NARA SMITH: Answers The Internet, Lucky Blue's FIRST DM & Winning An Oscar?!

0:00What do you think people online would be surprised to learn about you? That I'm actually so much more than what I am online. Hateful comments and misconceptions and like all of it and it felt very unjust. I'm like, bless your heart. If you need to block me, I promise I won't see it. Demi Moore, Charlize Theron. Like, are you crazy? I was freaking out. He said, where are you from, Angel? But he was the worst texter ever. It just felt like my world was crumbling. I asked Lucky, I was like, did I die during childbirth? Like, is this the afterlife?

0:35Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, email, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the Headline Hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work, around the work, and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. That's goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini.

1:08Cash Now, More Later from Opendoor gives you cash up front for your home, plus all the profit later. That's No Chaos Now, No Cash Left Behind later. Skip the showings now. Pocket extra profit later. This is so simple now. This is so awesome later. Or Sell Fast Now and Pop the Champagne later. Cash now, more later. Now available nationwide. Start your offer at opendoor.com slash ACAST. Profits calculated after fees and costs, eligibility and offer price may vary. 500 orders a month was manageable. 5 ,000 is madness. Embrace intelligent order fulfillment with ShipStation, the only platform combining order management, warehouse workflows, inventory, returns and analytics in one place.

1:53What used to take five separate tools, ShipStation does in one. automate fulfillment and rate shopping to ship up to 15 times more with up to 90 % savings go to shipstation.com and use code audio to try shipstation free for 60 days hey it's hannah burner from giggly squad and the holidays are around the corner which means i'm officially entering my hostess hannah era with arm and hammer hardball cat litter you guys know i love cats and fostering but when i'm hosting i do not want my house smelling like cats i want people focusing on my hosting skills. That's why I love Arm & Hammer Hardwell Cat Litter.

2:27It delivers long-lasting odor control and forms compact clumps that make cleanup easy, so that's one less thing I need to worry about when people come over. Be guest ready with Arm & Hammer Cat Litter. Find it now at Walmart or Amazon.

2:43Guys, welcome back to Great Company LA. We're still here, okay, and we are recording with some incredible guests and today's guest I'm so excited for. It's Nara Smith. Now you may have followed Nara for a while. You may have seen her videos, but if you haven't heard of Nara Smith, you still probably would have seen her videos. She's very famous for making cooking videos in couture, amazing, incredible outfits. And she's just released her cookbook, which we're going to chat about today. This episode is full of laughs. It's emotional at times. It's incredible. So get ready for it. Now, if you're new to the show and you haven't subscribed to Great Company yet, click that button.

3:18It takes one second. It's completely free. And it means you not only join our incredible community, it allows us keep making a better show for you guys every single week. Okay, if you do that one thing, we'll thank you forever. Okay, here we go. Enjoy this amazing episode of Great Company with the incredible Nara Smith. You know what, I can admit it. I don't think I'm an alpha male. You know what, fair. I can finally admit it. And my wife is more alpha than me and I need that balance though so it's good no I can't believe we got it the moment I knew I wasn't alpha male yeah right oh wait you transitioned into one yeah no I haven't transitioned to an alpha male yet I'm currently working on it we're working on that but the moment I realized I wasn't alpha male yeah was when I was living in my apartment in Notting Hill with my wife and at five in the morning I I heard a noise and I was like what the hell's that noise And so I went down to my window in the kitchen and I looked out and there was a guy with a balaclava trying to get in.

4:22There's no way. I swear to God. So in that situation. What do you do? Well, in my head, when I'm thinking about that situation. You've got it. Yeah. I've got this. This guy has picked the wrong house. Right. That's what. Right. But in reality. Yeah, what happened? I go. Oh, my God. By the way, I'm fully naked, okay? So I go down to my front door. That's my worst fear. I go down to my front door and put my hands on the door and put my feet against the wall and act as a human doorstop so this person can't get in. And I realise I'm too short. Now I have to reach the wall. So I run out of the house without my wife.

5:17that is insane the thought process all of those steps make no sense i was thinking i need to survive

5:31can i just say you know you like i've been such a fan of you for so long truthfully and it's not even me just sitting here and saying it as like a host or whatever tell me more i can tell you i really need it you are like so great and so wonderful and the content you make is so kind of like pure and magical and lovely and even like reading through your book you read through it are you the greatest thing about your book right yeah is that not only is it feels like a coffee table it does like book in a way it's also it's like something that like i'm so excited to go and make the recipes that makes me so excited when was the decision you made like i want to go and do this um honest okay so writing this book was like a two-ish year process so it really took a minute and I feel like that was expedited because a lot of the times cookbooks take even longer than that and I I mean I thought I was going to be a fiction writer I thought I would write a fiction novel of sorts and that would be my writing start to writing but then it ended up being a cookbook because so many people wanted the recipes I would go through my comments and it was like when is the coming out when do we get the recipes all these things and then I really took it serious and got the deal done and then we kind of went from there are you really happy with it I am but I am also a perfectionist so in hindsight I'm like oh I should have tweaked that a little bit or maybe added this recipe or maybe fix this or whatever it may be I really I'm always critical of my own work but I'm really proud of how it turned out and I'm really glad it's out now for people to buy you know that's amazing like the reason why like i admire you as well is because i saw you on emma gree's podcast right she's a gem she's awesome she's awesome like if there's zombie apocalypse go with her she's gonna know what to do i honestly think we'd we'd be fine with her yeah yeah absolutely i'll cook i'll make sure everything's fine she's gonna be like okay how do we build this one what am i gonna do you're gonna we're gonna shelter you we're gonna make sure you don't escape and run out because you're scared we're gonna take care of you it's gonna be fine you're just gonna look after me yeah i'm dead weight in that i'm total dead weight no no no because you're gonna bring good conversation and you're gonna keep the spirits alive because we're all gonna feel depressed you're gonna be you know you're gonna make sure we're all happy but you you're this perfect i saw you and em agrees and what was so like interesting is that you don't even have a big team no so even i can looking through this book now i know that every single recipe every single picture in there that is you going this is my vision this is what i want to do so everything you're doing is yours within that book.

8:05Yeah, it really is. I mean, obviously it takes a team. It takes an editor, a writer, a photographer, a stylist, a set designer, like all these people to bring it to life because it is such a labor of love. But the vision and the creative and where we wanted to go with it and like what the inspiration was, was all developed by me over the last two years. So it really is. It was also evolved throughout the process. I feel like it started off with me not quite knowing where I was going. And the more I worked on it, the more I realized that my grandma was popping up and German recipes were popping up and things that Lucky really liked eating.

8:41So like the American things found its way in there. So I think it really was this process that kind of took on for two years and evolved into what it is now. Have you always been this driven? Yeah. Ever since you were a kid? I mean, I grew up with a dad that when I brought back a B, he was like why isn't it an A so I think it was always this like okay I'm good but how can I be better and I think that's kind of the standard I hold myself to and is it always productive no it's sometimes really crippling but then also in other times I feel like it comes in really handy and I feel proud of myself when I accomplish what I want to accomplish or even put even with content like putting something out that I feel proud of or writing this book that I feel proud of or giving giving a performance that I'm really proud of.

9:25I think it really is. It pays off. But then when you don't achieve what you want to achieve, does that then hit you harder? Yeah, it does. But I feel like that's also in the beginning of my book, I say, give yourself grace. And even though that is me telling that to other people through this book, it's also a reminder for myself because I feel like I can get really hard on myself and I'm really working on not doing that because things that I see or that I view as not being perfect, other people wouldn't even blink at. So I think it's just holding myself to an unrealistic standard that I don't necessarily want to do because it also keeps me from putting out work that I know people would love.

10:03Now, this is what my big thing at the moment is. I'm really trying at the moment. I spoke to my great friend, right? And he's, I said like, I just don't know. I just feel like I'm not quite getting as many W's as I want. I like feel like I'm not killing it. And he said, whoa, you got to hold He said, you've got to take an outside look of where you start and where you are now. Very good advice. Really? And you've got to say, you know, he said to me, look, your friendships are tighter. Your family is better. You're married. Your business is better. All these things. Every week you can't win. Every week you can't better yourself.

10:32And the problem is, I think same as you, I'm highly competitive with myself. I want to always continue. It's yourself. Yeah, I am competitive with myself. And people always ask me, who do you want to be like? Like, who's your biggest idol? Who's this? Who's that? Whatever it is. But a lot of the times it's all about myself and evolving past what I am now and seeing myself in my old version of, like, someone I want better, if that makes sense. It's never the outside that I feel pressured by. It's me. 100%. Your voice is now iconic. I never thought it would be, but yeah. Buddy, it's, like, iconic.

11:09Thank you. It's like, when was that first video where you saw him like, this is popping off. Like, what is going on here? It was this video of me making the kids bread and peach jam. And then it went kind of viral. And then I kind of forgot about it, just did my thing. And then I was like, ooh, it would be fun if I made a grilled cheese from scratch, right? Make the butter from scratch, the cheese, the pesto, the bread. And then that really took off. And then I was like... You see how many views it's got? Mm-mm. It's like, I think it's over 50 million views. That's so crazy. so insane isn't it um and then i kind of just did it more and more and people loved it and then the voice i mean you as a dad will get it like once you put your kid to bed there is no way you're gonna wake them up but then also if you're holding them and like getting them to bed and they fall asleep in your arms you're like what do i do do i like put them down and risk it do i like but the video had to go up right i was like mom's gotta work so that's how the voice came about i had to speak so quiet out of here yes you had to speak quietly to make sure because i didn't want to wake them i couldn't wake them i spent so much time putting them down but i needed to get the video up and like i'm i'm a perfectionist so i was like it's five o 'clock if i do it any later it's gonna be bad but you know so then that's how the voice came about and people loved it and i'm also a huge fan of asmr so that just kind of took on it's like everything was so unintentional and it slotted together so perfectly that then I was like, oh, this is so fun.

