She turned hustle into a $4 billion brand, Emma Grede breaks down how she built Kardashian fashion empires  Emma Grede is the founding partner behind the globally successful brands SKIMS, Good American, and Safely, all launched with the Kardashian family. She is also Chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, is a board member at Baby2Baby, and was named one of Forbes ‘Richest Self-Made Women in America’.  She explains:  Growing up in East London, raised by a single mother, and how early hardship forged her fierce independence. Taking on a maternal role from childhood, learning to lead through responsibility, empathy, and survival. Turning rejection, dyslexia, and a lack of qualifications into fuel for building billion-dollar fashion brands. Balancing ambition and motherhood, and the personal toll of leadership, hustle, and hard decisions. Building SKIMS and Good American without fashion training, and the mindset that made it all possible. 00:00 Intro   02:17 Becoming Emma Grede   03:58 Acting as the Mum and Raising My Siblings   06:49 Lacking a Father Figure Growing Up   08:25 Anger Management Tools I Learned   11:06 My Dream Was Always Fashion   12:20 Understanding Money Attachment Styles   14:32 Emma's Recipe to Achieve Anything   17:55 Customer Feedback   19:30 The Importance of Reliable Decision Partners & Mentality Shifts   21:38 Do People Need Mentors to Succeed?   24:06 The One Skill That Made Me an Entrepreneur   26:09 The Three Most Important Words for Career Advancement   27:25 Does Working in an Office Make Employees More Successful?   31:11 Traits of Future Successful People   33:32 Interview Red Flags & Work-Life Balance   39:32 Can You Be Successful and Have Work-Life Balance?   40:58 You Can't Be a Leader and a People Pleaser   43:51 Being Cancelled as a Leader and Public Figure   46:29 Racism and Sexism in the Business Industry   50:56 Dealing With Business Struggles and Crises   53:33 Top 3 Valuable Practices for Founders   55:58 Don't Get Stuck—Keep Fresh Eyes   57:15 Brands Copying Other Brands   01:00:42 Advice for People With Unsupportive Partners   01:02:10 Scheduling Date Night   01:05:45 Meeting Kris Jenner   01:12:05 Pitching to Khloé Kardashian   01:12:43 Turning an Idea Into a Business   01:14:23 Strategies Deployed in Business   01:16:24 Building a Brand Strategy in 2025   01:21:11 First Principles of Business   01:25:59 How to Become the Best Salesperson   01:33:01 Learning How to Fire People   01:37:17 Attracting Top Talent to Your Company   01:39:37 What a Founder Shouldn't Do in Business   01:41:33 Hiring Exceptional People   01:45:42 Prejudices in the Workplace   01:49:09 Why Prejudices Shouldn’t Limit Anyone   01:50:39 How to Stop Giving a F***   01:54:16 When Do Successful Women Have Children?   01:56:01 My IVF Journey and Miscarriages   02:00:30 The Taboo Around Surrogacy, Freezing Eggs & Pregnancy   02:04:51 Emma Grede's New Podcast ‘Aspire’   Follow Emma:  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emmagrede/?hl=en  Good American - https://www.goodamerican.com/ SKIMS - http://skims.com/ Safely - https://getsafely.com/  Aspire With Emma Grede Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aspire-with-emma-grede/id1811878340 The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://thediary.com/products/one-percent-diary The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://thediary.com/products/the-conversation-cards-2nd-edition Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt  Think like a CEO - join the 100 CEOs newsletter: https://bit.ly/100-ceos-newsletter   Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: Vanta - https://vanta.com/steven Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Obama served as the First Lady of the United States, entering the White House alongside Barack Obama. In this candid conversation, she joins Steven with her brother Craig Robinson, a former college basketball coach turned executive, to open up about everything from Trump’s inauguration to marriage challenges, grief, and rediscovering her purpose. Widely regarded as one of today’s most influential voices on leadership, identity, and social progress, Michelle offers a rare, intimate look at her personal journey. Together, they discuss: How their parents instilled empathy, discipline, and resilience growing up amid racial tension. Michelle’s journey through elite schools and corporate law, driven by a need to tick society’s boxes. The evolution of Michelle and Barack’s relationship, from colleagues to lifelong partners. Fertility struggles, parenting tips, and what it really takes to sustain a long-term marriage. Navigating life in the White House, grief, personal boundaries, and rediscovering her true calling. 00:00 Intro 02:11 Michelle and Craig's Childhood 04:48 Values Learned from Their Parents 08:45 Michelle Skipping Second Grade 12:16 The Role of Race in Their Childhood 15:19 What "White Flight" Means 17:01 Coping with Racism 20:55 Overcoming Being Underestimated 26:33 Michelle's Search for Identity 30:20 Meeting Barack 31:59 Introducing Barack to the Family 33:48 Why Michelle Initially Rejected Barack 37:28 Michelle's Career Change: Pursuing Joy 40:52 Relationship with Barack 44:56 Going to Counseling with Barack 49:34 Pregnancy Struggles 56:27 Hardest Moments in Their Marriage 57:31 Barack Obama Runs for Public Office 01:03:28 What I Should Have Said to Barack 01:07:11 Being the First Black First Lady and Facing Scrutiny 01:14:09 Reflections on a Sad Time 01:15:17 Remembering Your Mother 01:16:53 The Death of Your Mother 01:18:36 Processing the Grief 01:20:41 Not Attending Trump’s Inauguration Listen to Michelle & Craig's new podcast IMO: ⁠https://bit.ly/3YnxIUg⁠ Follow Michelle: Instagram - https://bit.ly/3Ymxs7W  Twitter - https://bit.ly/4cYXiVC  Follow Craig: Instagram - https://bit.ly/4lThkVB  Twitter - https://bit.ly/4lTGJ1f  You can purchase Michelle’s book, ‘Overcoming: A Workbook', here: https://amzn.to/4jTqcsi (UK) / https://amzn.to/3SbbelM (US)  100 CEOs: Ready to think like a CEO? Gain access to the 100 CEOs newsletter here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/100-ceos-megaphone⁠ The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/1-Diary-Megaphone-ad-r…  The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb  Get email updates: ⁠https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt⁠  Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb  Sponsors: Airalo -  https://try.airalo.com/TheDiaryOfACEO with code DOAC3Vivobarefoot - https://vivobarefoot.com/DOAC with code DIARY20 for 20% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices