Mindy Kaling on the Inspiration Behind Not Suitable for Work, Running Point and her New Book Imprint

Summary

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Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Guest: Mindy Kaling
Date: June 7, 2026
Episode Theme:
Mindy Kaling on the Inspiration Behind Not Suitable for Work, Running Point, and Her New Book Imprint

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Episode Overview

Willie Geist sits down with Mindy Kaling at Sema, a celebrated Indian restaurant in New York City, to dive into her latest projects and reflections from her multi-faceted career. Mindy discusses her new Hulu series Not Suitable for Work, the continued success of Netflix’s Running Point, and her ambitions for the Mindy Book Studio imprint. The conversation weaves through her inspirations, her personal journey, mentoring diverse voices, and balancing motherhood with creative drive.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Catching Up After Nearly a Decade

• Personal & Professional Growth: It’s the first time Mindy and Willie have met in nine years, marking dramatic changes in both her personal and professional life.
  • Quote:
    "You seem to be managing it well, so why not keep going? ... Maybe we'll see each other in another nine years and we'll have three more kids." — Mindy Kaling (03:29)

The Genesis & Themes of Not Suitable for Work

• “Trilogy” of Life Stages: Mindy presents Not Suitable for Work as part of a thematic trilogy, following Never Have I Ever (her childhood) and Sex Lives of College Girls (her college experience), with this latest series focusing on her ambitious yet struggle-filled twenties in NYC.

  • Quote:
    "Not Suitable for Work is about that time when I first moved to New York in my 20s...I just wanted to hurry up to the time in my life when I was successful and people took me seriously." — Mindy Kaling (04:25)

• The Urgency of “The Good Old Days”: Mindy reflects on nostalgia for the struggles of youth, referencing an Office quote.

  • Quote (from The Office):
    "Andy Bernard says, I wish that we knew when the good old days were happening. That we were in the good old days." — Mindy Kaling (07:05)

Behind the Scenes: Research & Inspiration

• Immersive Research: Mindy dives into environments she writes about—shadowing Jake Tapper for newsroom authenticity and observing investment bankers for character depth.
  • Quote:
    "For this show, I had to do a lot of research because the different jobs that all the characters have are not really my level of expertise... I went to go shadow Jake Tapper for a little bit ... I did a lot of research by going to a major investment bank downtown." — Mindy Kaling (08:01–09:41)

The Success of Running Point

• Casting & Creative Process: Kate Hudson’s role as a catalyst for the show’s acclaim is explored, alongside Jeanie Buss's real-life influence and the glamour of LA basketball culture.

  • Quote:
    "We wrote the script... and when Kate Hudson read it and wanted to do it, we were so excited. She took the script to a new level." — Mindy Kaling (10:53)

  • On Basketball & LA Culture:
    "There's a glamour. Right. Showtime for a reason. Reading Jeannie's book and learning about Jeannie, it just felt like this world is so rich for a TV show..." — Mindy Kaling (13:54–15:14)

• Memorable Moment: Mindy exhibits deep basketball knowledge by referencing Celtics' legends, prompting Willie’s admiration.

  • Quote:
    “Hondo Havlicek, Jojo White... The Celtics fans, it's a deep bench…” — Mindy Kaling (16:03–16:09)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nostalgia and Struggle:
  "All I could see is, like, what I didn't have... it makes me want to be more grateful for what I have now, for sure." — Mindy Kaling (07:42)

• On Creative Process:
  "The research aspect of the shows is really the most fun part of it." — Mindy Kaling (08:01)

• On Kate Hudson in Running Point:
  "She doesn't mind looking foolish, but in the same moment, she can be so glamorous... She also doesn't mind walking into a glass wall, like over and over again for a joke." — Mindy Kaling (13:23)

• Sports Talk:

  • Willie and Mindy commiserate on the agony and history of their sports fandoms (the Knicks and Celtics/Red Sox), highlighting shared emotional investments in underdog teams. (16:26–17:45)

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Mindy Book Studio: Creating Space for Diverse Voices

• Philosophy & Aspirations:
  Mindy’s book imprint is committed to “juicy” mainstream storytelling with underrepresented protagonists, aiming to bring under-the-radar voices and stories to TV and film.
  • Quote:
    "We pick really romantic books, sci fi, creepy stories about, you know, like, best friendships gone wrong... populated with these, you know, kind of diverse protagonists that we don't normally see." — Mindy Kaling (18:17)

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Advocacy, Mentorship, and Impact

• Mentoring Next Generation:
  Mindy speaks passionately about the unexpected joy and responsibility of mentorship and creating pathways for women—particularly Asian women—in comedy and TV.

  • Quote:
    "Just finding all these ambitious, funny, particularly Asian women who love comedy and putting them on screen or in the writers room or directing TV has been so, like I said, satisfying. And one of the best compliments I hear is when I'll meet a girl at the airport or I'll be speaking at a college and a girl will say, I wanna go into the arts. And I can point to my parents, to you as someone who succeeded. And I'm like, yes, use me as a data point." — Mindy Kaling (21:00)

  • On seeing herself as a “data point” for immigrant families to prove success in the arts is possible.

• Role Models & Empires:
  Willie draws parallels between Mindy, Reese Witherspoon, and Tina Fey—women who both create and own their work.

  • Quote:
    "People, especially young people, look to you the way a lot of people look to them." — Willie Geist (23:11)

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Time Stamps for Key Segments

• The Trilogy of Shows: (04:25–06:37)
• The “Good Old Days” Reflection via The Office: (07:05)
• In-Depth on Research Process: (08:01–09:41)
• Running Point and Kate Hudson’s Performance: (10:53–11:34, 13:00–13:41)
• Basketball Fandom and LA Culture: (13:46–16:18)
• Mentoring and Mindy Book Studio Details: (18:08–19:20, 20:33–21:58)
• On Being a First-Generation Success and Family/Parenting: (24:00–26:11)
• Work-Life Balance and Finding Happiness in Parenthood: (26:11–28:15)

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Final Reflections

In a conversation rich with humor, insight, and sincerity, Mindy Kaling reflects on her career evolution, creative passions, and deep commitment to opening doors for others. Her openness about the pressures of ambition, the joys (and logistics) of motherhood, and the satisfaction of helping the next generation—on screen, in writers’ rooms, and in publishing—make the episode a treat for fans and newcomers alike.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Commercial Narrator]

I'm honored to make history and to

[Mindy Kaling]

make my community proud. Oh, what a brilliant tackle from Naomi Kerma.

[Commercial Narrator]

What would you like the power to do?

[Mindy Kaling]

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[Mindy Kaling]

This is incredible.

[Disney Hulu HBO Max Advertiser]

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[Mindy Kaling]

Everything's either gonna be okay or not.

[Disney Hulu HBO Max Advertiser]

And season three of the HBO original series House of the Dragon on HBO Max.

[Mindy Kaling]

You have power within your cross.

[Disney Hulu HBO Max Advertiser]

Get the Disney plus Hulu HBO Max Bundle today. All of these and more streaming soon plan starting at 19.99amonth. Terms apply. Visit Disney/hulu max bundle.com for details.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Got a great one for you this week with one of my absolute favorites, the hilarious, the talented Mindy Kaling. Mindy Kaling has honestly become one of the powerhouses of Hollywood. She writes, she directs, she creates all these shows you love, most recently Running Point starring Kate Hudson on Netflix, just renewed for a third season. Her latest show is a Hulu series called Not Suitable for Work and she'll tell you why. She thinks it fits into kind of a trilogy of three shows that she has created and then kind of laughs at herself as the trailer trilogy style artist in the mold of, you know, Peter Jackson or George Lucas. You probably know her story. She grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, loved reading and writing, was very funny, was encouraged by her parents who were not certainly in the entertainment field whatsoever, and moved out to LA and got a job as a writer when she was 24 years old on the Office. She also then was placed on the Office because she was so funny and so talented by the show's creator Greg Daniels, and became the unforgettable character Kelly Kapoor. She later became an executive producer of the Office as well and wrote some of the most famous episodes of that iconic series, then created her own series, the Mindy Project, which was a hit for six seasons, loosely based on the life of her late mother. So she's got so much cooking, so much going on, she's a mother of three beautiful young children. She just really got it going. And she was nice enough to get us in to a restaurant in New York City called Sema, which is not just the best Indian restaurant in New York, but some think it's the best restaurant in New York, period. It was the first Indian restaurant to top the New York Times 100 Best Restaurant list. So with all that said, let's sit down at Sema. We got a table at Sema, guys, to talk to Mindy Kaling right now on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

Great to see you, Mindy.

It's been too long.

[Mindy Kaling]

Wait, you said that?

[Willie Geist]

It's been almost nine years.

[Mindy Kaling]

Nine years.

[Willie Geist]

That's an outrage.

[Mindy Kaling]

And the last time you saw me, I was pregnant with my first child.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

You were ending the Mindy project pregnant with your first child. I was actually thinking about that coming over. Look how much your life has changed since the last time I saw you in every possible way, professionally and personally. But it feels like you're in a really good place.

[Mindy Kaling]

I feel really. I'm shocked by how many more children I have. I have an army of children.

[Willie Geist]

You did Keep going. Yeah.

[Mindy Kaling]

Maybe we'll see each other in another nine years and we'll have three more kids. I'm just one of those. One of those weirdos that just wants to have. It's wonderful to have lots of children. I don't know. Why am I insulting families with lots of kids?

[Willie Geist]

It's good. No, no, I can see it for you. I can see it for you. You seem to be managing it well, so why not keep going? I'm also happy to be at SEMA with you because, truth be told, the only way I could get a table here was to say I was. Thank you for that, Willie.

[Mindy Kaling]

I love to hear it. I love to be your catalyst into Indian restaurants. Hard to get to Indian restaurants in the city.

[Willie Geist]

Very hard to get. And we are going to eat in a little while. So that's the good news.

[Mindy Kaling]

Good.

[Willie Geist]

That's the good news.

[Mindy Kaling]

Now I feel relieved. We can talk about other things.

[Willie Geist]

We're ready. Now we can relax. There's so much to talk to you about. Let's start with your latest show for Hulu. Not Suitable for Work. I got to see a couple of episodes of it. Love it feels like you. Where did the idea for this show come from?

[Mindy Kaling]

Well, I think of Not Suitable for Work as the last show in this trilogy of shows that I've done about young people. Never have I ever was a show loosely based on my childhood and the loss of a parent. Sex lives with college girls was very loosely based on my time at Dartmouth. Not that much sex happening there. And then not so Suitable for Work is about that time when I first moved to New York in my 20s, actually, when I was 21 and just feeling so. I mean, you could probably relate to this. That time when I felt so ambitious and had no access to the world I wanted to be in. And I just wanted to hurry up to the time in my life when I was successful and people took me seriously. And. Yeah, that's the show. I'm so excited about it.

[Willie Geist]

It's that moment where you can see or at least envision the place you want to be, but there are all these walls between you and there. And, like, how am I gonna get there? And what. Why don't people see what I see in myself already?

[Mindy Kaling]

Why don't they see what I see? Which is that. Yeah. That I have so much to say. And so that period of time is so fascinating to me because I remember it incredibly clearly. I don't really remember that time just after I had my first daughter. It's like more of a haze to me. But I remember so vividly that feeling of being in my 20s and just waiting for my life to start. And so that's what that show explores.

[Willie Geist]

Do you. When you look back on that time in your life, do you now have kind of like a romantic view of it? Like, oh, I was struggling, but it was great, and I'd kill to go back there. Do you feel that way at all about your 20s?

[Mindy Kaling]

Yes and no. Like, I. That period of time, because I wasn't professionally successful, I didn't have any confidence. And so I was. I mean, I had the most fun time with my friends. And the city was this incredibly glamorous pace. Like Sex and the City was on the air. So for a young woman who was looking for romance and loved fashion but couldn't afford it, like, New York City was, like, the place to be. But also, like I said, like, felt, like, incredibly competitive. Didn't know how to get where I was going to go. So it was really frustrating. I mean, it really felt everything in that huge way that you feel when you're young.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. I mean, it took you a while to get there, but now that you've had the success that you've had, when you think back on that time of the build. Cause I kind of do this a little bit too. I go, you know, that was all worth it. It was a little bit of struggle, but it was like, it had to happen to get where you are today. Do you feel that way, too?

[Mindy Kaling]

I mean, definitely. Now I can look back on it fondly and just wish I could tell my younger self to chill out. But I Did not feel that way back then.

[Willie Geist]

No.

[Mindy Kaling]

There's this line in the office that I love from one of the later seasons where Andy Bernard says, I wish that we knew. What is it? What did he say? It's like, I wish Andy Bernard says, I wish that we knew when the good old days were happening. That we were in the good old days, you know, that that was going on. And I think that's such a profound thought, because that time when I was in New York and I was surrounded by friends and none of us had money, it was the good old days, but all I could see is, like, what I didn't have. And. Yeah. You know, it makes me want to be more grateful for what I have now, for sure.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. And it's easier for us to look back on it and say, oh, that was a great time. It was romantic. Didn't that feel that way?

[Mindy Kaling]

No.

[Willie Geist]

So when you're starting out to create a show like this, because you've done it so well so many times, like, I'm just curious about your process. How do you begin? Is it in a writer's room? Is it with Ike or whoever your favorite collaborator is on whatever the show is?

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah. So the research aspect of the shows is really the most fun part of it. For Sex Lives with College Girls, I went back to Dartmouth and talked to sorority girls and acapella groups and just really talked about the experience of what it's like going to College in the 2000s. And then for this show, I went to New York, and I just. How do I say this? For this show, I had to do a lot of research because the different jobs that all the characters have are not really my level of expertise. So I went to go shadow Jake Tapper for a little bit because one of the characters wants to work on a Jake Tapper type show. The character in the show is not based at all on Jake, but I had no idea what the news, like, TV news is so fascinating, and there's so many big personalities, and the pressure is so uniquely different than scripted tv. And so I loved that environment. And it's like. Yeah. So news is both, like, unglamorous and glamorous. The pressure is so high. People are really idealistic, and I really love that.

[Willie Geist]

And you have a character in finance. Yes, some of that as well. Right?

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah. So I went to Dartmouth, and the. I went to Dartmouth, and the kids that were in finance, that was more of the culture of the school. And the artsy kids like us were not really the mainstream. And so I have so many friends who went into investment banking. But to be honest, I didn't really know what they did. Like, I was like, they do banking. And I was like, they just make spreadsheets all day. So I. I had to. I went to another place that I think I'm. I think I signed an NDA. And I'm not. I'll say this. I did a lot of research by going to a major investment bank downtown.

[Etsy Advertiser]

Okay.

[Mindy Kaling]

A very famous one. And they very graciously let me speak to bankers. And that world is crazy.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, that's a different thing.

[Mindy Kaling]

That world is so crazy. It's so much closer to Wolf of Wall street than you think it would be. And so, you know, Running Point, I got to do a show about behind the scenes of basketball. And then this was all about these new, different worlds that I didn't know about. So I love that part of my job.

[Willie Geist]

Were you thinking. When you say it was a trilogy, were you thinking that way from the beginning? Or you view it that way now? Like, I've done these phases of my life, and here's the last one of this.

[Mindy Kaling]

No, that's just the pretentious way that I like to frame my career now.

[Willie Geist]

Kinda like Star wars in that way.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah. I'm like Peter Jackson and George Lucas. Like, that's. I'm equivalent to them on the Rushmore of people who've done trilogies.

[Willie Geist]

Yes. Yeah, you've always said that.

[Mindy Kaling]

I've always said that. And people always have said that about me.

[Willie Geist]

Well, the show is great. People are gonna love it. Like, it's very, very funny and moving and all of the things that your shows always are. And you mentioned Running Point, which just announced for a third season. Congratulations on that. That has been such a hit. I won't ask if you're surprised by the way it's taken off, but you have to be so gratified by how big this thing has become.

[Mindy Kaling]

I feel very lucky that the show is so loved and so much of it is because of Kate Hudson. You know, we wrote the script. My friend Ike Barinholtz and Dave Stassen and I wrote the script. And we didn't really have anyone in mind when we were picturing Jeanie Buss, our great friend who's an executive producer. And when Kate Hudson read it and wanted to do it, we were so excited. Cause I don't even picture her doing TV at all, so. But she really took the show. I mean, she took the script to a new level. And I think the fact that so many people are watching. It is so much because of her and the rest of the cast like Justin Theroux, Jay Ellis, Ray Romano. Like we were really, we were so lucky by who wanted to come do the show?

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more with Mindy Kaling right after the break.

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[Mindy Kaling]

be okay or not.

[Disney Hulu HBO Max Advertiser]

And season three of the HBO original series House of the Dragon on HBO Max.

[Mindy Kaling]

You have power within your grasp.

[Disney Hulu HBO Max Advertiser]

Get the Disney plus Hulu HBO Max bundle today. All of these and more streaming soon. Plan starting at $19.99 a month. Terms apply. Visit disneyhulumaxbundle.com for details.

[Willie Geist]

Welcome back. Now more of my conversation with Mindy Kaling.

When you wrote it, was Kate Hudson even on the board as an option? Or when did she come into the project?

[Mindy Kaling]

You know, I think that whenever I've written a show with someone in mind, it never happens. And it's so heartbreaking. So for that show, we almost purposefully decided not to picture anyone and really were just picturing Jeannie Buss when we did it. And then we that Kate wanted to do it.

[Willie Geist]

She's very good. She's very funny. She can do all the things. She's incredible.

[Mindy Kaling]

She what I loved about her is she's what I love about Kate is how game she is. She doesn't mind looking foolish, but in the same moment, she can be so glamorous and there's so much great romance on the show. But she also doesn't mind walking into a glass wall, like over and over again for a joke.

[Willie Geist]

You know that she literally does that.

[Mindy Kaling]

She does that For a laugh. And I love that about her.

[Willie Geist]

What was it about the world of basketball? I know you're a fan.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

That you thought would be a target rich environment for a show like this.

[Mindy Kaling]

I think there's two things I find. And you're a huge Knicks fan.

[Willie Geist]

Huge. Yeah.

[Mindy Kaling]

So that world is very glamorous and it's extremely fast paced and there's a side of basketball. Well, how do I say this? Like the Lakers is. How do I. How do I say this? So I grew up. My dad loved the Celtics and so we grew up hearing about Kevin McHale and Hondo Havlicek and like all of that when I moved to la. Basketball in LA is so different than basketball in Boston. And there's a glamour. Right. Showtime for a reason. And reading Jeannie's book and learning about Jeannie, it just felt like this world is so rich for a TV show because you have all of what's special about basketball, but then all what's special about show business kind of in one. And learning about Jeannie's life and how dysfunctional her family has been. I don't think she'd be insulted because she's written about it herself, but it was like we felt so lucky that she was willing to let us do a show about it. Like, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't let anyone examine my personal life and the show. And she's been such an amazing creative partner in that way. And yeah, like I. That whole culture of basketball in LA and the amount of scrutiny that she has on her is so good for a TV show.

[Willie Geist]

And you're right, there's such an element of show business to it. New York has that too, to a degree. But really, la, going even before Magic and all those guys, there's been a whole show to the presentation of the game and what's happening behind the scenes.

[Mindy Kaling]

No. And that's such an innovation of the Buss family, of making these larger than life celebrities out of the actual players. Like when you see LeBron and Luca run out, it's like they're Titans or they're not. They're not humans. They're like the children of gods. And that's how I feel when I watch them play. And so that's like. That is great. Like she's storytelling as well. And it's so nice to do a show about a basketball team set in la.

[Willie Geist]

By the way, this is the first time I believe Hondo Havlicek has been name checked on this show.

[Mindy Kaling]

And he should be Name checked more often.

[Willie Geist]

Good for you. Good for you. You've just made history on Sunday today.

[Mindy Kaling]

Honestly. Hondo Havlicek, Jojo White.

[Willie Geist]

Look at you.

[Mindy Kaling]

Like the Celtics fans. It's a deep bench of people that I.

[Willie Geist]

That's what I love. Like you're a real hoops fan. I mean, you've already, you've shown your bonafitis before. But this is, you can go as deep as you need to go on this Celtics.

[Mindy Kaling]

Thank you, Willie.

[Willie Geist]

It's very impress.

[Mindy Kaling]

So this will air after the finals, right?

[Willie Geist]

We might still be in them.

[Mindy Kaling]

We might still be in them.

[Willie Geist]

God willing. Like if it's a long series.

[Mindy Kaling]

How emotionally ready are you for the finals?

[Willie Geist]

I feel weirdly good about it and that terrifies me. Right.

You're supposed to be like, well, we're gonna lose.

Oklahoma City's too good. Or the Spurs, Wemby, it's his time, all that.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

And being a Knicks fan, people don't view New Yorkers as underdogs. But the Knicks haven't won a title since 1973.

[Mindy Kaling]

That's such a good point.

[Willie Geist]

It's like some years, nobody wants to hear it.

[Mindy Kaling]

They're always winning. But you're so right.

[Willie Geist]

1973, last time they were in the final was 99. Then one time before that when I was in high school or College in 94. So since then we haven't had a lot to celebrate.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

And it's a likable team. We got good guys. We get along well.

[Mindy Kaling]

So will you cry if they lose?

[Willie Geist]

I could see myself crying if they lose.

[Mindy Kaling]

Tearing up a little bit.

[Willie Geist]

Tearing up a little bit also. You see it through your kids. So my 16 year old son is a crazy fan.

[Mindy Kaling]

Oh my gosh.

[Willie Geist]

My 18 year old daughter's a crazy fan. So I, I think I would also feel it through them that they had this like season long excitement building to a thing that maybe didn't happen.

[Mindy Kaling]

And the stakes are very high for the Knicks. I remember we felt the same way as a Sox fan in like 2004.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Mindy Kaling]

It's almost unbearable. Like you're like, I need this to happen. There's history built into it. Like, is it a curse? Is it not? Like, you know, and so I'm, I hope, I hope they win.

[Willie Geist]

And that's very nice of you as a Boston fan.

[Mindy Kaling]

That's very. Another hated, hated sports city that had an underdog story for many years.

[Willie Geist]

Yes, they did. And now that's long gone.

[Mindy Kaling]

Long gone.

[Willie Geist]

You don't have to feel bad for them anymore.

[Mindy Kaling]

Straightforwardly hated.

[Commercial Narrator]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Willie Geist]

Enough about me and the Knicks. I want to talk about the Mindy Book Studio as well, because I think this is so cool.

[Mindy Kaling]

Thank you.

[Willie Geist]

The idea being that you're going to bring in books with diverse voices, but the idea being to, like, get them on the screen eventually, too. Do I have it right?

What's the idea about that?

