9 to 5ish with theSkimm

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eve Rodsky was on a business trip when her husband texted saying someone left a beer bottle and jacket on their front lawn. She figured he’d take care of it. When she returned a day later, they were still there. That was when Eve realized unless she figured out why women take on so much invisible labor at home, she’d spend the rest of her life picking up beer bottles and jackets. Today, Eve shares how treating home like your most important organization can change your life. In this episode, Eve shares: How growing up with a single mother shaped the way she thought about work A skimm of her Fair Play approach to home labor – and why it works  The difference in how society value men’s time vs. women’s time  Why having an identity outside of being a parent, a professional, a partner is essential to a happy life Ways to start finding your “unicorn space”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As CEO, Indra Nooyi led PepsiCo through its most important strategic pivots and navigated the company through two financial crises. But during her time there, her male colleagues continued to disrespect her. To the point where she threatened to walk out. Today, Indra tells us how she demanded respect in the workplace and how it impacted her career. In this episode, Indra shares: How her teachers described her – and why she worked against it her whole life The way she drew hard lines to be respected in the workplace How her cultural upbringing influenced why she never asked for a raise Why not everyone should aspire to be the CEO – and why it’s okay What you'll learn from her class on MasterClass Leading with Purpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before she went to college, Kristen Bell’s mom sat her down for a candid convo. It wasn’t about navigating the quad or the importance of office hours. It was about the mental health struggles that ran in her family. Despite having those struggles too, Kristen never talked about it publicly. Until she decided: she owed it to her fans – and her family. Today, we talk about mental health and how being open with your team makes work better for everyone.  In this episode, Kristen shares: How one story about her family’s mental health struggles was a gift Why she felt guilty about not sharing her mental health struggles earlier Her definition of confidence – and how it has nothing to do with being perfect Why having A+ creative partners enabled her to pursue jobs beyond acting A Skimm of her children’s book, The World Needs More Purple Schools  Want in on our upcoming Skimm Reads event, Book’d with Kelly Ripa? Get your ticket here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices