

9 to 5ish with theSkimm
theSkimm
The work advice you need, from women who’ve been there. Every week, join the co-founders and co-CEOs of theSkimm, Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, as they help you get what you want out of your career by talking to the smartest leaders they know.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 3, 2023 • 25min
Rebroadcast: Christine Chang on Leaving Your Desk Job
Today, we’re going back into the 9 to 5ish archives, to bring you one of our favorite episodes from last year - with Glow Recipe co-CEO and co-founder Christine Chang. We hope you enjoy Christine’s advice on how to make the jump from a corporate job to a startup, and we’ll be back with fresh episodes next week. Until then, please enjoy our conversation with Christine. Every weekend growing up, Christine watched her mom and grandma go to the Korean bathhouses, rubbing things like tea and spoiled milk on their skin. And she’s been hooked on skincare ever since. Now, she’s the co-founder and co-CEO of the skincare brand, Glow Recipe. But before leading this new venture, she actually worked her way up the corporate ladder at L’Oreal. In this episode, Christine gives her advice on how to make the jump from corporate to startup, and what she learned at her desk job that she still uses today. In this episode, Christine shares:
How she learned to lean on colleagues and mentors
How having a co-founder eases the growing pains of a new business
How her corporate experience helped in the startup mindset
Why she and her co-founder turned down an offer from Shark Tank investors
The important role that emerging technology like TikTok has played in her business
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Apr 26, 2023 • 31min
Anastasia Soare on Revolutionizing the Beauty Industry
When Anastasia Soare started her brand Anastasia Beverly Hills from one room salon back in the 1990s, eyebrows were pencil-thin and an afterthought. 25 years (and one legendary appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show) later, she’s become synonymous with eyebrows, created a multi-billion dollar brand and revolutionized the beauty industry. Today, we spoke to Anastasia about how she’s still an industry pioneer after all these years, and why she had an unshakeable belief that she’d be successful. In this episode, Anastasia shares:
How her upbringing in Romania influenced her as a businesswoman
The story of how she convinced a landlord to give her space in Beverly Hills
How Oprah changed her life
What it’s like to work with her daughter to grow her brand
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Apr 19, 2023 • 31min
Mary Celeste Beall on Learning to Run Her Late-Husband's Business
Mary Celeste Beall’s life drastically changed in 2016, when she lost her husband Sam in a tragic ski accident. Just weeks later, her professional life also changed, when she was asked to step into the role of proprietor of the legendary Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain resorts, a role Sam had occupied for years. We spoke to Mary Celeste about her experience becoming a leader, while also navigating her grief. In this episode, Mary Celeste shares:
The conversation that led to her becoming proprietor
How she gained the team’s trust
What it was like to have her work and her life completely integrated
The motto that gets her through
Her tips for being a great host
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Apr 12, 2023 • 29min
Kristin Cavallari on Going from Reality TV Star to Mogul
Kristin Cavallari created the archetype for the reality-TV star-turned-mogul. She was on the OG reality show, Laguna Beach, when she was in high school. And she turned that fame (and notoriety) into a business empire. She’s now the owner of a jewelry and skincare brand and a New York Times bestselling author. And she made the jump from TV to the boardroom by following her instincts and leaning into her personality. In this episode, Kristin shares:
Her best tips for negotiating
Why she cried when she watched the first episode of Laguna Beach
What she’s like as a boss
Why she decided to own 100% of her business
Her advice for the Vanderpump Rules cast
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Apr 5, 2023 • 27min
Lovevery Co-Founder Jessica Rolph on Managing 'Micro Failures' at Work
Two-time entrepreneur Jessica Rolph is embracing what she calls “micro failures” at work. You know, when you say the wrong thing to a team member, make a mistake on a project, or you don’t communicate about something. These moments can feel small, but they can take a big toll on us. But Jessica believes it doesn’t have to be that way. As the co-founder of baby food biz Happy Family, which sold to Danone in 2013, and as the current co-founder of the child development company Lovevery, Jessica’s learned to push through the shame and lean into those moments to become a better leader. In this episode, Jessica shares:
