The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Melinda French Gates Reveals All (Pt 3): Life-Changing Lessons on How to Do Hard Things, Navigate Change & Find Yourself Again
Tue, 22 Apr 2025
Full Video Available on YouTube @JamieKernLimaOfficial. Are You Ready to believe in YOU?🙌 jamiekernlima.com 👈 Sign up for my FREE Inspirational Newsletter here and you’ll ALSO get special prompt questions to help you grow in your self-worth-building that pair with each episode!🩷 Make sure to click the “Follow” button for the show on your favorite podcast app, so you’ll be the first to get each episode! ____ Get ready to gain the confidence and courage to do hard things, navigate change and find yourself again! Even if you’ve lost touch with your own voice and don’t even remember who you truly are right now. The real, wise, beautiful YOU is still in there, and you can tap back into the truth of who you are. And when you do, it will set you free! if you are ready to ignite your courage to make a transition in your life, or navigate through a hard one you didn’t plan for…and find yourself again…this incredible conversation with Melinda French Gates is for you today! Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. She’s the founder of Pivotal Ventures, focused on accelerating social progress by removing barriers that hold people back, she also co-founded the Gates Foundation, alongside former husband Bill Gates. Melinda’s brand new book The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward, is out now, make sure you pick up your copy today here, it’s so good, in the book, Melinda reflects for the first time on the most significant transitions in her life, from becoming a parent, she’s now a mom of 3, to the death of a dear friend, to departing the Gates Foundation, to deciding to end her marriage, this book is filled with the most inspiring and insightful lessons on loosening the bonds of perfectionism, helping yourself and others navigate times of crisis, embracing uncertainty and so much more! Through Melinda’s decades of high-impact investments, philanthropy, partnerships, and advocacy, she’s not only impacted and saved millions of lives in the US and around the world, she’s also become one of the most iconic and celebrated women of our time. It is such an honor to join Melinda and YOU in this incredible conversation! And whether you're joining me today for yourself or because someone that you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family. And remember this episode is not just for you and me. Please share it with every single person that you know because it can change their life too. Episode Reflection Questions for YOU: Jamie writes prompt questions each episode to spark revelations in your self-worth journey and help you apply the tools and lessons from each episode into your real life right now. Please make sure you’re signed up for Jamie’s free inspirational newsletter jamiekernlima.com 👈 Get my new book WORTHY plus FREE Bonus gifts including a 95+ page Worthy Workbook and more at WorthyBook.com For more resources related to today’s episode, click here https://jamiekernlima.com/show/ for the podcast episode page. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Jamie Kern Lima Show 3:50 "You're Not The Wave, You're The Water" 13:20 How to Handle Critics and Haters 17:30 Melinda's #1 Piece of Advice on How to Trust Yourself It’s such an honor to share this podcast together with you. And please note: I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Click Here to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Follow me here: Instagram TikTok Facebook Website — Sign up for my inspirational newsletter for YOU at: jamiekernlima.com — Looking for my books on Amazon? Here they are! WORTHY Believe IT
Chapter 1: Who is Melinda French Gates and what is this episode about?
How are you? Can I hug you? Of course! coming up in this incredible final part three episode with Melinda French Gates. She's truly revealing awe and it's so inspiring. Melinda shares stories and insights she's never shared before. including life-changing lessons on how to do hard things. I feel like it doesn't matter what anyone does. It's just going to come with vilification or opposition.
How have you handled that? When you do something that you're like, I believe in this so much, I know that, and then all of a sudden people are attacking it.
My dad always told us when we were growing up, consider the source.
Navigate change. Do you ever plan on or would you ever consider running for public office? I'm curious if you feel optimistic about the future of our country right now. How do you feel about the future, all of our futures with AI? And find yourself again. I am so excited for this incredible final part three episode.
Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. She's the founder of Pivotal Ventures, focused on accelerating social progress by removing barriers that hold people back. She also co-founded the Gates Foundation alongside her former husband, Bill Gates. Melinda's brand new book, The Next Day, Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward is out now.
Make sure you pick up your copy right now. It is so good. And whether today you're listening for yourself or because someone that you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family. Thank you so much for being here. And can you take two seconds and do me a favor? Please hit the subscribe or follow.
follow button on the app that you're listening or watching on. Thank you so much. It truly means so much to me and the team that works so hard to bring you this show. Also, this episode, it's not just for you and me. Please share this with every single person that you know, because what you're about to hear can truly impact and change your life and theirs. Jamie Kern Lima is her name.
Everybody needs Jamie Kern Lima in their life.
Jamie Kern Lima.
