How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything'
Apr 2, 2025
Join Jonathan Van Ness, a hairstylist, author, and star of 'Queer Eye', as he opens up about navigating personal failures and the quest for self-acceptance. He candidly discusses the pressure of show cancellations and the importance of internal validation. Dive into his experiences with childhood bullying, the challenges of launching a hair product line, and the complexities of LGBTQ+ identity in America. Plus, find out what JVN would do to Donald Trump's hair and hear his thoughts on the Queer Eye makeover he still regrets!
50:13
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Quick takeaways
- Jonathan Van Ness highlights the necessity of internal validation over external accolades, transforming their understanding of self-acceptance and identity.
- Through challenges with their hair care line, Van Ness emphasizes the importance of resilience and understanding business fundamentals in navigating entrepreneurial setbacks.
Deep dives
Self-Acceptance Journey
Jonathan Van Ness discusses their evolution towards self-acceptance, illustrating how public perception and social media validation shaped their identity. They emphasize that their initial feelings of self-love were heavily influenced by external accolades rather than intrinsic self-worth. Following a traumatic experience with a Rolling Stone article that falsely portrayed them, Van Ness realized the crucial need for internal validation and began reassessing their motivations and relationships. This process of introspection has led them to a more profound and genuine understanding of self-acceptance.
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