12:38Let me keep doing it because people love it. And I love it because it's me creating art essentially. You made chewing gum from scratch. I did. Are you kidding me? I've made all kinds of things. Skittles, chewing gum, grilled cheeses. Cereal. Cheez-Its. It's a flex. Like, are you kidding? I'm struggling making a boiled egg. What's your favorite food? Great question. Like your favorite dish if you had to pick one. I love a shepherd's pie Fair Very underrated as well Extremely underrated I love a shepherd's pie Shepherd's pie is my favorite Beautiful Good choice That would be my main course My starter would be something like My wife hates when I say I'd have asparagus soup Asparagus soup Yeah I know it's not that People You're going to get across with me That I have an asparagus I had one when I was younger In France It was delicious I might need that That sounds really good It's really good And then dessert I'd probably have something Like a creme brulee Oh beautiful A little custard type situation.

13:35But now I throw it back to you. If you were going to have a starter main dessert, what would you have? And you can choose it from your book as well if you want. Okay, fair. Very good. You like that little. I love that little. Okay, so for dessert, let's start there because I have a huge sweet tooth. I would do my pavlova ice cream cake that I have in there. It's like pavlova, ice cream pavlova, ice cream pavlova. Quite a British dish. Well, the Australians would probably claim that. I'm going to claim it. I don't know if I can. Do you know what? We'll let you be delusional in that. That's fine.

14:08With like a passion fruit situation, very delicious. See, I would remove the passion fruit. I'm not going to critique it too much. I'm just saying that little zing. I don't know. I don't know if I need that little zing. All right. I don't want that little zing through there. We'll talk about that later. This is coming from a person's palate. His favorite food is shepherd's pie. So you're a toddler. No, I get it, though. Passion fruit is one of, I like a tart situation. You know, that's just me. And then main, probably in the book, there's this recipe that is my grandma's. It's gholaden. It's this German dish where it's like a beef roll up situation where you take beef, bacon, mustard, pickles, onions, salt and pepper and like roll it up and then it braises in this like.

14:54how good is it it's beautiful it's so good probably that and then as a starter tom yum soup even though it's not in this yeah in the book but tom yum soup with prawns or without prawns chicken i don't eat seafood let's go isn't it so good it's spicy right yeah that's freaking good it's so good oh no it's really good the the and who if you who would be at your agenda party if you could pick anyone okay people keep asking me this i what a boring question that people keep asking this i thought i was so annoying you're not original at all no i'm just kidding there's this i just talked to a friend of mine sophia rowe she actually gave me the brilliant the most brilliant answer so i'm gonna steal her answer she said i would love to sit down with me but as a child and then i'd like to sit with my daughter but the age that i am now i need a high five you on that one isn't well that wasn't my idea but like let's steal it like the pavlova let's take it sofia said that and i'm like oh yeah it's the best answer i've ever heard that is the best answer i've ever heard so it would just be us picking it up crazy what are you wearing for the dinner party something fab let me tell you that like a little archival scaparelli number are we going deep into the archive to get it yes cinch it i don't want to be able to breathe can i sit down?

16:17I don't know.

16:47Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. That's goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. Shipping, billing, admin, payroll, marketing. You're managing all the things. So why waste time sending important documents the old-fashioned way? Mail and ship when you want, how you want with Stamps.com. Print postage on demand 24-7 and schedule pickups from your office or home. Save up to 90 % with automated rate shopping. That's why over 1 million small businesses trust Stamps.com. Go to Stamps.com and use code PODCAST to try Stamps.com risk-free for 60 days.

17:26Cash Now, More Later from Opendoor gives you cash up front for your home, plus all the profit later. That's no chaos now, no cash left behind later. Skip the showings now, pocket extra profit later. This is so simple now, this is so awesome later. Or sell fast now and pop the champagne later. Cash now, more later. Now available nationwide. Start your offer at opendoor.com slash ACAST. Profits calculated after fees and costs, eligibility and offer price may vary.

17:59You have four kids. I do. Rumble Honey, Slim Easy, Whimsy Lou, and Forney Golden. Yes. The names are just... I love a good baby name. I mean, my husband's name is Lucky Blue. And then he has sisters that have crazy names like Daisy Clementine, Piper America. like kooky names I guess but it helped them all find their individuality and also be remembered and he loves his name and he loved the fact that he had a more abnormal name I guess so when we were naming our kids I wanted that for them because I think it builds character and they're either gonna love it or hate it and if they genuinely hate it they can go change their name when they're older but also i think we as a society will shift so much so by the time they're older there probably will be a lot more names that are unique because i feel like that's kind of what a lot of people are doing now but then also i believe that kids grow into their names i think you knocked it out of the park yeah and all of my kids present themselves as their names it's really interesting oh 100 it's like it's crazy ah we i named ziggy ziggy because it was like a little bit different because i do think in a world full of so many things you want your babies to stand out or be remembered 100 % and your names are just like I'm almost jealous I'm like those are so great yeah I heard this beautiful story which is where you saw your husband on on Ellen yeah so I saw his Ellen interview when he was crazy when I was like I don't I don't want to get the ages wrong but I was a teenager and I saw him on Ellen and I was like oh that guy's so hot and then I just kind of like daydreamed about him a lot lucky and then he's hot he is right and That's coming from a guy who's married.

19:43He's beautiful. As a couple, there's some really good genes going on there. I mean, our kids are very cute. I'll have to be honest. And then I daydreamed and then I didn't really think of it much. And then years later, he DM'd me and then we got married six months after meeting for the first time. Hold on. No, it was so insane. But I think that's what everything in my life has felt like I, whether consciously or subconsciously, spoke it into existence, even after school, like when all of my friends were applying to colleges and doing this and doing that. And they were like, what are you going to do?

20:17You have no idea what you're doing after school. Like, what are you going to do? I knew my backup would be being a biology teacher. And at some point I'd go to college for that. But that wasn't my thought. It was like, I know I'm going to be. That was your backup to be a biology teacher? Yeah. In Germany? I don't know where. to be honest. I was like, I want to do biology and I want to teach it either elementary school or high school or even a professor, like anything that kind of would teach people. And it's funny that I kind of do cooking videos now and people feel taught by them as well. But I just, I knew that finishing school, I was like, I know I'm going to be fine.

20:53And my dad would stress because he's like very type A. He's like, okay, so what college are you applying to? What are you going to study all these different things and after school i was like no i'm gonna take some time and model i know i'm gonna be fine and i know i'm gonna make it you just knew that i just knew oh i was never stressed you you see lucky on ellen at whatever age you are yeah in the teens you then you then he slides into your dms which is like what does he what does he slide in saying hey he said where are you from angel and i was like okay let's give it a whirl and then he was crazy he was really no but hang on this is the guy you've seen and then suddenly he's down there no it was crazy i was like what is happening and i had no one to share this with because no one really knew and i'm like this is so fun it was just crazy and then we started texting but he was the worst texter ever like ever ever are you a good texter no okay but back then i was better so i was like this guy okay i'm done you know it's just whatever like i'm not gonna invest any more energy here and then one day he texted me and he was like i'm gonna go camping with my friends I won't have service, but when I'm back, I want to call you.

22:00And he actually followed through and he called me and that call lasted seven hours. We talked about everything and anything. And then ever since that day, we never went a day without talking. And usually it was like multiple phone calls a day, or even we would like fall asleep on FaceTime because we were a long distance. I lived in Germany. He lived in LA. And then the first time - You hadn't met? No. So we spent two or three weeks just talking on the phone, like every day, multiple hours. So the connection was through conversation through conversation on the phone it was not even FaceTime it was just a regular call yeah conversation so it was so deep so like so deep we went deep so quick that first phone call we talked about everything from like how many kids do you want to how do you feel about marriage to what's your favorite food like what sneakers are you wearing right now where are you in the world what's your favorite modeling memory like everything and then it was a coincidence that we met in person because I called him one day and I was like, hey, so just so you know, I'm going to be in Milan walking this fashion show.

22:58I don't like I just want you to know so that if I'm a little like lagging, you know, you'll know why. And then he's like, that's so crazy. I'm going to be attending that same show in Milan. And that's the first time we met. And that same day he told me he loved me. He asked me to be his girlfriend. Three months later, we were in Australia ring shopping together. Then we got engaged right after that. Three months after that, we got married. and then nine months after that we had our first kid and then six years later we're on our fourth. It's crazy. That's what it is. That is like the most, that's like a movie.

23:31It feels like a movie, yeah. And I couldn't be more grateful. No, that's the most beautiful thing. And you can see the love and the respect and the admiration and everything towards you guys. Because having met you briefly now, right, You seem like someone who understands where they want to go, has a vision. You look at your book, right? Homemade, right? Everything about it is precise. It's like I know everything. But then the biggest risk in life is choosing who you want to marry. That is the biggest risk. It is. It's a hit or miss. Saying will you marry me or saying I do it, whatever way you want to do it, it's hit or miss.

24:11It's a roulette spin. And that is doing it after six months. Crazy. So why? What was it about him that you were like, or what was it about that relationship? You were just like, this is it. I have no idea. I think it was a deep gut feeling and it just felt like I was meant to be with him. I can't explain it to anyone. And I don't know how to articulate the feelings I felt towards him. There was one pivotal moment in our relationship where he came to visit me in Australia, which is crazy. He got on like a long flight. He spent 10 days with me in Australia. And the day that he, and we went ring shopping there.

24:48And I told my friends, I'm like, meet my boyfriend. Also, we're on our way to crazy. And then I just remember he left that trip and he went through security and it just felt like my world was crumbling. I was like, I can't do long distance. I can't be without, like, that was the moment I knew that there wouldn't be a day I could be without him. Like, it felt like a part of me left that day. So have you read Northern Lights? No. Okay, Northern Lights, Philip Pullman. Is it good? It's a book, right? And basically what it is is about these, I read it years ago, but in the story, Lara, who is the main character, has this spirit animal basically called a daemon.

25:26If they go too far away from each other, it causes pain. And so with my wife, when we first, this is, I'm not even kidding you, right? I love love. I love love. I love love. It's the greatest. It's the greatest gift ever. And I don't give a shit about being cheesy. I freaking love it. Do it. Yeah. Just commit. What do you think is the best thing about your husband, Lucky? And what do you think he would say is the best thing about you? I think, I mean, it's hard to say one thing because he is my best friend in every aspect. But I think how emotionally aware he is of me and my emotions. Because I hear a lot of stories of husbands being like, I didn't know she felt like that.

