The goop Podcast

“The thing all great ideas have in common,” says Kevin Systrom, “is that they all seem crazy at the beginning.” The cofounder and former CEO of Instagram joins GP to tell her how he created one of the most popular companies in the world—and what we can learn from it. They talk about mistakes, taking chances, what you don’t know you don’t know, being a leader, and leaving room for creativity when you’re trying (hard) to achieve a mission. (For more, see The goop Podcast hub.)

“Why do I have to be super sweet to get something done?” asks Issa Rae. The actor, writer, and producer of Insecure joins Elise Loehnen to talk about owning our power as women. Rae admits that she used to avoid speaking up—but now recognizes how important it is to use her voice to make change. She is honest about how much power she feels she has in our current culture and the progress we still need to make. Rae shares her passion for telling stories and her goal to “stay grounded and relatable.” Rae and Loehnen talk about insecurities and being awkward—and what that even means and how it affects us. (After you listen, be sure to see Rae’s newest project, The Photograph, in theaters now. And for more info, head to The goop Podcast hub.) 

“The fear is kind of like the gas in your tank,” says Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The actor and producer sits down with GP to talk about motherhood, family life, how she looks back on her career (Second City, SNL, Seinfeld, Veep), and where she’s going next. They talk about marriage and what makes a relationship get “cozy” over time. They talk about acting, humor, laughter. And they talk about their experiences with post-partum depression. Louis-Dreyfus shares the mindset she cultivated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And, she tells us about her newest project Downhill, which she produced and stars in, and which comes out on Valentine’s Day. (For more, see The goop Podcast hub.)

“This generation of women has worked very, very hard,” says writer Ada Calhoun. “And yet, not everyone has what they want.” The author of Why We Can’t Sleep joins Elise Loehnen to talk about the pressure to be perfect. They talk about the ways women—particularly Generation X women approaching midlife—have taken on the stresses of caregiving, building a successful career, and having enough money. They talk about why many of us live in a state of fear and anxiety, and how we can support ourselves and others to shift out of this space. It’s okay to be frustrated, Calhoun reminds us. It’s okay to start putting ourselves first. And knowing that we “can do anything” doesn’t mean we have to do everything. (For more, see The goop Podcast hub.)

The good news, says New York Times–bestselling author Seth M. Siegel, is that we know how to fix our water systems and we can afford to do it. The bad news is there’s a lot wrong with the water we’re drinking right now: We still use the same water technologies that were put in place a century ago. Lead contamination in water pipes is still affecting the majority of our water lines. Remnants of medicines and pills can make their way into our water. To fix a problem, we have to know there is a problem. But information on the safety of our water, and water testing, is kept from the general public. And parallel solutions like bottled plastic water tend to cause more harm. According to Siegel, we have both the capital and the technology to save our water for good—we just need to demand change. Head to Siegel’s website to get involved and if you’re in Los Angeles, come see him at goop Lab the evening of February 26. (For more, see The goop Podcast hub.)