Skims Co-Founder: $1M On Day One Set Me Up To Fail | Emma Grede

In this episode, Emma Grede (co-founder of Good American, founding partner of SKIMS, and Shark Tank investor) opens up about the unfiltered realities of building billion-dollar brands. From Good American making $1M on its very first day and the intense behind-the-scenes pressure that followed, to dropping out of school at 16 to forge her own path in East London, Emma shares the gritty details of her journey.

We dive into how to build a network from scratch, the biggest piece of conventional business advice she thinks is complete BS (and why building a "personal brand" early on is a trap), overcoming mom guilt, and the crucial negotiation advice she learned from Mellody Hobson.

Follow Emma:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrede/

https://www.youtube.com/@UCX502l7IeiHUUlcUHQLSCaA

https://www.emmagrede.me/

Timestamps:

[00:00] - Intro: The pressure of Good American making $1M on day one

[03:07] - Keeping company culture together during impossible scaling

[05:37] - Dropping out of school at 16 and finding her early hustle

[07:33] - Sourcing motivation when you're starting from nothing

[10:24] - Breaking into fashion sponsorship and learning the art of selling