Emma Grede, 42, is a founding partner and chief product officer at Skims, a shapewear brand worth $4 billion. She also serves as the co-founder and CEO of apparel brand Good American, which recorded $200 million in sales in 2022 (and $1 million on its first day live on October 18, 2016, marking the biggest denim launch in history). She’s worth a reported $390 million.
She’s also a high school dropout raised by a single mother in East London who began working a paper route at 12 years old to earn extra money. By 16, she had left school and started working at a fashion production company. While there, Grede came up with the idea for her first business, a marketing and entertainment agency called Independent Talent Brand (ITB) that matched fashion designers with funding. She founded the company in 2008 at age 25 and grew the agency before selling it 10 years later to marketing firm Rogers & Cowen for an undisclosed sum.
Now, Grede is based in Los Angeles with her husband, Skims CEO Jens Grede, and their four children. She also co-founded the sports apparel brand Off Season and the chemical-free cleaning company, Safely. She appeared as a guest investor on Shark Tank in seasons 13 and 14.
And now she can add podcast host to her resume. The serial entrepreneur just launched a new podcast called Aspire, which aims to educate and inspire business leaders through in-depth conversations with leading executives and celebrities.
Emma Grede. Photo Credit: Jamie Girdler
Grede sat down with Entrepreneur to talk about her new podcast, how she manages several businesses, and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Why did you start your podcast, and how is it different from other business podcasts?
I left school when I was 16 years old. So, I don’t have a traditional trajectory. I’m trying to unpack as much as the success that I’ve had, the mistakes that I’ve had. I wanted to give something that I thought would have been useful to me when I started my businesses.
What kind of advice would have been useful?
To start, you have to love what you are doing. I say that because it’s tough to start something from scratch, and it’ll test every fiber of your being. So you have to really want to do it. It has to be more than just a single goal, like I need to make money, or I just want to leave the place where I work. It has to be something that fuels you.
What kind of mindset does it take to be successful in entrepreneurship? Is there a trait or skill that stands out?
I think you have to have unwavering self-belief. There’s a part of this that is really about a mindset that won’t take no for an answer and can see around and through problems and adversity. That works every time.
How did you decide on entrepreneurship?
It’s something I fell into. Like so many of us, I worked a corporate job for many years. I left that job because I didn’t think I was being remunerated well enough for what I did. So I fell into entrepreneurship. And that’s why I started my own thing.
If you could start a side hustle today, what would it be?
I would want to be a florist. That’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do that I’ve never touched. I would love to have a job that is just about the beauty, and is artistically fulfilling. That would be my little dream side hustle. A flower shop somewhere in a lovely place.
What’s your leadership style?
At [Good American], there are over 150 people. I’m the chief product officer in another company [Skims] where there are probably 400 people. So, it’s a lot of people, but I tend to hire the best people and get out of their way. One of the things that I do well is hire. I’m particularly good at putting teams together.
What do you look for in new hires?
I hire for attitude over experience often. That’s not in all positions, but I think especially when you’re starting a company, having people who have the energy, who have the passion, you can’t put a price on that.
What keeps you motivated?
I honestly feel that I’ve created the life of my dreams. I’m grateful every day that I get to do what I do. I think that keeps me motivated, that I have made this life for myself, and it’s of my choosing.
What is it like working with your husband on the same C-suite leadership team? Do you keep a separation between the family and work dynamics?
I’ve worked with Jens for a very long time, and we had a solid professional relationship before we were a couple. He handles the marketing and day-to-day running of Skims while I focus on the product. So our roles are very defined, and we do different things. We have different skills, which makes us very compatible as business partners. We also have a lot of separation in our actual roles. But if I’m honest, we love what we do so much. So does business spill into home time, and do we talk about what we do all the time? Absolutely. Yes. There’s a part of that that’s inevitable.
Do you have a lot of help at home?
I have twin three-year-olds, and then I have an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old. At home, I don’t have four kids that I get to school myself in the morning. I have a lot of help around me, and I rely on all of that help to get through the day. I think it’s very important to be honest about that because I don’t want anyone to look at me and think, Oh, wow. She’s some kind of superwoman. It’s like, No, I’m not superwoman. I’m just a woman. I’m making choices every day and making lots of sacrifices every day.
This interview has been lightly edited and cut for clarity.
Emma Grede, 42, is a founding partner and chief product officer at Skims, a shapewear brand worth $4 billion. She also serves as the co-founder and CEO of apparel brand Good American, which recorded $200 million in sales in 2022 (and $1 million on its first day live on October 18, 2016, marking the biggest denim launch in history). She’s worth a reported $390 million.
She’s also a high school dropout raised by a single mother in East London who began working a paper route at 12 years old to earn extra money. By 16, she had left school and started working at a fashion production company. While there, Grede came up with the idea for her first business, a marketing and entertainment agency called Independent Talent Brand (ITB) that matched fashion designers with funding. She founded the company in 2008 at age 25 and grew the agency before selling it 10 years later to marketing firm Rogers & Cowen for an undisclosed sum.
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