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Chapter 2: How did Melinda find the courage to trust her inner voice and make life changes?
We're water.
We're so much more than we think we are. And we have these constructs of who we think we are. But when we endure the change, and especially if we can work to not resist it, like in the case of the waves, they're coming up to the beach, whether they care about them or not, right? I also... use this analogy from Amdas of the big wave who's worried, and then the small wave.
And the small wave has perspective on the big wave. And if we can find somebody that has perspective on our life, it's the small wave that says, don't be scared. And the big wave is saying, but I'm terrified. We're going to crash into a storm. And the small wave says, yeah, but We're water. We're water.
We need to have people in our lives who have perspective that we're going to be OK when we get to the other side of that change. We're going to be OK when we go through the clearing, even if it's tough, even if it has stickers and brambles in it. And as we're moving through it, it feels painful. We're going to be OK on the other side.
And the truth is, when you have something that changes, you end one thing. you're actually creating an opening for something new and you just don't know what it is. And the point is to not be, try not to be anxious, right? Like we rush, I used to too, rush across the clearing because I'm anxious. I need to know exactly what's coming next. But actually we don't. Yeah. Right.
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Chapter 3: What does the analogy 'You're not the wave, you're the water' mean?
Like you probably didn't know you were going to start a makeup company. You probably didn't know you were going to be able to sell it to L'Oreal for a gazillion dollars. You probably didn't know. You hoped you probably didn't know you were going to host a podcast. All those things have come. Right. But if you hadn't ended some other things, there wouldn't have been room for these things.
to happen and I was so scared to leave my journalism job I was like that's my dream job I'm here to share other people's stories of the world but I'm not that wave I'm water and I just I love this so much and this is okay this is one of the million reasons why everyone needs to pick up
the next day because I feel like every single person can relate to this where we're hanging onto the thing or we're scared to write the book or we're scared to put ourselves out there. We're scared to let go of the one thing. And I just think that that is so, I think it's so beautiful.
Chapter 4: How can we navigate fear and uncertainty during major life transitions?
And I think that, you know, we all go through transitions in different ways, but sometimes we resist them way too long. Hoda Kotb was just on my podcast and she talked about this analogy of, cause you know, of course she left the Today Show, she's doing something whole new and everyone's like, what are you doing? How could you do that?
And she talks about that so many people hang onto the wave too long and they just ride the wave way, way, way too long. And cause we're scared to get off the wave or we think we'll never get another wave. But I love when I read your book, when I was in tears reading this,
I kept imagining a wave hitting the shore and dissipating, but then your water and you go right back to your now a different wave. And what does that wave look like and how? And you never find out what that wave can be if you're still trying to resist hitting the shore when you know it's coming. And I just it's so beautiful.
OK, so you've written on articles on the importance of getting more women in public office. So Miss Melinda French Gates, do you ever plan on or would you ever consider running for her public office?
No, never. No, I like the position I'm in right now and feel like I can hopefully create a lot of change with the partners I work with for women and and others from this role.
With everything going on, I think every day we're always in transition. And with the transition, I think everyone in our country feels that they're in right now. Whether they agree or don't agree, whatever they feel like, we're all in transition. And so how... I'm sure that you're exposed to so much, so many incredible conversations and information that maybe not everyone is.
And so I'm curious if you feel optimistic about the future of our country right now. We need to pause for a super brief break. And while we do, take a moment and share this episode with every single person that you know, maybe they're going through a transition in their life in some way, who this episode could inspire. Because this conversation can truly not just impact our lives, but theirs too.
In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy, how to believe you are enough and transform your life for you. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you.
In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self-love, unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt, and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness. Overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome. Achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them and so much more.
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Chapter 5: Would Melinda French Gates ever consider running for public office?
Or they're a doctor or a lawyer and they never, ever wanted a public profile. And now they have them everywhere and they're getting feedback. And I think a lot of people or the people from high school 30 years ago are on a Facebook group and somebody said something. And it's just this new thing. And I'm curious because you do such impactful work on such a global scale. Yeah.
How, you know, and again, I feel like it doesn't matter what anyone does. It's just going to come with vilification or opposition. How in all the work that you've done over the decades and now, how have you handled that when you do something that you're like, I believe in this so much, I know that. And then all of a sudden people are attacking it.
My dad always told us when we were growing up, consider the source. Hmm. Yeah. So I often try and consider the source. And I think what's so difficult online is you don't know who the source is. They put their little moniker out there.
Chapter 6: Is Melinda optimistic about the future of the country and technology like AI?
I remember saying to my oldest daughter in high school when she eventually did have social media late in high school and somebody said something rude about her online. And I said to her, well, we don't even know who that person is. That could be a 11-year-old boy sitting in his basement.
You know, that could be, you know... Like, I just gave her, like, five different archetypes of what it might be, and I was like, so, how do you know whether you should take that judgment? And she was like, yeah, right. So...
The honest critics, like we need to listen to honest critics, people who are giving us feedback, who are honest enough to say, you know, you tried to do this, but it had a different impact in this community. But I want to know the source because that helps me know where, okay, they really are being an honest critic or no, they just want to point their finger at everybody and say you did it wrong.
Right. There's a phenomenal book I read years ago by Renee Brown called Daring Greatly. Yes. And she talks about the leader who's in the arena versus the people sitting in the seats. In the seats, yes. And boy, did that help me because I thought, wow, I'm in the arena. I'm doing the hard work. It's so easy to sit in the cheap seats and be the critic. Yes.
Right.
And even I have to look at that about myself. If I'm criticizing somebody else, I have to say, well, but are they doing the work? Are they in the arena? Yeah. Well, maybe I need to look deeper at that. Maybe I do agree with them. Maybe I don't. But, you know, I'm up here in these seats just looking down.
How do you feel about the future, all of our futures with AI?
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Chapter 7: How can building self-worth help you overcome challenges and unlock your potential?
I think we do not know the impact it's going to have on society yet. We can get glimpses. We can see some of the good it will do for sure in health. I see some of the amazing things we're all able to learn. Even I was just in a different country I'd never been into and all the things I could learn as I just asked question after question after question that led to another one.
But you know, does it get, is it regulated in the right way? Does it get in the wrong hands? We can't answer those questions right now.
So it remains to be seen. I try to do my homework. I'm going to ask you a question that is going to be on everyone's mind when they read it and listen to it. Okay. In the very, very end of your book, in the acknowledgement section, you... You say your thank yous and you thank someone who's helped you heal and see beauty again. And you say you know who you are.
So I'm just going to ask, are you dating anyone? I am. And that person knows who they are. So beautiful. Your eyes are sparkling. Thank you. Right now. What is your best piece of advice for a woman who wants to learn to trust herself?
Surround yourself with people who will be truth tellers to you. Surround yourself with really deep, good friends. Cherish and nurture those friendships, but make sure they will tell you the truth and that you will tell them the truth at hard times in their life.
That's so good. And it's rare, right? It is rare. It's so rare. That's so beautiful. Yeah. I'm so grateful that we are able to have this conversation. Thank you for your beautiful book that I have read cover to cover and will be gifting to every girl and woman and person I know because we all go through transitions. And I think that when we share our real stories.
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Chapter 8: Where can listeners find more inspiration and resources from Jamie Kern Lima?
And you've just like opened up your heart and soul in this book in a way that every single person is going to connect to. And I think it's going to help people feel less alone and more enough. So thank you. Thank you so much, Jamie. So good. Remember this episode, not just for you and me, please share this with every single person that you know, because it can impact and change their life too.
And if you love today's episode, please click on the follow or subscribe button for the show on the app and give it a five star rating or review. And again, please share it with everyone that you believe in. Share it with another person in your life who could benefit from it. Maybe someone you know is making a change in their career or marriage or health.
Please post the episode and share it with others online or in your community who just might need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me today. Before you go, I want to share some words with you that couldn't be more true.
You right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy. You're worthy of your greatest hopes, your wildest dreams, and all the unconditional love in the world. And it is an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. Here, I hope you'll come as you are, heal where you need, blossom what you choose,
journey toward your calling and stay as long as you'd like because you belong here. You are worthy. You are loved. You are love. I love you. And I cannot wait to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Do you struggle with negative self-talk? Living with a constant mental narrative that you're not good enough is exhausting. I know because I spent most of my life in that habit.
The words you say to yourself about yourself are so powerful. And when you learn to take control over your self-talk, it's life-changing. And I wanted to give you a free resource that I created for you if this is something that could benefit your life. It's called Five Ways to Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Build Self-Love.
And it's a free how-to guide to overcome that negative self-talk to build confidence and develop unshakable self-love so that you can dream big and keep going in the pursuit of your goals. Don't let self-sabotaging thoughts hinder your progress any longer. It's time to rewrite the script of your life when filled with self-love, resilience, and unwavering belief.
If you're ready to take charge of your narrative, build unwavering confidence and empower yourself to persevere on the path to your dreams, you can grab your free guide to stop overthinking and learn to trust yourself at jamiekernlima.com slash resources, or click the link in the show notes below. Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self-belief.
And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox from me.
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