Latest news with #Grede
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Self-made multimillionaire behind $4 billion Skims empire says she was ‘using AI like a 42-year-old woman'—until Mark Cuban gave her a wake-up call
Self-made multimillionaire Emma Grede has built billion-dollar brands with the Kardashians (including shapewear and clothing brand company Skims), sits on the board for the Obama Foundation, and has just teamed up with tennis champion Coco Gauff on a mentorship campaign with UPS. But while scaling businesses and mentoring others come naturally to her, Grede admits she needed a mentor moment of her own when it came to artificial intelligence. And that moment came courtesy of fellow Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban, Grede exclusively tells Fortune. The British-born entrepreneur Emma Grede, best known as the founding partner of Kim Kardashian's $4 billion shapewear empire Skims and the CEO of denim brand Good American, has built a reputation on spotting cultural shifts before they hit the mainstream. When her and Khloe Kardashian's Good American denim line dropped, it made $1 million on day one, making it the biggest denim launch in apparel history. Grede has helped redefine inclusion in retail and became the first Black female investor on Shark Tank—all before turning 45. Now she's bringing that same playbook to small businesses through a new UPS campaign alongside tennis star Coco Gauff. The initiative sees Grede mentoring creators of emerging female-led brands and offering one-on-one coaching to help them scale. But while mentoring others comes naturally to her, Grede admits that when it came to AI, she was the one who needed a pep talk—and fellow Shark Tank star Mark Cuban was the one who gave her the push to come to grips with the new technology. In an exclusive interview with Fortune, Grede talked about an episode of her hit podcast show Aspire that hadn't aired yet, where the two sat down and compared their AI usage. 'I was already kind of getting there, but if I'm really honest, that episode where we really delved into AI gave me a new urgency around how I use AI,' she recalled, adding that Cuban had a staggering 60 AI apps on his phone. 'Yeah, he gave me a kick.' As soon as the recording wrapped up, she said that she started looking into AI courses at the Wharton School and Harvard for this fall. 'I need to figure this out, because I'm using AI like a 42-year-old woman,' Grede candidly admitted while laughing. Grede gave her staff a cash bonus for using AI—long before she realized she was behind Grede isn't completely new to AI. In fact, she was ahead of the curve when it came to encouraging AI adoption within her companies. 'About two years ago I put a note out in my office giving a cash bonus to anyone that uses AI in their work,' she explained, adding that the incentive was a big hit—especially with the marketing and finance teams. 'It changed the office. It changed the way people presented their work. It changed the way people did their work.' But as her Gen Z and thirtysomething staff embraced experimenting with ChatGPT and other new AI launches at the time, Grede admitted that she perhaps leaned too heavily on them. It meant that until recently, she's been using AI more as a search engine and leaving her staff to handle the rest. 'I was like, Emma, you need to sort that out.' It comes as many other CEOs are scrambling to appoint AI leaders, future-proof their business, and brace for change. Billionaire Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates says AI is moving at a speed that 'surprises' even him and that even if workers learn how to use the latest tech tools, they may still find themselves out of a job. Meanwhile, an ex-Google exec says CEOs are currently too busy 'celebrating' their efficiency gains to see they're next on AI's chopping board. But she's not using AI to make her more productive As one of America's richest self-made women—with a reported net worth of nearly $400 million and at least four major businesses to her name—Grede is clearly ruthlessly efficient. But in her eyes, AI isn't about squeezing even more productivity from her day. 'I'm probably the most productive person in the world. I don't know that I can be that more productive,' she said, noting that her time is mostly spent making high-stakes decisions—not executing tasks. 'There's no amount of AI that can help me with that.' But where it can help, she said, is in making smarter strategic choices and reshaping how she leads. 'I think it's a reframing of how we're going to do things,' Grede added. 'So much of my job is about making really big bets and decisions. And so if I can put data in places to optimize that decision making, I think that that's probably where I'm going to be using it most. 'When you start to think about my role as a merchant and as a planner, it's really those things that I think are going to fundamentally shift.' In her podcast episode with Cuban, which has since been released, the television personality and Dallas Mavericks owner had a stark warning for founders who don't embrace AI: 'You're f–ked…That's like saying, back in the day, 'I don't need to use a PC, I don't need to use the internet. I don't need a cell phone.'' He added, 'If you're an entrepreneur, or want to be an entrepreneur, start playing with it to get a sense for how it works, how to prompt. It becomes like having an entire staff of 1,000 business professors.' This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNBC
19-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Self-made millionaire's daily routine: Waking up at 4:45 a.m., sending emails during bedtime—hard work is a requirement 'to be successful'
Emma Grede has co-founded multiple companies, works as the CEO of one of them, was the first Black woman to be an investor on ABC's "Shark Tank" and has an estimated net worth of $405 million. A calculated daily routine helps Grede stay productive without sacrificing self-care, she said on a May 12 podcast episode of "The Skinny Confidential Him and Her." "I'm pretty regimented with my routine and, because I have four kids, that's the only way I can do it," said Grede, 42, the co-founder and CEO of apparel brand Good American. "I'm very, very, very militant about not picking up my phone first thing [in the morning] ... So I'm like, what do I need to do today? What's important to me? And what do I think before I start getting messages from the world, from the news, from social [media]?" Grede, who also co-founded apparel brand Skims and cleaning product company Safely, starts each day at 4:35 a.m., grabbing a cup of coffee before heading downstairs to her home gym, she said. She does a 90-minute workout five days per week, she said: "[It's] the only time no one's asking anything of me. That's like my meditation time ... I'm in my own space."From there, she gets her four kids ready for school, makes breakfast and corrals everyone at the table by 7:30 so they can spend at least 20 minutes together as a family before they go their separate ways for the day. By 8:30, Grede is at her office in California for a day of "back to back to back" meetings, she said. The companies that she's operationally involved in — like Skims, Good American and Safely — are based in the same building, added Grede, who was named a CNBC Changemaker on February 24. Grede gets home each day around 5:30 p.m., she said — then it's dinner, bath time and bed time for her kids. About three nights each week, she'll attend a work dinner or gathering with friends, get home and answer more emails before meditating, reading and turning in for the night, she said. Staying busy, both personally and professionally, works for her, she said: "You have to work really, really, really, really, really hard if you want to be successful ... I'm a furious organizer and scheduler. I try to make the most of every single thing I'm doing." Grede's routine contains elements of timeboxing, where you spend a specific amount of time tackling a task on your to-do list and stick to it. Highly successful people from Richard Branson to Michelle Obama have used the scheduling method to lead more productive lives. Some experts particularly recommend scheduling time for dedicated focus, and breaks, into your calendar each day. It's "really critical" for productivity, Slack senior vice president of research and analytics Christina Janzer told CNBC Make It on Jan. 8, 2024. For Grede, the idea is more simply to pack her workdays tightly enough to balance productivity and personal happiness outside the office, she said. "When you're someone like me that, all day, people are taking [from you] ... I can't wait for someone to come and give something to me. I have to do that part for myself," said Grede. "I have to find those moments in my day because it ain't coming otherwise."
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Why WFH can be a hurdle for a successful career? Kim Kardashian's brand co-founder shares her growth mantra
Learning by Listening: Grede's Early Office Grind A No-Excuses Culture for the Hungry Remote vs. Reality: The Hybrid Work Dilemma "If you're not in the room, you're not able to do that at an excellent level." That's how Emma Grede , the powerhouse entrepreneur behind Kim Kardashian's billion-dollar brand Skims , defines ambition in today's a candid interview on The Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast, Grede shared her unwavering belief in the power of proximity, stating that deeply ambitious professionals should steer clear of remote work if they want to truly excel. With a personal net worth of $405 million (as per Forbes), the CEO of Good American and founding partner of Skims has built her success by being relentlessly her early days in the office, Grede described how sitting next to her boss helped shape her business acumen. 'I learned from proximity,' she said. 'I'd write down every phrase that came out of her mouth.' For her, the cadence, word choice, and real-time feedback created a boot camp for excellence—one she now replicates for her own Good American, the message is clear: five days in the office, or you're not the right fit. Grede admitted she makes exceptions when needed—like supporting new mothers or employees with special circumstances—but made it clear that, for most roles, in-person presence is non-negotiable.'I think I make it quite clear that if you're a three-day-a-week person, that's totally fine—it just doesn't work here. It doesn't work for me,' she from her leadership in Skims and Good American, Grede also co-founded the eco-conscious cleaning brand Safely and appears as a guest investor on Shark views come amid an ongoing debate over hybrid work. According to 2023 Gallup data, 76% of employees reported improved work-life balance with hybrid setups. But nearly a quarter also said they felt less connected to their Software CEO Dave Grow echoed this complexity in a CNBC Make It interview, highlighting that executive dissatisfaction with remote productivity suggests we haven't yet perfected hybrid Grede remains firm. 'We want to create conditions for ambitious people to succeed,' she said. 'But for those starting out, for most people in the company, we have to be [in person] five days a week.'Emma Grede's stance might spark debate in today's flexibility-loving workforce—but it undeniably reflects the intense drive behind her success. In an era dominated by Zoom calls and Slack channels, her message cuts through the noise: 'Show up, be seen, and learn by doing.'
CNBC
18-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Self-made millionaire: Remote work is fine, unless you're 'deeply ambitious'—'proximity' helped me succeed
For serial entrepreneur Emma Grede, being "deeply ambitious" means working in-person five days per week. Grede, a co-founder of apparel brands Skims and Good American, has an estimated $405 million net worth, according to Forbes — and her work ethic was shaped by working in the office everyday during her early career, she said on a May 12 podcast episode of "The Skinny Confidential Him and Her." If you work at Good American, where Grede is the CEO, you're expected to be in the office every weekday, she added. Grede, 42, "learned from proximity" when she was younger, she said. She sat near her boss in meetings, writing down "every phrase that would come out of her mouth," she said. When she had to make calls, she'd repeat what her boss said, learning from her word choice, cadence and presence. "How are you learning if you're not, like, in it [and] on the job? We know some jobs need more proximity than others, but I'm in the product business ... If you're not in the room, you're not able to do that at an excellent level," said Grede, who was named a CNBC Changemaker on February 24. In addition to her apparel brands, Grede is also a co-founder of cleaning product brand Safely and an occasional guest Shark on ABC's "Shark Tank." "I have businesses that are relatively young and it requires people that come every day with 100%, put everything in and leave nothing on the table," she said. "I think I make it quite clear that if you're a three-day-a-week person, that's totally fine, it just doesn't work here. It doesn't work for me." When circumstances require hybrid work, like a mom returning to her job after having a baby, Grede makes accommodations, she said. "We want to create the conditions for ambitious people to be successful and that might mean, at certain points in their career, they need a different set-up," said Grede. "But ... for those starting out, for most people in the company, we have to be [in person] five days a week." Many employees tout the benefits of hybrid work, according to 2023 Gallup data: 76% said they had improved work-life balance, 64% said they used their time more efficiently and 61% said they experienced less burnout or fatigue at work. A minority of workers in the same data set noted a few downsides. Twenty-eight percent said they felt less connected to their organizations, 24% said they had decreased collaboration with their teams and 21% said they had impaired working relationships with their team members. If you're a boss who struggles with the idea of remote work because you think your employees aren't as productive from home, you can offer them trainings to help them communicate more effectively online and get the most out of hybrid meetings, Lucid Software CEO Dave Grow told CNBC Make It on June 21, 2024. The fact that "executives who are often the ones setting the policy still have a relatively high level of dissatisfaction is indicative that we have not gotten to the right end state" of hybrid workplaces, said Grow, whose company makes digital collaboration tools. Of course, if your employees want to be in the office every weekday, there's little reason to stop them. "There's a lot of different ways that people come to work and there [are] always exceptions to every rule, because otherwise, you're not running a modern business," Grede said.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle says ‘a lie can't live forever' in new podcast episode
(NewsNation) — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has revealed how she would rewrite her public narrative if given the chance on the latest episode of Emma Grede's podcast. The 43-year-old appeared in Tuesday's episode of 'Aspire with Emma Grede.' In the 90-minute episode, Grede asked Meghan about the public's perception of her and what she would change if she had the chance. 'I would ask people to tell the truth,' Meghan revealed. 'A lie can't live forever. Eight years is a long time, but it's not forever.' 'F1' director reveals why 'Bridgerton' star Simone Ashley was cut Meghan was in the spotlight before she started dating Prince Harry in 2016 as one of the lead actresses on USA Network's 'Suits.' Meghan married Harry in 2018 and performed her royal duties until the couple stepped back in 2020 and moved to the United States. Since they stepped back, both Harry and Meghan have talked about the mistreatment they received while doing their royal duties and how the palace didn't protect them. In 2021, the couple shared their story in a CBS interview. They also revealed a lot more in their 2022 docuseries 'Harry & Meghan' on Netflix. Meghan also spoke with Grede about a video she recently posted on Instagram that has gone viral. The 'baby mama dance' video was a throwback that she posted for her daughter, Princess Lilibet's, birthday. Grede told Meghan that she did a 'little secret cheer' when she saw the video that Meghan had filmed in the delivery room before Lilibet was born. Meghan explained that the clip 'was four years ago.' She also told Grede, 'So it's also a really great reminder that with all the noise or whatever people do, there's still a whole life — a real, authentic, fun life — that's happening behind the scenes.' She also said, 'I'm just grateful that now, being back on social as well, I have a place where I can share it on my own terms.' Meghan rejoined Instagram back in January after years of being off social media completely. 'I'm just grateful that now, being back on social as well, I have a place where I can share it on my own terms,' she added, referring to her personal social media handle. On the podcast, Meghan said she and Harry have been working with Netflix for five years. Netflix also fully produced Meghan's 'As Ever' product line. Her show, 'With Love, Meghan,' had dropped off the streaming service's top ten list in less than a week. Netflix also fully produced Meghan's 'As Ever' product line. Justin Bieber posts 'if you don't like my anger you don't like me' NewsNation's Paula Froelich reported that Meghan's Netflix show will still be given a third season, regardless of viewership, because the streaming giant is invested in making her products and show a success. Froelich heard that many people are 'done' with the Sussex family at Netflix, but the third season will be used to see if commerce and entertainment can be combined for profit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
