Julia Boorstin thought she might take a year after graduating from Princeton and have some fun working at a magazine in New York City before going to grad school. As she shares with Karen Finerman on this episode of HOW SHE DOES IT, she was hired as a reporter at Fortune magazine (despite never having taken an economics class), fell in love with the world of business news, and never looked back. 

Julia is now CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent working out of the network’s Los Angeles bureau. Beyond reporting on tech mergers and interviewing titans of the media landscape, she has developed signature franchises for the network.  Among those are the CNBC Disruptor 50, which highlights “private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries.”

She is also the author of When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them.  In it, she interviewed several female executives and combed academic research to identify the qualities and characteristics that women bring to the table and why businesses benefit from their leadership. 

💬 In this episode, we explore:

Resources:

Web: https://juliaboorstin.com/

Instagram: @juliaboorstin

Threads: @juliaboorstin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaboorstin/

Julia Boorstin's Book: When Women Lead

CNBC Changemakers

CNBC Disruptor 50

Coming Soon:  CNBC Changemakers & Power Players Podcast with Julia Boorston 

Follow How She Does It on Instagram: @HSDIpodcast

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In an engaging and revealing conversation, Bonnie Hammer opens up to Karen Finerman about her decades-long career in media: from “surviving” Barry Diller, to greenlighting “Suits” and overseeing a hugely successful portfolio of networks that prompted The New York Times to proclaim her the ”Queen of Cable TV.”   She recently wrapped up her time as vice chair at NBCUniversal and is set to take on a completely different adventure in her next role.    

On this episode of How She Does It, Bonnie shares stories, strategies, and secrets behind her hard-won success, including the key skill she credits with her ability to navigate multiple mergers and leadership changes.  She’s the author of the best-selling book "15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: ...And the Truth We Need to Succeed," and is a sought-after mentor for women in the media industry.

💬 In this episode, we explore:

Resources:

💬 Enjoying the show? Follow How She Does It and leave us a review. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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Jennifer Weiner has a slew of bestselling novels to her name, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, Big Summer, and Mrs. Everything. The Breakaway and most recently, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits. Her stories are filled with complex women and vital female relationships (think sisters, best friends, mothers & daughters, etc.). And she is on a mission to give her plus-sized protagonists “main character energy,” which includes plenty of romance - and never having them undergo some kind of redemptive, weight loss makeover.  

On this episode of How She Does It, Jennifer shares with Karen Finerman her path to becoming a full-time author, her relationship with money (including why she never wants to be without money in the bank and what she did with her first big advance). Plus, she explains how the unfair scrutiny of young, famous women in the 1990s and early 2000s (like Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, and  Carnie Wilson) inspired The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits.

💬 In this episode, we explore:

Resources:

🔗 Visit Jennifer’s website

📸  Follow Jennifer on Instagram

📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.

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We’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations from Season 1, Karen’s unforgettable sit-down with comedian and actress Leanne Morgan, who proves it’s never too late to chase a dream.

Leanne’s career didn’t just bloom; it exploded in her late 50s. At 57, she went viral, landed a Netflix comedy special that racked up millions of views, and took the stage across the country. Since we first aired this episode, she’s been named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, starred in a film with Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, and most recently launched her own Netflix sitcom, Leanne, produced by Chuck Lorre.

In this candid and hilarious conversation, Leanne shares how she got her start selling jewelry at home parties — accidentally discovering she had the chops to make women laugh until they cried (or peed!), and how she carved her own path while raising three kids in small-town Tennessee.

✨ Topics Covered:

🔗 Resources & Links:

📲 Follow How She Does It on Instagram: @hsdipodcast
👩‍💼 Learn more about Leanne Morgan and her tour at leannemorgan.com

📸 Follow Leanne on Instagram: @leannemorgancomedy
👍 Follow Leanne on Facebook: Leanne Morgan Comedy
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Hit “Follow” so you never miss a moment.
💌 Join the HerMoney community: hermoney.com/subscribe

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Kate Gallego was in her mid-30s, and her life, on paper at least, seemed to be going perfectly: she was serving on the Phoenix city council, married to a congressman, and newly pregnant after having tried for some time. But within a matter of months, as she recalls, “ my life just fell upside down all at once.”  

Her marriage broke up, and her mother was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.  Meanwhile, her dream job, the mayor of Phoenix, unexpectedly became available when the incumbent resigned to run for another office.  At first, she was convinced the timing wasn’t right. But with the encouragement of her supporters (and once her son started to sleep through the night), she came to understand that timing is never perfect, and sometimes you just need to jump at an opportunity. 

She ran and won that special election in 2019 at the age of 37. Mayor Kate Gallego, now in her third and final term, shares with host Karen Finerman what she is doing to future-proof her city, her approach to raising her son (and what he’s taught her), and how her mother’s illness motivated her to work to make life better for residents of Phoenix.  

💡 In this episode:

🔗 Resources & Links:

Follow How She Does It on Instagram

Follow Mayor Kate Gallego on Instagram

Follow Mayor Kate Gallego on LinkedIn

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.

