9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Once Ayesha Curry’s family started expanding, so did her culinary career. Ayesha built her brand one blog post and YouTube video at a time. And now: she’s one of the most recognized personalities in the food world (think: multiple cookbooks, a magazine, and a foundation to end childhood hunger). This week, Ayesha sat down with us to tell us how she found her career calling after she became a parent. In this episode, Ayesha shares how she taught herself about business, why she emphasizes collaboration at work, and how she and her husband push each other to stay motivated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it’s getting that promotion or starting your own business, it can be intimidating to map out your career goals. But this week, Stacey Abrams told us to try one simple approach: write it down. The voting rights activist, politician, and author has a lot on her plate at any given time, from getting out the vote to writing romance novels. And she keeps her eye on the prize...literally keeping a spreadsheet. Tune in to hear her tips on how to stay focused on your goals. And why being honest with yourself - and even your boss - about your ambitions is a good place to start. In this episode, Abrams shares how she prioritizes, how she decides to not pursue something, and what she wants to do next. PS: Check out the latest book from Stacey Abrams here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kendra Scott built her jewelry brand (also called Kendra Scott) with a $500 dollar investment out of a spare bedroom in her house. And now, it’s a billion dollar business. That didn’t just happen overnight. In this special live (on Zoom) episode, Kendra told us how she’s been able to turn her biggest failures into her greatest successes. And how she turns a 'no' into a 'yes.'In this episode, Kendra shares where her resilience comes from, how her relationship with money has changed, and her advice for how to pitch yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our special Mother’s Day episode. Skimm’d from the Couch is a career podcast...and we can’t talk about work and career without talking about how that changes when you become a parent. This past year has also created new challenges for working moms, while exacerbating existing ones. Which, PS: often go unrecognized. So we wanted to know: what can we do about it? To get some answers, we invited Reshma Saujani back on the show. She’s the founder of Girls Who Code, the leader of the Marshall Plan for moms, and a mom herself. We talk to her about parenthood, entrepreneurship, and how to fix a system that undervalues the invisible work of women.In this episode, Reshma shares how the past year has been for her, what policy changes could benefit working parents, and her advice for taking action in your own workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cindy McCain’s life has been in the American political spotlight for four decades. Her late husband, Senator John McCain, was elected for six terms in the Senate. And he ran for president twice. Cindy was by his side for all of it. But before the White House races and the political spotlight, Cindy was a 20-something from Arizona who had to find her strength as a newbie in DC. And in 2018, she had to tap into her strength again in the face of personal tragedy. In this episode, Cindy shares her journey with confidence, how she’s handled criticism, and also...her tips for long-distance relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the age of 31, Aja Brown made history when she became the youngest mayor ever elected in the city of Compton. But when she was first running, people said, “Are you even old enough to be mayor?” Well, it turns out age really is just a number. Mayor Brown was one of the most qualified people to ever run and win that office. And now she’s basically the CEO...of a city. This week, we asked Mayor Brown for her best management tips (think: don’t micromanage) that she’s learned over her two terms in office. In this episode, Mayor Brown shares how she overcame being underestimated, why she’s really strict about setting boundaries, and how to know it's time to move on to your next gig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bela Bajaria is the woman who makes the decisions about what’s going to be your next binge-watch. She’s the head of global TV for Netflix, and has helped bring some of our favorite shows, like “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Bridgerton” from the page to the screen. So how’d she actually get her dream job? Perseverance. Because she started as an assistant…and now she’s here. And btw, she also lost a job along the way. This week, she sat down to tell us how you can still get the Hollywood ending for your own career. In this episode, Bela shares how she convinced her first boss to take a chance on her, what you should do if you get let go from your job, and she tapped her network to land at Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diane von Furstenberg (aka DVF) knows the secret to a long and successful career. Hint: it’s reinvention. She’s been in the fashion business since the 1970s. But she’s changed her direction, and her brand, more than a few times. This week, DVF joined us to tell us how to embrace change (even when it’s hard) so you can be the designer...of your own life. In this episode, DVF shares how she deals with fear, why you should own your vulnerability at work, and how she’s embracing change during the pandemic. And Carly reflects on the time she received an unexpected phone call from Diane as a teenager. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our Women’s History Month series on Skimm’d from the Couch - where we’re bringing you the women who made history this past year. Meet: Dr. Laura Forese. Dr. Forese is the COO of New York Presbyterian, one of the largest not-for-profit hospital networks in the country. And one that’s been instrumental in caring for COVID-19 patients. Also under her leadership, the hospital rolled out a comprehensive paid parental leave plan that includes extended leave for up to six months and continued benefits coverage. Oh, and we forgot to mention that she’s an orthopedic surgeon. In this episode, Dr. Forese shares how she asked for maternity leave during her residency, why she transitioned into management, and how she communicated with her team during the pandemic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our Women’s History Month series on Skimm’d from the Couch - where we’re bringing you the women who made history this past year. Meet: Dara Treseder. She’s the head of global marketing for Peloton — a brand that’s made at-home fitness viral during the pandemic. Case in point: Its membership has more than doubled in the last year. But this isn’t Dara’s first ride. She’s also got GE, Apple, and Goldman Sachs on her resume. So basically she’s at the top of the leaderboard. In this episode, Dara shares how she receives critical feedback, why she sets OKRs for her family, and her advice for starting a new job remotely.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices