Skimm'd From The Couch

Mary Celeste Beall’s life drastically changed in 2016, when she lost her husband Sam in a tragic ski accident. Just weeks later, her professional life also changed, when she was asked to step into the role of proprietor of the legendary Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain resorts, a role Sam had occupied for years. We spoke to Mary Celeste about her experience becoming a leader, while also navigating her grief.   In this episode, Mary Celeste shares:  The conversation that led to her becoming proprietor  How she gained the team’s trust What it was like to have her work and her life completely integrated  The motto that gets her through  Her tips for being a great host 

Kristin Cavallari created the archetype for the reality-TV star-turned-mogul. She was on the OG reality show, Laguna Beach, when she was in high school. And she turned that fame (and notoriety) into a business empire. She’s now the owner of a jewelry and skincare brand and a New York Times bestselling author. And she made the jump from TV to the boardroom by following her instincts and leaning into her personality.  In this episode, Kristin shares:  Her best tips for negotiating  Why she cried when she watched the first episode of Laguna Beach What she’s like as a boss Why she decided to own 100% of her business Her advice for the Vanderpump Rules cast

Two-time entrepreneur Jessica Rolph is embracing what she calls “micro failures” at work. You know, when you say the wrong thing to a team member, make a mistake on a project, or you don’t communicate about something. These moments can feel small, but they can take a big toll on us. But Jessica believes it doesn’t have to be that way. As the co-founder of baby food biz Happy Family, which sold to Danone in 2013, and as the current co-founder of the child development company Lovevery, Jessica’s learned to push through the shame and lean into those moments to become a better leader.  In this episode, Jessica shares:  Why she scaled back on her friendships when she was working at Happy Family  How she thinks about “micro failures”  Why she was sad when they sold Happy Family  A moment where she felt lost at work When she decided to launch Lovevery

Thasunda Brown Duckett, the President and CEO of TIAA, had a “meteoric rise” in the world of finance. As the former head of Chase Consumer Banking, and now as one of two Black women who currently leads a Fortune 500 company, she realized early on that “work-life balance” was a myth. Instead, Thasunda lives her life like it’s a diversified portfolio, allocating time and shifting her investment in different areas. So over time, she always outperforms. Tune in to learn how.  In this episode, Thasunda shares:  How to live your life like “a diversified portfolio”  Her secret to building relationships at work What it means to “rent your title, own your character” at work Why she almost turned down her dream role What you need to know to prep for retirement

Kaitlan Collins, co-anchor and chief correspondent for CNN This Morning, is no stranger to sleeping four hours a night, or packing up to travel at a moment’s notice. Which is great if you love the news…but it’s not so great if you love your boundaries. This week, we spoke to Kaitlan about how she’s learned to set boundaries – from the anchor desk to the White House Briefing Room.  In this episode, Kaitlan shares:  The moments where she’s had to keep her composure on live TV  Her public speaking advice  How she’s dealt with public scrutiny – and political landmines  Her advice on dealing with change in the workplace

Debra Lee was the chairman and CEO of BET, where she worked for over three decades. But even though she was a leader in the entertainment world, Debra said her biggest career weakness was being “too nice”. This week, we sat down to talk about Debra’s new memoir, I Am Debra Lee, and how she stepped into her power as a leader – from taking back control of her senior staff meetings, to literally finding her voice.  In this episode, Debra shares… How she dealt with getting denied a raise Why men are promoted based on potential, and women are promoted based on experience  How she took her power back as an executive  The celeb who left her the most starstruck  And PS: There’s so much Debra shares in her new memoir – including some things we weren’t able to get to in our interview. You can find her book here. 

Bozoma Saint John is one of the most celebrated marketing execs out there. She’s worked for Apple, Uber, Endeavor, Pepsi, and Netflix…just to name a few. But while those big names are on her resume, Boz told us about the other titles that have influenced her and her career. Like ‘single mom.’ And ‘widow.’ This week, Boz explains how her story of love, loss, and survival has made her live “urgently”, especially when it comes to work. In this episode shares:  What it means to live urgently at work  Why you need to take the credit for what you do    How we can better show up for our colleagues that are grieving  Why grief has made her a better leader The hardest part of writing her memoir, The Urgent Life

Chantel George had a plan to go to law school. Then, she found out she was good at sales. Really good. In fact, she became one of the best sellers in the tech world. Chantel’s experience learning how to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, asking tough questions, and challenging the status quo convinced her she needed to start her own sales community. So in 2017, she started Sistas in Sales, the largest global organization for women of color in sales. In today’s episode, Chantel told us how she saw opportunities everywhere – even when they seemed out of reach or hard to spot.  In this episode, Chantel shares:  The earliest lessons she learned about entrepreneurship Why she’s not afraid of having tough conversations  The advice she got that made her a better manager  Who would play her in a movie

For Amy Griffin, being one of the most successful venture capitalists actually has a lot in common with being a college athlete. Amy played volleyball at the University of Virginia, and now as the founder and managing partner of G9 Ventures, she helps early-stage startups perform their best in a different kind of arena. And some of the companies she’s coached include Goop, Athletic Greens, and Bumble. This week, we ask Amy about the secret to her coaching magic. Which, spoiler, is all about relationships.  In this episode, Amy shares:  How her mentality as a college athlete stayed with her throughout her career Her experience stepping out of, and stepping back into, the workforce  How she supports founders through the good times – and the bad  Her approach to relationship-building  How founders can prepare for an uncertain economic environment 

From navigating war zones to negotiating with affiliates of terrorist organizations, Emily Hikade lived for the thrill of working as a CIA officer. But a near death experience at work made her realize: it was time to try a different kind of adventure. While in East Africa, Emily worked nights to start her luxury sleepwear brand, Petite Plume. Today, Emily shares how working in diplomacy prepared her for the challenges of being a founder and CEO. In this episode, Emily Hikade shares: Why she knew she’d have an international career from an early age The moment she started feeling vulnerable in her CIA career  What a near-death experience put into perspective for her How she started her business while working full-time and being a mom of three  Advice on how to know which investors are worth working with 

Pinky Cole came up with her business, Slutty Vegan, in her apartment in Atlanta. She started by taking orders through Instagram DMs and eventually expanded to multiple locations outside of ATL. Now, her company’s worth $100 million. But she says: she wouldn’t have gotten there without hitting rock bottom first. Today, how Pinky found her success, and why she wants to help people in the Black community find theirs too.  In this episode, Pinky shares:  Her favorite recipe from her new book, Eat Plants B*tch How a grease fire that destroyed her restaurant was actually a blessing Her philosophy on success – and why it’s not about being the only one winning Why giving up entrepreneurship and returning to a 9-5 job was the hardest thing she’s done in her career

When Kimberly Brown wrote a high school paper about her dream of becoming a social worker, she knew helping people would be central to her work. She ended up in higher ed as a career counselor. And after she helped her first student get a job, she was hooked. Since then, Kimberly founded her own company to help people – especially women of color – find meaningful work and level up in their careers.  In this episode, Kimberly shares: How celebrating her wins has helped her mental health Her advice to mid-career women on how to find that next step Who might be missing from your professional development network  Why the transition from higher ed to a corporation was the hardest career challenge she’s overcome

On this special episode of 9 to 5ish, Carly and Danielle take listeners through their favorite stories and moments from 2022.  In this episode, Carly and Danielle share: Their favorite moments from guest lightning round answers How prioritizing mental and physical health came up in nearly every episode Why many of their guests had to rethink their professional identities The people who got our guests through the year – and why they’re so important 9 to 5ish will be back in your feed next Thursday. See you in the new year. 

Carey Mulligan was rejected from several drama schools when she was a teenager. But instead of giving up, she sent a letter to a famous actor she’d met once. That letter led to a networking dinner, then to an audition for “Pride and Prejudice", and ultimately, her first role. Today, Carey shares how being bold in the face of rejection landed her in films on the big screen.  In this episode, Carey shares:  Why she reached out to Julian Fellowes for advice on pursuing acting How she navigated the industry without formal training or experience The hardest play she’s ever done – and why her director almost canceled it Why doing a press tour 3.5 weeks after having her kid helped her postpartum depression Her favorite episode of her new Amazon-exclusive podcast, “I Hear Fear”

Ashley Mills started in the mailroom at the talent agency CAA and worked her way up to becoming a talent agent. But after a decade there, she took a leap of faith and became the founder of obé Fitness, an on-demand exercise company. And Ashley says that on her journey as a founder, she had to listen to a lot of feedback – and grow from it – to be the leader she is today.    In this episode, Ashley Mills shares: How she uses exercise to gear up for new challenges The list of things you should think about before becoming an entrepreneur How the pandemic allowed Obé Fitness to shine Why getting feedback from her team was the hardest thing she’s endured in her career

Lisa Ling started working as a professional journalist when she was only a teenager. Her job flew her across the world as she covered the drug wars in South America to democracy movements in China. She’s grown to be a pro at telling other people’s stories. But she says: advocating for herself is the hardest thing she’s ever done.  In this episode, Lisa shares: The reporting experiences she had as a teen (alongside Anderson Cooper) Why her two male agents told her to leave negotiating to them  The one lesson she wishes her young self learned  How having kids reframed her boundaries around how far she’d go for her job Why it’s key for women of color to learn to advocate for each other in the workplace

Back in 2015 Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety realized: there wasn’t any empowering content for millennial moms. Instead, there were outdated tropes about what moms should be – and what they shouldn’t. That sparked the idea for their company, Motherly, a digital platform centering moms through non-judgmental content about parenthood, being a working parent, and everything in between. And today, Jill and Liz share how motherhood expanded and nourished their sense of self. In this episode, Jill and Liz share: One of the most shocking learnings from their State of Motherhood survey Why reclaiming your power by setting time for yourself is key The wake up call that told Jill she needed to prioritize her health  Why Liz reduced her duties as co-founder 

Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers were writing and producing movies when they realized: it was time to switch to TV. After meeting 1:1, they decided to enter that world together. Because when you know, you know. Since then, they’ve cultivated a partnership spanning nearly two decades. And they say that trust and honesty were key in creating Shondaland. AKA: the company behind our binge worthy faves like Bridgerton, Scandal, and Grey’s Anatomy.  In this episode, Shonda and Betsy share:  How ABC execs reacted to the Grey’s Anatomy pilot (spoiler: not good) Why skills you’ve learned at old jobs are always useful What their panic button is + why it’s key to supporting each other  How they set up an environment for their employees to thrive – and why they love it A Skimm of their book “Inside Bridgerton” 

Deepica Mutyala dyed her hair blonde and wore blue contacts trying to be like the cool kids in her Houston suburb. But soon she realized: being herself was in. Fitting into western beauty standards was out. Enter: Live Tinted, Deepica’s brainchild. Today, she shares how she turned her online community into a beauty brand that celebrates every shade of skin and in between.  In this episode, Deepica shares: What it was like growing up in Texas as a South Asian American girl When she knew it was time to quit her day job to become a beauty influencer How she knew she needed to create Live Tinted’s first product, the huestick  Why she decided to vlog her the journey of freezing her eggs How intentionally celebration her success keeps her from burning out

Constance Wu waitressed her way through her 30s in Hollywood while trying to book acting gigs. After multiple rejections, she felt crushed. Then – she decided to shift her mindset by detaching her self-worth from her jobs. That shift unlocked a lot for her – and it helped her find her voice, even as she navigated through trauma, shame, and the pitfalls of Hollywood. In this episode, Constance shares: Why she stopped thinking about results and focused on her craft instead  The reality behind her tweets about Fresh off the Boat’s renewal Why she reluctantly came back to social media after three years offline What she wants people to take away from her book, “Making a Scene” Trigger warning: this episode talks about sexual assault.