There are people who move through life with quiet strength who lead with grace, with purpose, and with love.

Catherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is one of those people. She's a daughter, a wife, a mother of three,

a New York Times best-selling author,

an animal advocate, and the host of the BDA baby podcast. Everything she does encourages others

at any age to look inward and live with compassion. Catherine's heart for service, for animals,

and for family is something she learned from her mom, my dear friend Maria Shriver, and it shines through in every part of her life, especially in her writing.

From Rock What You've Got to the Gift of Forgiveness and now Cat and Brandy, her words remind us that courage isn't in the absence of fear, but rather the decision to try again.

Catherine and I sit down to reflect on the lessons from her mother that shaped who she is today,

how she's found bravery and courage through every season of life,

and the ways motherhood has changed her perspective on the world.

I'm Hoda Kotby, and this is my podcast, Making Space.

Hi.

Hi.

Should we start with the usual, my favorite question to begin with is how are you today in this moment as we sit across from one another?

I mean, I'm so excited to be here with you, always excited to be with you.

I'm also like, I just landed from L.A. This is my first trip with my son

for just the two of us, my first time leaving my daughters. And, and I'm also here with my mom.

So it's a party. What is it like leaving your daughters for the first time like this? What does it

feel like? I mean, it's something that I feel like I've been thinking

about for so long, like when that's going to happen. And because I had both of my girls during COVID,

I just never have left them. So I feel like it's a good time. It's a good reason to, obviously,

I have to bring the baby. But I mean, it's fun because I can travel with my mom and she distracts me. And my sister's home with them as is my husband. So they're fine. Everybody's good. What did you tell them about where mommy's going? I was very honest with them. And I told them ahead of time. I did all the research on like what's the correct way to do that. What's the best way to leave them feeling secure and also prepared with a

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