Writer, director, and creator of the groundbreaking HBO series Girls, Lena Dunham joins Monica this week on Reclaiming for a candid, profoundly self-aware conversation about surviving public scrutiny, turning pain into art, and the radical act of reclaiming your own story. Lena retraces her path from becoming the “voice of a generation” at 24 to enduring a decade of public dissection, and ultimately to consciously building a quieter, more protected life as a writer and director. She reflects on the surreal experience of Girls being re-evaluated by a new generation and reveals why now felt like the right time to write about the physical and emotional costs of fame in her new memoir, Famesick. Along the way, Monica and Lena forge a powerful connection over their shared experience of becoming global symbols of female controversy—having their bodies and sexualities treated as public property—and the long, difficult work of taking back the pen to write their next chapter. Expect a conversation brimming with unflinching honesty, confrontational humor, and a powerful lesson in what it means to find your voice, lose it under the weight of public opinion, and rebuild it stronger on your own terms.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Business mogul Emma Grede of Good American and SKIMS, joins Monica this week on Reclaiming, for a candid, no-nonsense conversation about building a billion-dollar empire, the myth of work-life balance, and the audacity to define success on your own terms. Emma retraces her path from a working-class childhood in East London and dropping out of fashion school, to becoming the operational force behind some of the world's most successful fashion brands. She reveals how her new book Start With Yourself was created in response to the countless questions she gets from other women about the secret to success. Along the way, Monica and Emma connect on the pressure of public perception, the power of reclaiming ambition from gendered stereotypes, and the hard-won freedom that comes from building a life that is authentically your own, no matter the noise. Expect a conversation brimming with unfiltered advice, tough-love honesty, and a powerful lesson in how to stop asking for permission and start building the life you were meant to live.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feminist artist and activist Marilyn Minter joins Monica this week on Reclaiming for a raw, defiant conversation about dismantling shame, reclaiming the female gaze, and turning public cancellation into a badge of honor. Marilyn retraces her path—from being declared a “traitor to feminism” in the 1980s for her provocative, sex-positive art to becoming one of today’s most revered artistic voices challenging cultural taboos around pleasure, aging, and the female body. In a powerful exchange, Marilyn reveals why she was so determined to paint Monica for her portrait series —which includes Lizzo, Jane Fonda and Padma Lakshimi— and Monica reflects on what it took to finally give up her “portrait virginity” and reclaim her own image through Minter’s fearless work. She shares how surviving public shaming—and getting sober—forged an unapologetic voice that continues to challenge our culture. Expect a conversation brimming with unflinching honesty, defiant humor, and a powerful reclaiming of the feminist spirit.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bestselling author and artist Suleika Jaouad joins Monica this week on Reclaiming, for a profound conversation about creative alchemy, navigating uncertainty, and the defiant joy of living in life’s messy middle. Suleika retraces her path from being diagnosed with leukemia at 22, to writing her Emmy-winning New York Times column, “Life, Interrupted,” from her hospital bed. She reflects on the radical choice to marry her husband, Grammy award winning musician Jon Batiste, the day before a bone marrow transplant and how turning to watercolors when she could no longer write taught her that survival is always a creative act. Along the way, Monica and Suleika connect on the long shadow of narratives held by women, the power of journaling to find your way back to yourself, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from reclaiming a life you weren’t sure you’d get to live. Expect a conversation brimming with insight, gentle humor, and a powerful lesson in how to alchemize our deepest pain into our greatest purpose.

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code RECLAIMING for an exclusive 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grammy and Emmy-winning artist Lizzo joins Monica this week for a raw, laughter-filled conversation about what it takes to practice radical self-love under a global microscope.Lizzo speaks about the profound disconnect between her public persona and her private self, revealing how she’s channeled the darker chapters of loss and public scandal into a creative rebirth. Monica and Lizzo find deep common ground on the universal challenge of authoring your own story when the world has already written its own version, and the hard-won wisdom of setting boundaries to protect your peace. Plus we get a live sneak peak and Lizzo’s brand new single.

This episode is sponsored by,

• Whatever challenges you’re facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Visit GrowTherapy.com/RECLAIMING to get started!
• Head to cozyearth.com and use my code RECLAIMING for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, please be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!
• Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RECLAIMING atoneskin.co/RECLAIMING #oneskinpod
• Go to HelloFresh.com/reclaiming10fm to get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value!) on your third box. Offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Reclaiming, Monica welcomes Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker and activist Deeyah Khan for a stunning conversation about how she transformed her own trauma of being silenced into a tool for radical dialogu— leading her to create acclaimed documentaries that confront the architects of hate—from former jihadis to American neo-Nazis Deeyah retraces her path from being a successful teenage musician in Norway to being forced to abandon her art after years of escalating threats from religious extremists.. She reflects on the insistence on humanity that allows her to be in conversation with violent ideologies, the delicate line between understanding and endorsement, and the stunning, real-world moments when her approach opened up a white supremacists to receive her beliefs. Along the way, Monica and Deeyah explore what leading with love looks like, the quiet power of listening in a world that demands we shout, and how we can all show up in a moment that demands hope and action.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it take to walk away from one of the most powerful jobs in television? Monica sits down with legendary showrunner Krista Vernoff, a creative force behind Grey's Anatomy,Station 19, and Shameless, for a profoundly honest conversation about the real price of female success and the wakeup moment that demanded she start to reclaim her life from burnout. Krista pulls back the curtain on the makings of her remarkable career, from her unconventional "hippie artist" upbringing that taught her to break the rules, to the intense pressures of "having it all." She shares how shaping the behaviors and dialogue of the characters in her TV shows can impact social change and how she's used writing as a powerful healing modality to process her own grief and life experiences.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Reclaiming, Monica welcomes writer-director-actor Lake Bell for an honest and funny conversation about voice, vulnerability, and the art of world-building—both on screen and in life. Lake charts her trajectory from an indie filmmaker who literally wrote herself a voice of authority in her Sundance-winning film In a World..., to starring in the subversive HBO hit The Chair Company. She speaks with candor about how navigating her daughter's epilepsy transformed her into a fierce and creative advocate for neurodiversity (and a children's book author!). Lake explains the hard, intentional work of conscious uncoupling from her ex-husband and unexpected joy in building a loving 'two-house family' for their two kids. Along the way, Monica and Lake connect on the tools it takes to reframe our personal narratives and discover a shared admiration for a well built car/for good looking cars.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.