Rosebud Baker on Chasing Her Dreams: “It Gets Worse With More Success"

"If your goal is to feel completed by success, it's gonna get worse and worse the more successful you get." Comedian and former SNL writer Rosebud Baker joins Maryam for a conversation that goes everywhere — sobriety, motherhood after IVF and miscarriage, growing up the granddaughter of Secretary of State James Baker, and a surprise divorce announcement that even Maryam wasn't expecting. Rosebud talks candidly about learning to operate outside of chaos, what burnout actually feels like once you've hit the goals you thought you wanted, and why she left SNL to build something of her own. Funny, raw, and full of hard-earned advice — including her take on your 30s ("it's your 20s but with more money") — this is a conversation about what's actually on the other side of ambition. Her memoir, "Fully Baked," is out now.

Key Moments

03:38 - "I've Always Operated Well in Chaos" 🌪️
Rosebud explains why calm, happy moments make her spiral while chaos has always felt like home.

05:09 - Tying Shoes Like She's Defusing a Bomb 💣
Rosebud describes the unbelievable adrenaline her body produces for everyday tasks, like getting her daughter out the door.

06:19 - Easter Eggs at the White House 🥚
Rosebud opens up about her grandfather James Baker, Secretary of State, and the unspoken rules of a political dynasty childhood.

08:46 - "That Was the Greatest Night of My Life" 🍸
Rosebud remembers throwing up in the backyard after her first drink and feeling, for once, like the main character.

15:23 - Saying "I'm an Alcoholic" Out Loud 🪞
Rosebud walks through the morning she finally told the truth to herself, then to a stranger, for the first time.

20:52 - IVF, Miscarriages, and Becoming a Mom 🤱
Rosebud gets candid about the road to motherhood and the responsibility that came crashing in the moment it became real.

25:29 - "That's a Lie That's Never Gonna Happen" 💭
Rosebud unpacks why chasing the pinnacle to feel complete only leaves you lonelier the more successful you get.

26:42 - Clinical Burnout, and Learning to Actually Relax 🔥
Rosebud describes hitting "the most depleted" she's ever felt after landing every goal she thought she wanted.

32:42 - The SNL Packet That Changed Everything ✍️
Rosebud recounts the years-long, accidental path from stand-up sets to writing for Saturday Night Live.

36:47 - The Cliffhanger: Announcing Her Divorce Mid-Interview 💔
Rosebud reveals, for the first time publicly, that she and her husband are getting divorced.

39:30 - Her Advice for Your 30s: "Your 20s With More Money" 🥂
Rosebud shares blunt, funny wisdom for anyone in their 30s trying to figure it all out.

39:47 - "F*ck That Job": Advice for Anyone Who Just Got Laid Off 💥
Rosebud's unfiltered response to what to do when you lose your job or your gig.

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