Michelle Obama is adding podcast host to her already lengthy resume.
The former first lady is collaborating with her brother and executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Craig Robinson, on IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson. It’s a podcast that’ll explore various facets of life with well-renowned guests like Issa Rae, Jay Shetty and Keke Palmer.
Other guests joining the show for its inaugural season include Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Angie Martinez, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
“With everything going on in the world, we’re all looking for answers and people to turn to,” Obama said in a statement per The Hollywood Reporter. “My brother Craig and I launched the IMO podcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life. There is no single way to deal with the challenges we may be facing — whether it’s family, faith, or our personal relationships — but taking the time to open up and talk about these issues can provide hope.”
Obama and Robinson’s new podcast will include a conversation with Rae about “the challenges of mismatched expectations in adult friendships” and a discussion with psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist Orna Guralnik, Psy.D., about “building healthy connections in a marriage.” Palmer will appear on the show to discuss balancing personal and professional lives, navigating tending to aging parents and “the rise of the phone-based childhood.”
“We grew up talking through life’s big and small questions together,” Robinson said. “And now, we’re inviting listeners into that conversation, with the hope that it sparks new ideas, new perspectives, and creates the connection we could all use right now.”
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson is produced by Higher Ground, the production company the Obamas founded in May 2018. The podcast is Obama’s third, following The Michelle Obama Podcast and Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast. The latter saw Obama interview celebrity guests like Ellen DeGeneres, Tyler Perry, Conan O’Brien and Oprah Winfrey, among others.
Obama and Robinson will appear at South by Southwest in Austin on Thursday to record a live episode in front of an audience.
The first two episodes of IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson premiere on Wednesday. New episodes will be released weekly on all audio platforms and YouTube.
