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Lewis HowesREBEKAH NEUMANN: Real Life Interview With WeWork Co-Founder
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Chapter summaries
Every child is “gifted and talented”: rejecting narrow labels
Rebekah Neumann challenges the idea that only certain kids are “gifted and talented,” arguing that every human has gifts. She frames adult systems and assumptions—not children—as the limiting factor in how talent is recognized and developed.
- •Rebekah says she doesn’t believe some kids are uniquely “gifted and talented” while others aren’t
- •She argues every human is gifted and talented in some way
- •She critiques adults for limiting definitions of talent to narrow measures like athletics or IQ
- •She describes children as “perfect” and places responsibility on adults to see their potential
What WeGrow is: elevating consciousness through superpowers and happiness
Lewis Howes introduces Rebekah’s roles at WeWork and WeGrow and asks for WeGrow’s purpose. Rebekah describes WeGrow as a mission-driven initiative aimed at elevating consciousness by helping people discover their “superpowers” and expand happiness.
- •Lewis introduces Rebekah as a founding partner and chief brand officer of WeWork and founder/CEO of WeGrow
- •Rebekah says the collective mission is to “elevate the world’s consciousness”
- •She says WeGrow focuses on unleashing each person’s superpowers and expanding happiness
- •She describes WeGrow as a broader practice and approach to life, not just a school
Origins of WeWork: community roots and helping entrepreneurs focus on what they love
Lewis asks how WeWork began, and Rebekah traces it to the founders’ early experiences with communal living and entrepreneurship struggles. She explains the original intent as creating a platform that supports entrepreneurs by reducing logistical burdens so they can focus on their craft.
- •Rebekah describes the co-founders’ childhood exposure to communal living (kibbutz/commune) and the power of community
- •She says the founders were struggling entrepreneurs in DUMBO, Brooklyn
- •She frames WeWork’s early purpose as helping entrepreneurs and creators do what they love without worrying about logistics
- •She shares personal details about meeting Adam when he had very little money and their quick marriage
Why she stopped dating: grief, betrayal, and a self-discovery journey
Rebekah explains a multi-year period of not dating as a deliberate effort to understand herself and her purpose. She ties that choice to early loss, family changes, and a painful breakup that ultimately propelled her into deeper self-discovery.
- •Rebekah says she didn’t date from about age 23 to 29 to better understand herself and her purpose
- •She shares that her brother died when she was young and that it changed her perspective on what matters
- •She describes her parents splitting up and then experiencing a betrayal in a relationship after college
- •She says she no longer holds onto pain and views life’s challenges as opportunities for growth
Spiritual study and a core belief: unity as the underlying reality
Lewis asks about her background in Buddhism and business; Rebekah describes leaving finance-related work and pursuing spiritual study. She says different spiritual paths point to the same message: unity and interconnectedness beyond what the five senses perceive.
- •Rebekah describes briefly entering sales/trading after graduating from Cornell and realizing it wasn’t her calling
- •She recounts traveling to Dharamsala to study with the Dalai Lama and monks and studying Tibetan Buddhism at Cornell
- •She says she studies multiple spiritual paths and believes they share the same essential message
- •She claims that on an energy level, humans are one entity despite different appearances and histories
Redefining success: impact, fulfillment, and creating from love
Rebekah describes her intuition about Lewis and explains that WeWork and WeGrow were driven by “sharing,” not maximizing money. She argues that focusing only on money can lead to unhappiness and emphasizes success as including fulfillment, happiness, and generosity.
- •Rebekah says her intuition leads her to see Lewis as driven by kindness and making the world better
- •She says WeGrow and WeWork began as acts of sharing rather than attempts to make the most money
- •She describes her personal context when meeting Adam—meditation, vegan eating, and yoga certification
- •She says they aim to redefine success to include fulfillment, happiness, and generosity
- •She frames love and creative work as antidotes to destructive tendencies
Fear, anger, and “vibration”: emotional awareness and how kids absorb energy
Lewis asks about hate, anger, and fear; Rebekah distinguishes between fear/pain and anger as a surface emotion. She connects her own fear around children’s health to early loss and argues children absorb the emotional “vibration” of adults, influencing WeGrow’s focus on culture and conscious teachers.
- •Rebekah says she doesn’t hate, but feels sadness or fear around cruelty to animals, kids suffering, and damage to the planet
- •She says anger often sits on top of deeper emotions like fear or pain and tries to go to the root emotion
- •She identifies her biggest fear as concerns around wellness/health for her kids, linked to her brother’s death
- •She argues fear doesn’t protect children and kids absorb what adults feel more than what adults say
- •She says WeGrow prioritizes culture, “vibration,” and conscious, kind, healthy teachers
Why WeGrow: redesigning school around spirit, body, mind, passion, and movement
After Lewis shares his experience struggling in a traditional school environment, Rebekah explains what inspired WeGrow and what she believes conventional education misses. She rejects ranking systems and narrow assessments, emphasizing equal focus on spirit, mind, and body and tailoring learning to each child’s passions.
- •Lewis describes being ranked academically, struggling with testing and reading, and learning best through sports and movement
- •Rebekah says even strong academic institutions didn’t focus on cultivating compassionate, whole human beings
- •She reiterates her belief that every child is gifted and criticizes adults for narrow definitions of talent
- •She describes WeGrow’s emphasis on spirit, mind, and body and acceptance of different learning styles
- •She describes practical design choices like letting kids move (including a track) and aligning education with passion
Nature days and “conscious entrepreneurship”: the farm program and mentorship model
Rebekah describes a weekly nature-based farming day where students plant, harvest, and run a farm stand, then donate proceeds to a nonprofit they choose. She calls it a full cycle of “conscious entrepreneurship,” supported by mentorship and master classes from WeWork community members.
- •Rebekah says students spend one full day a week in nature farming, running, and meditating in nature
- •Students plant seeds, harvest crops, bring produce back, and run a farm stand at WeWork
- •She says students donate proceeds to a nonprofit they choose and are personally involved in
- •She describes the program as teaching marketing, math, science, and more through hands-on creation
- •When students need expertise, WeWork employees come in to teach a master class (e.g., branding)
Scaling the school: grades, high school possibilities, mobility, and blended learning
Lewis asks about age groups and the future direction of WeGrow, and Rebekah outlines near-term grade expansion and longer-term plans. She imagines high school as deeply entrepreneurial and emphasizes enabling families to be mobile, with blended learning and online curriculum where needed.
- •Rebekah says the founding year serves ages three through fourth grade, with planned expansion next year
- •She says the school intends to go through high school and eventually open around the planet
- •She imagines high school students in “full entrepreneurial endeavors” and says some may choose not to go to college
- •She supports family mobility and says the planet itself is a powerful teacher beyond formal curriculum
- •She mentions plans to curate blended learning with online curriculum, even without a physical location
WeGrow’s rigor and autonomy: self-made schedules, mixed ages, and responsibility
Rebekah explains how WeGrow combines academic rigor with student ownership by having kids create their own schedules and progress at their own pace. She contrasts this with what she describes as an Industrial Revolution-era model designed for taking orders, emphasizing responsibility and self-direction instead.
- •Rebekah says WeGrow emphasizes tenacity, grit, and pushing limits while maintaining rigor
- •Students create their own work schedule and decide when to do required tasks
- •She says students use Montessori materials to “basically teach yourself,” owning their education
- •Mixed ages allow children to progress beyond grade level if ready (e.g., younger kids doing older math)
- •She describes homework as responsibility-based: unfinished work can be taken home and returned
Leading WeWork’s growth: humility, staying out of ego, and authentic intention
Lewis asks how they manage rapid growth and what makes WeWork distinct. Rebekah emphasizes humility, continuous personal growth, and a belief that the company is co-created by members, with its core “DNA” rooted in sharing and togetherness that people can feel.
- •Rebekah says the key to handling growth is staying humble and avoiding ego
- •She says leaders must grow as fast as reality changes while staying grateful
- •She frames WeWork as co-created by members and part of a larger movement beyond the founders
- •She says WeWork’s uniqueness comes from intention and energy rooted in sharing and togetherness
- •She argues people can sense authenticity and want to be part of “the solution,” not “the problem”
Personal practices, food, and compassion: vegan choices and “energy” in what we eat
Lewis asks about something people don’t know and the conversation turns to flexibility, yoga, and her long-standing avoidance of meat. Rebekah and Lewis discuss plant-based eating, emotional connection to animals, and the idea that consuming food involves taking in its “energy.”
- •Rebekah says she’s physically very flexible and has been a yogi
- •She says she hasn’t eaten meat since she was 12 and frames it around animals, health, and the environment
- •Lewis shares how a film (“Okja”) increased his emotional connection with animals and affected his thinking about meat
- •Rebekah suggests watching material about how meat is produced and discusses the emotional/energetic aspect of eating
- •They discuss “baby steps” and reducing meat without judgment
Closing reflections: three truths, how to help, and her definition of greatness
Lewis asks Rebekah’s signature “three truths,” and she summarizes her worldview around love, unity, and compassion toward people, animals, and the planet. They close with ways listeners can support, where to find WeWork/WeGrow, and her definition of greatness as joyful fulfillment in service to the world.
- •Rebekah’s three truths: only love is real; we are all one; treat people, animals, and the planet the way they want to be treated
- •She says a meaningful way to support is helping animals, children, and/or the environment
- •She mentions WeWork membership options including being a member without being in a building, with access to a global creator network
- •She directs people to WeGrow and WeWork channels and websites, noting events and a focus on consciousness
- •Rebekah defines greatness as joy, happiness, fulfillment, manifesting one’s calling for the betterment of others, and spreading “We Consciousness”
