9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Latest Episodes:

Beth Comstock, first female Vice Chair of GE: “Tell me one thing I don’t want to hear.” Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

Beth Comstock is the first female vice chair of GE. But before that, she built a career in communications at companies like CBS, CNN, and NBCUniversal. At NBC, Beth helped launch one of your favorite binge-ing sites: Hulu. And she kept working her way up the ranks. All the way to becoming the first female Vice Chair of GE. Most recently -- Beth wrote a book about courage, creativity, and making change. It’s called “Imagine it Forward.” On the couch, she talks to us about what a vice chair actually is, why she took the job nobody else wanted, and what it means to be an introverted leader.

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Lauren Bush Lauren: “[I tell my team] I’m struggling with this specific question. What is your take?” Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

Lauren Bush Lauren has diplomacy in her blood. Former President George HW Bush is her grandfather, and President George W Bush is her uncle. But Lauren has built a legacy all her own. She’s the CEO and co-founder of FEED Projects, the company that sells products like bags and accessories...and uses the sales to help distribute food all around the world. Lauren came up with the idea in college while working with the UN. Flash forward a few years, and FEED has donated more than 100 million meals to people in need. On the couch, Lauren talks to us about asking for advice, taking maternity leave, and starting a company -- without any other job experience.

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Barbara Corcoran: “Can you take less?” Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

We're baaaack. With vino. And Barbara Corcoran. You know Barbara as one of the sharks on “Shark Tank.” But the show is just one part of her story. After college, Barbara took a job as a teacher. She quit after a year and moved on to waitressing. A little while after that, she started her own real estate business...and turned it into a multi-million dollar empire. She sold it in the early 2000s. Since then, she’s been using her money to help other entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground at "Shark Tank," and on her own podcast, “Business Unusual.” On the couch, she talks to us about the 22 jobs she had by age 23, the loan that helped her make it big, and how to negotiate.

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Jennifer Palmieri, Former White House Communications Director: “If you act like you belong in the room, people think you do.” Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

Midterm elections are in T minus 6 days. Politicians are trying to convince you to hire them. And behind every politician...is a communications director helping them get the word out. So we brought in two of them to talk to us about how they do their jobs -- and how they made it to the top of the political game. Episode 2: Jennifer Palmieri. Jennifer has a long history in politics, starting when she interned for then-Senator Leon Panetta (D-CA) in college (Panetta was later President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff). Later, Jennifer got into the White House herself. And she became President Barack Obama’s communications director. After that, she was the head of comms for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Now she’s also an author. Her new book is all about stories and advice for the next generation of female leaders. On the couch, she talks to us about crying at work, supporting her female colleagues, and managing up...when your boss is the president.

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AshLee Strong, National Press Secretary for House Speaker Paul Ryan: “[The worst advice I ever got] Stay in your lane.” Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

Midterm elections are in T minus 6 days. Politicians are trying to convince you to hire them. And behind every politician...is a communications director helping them get the word out. So we brought in two of them to talk to us about how they do their jobs -- and how they made it to the top of the political game. Episode 1: AshLee Strong. AshLee has worked in communications roles all over Washington, from the House of Representatives, to the Senate, to the White House. She was even the senior communications director for Governor Scott Walker’s (R-WI) 2016 presidential run. These days, she’s the national press secretary for one of the most powerful Republicans in the country: House Speaker Paul Ryan. On the couch, she talks to us about what a comms director actually is, how she created a network in Washington, and what it’s like to disagree with your boss...when he’s the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts: “I didn’t know who Shawn Mendes was. Big mistake.” Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

When Sylvia Acevedo was 7 years old, she was a Girl Scout. One night, her troop leader caught her looking up at the stars...and encouraged her to pursue that interest. Sylvia took that advice. And became a rocket scientist at NASA right out of college. Eventually, she switched tracks and went down the business-leadership path. She’s been a leader at companies like Dell, Apple, and IBM, and she even worked for the White House. But since 2016, Sylvia has been the CEO of Girl Scouts, where she’s helped build out the Scouts’ alumni network, and introduced new badges and programming around STEM. And yes, she’s earned her science badge along the way. On the couch, she talks to us about being a servant leader, investing in herself, and being persistent...at cookie sales and beyond.

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Katie Couric: “Say yes to everything.” Oct 19, 2018

Show notes

Katie Couric is one of the most recognized faces in journalism today. You’re probably one of the millions of people who have tuned in to one of Katie’s shows over the years, whether that was “Getting There” with us at theSkimm, the TODAY Show, or the CBS Evening News. Which -- by the way -- made her the first solo female anchor of a major nightly news broadcast. But that’s not where her story starts: Katie started out by interning at local news stations in high school. And after college, she worked as a desk assistant. The rest is history. On the couch, she talks to us about her most memorable interviews, being persistent, and getting told she’d never make it on air.

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Tory Burch: “Be prepared to thicken your skin.” Oct 17, 2018

Show notes

Tory Burch is the founder, chairman, and CEO of … Tory Burch. You know her as the woman (and the name) behind so many of your favorite clothes. But way before she created those iconic Reva flats, she built a career in fashion PR, working for designers like Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang. Tory eventually made the switch from PR… to designing her own clothes, and running her own business. That was 2004. These days, her clothes are sold in more than 250 Tory Burch stores and over 3,000 department and specialty stores around the world. In 2009, she launched the Tory Burch Foundation to help empower female entrepreneurs. And now, she’s got a brand new initiative to help get out the vote. On the couch, she talks to us about how to negotiate, her Oprah moment, and taking negative feedback when your brand is your name.

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Taraji P Henson: “I thought that meant I couldn’t act.” Oct 10, 2018

Show notes

You might know Taraji P Henson as Cookie on “Empire,” or from her roles in movies like “Hustle and Flow” and “Hidden Figures.” But you might not know the rest of Taraji’s story. She’s always wanted to be an actor. But she didn’t take her passion seriously until she flunked out of precalculus in college. After school, she moved to Los Angeles to chase her dreams -- with just $700 in her pocket. And she made it happen. Now, Taraji’s using her voice to create change in a new way. She started the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to tackle the stigma around mental health in the African American community. On the couch, she talks to us about rejection, not giving into fear, and what it’s like to negotiate in a quickly-changing Hollywood.

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Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G Komen Foundation: “Start with the end in mind.” Oct 03, 2018

Show notes

Nancy Brinker started the Susan G Komen Foundation in 1982 after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back then, she had just $200 and a list of potential donors. Now, it’s one of the largest cancer charities in the world. In the 40 years since the organization got started, Nancy and the foundation have raised $3 billion to help fund cancer research. On the couch, she talks to us about starting the Susan G Komen Foundation, motivating a team, and taking breast cancer from a taboo subject… to a national cause.

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