Skimm'd From The Couch

Influencer, Summer Fridays co-founder, and podcast host Marianna Hewitt does everything with intention. She’s become an expert at creating habits and routines that set her up for success and allow her to prioritize her own happiness. Today, we spoke with the beauty creator and founder about how she’s been intentional throughout her career, and about her most successful habits and hacks.  In this episode, Marianna shares:  How growing up living between Ohio and Germany influenced her career Her process for taking inventory of her career and checking in with herself How she sets boundaries and says “no” Her journey launching Summer Fridays How to actually reduce your screen time and mend your relationship with social media

Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler are two-time wellness founders. Their first business, SoulCycle, revolutionized the wellness, fitness, and fashion industries (they basically invented athleisure). Now, their second venture is focused on exercising a different muscle – our relational fitness. We spoke with Julie and Elizabeth about how relationships have been the key to their success, and how they’ve learned to navigate hard professional and personal conversations.  In this episode, Julie and Elizabeth share:  Why relational fitness is essential to being a better professional – and how to improve yours When they knew it was time to exit SoulCycle How they manage and nurture their partnership  How the brand of SoulCycle exploded  What it takes to build more than one business

Jane Hertzmark Hudis is one of the most prominent beauty executives in the country. As an executive group president of the Estée Lauder Companies – the organization she’s been at for over 30 years – she oversees some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, including Tom Ford Beauty and La Mer. Her secret to making it to the top? Embrace the beauty of connections, find mentors, and hire a team you can learn from.  In this episode, Jane shares:  Why it’s crucial to hire people who are smarter than you  Her tips for making work travel more bearable  Her experience raising children while on the executive track How she thought about growing her career at one company What Kendall Jenner taught her about social media 

9 to 5ish will be back in your feed in January. Samina Virk is the CEO of North America for Vestiaire Collective, the rapidly-growing luxury fashion resale site. And Samina told us she attributes her rise in the fashion industry to strategic career mapping. Whether it’s engaging in a personal brainstorming session or proactively discussing career plans with mentors and higher-ups, Samina explained how setting intentions can yield big results.   In this episode, Samina shares:  Her approach to negotiating for what you want How to get leaders and higher-ups thinking about your career path  Why you should lean on your friends more for career support  Her decision to return to Vestiaire, having previously worked at the company  How she conducts her personal brainstorming sessions

Cynthia Williams is the third generation in her family to work in the auto industry. After joining Ford in 1992, she’s now the company’s Global Director of Sustainability, Homologation and Compliance. The key to rising to a top position in the org? Support from higher-ups. This week, Cynthia told us how she navigated and grew her relationships with company leadership, and got their guidance and support for her career journey.  In this episode, Cynthia shares:  Why the best opportunities come to people who have career flexibility   What to do whenever you get the opportunity to talk to a key leader at your company  Her advice for negotiation What homologation actually means Her experience leading a team through a rapidly-changing auto landscape  

From the outside, you would think singer, songwriter, actress, and TV host Rita Ora has always felt fully in control of her career. But like a lot of us, Rita struggled with self doubt about her career direction – on top of facing industry challenges. Still, none of that stopped her from achieving the multidimensional career she wanted. This week, we spoke with Rita about how she remained intentional and purposeful in the face of setbacks, and how she grew her brand and her confidence. In this episode, Rita shares:  The wellness practice she swears by  How she manages her anxiety  Why - and how - she’s created a “360-degree” career for herself  Her experience suing her former label, Roc Nation, for neglect The mantra she repeats to herself when she faces adversity 

9 to 5ish will be back in your feed on December 6th! Anna Wesche is the brains behind a new podcast from Flamingo, an award-winning body hair and care brand whose mission is to champion women, their bodies, and their choices. In this After 5ish conversation, Anna shares her experience making some major career pivots, creating the opportunities you want, and how Flamingo’s brand new podcast, “Unruly”, centers female stories. In this episode, Anna shares:  Why she struggled to find purpose early in her career – and how she’s found it now  What it was like to work full-time and go back to school  The episodes of "Unruly" you won’t want to miss

