Skimm'd From The Couch

Annie Lawless is the founder of not one - but two - successful businesses. She started her career as the co-founder of Suja Juice, one of the largest organic juice companies in the country. Now, she’s building a clean makeup empire with Lawless Beauty. Annie has become an expert in two different industries, and she gave us her tips on how to break into a new field.  In this episode, Annie shares how she turns her anxiety into productivity (15:03), why you don’t need a business plan to start a business (17:40), and her advice on navigating partnerships (23:03).

Karlie Kloss is one of the most famous supermodels in the world. And she’s also an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Kode with Klossy, a free coding boot camp for girls across America. This week she joined us on the couch to discuss how her own curiosity drives every aspect of her career, from being a runway model to a role model.  In this episode, Karlie shares how she overcame imposter syndrome (17:22), why her definition of mentorship has changed (25:40), and her tips for avoiding burnout (27:01).  For the young women in your life who are interested in learning how to code, Kode with Klossy applications are now live for applicants aged 13-18.

Note to self: always bring a gavel to future meetings. Lydia Fenet always has one in her purse. She’s the Global Director for Strategic Partnerships at Christie’s, and the company’s lead benefit auctioneer. Even if you can’t carry a gavel around, she sat down with us to tell us how to apply our own “strike method” and command a room.   In this episode, Lydia shares how to start networking, even when you don’t know anyone in your industry (7:29), how she collects herself before a big negotiation (23:40), and how to get your boss invested in your career (24:52). You can also pick up a copy of Lydia's book for more of her career advice.

This week, we sat down with someone who knows a thing or two about making tough career decisions. As a career journalist, Gretchen Carlson has also become an advocate for equality and dignity in the workplace after she sued the former Fox News chairman, Roger Ailes, in 2016. Her bombshell lawsuit ignited national conversations about sexual harassment and has inspired her advocacy work. Most recently, she’s been fighting the use of mandatory NDAs through her new organization, Lift Our Voices.  In this episode, Gretchen shares how she developed discipline early in her career (6:26), why she made the decision to “jump off a cliff” (17:44), and her advice for handling criticism (28:01). 

We feel like we know Lauren “Lo” Bosworth because we watched her grow up on television. But in the decade that’s passed since The Hills, she has also made a name for herself as an entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Love Wellness, a company that makes clean personal-care products for women. And she’s got a lot of advice about how to make decisions and pivot your career.    In this episode, Lo shares why she exercises caution on social media (8:32), how her health struggles inspired her to start her company (16:56), and her advice about how to learn from failure (26:58).

Erica Williams Simon is a writer, host, and the CEO of Sage House media. Her new book reveals how she re-wrote her life story and shares how you can do the same. She walked us through how she makes tough decisions, starting with how she quit a perfect-on-paper job and moved across the country.   In this episode, Erica shares how she learned to ask meaningful questions (4:12), how to manage the financial risk of leaving a job (14:47), and the art of crafting your story (20:02).

If the phrase ‘mat talk’ means nothing to you, it’s time to watch Cheer on Netflix. This week, we sat down with the fearless leader of Navarro College Cheerleading, Coach Monica aka the Queen. She’s one of the most successful college coaches, with 14 national championships under her belt. And we want her to run our lives.  In this episode, Monica shares how she holds her athletes accountable (12:42), why she applies her business background to coaching (18:40), and the latest on a potential season two (32:39).

If you’re looking for some dinner inspiration, look no further than Food52. And this week, we sat down with its co-founder and CEO, Amanda Hesser. She’s had some of our dream jobs, including apprenticing in kitchens across Europe and writing about food for The New York Times. In this episode, she reveals how she turned her passion for cooking and writing into a company. Episode highlights: Amanda shares how she learned to trust her gut (8:57), why she struggled in corporate environments (11:34), and how she acts on feedback from the Food52 community (22:40). 

Growing up in Islamabad, Shiza Shahid became interested in activism. And that interest propelled her to start the global nonprofit, the Malala Fund. Eight years (and Malala's Nobel Peace Prize) later, Shiza continues to make an impact through her angel fund and her line of sustainable cookware, Our Place.  In this episode, Shiza shares why she created a secret summer camp for girls in Pakistan (11:17), her reaction when Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize (16:44), and her advice for employees looking to create change in the workplace (28:42). SFTC listeners get 20% off fromourplace.com products with the discount code 'Skimm'.

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 experiences with harassment on set (20:25).  Note: This episode contains details about sexual harassment that may be triggering for some listeners.

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 fertility while working nonstop in the White House (30:03).  Her new memoir, The Education of an Idealist, is available now.

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 (25:59), and shares her ultimate comfort food (39:03).

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 her success was born from failure (14:30).  This episode was recorded at theSkimm’s Celebrate Smarter pop-up in New York City. Shop in-store or online.

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 racing for the business world (26:01).

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 disagreements at the Thanksgiving table (34:40).

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 (31:11).

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 your boss (12:09), what it’s like to translate vision into tactics (14:30), and shares the conversation with her daughter that changed her career (20:16).

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 the mother of 4 girls.  On this episode, Amy talks about the responsibility of taking on venture capital (14:07), what she considers the hardest part of building her business (19:23), and shares her take on the notion of women having it all (26:06).

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 closest to her heart (24:27).

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, Brittany opens up about tapping into her inner strength (13:53), talks about the importance of not taking any short cuts (15:15), and shares how she stays motivated while playing the long game in her career (22:23) This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is presented by Almost Family, a new drama that airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on FOX.