Dreams In Drive

hat does it take to bounce back from public failure and start a billion-dollar company in your 50s? In this deeply honest and inspiring episode of Dreams In Drive, Julie Wainwright—founder of The RealReal and current CEO of Ahara—gets real about her unconventional journey through entrepreneurship, personal reinvention, and the power of owning your story. Julie opens up about her childhood shaped by her mother’s chronic illness, and how that early responsibility lit the fire for her fierce independence and creative drive. We dive into the rise and fall of Pets.com, how she survived the media fallout, and more. From bootstrapping The RealReal to getting fired from the very company she founded, Julie shares the hard-won lessons that every entrepreneur—especially women—need to hear. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, risk-taking, and rediscovering purpose at any age. You'll learn: How Julie’s upbringing with a sickly mother shaped her ambition The behind-the-scenes of Pets.com’s infamous fall—and how s