Welcome to our election special of Skimm’d from The Couch, where we’re talking to women from both sides of the aisle about their careers in politics. 

Deesha Dyer was the social secretary to President Obama. Think: her job meant hosting everyone from Beyoncé to the Pope. But Deesha told us her path to the White House was nonlinear, and that she actually got her start at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a 31 year old intern. Tune in to hear how she got her foot in the door. And how she learned to tackle her imposter syndrome as she rose through the ranks. 

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Ashley Graham is the ultimate multihyphenate. Think: supermodel, entrepreneur, designer, author, advocate, and a new mom. On the road to success, she’s defied every label that people have tried to attach to her, and she’s become a trailblazer in the fashion industry and a voice for inclusivity and empowerment. Oh, and also: she’s a ton of fun.  

In this episode, Ashley shares why she never fit into any mold throughout her career (12:50), how she’s built her personal brand (21:09), and why jealousy prevents you from making progress (22:41).

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Dr. Yaba Blay is a scholar-activist and cultural consultant whose work centers on the lived experiences of Black women and girls. While she’s got all of the degrees and academic accolades, Dr. Blay sat down with us this week to talk about why she’s taken her work outside of the classroom. And how she’s creating impact through her creative campaigns and community on social media.  

In this episode, Dr. Blay shares how she uses her personal connection to her work as fuel (6:26), why she believes it’s important to be able to change your mind (12:14), and when she decided to create her series “Professional Black Girl” (21:00). 

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Let’s be real: some of us had big things planned for 2020, before the pandemic came along. But even with everything going on, a lot of Skimm’rs haven’t let that get in their way. And one thing we’ve heard from a lot of you is how routine and self-care have helped them stay grounded when everything else is in flux.

This week, we wanted to do a reality check and turn the mic on you. We’ll hear from two Skimm’rs making big moves in spite of circumstance, from moving across the country (4:40) to changing careers (11:30).

This is a special episode of Skimm’d From The Couch, sponsored by Estée Lauder.

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Bethenny Frankel grew up learning how to hustle. And for her entire career, she’s consistently bet on herself and her ideas. She joined us this week to talk about where that hustle comes from. And how she grew her business from the ground up, using her platform on “The Real Housewives of New York” to chart a new course for entrepreneurs.  

In this episode, Bethenny shares how she got her foot in the door in the early days (7:28), why she chose to join “The Real Housewives” (13:50), and how she uses her instincts to make business decisions (22:31). 

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While Eva Chen is known for her loyal following on IG (us included), she’s also known for carving out a career path that’s totally her own. She started off in editorial, and now she straddles the tech and high fashion worlds as the director of fashion partnerships at Instagram. And in case she wasn’t busy enough… she’s also a children’s book author. This week she told us that one of the biggest secrets to her success has been: her network. Because she’s stayed in touch with everyone she worked with. 

In this episode, Eva shares how she went from being pre-med to being a magazine intern (5:03), her advice for growing your network (11:41), and why failing is okay (25:25).

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Misty Copeland is the most famous ballet dancer in the world. Which means that throughout her career, she's had to consistently break down barriers. For background: Misty made history when she became the first Black female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. And now, her reach extends beyond the dance world through her books, philanthropy, and advocacy. Her new children's book “Bunheads” comes out this September. 

In this episode, Misty shares how she gained confidence in herself (9:04), her advice for developing relationships with mentors (19:30), and her go-to dance song (34:41). 

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Entrepreneurship runs in Monica Royer’s family. Her brother Andy founded Bonobos, the menswear company that changed the retail game. And Monica took notes on his journey before carving out a space of her own. She went on to found Monica + Andy, a company that makes organic baby blankets and clothing. This week, Monica joined us to share how she’s created a mentor network and how she got her business off the ground.

In this episode, Monica shares how she pivoted from the pharmaceutical industry to clothing (7:27), when she knew she had to act on her idea (think: in the hospital) (8:24), and how she’s cultivated a network of mentors beyond her own family (17:14).

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If you need some tips on advocating for yourself at work… Kim Cattrall’s got you covered. The actress and producer joined us to talk about how she learned to negotiate for herself from a young age. And how she trusts her instincts to choose new roles, including her character on the new show, “Filthy Rich.” 

In this episode, Kim shares what drove her to acting (10:02), how she makes tough career decisions (18:33), and when she knew she needed to take a step back from work to focus on her health (20:50). 

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Once Lilli Gordon found the beauty industry, she left her old career in finance and economics behind. After decades crunching numbers, Lilli wanted to solve different kinds of problems. Specifically, skin challenges. So she founded her own business, First Aid Beauty. She joined us this week to talk about how she knew it was time to change industries. And how she built her company from the ground up. 

In this episode, Lilli shares her personal connection to the beauty industry (13:30), how she hustled to get the business off the ground (17:20), and why the company decided to launch FAB Aid (24:40). 

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