Why she scaled back on her friendships when she was working at Happy Family
How she thinks about “micro failures”
Why she was sad when they sold Happy Family
A moment where she felt lost at work
When she decided to launch Lovevery
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Mar 29, 2023 • 35min
Thasunda Brown Duckett on Living Your Life Like a Diversified Portfolio
Thasunda Brown Duckett, the President and CEO of TIAA, had a “meteoric rise” in the world of finance. As the former head of Chase Consumer Banking, and now as one of two Black women who currently leads a Fortune 500 company, she realized early on that “work-life balance” was a myth. Instead, Thasunda lives her life like it’s a diversified portfolio, allocating time and shifting her investment in different areas. So over time, she always outperforms. Tune in to learn how. In this episode, Thasunda shares:
How to live your life like “a diversified portfolio”
Her secret to building relationships at work
What it means to “rent your title, own your character” at work
Why she almost turned down her dream role
What you need to know to prep for retirement
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Mar 22, 2023 • 31min
CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Setting Boundaries While Working in TV News
Kaitlan Collins, co-anchor and chief correspondent for CNN This Morning, is no stranger to sleeping four hours a night, or packing up to travel at a moment’s notice. Which is great if you love the news…but it’s not so great if you love your boundaries. This week, we spoke to Kaitlan about how she’s learned to set boundaries – from the anchor desk to the White House Briefing Room. In this episode, Kaitlan shares:
The moments where she’s had to keep her composure on live TV
Her public speaking advice
How she’s dealt with public scrutiny – and political landmines
Her advice on dealing with change in the workplace
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Mar 15, 2023 • 32min
Debra Lee on Stepping Into Her Power
Debra Lee was the chairman and CEO of BET, where she worked for over three decades. But even though she was a leader in the entertainment world, Debra said her biggest career weakness was being “too nice”. This week, we sat down to talk about Debra’s new memoir, I Am Debra Lee, and how she stepped into her power as a leader – from taking back control of her senior staff meetings, to literally finding her voice. In this episode, Debra shares…
How she dealt with getting denied a raise
Why men are promoted based on potential, and women are promoted based on experience
How she took her power back as an executive
The celeb who left her the most starstruck
And PS: There’s so much Debra shares in her new memoir – including some things we weren’t able to get to in our interview. You can find her book here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 8, 2023 • 34min
Bozoma Saint John on Navigating Grief and Work
Bozoma Saint John is one of the most celebrated marketing execs out there. She’s worked for Apple, Uber, Endeavor, Pepsi, and Netflix…just to name a few. But while those big names are on her resume, Boz told us about the other titles that have influenced her and her career. Like ‘single mom.’ And ‘widow.’ This week, Boz explains how her story of love, loss, and survival has made her live “urgently”, especially when it comes to work.In this episode shares:
What it means to live urgently at work
Why you need to take the credit for what you do
How we can better show up for our colleagues that are grieving
Why grief has made her a better leader
The hardest part of writing her memoir, The Urgent Life
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Feb 1, 2023 • 27min
Chantel George on Seeing Opportunity Everywhere
Chantel George had a plan to go to law school. Then, she found out she was good at sales. Really good. In fact, she became one of the best sellers in the tech world. Chantel’s experience learning how to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, asking tough questions, and challenging the status quo convinced her she needed to start her own sales community. So in 2017, she started Sistas in Sales, the largest global organization for women of color in sales. In today’s episode, Chantel told us how she saw opportunities everywhere – even when they seemed out of reach or hard to spot. In this episode, Chantel shares:
The earliest lessons she learned about entrepreneurship
Why she’s not afraid of having tough conversations
The advice she got that made her a better manager
Who would play her in a movie
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