Sheinelle Jones turns celebrity mom wisdom into a No. 1 hit—just in time for Mother’s Day.

For Sheinelle Jones, becoming an author started with one simple question: how can she be a better mom?

The TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle co-host recently landed at No. 1 on The New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous bestseller list with Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans—a rare milestone for a Black woman in a category long dominated by self-help staples and celebrity experts.

The idea came to her early in her TODAY days, when she was still finding her footing, after an NBC page she mentored asked what passion project she’d pursue.

“Honestly, I wanted to interview the mothers behind the people we admire,” Jones said. “We rarely hear how they did it—the wins, the mistakes, what they’d do differently—and I hoped to learn from their wisdom.”

Her first yes came from Sonya Curry, mother of NBA star Steph Curry. Jones visited her at home, where the conversation went beyond parenting and into something more personal—even stepping into Steph’s childhood bedroom, filled with trophies and posters of players he would one day compete against.

“Before vision boards, we had bedroom walls full of dreams,” Jones said. “I did the same—I had news anchors on mine.”

What began as a 2018 TODAY digital series later expanded to broadcast, but Jones soon realized TV couldn’t fully capture the depth of these mothers’ stories.

During the pandemic, as priorities shifted, Jones started thinking about what she wanted to create next.

“While some people baked bread, others dreamed,” she said. “I kept thinking—I want to turn these interviews into a book and share what I’ve learned.”

After speaking with the mothers of Kevin Durant, Lady Gaga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more, a pattern emerged.

Many of the women spoke candidly about faith, resilience, heartbreak, and the unseen work of holding a family together.

“For anyone who loves being a mom, grandmother, aunt, teacher, or coach—but finds it hard—you’re not alone,” Jones said. “Behind every story is a mother doing her best, just like you.”

The message feels deeply personal for Jones as she nears Mother’s Day while grieving the loss of her husband, Uche Ojeh, who passed away on May 18, 2025, after battling brain cancer. She’s also mourning her grandmother’s passing on New Year’s Eve 2025—all while raising three teenagers navigating that same grief.

“What I know is we’re all holding two things,” she said of her children. “We carry the heartbreak, but we’re also choosing to honor him by moving forward.”

Though she appears composed on camera, Jones doesn’t hide the emotional toll.

“I may look like I’m running on a full tank, but you can’t fool your body,” she said. “I’m not—I’m heartbroken.”

Her children have become the emotional core of the book, which she dedicated to them. The weight of it all truly hit when they surprised her on TODAY during the launch.

“I saw their faces and thought, they understand,” she said. “They were proud of me—and that brought me to tears.”

Asked what she hopes they take from her, Jones said she’s striving to lead by example—showing them kindness, curiosity, resilience, and faith.

“I think our best shot as parents is to live the way we hope our kids will,” she said. “And honestly, for them to go even further—to stand on our shoulders and be better.”

That mindset also shapes how she sees the mothers in her book.

Some advice was practical. Sonya Curry once told her Steph missed an eighth-grade game for not doing chores—so Jones tried a magnetic chore chart at home.

It didn’t stick.

“My oldest said, ‘Mom, can we take this down? This is stupid—you’re not going to keep up with it,’” she laughed. “And she was right—I didn’t have the bandwidth.”

What stayed with her most wasn’t discipline, though.

“Every mom talked about how fast it all goes—and not to wish it away,” Jones said. “We have to slow down. Really slow down.”

That message feels even more urgent around Mother’s Day.

“I don’t need anything extravagant,” Jones said. “I just want to be with the kids I love.”

With Through Mom’s Eyes, she’s also beginning to see her work beyond journalism—as ownership. She’s an author, a brand, and is learning that storytelling and business can coexist.

“We can all claim a piece of that—figure out how to be our own advocate and build our own brand in this space,” she said. “I’m learning in real time the power of our voices—and how much it matters when we support each other.”

Jones isn’t rushing past this moment. After years of dreaming, working, mothering, caregiving, grieving, and building, she’s allowing herself to pause and ask what’s next.

“I’m getting to know this new version of me,” she said. “As Al Roker puts it—Sheinelle 2.0.”