Author, businesswoman, designer, and chef Joanna Gaines used to let guilt and anxiety consume her. As a mom of five children, and as one half of one of the most successful lifestyle brands in the country, Joanna is now battling her burnout by letting go of those feelings. This week, we spoke to Joanna about that shift to free herself from the pressure of expectations and what it’s unlocked for her, professionally and personally.  In this episode, Joanna shares:  How she and Chip built a loyal and diverse audience  Why she still has a “small business” mindset, despite all her success The realities of raising five children and running her business How she’s dealt with the pressure of other people’s expectations – and her own  Her favorite activities that spark creativity

Annie Jean-Baptiste is Google’s first-ever Head of Product Inclusion. TLDR: she’s a tech executive responsible for making all of Google’s products inclusive for every user. Annie is also the author of the critically-acclaimed book, Building for Everyone, the first book about building inclusive products across the intersections of 12 dimensions of diversity. Annie's work has inspired a movement at other tech companies and in other industries to prioritize equity in design. In this episode, Annie shares:  Why Google created a position for her – and how that came to be  How she’s used her introversion as a leadership tool  What leaders need to understand about designing inclusive products  Why she’s still working on "speaking up" as a leader

Actress-turned-entrepreneur Cameron Diaz and consumer brand builder Katherine Power (WhoWhatWear, Merit Beauty, Versed) had been friends for years before they decided to launch Avaline, their transparently produced organic wine brand. After realizing the wines they loved were full of additives and hidden ingredients, they saw an opportunity to create a new kind of bottle – and transform the wine industry in the process. We spoke with them about how they've transformed their careers, and their lives, by launching this brand. In this episode, they share:  Why Cameron left acting behind – and what that’s unlocked for her Katherine’s tips for time management and efficiency  What we can’t Google about Cameron  How they broke into the alcohol industry  The surprising things you should look for when choosing wine

When Jen Psaki became President Obama’s White House Communications Director, she was pregnant. Later, she became President Biden’s Press Secretary, and she had to navigate her role as a mom and as the White House’s chief spokesperson. And considering when you work for the president, you’re expected to be on call 24/7, that's a big challenge. Today, we spoke to Jen about what doing both actually looked like for her – from the hard realities to the help she got along the way.  In this episode, Jen shares:  What a job interview with the president is like  Why she regrets not seeking feedback early in her career Her non-traditional approach to mentoring  What she learned from not getting the job she wanted the first time   How she set boundaries, even when on call 24/7 

Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, Worthy, has made a big splash for its bombshell revelations … and it hasn’t even been out for a week. But the book from the award-winning actress and talk show host is not just tabloid fodder – it’s also a critical part of Jada’s “reclamation journey”. In this episode, Jada tells her career story – how she’s navigated Hollywood, having a world-famous spouse, death threats, and public judgment. And come out stronger for it.  In this episode, Jada shares:  Her dream Red Table Talk guest  Why she had to learn to deal with her self-judgment   How to have difficult conversations with friends and family Her perspective on *that* Red Table conversation between her and Will   Why her alopecia diagnosis has been a great “teacher”

Michelle Crossan-Matos, the CMO of Ulta Beauty, is one of the most prominent marketing executives in the country. And she told us she didn’t just get to her position by crunching the numbers and digging into data. She used her intuition and gut instinct to launch new campaigns, solve problems, and grow brands. Today, we spoke to Michelle about how your intuition can be your professional superpower … if you know how to listen.  In this episode, Michelle shares:  Why she wakes up at 4:30am every day  Why everyone needs to develop a sense of personal leadership, even if you’re not in the c-suite The interview question she always asks candidates  The professional mistake she learned the most from How she combats decision fatigue at work

Joey Wölffer didn’t ever think she’d take over her family’s business, the Wölffer Estate winery. But over a decade after surprising herself and becoming the co-owner and chief brand officer of the beloved vineyard, Joey has transformed the brand and the business. You’ve probably seen their famous Summer in a Bottle rose or their sparkling ciders on shelves near you. And Joey’s done all of that while building her own fashion business, Joey Wölffer. On today’s episode, Joey shares her secrets to creating a unique and relevant brand. In this episode, shares:  How losing her father unexpectedly changed her mindset about her career Why she wasn’t a fit for corporate America Her experience building two businesses at once What it’s like to work with her brother and her husband  How she calls out a lack of gender representation in the alcohol industry

