Before September 2018, the public didn’t know Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. She was a busy mom and professor at Palo Alto University and Stanford. Then, she leveled a sexual assault accusation against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a SCOTUS nominee. She testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and 5 million people tuned in. From then on, any concept of a private life went out the window. Christine needed security to go…well, anywhere. Strangers sent her and her family death threats. Five...

Zibby Owens witnessed first-hand the payoff of great entrepreneurship as she watched her father build his company, Blackstone, from the ground up. She freelanced as a writer earlier in her career. She focused on raising her kids for 10+ years. Then her marriage ended. So she spent her weekends without the kids rekindling her love of literature – and developing a media empire focusing on all things books.  In this episode, Zibby shares:  The story behind her iconic color-coordinated...

Ancestry CEO Deb Liu grew up in one of the only Asian families in South Carolina. To avoid being teased, she mostly kept to herself. It wasn’t until Deb got to Stanford Business School when she realized: she had to learn to speak up. That realization spurred her long career in Silicon Valley. But Deb says, without some openness and vulnerability from herself and others, it never would’ve happened.  In this episode, Deb shares: Why she should’ve been fired from her first product management...

The late-90s bubblegum pop music defined Mandy Moore’s career. She always knew she was her record label’s answer to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Mandy also knew she’d never be them – and that was okay with her. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Mandy shares advice on how to know your competition without becoming distracted by it.  In this episode, Mandy shares:  The boy band she’d tour with again  Why having parents who didn’t want to manage her was the secret to her success How she...

Growing up with a politico father in Washington D.C., Alex Wagner initially swore off any career that dealt with politics. 25-ish years later, Alex is the primetime anchor of MSNBC's “Alex Wagner Tonight,” a show about the news and politics shaping our world. Talk about a 180. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alex tells us how doing everything she was not “supposed” to do jump-started her media career.  In this episode, Alex shares:  How a pair of vintage heels nearly ruined her job interview...

Award-winning director and producer Ava DuVernay, known for her groundbreaking films like “Selma,” “A Wrinkle In Time,” and “Origin,” didn’t actually start her career behind the camera. She spent years working in public relations before taking the plunge and pivoting in her 30s. Spoiler: it paid off. And she’s got an Academy Award to show for it. To kick off our new season of "9 to 5ish," we spoke to Ava about how she embraced change and found joy in her career. PS: Ava’s film, “Origin,”...

Today, we’ve got a special bonus episode of “9 to 5ish” for you. Our guest is Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former US Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump Administration. She’s currently running for the Republican nomination for president. In this episode, we talk to Governor Haley about the job she wants, running against her former boss, and her positions on reproductive rights, the economy, and more.  At theSkimm, we’ve mobilized hundreds of thousands...

Fern Mallis – aka “fashion’s godmother” – is a legend in the industry. She’s the founder of New York Fashion Week and the former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Over decades working behind the scenes, Fern has seen it all – from disasters, to demanding personalities, to less-than-friendly behavior. So it makes sense that Fern told us her best piece of career advice is refreshingly simple: Just be nice. Your move, Miranda Priestly.  In this episode, Fern...

Lori Coulter and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin are the co-founders of Summersalt, the clothing brand that launched in 2017 with perfect-fit swimsuits. Now, Summersalt has expanded to offer activewear, apparel, and loungewear, and has raised over $25 million dollars. In today’s episode, Lori and Reshma walk us through how they built the brand, why they decided to partner with each other, and what people don’t tell you about being an entrepreneur.  In this episode, Lori and Reshma share:  How...

Influencer, Summer Fridays co-founder, and podcast host Marianna Hewitt does everything with intention. She’s become an expert at creating habits and routines that set her up for success and allow her to prioritize her own happiness. Today, we spoke with the beauty creator and founder about how she’s been intentional throughout her career, and about her most successful habits and hacks.  In this episode, Marianna shares:  How growing up living between Ohio and Germany influenced her...

Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler are two-time wellness founders. Their first business, SoulCycle, revolutionized the wellness, fitness, and fashion industries (they basically invented athleisure). Now, their second venture is focused on exercising a different muscle – our relational fitness. We spoke with Julie and Elizabeth about how relationships have been the key to their success, and how they’ve learned to navigate hard professional and personal conversations.  In this episode, Julie and...

Jane Hertzmark Hudis is one of the most prominent beauty executives in the country. As an executive group president of the Estée Lauder Companies – the organization she’s been at for over 30 years – she oversees some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, including Tom Ford Beauty and La Mer. Her secret to making it to the top? Embrace the beauty of connections, find mentors, and hire a team you can learn from.  In this episode, Jane shares:  Why it’s crucial to hire people who are...

