What Matters with Jenny Mollen: Connection, Humor & Grit

What this episode covers

“I want to know people because I also want to be known by them. I want to have that connection.” ~ Jenny Mollen She’s been called an actress, a New York Times bestselling author, and an influencer, but at the heart of Jenny Mollen’s multi-hyphenate career is storytelling driven by curiosity, humor, and connection.  On What Matters with Liz, Jenny reflects on the importance of listening, valuing other people’s stories, and sharing your truth. She explains how writing helps her process emotion and make sense of the world. Fearless, forthright, and unfiltered, Jenny talks about life in the public eye, her social media regrets, and why Instagram is “the ultimate narcissist.” She gets real about her marriage to Jason Biggs and how feeling like “the American Pie spare” was both frustrating and strangely freeing. She explains why she and Jason decided to protect their children’s privacy and not share their faces and why she hopes to delay giving her sons cell phones until they’re sixteen.  Jenny also shares how dyslexia, rejection, and years of hearing “no” built her resilience and drive. She explains that every hero’s journey starts with hardship and her happy fairytale ending is for her sons to see that no matter what life throws at their mother, she’ll keep moving forward, rewrite the story and become her own hero. “I want my kids to see that you can't keep this bitch down – she is just gonna keep going. And I want them to always keep going,” says Jenny. “I want them to have grit. I am desperate for them to have the grit.”  In this episode, Jenny opens up about:Finding her voice in oversharing and turning the chaos of life into comedy The anxiety of public life and why she calls Instagram “the ultimate narcissist”Marriage, fame, and the decision to share Jason Bigg’s infamous “American Pie” scene with their 12-year-old sonHer scariest moment as a motherHer biggest social media regretHow writing helps her understand herself and other peopleWhy “Do it for the plot” became her life philosophyThe art of listening, building connection, and communityWhy she’d still write even if the audience disappearedCelebrating her 40th birthday with a Bat Mitzvah ceremony in IsraelSupporting the Kenya Education Fund and putting faith into actionHow the October 7th tragedy changed her perspectiveThe loss of her soulmate petStruggling with an eating disorderWhere she finds joy during life’s darkest momentsDyslexia, rejection and the grit she developed hearing “no”Why failure no longer scares herHer definition of a happy fairytale ending now “I’ve been told no so many times that no doesn’t mean anything anymore,” declares Jenny. “It’s lost its power.” Whether you’re a mom who’s tired of pretending she has it all together, a woman starting over in midlife, or simply someone who needs a good laugh, Jenny Mollen delivers. To hear more of Jenny’s stories, follow:  https://www.instagram.com/jennymollen/ https://jennymollenbiggs.substack.com Follow Woman’s World magazine at: https://www.instagram.com/womansworldmag Let us know what you thought of this episode in the comments.  Like and subscribe to What Matters with Liz on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart or Spotify. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.