9 to 5ish with theSkimm

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

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

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

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

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

For Amy Griffin, being one of the most successful venture capitalists actually has a lot in common with being a college athlete. Amy played volleyball at the University of Virginia, and now as the founder and managing partner of G9 Ventures, she helps early-stage startups perform their best in a different kind of arena. And some of the companies she’s coached include Goop, Athletic Greens, and Bumble. This week, we ask Amy about the secret to her coaching magic. Which, spoiler, is all about relationships. In this episode, Amy shares:  How her mentality as a college athlete stayed with her throughout her career Her experience stepping out of, and stepping back into, the workforce  How she supports founders through the good times – and the bad  Her approach to relationship-building  How founders can prepare for an uncertain economic environment  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From navigating war zones to negotiating with affiliates of terrorist organizations, Emily Hikade lived for the thrill of working as a CIA officer. But a near death experience at work made her realize: it was time to try a different kind of adventure. While in East Africa, Emily worked nights to start her luxury sleepwear brand, Petite Plume. Today, Emily shares how working in diplomacy prepared her for the challenges of being a founder and CEO.In this episode, Emily Hikade shares: Why she knew she’d have an international career from an early age The moment she started feeling vulnerable in her CIA career  What a near-death experience put into perspective for her How she started her business while working full-time and being a mom of three  Advice on how to know which investors are worth working with  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pinky Cole came up with her business, Slutty Vegan, in her apartment in Atlanta. She started by taking orders through Instagram DMs and eventually expanded to multiple locations outside of ATL. Now, her company’s worth $100 million. But she says: she wouldn’t have gotten there without hitting rock bottom first. Today, how Pinky found her success, and why she wants to help people in the Black community find theirs too. In this episode, Pinky shares:  Her favorite recipe from her new book, Eat Plants B*tch How a grease fire that destroyed her restaurant was actually a blessing Her philosophy on success – and why it’s not about being the only one winning Why giving up entrepreneurship and returning to a 9-5 job was the hardest thing she’s done in her career Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kimberly Brown wrote a high school paper about her dream of becoming a social worker, she knew helping people would be central to her work. She ended up in higher ed as a career counselor. And after she helped her first student get a job, she was hooked. Since then, Kimberly founded her own company to help people – especially women of color – find meaningful work and level up in their careers. In this episode, Kimberly shares: How celebrating her wins has helped her mental health Her advice to mid-career women on how to find that next step Who might be missing from your professional development network  Why the transition from higher ed to a corporation was the hardest career challenge she’s overcome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special episode of 9 to 5ish, Carly and Danielle take listeners through their favorite stories and moments from 2022. In this episode, Carly and Danielle share: Their favorite moments from guest lightning round answers How prioritizing mental and physical health came up in nearly every episode Why many of their guests had to rethink their professional identities The people who got our guests through the year – and why they’re so important 9 to 5ish will be back in your feed next Thursday. See you in the new year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices