Moments That Make Us: Michelle Obama on Leaving the White House, Friends, & Power in Small Actions

To celebrate turning 60, Melinda French Gates sat down with iconic changemakers of all ages to talk about their biggest life transitions for a special series, “Moments That Make Us.” In this episode, she chats with former First Lady Michelle Obama about leaving the White House, how small actions can lead to big change, the challenges and joys of raising a family, and why it’s important to remain open to making new friends.

Check out all of the conversations in this series:
Megan Rapinoe:    • Moments That Make Us: The Radical Emp...  
Reese Witherspoon:    • Moments That Make Us: Reese Witherspo...  
Ava DuVernay:    • Moments That Make Us: Ava DuVernay’s ...  
Michelle Obama:    • Moments That Make Us: Michelle Obama ...  
Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King:    • Moments That Make Us: How Friendship ...  
Billie Jean King:    • Moments That Make Us: Billie Jean Kin...  
& don’t miss the Trailer! :    • Introducing "Moments That Make Us" wi...  

In this episode:
• 3:33 – The transition from the White House and what it was like moving into a real home
• 3:56 – Reflecting on the ‘power of small’ while writing The Light We Carry during the COVID-19 pandemic
o See more: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
• 5:53 – Learning to knit and focusing on what you can uniquely control
o See more: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqlcOR5us...
• 7:14 – Connecting with girls in Malawi on a recent trip with Melinda and Amal Clooney and the beauty of small moments
o See more: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Czy_TK...
• 8:32 – The importance of family to Michelle, raising her daughters with intentionally, and her mother’s influence on parenting
o See more: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsKD60...
• 13:30 – Helping your children find their gifts to meet the world’s calling
• 15:17 – Building intentional friendships, a network of trust, and finding “mom friends”
• 21:05 – Travelling to Malawi together and where Michelle’s sense of humor comes from
• 22:29 – The role of Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, keeping Michelle grounded during her time as First Lady and throughout her life
o See more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
• 23:14 – Working on “enoughness” and fighting perfectionism as a women of color
• 27:45 - Why messages matter for children and the importance of finding positive encouragement from others

Produced by Feee Films
Directed by Felicia Manning
Photography c/o Pivotal Ventures

Follow Melinda French Gates on:
Twitter/X: @melindagates
Facebook: @melindagates
LinkedIn: @melindagates
Instagram: @melindafrenchgates
YouTube: @melindafrenchgates

Follow Michelle Obama on:
Twitter/X: @MichelleObama
Facebook: @MichelleObama
Instagram: @MichelleObama