Skimm'd From The Couch

Our guest this week is Shan-Lyn Ma. She started her company Zola in 2013, after she realized that buying wedding gifts is fun for...pretty much nobody. Flash forward to now, and hundreds of thousands of people use Zola to register and shop for wedding gifts every year. On the couch, Shan-Lyn talks to us about building her team, not taking no for an answer, and convincing male investors to take Zola seriously.

Ariel Kaye's career in home goods started out as a side hustle. But in 2013, she decided to leave a stable career in advertising and turn that side hustle... into her main hustle. She called it Parachute. These days, if you're like us, you might go to sleep and wake up in Ariel’s products every day. On the couch, Ariel talks to us about staying zen, using her advertising background to grow her brand, and making sure her employees have time for themselves. Oh, and big news: the day we released this episode, Parachute announced that they received $30 million in Series C funding.  

Our guest this week is Linnea Roberts. She’s the founder and CEO of Gingerbread Capital, the venture capital firm she started after she ‘flunked’ retirement. Inspired by her mom Ginger, her company is all about investing in female-founded companies. Including theSkimm (thanks, Linnea). On the couch, she talks to us about making it in the finance world, finding a support system, and (figuratively) winning an Academy Award.

On the couch, Gregg Renfrew talked to us about being a manager. And how it’s not exactly her favorite thing to do. We can relate. Figuring out how to manage people was something we had to learn along the way. This week, we’re answering some of our go-to interview questions about management mistakes, bad advice, and how we made failure a part of our company culture.

Gregg Renfrew is all about side hustles. On her resume: everything from starting a cleaning company in college...to launching a biz to make dress shopping less awful for bridesmaids. These days, she’s the founder and CEO of Beautycounter. Aka the company that makes beauty and skincare products, minus all the harmful chemicals. On the couch, she talks to us about tapping into the female millennial community, learning how to be a manager, and trusting her gut.

This week at theSkimm is all about your wallet. On the couch, Hope Taitz talked to us about how women can control their own destiny...by controlling their cash money. Also happening this week: intern season. On this episode, we answer money q’s from our interns, like the difference between rounds of funding, WTF ‘diversifying revenue’ means, and when to take risks with your paycheck.

This week at theSkimm we're talking about your wallet. So our guest on the couch is CEO and Managing Partner of ELY Capital Hope Taitz. Hope invests in consumer tech – including theSkimm – and she’s got a rep for being no-BS in the boardroom. She talks to us about controlling your own purse strings, raising her kids to be courageous, and making sure maternity leave policies work for everyone. Oh, and the ELY in ELY Capital? It stands for ‘Elmo Loves You’. She'll explain why.

This week, Christie Hefner talked to us about her time at Playboy. And all the ‘WTF moments’ that come with being in charge of a company at 29 years old. Here are our tips on how to move up at work and how to hit snooze on imposter syndrome.

Christie Hefner is the daughter of, you guessed it, Hugh Hefner. She spent 20 years as chairman and CEO of Playboy. Making her the longest-serving female in that position. Ever. This week, she talks to us about taking Playboy digital, making management decisions, and getting over imposter syndrome – all while working alongside her dad.

Melissa Ben-Ishay built a brand using her superpowers. This week, we're talking about how to use your own and how to build a brand around your passion. Without getting tired of it. Cape, on.

This week’s guest puts the Melissa in Baked by Melissa. Melissa Ben-Ishay started her company when she was just 24 years old. And built it from a bite-sized storefront in Manhattan...to a nationwide e-commerce business. She talks to us about getting fired, working side-by-side with her brother, leveraging her superpowers, and all things cupcakes, of course.

Our guests this week – Today Show's Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Libby Leist – work prettttty closely together. We're sharing our tips on how to find the Hoda to your Savannah. And how to share success with the women on your team. 

Hoda, Savannah, and Libby are the all-female dream team of morning TV. Hear them talk about making history at NBC, getting nervous before big interviews, and why there's way more than one path to success in life. PS: Hoda had to leave halfway through to, you know, host another hour of TV. NBD. 

Joanna Coles says she doesn't cry at the office. But for some of us, it's kind of a thing. We're sharing some tips we've learned to keep it on the down low.

We're ending our first season with a force of nature, Joanna Coles. She’s the Chief Content Officer of Hearst Magazines. And author of “Love Rules: How to Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World.” She talks to us about why it’s more fun being in charge, what makes her feel insecure, and how apps have changed the dating world. Check it out, and we’ll be back with more soon. 

Things we can relate to: choosing the wrong major, wanting to change careers, not having the “right" experience for a new job. Today, we’re talking about how to sell yourself in order to make a career leap. 

ClassPass is a monthly fitness subscription service in over 50 cities worldwide. But this is no overnight success story. Founder and Executive Chairman Payal Kadakia talks to us about the versions of the brand that failed, and how it evolved into what we know today. In case that wasn't enough, she's also the Founder and Artistic Director of Sa Dance Company. Because hustle.

Meet our Bonus Episodes. Every Thursday, Carly and Danielle will answer your career questions, share their stories, and give you tips for finding success. Listen through to the end to find out how to be featured in the next ep. Our first one is about turning your side hustle into a business. Check it out. 

Pinch us, please. We sat down with Sara Blakely, aka the no. 1 person we’ve looked up to since the day we started theSkimm. She’s the Founder and CEO of Spanx – the billion-dollar shapewear company that she built off an idea and $5,000 in savings. She also started the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women in education, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Oh and very recently, she joined us as a minority investor of theSkimm. As we said, pinch us. 

This week, we’re talking to Jenny Fleiss. She co-founded Rent the Runway – the company that lets you rent designer outfits without having to drop some serious cash. She’s now the co-founder and CEO of Walmart’s tech incubator, Code Eight. Jenny talked to us about everything from being risk adverse to her worst day of work.