The School of Greatness
Michelle Obama Opens Up: Her Struggle To Feel Like She's “Enough,” Mental Health in the White House & Lessons from Childhood w/ Craig Robinson
Mon, 5 May 2025
Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson reveal how growing up in a tiny Chicago apartment shaped their values, outlook on life, and mental health today. From Craig "vetting" Barack Obama during a pickup basketball game to Michelle navigating the pressures of the White House, their conversation uncovers how family bonds grounded them through extraordinary circumstances. What makes this sibling dynamic special isn't just their impressive achievements but their authentic connection - Craig bringing lightness and joy while Michelle delivers wisdom and perspective. Their shared mental health belief that "home is about who's there, not where you are" resonates deeply as they explain how they raised confident children amid extreme privilege and spotlight by teaching them that success comes from character, not circumstance.IMO PodcastMichelle’s book BecomingMichelle’s book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain TimesCraig on InstagramMichelle on InstagramIn this episode you will learn:Why basketball became the ultimate character test when Michelle asked Craig to play pickup with Barack Obama before their relationship got seriousHow their parents "coached confidence" decades before it became popular, building them up rather than breaking them downThe surprising way Michelle and Barack maintained their mental health during White House stress by coaching their daughter's basketball teamWhy Michelle feels more confident at 61 than ever before despite asking herself "am I good enough?" throughout her careerThe counterintuitive parenting approach that helped them raise grounded children despite White House privilegeFor more information go to https://www.lewishowes.com/1767For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960More SOG episodes we think you’ll love:Venus Williams – greatness.lnk.to/1591SCMuniba Mazari – greatness.lnk.to/1684SCJason Wilson – greatness.lnk.to/1725SC Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX
Chapter 1: What childhood experiences shaped Michelle and Craig's values?
Chapter 2: How did Michelle navigate the pressures of the White House?
And I'm like, oh, come on, man. So I was able to go back and report that the Robinson basketball is... Well, we got married, so obviously... It worked out, yeah, yeah. Now, here's the thing.
If he wasn't... I'm just saying, if it hadn't worked out, I might not have kept dating.
Really?
You know, I don't know.
If your brother would have said something about, you know, his character was really nasty, like he was really mean, he'd get in fights. They wouldn't have gotten married. Really?
I would have addressed it. I would have, I would have had the conversation. It's like, sorry, I hear you were kind of a jerk on the court. What's that about? Right. Why would you do that? Or, you know, I mean, I would have had a discussion and then I probably would have been looking for other signs. He didn't show it.
He, you know, he, his, the outcome of that pickup game was consistent with what I was seeing. That's good. Right.
His behavior matches words. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
Um, so it's, and, and it's continued to be that way. I mean, Barack is who he appears to be, you know, you know, and he shows up well, he's somebody you want on your team. And that was, that was important to know in a, as a, as a, as a woman who grew up in sports culture, right. That's important. You know, that's a value that I hold dear.
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Chapter 3: What lessons did their parents teach about confidence?
So he didn't start out as the coach, but we signed her up for rec basketball. And it's at some local YMCA in Chevy Chase. And of course, we're going to the games because... It's basketball. Of course, you have to go.
And it's my baby.
He's got one, then maybe we'll do it, right? So we're all going to the games. And also on the team was Maisie Biden, Joe Biden, the then vice president's granddaughter. The Biden girls and our girls grew up together forever. Friends, so imagine that rec league on any given Sunday because we all went, right? President, the vice president, first, second lady. Two details.
No, like eight details because all the clubs had details.
They got their own bodyguards also.
ambulance, helicopters, SWAT people all over the gym, right? It's like a little middle school gym, like, yeah, two rafters, like nothing, yeah. And of course, they're all still yet in basketball, maybe. And I'm just like, Joe, you gotta lighten up, yo. You know, Barack, sit down, sit down.
But it was a parent coach league and the two parents of the Vipers weren't professional coaches and they really didn't know basketball. And it was very evident by game number two as Barack would just start sliding down to the coach's bench and just say, you know, have her block that one and get them to tie their shoes. So he was sort of side coaching. And at the time, his aide was Reggie Love.
Reggie Love was a division one guy. That was his body guy. So it's he and Reggie. And they come out of the games really critiquing what wasn't going right. They weren't running plays. There were no practices. So they started making these side giving side advice to these two parent coaches. Oh, my gosh. So how do you, you know, well, what do you do with that?
With the president, do some coaching advice. Eventually. Do a little whistle as a coach.
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