Hoda Kotb took a leap of faith when she stepped away from the newsroom in January to walk into a fresh role in media as a wellness platform creator.
The NBC News mainstay, who co-anchored the flagship hours of NBC’s “Today” for nearly two decades, officially launched her “Joy 101” venture at a party on Wednesday in New York City.
“Being an entrepreneur is hard,” Kotb told Variety on the red carpet. “I didn’t realize how many hats you wear as an entrepreneur. I was used to NBC, where things are sort of baked into the culture and they’re there. So, I’m learning as I go. I’m learning how to be a boss.”
The former journalist’s career shift self-described as a ‘life-changing’ evolution is set to tap into the lucrative app market. She hopes to successfully navigate a community to collectively watch online courses and participate in group events. Members can expect offerings such as live Zoom gatherings with personal friends and a bevy of experts beginning June 11 with Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager.
Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, and Jenna Bush Hager
Getty Images for Joy 101
Kotb said during a surprise appearance on “Today” before the launch party that “Joy 101” was born from a desire to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as to fulfill a personal need to be away from the studio cameras. The anchor made the decision to be at home with family – especially with a young daughter diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes – and establish a more flexible life balance on her terms.
“The work is hard,” Kotb told Variety when asked to compare her past career with relatable Hollywood industry woes such as being stuck laboring on set long hours only to sacrifice moments with loved ones. “And who wouldn’t want to say, ‘Oh, well, I don’t want to work. I would rather stay home.’ That’s out of reach. So, I think what we do is we take the hand that we’re dealt and try to do the best we can with it.”
Coming out to support Kotb was an inner circle of powerhouse media players and former co-workers including Andy Cohen, Gayle King, Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker and Jenna Bush Hager. They gathered at the QVC-sponsored soiree which was decked out in lavender colored décor and lavish buffets of vegetarian platters and mocktails.
Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten took to the stage to perform her anthem “Fight Song,” inspiring Kotb to march up to the piano for an impromptu sing-along. The crowd pumped their fists in the air while chanting, “Hoda! Hoda!”
Guthrie, who earlier in the night referred to Kotb as the ’OG influencer,’ was part of the audience who took the theme of joy to heart in honor of the reporter turned wellness guru.
“In the news business, you can look around and it’s easy to have despair or to have cynicism. And, I actually remember saying this to Hoda – our joy is a protest,” Guthrie told Variety. “To be joyful and be hopeful, in spite of sometimes evidence to the contrary, is an act of will; an act of faith; an act of hope. And it’s more important than ever.”
