Jenna Bush Hager Says Hoda Kotb Changed Her Life And Tears Up While Telling The Story

Heather Riggleman

For Jenna Bush Hager, Hoda Kotb was the person who helped make her TV dreams come true. And as she shares the sweet story, the tears start flowing!

All it takes is one person to give you a shot. And for Jenna Bush Hager, Hoda Kotb is the one person who changed the course of Jenna’s career. 

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You see, it’s not easy chasing your dream job. The pair were inspired after sharing a story they learned about from a recent viral LinkedIn post from Sophia Cheong who navigated 357 rejections and 40 interviews before landing a job.

“I remember when I was looking for my very, very, very, very first job and I thought … I kind of thought I was going to get a job right away,” Hoda said, “And I remember the first time I got rejected to my face, I was so surprised because I had a tape and I went to college, and here’s my stuff. He’s like, ‘Well, you’re too green.’”

She recalled how hard it was being rejected over and over those first few months after graduating.

RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Interviews Hoda Kotb And Is Left In Tears Over Hoda’s Profound Motherhood Moment

“It just kept going and going and going and going and going, and I kept going and getting the rejection,” she said. “There is a point when you get so many that your whole self-esteem just goes down the toilet. You start thinking, I made a mistake. Because all these people can’t be wrong.”

Jenna Busch Hager & Hoda Kotb Share Their 'Big Breaks'

But you just need one person to give you a chance and for Hoda it was a man by the name of Stan Sandroni in Mississippi. Stan believed in Hoda and helped launch her journalism career.

“You just need one person to say you can do it, and my one guy’s name was Stan Sandroni, and he was in Greenville, Mississippi. He hired me when no one else would,” Hoda said. “This guy believed, and that’s so shocking because it was like, you just need the one.”

At that moment, Jenna began to tear up because the one person who gave her a chance was sitting right next to her. That one special person for Jenna Hager Bush was Hoda Kotb. “Do you know who my one would be?” she said to Hoda. “You.” Jenna added, “You asked me to fill in with you and I'll never forget it, so my one is you.” The pair were silent for just a moment as they fought back tears. It was a touching moment for the both of them.

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It just proves we may receive hundreds of negative answers but all it takes is one person to say yes! What an incredible way to honor, support, and lift each other up.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

WATCH: Jenna Hager Bush Thanks Hoda Kotb For Her Big Break

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h/t: Godtube

Featured Image Credit: Youtube/Today


Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.  

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