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If you’re a Sex & The City fan, you know Lisa Todd Wexley (“LTW”), the stylish, accomplished New Yorker played by Nicole Ari Parker in And Just Like That. But here’s the real-life plot twist: Crystal McCrary McGuire — bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur, and mom to NBA star Cole Anthony — inspired the character.

Crystal joins host Karen Finerman to share how she left a top New York law firm to pursue a creative life, from penning New York Times bestsellers to producing groundbreaking documentaries. She opens up about raising a pro athlete, building a youth sports platform with Cole, and the discipline it takes to balance career, family, and passion projects.

💡 In this episode:

🔗 Resources & Links:

Follow How She Does It on Instagram

Follow Crystal McCrary McGuire on Instagram

Info on the Game Up App 

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.

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At 16, Pritika Swarup was planning to go into medicine. Then, on a family trip to Disney World, a modeling scout changed the course of her life. What followed was a whirlwind career walking runways, starring in global campaigns for Fenty Beauty, Ralph Lauren, and Athleta, and building an Instagram following of 1.2 million. But even as her career soared, Pritika stayed focused on school, graduating from Columbia University with a degree in financial economics.

Now, she’s the founder and CEO of Prakti Beauty, a line of Ayurvedic-inspired skincare products grounded in the wellness traditions of her Indian heritage. On this episode of How She Does It, Pritika opens up to Karen Finerman about the pressure to be perfect, what she’s learned from building a business, and how she’s grown into a more collaborative (and less self-critical) leader.

💬 In this episode, we explore:

Resources:

Check out Prakti Beauty: www.praktibeauty.com

Follow Prakti on Instagram: @praktibeauty

Follow Pritika: @pritikaswarup

💬 Enjoying the show? Follow How She Does It and leave us a review. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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Paris Hilton may have started as a reality star and tabloid fixture, but today she’s a powerhouse entrepreneur with one ambitious goal: to build a next-gen "Disney.”

And at the center of that mission is Rachel Webber, Chief Commercial & Brand Officer of Paris Hilton's 11:11 Media.

In this candid and energizing conversation, How She Does It host Karen Finerman sits down with Rachel to talk about her unconventional path—from writing term papers on Ally McBeal to running the digital team at Nat Geo, reinventing Playboy, and now shaping the future of pop culture through Paris Hilton’s media empire.

Rachel brings decades of experience building iconic global brands, and now she’s leveraging that to lead a multi-platform content, commerce, and community business powered by one of the world’s most recognizable names.

💡 Topics covered:

🔗 Resources & Links:

📲 Follow How She Does It on Instagram: @hsdipodcast

👩‍💼 Rachel Webber on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/webberrachel

🌟 11:11 Media on LinkedIn: 1111 Media

📸 11:11 Media on Instagram: @11.11media

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.

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“I’d rather fail as a writer than succeed as a lawyer,” says bestselling author Gretchen Rubin — a realization that struck while she was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In this deeply honest and often humorous episode of How She Does It, Gretchen shares how chasing what she was truly interested in — power, money, fame, and sex — unexpectedly opened the door to a successful writing career.

Host Karen Finerman sits down with Gretchen to explore the winding path that led to The Happiness Project, a book that launched a movement and transformed Gretchen’s life. With over 3.5 million copies sold and 11 books published, Gretchen reflects on what success has really meant for her happiness, how she copes with life’s irritations, and why abstaining from sugar works better for her than moderation.

In this episode, Gretchen and Karen discuss:

✨ Why Gretchen left law for writing — and how she knew it was time

📘 The surprising ups and downs behind The Happiness Project

🧠 Why meditation isn’t for everyone (and that’s OK!)

🎯 The power of “choosing the bigger life” when making tough decisions

🥂 Why saving things “for a special occasion” might actually be wasting them

💪 The value of loving the drudgery in meaningful work

🍫 Abstinence vs. moderation — and how it plays out in daily life

📚 Plus: their favorite aphorisms from Gretchen’s new book, Secrets of Adulthood

Resources & More:

🔗 Visit Gretchen’s website

🎧 Listen to the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast

📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.\

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Whether it’s brunch with your crew, a romantic anniversary dinner, or a buzzy new opening downtown, chances are you’ve tapped OpenTable to lock in that perfect reservation. This week on How She Does It, host Karen Finerman sits down with the woman behind the platform that seats 1.8 billion diners a year: OpenTable CEO Debby Soo.

In a wide-ranging and refreshingly candid conversation, Debby opens up about everything from navigating corporate leadership during a pandemic to what drives her relentless ambition. (Hint: It’s not just about power—it’s about freedom.)

🎧 Listen in as Debby shares:

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode.

Resources:

Follow How She Does It on Instagram: ⁠@hsdipodcast⁠

Follow Debby Soo on Instagram and LinkedIn

Keep up with the latest on OpenTable via Instagram and TikTok

Explore great restaurants on OpenTable online and the app.

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