Donna Farizan has been busy since her Today With Jenna & Friends exit.
On September 8, Farizan surprised Today viewers by announcing she was leaving the NBC morning show’s fourth hour. “A year ago, I launched a series called ‘Own Your Power,’ where I challenged myself to speak my truth,” she shared. “And now, after 12 years with Today, I’m challenging myself to spread my wings beyond the show to see what new and exciting opportunities await me professionally.”
To celebrate the beginning of her post-Today era, Farizan launched a new social media series titled “Interning at Life.”
“Taking an internship on life. Follow my 90-day journey in my stories & reels and lmk if there’s anything you recommend I try! Xoxo,” she wrote via Instagram on September 29.
She kicked off the series by challenging herself to interact more with the group of friends she was traveling with, rather than reverting to her usual travel habits. “I am an extrovert. However, I do have my moments where I need to introvert. One of those moments is when I’m traveling with a group,” she explained in a September 26 TikTok upload. “I typically like to just listen to my music, zone out, visualize however I want whatever I’m doing to go.”
For Day 2 out of 90 of “Interning at Life,” Farizan tried a new workout with friends. In a September 29 TikTok video, Farizan shared that she launched a ShopMy account for Day 4, allowing fans to shop for the fashion she sports in her uploads.
More of Farizan’s “Interning at Life” activities have included trying puppy yoga, taking wellness classes, going to a Jesse McCartney concert, cooking new recipes, going on a friend date with her neighbor, and attending her elementary school reunion.
For her latest installment of “Interning at Life,” Farizan lent a helping hand at the grill while visiting her family in the suburbs. “It smells like s’mores and ghost stories, except it’s just hot dogs and hamburgers,” she quipped in a Sunday, October 12, TikTok clip as smoke blew in her face.
Farizan previously shared her excitement about “interning at life” during her final episode of Jenna & Friends. “I’m going to take the same curiosity and enthusiasm and hunger that I have and see what’s next,” she said on the show.
@donna.farizan Are you team 🌭 or 🍔? Comment below! Pps no one does a 🌭 like #hotdog #burger #bbq #smores #octobermood ♬ Disco Inferno (Edit) – The Trammps
Farizan went on to tease her career future while thanking Jenna & Friends fans for their support over the years. “You are the one constant of this show. I want to thank you for growing up with me. I will continue to share my voice. I will continue to bet on myself, as I’ll encourage you to do as well. I will continue to entertain with value and provide both light and depth. And I hope you will follow me on my journey because we’re all in this together,” she said. “This path is sweeter and more fulfilling because of you, and we’ve got a long runway ahead. So, if you’ll follow me on my socials, I’ll still be around, and I’ll still be doing the thing.”
Today With Jenna & Friends, Weekdays, 10 a.m. ET, NBC