May 12, 2025

234. Emma Grede: From high school dropout to entrepreneurial powerhouse, a masterclass in the hustle, heart, and high standards behind Good American, Skims & beyond!

1 hour 16 minutes

This week, Jason is joined by a powerhouse who's not just building brands, but shaping the future of entrepreneurship, Emma Grede!

As Co-Founder and CEO of Good American and Founding Partner of SKIMS, to becoming the first black woman to guest star as a shark on Shark Tank. With a keen eye for opportunity, a passion for equality, and a voice that resonates far beyond the boardrooms, Emma is redefining what it means to lead, especially as a woman and a woman of color.

In this episode, Emma shares how she recognized her entrepreneurial spirit early on—watching her mom budget, understanding the cost of everything, and forming a deep emotional connection to money. She opens up about raising capital for Good American, growing from a modest client base to working with some of the biggest names, and the hard lessons learned after failing in LA and starting from scratch. Emma talks about building a full-service reputation, earning trust, and key insights from investor Andrew Rosen. She explains how directly asking women what they need has informed her investment and product strategies, the top three traits she looks for when deciding where to invest, and how she keeps up with fast-moving trends. Plus, she breaks down her rules for hiring, firing, and promoting, shares the inspiration behind her new podcast Aspire with Emma Grede, and talks about her recent collaboration with Off Season and designer Kristin Juszczyk.

Emma reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can’t afford to miss!

Host: Jason Tartick

Co-Host: David Arduin

Audio: John Gurney

Guest: Emma Grede

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