For Amy Griffin, being one of the most successful venture capitalists actually has a lot in common with being a college athlete. Amy played volleyball at the University of Virginia, and now as the founder and managing partner of G9 Ventures, she helps early-stage startups perform their best in a different kind of arena. And some of the companies she’s coached include Goop, Athletic Greens, and Bumble. This week, we ask Amy about the secret to her coaching magic. Which, spoiler, is all about relationships. 

In this episode, Amy shares: 

How her mentality as a college athlete stayed with her throughout her career

Her experience stepping out of, and stepping back into, the workforce 

How she supports founders through the good times – and the bad 

Her approach to relationship-building 

How founders can prepare for an uncertain economic environment

Amy Griffin on Stepping Back Into Her Career

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Before September 2018, the public didn’t know Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. She was a busy mom and professor at Palo Alto University and Stanford. Then, she leveled a sexual assault accusation against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a SCOTUS nominee. She testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and 5 million people tuned in. From then on, any concept of a private life went out the window. Christine needed security to go…well, anywhere. Strangers sent her and her family death threats. Five years later, Christine shares how she navigates her new normal, plus the story behind the headlines and soundbites. 
In this episode, Christine shares: 

The behind-the-scenes leading up to her testimony against Judge Kavanaugh

What she makes of her unique connection to Anita Hill

Suggestions on what to say to sexual assault survivors instead of “I believe you”

What parts of working on her memoir, “One Way Back”, were therapeutic – and which were re-traumatizing 


Content warning: this topic deals with sexual assault. Please take care when listening.

Christine Blasey Ford on Detaching Yourself from the Outcome

Zibby Owens witnessed first-hand the payoff of great entrepreneurship as she watched her father build his company, Blackstone, from the ground up. She freelanced as a writer earlier in her career. She focused on raising her kids for 10+ years. Then her marriage ended. So she spent her weekends without the kids rekindling her love of literature – and developing a media empire focusing on all things books. 

In this episode, Zibby shares: 

The story behind her iconic color-coordinated bookshelf

What she learned watching her father build his private equity business, Blackstone

Her recent Vogue article she published – and why she almost wishes she hadn’t

How her podcast became the vehicle to sell her first book

Why building your personal brand is key in almost any industry today

Zibby Owens on Starting a Career Later in Life

Ancestry CEO Deb Liu grew up in one of the only Asian families in South Carolina. To avoid being teased, she mostly kept to herself. It wasn’t until Deb got to Stanford Business School when she realized: she had to learn to speak up. That realization spurred her long career in Silicon Valley. But Deb says, without some openness and vulnerability from herself and others, it never would’ve happened. 

In this episode, Deb shares:

Why she should’ve been fired from her first product management role

How being open and vulnerable with her boss actually helped her career 

Key moments from her tech-heavy product career at eBay + Facebook  

Why being a “strategic introvert” allowed her to contribute more effectively at work

Her most used tip from her new book, Take Your Power Back

Ancestry CEO Deb Liu on Taking Your Power Back at Work

The late-90s bubblegum pop music defined Mandy Moore’s career. She always knew she was her record label’s answer to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Mandy also knew she’d never be them – and that was okay with her. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Mandy shares advice on how to know your competition without becoming distracted by it. 

In this episode, Mandy shares: 

The boy band she’d tour with again 

Why having parents who didn’t want to manage her was the secret to her success

How she managed to be unbothered by the pop industry’s comparison loop 

Her go-to practices for easing her public speaking anxiety 

A skimm of her latest project, The Boars’ Nest

Mandy Moore on Not Letting Competition Distract You

Growing up with a politico father in Washington D.C., Alex Wagner initially swore off any career that dealt with politics. 25-ish years later, Alex is the primetime anchor of MSNBC's “Alex Wagner Tonight,” a show about the news and politics shaping our world. Talk about a 180. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alex tells us how doing everything she was not “supposed” to do jump-started her media career. 

In this episode, Alex shares: 

How a pair of vintage heels nearly ruined her job interview with George Clooney 

The influence her father’s political work had on her own career

How she wiggled her way into media with zero connections in the industry 

Why writing her memoir was the hardest thing she’s done professionally 

The lessons she learned from Rachel Maddow when she took over her primetime slot

Amy Griffin on Stepping Back Into Her Career

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