How Are You, Really? by Jenna Kutcher

Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 320 pages
First Published: 2022

Rachael’s Review

Forget hustle harder and work smarter. What women really want are lives of fulfillment. Jenna Kutcher, the host of the popular Goal Digger podcast, teaches that instead of trying to have it all, you should be striving for a work/life balance that lets you actually enjoy your life. Kutcher wants you to understand who you are, help you build a support system that will enable you to build a life full of success, joy, and time to enjoy it.

I’ve listed to the Goal Digger podcast on and off for years, so I was curious to see what Jenna Kutcher had to say in her new book. Instead of getting into online marketing, helps you remember that success is more than just a number on a spreadsheet. Advocating for constant check-ins, Kutcher knows that what you think you want isn’t always what you really want. Although I appreciated the mindset approach, I was hoping for more expert-level marketing expertise similar to her podcast.

Publisher’s Description

Forget hustle harder. Forget a mandatory 5 a.m. wake-up. Forget outlining your life plan in six-month, one-year, and five-year spans. We’re living in a cultural shift as we reframe our perspectives around the purpose of work, what work/life balance really means, and how we want to spend our time on this planet. In her first book, Jenna Kutcher—entrepreneur, photographer, influencer, teacher, mom, and host of the wildly popular Goal Digger podcast—shares her philosophy on how to live a life that exists outside the tired cliché of “having it all.” How Are You, Really? is about taking a moment to soak up the richness of our experiences and creating a life that makes room for more actual living.

When Jenna Kutcher was 23, she left her corporate job, bought a camera on Craigslist for $300, and started her own business as a wedding photographer. From that single investment in herself, she built a successful company, a thriving podcast, and a beautiful brand. But her driving force has never been about working harder/smarter/faster/better. What Jenna Kutcher embraces is the simple notion that we, women especially, crave lives of fulfillment.

Divided into three sections, How Are You, Really? is a guide to creating such a life.

In Part One: Who You Are, Jenna uses stories from her childhood, some career false starts, her marriage and path to motherhood, and more to show how to crystallize your sense of your own identity. Because how can you know what you really, truly want out of your future if you don’t see yourself clearly in the present? In Part Two: Who You Have, and Who Has You, Jenna shows the benefits of a support system, how mentorship and kindness can come in surprising ways and from surprising sources, and how to build your own authentic community. In Part Three: What You’re Going to Do About It, Jenna guides you through illustrations from her career on how to turn your deepest dream into a life that brings success, joy, and—most importantly–the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. We all want, simply put, a life well-lived.

So, ask yourself the question you’ve been avoiding.

How are you, really?

It’s time to find your answer, and start living.