Emma Grede is nothing short of inspirational.
She’s the Founding Partner of Skims, the cofounder and CEO of Good American and Forbes listed her as one of America’s richest self-made women. She also does philanthropic work for the Fifteen Percent Pledge and the Obama Foundation.
But that’s not all: the fashion and consumer brand mastermind’s resume just became even more impressive. She recently launched her namesake podcast, Aspire with Emma Grede.
The serial entrepreneur told Us that the inspiration behind the name stemmed from the notion of “believing in something” and then “aspiring” to achieve those goals. For Grede, it’s not just about having hopes and dreams, but “doing the work” to achieve them.
The show, which is now listed at number three on Apple’s Top New Shows list, has since released several episodes, featuring chats with business moguls from Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Rubin to Karlie Kloss. But don’t expect Aspire to be just another podcast in the entrepreneurship space that will leave people “entertained” — it goes beyond that.
It’s safe to say the founder’s upbringing helped set the blueprint for this show. “[I] grew up in a place that was not very inspiring,” she said, revealing that she is “super dyslexic” herself. “I need things broken down in a really simple way,” Grede admitted. “And I really want to be able to do that for people.”
And though Grede is quick to also acknowledge how “fortunate” she feels to have “had exposure to so many incredible people,” she understands that’s not the case for everyone.
“Sometimes you don’t have the people around you that can give you [the right] information,” she shared. “[Aspire] is about giving people actionable, tangible advice that they can listen to and [use].”
Of course, we at Us are also curious about the daily habits Grede has attributed to her success. Discussing the topic of manifestation — a word that seems to be everywhere nowadays, Grede takes a more traditional approach.
Although she’s not completely against the idea of repeating positive affirmations and meditation, she stresses how nothing beats “real hard work and some sacrifice.” Added Grede: “None of it is a substitute for really hard work,” she emphasized. “You need to have a plan and you need to work really, really hard towards it. That’s what’s going to make you successful.”
She brought up another fantastic point. “If you’re gonna be successful to be successful in business, you have to be successful in life, right? You can’t really have one without the other,” she stated. “There’s other things that I do, parts of my routine, that enable me to be successful,” she noted. One of those other things: how she uses her free time upon waking up.
“My first ever job was a paper route. And when you have a paper route, you have to get up really, really early in the morning to go and get the papers,” she explained. “[That’s where] I learned the power of the mornings.”
But no morning is ever the same for the mom-of-four, and that’s completely OK and besides the point. Whether she uses an “hour and a half to work out” or to sip on some hot water with lemon, it doesn’t matter. She’s still avoiding checking her phone right away so she has time to think about how she will own the day.
Speaking of self-care practices, what beauty products can she not live without? “I have to confess: I am a product junkie,” she joked. But her answer is surprisingly simple when it comes to the pampering buys she truly swears by.
“I only have to do two things,” she stated, referring to Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pen and her “favorite” scent, Chanel’s N°22 eau de parfum. “If I have my eyebrows penciled [in] and I have fragrance, I can go anywhere.”
