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Hoda Kotb is on a wellness journey — and she's ready to make it her next career venture.
After announcing she would be leaving Today sometime in 2025, Kotb, 60, told People last month that she wanted to branch into the wellness space, aiming to hold retreats and create an app.
The morning show mainstay — who tearfully revealed the news of her upcoming Today exist on the show in September — recently made one of her new career goals a reality by hosting a three-day wellness retreat in Austin, Texas, in late October. She described the event to Good Housekeeping as a "life-changing experience" that clarified her desire to pursue this new career path.
"I knew after this weekend beyond any doubt that this was the field and the path for me," Kotb told the outlet in a recent interview. "At the end, when it was all said and done, everyone left with a profound change. I didn't know to expect that. And it was profound for me too."
The broadcast journalist explained that focusing on her own well-being over the weekend made her a better mom to her kids — something she aims to bring to more women. The Today With Hoda & Jenna host shares adopted daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman and cited her desire to devote more time to her family as part of the reason for her departure from Today.
"We all need it. We want to go home and feel really good. I came home last night, hugged Haley, and held onto her, feeling her breathing. I felt so grateful for that time," the mom of two recounted. "Holding her was my favorite moment, but spending those days working on myself made me feel like a better mom than I was three days ago. I'm not carrying around stress and unintentionally taking it out on them. I felt re-energized. You're doing it for yourself, but ultimately, they're the benefactors. They get a mom who's more present, more available, and less edgy."
Kotb shared that she's looking forward to building a wellness brand and designing an app that will be "accessible" to people of all financial backgrounds.
"I want to create an app, something that helps and is affordable and accessible. Most of this stuff you can do for free — you just need someone to show you how," the TV personality remarked. "Let's make it accessible, so you can get what you need all in one place. That's what I'm working toward."
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