[Mindy Kaling]

You nailed it. So I love, I mean, so many celebrities have book clubs. The books that I pick are all really juicy to me, and it sort of reflects the kind of storytelling I like to do, which is I love juicy stories. Page turners for TV shows, ones with big characters, big plot devices and things. But I just happen to populate the worlds with. With people that you don't normally see in tv. And that's kind of my philosophy behind the books that I pick. We pick really romantic books, sci fi, creepy stories about, you know, like, best friendships gone wrong, like that kind of a thing. But we just, they were filled with, like, these, you know, kind of diverse protagonists that we don't normally see. And I tend to just like, things that are kind of mainstream. Like, I have, I wouldn't say I'm populist, but, like, I have very mainstream tastes and, like, my books sort of skew that way too. And so I would love for them to become movies. I think a lot of them are cinematic.

[Willie Geist]

Stick around to hear more of my conversation with Mindy Kaling, right after a quick break.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Mindy Kaling.

Isn't it cool that you are in a position now in your career, that you can help bring people along who maybe otherwise wouldn't have had a place to be seen. In many ways, whether it's authors or actors or people like that, that you've done enough in your career and built your reputation. You have enough clout in Hollywood to say, I want to make sure these people now get to come in behind me. That's gotta be incredible.

[Mindy Kaling]

It's the best part of my job. And it's totally unexpected because when I started out, like, I wasn't thinking about pulling other people up. I was like, I just want health insurance and to make enough money that I can prove to my parents it wasn't stupid to move to la. And then after a while, I realized, like, oh, when you're the only person who does something, it means more than your sort of selfish interest for clout and fame and everything else. It means something to other people. And during the Mindy project, that's really when I had to figure that out. And no one teaches you that. You know, I have. Especially with Never have I ever. And be able to discover these voices, whether it's the actress Maitri Ramakrishnan or different directors we've used, like Anu Valia or Erika Ouyama. Just finding all these ambitious, funny, particularly Asian women who love comedy and putting them on screen or in the writers room or directing TV has been so, like I said, satisfying. And one of the best compliments I hear is when I'll meet a girl at the airport or I'll be speaking at a college and a girl will say, I wanna go into the arts. And I can point to my parents, to you as someone who succeeded. And I'm like, yes, use me as a data point. I love it. If I can help convince your parents that you can go into this career and actually make a good living, then I love that.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, that line about you have to see it to be it. It's real, you know, like, oh, it can happen.

[Mindy Kaling]

I mean, we still. I still wish there was more people succeeding, but I think that's. I mean, it's even changed since the last time I saw you.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yeah. So I.

[Willie Geist]

Sounds like it. So, yeah, I mean, you're also now Mindy in a category of, like, women who are great at the creative side of it, but who've created, like, empires of word people throw around. But I mean, like, think about you or Reese or Tina Fey.

[Mindy Kaling]

Oh, my God.

[Willie Geist]

The people who just, like, can control their own destiny because of the things they're able to do with their talents and also having business savvy to it as well.

[Mindy Kaling]

Well, obviously, Reese and Tina are huge heroes of mine, and the work that they've done is absolutely incredible. So thank you for saying that. Yeah, I love them.

[Willie Geist]

It's true. I think people, especially young people, look to you the way a lot of people look to them.

[Mindy Kaling]

Oh, my gosh, that's so nice.

[Willie Geist]

Do you stop, Mindy, and think about. Cause, you know, I was thinking about you coming out of college and your parents not being sure this was the right thing. And then Matt and Ben. Right. Which I saw you in. I think I told you last time I saw you in 2003, my mom and I came and saw you in that.

[Mindy Kaling]

Your mom.

[Willie Geist]

She was like, my mom is, like, very dialed in. She's like, here's the show everyone's talking about. I was like, what? And then we went off off Broadway. Very off.

[Mindy Kaling]

That's cool.

[Willie Geist]

But do you think back to that person who just wanted to maybe get a job on SNL as a writer or just work somewhere that you dreamed of, like, to Fast forward these 20 some late years, these 20 some years later and see what you've done?

