Former Today Show co-host Hoda Kotb, 61, has revealed her daughter Haley Joy always repeats the same affirmation – and said she has been inspired to do the same

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Hoda Kotb left Today in January(Image: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Hoda Kotb has shared her dreams for the future as she returned to the Today Show for an interview months after leaving the popular program.

The former broadcaster has been working on new projects in the wellness space while still maintaining a relationship with NBC for the past few months. This week, she returned to Today and expressed her dreams for the future, saying she wants to continue working as CEO of her company Joy 101, which she launched in May.

The mom-of-two, who adopted her daughter Haley Joy in 2017 and Hope Catherine in 2019, said her first daughter inspired her to manifest what she wants to do in the future. When she left as co-anchor of the show earlier this year, Hoda revealed she wanted to spend more time with her children.

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During her most recent appearance, Hoda said what whenever her daughter Haley says something, she always repeats the affirmation, “Haley is awesome! Pow, pow, pow!” Inspired by her young child, Hoda said, “So I was like, I was in the kitchen. I was like, ‘Mom’s a CEO! Pow, pow, pow!”

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The former broadcaster revealed her daughter’s daily affirmations(Image: todayshow/Instagram)

After the interview was shared on Instagram, a fan said, “You’re learning from the best, your children.” Hoda is currently promoting her latest book, Jump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life, which was released on Tuesday, September 23. The book aims to act as a guide for “dealing with change and upheaval,” whether unexpected or expected.

The book includes anecdotes from Hoda as she details key moments in her life, as well as advice and stories from other well-known figures. Hoda discussed her time at Today and also shared what prompted her decision to depart the morning show’s fourth hour. She started working for the show in September 2007 and left on Jan. 10, 2025.

Hoda revealed in her book that an interaction with her daughter Hope made her realize she was ready to move on from the show. “One day, she and I went out for a walk, and we came upon the tree she loved to climb. Her tree, as she likes to call it. She started her trip up the tree, grabbing its branches and hoisting her little body higher and higher. As she neared the top, she stopped and called down to me,” Hoda wrote in her book.

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Hoda with her daughter Haley(Image: todayshow/Instagram)

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“‘Mom, what am I going to do when I get to the top of this tree?’ I smiled and said, ‘I don’t know. What are you going to do?’ She thought for a moment, then looked me right in the eye and said, ‘I guess I’ll find another tree.’ And there it was. There was no denying what I knew deep down inside. I was ready to find myself another tree,” she continued.

Even though she was sure about her choice, Hoda previously admitted that leaving Today after 17 years was “the hardest thing in the world.” Hoda had announced she was planning to leave the daytime show on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024.

At the time she told viewers, “I just turned 60 and it was such a monumental moment for me because I started to think about that decade like what does that decade mean, what does it hold, what does it have for me and I realized it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new.”