Podcast Summary: “Alicia Keys on The Power of Listening to Your Soul and Trusting Yourself”

Making Space with Hoda Kotb
Host: Hoda Kotb
Guest: Alicia Keys
Date: October 29, 2025

Main Theme

This special episode features an in-depth conversation between Hoda Kotb and Alicia Keys, focusing on self-worth, intuition, and making intentional space for the soul. Alicia shares powerful lessons and stories from her journey in music, motherhood, and wellness, emphasizing how trusting yourself, redefining success, and unlearning limiting patterns can foster growth, resilience, and authentic living. The episode overflows with inspiration for listeners seeking grounding, personal growth, and connection to their true selves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Life Chapter: Embracing Confidence and Self-Worth

• Alicia describes her current chapter as one marked by confidence and understanding her unlimited potential.
  • “I understand that I am unlimited, that there is no ceiling above me, and that everything I create comes from within me… I don't have to be validated by somebody else to tell me that I have permission to do what I can dream up.” (Alicia, 03:18)
• She reflects on unlearning generational patterns of over-giving and people-pleasing, a theme experienced by many women.

2. Breaking Free from People-Pleasing and Generational Patterns

• Alicia and Hoda discuss how women are often conditioned to put others first, mirroring the actions of mothers and grandmothers.
  • Alicia recalls her grandmother’s late-life realization: “She finally said, ‘Okay, I'm done. I'm not cooking every day, I'm not doing this every day.’ I want to make sure I don’t have to be 60 before I can say I choose myself.” (05:27)
• Alicia reflects on her own journey to self-prioritization and how it took years to find her voice.

3. Navigating the Music Industry & Self-Discovery

• Alicia’s music career began at 14, making her vulnerable to the opinions of industry “experts.”
  • “Don't matter if you're 7 or 14 or 37 or 60, nobody knows you better than you, period.” (Alicia, 06:38)
• She discusses the slow process of shifting from following to leading, learning to trust her gut, and recognizing her self-worth.

4. Finding and Creating Space for Stillness Amidst Busyness

• Intentionally setting boundaries is essential.
  • “You don't get time, but you can take time…making space, learning what that looks like and figuring out how to design your life.” (Alicia, 17:35)
• Alicia shares that modern life’s relentless pace makes it more important than ever to curate meaningful moments for oneself.
• Practical suggestions: design your schedule, even small adjustments (like a meeting-free Friday), to prioritize well-being.

5. On Motherhood, Music, and Patience

• Comparisons between learning music and learning motherhood.
  • “Both of them take patience, a lot of heart…But probably music is tougher!” (Alicia, 14:45)

6. Letting Go of Guilt and Embracing Self-Care

• Alicia recounts her struggle to do things for herself after her second son’s birth, and how meditation helped her reconnect.
  • “When was the last time that you did something for yourself?…We don’t have to be the martyr.” (Alicia, 22:18)
• She emphasizes that replenishing oneself is not selfish but necessary to show up for others.

7. Daily Wellness Practices: Soul Care, Meditation, and Affirmation

• Alicia describes her “soul care lifestyle,” including:
  • Silence and breathing exercises in the morning (even 3-11 minutes)
  • Setting a “highest vision” or intention for the day
  • Using affirmations to influence mindset (“I am safe and I am protected…The divine will is going to reveal itself.” 25:29)
  • Journaling through “stream-of-consciousness” to release emotions and clarify thoughts

8. Changing Relationship with Her Body and Skin

• Alicia shares about struggling with acne in her youth, and how addressing stress, negativity, and self-care shifted her experience.
  • “I discovered it’s not just about the external. It’s about the internal. It’s about how are you caring for your soul…” (Alicia, 31:30)
• Her wellness brand Keys Soul Care centers on rituals, affirmations, and “shining at full wattage.”

9. Transformative Experiences and the Value of Retreats

• Both Hoda and Alicia discuss life-changing retreats and self-development programs.
• Alicia recommends The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz, describing its “potent” insights on shedding false beliefs and narratives.

10. Power of Small Steps: Marathon and Broadway Lessons

• Alicia recounts running the marathon in Greece and how it was a metaphor for life:
  • “It was a battle between the physical and the mental…I had to find a way for my mental being to out talk my physical being…Step by step, step by step, and just one small goal to the next small goal, and then we accomplished it.” (Alicia, 41:40)
• Creating the Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen taught her to “bet on herself,” take ownership, and fight for her vision and diverse representation on stage.

11. Wisdom for Listeners: Shining at Full Wattage & Living Your Purpose

• Alicia ends with heartfelt encouragement to attendees and listeners to “show up” for themselves and others, to embrace their unique path, and to “shine at full wattage.”
  • “We all have a purpose…we’re the only one that carries it. And we have the chance here in this time right now to show up… I’m not gonna dim my light. I am gonna shine at full wattage.” (Alicia, 51:36)

Notable Quotes

• “Nobody knows you better than you, period.” —Alicia Keys, 06:38
• “When was the last time that you did something for yourself?…We don’t have to be the martyr.” —Alicia Keys, 22:18
• “It always feels like I’ve released a lot.” —Alicia Keys, on journaling, 27:53
• “It doesn’t have to be these big things. It’s like breaking it up into these little pieces…what helps you finish.” —Alicia Keys, on marathons and life (43:41)
• “If I don’t fight for it, who’s gonna fight? If I don’t believe in it, who’s gonna believe?”—Alicia Keys, on producing Hell’s Kitchen, 47:03
• “I’m not gonna dim my light. I am gonna shine at full wattage. I am going to proceed and pursue the dreams that keep waking me up at night.” —Alicia Keys, 51:36

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Alicia’s Life Chapter — 03:18
• People-Pleasing, Generational Patterns, & Upbringing — 04:48–11:13
• Learning Music vs. Motherhood — 14:34
• Defining Moments in Early Career, Trusting Your Gut — 06:38, 08:30
• The Importance of Designing Your Life — 17:35
• Making Space, Self-Care, and Meditation Practices — 19:58–25:28
• Affirmations, Journaling, and Stream of Consciousness — 25:29–28:00
• Soul Care and Skin Journey — 31:30–35:39
• Books & Influences: The Voice of Knowledge — 37:13
• Marathon as Metaphor for Life — 41:40
• Creating Hell’s Kitchen, Owning Her Vision — 44:37–47:03
• Closing Wisdom: Shining Your Light — 51:36

Memorable Moments

• Alicia’s candid story about her grandmother’s pivotal “I choose myself” moment (05:27)
• Describing her childhood bedroom—sleeping arrangements with her mother, My Little Pony tent, and a touching hair braiding memory (09:31)
• Honest reflection on anxiety, guilt, and the struggle to put herself first after becoming a mother (19:58)
• Alicia’s grounding ritual: “Sometimes my meditations are three minutes…” (24:24)
• Deep insight into the creative and emotional process of writing Hell’s Kitchen and fighting for diverse representation on Broadway (44:37–47:03)
• Alicia’s bold affirmation: “I’m not going to dim my light. I am going to shine at full wattage.” (51:36)

Closing Reflection

Alicia Keys shares wisdom earned through years of personal and professional evolution, reminding listeners of the importance of claiming self-worth, setting boundaries, and making conscious space for joy and soul-care. The episode serves as a heartfelt invitation to trust intuition, pursue purpose, and never shy away from shining at full wattage.