9 to 5ish will be back in your feed in January. Samina Virk is the CEO of North America for Vestiaire Collective, the rapidly-growing luxury fashion resale site. And Samina told us she attributes her rise in the fashion industry to strategic career mapping. Whether it’s engaging in a personal brainstorming session or proactively discussing career plans with mentors and higher-ups, Samina explained how setting intentions can yield big results.   In this episode, Samina shares:  Her approach...

Cynthia Williams is the third generation in her family to work in the auto industry. After joining Ford in 1992, she’s now the company’s Global Director of Sustainability, Homologation and Compliance. The key to rising to a top position in the org? Support from higher-ups. This week, Cynthia told us how she navigated and grew her relationships with company leadership, and got their guidance and support for her career journey.  In this episode, Cynthia shares:  Why the best opportunities...

From the outside, you would think singer, songwriter, actress, and TV host Rita Ora has always felt fully in control of her career. But like a lot of us, Rita struggled with self doubt about her career direction – on top of facing industry challenges. Still, none of that stopped her from achieving the multidimensional career she wanted. This week, we spoke with Rita about how she remained intentional and purposeful in the face of setbacks, and how she grew her brand and her confidence. In...

9 to 5ish will be back in your feed on December 6th! Anna Wesche is the brains behind a new podcast from Flamingo, an award-winning body hair and care brand whose mission is to champion women, their bodies, and their choices. In this After 5ish conversation, Anna shares her experience making some major career pivots, creating the opportunities you want, and how Flamingo’s brand new podcast, “Unruly”, centers female stories. In this episode, Anna shares:  Why she struggled to find purpose...

Author, businesswoman, designer, and chef Joanna Gaines used to let guilt and anxiety consume her. As a mom of five children, and as one half of one of the most successful lifestyle brands in the country, Joanna is now battling her burnout by letting go of those feelings. This week, we spoke to Joanna about that shift to free herself from the pressure of expectations and what it’s unlocked for her, professionally and personally.  In this episode, Joanna shares:  How she and Chip built a...

Annie Jean-Baptiste is Google’s first-ever Head of Product Inclusion. TLDR: she’s a tech executive responsible for making all of Google’s products inclusive for every user. Annie is also the author of the critically-acclaimed book, Building for Everyone, the first book about building inclusive products across the intersections of 12 dimensions of diversity. Annie's work has inspired a movement at other tech companies and in other industries to prioritize equity in design. In this episode,...

Actress-turned-entrepreneur Cameron Diaz and consumer brand builder Katherine Power (WhoWhatWear, Merit Beauty, Versed) had been friends for years before they decided to launch Avaline, their transparently produced organic wine brand. After realizing the wines they loved were full of additives and hidden ingredients, they saw an opportunity to create a new kind of bottle – and transform the wine industry in the process. We spoke with them about how they've transformed their careers, and their...

When Jen Psaki became President Obama’s White House Communications Director, she was pregnant. Later, she became President Biden’s Press Secretary, and she had to navigate her role as a mom and as the White House’s chief spokesperson. And considering when you work for the president, you’re expected to be on call 24/7, that's a big challenge. Today, we spoke to Jen about what doing both actually looked like for her – from the hard realities to the help she got along the way.  In this episode,...

Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, Worthy, has made a big splash for its bombshell revelations … and it hasn’t even been out for a week. But the book from the award-winning actress and talk show host is not just tabloid fodder – it’s also a critical part of Jada’s “reclamation journey”. In this episode, Jada tells her career story – how she’s navigated Hollywood, having a world-famous spouse, death threats, and public judgment. And come out stronger for it.  In this episode, Jada shares:  Her...

Michelle Crossan-Matos, the CMO of Ulta Beauty, is one of the most prominent marketing executives in the country. And she told us she didn’t just get to her position by crunching the numbers and digging into data. She used her intuition and gut instinct to launch new campaigns, solve problems, and grow brands. Today, we spoke to Michelle about how your intuition can be your professional superpower … if you know how to listen.  In this episode, Michelle shares:  Why she wakes up at 4:30am...

Joey Wölffer didn’t ever think she’d take over her family’s business, the Wölffer Estate winery. But over a decade after surprising herself and becoming the co-owner and chief brand officer of the beloved vineyard, Joey has transformed the brand and the business. You’ve probably seen their famous Summer in a Bottle rose or their sparkling ciders on shelves near you. And Joey’s done all of that while building her own fashion business, Joey Wölffer. On today’s episode, Joey shares her secrets...

Colleen Cutcliffe, co-founder and CEO of the groundbreaking probiotics company Pendulum Therapeutics, started the company with a big goal in mind: changing the way people think about their gut health. And on her journey, she’s had to challenge traditional – and sometimes outdated – thinking from the medical community and investors. In this episode, Colleen told us how she’s been able to disrupt the industry, and gives her advice for making changes in any workplace.  In this episode, Colleen...