Skimm'd From The Couch

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 perfect sense (12:08), and why she turned down acquisition & financing offers year after year as a values-driven company (27:19). This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 (28:55).  This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott. We're taking a break next week and will be back with an all new season of SFTC episodes beginning October 9. 

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 surfaced (13:04) and why they believe journalism can drive social change (16:03). This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 career that has spanned 30 years (12:40 ) and why inexperience can actually be a strength (23:53). This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott. 

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 episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott. 

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 quit her first job on Wall Street to pursue her passion, even when it meant choosing between that and a steady paycheck (6:52). She shares how her journey to confidence came from disciplines as wide ranging as publishing, to bartending, to dance (15:30) and told us the one thing that makes her tell entrepreneurs to, “wake the eff up” (22:09). This episode of Skimm’d From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 $800,000 in debt to becoming the multi-disciplinary entrepreneur she is today. She shares the practical strategies she uses every day, from the science behind the 5 second rule (3:05), to finding the “message in the mess” (13:05), asking for the right salary (22:00), and turning anxiety into excitement (33:30). This episode of Skimm'd From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 own shows, including her latest, Chasing the Cure, which launches August 8th on TNT and TBS. On the Couch, we talked with Ann about why her grit helped her prove her worth to sexist colleagues back in the day (4:30), the promise about work she and her husband made to each other (8:20), how her new live TV project wants to crowdsource cures (10:30) and why she finds it tough to talk about leaving NBC (21:00). This episode of Skimm'd From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

Leah Busque Solivan is an engineer and entrepreneur. In 2008, she became a rising star of the gig economy when she quit her job at IBM to found TaskRabbit, the mobile and online marketplace that hooks you up with people to help with everything from picking up your laundry to building your furniture. She sold her baby to IKEA in 2017 and now she’s using her expertise to help other startups as a general partner at the venture capital firm, Fuel Capital. On the Couch, Leah talks to us about how she hired her first 30 task rabbits (11:45), why it was hard for her to celebrate success (18:00), what pushed her to the edge (23:20) and how she helps new entrepreneurs learn from her mistakes (30:20). This episode of Skimm'd From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.

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 week before she and PP parted ways. On the Couch, she talks to us about how she developed the drive to overcome huge obstacles in her childhood and start college at the age of 13 (6:30), how to find and keep mentors (8:50), and how she’s dealt with haters throughout her fast-track career in medicine and public health (17:00). Listen and subscribe to get in on it. 

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 Ashley Graham, in our hometown: New York City. We'll be back next week with fresh new episodes from the Couch.

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 us about how her family taught her hustle (3:51), how she thinks about mentorship (10:18), and why she decided to step down as CEO in March (25:00).  PS: Our book – "How To Skimm Your Life" – is finally out. Get it here: https://theskimm.com/book

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 the Couch, she talks to us about turning her side hustle into a main hustle (3:00), working with her husband (8:31), and scaling her brand (11:45). We’ll be back next week with more “Skimm’d from the Couch.” 

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), growing her company as an introvert (9:20), and why her company doesn’t have your average leadership structure (15:30). PS: Our book is (finally) out. It covers allll the most important parts of being an adult, like negotiating your salary, saving for retirement, and reading a wine list. Get it here:https://theskimm.com/book

Valerie Jarrett started her career as a corporate lawyer. But in the late 80s, she made a change and headed to work in the mayor’s office in her hometown of Chicago. That’s where Valerie hired a young Michelle Robinson. Who you might know now as former First Lady Michelle Obama. Fast forward a few years, and Valerie is now the longest-serving Senior Advisor to the President in history. And in 2016, she was the guest on our first-ever Facebook Live. Guess which one is higher on her resume. On the Couch, she talks to us about her new book (2:04), how to advocate for women at work (9:52), and what it’s like to challenge your boss … when he’s the president of the United States (30:45).  PS: Our Skimm Reads this week is “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage aka the star of “Mythbusters.” The book is all about the metaphorical tools he’s put in his toolbox in his 40-plus years as a creative. Add it to your toolbox (shopping cart) here: https://skimmth.is/2HURiR0

Erika Nardini has spent her career growing and marketing brands, heading up big-name companies like Microsoft, Yahoo!, and AOL. She was living in Boston when a tiny sports publication called Barstool Sports got started. And Erika became a superfan. So when she got the chance to come on board as Barstool’s CEO in 2016, she didn’t hesitate to take it. Even though it was controversial. On the Couch, she talks to us about dealing with criticism, being the boss of her company’s founder, and leading a company where she’s not the target demographic. PS: Our Skimm Reads this week is … us. In case you haven’t heard, we wrote a book. It’s basically a crash course in adulting. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, what are you waiting for? Get it here. https://skimmth.is/2UgoeXq

Hannah Bronfman knows a thing or two about hustle. She’s been a professional DJ, the cofounder of an app, and an author. And now, she’s the founder of the lifestyle brand HBFIT. One of our favorite bullet points on her resume: she’s one of the moderators on our book tour. On this episode, she talks to us about where she got her entrepreneurial spirit (8:45) and how she makes sure she’s taking care of herself (20:24). Plus she takes a few questions from our LIVE audience (26:00). PS: Our Skimm Reads this week is … us. In case you haven’t heard, we wrote a book. It’s basically a crash course in adulting. We cover everything from your finances to the right wine pairings. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, what are you waiting for? Get it here. https://skimmth.is/2UgoeXq 

Poppy Harlow is an anchor on CNN Newsroom. She’s the host of the podcast Boss Files, where she talks to badass leaders about how they made it to the top. She’s interviewed everyone from Warren Buffett… to Jay Z. And if that wasn’t enough, Poppy’s also a mom of two. On the Couch, she talks to us about how having kids made her more efficient at work (8:00), why she chose journalism (14:03), and that time she interviewed a sitting Supreme Court Justice… while wearing a diaper (22:29). And she takes a call from a very special guest. PS: We’ve been thinking about money a lot at Skimm HQ. Lucky for us, our good friend and adviser Alexa von Tobel wrote a book about it. It’s called “Financially Forward,” and it’s this week’s Skimm Reads. Get it here.  https://skimmth.is/2PZ70N5

Both Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini started their careers when they were really young. Christina shot her first commercial before she could walk and talk. And Linda’s first big role was in college, on “Freaks and Geeks.” They’ve been everywhere since then. But if you’ve logged into Netflix in the last week, you might know that they’re now co-starring on Dead to Me. It’s a new series that’s part comedy. Part tragedy. And allll binge-worthy. On the Couch, Christina and Linda talk to us about how Time’s Up has changed the way they negotiate and how they handle not getting a callback. Plus they take a few questions from our live studio audience.  PS: This week’s Skimm Reads is brought to you by … our team. They recommended “Grit” by Angela Duckworth. It’s all about how success takes hustle and, yes, grit. Get it here.