Colleen Cutcliffe, co-founder and CEO of the groundbreaking probiotics company Pendulum Therapeutics, started the company with a big goal in mind: changing the way people think about their gut health. And on her journey, she’s had to challenge traditional – and sometimes outdated – thinking from the medical community and investors. In this episode, Colleen told us how she’s been able to disrupt the industry, and gives her advice for making changes in any workplace.  In this episode, Colleen shares:  How she convinced the dean of her PhD program to let her stay – despite almost getting kicked out  Why her daughter’s birth inspired her to start Pendulum  How she dealt with being told “no”  The ways she’s cultivated trust and transparency with her team Why she’s got Halle Berry on speed dial  PS: Skimm'rs get 20% off their first month of any Pendulum product(s) with code SKIMM9TO5.

Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor, award-winning journalist, and host of the Latina to Latina podcast, was so concerned about being likable at work that she wrote a whole book about it. She even created a name for that pressure women feel to be amenable in the office – "the likability trap." And as an on-camera journalist, she’s fallen into that trap throughout her career. In this episode, we spoke with Alicia about her journey with likability, how that affected her professional and personal wellbeing, and her recommendations for carving out your own professional identity.  In this episode, shares:  Why she didn’t go into politics like her father  How she’s dealt with the pressure of other people’s expectations What she’s done to carve out her own leadership style and professional identity  How she talks to her daughters about likability  Her advice for avoiding getting caught up in the trap, and getting your coworkers and managers to do the same 

For over a decade, Emily Tisch Sussman was one of the top political strategists in the country, advising Democratic candidates and campaigns. Then, after having three children in four years, and faced with no childcare during a global pandemic, Emily realized she couldn’t get back to the top of her game… or back in the game at all. So, she stepped away from politics and the professional identity she had known for 15 years. Now, after going through her own major pivot, she’s talking to other women about their career journeys on the 'She Pivots' podcast.  In this episode, shares:  The line she used that got her every job she’s had  Why she wrote an article saying her children “killed” her career – and how she felt after writing it  Why she wasn’t connecting to the traditional narratives around being a working mother Her advice for women who’ve also had to shift their professional identities  What it'll take for politicians to pass policies that better support families

When Hill House Home first started, founder and CEO Nell Diamond wasn’t focused on selling the now-famous “Nap Dress”, or cultivating her Instagram presence. Rather, the brand started as a bedding company, and Nell’s Instagram was a space for her creativity. Seven years later, the Nap Dress is a cult-favorite, selling out in minutes, Nell’s created the model for the influencer-entrepreneur, and Hill House is now valued at $150M. In this episode, shares:  Why she followed her instincts to go into fashion, despite people telling her it wasn’t a “serious” profession What her first job at Abercrombie taught her  Why you don’t need to be a natural risk-taker to be an entrepreneur The thing she wishes more executives would understand  The tools she’s leaned on as a manager and executive

Elizabeth Chambers has been through… a lot in the past few years. But the founder and CEO of BIRD Bakery isn’t letting her ex-husband or the headlines define her. She’s focused on expanding her business (which now has four locations) and helping her family heal. This week, we spoke to Elizabeth about how she’s found professional and personal stability. In this episode, shares:  Why she started BIRD Bakery How she’s set boundaries in her professional and personal life  What’s helped her on her healing journey – and why there’s no one size fits all path Her outlook on parenting  How she’s learned to sort through advice

Ashley Merrill, founder and chairwoman of the restwear brand Lunya, started the company when she was pregnant. As she built her brand, she was also growing her family, and her big career moments and her big parenting moments always seemed to align. On this episode, we spoke with Ashley about the misconceptions that being a parent is just a part time job, why we need to speak up about childcare support, and how she’s shifted her career as her children have gotten older.  In this episode, Ashley shares:  Why we need to adjust our expectations about being a working parent How she made the decision to hire a CEO for Lunya  What it was like to run two businesses during COVID Why the flexibility of entrepreneurship isn’t always a good thing