9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Noura Sakkijha is the co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, the buzzy jewelry company that sells affordable, quality pieces directly online. While Noura’s the third generation in her family to go into the industry, she had to navigate brand new challenges on her own. This week, Noura told us about the struggles she faced in the beginning…and how she learned self care was important for her health and the h...

Chelsea Hirschhorn is not a natural risk taker. But she had to change when she started building Frida from the ground up. Frida is now a go-to parenting brand that helps moms and caregivers navigate the realities of parenthood. And this week, Chelsea told us that the risks she took along the way, from leaving her steady job as a lawyer to running unconventional advertising campaigns, were all wort...

Ramona Hood has been at the same company (FedEx) for nearly thirty years. She started as a receptionist…and now she’s a CEO. Ramona joined us this week to tell us how she stayed determined - and why creating her own personal “board of directors” (think: a network of mentors, coaches, and sponsors) helped her get to the top job.  In this episode, Ramona shares how she was able to get noticed at the...

Welcome to our election special of Skimm’d from The Couch, where we’re talking to women from both sides of the aisle about their careers in politics.  Elise Jordan is a veteran of the George W. Bush White House, where she worked as speechwriter and an advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and as communications director for the National Security Council. So we knew she’d have some tips on...

Welcome to our election special of Skimm’d from The Couch, where we’re talking to women from both sides of the aisle about their careers in politics.  Deesha Dyer was the social secretary to President Obama. Think: her job meant hosting everyone from Beyoncé to the Pope. But Deesha told us her path to the White House was nonlinear, and that she actually got her start at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as...

Ashley Graham is the ultimate multihyphenate. Think: supermodel, entrepreneur, designer, author, advocate, and a new mom. On the road to success, she’s defied every label that people have tried to attach to her, and she’s become a trailblazer in the fashion industry and a voice for inclusivity and empowerment. Oh, and also: she’s a ton of fun.   In this episode, Ashley shares why she never fit int...

Dr. Yaba Blay is a scholar-activist and cultural consultant whose work centers on the lived experiences of Black women and girls. While she’s got all of the degrees and academic accolades, Dr. Blay sat down with us this week to talk about why she’s taken her work outside of the classroom. And how she’s creating impact through her creative campaigns and community on social media.   In this episode,...

Let’s be real: some of us had big things planned for 2020, before the pandemic came along. But even with everything going on, a lot of Skimm’rs haven’t let that get in their way. And one thing we’ve heard from a lot of you is how routine and self-care have helped them stay grounded when everything else is in flux. This week, we wanted to do a reality check and turn the mic on you. We’ll hear from...

Bethenny Frankel grew up learning how to hustle. And for her entire career, she’s consistently bet on herself and her ideas. She joined us this week to talk about where that hustle comes from. And how she grew her business from the ground up, using her platform on “The Real Housewives of New York” to chart a new course for entrepreneurs.   In this episode, Bethenny shares how she got her foot in t...

While Eva Chen is known for her loyal following on IG (us included), she’s also known for carving out a career path that’s totally her own. She started off in editorial, and now she straddles the tech and high fashion worlds as the director of fashion partnerships at Instagram. And in case she wasn’t busy enough… she’s also a children’s book author. This week she told us that one of the biggest se...

Misty Copeland is the most famous ballet dancer in the world. Which means that throughout her career, she's had to consistently break down barriers. For background: Misty made history when she became the first Black female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. And now, her reach extends beyond the dance world through her books, philanthropy, and advocacy. Her new children's book “Bunh...

Entrepreneurship runs in Monica Royer’s family. Her brother Andy founded Bonobos, the menswear company that changed the retail game. And Monica took notes on his journey before carving out a space of her own. She went on to found Monica + Andy, a company that makes organic baby blankets and clothing. This week, Monica joined us to share how she’s created a mentor network and how she got her busine...

If you need some tips on advocating for yourself at work… Kim Cattrall’s got you covered. The actress and producer joined us to talk about how she learned to negotiate for herself from a young age. And how she trusts her instincts to choose new roles, including her character on the new show, “Filthy Rich.”  In this episode, Kim shares what drove her to acting (10:02), how she makes tough career de...

Once Lilli Gordon found the beauty industry, she left her old career in finance and economics behind. After decades crunching numbers, Lilli wanted to solve different kinds of problems. Specifically, skin challenges. So she founded her own business, First Aid Beauty. She joined us this week to talk about how she knew it was time to change industries. And how she built her company from the ground u...

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins has always been focused on creating change. She started as a leader in the labor and environmental movements, and she’s now using tech to create impact at scale. Her company, Promise, is a financial services tech platform tackling criminal justice reform. And this week, Phaedra joined us to share how she’s become a strong advocate by tuning out critics. It’s something she lea...

Jeni Britton Bauer eats ice cream every single day. While that's become a quarantine habit for a lot of us, it's actually a key component of Jeni's job. That’s because she’s the founder and chief creative officer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, an artisanal ice cream company she started after dropping out of Ohio State. Jeni joined us this week to tell us why dropping out was the best thing she eve...

Leslie Blodgett is a trailblazer in the beauty industry. She is the former CEO and founder of bareMinerals, a product she grew into an almost two billion dollar business. She sat down with us to talk about how she built a community of loyal customers before the age of social media. And luckily, she's also put those tips into her new book, “Pretty Good Advice.” It gives some pretty great advice. In...

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot’s life changed in 2015. Because she received a cancer diagnosis from her doctor. Claire, a Walmart exec at the time, underwent treatment and realized she wanted to reconsider her career. She went on to become the CEO of Feeding America, the country’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. This week, Claire sat down with us to talk about how she found meaning in her...

Lori Gottlieb knows what it’s like to make a risky career move. Or four. Before becoming a bestselling author and therapist, Lori was a TV exec, then a medical student... and then a journalist. This week, Lori told us how she successfully navigated those transitions in her life. And how she helps her patients navigate those types of changes now.  In this episode, Lori shares how to get comfortable...

In an alternate universe, we’d be cheering in front of our TVs right now. Because the Olympics would be on. So while we wait for Tokyo 2021, we sat down with someone who knows a thing or two about winning a gold medal: Abby Wambach. She won two while she played for the US Women’s National Team. And the soccer star hasn’t slowed down in retirement. She’s now a bestselling author and an equal pay ac...

Betsey Johnson joined us on a special bonus episode of Skimm’d from The Couch. She first took the fashion industry by storm in the 1960s and became famous for her instantly recognizable designs. And for her cartwheels down the runway. Her new memoir, “Betsey”, is on sale now and gives readers an inside look at the woman behind the iconic label.  And PS: she can still do a cartwheel and a split at...

Judy Smith is the real-life Olivia Pope. Her life and career in crisis management inspired the making of ABC’s hit TV show “Scandal.” And Judy’s real-life clients include some of the most famous celebs, politicians, and Fortune 500 companies in the world. This week, she sat down with us to talk about how she tells it like it is. Even to some of the world’s most powerful people.  In this episode, J...

Tina Tchen is challenging companies to build better workplaces. As the CEO of Time’s Up, she’s focused on equality in the office. As a lawyer by trade, Tina has also been a political aide as chief of staff to former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the executive director for the White House Council on Women and Girls. She sat down with us this week to talk about how she creates impact at scale- and...

Welcome to a special bonus episode where we’re talking about one of our favorite topics: money. Claire Wasserman is the founder of Ladies Get Paid and host of John Hancock’s new podcast, “Friends Who Talk About Money.” This week, she sat down with us to talk about how she negotiates, the money myths she wants to dispel for women, and why you really need to start talking about money with your frien...

Teresa Carlson has closed negotiations around the world. As the head of the worldwide public sector for Amazon Web Services, she convinces government and nonprofit clients to commit to a major technology upgrade. This week, she told us how every no can be turned into a yes. And her surprising pro tip for negotiating at work? Write your own job description. We’ll explain.  In this episode, Teresa s...