Work Friends

Our next guest, Melissa Winter, has a career that’s so remarkable and, yet, hard to pin down. In fact, that’s the point. Melissa has been the Chief of Staff to former First Lady Michelle Obama for the past seven years. She first joined Mrs. Obama’s staff 17 years ago when President Obama was a Senator in Chicago, and would go on to serve all eight years of the Obama White House administration as Deputy Chief of Staff. 

Since 2017, Melissa has moved away from public service and started a new chapter working with The Obama Organization, Higher Ground Productions, and When We All Vote. 

She is the ultimate get. it. done. professional, who ensures everything in the background operates smoothly so her principal can meet her goals. But Melissa never expected to be here and on this episode of Work Friends she tells us all about it, including:

• the very unexpected internship that brought her to D.C.
• why she didn’t want to work for Mrs. Obama, and what changed her mind.
• what a Chief of Staff job actually looks like.
• the life-changing experience of entering, and exiting, the White House.
• and the vital work she’s focused on at When We All Vote.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Sali—Argent’s resident NBA superfan—is joined by Malika Andrews, journalist and host of ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown. Malika stands out in a league all her own. In 2018 she was named one of the youngest-ever sideline broadcast reporters; in 2021, she was the youngest person to host the NBA Finals Trophy ceremony; and in 2022, she was the first woman to host the NBA Draft on ESPN. And she won an Emmy that year, too.

While age is just a number, it’s worth mentioning that Malika has achieved all this while still under 30 years old. This week, Sali chats with her about her incredible meteoric rise and some of the things you may not find on her resume, like:

• the truth about how she picked her college major.
• finding mentors in truly unexpected ways.
• navigating imposter syndrome early in her career, and today.
• the significance of making history and honoring the women who paved the way.
• and why she practices self-kindness. Always.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anjali Sud is the CEO of Tubi, the free streaming platform that houses the world’s largest library of movies and TV series. Since she’s taken the helm last year, the platform has hit a record number of viewers. But Tubi is far from Anjali’s first rodeo as far as CEO tenures go. 

She first stepped into the coveted role several years ago at Vimeo when she was just 33 years old, and successfully transformed the business: turning it from a video streaming site into a software company. But it was definitely not a smooth ride to the top. Anjali shares it all on this week’s episode, including:

• her upbringing in Flint, Michigan and how it’s shaped her view of business.
• getting turned down by nearly every investment banking job she applied to.
• finding power in being impatient and vulnerable.
• debunking myths about becoming a CEO (twice!), and being a working mother.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’re joined by Monica Padman, the co-host and producer of the wildly successful Armchair Expert podcast. Her career story is nothing short of inspiring as she’s gone from aspiring actress and babysitter to Dax Shepard (her Armchair Expert co-host) and Kristen Bell’s children to the all-around creative force behind the whole umbrella of Armchair Expert shows. She joined us on the heels of a massive deal announcement with Amazon and Wondery, so we get into that, too. Tune in to hear more of Monica’s story, including:

• landing her first acting gigs and moving to Los Angeles.
• going from babysitter to co-host of one of the biggest podcasts in the world.
• what being an assistant and a producer have in common.
• finding her voice and learning to let go of control.
• Plus, Sali and Monica play a game of “Would You Rather?”!

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Brown has been a fixture of fashion media for over two decades, since arriving in New York from her native Australia. She was the creative force behind Harper’s Bazaar for 11 years before joining InStyle as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief where she continued to work her magic, notably leading the publication through the pandemic. Then in 2022, she was ceremoniously “eliminated”—AKA fired.

Today, she’s the founder of LB Media and is working on releasing her first book with co-author and former Editor-in-Chief of WSJ Magazine, Kristina O’Neill. The aptly titled All The Cool Girls Get Fired releases January 2026, but first, Laura joins Sali to share her own career story, including:

• the power of being “guileless.”
• building a career in fashion.
• the forthcoming All The Cool Girls Get Fired.
• what to do if you suddenly lose your job.
• and releasing shame and embracing a world of opportunity.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ai-jen Poo embodies what it means to be a caring leader. She’s the Co-founder and President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, an organization focused on the rights of 2.2 million domestic workers across the country, as well as the Co-Founder and Director of Caring Across Generations and Co-Founder of Supermajority.

A MacArthur "Genius" Award recipient, Ai-jen has over 25 years of experience advocating alongside, and on behalf of, some of the most essential members of our community.  

In this week’s episode, Ai-jen joins Sali to share what it means to have a career as an advocate, including:

• the “privilege" of being able to fail. 
• the widely overlooked care economy.
• stepping into the spotlight (even if reluctantly).
• the worst job she’s ever had.
• why women should celebrate their wins—and each other’s, too.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Symone Sanders-Townsend is the embodiment of speaking truth to power. Whether in her role as the host of MSNBC’s The Weekend or on her own social media accounts, Symone has become a go-to source for navigating the country’s rapidly changing (and often alarming) news cycle. 

She first came to prominence as the national press secretary for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign when she was just 25 years old, before joining President Joe Biden’s campaign as a senior advisor in 2020, and eventually becoming the chief spokesperson and senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris. Though she’s still usually one of the youngest among her professional peers, her experience in politics and media is remarkable, as is her ability to distill breaking news for the masses. 

In this episode of Work Friends, she shares more about how her career has played out, in front of and behind the camera lens, including:

• experiencing imposter syndrome.
• learning to dream BIG, and encouraging young girls to, as well.
• the many emails she receives about her signature nails.
• “unhinged” work moments (because who hasn’t had one?)
• breaking down barriers and overcoming discrimination.

Plus, she answers a question from a Work Friends listener!

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Betsy Beers, the Executive Producer of Shondaland. For over 20 years, Beers has been helping to fuel our collective cultural obsessions by producing shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, and, of course, Bridgerton. But Betsy’s path was not without roadblocks—and she hardly knew what a producer even did before she became one. Join her and Sali as they get into it all, including:

• saying goodbye to being an actress and learning to be a producer.
• surviving sexist job interviews.
• meeting her long-time creative partner, Shonda Rhimes.
• making Grey's Anatomy and why it was "hell."
• the importance of being a mentor, and a mentee.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Secrets to success? No, thank you. Welcome to Work Friends, a podcast for sharing upfront and unfiltered career stories—the good, the bad, and the unapologetically ambitious. Because what’s better than a bit of real talk among friends?

Each episode, Sali Christeson, Founder and CEO of women’s workwear brand, Argent, hosts one of her Work Friends for a conversation about climbing the corporate ladder, building a brand from scratch, raising money, and finding success on their own terms. Meet industry-shifting women in media, entertainment, business, and more, as they share the ups and downs of their careers, without glossing over the difficult parts.

This podcast is for everyone who takes their work (but not always themselves) seriously and believes in radical equality in, and out of, the workplace. 

Ambition suits you.

Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.

For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.

To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to [email protected] for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.