9 to 5ish with theSkimm

You probably know Kate Upton as a model and actress. She’s also a mother and businesswoman. Kate started working when she was 15, and achieved her success by putting in 16-hour workdays and challenging industry conventions.  In this episode, Kate tells us how she learned to ignore her critics (16:20), what she wrote in a letter to Anna Wintour (18:13), and why she came forward with her own experie...

Before serving as US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power was a scholar, activist, and journalist. Tune in to hear how she built her career around her belief system. And how she managed up when those beliefs were challenged.   In this episode, Ambassador Power tells us what she learned from her parents’ failed marriage (9:41), how to disagree with your boss (24:53), and shares her journey with fer...

Missy Robbins is the chef and owner of Lilia and Misi restaurants in Brooklyn, NY and the co-founder of Grovehouse Hospitality. She sat down with us to share what it’s like to rise through the ranks of the restaurant business. Think: more Chef’s Table, less Monica from Friends.  In this episode, Missy reveals how she recognized signs of burnout (20:07), why she embraced an unlikely partnership (25...

We’re obsessed with Tate’s Bake Shop cookies at Skimm HQ. So we were thrilled to speak to its founder, Kathleen King, on this week’s episode. Tune in to hear how she built her cookie empire, and why the road to her success wasn’t always so sweet.  In this special live episode, King tell us about what she learned from her family’s farm (2:18), how to build an effective team (31:55), and shares how...

Danica Patrick first made a name for herself on the male-dominated racetrack and became one of the most recognizable female athletes in the world. While she may have retired from racing, she now has a podcast, book, and winery. So, she's far from slowing down.   In this episode, Danica tells us about handling fame at a young age (13:21), making friends on the circuit (16:38), and how she traded ra...

Ambassador Susan Rice is no stranger to high pressure situations and public scrutiny. Her career in foreign policy was shaped by strong relationships, steadfast resolve, and a healthy dose of tough love. In this episode, Ambassador Rice tell us about learning from a famous mentor (12:15), persevering through public criticism (27:48), and shares her best advice for navigating political disagreement...

With a sustainable mission and a made-to-order business model, Misha Nonoo’s namesake clothing brand has upended the fashion industry. But in order to innovate, she first had to shut down and start over.  In this live episode, Misha shares how her hardest moments became her most creative (20:54), the importance of supply chain sustainability (28:03), and the underrated value of uniform dressing (3...

Amy Shecter is the CEO of Glamsquad, a beauty and technology company that’s a Skimm HQ favorite and offers on-demand, at-home beauty services. Amy’s leadership roles have spanned marketing to executive management. While her career trajectory hasn’t always fit into a clearly defined box, she’s paved a path pivoting skills to find success.  On this episode, Amy discusses how to give hard feedback to...

Amy Nelson is the co-founder of The Riveter, a company which started as a series of co-working spaces, “built by women, for everyone” and is now positioning itself as a modern membership network community.  With a firm belief that motherhood should not be an impediment to your career opportunities, Amy launched The Riveter while pregnant, has since expanded nationally to 10 locations, and is now t...

Michelle Lee is the Editor-in-Chief of Allure Magazine. She’s an early adopter of digital strategy within print publications but also a champion for diversity & wants to change the world by broadening the definition of beauty.  On this episode, Michelle discusses how the role of EIC has evolved (15:39) reveals the skills she looks for while hiring (18:01) and discloses which cover stories are clos...

Brittany Snow is an actress, producer & director. Her breakout role was at age 12 on Guiding Light, and since then she's starred in many films including John Tucker Must Die, Someone Great, and Pitch Perfect 1, 2 and 3.  Brittany’s directorial debut, Milkshake, had its world premiere earlier this year and she is currently starring in the new FOX drama, Almost Family. On this special live episode,...

Vicky Tsai is the founder of Tatcha Beauty Products, which will soon be celebrating its 10th anniversary. Beauty goes beyond skin-deep for Vicky, as the brand also has a strong philanthropic mission of promoting literacy and education for girls in Asia & Africa.  In this episode, Vicky talks about how she was willing to give up her financial security (4:28), how taking a big risk actually made per...

Sarah Kauss is the founder & CEO of S'well. With a product that is beautiful, sustainable, and charitable, Sarah is on a mission to reduce single-use plastic worldwide. In this episode, Sarah talks about the characteristic she harnessed to start her company (8:23), how to shift away from viewing people in your industry as competitors (13:28), and why you can’t always keep your big idea to yourself...

Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey are the the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporters who broke the news of Harvey Weinstein's sexual harassment and abuse allegations for The New York Times and the authors of the newly released book, "She Said." In this special live episode, Megan & Jodi discuss the approach which helped them get victims on the record (5:45), how the original tip for the story sur...

Bobbi Brown is a beauty industry titan and a world renowned makeup artist. She's also a best-selling author, speaker, educator & serial entrepreneur. In this episode, Bobbi explains how an elevator meeting became a serendipitous moment for her product (10:35), what it means to be a "pusher" in management (18:00), and how she maintained a consistent brand for more than 20 years (23:30). This episod...

Wendy Kopp founded Teach For America in 1989, which leveraged recent college grads against educational inequity in the US. Applying that same approach globally, she co-founded Teach For All in 2007. Wendy has been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People & was awarded the presidential citizens medal for her work. On the couch, Wendy talks about how to sustain passion in a c...

Jen Rubio is the co-founder of Away, the suitcases you see absolutely everywhere. Jen and her co-founder, Stephanie Korey, started Away in 2015, raising $31 million in seed financing, making it one of the highest-funded female-backed startups. On the couch, Jen gives her tips on mastering a co-founder relationship (17:35) and how they launched their brand before even having a product (20:07). This...

Marie Forleo is an author and entrepreneur who has built one of the fastest growing companies in the country. She’s the founder of MarieTV and B-School, a digital educational program that develops mission-driven entrepreneurs and has helped 44,000 graduates. Her new book Everything is Figureoutable comes out on September 10th and is available now for pre-order. On the couch, Marie explains why she...

Mel Robbins is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and one of the most highly paid and booked female speakers in the world. You may know her from her infamous TED Talk and her 5 Second Rule. Up next, she’ll host her own daytime talk show The Mel Robbins Show which premieres September 16th. Check your local listings for where to watch. On the couch, Mel describes her journey of going from $800,00...

Ann Curry is an award-winning journalist, anchor and producer. She got her start in TV back in the 1970s and has been on our screens ever since. For NBC, she reported from war zones, natural disasters, human rights’ tragedies for 25 years. Her 2012 departure from “Today” was filled with tears and rumors about what happened behind the scenes. In 2015, she left NBC and now executive producers her ow...

Last week, Planned Parenthood’s former president, Dr. Leana Wen, parted ways with the organization. After just eight months on the job. But even before she took the helm at PP, Dr. Wen was a rising star in the public health sphere. She was Baltimore’s Health Commissioner, an ER physician, and wrote a book calling for more transparency in medicine - all before she was 35. We sat down with Dr. Wen a...

ICYMI, we wrote a book: How to Skimm Your Life. It’s all about making it easier to navigate allll the tricky parts of being an adult. From reading a wine list. To negotiating a raise. And then: we took the book on tour. In ten cities across the US, amazing moderators flipped the script and asked us the questions. We had so much fun that we decided to share it with you. Here’s our conversation with...

Tina Sharkey is the powerhouse behind Brandless, the direct-to-consumer company that’s all about community. But before she started Brandless with her cofounder, she spent her career building communities online for major companies like AOL and Johnson & Johnson. Tina’s also been on the investing side and has helped out in tons of startups … including ours. Thanks, Tina. On the Couch, she talks to u...

ICYMI, we’re on tour for “How To Skimm Your Life” (https://theskimm.com/book). While we’re away, here’s a quick chat we had with Sarah Larson Levey. She’s the co-founder and CEO of Y7 Studio, the yoga company she founded with her now-husband in 2013. Back then, she worked in fashion full-time. And their studio was a small weekend pop-up in Brooklyn. Now, she’s built it into a national chain. On th...

Eileen Fisher started her career as an interior and graphic designer. But that changed in the 80s. Eileen took a trip to Japan, where the kimono inspired her to start her own fashion brand. With no experience in clothing design. It’s worked out for her: These days, she’s the woman behind – you guessed it – Eileen Fisher. On the Couch, she talks to us about how she started her business (4:15), grow...