Dax Shepard's Podcast Interview with Kate Hudson is What Having a Healthy Conversation Looks Like

Photo credit: Ross Helen via Canva

By Kat OM. I write about the things we should have learned when we were kids that will help you become more emotionally resilient and lead a happier life.

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Maybe, I should start a blog on doing reviews of podcasts and Youtube interviews from a personal growth perspective? I just did a story on British talk show host Fearne Cotton’s interview with musician and Foo Fighter, Dave Grohl on achieving your goals and dreams. You can read it here.

Today, I’m writing about actor Dax Shepard’s interview with actress Kate Hudson and her brother Oliver Hudson on his podcast, “Armchair Expert.” Dax has an impressive line-up of interview guests on his podcast from Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Matthew McConaughey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer, Prince Harry, Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Kimmel…the list goes on and on.

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If you know me, you know I love Kate Hudson. I’ve always loved her movies since Almost Famous. I must have seen “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” a hundred times. I remember my ex-husband coming home when we were still married, and saying, “Are you watching that movie again?” Do you watch your favorite movies again and again? This was when I used to watch a lot of movies. I must confess, I don’t watch as many movies anymore. I do watch a lot of YouTube interviews and listen to podcasts these days.

So, when I saw Kate’s podcast interview with Dax Shepard come up as a suggestion, of course, I had to listen to it. I love her own podcast, “Sibling Revelry,” with Oliver. I have to confess, I’m not as familiar with Dax Shepard. I know who he is. I thought I had seen one of his movies, but it turns out it was Dane Cook in “Good Luck Chuck” with Jessica Alba. Dane and Dax are kind of similar? Both have that untamed, outrageous, comical persona.

But I was surprised to find during the interview how well Kate and Dax communicated with one another. They have a fun, mutual respect for each other and quickly got into discussing when they used to date after Kate’s divorce from Black Crowes’ lead singer, Chris Robinson. Both Kate and Dax are in long-term relationships now. Dax is married to actress Kristen Bell, and they have two children together. And Kate lives with boyfriend, Danny Fujikawa, where they raise their daughter together, and Kate’s two son’s from previous relationships. The older son is from her marriage with Robinson, and her middle child is from her engagement to Muse lead singer, Matthew Bellamy.

Kate is open about past relationship troubles and her children from 3 different fathers. They have a beautiful blended family today. Which has a lot to do with all of the therapy Kate has done. Kate loves talking about personal growth for this reason. As she says, she likes to get deep into the issues and topics on mental health. If you’re familiar with her podcast and interviews, you know this is true.

What was surprising in this interview was how self-aware Dax is? Dax speaks candidly, vulnerably, and confidently (an amazing combination) that he felt “less than” quite often dating Kate (9:30). To which Kate’s brother says, “I think we all do.” Kate sighs and humbly denies that she is more than him.

Dax said Kate had so many movie offers and was making a lot of money. While he didn’t know if he would get another movie role. She was doing what he wished he was doing. Not a lot of men could admit that to a former partner, let alone on a podcast that’s available worldwide.

Dax said he and Kate had some massive fights. A friend suggested he say to Kate, “When you do this (fill in the blank), it makes me scared.” He thought it would make him look like a wimp, but he was pleasantly surprised he received a positive reaction from Kate. Kate said, no one ever spoke to her that way before. She said her short but 3-month relationship with Dax was probably one of the healthiest relationships she has ever been in (40:00).

Dax also talked about a time he and Kate had a fight, and he was tempted to text a girl he always hooks up with to feel better (35:00). He stopped and asked himself why he was doing it? And realized it was to make him feel empowered because he was feeling so disempowered. And he put the phone down.

This is why self-awareness is so important because it helps us not to make mistakes in our lives that could hurt other people, and ourselves in the long run.

Another sign of a healthy conversation and his self-awareness is Dax also uses a lot of “I” statements. Rather than just blaming Kate.

He attributes his personal and relationship growth to becoming sober.

The level of self-awareness and vulnerability Dax can tap into and share with a friend and partner is the level of self-awareness and vulnerability that makes for healthier relationships. When we can speak that openly and honestly to our loved ones, we get to the root of the issue and find resolution faster. Rather than wasting time on who hurt whom and who’s right and who’s wrong. Which is what most people do.

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Kate shared that for a long time, she never addressed the abandonment of her father, singer, and performer, Bill Hudson, who was married to her mother, actress Goldie Hawn because she felt she was so blessed to be born into such a privileged family and lifestyle. Who was she to feel bad that her father left her? Until she realized she was having relationship problems and needed to address the trauma she was experiencing of her father’s abandonment when she was a child in therapy.

Today, I feel Kate is a healthy role mode lof how therapy, self-help, life coaching, and personal growth tools work and can help people live a happier life. I believe in the future more of our society will be like Kate and Dax, and the world is waking up and embracing mental health practices. We are only at the beginning now.

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The conversation gets a little risqué towards the end, with Kate talking about a time she and her girlfriends were talking about endowed men, and Dax reveals himself to Kate’s friends. I’m not a prude, but not really my thing. However, everything else in the conversation was so refreshingly honest, open, and healthy.

You can listen to the entire interview here.

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Kat OM is a Resilient Mindset and Joy Coach based in New York City. Her signature program, Mindful Resilience, provides 21 tools and lessons to help keep you emotionally resilient through life. She is also the author of Resilient Love: Turn Your Wounds into Your Wings. You can also find Kat OM at: KatOMLife.com | IG: kat.om.transform.your.life | FB: katOM30