[Mindy Kaling]

Willie, you know, what I'll say is I think there's certain aspects of my life that I'd be very impressed by. But I was that kid who was like, you know what? I'm gonna get married when I'm 24. I'm gonna have my own TV show when I'm 25. I'm gonna have three kids by the time I'm 30. Like. And so in some ways, I'd be impressed, but in other ways, I think that version of me would have been very disappointed.

[Willie Geist]

What took so long?

[Mindy Kaling]

What took so long? Like, yeah, this is the least you should be doing, you know, like. And so I. That's how crazy I was when I was younger, like I said. I mean, I think that's maybe similar to a lot of people who make it, is that you just have to think so big and be so ambitious, because otherwise it's just never gonna happen unless you have these huge expectations for yourself.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, you gotta be a little audacious, maybe ridiculously so in some ways. And if you get a fraction of what you dreamed up, that's pretty good, right? I also was thinking just about your parents coming here as immigrants, like, right before you were born in Cambridge, and the life they created for you. I mean, the opportunity they gave you. And that you're sitting here right now, Your dad must be so incredibly proud at all you've done.

[Mindy Kaling]

I mean, I think my dad is so proud. He loves sitting courtside at Lakers games.

[Willie Geist]

That's why he's so proud.

[Mindy Kaling]

That's why he's so proud. He. They are. My dad is so supportive. And, you know, I'm a single mom, and to have my dad still alive and well, and he and my stepmom such a huge part of the lives of my children, and, you know, obviously, I wish that my mom could see not just my success, but the life I've built and to meet my kids, and I don't have that, but I do have so many other blessings. Like, again, I get to live in the same city with my dad, and he's such a huge part of our life. But he is so proud. He is so proud. And he's not the most emotional man, but he is. When he talks about this, he. It makes. He's just a very proud, happy grandpa.

[Willie Geist]

How could he not be? How could he not be? Those three beautiful children of yours, how have they changed your outlook on life and your outlook on work and what your priorities are?

[Mindy Kaling]

I thought that I would be less of a workaholic when I had kids, and I don't know if you can relate to this, but that aspect didn't change at all. Not really, but the way that I organized my life did. And I would say that if something bad happened professionally, it would be such a crushing blow to me when I didn't have kids. And now, of course, I still feel it, but it can't hurt me as much anymore because the ups and downs of my career are blunted in a good way because of this, like, love that I have for these three children that, you know, I look back, like, even when I last talked to you, and I was like, how did I even have a life before these three people were in it? You know, my house looks like a Toys R Us. Like, I have three kids, but it looks like I have 17 children. When I go home. It's like a preschool in there. It's just. And it's great. I think it's healthy to have something to take your mind off of work from when you're a workaholic. And I think it's great to be forced to care about the lives of other people, and I think that was missing. I had this sort of inherently selfish life when I was just living for myself and trying to make it, and now I'm forced to. To care about these people. And I love that side of me, and it's the biggest gift that they've given me.

[Willie Geist]

And it puts things in proper perspective, doesn't it? I agree with you. I worked just as hard, but I was able to say I'm gonna work really hard right here, maybe a little harder so I can fit it into right here.

[Mindy Kaling]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

But then I'm home, it's bath time and bedtime and all those things. And it just kind of gives you an interesting new discipline almost to what's important and where you spend your time.

[Mindy Kaling]

And I'm happier. I think that's sort of the I am so much happier now with my family than I ever was before.

[Willie Geist]

And yes, if you're wondering, after we broke that conversation, we sat down and

just crushed an incredible meal from our friends at sema.

So delicious. My big thanks to Mindy for that conversation and again for getting us into sema. You can see not suitable for work. Streaming now on Hulu. And as I mentioned earlier, her show Running Point just got renewed for a third season. Stay tuned there. My thanks to all of you as always, for listening again this week. If you want to hear my conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC to see these interviews with your own two eyes. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Commercial Narrator]

Early birds Always rise to the occasion for summer vacation planning because early gets you closer to the action. So don't be late. Book your next vacation early on VRBO and save over $120. Rise and shine. Average savings $141 select homes only.