Terry Crews was one of the first guests on the show, and I’m so glad he was. We chatted shortly after his #BlackLivesBetter Twitter controversy, and a moment that stuck out was when he said, “There’s a fine line between cult and culture.” 

Minyon Moore, Donna Brazile, Leah Daughtry and Yolanda Caraway have been the power brokers behind Democratic campaigns and policy for the past 30-plus years. I still think about their insight into vilification of ambitious women, like Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. As Daughtry reminded me: “What’s wrong with a little ambition?”

January might see Baker Mayfield leading the Cleveland Browns into their first playoffs in almost 20 years, and I was thrilled to sit down with him during the preseason to talk about the power of “locker room talk” to improve racial discourse. 

She’s a businesswoman, she’s a Real Housewife, and she had me falling out of my seat laughing — but beyond her hilariously profane stories, Bethenny Frankel had valuable lessons for us all about how even a hustler like her has to find balance: “I do yoga, I meditate, I walk on the beach, I get massages, I swim, I go wakeboarding with my daughter, I lay in bed all day with my boyfriend.”

Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio brought to my attention the positive changes that can come from a restaurant industry rethink. “I think there are a lot of things that have been bubbling up to the surface in our industry that maybe can finally change,” he says, citing the need to end subminimum wages for tipped workers.

Aida Rodriguez is a name you’ll become very familiar with in the coming years. This funnywoman’s take on 2020’s “Karen syndrome” is one you won’t forget. 

I was surprised by Jeb Bush’s respect for Democratic contender Andrew Yang. Bush thinks universal basic income is “a really interesting idea if you pair it with an education system that gives people the skills to be able to live a purposeful life.” 

My episode with Megyn Kelly garnered lots of attention for her unique take on the Black Lives Matter movement, and comparing it to the “failed” #MeToo movement. Don’t miss it.

This filmmaker is a rising star. Her comments about exploring her own gender definition while shooting Lingua Franca left me thinking about the importance of art in trying times. 

Looking for some political insight from a future Cabinet member? Former mayor Pete Buttigieg took us behind the scenes for the pivotal moment when he and the other Democratic candidates coalesced behind our future president.