26:07I didn't know you were sad that day. Why didn't you tell me? I'm like, tell you, like he really is so aware of my emotions and that's really beautiful. He's really good at communicating. I think also we've grown so much in our relationship that we've learned so many things to where now if I come to him with a problem or an issue or feelings or whatever it is, I'm like, this is what's happening. He's like, OK, so would you like advice? Would you like me to just listen and be there for you? Would you like my opinion? I think a lot of the times like we expect our partner to read our mind and know exactly what we need And I think we've gotten really good at communicating being like, okay I actually just need you to listen and let me vent or sometimes i'm like I actually really need your advice in your opinion Like am I out of line?

26:49Whatever it may be like we've gotten good at that, but I don't know what his favorite thing is about me maybe How loving and compassionate I am? Because I I think When we have a disagreement or even just in day-to-day life I think I can meet people not just him but everyone with compassion even if I feel different and I think that's that's something that's a blessing and a curse because a lot of the times when I get hurt by people whether that's friends or work related things whatever it may be I there's like two things in my mind right it's my feelings how I feel kind of what the situation was And like, usually, like, if I feel a certain way, I'm in the right, just based off the facts and the reality of the situation.

27:36But then it's also like, let's just say someone hurt me, right? You broke the glass, and it's like my favorite glass, and I'm devastated by it. And you did it out of malicious intent. Let's just say that, right? I have my feelings. You did it out of malicious intent. I'm pissed. I'm really sad. All of those feelings exist for me based off the reality, right? But then I can also understand, okay, maybe you did it because you had a bad day or like you're feeling a lot of other things in your life that brought out that maliciousness and you did that to hurt me because you're hurting. And then I'm like, okay, let me take care of your emotions and make sure that you're okay because I can understand why you did this.

28:12So sometimes it's really great. sometimes I'm like gotta stand up for myself a little better but I'd much rather meet people with kindness and compassion rather than anything else how do you learn that I don't know I don't know like that is a an amazing perspective because a lot of I mean we're all doing life for the first time we're all here for the first time we're all parents for the first time we're all humans for the first time. We're all in work situations a lot of the times for the first time. We're all just here for the first time in this life to where I'd much rather meet you with love and compassion because I feel like that's what we all need rather than whatever it is that went wrong.

28:57I just feel like we all just deserve a little bit more grace. And a lot of the times people don't get that. Honestly, it's like such a beautiful way to be. I always want to be kind and I feel like kindness costs nothing it's not going to take anything away from you it's not going to do anything but help someone else and whatever that is and I think that's what we owe everyone around us because I don't know I just I just believe that there's good in everyone regardless of what your actions are and that doesn't necessarily mean that I mean when it comes to business I can be really compassionate it.

29:34But then it's also, then maybe we part ways or maybe you're not on this project or maybe we do need to have a harder conversation. And you can have those conversations? I'm getting better at it. Yes. In the beginning, I'd be like shriveling up inside, but by now I feel like if I approach it, if I feel confident in what I have to say, I can approach it in a kind and compassionate way. Do you think becoming a mom has made you better at that? Yeah, I think it has. I just feel like you're just seeing these tiny humans and they're also doing it for the first time and they chose you to be their parents and they have no concept of time.

30:11I know. They have no concept of what it means to tie your shoes in a timely manner because we have to go. They don't even know how long it will take to get to wherever we're going. But then we might in that situation be like, oh, we got to go. Like getting stressed, getting flustered, getting like a little snap because you're like, just tie the shoe. We need to go. But they're just like, they have no idea. You know, becoming a dad has taught me so much patience and so much understanding. It's made me appreciate and love my parents more. Yeah. And you can also meet your parents with so much more grace and compassion.

30:38Yeah. Because I feel like growing up, you're like, oh, why did you do that? Why did you do that? Why were you fighting? But now in hindsight, you're like, oh, you also were just parents for the first time. You also just learned as you were going. And it kind of makes you reflect like there's probably going to be things that I do as a parent that my kids are going to be like, I don't like that you did that. But all you're doing, I feel like if you come from a good place is doing the best for your kids, loving them in the best way you know how to and teaching them in the best way that you know how to.

31:06And that isn't perfect because we're all flawed human beings. We're not meant to be perfect. Without a doubt. And we're just broken souls trying to find our way through life. We're just trying our best. And I think that's what I say. Like, if you're trying your best, that's all that matters. Like sometimes when I, whether that's in my relationship with my husband or in friendships or in situations with work colleagues that could have been handled better, I ask. Sometimes I'm like, did you try your best? And if the answer, and I know that I trust that they're going to tell me the truth. I'm like, just tell me truthfully.

31:38Did you try your best or did you try your hardest? And if the answer is yes, then we're going to move on and figure it out because you genuinely tried your best. That's all that matters to me. Can I just also say just another thing which I read and I asked my wife before and I said, can I talk about this? You spoke about experiencing after giving birth depersonalization, derealization. Yes. My wife also experienced that. I'm so sorry. Yeah. It must have been scary for everyone and for her and for you. It's a really scary thing for anyone who doesn't understand. It's where you, I've actually experienced when I went through that anxiety period.

32:13So I understand, I understood what my wife was going through. It's basically where you feel like you're not living in your own body. Yeah. You feel like you're floating above. You almost feel like you're going mad. I felt like I was dead. Yeah. Like one time I remember I asked Lucky, I was like, did I die during childbirth? Like, is this the afterlife? And he got so freaked out by that. And he called his mom, like trying to see like, what do I do? Like he, he didn't quite know. And it was, it was really scary because I'd never experienced that before with any of my kids. But I think that pregnancy specifically, there was so much that was happening from like renovating our house, all of these professional milestones.

