9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey are the co-founders and co-CEOs of the self-care start-up, Shine. And while starting a business from scratch and working in self-care may sound like an oxymoron (hello, fundraising and 24/7 hustle), Marah and Naomi told us they’ve been able to find balance and take time for themselves. Their secret? Finding strength in their partnership. In this episode, Marah and Naomi share what makes their partnership work (17:02), how Shine went from being their side-hustle to main hustle (20:30), and their number one piece of self-care advice (29:48). Stay tuned at the end for a spotlight on Coco Shop, an independent, Antigua-born brand making high-quality cotton clothing. Want to be featured? Submit yourself or a friend here. PS: Our How to Skimm Your Life New Year’s Challenge started January 3. It’s 21 days of Skimm’ng your way to a smarter life, from work to your wallet, health, pantry, and more. And it's not too late to get involved. Go to theskimm.com/challenge to check out the challenges you missed. And look out for more details everyday this month in the Daily Skimm.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kara Swisher has been called the most feared and well-liked journalist in Silicon Valley. She’s been covering tech industry leaders for decades...and is famous for making them sweat. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, or Elon Musk. Her secret to building those relationships with entrepreneurs? She’s not afraid to pick up the phone (or slide into a DM) when she has a question. In this episode, Kara shares why you shouldn’t hide your personality at work (14:18), the reason she considers herself a “bad employee” (21:29), and who she wants to interview next (30:30).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re looking for a promotion at work... Elaine Welteroth has some tips. She’s got a lot of “firsts” on her resume - from being the first Black beauty director at Condé Nast to being the youngest editor-in-chief in the publisher's history. This week, Elaine told us she hit those milestones by being intentional about everything she did. From the emails she sent to who she sought out as mentors. And since we recorded this interview, Elaine’s adding something else to her resume. She’s just been named as co-host of "The Talk" on CBS. You can tune in to see her starting January 4.  In this episode, Elaine shares where her entrepreneurial spirit comes from (6:52), how seeking out mentors changed her career trajectory (10:52), and why the “firsts” we celebrate are indicators of how much progress we still need to make (18:30). Stay tuned at the end for a spotlight on Hungry Bunny Virtual Donut Shop, a virtual donut shop serving the nation with 100% cruelty-free cake donuts. Want to be featured? Submit yourself or a friend here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even Cindy Crawford isn’t confident 100 percent of the time. But you’d never know it. Because she told us that she’s a big fan of faking it till you make it - even on the bad days. She learned that strategy early in her career… and it paid off, as she became one of the most famous supermodels in the world. In this episode, Cindy shares how she learned to advocate for herself (9:10), what she’s learned from taking risks (18:30), and the advice she gives her daughter Kaia (22:31). Stay tuned at the end for a spotlight on Rebel Girls, an edutainment company on a mission to inspire and instill confidence in girls and young women. Want to be featured? Submit yourself or a friend here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linda Johnson Rice is the CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, the former publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines. This week, Linda told us that she didn’t make it to the top by going it alone. The secret to her success? Listening to her team. Because even CEOs need to ask for advice. In this episode, Linda shares what she learned about management from her parents, who founded Johnson Publishing (7:12), her advice for dealing with imposter syndrome (12:45), and why she’s a big fan of thinking out loud with her team (26:40). Stay tuned at the end for a spotlight on Ivy’s Tea Co, a pop culture and Hip-Hop inspired holistic health brand that sells herbal teas and herb-infused sweeteners. Want to be featured? Submit yourself or a friend here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noura Sakkijha is the co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, the buzzy jewelry company that sells affordable, quality pieces directly online. While Noura’s the third generation in her family to go into the industry, she had to navigate brand new challenges on her own. This week, Noura told us about the struggles she faced in the beginning…and how she learned self care was important for her health and the health of the business. In this episode, Noura shares how she’s learned to separate her personal life and her work life (14:28), why therapy has helped her get through the most challenging parts of being a CEO (10:11), and how she’s built her company culture to prioritize honest feedback (20:58).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chelsea Hirschhorn is not a natural risk taker. But she had to change when she started building Frida from the ground up. Frida is now a go-to parenting brand that helps moms and caregivers navigate the realities of parenthood. And this week, Chelsea told us that the risks she took along the way, from leaving her steady job as a lawyer to running unconventional advertising campaigns, were all worth it. In this episode, Chelsea shares what skills she learned as a lawyer that she applies to her job as CEO (7:04), why Frida is a ‘people-first’ organization (16:09), and how she’s helping her employees at Frida navigate WFH with parenting (18:28). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramona Hood has been at the same company (FedEx) for nearly thirty years. She started as a receptionist…and now she’s a CEO. Ramona joined us this week to tell us how she stayed determined - and why creating her own personal “board of directors” (think: a network of mentors, coaches, and sponsors) helped her get to the top job. In this episode, Ramona shares how she was able to get noticed at the company (6:03), her advice for approaching potential mentors (12:53), and why she believes authenticity is the key to leadership (24:51). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our election special of Skimm’d from The Couch, where we’re talking to women from both sides of the aisle about their careers in politics. Elise Jordan is a veteran of the George W. Bush White House, where she worked as speechwriter and an advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and as communications director for the National Security Council. So we knew she’d have some tips on how to be a strong communicator at work. Even in high stakes situations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our election special of Skimm’d from The Couch, where we’re talking to women from both sides of the aisle about their careers in politics. Deesha Dyer was the social secretary to President Obama. Think: her job meant hosting everyone from Beyoncé to the Pope. But Deesha told us her path to the White House was nonlinear, and that she actually got her start at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a 31 year old intern. Tune in to hear how she got her foot in the door. And how she learned to tackle her imposter syndrome as she rose through the ranks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices