9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Latest Episodes:

Brooke Shields on Learning To Compartmentalize Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Brooke Shields has been a household name ever since she did her first commercial, at just 11 months old. As a teenage model and actress being managed by her mother, Brooke found her own image sexualized — but refused to play along with the media’s expectations. Since then, she’s acted on Broadway, starred in sitcoms and TV dramas, raised two daughters and written two memoirs. We spoke to Brooke about how to survive and stay sane amid intense public scrutiny.

In this episode, Brooke talks about:

Working with her mother — and choosing to fire her
The small things she does to help her compartmentalize
Staying true to herself under pressure
Not taking criticism personally

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Shawna Thomas on Making Yourself Stand Out Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

Shawna Thomas has always stood out — from winning a prestigious college scholarship when she was 13 years old, to working her way up the ranks at NBC News from intern to senior producer. Over the course of her career, she’s won multiple Emmys and a Peabody, among other awards. Today, she’s in control of one of the nation’s top morning news shows, CBS Mornings. Listen to this week’s episode, where Shawna talks about how to shine in front of your boss and potential employers.

In this episode, Shawna talks about:

Making an impression during a job interview
Why all work experience is relevant — even if you’ve changed careers
How to make your resume stand out
Why going to therapy can make you better at your job
How she learned to manage people

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Emily Ratajkowski on Being Your Own Best Advocate Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

When Emily Ratajkowski was asked to appear in a music video in 2013, she didn’t expect it to catapult her to overnight fame. Since then, she’s appeared in movies like ‘Gone Girl,’ walked the runway at New York Fashion week and launched her own swimwear line. And last year, Emily’s essay for ‘The Cut’ about objectification and power imbalances she experienced went viral, landing her a book deal for her new essay collection, ‘My Body.’ This week, she’s joining us to talk about how she learned to advocate for herself.

In this episode, Emily talks about:

How her career trajectory shaped her politics
Recovering from moments where she felt professionally undermined
Deciding to disclose others’ bad behavior — and dealing with the backlash
Learning to take her time with decisions
How motherhood has changed her relationship with herself and her work

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Huma Abedin on Defining Your Own Legacy Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

It’s impossible to know how Hillary Clinton’s life would have run without Huma Abedin. From the late '90s through 2016, Huma occupied a central role in running Hillary’s life as an aide and personal advisor. She remained private even when both her personal and professional lives were embroiled in simultaneous crises, from her previous husband’s infidelity to Hillary’s emails. Now, she’s setting out to define herself in her own words.

In this episode, Huma talks about:

Staying connected to her roots
Working her way up in the White House
Keeping her professional and personal lives private
Seeking help for her mental health
Creating a reputation of her own

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Alexa von Tobel on Personal Finance And Venture Funding Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

When she was in college, Alexa von Tobel realized she knew nothing about personal finance. And she couldn’t find any good tools out there to learn. So she set out to learn about managing her own money — a journey that led her to dropping out of Harvard Business School after just one semester, writing two books, and starting two multi-million dollar businesses. We spoke to Alexa about the basics of business, money management, and what makes a successful start-up.

In this episode, Alexa talks about:

The pros and cons of business school
How to get investors to buy into a business plan
How venture capital funding works
Taking care of your mental health as an entrepreneur
Running a company as a parent

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Tarana Burke on Putting Your Health First Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

This episode mentions sexual assault, which could be triggering to some listeners.

Tarana Burke coined the phrase “me too” to help young Black girls in Selma, Alabama talk about sexual assault over a decade ago. But when #MeToo went viral overnight in 2017, Tarana had to figure out how to share her life’s work and its resources with a broader audience. Today, Tarana’s facing new challenges: how to offer sexual assault survivors the resources they need over the internet, and learning to balance her own needs alongside her work.

In this episode, Tarana talks about:

How “me too” began
How she keeps going when personal and professional overlap
How she approaches burnout and recovery
Why rest is important for work

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Julianna Margulies on Making Big Life Decisions Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Julianna Margulies went from pouring G&Ts and filming commercials in Manhattan to being one of the most-awarded actresses on television. She’s famous for roles on “E.R.,” “The Good Wife,” and “The Morning Show” — and despite always having a backup plan, Julianna’s biggest decisions have been guided by her intuition. We spoke to Julianna about making big life decisions, taking risks and turning down lucrative offers.

In this episode, Julianna talks about:

Planning for the future
Trusting that the right work will find you
Saying no to professional opportunities (hi, E.R.)
Clarifying your career focus
How she stopped people pleasing

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Rebroadcast: Erica Williams Simon on How To Write Your Career Story Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

This week, we’re throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes from last year.

Erica Williams Simon is a writer, host, and the CEO of Sage House media. Her new book reveals how she re-wrote her life story and shares how you can do the same. She walked us through how she makes tough decisions, starting with how she quit a perfect-on-paper job and changed her life.

In this episode, Erica shares:

What growing up in a church community taught her
How she made the decision to quit
How to navigate the financial burden of leaving a job
How to craft and tell your career story
How to learn from an unfulfilling job

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Rea Ann Silva on Building Your Network Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Rea Ann Silva spent two decades working as a makeup artist for music videos, movies, and television. And on the side, she started developing a tool to make her work easier: the Beautyblender. Little did she know, she would end up transforming the beauty industry. And what helped her along the way - from movie sets to becoming CEO - was her relationships and her network. So this week, we’re getting her advice on how to start - and grow - your own.

In this episode, Rea Ann shares:

How she climbed the career ladder
How she tapped into her industry’s networks
How to work up the nerve to cold-call
What it was like to see Beautyblender in the Smithsonian Museum

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Gabrielle Union on Standing Up For Yourself Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

Gabrielle Union hit her big break as an actor more than 20 year ago. Today she’s a household name in pop culture, as well as an advocate and author. And along the way, she’s had to learn one of the biggest (and hardest) career lessons: how to stand up for yourself. From navigating toxic workplaces, to challenging inequity and bias in Hollywood, to speaking out about pay parity, Gabrielle’s a hero to many for standing up to broken systems - and for how open and honest she is with her fans and her readers.

In this episode, Gabrielle shares: