"Toxic positivity": Shark Tank's Jamie Kern Lima discusses gratitude and affirmations with Allison Holker

Shark Tank's Jamie Kern Lima invited Allison Holker for her February 4, 2025, podcast episode on The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast. During the podcast, they talked about many things, including Allison's late husband, the power of positive affirmations, sadness, and more.

In one of the segments, the host, Jamie, asked about the "toxic positivity" that Allison and her late husband, Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, faced and asked her to share more about it.

"You both embodied toxic positivity, both of you. Can you share a little about that?" asked the Shark Tank mentor.

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Shark Tank mentor Jamie Kern Lima - In discussion with Allison Holker: Gratitude, affirmations, and more

After the host, Jamie Kern Lima asked Allison to share more about the "toxic positivity," she replied that she thought, while growing up, that she would "just power through."

She mentioned how every morning waking up, she and her now late husband would wake up and say their "gratitude" and "affirmations." She also recalled how it makes her feel "pumped up", and she still follows that routine.

"I always grew up thinking that if I just power through and...and same for him like if we're...we wake up and we say our gratitude and say our affirmations and it really does pump you up. That's why I'm saying...I...I still do it to this day, and I see so much beauty behind it, and he was the same way."

While sharing more about that, So You Think You Can Dance judge stated that she and her late husband used to mimick with "dry erase markers." They would write on mirrors and such "writing stuff" would pump them.

Whenever they were sad, Allison mentioned, She and Stephen used to:

"You know, if we were tired or sad, we'd be like, "Let's go read this book together. Let's listen to this podcast together," and we both loved that and generated so much of who we are from that, and I still do think there's so much beauty in it. But we didn't have the balance of it."

Allision mentioned her husband, and she were both "work-heavy" people. While he was going through his "deeper rooted feelings," he kept himself busy. Recalling her late husband's struggles, the guest also mentioned that even today, she struggles and she has been trying to "learn" and try to be a "positive person."

"I can't say that I'm talking just about him, I'd do the same thing, and I still struggle with that. It's just I'm trying now in my life to learn and better tools of you can be a positive person while also admitting that you're having a sad day," shared Allison.

Listening to that, the Shark Tank mentor replied that many individuals believe in the "lie" that they should only be seen when they're "happy."

She talked about how many individuals are "ingrained" to do such. Further, on the podcast, Jamie asked Allison about how, after the Ellen show ended, her late husband, Stephen, received more job offers "than ever." However, he started turning them all down.

For the fans who might not know, Shark Tank investor was referring to Allison Holker's book, This Far, where she mentioned her story of "Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light."

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Fans can stream Shark Tank Season 16 episodes on ABC and witness female entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima with her business mind taking on newer investments.