‘Joy 101’: The Viral Guide to Happiness Everyone’s Searching—What It Is and How to Start Today

Television icon and best-selling author Hoda Kotb is taking her signature optimism off the screen and putting it in users’ pockets with the new wellness platform Joy 101, set to hit app stores in mid-June 2025. Designed as a “retreat you can carry,” Joy 101 bundles daily inspiration from Kotb, expert-led courses and community events into a single subscription. Early adopters will pay $17 a month or $99 a year for unlimited access to: • A Morning Message: Kotb records short, motivational videos that greet users every day with reflection prompts and actionable micro-goals. • 500+ On-Demand Sessions: Guided breathwork, brain-health tutorials, movement classes, journaling workshops and nutrition micro-lessons grow weekly. • Live Conversations: Twice-monthly livestreams feature Kotb in dialogue with friends like Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie, plus surprise wellness luminaries. • Sleep Studio: Wind-down meditations, soundscapes and “digital sundown” reminders echo Kotb’s own phone-free bedtime ritual. • Personalized Road Map: An in-app quiz builds a flexible action plan across body, intellect, emotion and spirit—the same quadrant journaling system Kotb swears by. • IRL Experiences: Members receive priority booking for autumn retreats and JoyFest, an annual celebration expected to blend workshops, music and keynote talks. Joy 101’s advisory board signals serious credibility: Good American CEO Emma Grede lends entrepreneurial insight, Maria Shriver champions brain research, and neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki curates science-backed content. The seed for Joy 101 was planted when Bush Hager nudged Kotb to try a seven-minute breathwork session during their “Today” tenure. The practice triggered an emotional breakthrough that left Kotb clearer, calmer and sleeping better. From there she dove into retreats at the Hoffman Institute, meditation challenges and expert interviews, eventually realizing women needed a one-stop hub for the best tools she was gathering piecemeal. Kotb, 60, frames the venture as an invitation to be “a beginner again.” Beta testers report that the app’s bite-size format prevents overwhelm, while the private forum—moderated to keep conversations uplifting—helps users stay accountable. Why Joy 101 stands out in a crowded wellness market 1. Celebrity access without the celebrity tax: Unlike many influencer apps, pricing stays under $100 a year. 2. Holistic curriculum: Few platforms pair neuroscience lessons with single-song dance breaks and spiritual journaling prompts. 3. Community first: Every metric of success, Kotb says, revolves around engagement rather than downloads, a stance that should foster deeper loyalty and higher retention. 4. Hybrid model: Digital content feeds into real-world events, a differentiator as consumers crave offline connection post-pandemic. SEO spotlight—what people are asking: • “When does Joy 101 launch?” Mid-June 2025 on iOS and Android. • “How much does Joy 101 cost?” $17 per month or $99 annually. • “Who is behind Joy 101?” Hoda Kotb, supported by experts like Maria Shriver and Dr. Wendy Suzuki. • “What features are in Joy 101?” Daily videos, guided meditations, breathwork, sleep tools, live streams and retreats. Industry analysts note that the global wellness-app market is projected to surpass $30 billion by 2026, and celebrity-backed offerings tend to dominate early downloads. If Joy 101 converts even a fraction of Kotb’s 2.1 million Instagram followers, it could quickly break into the top tier of health & fitness apps. For Kotb, success will be measured less by chart position and more by user transformation. “If we can help 15,000 people wake up excited to journal, breathe and move,” she recently told WWD, “that’s impact.” With pre-registration now open and buzz building across morning-show audiences, Joy 101 looks poised to teach a master class in turning small daily practices into big, joyful change.