32:49Also, she was a surprise pregnancy. So I didn't necessarily plan to have another baby to where I could mentally prepare for it. And I think I just lived my whole pregnancy, not quite. being mindful of the fact that I was pregnant. So I'd be like, yeah, of course I can fly. Of course I can do this. Of course. Yeah. I'm going to give birth any minute now, but let's do this work thing. And let me come like, it was me not realizing. And I think when I gave birth, it hit me because all of a sudden I was holding this kid that I didn't quite, I was like, what is happening? I was pregnant. So I think it was just me not mentally preparing properly and then kind of going through postpartum in not the best way with that happen it's so scary it is so scary for anyone who's going through it it's it's really scary the only thing i can say is that it will get better you just have to get through it how did you help your wife in that way because i had experienced i understood it and so when i experienced it i did i just say stayed silent for six months and every time i open i wouldn't want to open my eyes in the morning because i would just feel like i was floating i'm sorry It was awful.

33:55And so when it happened to my wife, I said, listen, this is really not fun. And I know you're scared right now, but I promise you this will get better. And I'm by your side every step of the way. So don't worry about it. If you need anything, if you want to talk about it, you can talk about it to me every second of the day if you need to. If that makes you feel better, let's do it. But I can promise you I've been there. It will get better. And it does. And then it suddenly lifts. That's what happens. I did one day I woke up and I'm like, back in my body. It's like you come out of a trip. Yeah, truly.

34:25It's like you suddenly, like, you're like, what was going on? You're suddenly in your body. And then it's scary because you think it's going to suddenly come back. I know.

34:53personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. That's goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. Still waiting in line? Again? That's time you'll never get back. Save time and money with stamps.com. Over 4 million businesses have skipped the line with stamps.com. Join them to save up to 90 % off carrier rates from your computer or phone right now. Print postage for certified mail, registered mail, and packages in seconds.

35:30Then schedule a pickup right from your home or office. For a limited time, go to stamps.com and use code podcast for a free welcome gift. Taxes and fees apply.

35:42How important is family to you? It's very important. I think I've always been really, I've kind of been a loner, I guess. When I was younger, I was always like, oh, it's me. Like, I was very quiet. I love to read books. I love to just be by myself, I guess. And then the older I got, and even now as an adult, my family's everything. Like, my mom helps so much. It's so important for me to show up for them. I'm closer to my siblings. I think having kids myself made me realize how important family was. And I think being an adult now, I'm really close to my family. When I was younger, I was kind of more in my own little bubble and world.

36:19And because I'm so young, I always say when I'm younger, but I was 15, 10 years ago. So it wasn't that long ago, you know? Do you not think now you've achieved so much at like such a young age? Like it is, it's so incredible the way that you're operating. I think when someone says that, I take a step back and look at it. But on a day-to-day basis in my home, I always feel like I could do better and I could advance better. And I feel like I'm not where I want to be. And in my mind, I'm not 25 because I have four kids and I have a life and I have a career. And it doesn't feel like a typical life that a 25-year-old would lead based off of that.

37:01So I always think of myself older and then obviously also have older friends that are in their late 30s or 40s. And then it kind of, not that I compare myself, but talking, obviously we're at different life stages. And then I kind of feel inadequate sometimes in what I bring to the table, even though that's so far from the reality. What is your, I like to call it a BHAG, right? So I have something called a big, hairy, audacious girl. It's kind of wild. I'm obsessed with that. Yeah. It's something that I'm in my constant driving towards. Something like super unattainable that like, I think it's never going to happen, but it keeps me on that right track to know where I'm going.

37:35I have two. Yeah. One is to host the Oscars. Wow. And the other one is my family started a business many years ago called McVitie's. It's a biscuit business. We sold it many years ago, but I want to buy that back. These are these two things. They're unattainable. These are the two dreams. But why are they unattainable to you? Well, they're not. I don't think. The truth is, I say it's unattainable because in the UK, people like to go. That's a German mentality as well. it's like keeping it small keeping it realistic keeping it very a-line and that's not entertainable it's not entertainable right and and that's what i love about america is it's like you can achieve anything that you want to do so if i was going to say what is your everest what would you like to achieve what is that thing that you go this is hey if nara could if i could see myself in 5 10 15 years time what would that be it's really interesting because i feel like i'm evolving so much and there's so much that I love doing.

38:30And my dreams to people, my dreams to people sound crazy, which is why I never say them out loud. I just say them to myself and I know that they're going to happen and I say them to my team. Right. But when I say them out loud, it just feels so silly that people are going to be like, what is she on about? She's nowhere near that. But I want to win an Oscar one day. I want to have an EGOT. Like I know that not a lot of people have done that. And it's so crazy that me, I would say that, but I think that's totally doable if I put in the work and I'm starting early. But now you know you're going to do that.

39:04I know I'm going to do that. Yeah. And also me sitting here, I know you're going to do that. See, that's the thing. I feel like everything that I want, I know I will achieve with hard work. I'm not sitting here saying, oh, I'm going to manifest this and it's going to come to me one day and just appear on my doorstep. I believe that whatever I say and whatever I work towards, if I'm dedicated to it and put in the work and really grind it out, I will get there. And that might not look like I want it to look right. I want to win an Oscar next to Oscar's ceremony. Obviously, it's not going to be that.

39:36But I know that if I put in the work and I put in the time and I really hone a craft, that's going to happen. If I really work on certain other things, they're going to happen. If I want to build a business that is super successful, I have to put in the work and do that. So I think, I believe that whatever you say becomes your reality if you back it up. Man, that is such good. Someone listening right now needs to hear that because I think some people want to go to heaven without doing the work. You have to do the work. And I think that's where the manifestation or the praying or the vision boards, whatever you want to call it, right?

40:09That's where it gets kind of misconstrued because you're like, oh, I put that on my vision board and it's going to come to me. But then you're not taking the necessary steps to get there. How are you going to get there? So do you pray every night? Do you manifest every night, every morning? I don't have a routine with it. I think I need to get better at it. But I do believe that if I am humble and I ask for things and I put in the work and I'm faithful and when I say things, I need to approach them as if they're happening, right? I need to have faith. You know, I went through like a little tricky time with anxiety, right?

40:41And my wife said to me, you said you should give thanks and I said what do you mean she said well you have an amazing life and right now you're thinking negatively about it but actually what you should do is you should every single night say thank you for the things that you're actually grateful you may not believe it you may not think it right now but do it this was a few years ago I started doing it and so I go every single night and every single morning I say other things but what I focus on is I say thank you for making me and my family and friends happy healthy safe and content and and since i started doing that the words the the thing that i'm doing it just it makes life that constant mantra towards your mind makes you view things more positively yes and so if you keep doing it it's all a mindset thing it's also i believe that whatever you put out and whatever you focus your energy in will become your reality so if everything you think is negative and you're like super anxious and this is going wrong and this is going wrong and this is bad and like whatever it is your world will become that because that's all you see but if you realize that those like there's always there has to be good and bad there has to be a balance right 100 so you but it depends on what you focus on if you focus on the good you're going to see more good if you focus on the negative you're going to see more negative and depending on what you choose that's kind of how you live your life your upcoming film tyrant isn't that so fun dude are you kidding you're in the film it it feels unreal demi moore charlie's there on like are you crazy it's when you were doing it were you just like when when you get do you have to did you audition i don't know how much i can say about that until it comes out you didn't know but they they were like they were like we want you and you're like i'll see my schedule let me go check my schedule and see whether this fits No, I was freaking out.

42:32I think just being in an environment like that and being around the most iconic and professional and talented actresses was unlike anything I've ever seen. It's like watching the Super Bowl. You know, crazy. How do you deal with the control? Because everything in your life you do, you can control it. But you can't control that. It was kind of beautiful to see. It was beautiful to see big actresses that are talented, like mess up a line or want to say it a different way or show up in a way that you weren't like you have this. I had this perception of what filming a movie would be like. Right. I thought it was kind of scary.

43:11I'm a perfectionist. So I'm like, what if I screw up my lines? What if we have to do it again because of me? Like all these different things. And when I came on set, it was actually the most beautiful experience. Can I ask you a question, right? Because I think what happens in life is that we try and put people in boxes and lanes and we say, OK, this is your lane. Yeah. Right. Maybe that's on social media. Then maybe that's being a reality. Maybe that's being whatever it is. Right. They say this is where you have to be. And when you start to shift outside of that lane, people go, hang on a second.

43:40That's not that's not where I want you. I want you back there. I want you back in there. Yeah. And people may argue, say, well, hang on a second. I know from social media. How can she be suddenly doing this? What would you say to the people who say that? I feel like as a society and as women and just in the industry that we're in, I think it's fun to evolve and play around and explore new dimensions. How boring would it be if all of us did the same thing for the rest of our lives every single day? And it doesn't matter whether that's me in the job that I'm doing that's more public facing or that's someone that works a corporate nine to five.

44:14Like you don't want to work that same job in the same office and never advance for the next 30 years of your life. And that's not really what happens either. Like you quit that job and you move on or you get promoted or whatever it is. I think it's just because people in the public, I do it so public to where people can have opinions. It's certainly something that's then talked about. But I think if it's your friend at home, that's like, yeah, I quit that job, girl. And I'm at this company now. You wouldn't really think twice about it. Right. So I think it's just there's like different perceptions depending on what you do.

44:50And I think we should just let people explore and evolve. I want everyone to go and get your book for so many reasons, not just because the beautiful recipes and that it looks so amazing and it will look insane in your home. I think because it means so much more than that. It means so much to me. It really does. It feels like my life over the past two years, like wrapped in a hardcover. Yeah. And you, you just, you deserve it all. You're a really beautiful soul. Thank you. That is a really big compliment right there. I'm going to leave in the show description. Go and get your book. Go and check on the link.

45:26Go and buy it. Before we end, we'd like to end with eight quickfire questions. Oh, okay. So we're not fully done yet. I still get to talk. Oh, we've got another 30 minutes. Are you ready for this? Yes. What's a saying or phrase that makes you smile or cheers you up? There's perfection and imperfection. Like it makes me just be like, okay, okay, I can do it. Can you give me an example of when that's happened? I mean, the most easy example I feel like is with cooking. Like sometimes I add more this or more that, or it turns out a little salty or I add more broth and turns into soup instead of a pasta dish.

46:02Right. And it feels like and then sometimes those are the dishes that are my absolute favorite things. And I'm like, how did I do that? So probably that. Best compliment anyone's ever given you. You've got a beautiful heart. You've got a beautiful soul. Anything that speaks to characteristics, I guess. 100 % what scares you most about yourself I think how critical I can get myself really not that that's necessarily scary to me but if I had to pick something you're forcing my hand I'm forcing it that so how do you deal with online criticism sometimes oh um I mean in the beginning because my growth was so rapid I didn't quite understand what was happening because before that my social media was always this like very fun place that I got to really be myself and talk to all these people.

46:48And then when I grew so quick, obviously that brought in a lot of negative emotions and comments and hateful comments and misconceptions and like all of it. And it felt very unjust. And I was also pregnant. So I was probably a little bit more emotional than I usually am, but that was really, really hard. And then I was, would cry about it. I'd be like, what do I do? It really affected me on like a very, very deep level. But now having moved through that and kind of learning more and evolving. I have two phones, not right now, but usually I have two phones where social media is on one. And then people that actually can have an opinion about my life that I care about will text me, right?

47:29They could have that access. People online cannot. And I think that's kind of how I move through it now because I feel like a lot of the times people that leave hateful comments do not want to be corrected and do not do it to do anything but to hurt because they're probably hurting themselves. So I just, I'm like, bless your heart. If you need to block me, I promise I won't see it. So can I just quickly say, what do you think about, what do you think people online would be, would be surprised to learn about you? That I'm actually so much more than what I am online. Like I can be funny. I can be witty.

48:03We can like have a good chat. I'm, I don't take myself too serious. I don't know. Sometimes people either think I'm like a jokester or they think I'm like really serious, but. No, no, I agree. You're very funny. Thank you. You're funny. Thank you so much. When was the last time you cried? Two days ago. What about? I got, it was. You got the email about this. I got the email about this podcast and I couldn't believe it. I just burst into tears. I think sometimes life can feel very overwhelming. And I think when a lot of things are happening, I just can get overwhelmed sometimes and it's nice to let out.

48:41And then I'm like, okay I'm good now that's how I feel what's something you can't let go of? I feel like I'm pretty good at letting go of things great that's a good way I'm pretty good at that it happens let's move on yeah I feel like you have a period where you come to terms with it and you work through it and then if you keep bringing it up it just is unresolved stuff that you don't want to be carrying around Helen has written her ambition here we go I will take that yeah what's your guilty pleasure? A pint of ice cream at the end of the night. What flavor? If it's homemade and I made the ice cream, I just made this like matcha crunchy cornflake situation that I've been devouring.

49:24Or if I have Jenny's ice cream, they do that birthday cake flavor with the sprinkles. I haven't had it yet. I've seen it. Is it unbelievable? It is unbelievable. I have no self-restraint, so I just have the whole pint. Biggest green flag? Emotional awareness. biggest red flag? Not being able to communicate right. I think if you lack the skill of communicating, you better go study whatever you need to study to improve that. What do you like most about yourself? Probably that I can be very compassionate and kind. And my ambition, actually. Stolen it. Yeah, I stole it right there. I just feel like I am very hardworking and driven.

50:07And And that's fun in today's day and age, I think. And last bonus one. If you had to pick from the book your favorite recipe that you're cooking for me, which one is it going to be? I think we should expand your palate a little. So I would make you... Do you like chicken wings? Yeah. I'll make you the go-to-jogging sticky... I turned to that one just before you arrived. The sticky one. Yes. We're aligned. The sticky chicken wings with the miso yogurty dip. I've got a great palate, by the way. You probably do. I'm just, I'm just harping on you a little. I really don't. I really don't have a good palate.

50:43Oh, you eat like a toddler? Yeah, a little bit. You know, that's fine. It's comforting. To watch or for me? Both. It makes it, it would make it easy for me to cook for you. I'll just make you chicken tenders. And I'm in. Dara, thank you for being you and being so amazing. Thanks for having me. You are fantastic company. Thank you so much. Yay! This was so fun.

51:19Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, email, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the Headline Hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. That's goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini.

51:52Cash Now More Later from Opendoor gives you cash up front for your home, plus all the profit later. That's no chaos now, no cash left behind later. Skip the showings now. Pocket extra profit later. This is so simple now. This is so awesome later. Or sell fast now and pop the champagne later. Cash now more later. Now available nationwide. Start your offer at opendoor.com slash ACAST. Profits calculated after fees and costs, eligibility and offer price may vary. Business is booming. Is your fulfillment ready for peak season? Switch to ShipStation now and handle more volume with confidence when it counts.

52:28ShipStation connects Shopify, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and over 200 more integrations with one platform that does it all. You can manage orders, sync inventory, track returns all automatically. Everything your operation needs, all in one place. Right now, qualified shippers get a real dedicated person to get you set up and switched over for free. So when peak season hits, you're ready to go. Switch today at ShipStation.com, code audio.