Jay Shetty Podcast

Nara Smith EXCLUSIVE: They Call Me a 'Tradwife' But Here’s the Real Story

Have you been pretending to be okay? Is there something you’ve been keeping inside? Today, Jay welcomes model, digital creator, and mother of three, Nara Smith, for an intimate conversation that blends vulnerability, wisdom, and humility. Known online for her serene ASMR-style cooking videos and elevated fashion-forward kitchen aesthetic, Nara opens up about the personal journey that shaped her—from her childhood in Germany to signing with IMG Models at just 14. Together, Jay and Nara explore the gap between her curated online image and her lived experience, touching on childhood influences, struggles with body image, and the courage it took to forge a creative career on her own terms. Nara candidly opens up about the physical and emotional toll of working in the modeling industry at such a young age, the silent battles with her body through eczema and lupus, and how motherhood reshaped her priorities. She shares how cooking from scratch became a lifeline, first as a necessity to manage her health, then as a passion, and eventually as a business. As she and Jay reflect on marriage, communication, and the complexities of being modern, working mom, Nara’s groundedness and clarity shine through. Nara opens up about her love story with Lucky Blue Smith—their whirlwind but intentional path to marriage—and the beautifully messy reality of raising three kids. It’s a powerful reminder that real joy and purpose come from living true to yourself. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Balance Career, Motherhood, and Marriage How to Heal Through Food and From-Scratch Cooking How to Set Healthy Boundaries on Social Media How to Communicate Better in a Relationship How to Stay Grounded in a Fast-Paced World How to Know When You’ve Met the Right Partner How to Handle Online Criticism with Grace No matter where you are in your journey, whether you’re building a career, navigating relationships, chasing a dream, or simply trying to keep up with life’s daily demands, remember this: you don’t have to fit into anyone else’s mold to be worthy. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here. What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 02:16 Blending a Love for Fashion and Cooking 04:44 The Grandmother Who Shaped Her Life 07:57 Starting a Modeling Career at 14 09:15 How to Put Confidence Before Comparison 10:02 Protecting Kids from the Dangers of the Online World 11:59 How Early Parental Trust Can Fuel Success 12:49 Why You Should Never Sacrifice Your Health 14:03 Finding Real Love in the Digital World 17:01 How Modern Dating Has Evolved 18:55 Making Young Marriage Work 21:51 The Power of Knowing What You Want 23:45 Building a Relationship on Shared Values 26:30 Marriage Is Both Collaboration and Compromise 29:45 Why Fast-Paced Dating Doesn’t Work 30:54 Working Together to Strengthen Your Relationship 33:31 Communication Is Key to Connection 35:56 Becoming a Parent on Your Own Timeline 38:29 Your Life, Your Choices 42:18 Own and Celebrate Your Path 44:05 Don’t Let People’s Projections Define You 47:32 What You See Online Isn’t the Whole Truth 50:02 Facing Online Negativity with Strength 52:05 Other’s Opinions Don’t Determine Your Worth 53:25 Choosing What to Share and What to Keep Private 56:10 How Food and Diet Can Transform Your Health 01:00:29 Finding Joy and Creativity in Cooking 01:01:24 How Her Online Persona Was Born 01:04:05 The Reality Behind the Content 01:06:48 Simple Daily Habits That Strengthen a Relationship 01:09:44 Tackling the Hard Stuff with Joy 01:13:04 Dressing for Confidence and Productivity 01:17:58 Living Life on Your Own Terms 01:20:23 Nara on Final Five Episode Resources: https://www.tiktok.com/@naraazizasmith https://www.instagram.com/naraaziza https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

JSJay Shettyhost

Jul 9, 2025·1h 32m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   Nara’s content formula: cooking from scratch meets high fashion

   Nara explains what she actually does online: cooking at home (often from scratch) while dressing in elevated fashion looks. She shares how staying home more after moving to the U.S. and having kids pushed her to blend practicality with creativity.

2. 2

   A grandmother’s influence: independence, cooking, piano, and books

   Nara reflects on being raised close to her German grandmother, who shaped her love of cooking, music, and reading. She shares the emotional memory of her grandmother’s passing and how her example still guides her.

3. 3

   Modeling at 14: Instagram discovery and early confidence

   Nara recounts joining Instagram at 13/14, posting photos, and being discovered through an IMG hashtag campaign. She describes how youthful confidence came before later industry-driven insecurity.

4. 4

   Kids and the internet: boundaries, safety, and what she wishes she’d had

   Nara and Jay discuss how early social media exposure can accelerate comparison and insecurity. Nara shares her plan to protect her children from the dangers of the online world, based on what she experienced growing up.

5. 5

   Trust, ambition, and health: refusing to fit someone else’s mold

   She credits her parents’ support and trust for enabling early independence and travel. Nara stresses that no career is worth sacrificing health, and shares her stance on authenticity over trying to meet external standards.

6. 6

   Becoming a creator: consistency, sustainability, and doing what you love

   Nara breaks down how her content evolved before the cooking niche took off and how virality actually happened. She shares the workload behind the scenes and explains why she prioritizes long-term community over trend-chasing.

7. 7

   How Nara met Lucky: DMs, a 7-hour call, and a fast engagement

   Nara shares the story of meeting Lucky online, connecting deeply over long calls, and then rapidly moving from first in-person meeting to engagement and marriage. She defends the pace as aligned with their clarity and values.

8. 8

   Modern dating vs. intentional commitment: knowing what you want

   Nara contrasts today’s swipe-based dating culture with her preference for dating with purpose. She explains why she was direct at 18 about her intentions and how that clarity protected her time and energy.

9. 9

   What makes marriage work: shared values, collaboration, and therapy

   Nara describes marriage as a collaboration requiring compromise and emotional maturity. She shares how parenthood forced them to improve communication, including couples therapy, and how compassion can coexist with conflict.

10. 10

    Parenthood on your timeline: rejecting projections and ‘traditional’ labels

    Nara addresses criticism for marrying and having children young, and reframes it as a personal choice rather than a societal standard. She pushes back on the “tradwife” narrative by describing how she and Lucky split responsibilities and support each other’s careers.

11. 11

    Online controversy & mental health: hate, boundaries, and two phones

    Nara opens up about how online negativity affected her, especially during late pregnancy and postpartum. She explains her coping system—reducing engagement, separating personal life from public feedback, and conserving energy.

12. 12

    Vulnerability and healing: eczema/lupus, food research, and anti-inflammatory cooking

    Nara explains why she shared her eczema journey publicly despite being private by nature. She connects her health struggles to her shift toward anti-inflammatory eating and from-scratch cooking, especially after severe flare-ups postpartum.

13. 13

    Behind the persona: ASMR voice, dressing for productivity, and ‘enhanced’ self

    Nara describes how signature elements of her content emerged organically: whispery voice due to a sleeping baby and her love of ASMR, and fashion as self-expression and motivation. She explains that her online character is “herself, enhanced,” not a manufactured act.

14. 14

    Final Five + core philosophy: progress over perfection, faith, and compassion

    In the closing segment, Nara shares her best and worst advice, her relationship to faith, and the single “law” she wishes everyone followed. Jay recaps key takeaways about living on your own timeline and not letting public opinion define you.