Emma Grede Talks Skims and Good American, Plus the Best Advice Kris Jenner Ever Gave Her
May 11, 2021
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Emma Grede, co-founder and CEO of Good American and founding partner of Skims, talks about her experience working with the Kardashians, the best business advice she received from Kris Jenner, hiring at her companies, and how Black-owned brands can benefit from the 15% pledge.
The importance of building strong relationships and aligning personal values when starting a business.
The value of customer feedback and engagement in product development and category expansion.
Using financial power to create a more equitable market share for underrepresented businesses through initiatives like the 15% Pledge.
Deep dives
Emma Greed's Career Journey and Lessons Learned
Emma Greed started her career in fashion show production before transitioning into partnership marketing and working with influencers and celebrities. She built her own agency and later sold it to Interpublic Group. Her experience in the agency world taught her the importance of relationships, setting clear brand values, and being good to people. This experience served as a foundation for starting her own brands, Good American and Skims. Emma emphasizes the significance of creating value for oneself and choosing to work on something that aligns with personal passions and values. She also highlights the role of timing in business success, as well as the importance of listening to customers and adapting to their needs.
The Success of Good American and Skims
Emma discusses the early days of Good American and the challenges they faced, such as inventory issues and limited product availability. However, they quickly realized the value of customer feedback and engagement. This led to building a strong community and leveraging their customer insights for product development and category expansion. Similarly, Skims experienced rapid growth and success due to their focus on creating high-quality products that meet customer needs and resonate with their aesthetic. Emma credits the strong partnerships and collaboration within the Skims team for their achievements.
Emma's Involvement in RealReal and the 15% Pledge
In addition to her work with Good American and Skims, Emma recently joined the board of RealReal, a publicly listed company. This new role allows her to gain experience in a different context and understand publicly traded entities. Emma also highlights her involvement in the 15% Pledge, a nonprofit initiative that advocates for retailers and corporations to allocate 15% of their purchasing power to support black-owned businesses. She emphasizes the importance of using financial power to create a more equitable market share for underrepresented businesses and believes the pledge has the potential to change the economic makeup of the country.
Emma's Advice for Entrepreneurs
Emma shares traits that are essential for entrepreneurs, including having a thick skin, knowing what you don't know, and being open to learning and seeking guidance from others. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on goals, being clear on brand values, and making decisions that align with those values. She also highlights the significance of timing and taking advantage of the right opportunities.
Hiring Philosophy and Job Opportunities
Emma looks for employees who demonstrate a positive attitude, ambition, and willingness to work hard. She believes hiring for attitude is more important than specific experience, as skills can be developed and adaptability is necessary in a changing landscape. Job opportunities at Good American and Skims are often posted on LinkedIn.
Emma Grede does it all - and very well! She is the co-founder and CEO of Good American with Khloe Kardashian, founding partner of Skims with Kim Kardashian and recently launched Safely with Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner. Emma is also on the board of The RealReal and the 15 Percent Pledge. In this episode we are learning how she started working with the Kardashians and what business advice she’s learned from Kris Jenner, what it takes to get a job at her one of her companies and how Black owned brands can get assistance from the 15% pledge.
Follow Marianna on Instagram: instagram.com/marianna_hewitt This week’s episode is sponsored by: VERB: Receive over 50% off their best selling starter kit at verbenergy.com/LIFEor use code LIFE at checkout. This discount is only valid for their starter kit. BETTER HELP - 10% off your first month betterhelp.com/marianna PVOLVE: 20% off all equipment kits with code MARIANNA20 on pvolve.com
Produced by Dear Media
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