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Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Why Dana Perino Almost Quit Before Her Biggest Break

Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff

Society & Culture

4.8543 Ratings

🗓️ 31 July 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dana Perino’s life was not going according to plan. But one moment changed her career forever. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with former White House Press Secretary and co-host of Fox News’ The Five. Dana gets real about the rollercoaster moments that defined her career, from unexpected opportunities to professional setbacks and her struggles with work-life balance. Plus, get an inside look at her new book for young women, “I Wish Someone Had Told Me…” She discusses the things she wishes she knew in her twenties, the advice that actually helped her along the way, and how her marriage helped her succeed. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Dana Perino (00:29) The inspiration behind Dana’s new book for young women (04:07) Why you shouldn’t worry your twenties away (05:50) The new rules of mentorship and career planning (07:07) Resume mistakes that cost you the job (09:16) The woman who got hired after writing Dana a letter (11:57) The day Dana almost quit the White House (16:13) How saying yes changed her career (twice) (18:32) A different perspective on work-life balance (21:46) Daily routines and why Dana swears by them (22:28) The leadership lesson she learned from her CEO (25:32) Why love is not going to hold your career back (29:42) The cowboy advice that changed her perspective Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to order my book, “⁠⁠Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success⁠⁠.” Follow SUPERWOMEN (⁠⁠@rmsuperwomen⁠⁠) and Dana (@danaperino) on Instagram. Support this podcast: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/rmsuperwomen⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

I haven't met the perfect guy. I'm not on the path to having that marriage with the two kids and that house with the picket fence by the time I'm 32. Like, I don't really love this job. The guys are getting promoted ahead of me. I'm not sure I chose the right profession. I'm trying to pay my students, all those things. And you start thinking it's all falling apart because you planned all these other things that aren't happening. Today's guest is a repeat offender, Dana Perino.

0:22.1

She's a New York Times bestselling author of, and The Good News is, and I'm sure the book we're talking about today will be another New York Times bestseller. I feel like it's the right book at the right time for people. And it was specifically targeted to young women going through that quarter life crisis. She's the beloved co-host of Fox News the Five and America's Newsroom. You tell Peter, okay, I'm going to quit. Today's the day I'm going to resign. Yeah. And that's the day you got offered the job. The job of the White House press secretary. This is such a crazy story. I would be the second woman to be the press secretary. Hadn't had one since the early Clinton years.

0:54.5

Yep.

0:54.7

And that it was an opportunity to serve at the highest level of my profession.

1:02.4

Hey, everyone, you're listening to Super Women.

1:08.3

What we're talking about today is if you are just starting out or you are thinking about your career, there are some must have rules and incredible pieces of advice, not just from Dana, but from incredible people that you want to read this book and hear about what she has today. Take a listen.

1:24.4

Dana, this is special because I get to interview you in your house. I know. Thank you. I

1:30.0

remember so fondly connecting with you several years ago. During COVID. During COVID. And it was very

1:36.2

special. But now we actually get to see each other face to face. I know. I did that interview in my

1:40.9

parents' guest room, which was in a bunk bed. That was like my soundproofing was like a bunk bed. That's right. That's right. Yeah. So it's good to finally be hearing. Congrats. The book came out yesterday. Yes. Which is awesome. I felt like I was pregnant with that book for 16 months. Oh my God. That is the worst, most uncomfortable feeling in the universe. But I'm really thrilled with how it turned out and I feel like

2:01.4

it's the right book at the right time for people. Yeah. The minute I started reading it, I was like,

2:05.9

if every youth could get a copy of this book, I think it would, it's what people need to hear.

2:11.2

Yeah. I just did an interview with Sandra Smith on her show here at Fox News and she has an 11-year-old

2:17.3

daughter. And when she got home

2:19.1

last night, her daughter said, wait, what's this about? And she started reading it. And she was like

2:23.8

halfway through. And Sandra said, do you like it? She goes, I love it. And I thought, wow, because I thought

2:28.5

that the book would be for like ambitious high school through like maybe 40s. Yeah. But maybe

2:33.5

it's broader than that.

2:34.6

And if you have somebody who is ambitious or just curious about what they think they might

2:39.3

want to do in life, you know, in mentoring, I think we talked about this before, there's that

2:42.6

saying you have to see her to be her.

2:45.4

And the only thing I ever want to do in mentoring is give to them.

...

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