9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Annie Lawless is the founder of not one - but two - successful businesses. She started her career as the co-founder of Suja Juice, one of the largest organic juice companies in the country. Now, she’s building a clean makeup empire with Lawless Beauty. Annie has become an expert in two different industries, and she gave us her tips on how to break into a new field. In this episode, Annie shares how she turns her anxiety into productivity (15:03), why you don’t need a business plan to start a business (17:40), and her advice on navigating partnerships (23:03). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karlie Kloss is one of the most famous supermodels in the world. And she’s also an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Kode with Klossy, a free coding boot camp for girls across America. This week she joined us on the couch to discuss how her own curiosity drives every aspect of her career, from being a runway model to a role model. In this episode, Karlie shares how she overcame imposter syndrome (17:22), why her definition of mentorship has changed (25:40), and her tips for avoiding burnout (27:01). For the young women in your life who are interested in learning how to code, Kode with Klossy applications are now live for applicants aged 13-18. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note to self: always bring a gavel to future meetings. Lydia Fenet always has one in her purse. She’s the Global Director for Strategic Partnerships at Christie’s, and the company’s lead benefit auctioneer. Even if you can’t carry a gavel around, she sat down with us to tell us how to apply our own “strike method” and command a room.  In this episode, Lydia shares how to start networking, even when you don’t know anyone in your industry (7:29), how she collects herself before a big negotiation (23:40), and how to get your boss invested in your career (24:52).You can also pick up a copy of Lydia's book for more of her career advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we sat down with someone who knows a thing or two about making tough career decisions. As a career journalist, Gretchen Carlson has also become an advocate for equality and dignity in the workplace after she sued the former Fox News chairman, Roger Ailes, in 2016. Her bombshell lawsuit ignited national conversations about sexual harassment and has inspired her advocacy work. Most recently, she’s been fighting the use of mandatory NDAs through her new organization, Lift Our Voices. In this episode, Gretchen shares how she developed discipline early in her career (6:26), why she made the decision to “jump off a cliff” (17:44), and her advice for handling criticism (28:01).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We feel like we know Lauren “Lo” Bosworth because we watched her grow up on television. But in the decade that’s passed since The Hills, she has also made a name for herself as an entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Love Wellness, a company that makes clean personal-care products for women. And she’s got a lot of advice about how to make decisions and pivot your career.   In this episode, Lo shares why she exercises caution on social media (8:32), how her health struggles inspired her to start her company (16:56), and her advice about how to learn from failure (26:58). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erica Williams Simon is a writer, host, and the CEO of Sage House media. Her new book reveals how she re-wrote her life story and shares how you can do the same. She walked us through how she makes tough decisions, starting with how she quit a perfect-on-paper job and moved across the country.  In this episode, Erica shares how she learned to ask meaningful questions (4:12), how to manage the financial risk of leaving a job (14:47), and the art of crafting your story (20:02). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the phrase ‘mat talk’ means nothing to you, it’s time to watch Cheer on Netflix. This week, we sat down with the fearless leader of Navarro College Cheerleading, Coach Monica aka the Queen. She’s one of the most successful college coaches, with 14 national championships under her belt. And we want her to run our lives. In this episode, Monica shares how she holds her athletes accountable (12:42), why she applies her business background to coaching (18:40), and the latest on a potential season two (32:39). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re looking for some dinner inspiration, look no further than Food52. And this week, we sat down with its co-founder and CEO, Amanda Hesser. She’s had some of our dream jobs, including apprenticing in kitchens across Europe and writing about food for The New York Times. In this episode, she reveals how she turned her passion for cooking and writing into a company.Episode highlights: Amanda shares how she learned to trust her gut (8:57), why she struggled in corporate environments (11:34), and how she acts on feedback from the Food52 community (22:40).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in Islamabad, Shiza Shahid became interested in activism. And that interest propelled her to start the global nonprofit, the Malala Fund. Eight years (and Malala's Nobel Peace Prize) later, Shiza continues to make an impact through her angel fund and her line of sustainable cookware, Our Place. In this episode, Shiza shares why she created a secret summer camp for girls in Pakistan (11:17), her reaction when Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize (16:44), and her advice for employees looking to create change in the workplace (28:42).SFTC listeners get 20% off fromourplace.com products with the discount code 'Skimm'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You probably know Kate Upton as a model and actress. She’s also a mother and businesswoman. Kate started working when she was 15, and achieved her success by putting in 16-hour workdays and challenging industry conventions. In this episode, Kate tells us how she learned to ignore her critics (16:20), what she wrote in a letter to Anna Wintour (18:13), and why she came forward with her own experiences with harassment on set (20:25). Note: This episode contains details about sexual harassment that may be triggering for some listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices