The Goal Digger Podcast | Episode 944: This Isn't Goodbye. This Is the Goal.

Host: Jenna Kutcher
Date: December 31, 2025
Duration: ~47 minutes

Episode Overview

In this significant and heartfelt episode, Jenna Kutcher announces that she is pausing The Goal Digger Podcast after nearly a decade and 968 episodes. She takes listeners behind her decision, unraveling her inner journey of self-reflection and personal growth, and modeling what it looks like to step back at the height of career success—not out of burnout, but from a place of alignment, peace, and the pursuit of a spacious, intentional life. Jenna’s story is both a personal narrative and an invitation for women entrepreneurs to consider new possibilities beyond hustle and achievement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Courage to Pause: Closing a Chapter with Intention

• Jenna describes her recurring vision of herself putting a well-loved book (the podcast) on a shelf, feeling both peace and pride (03:00–05:00).
  • The metaphor: Not discarding or burning the book, but simply closing it for now, honoring the work completed.
• She admits the decision may “not make any sense at first,” but urges listeners to stick with her through her explanation (00:08).

2. Performing vs. Authenticity: Untangling Internal Patterns

• Jenna reflects on realizing she had been performing—not just showing up online, but doing what she was good at because the world valued her for it (06:00–09:00).
  • Quote:
    “I am someone who is very prone to stay in places where I am really good at performing. Like I stay in things because I’m good at them. That has been my history up until now.” (09:15)
• Through introspection and unwiring, she realized she wanted work that truly lights her up, not just what earns accolades.

3. Letting Go of Achievement for Achievement’s Sake

• Jenna almost postponed her decision just to hit the “impressive” milestone of 1000 episodes, before catching herself:
  • Quote:
    “The voice that was telling me to just push a little harder and do a little more—that is exactly the one that I am done listening to. The one that says that the number matters more than the knowing.” (11:35)

4. Divine Timing and Alignment

• The departure of her long-time podcast producer, Christy, aligned perfectly and reinforced that this was the right moment to pause the show (12:00–14:00).
  • They agreed to end this chapter together, making the closure feel intentional and poetic.

5. Behind-the-Scenes: The Shift in Content and Creativity

• Since deciding to pause in August, Jenna created episodes with renewed intentionality, leaving “breadcrumbs” and clues of her coming transition (15:15–16:00).
  • Quote:
    “I feel like I’ve been Taylor Swifting it, like, leaving little breadcrumbs along the way.” (15:30)

6. Women Rarely Model Stepping Back — Breaking the Mold

• Jenna shares how rare it is to see women publicly and peacefully step back from the height of their careers without drama, failure, or a crisis (17:45–19:30).
  • She sought out similar stories but found almost none, inspiring her to model this possibility.
  • Quote:
    “For women, this isn’t often modeled. Making these kind of choices, when it’s not coming from a place of drama or failure… but because you’re choosing something different.” (18:15)

7. The Permission to Choose a Different Kind of Success

• Jenna invites listeners to see that “enough” can be the goal, and that more is not always better (20:00–21:00).
  • Discusses wanting more real life, more time offline, mornings with her daughters, and genuine presence.
  • Quote:
    “I want more real life. I want life offline. I want life where I’m not constantly creating content, but I am just living my life.” (23:45)

8. Integration: Pausing for Growth, Not Out of Crisis

• Jenna draws a parallel from her therapist, who encouraged her to take space between therapy sessions so learning can be integrated (24:30–25:40).
  • Similarly, she wants to experience life without constantly documenting or translating it for content.

9. Openness to the Unknown

• She shares her excitement—and some unknowns—about what will emerge in the spaciousness ahead. She reframes “I don’t know” as “I’m open to whatever magic is coming.” (28:45–29:30)

10. No Hidden Agendas

• Jenna is clear: there are no new secret projects or launches planned. She is simply allowing time and creativity to unfold (31:00).

11. The Power of Systems and the Proof of Her Teachings

• The ability to step away proves the validity of what she’s taught: building businesses with sustainable systems, automation, and balance (34:20–36:00).
  • Quote:
    “This is literally a reflection that everything I have taught actually works. Like, this is the purest form of a testimonial I can offer.” (35:00)
  • Her business continues running, even as she steps back from a profitable channel.

12. Redefining Success: The Real Goal Was Peace

• Reflecting back, Jenna names “peace” as what she was really searching for, not just revenue or downloads (36:30).
  • Quote:
    “The biggest goal I ever dug for was peace. And I’m happy to report that I found it.” (37:10)

13. Legacy and the Podcast’s Continuing Value

• The full library—968 episodes—remains available and valuable. She encourages listeners to revisit it as a timeless resource (39:45–40:45).
• The podcast “wasn’t just content, this was connection… You have given me space to learn out loud. You’ve allowed me to grow in public.” (42:15)

14. A Call to Model New Possibilities

• Jenna frames her decision as an experiment and an example, not a prescription:
  • “Not that you should do what I’m doing, but that you get to choose… You have more power than you think to design a life that actually feels like yours.” (44:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Opening Vulnerability:
  “I feel like my heart is beating out of my chest… But I’m sure. And that’s the thing I keep coming back to.” (00:16)

• On Non-Round Numbers & Self-Liberation:
  “968 is the realest number. It's the honest number. It's the number that represents me choosing alignment over achievement. So, yeah, get me that trophy, sister. I'm going to display it proudly.” (11:08)

• Calling Out the Trap of ‘More’:
  “The voice that was telling me to push a little harder and do a little more, that is exactly the one I am done listening to.” (11:36)

• On Modeling New Paths for Women:
  “I think so many women want this, but they don’t have the words for it. It’s this permission to step back without a crisis forcing their hand… to choose rest before burnout makes a choice for them.” (19:30)

• Therapy Analogy:
  “Sometimes your time out of therapy is just as important as time in therapy, because you get to integrate, you get to do the work, you get to notice things and grow without having to constantly report back...” (25:18)

• Redefining What Matters:
  “The ultimate luxury in life is not a fancy house or a fancy car or fancy purses. [It's] having the freedom of choice. And I have it and I’m using it.” (36:05)

• Emotional Thank You:
  “Over 115 million downloads… I am so fortunate that you gave that to me.” (41:25) “This podcast gave me a voice when I didn't really think I had one… And now it's giving me one final gift, which is a beautiful, intentional, aligned completion to a season that changed my entire life. And hopefully it changed yours too.” (42:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–01:37: Jenna shares her feelings before the announcement: nerves, excitement, sureness.
• 03:00–05:00: The metaphor of closing the podcast ‘book’; vision of two paths.
• 06:00–09:00: The realization of performance vs. true fulfillment.
• 11:00–12:00: Wrestling with the urge to reach a “round number” milestone.
• 12:00–14:00: Producer Christy’s own dreams align with Jenna’s timing.
• 15:15–16:20: Intentionally planting ‘clues’ in recent episodes; looking back at the ‘breadcrumbs.’
• 17:45–19:30: The rarity of women pausing at the top; Jenna searches for such role models.
• 22:20–25:40: Wanting real life, not just performative online life; therapist analogy about integration.
• 28:45–29:30: Reframing “I don’t know” as “I’m open to whatever magic is coming.”
• 34:20–36:05: How systems make this pause possible; proof her lessons work.
• 36:30–37:10: The real goal was peace, not metrics.
• 41:00–43:00: Emotional thank-yous and the legacy of connection.
• 44:20–46:00: An invitation for listeners to see new possibilities for themselves.

Next Steps for Listeners & Jenna’s Ongoing Presence

• Jenna isn’t “disappearing”—she’ll continue to be present via her email list, Instagram, and other platforms.
• The Goal Digger Podcast feed remains; the library of 968 episodes is available for continued learning.
• She reiterates: no secret projects, no ‘gotcha’—just a real, needed pause for reflection.
• Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast (in case she resumes) and join her email list for continued insights (45:00).

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• This episode is about more than a podcast ending; it models agency, intentionality, and redefining success for a new season of life.
• Jenna hopes her example will give women permission to choose their own “enough” and craft lives that prioritize peace, presence, and honest fulfillment over endless striving.
• The episode closes with genuine gratitude and Jenna’s signature encouragement:
  • “Until next time, Goal Diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals.” (46:44)

For more: Visit goaldiggerpodcast.com for show notes, resources, and to join Jenna’s email community.