019 I said. \u2018I\u2019m a pretender.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoda describes that moment and decision \u201cto be real\u201d in her book as \u201cone of the best ten-second decisions\u201d of her life.<\/p>\n

When asked by TODAY.com what she meant by being a \u201cpretender,\u201d Hoda says, \u201cI think sometimes you know that a relationship is \u2014 I would say good \u2014 but you think to yourself it\u2019s not deepening. So, you continue along on the relationship, and I think the truth of the matter is sometimes you have to say to yourself, like, I feel like I\u2019m an optimist. And so, when you\u2019re an optimist, you want to make things work, and sometimes, things don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to her relationship with Joel, Hoda says, \u201cI loved Joel then, and I love Joel now. I just had to remind myself that it was a different kind of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says, \u201cYou can still love and admire someone and not want to be in a relationship, a long-term relationship that way, personal relationship.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt just was an epiphany for me, and it took courage for me to say it. And when I did, I felt like,\u201d Hoda explains, sighing, \u201c\u2018OK, there it is.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoda Is \u2018Longing for a Soul Connection\u2019<\/p>\n

Now, Hoda is in a waiting phase in the romance department after her recent life transitions, which include leaving her full-time job at TODAY in January<\/a>. She says she\u2019s not actively looking for a partner through dating apps or friends of friends<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m just waiting to see what happens,\u201d she says. \u201cI always tell my kids, \u2018Thoughts become things. So what you think about can be.\u2019 … I\u2019m not running around saying, \u2018Set me up. Who\u2019s the guy? What\u2019s the app?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I do know that in this season, that\u2019s coming \u2014 where and how, I\u2019m not clear yet,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I think the closer you get to who you are, the more likely you are to meet someone who you\u2019re ready for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoda elaborates with confidence, explaining what it is she\u2019s looking for in her next season of life. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s someone meant for me out there, which I\u2019m convinced of. I have no doubt in my mind that that exists and that person is out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m longing for a soul connection.\u201d <\/p>\n

What Hoda Hopes Her Daughters Have Learned From Her Work Ethic<\/p>\n

Hoda\u2019s gratitude for her parents shines through in her latest book. She admired her dad, who died of a heart attack<\/a> while she was in college, and her mom<\/a> for \u201cthe strong work ethic they\u2019d learned from family,\u201d she says in her book. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom and dad, Sameha and Abdel Kotb, were movers and shakers right from the start,\u201d she wrote. \u201cFrom meeting at a law firm in Cairo after college, to falling in love at my dad\u2019s boat race along the Nile River, to getting married among the pyramids, they\u2019ve always been people of action.\u201d <\/p>\n

Part of the reason Hoda left TODAY<\/a> was so she could dedicate more of her \u201ctime pie\u201d<\/a> to her mom as well as Haley and Hope. <\/p>\n

And now that she\u2019s a parent herself, Hoda wants her girls to know that \u201cthey can live life on their terms.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThey can study what they want, they can play what sports they want, they can have what friends they want,\u201d Hoda says. \u201cI feel like all of that is really important to be free to make those choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also hopes her daughters look at her and \u201cknow what hard work looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope they look at me and know what leadership looks like,\u201d Hoda, who launched her company, Joy 101, earlier this year<\/a>, explains. \u201cI hope they look at me and know you can ask for what you deserve.<\/a> I don\u2019t shrink back. \u2026 I\u2019m also not super pushy.\u201d <\/p>\n

She also wants Haley and Hope \u201cto know what confidence looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a confident kid, you\u2019ve made it, because a confident kid won\u2019t be taken advantage of by anybody,\u201d Hoda says. \u201cA confident kid knows who they are. They know what should not be happening to them. If you give your kid confidence, you\u2019ve given them everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they can march through life and make their choices on their terms and not feel like they have to shrink or change to fit what somebody else wants.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Rebirth of Hoda\u2019s Heart and Soul After Her Last Pivot<\/p>\n

Hoda joined the NBC family<\/a> in 1998 as a correspondent for Dateline.<\/p>\n

While she was hesitant to leave her local news job in New Orleans, she wrote that \u201cone of the biggest factors in my decision to move on was never wanting to wonder What if? What if I never tried?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I knew that if I didn\u2019t take the opportunity \u2014 to experience a new city, a new station, new colleagues, new expectations and challenges \u2014 I would regret it. It was time to go because it was time to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"HodaHoda Kotb during her earlier years on the TODAY show in January 2012.NBCUniversal \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Her responsibilities evolved over the years to include the news desk, co-hosting the fourth hour of TODAY<\/a> and eventually co-anchoring the first two hours of the TODAY broadcast with Savannah Guthrie<\/a>. After decades of the hard-news hustle and morning show grind, Hoda announced in September 2024 she would be leaving TODAY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She has since settled into a new routine<\/a>, leaving NYC for the suburbs, where she moved last year with her daughters<\/a>. Part of her present day-to-day includes overseeing Joy 101 and still occasionally contributing stories to TODAY<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Hoda wrote in her book that she has always been inspired by \u201cpeople who\u2019ve managed to pivot in ways that result in a meaningful rebirth of their heart and soul.\u201d <\/p>\n

Now, she\u2019s settling into being one of those people. So, what does her heart and soul rebirth look like after her last pivot? <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s felt amazing,\u201d Hoda says. \u201cIt\u2019s been equal parts exhilarating and scary when you repot<\/a>, or when you have a rebirth, or when you try something brand new. It\u2019s like being the new kid in school, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing.\u201d <\/p>\n

She also references her time as the new kid at Dateline \u201cnot knowing what I was doing\u201d and \u201ctrying to anchor on weekends and hyperventilating on the set.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cTrying, trying, trying,\u201d she continues. \u201cBeing a beginner is exciting for me, and I feel like that\u2019s what\u2019s happening to me right now. I\u2019m a beginner again.\u201d<\/p>\n

She compares discovering personal growth in new areas to a \u201cstrong, older tree\u201d with \u201cbright-green sprouts popping out.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m getting deeper into motherhood, I\u2019m getting deeper into being an entrepreneur, I\u2019m getting just deeper into understanding time and how it can be slow if you work your day right,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m learning a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hoda Kotb has always admired people who have made extraordinary jumps in life. In recent years she\u2019s taken…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40174,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[288,93,61,60],"class_list":{"0":"post-40173","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}