What are Emma Grede's three most important principles for success in business?

Her three core principles are: having conviction guided by strong gut instinct, knowing what you don't know and hiring people to fill those knowledge gaps, and being willing to take significant risks.

What is Emma Grede's view on work-life balance for employees?

Emma views work-life balance as an individual's responsibility, not the employer's. While companies should provide an amazing work environment and flexibility, employees are responsible for managing their personal lives and expectations around pick-ups, commutes, and leisure time.

Can grit be learned, or is it an inherent trait?

Emma believes grit can be learned if one truly desires it. However, she emphasizes that in-person collaboration and observation are crucial for developing grit, as nuances of movement and behavior essential for learning are lost on screens.

How does Emma Grede handle negative customer feedback versus strategic decision-making?

Emma treats all customer feedback as 'true' because it reflects their experience, aiming to please them. For internal business decisions, however, she gathers diverse opinions but ultimately relies on her gut instinct and the company's intended direction, rather than external consensus.

What role do mentors play in Emma Grede's career, and what advice does she offer on finding them?

Emma states she never had formal mentors but learned from those around her, including bosses and clients. She advises being super inquisitive and asking questions of anyone with expertise, rather than actively 'looking for a mentor' who might not have time.

What was the initial thought process behind founding Good American, particularly regarding market need?

The idea for Good American arose when Emma realized she wasn't being adequately compensated for brokering equity deals for celebrity endorsements. She identified a massive gap in the fashion market for stylish, high-quality clothing for women above size 12, recognizing that these customers weren't buying because options weren't available, not because they didn't want them.

How has brand building and customer acquisition changed from 2018 to 2025?

The 'arbitrage' of social media for customer acquisition is largely gone. In 2025, Emma emphasizes that experiential, in-real-life engagements and building genuine community around purpose are far more valuable than solely digital advertising, especially as people crave tangible experiences post-pandemic.

What is Emma Grede's advice on effective hiring, especially for startup founders?

Emma stresses that hiring is paramount; founders must be great salespeople to sell their vision and strategy, not just the product. She advises spending 20-25% of time on talent, being slow, thoughtful, and purposeful in early hires, as these first few people dictate the company's trajectory.

How did Emma Grede's experiences as a Black woman impact her career, and how does she view prejudice?

Emma saw being a Black woman as an advantage, standing out in predominantly white, private school environments and often being singled out for her unique perspective. She recognizes prejudice is real but advocates against internalizing it, urging individuals to not let others' prejudices limit their own potential.

What was Emma Grede's personal fertility journey like, and what takeaways does she share?

After easy pregnancies with her first two children, Emma faced unexplained infertility for her third and fourth, leading to multiple rounds of IVF and three devastating pregnancy losses. Her journey concluded with a profoundly positive surrogacy experience. She emphasizes openly discussing fertility issues and being planful about the biological clock.

What is the mission and goal behind Emma Grede's new podcast, 'Aspire'?

'Aspire' aims to scale mentorship and provide an honest, non-toxic positive perspective on business success, particularly for women. Emma wants to leverage her unique journey, experience, and network to bring impactful conversations and practical truth to listeners looking to achieve their dreams.

The Business Expert: How To Build A Brand In 2025! They're Lying To You About Work-Life Balance!

The Diary Of A CEO

People & Blogs4 min read127 min video

May 5, 2025|895,334 views|15,068|1,829

The Diary Of A CEO steven bartlett steve bartlett podcast the diary of a CEO podcast life lessons CEO

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Key Moments

TL;DR

**Building Brands & Redefining Success: Emma Grede's Honest Take on Ambition, Work, and Life.**

Key Insights

Grit, adaptability, and relentless action are crucial for success, often outweighing formal qualifications.

Authenticity and self-belief are paramount; building a successful brand requires understanding your customer and solving their problems.

The concept of 'work-life balance' is an individual responsibility, not an employer's mandate, requiring honest assessment of ambition.

Cultivating a 'personal board of directors' and actively seeking mentorship through inquisitiveness are vital for growth.

Exceptional hiring and team building are foundational, prioritizing attitude and potential over experience.

Founders must maintain an 'enterprise mentality,' prioritizing the business's growth and profitability to create a sustainable environment for employees.

THE FOUNDATION OF GRIT AND SELF-BELIEF

Emma Grede's entrepreneurial journey began with a childhood shaped by necessity, raising her younger sisters and contributing to her family's financial stability. This upbringing instilled in her a profound sense of responsibility and a deep-seated grit, emphasizing that success is earned through hard work and determination, not given freely. She underscores that while formal qualifications are not always necessary, an unwavering belief in one's ability to 'make it happen' is paramount. Grede's narrative highlights that understanding one's unique strengths, such as her ability to enable talent, is key to navigating the entrepreneurial landscape and translating visions into reality.

BUILDING BRANDS THAT RESONATE

Grede emphasizes that successful brand building in today's market requires a deep understanding of customer needs and a commitment to solving their problems. She shares her experience with Good American, a brand born from the realization that a significant segment of the market, particularly plus-size women, were underserved. The strategy was to create inclusive sizing from the outset, making the customer's choice paramount rather than moderating designs based on perceived limitations. This customer-centric approach, coupled with a clear purpose beyond just selling products, has been instrumental in fostering brand loyalty and driving growth.

THE REALITY OF WORK AND AMBITION

Grede challenges the conventional narrative around work-life balance, positioning it as an individual's responsibility rather than an employer's obligation. She argues that achieving ambitious career goals often requires extraordinary effort, and attempting to maintain a perfect balance of personal and professional life is unrealistic for those striving for the top. While advocating for flexibility and a supportive work environment, she stresses that true success demands a level of dedication that may involve sacrificing some personal time. This honest perspective encourages individuals to align their ambitions with the effort required to achieve them.

STRATEGIC HIRING AND TEAM BUILDING

A cornerstone of Grede's success lies in her astute approach to hiring and team building. She prioritizes attitude, adaptability, and a 'figure it out' mentality over extensive experience, recognizing that these traits are more indicative of potential and resilience. Grede advocates for hiring 'T-shaped' individuals who possess deep expertise in one area but also demonstrate a broad interest and understanding across the business. Furthermore, she stresses the critical importance of hiring the right people and, just as importantly, having the courage to move people out of the organization if they are no longer serving its evolutionary needs, a difficult but necessary aspect of fostering growth.

LEADERSHIP, DECISION-MAKING, AND FEEDBACK

Grede emphasizes that effective leadership involves a balance between empathy and the necessity of making tough decisions. She highlights the challenge of reconciling a natural inclination to care for people with the business imperative to downsize or let individuals go when necessary to protect the larger organization. Her leadership style is characterized by clarity, directness, and a commitment to bringing her team along on the journey, especially during difficult times. Grede also navigates the complexities of feedback by trusting her gut instincts for business decisions while diligently processing customer feedback to ensure customer satisfaction and business alignment.

NAVIGATING BRAND BUILDING IN 2025 AND BEYOND

For aspiring brand builders in 2025, Grede advises a focus on tangible, real-life customer experiences over purely digital strategies, as post-pandemic consumers crave connection and memorable interactions. She also champions the increasing importance of community and purpose in brand building, noting that brands must stand for something beyond their products and continuously evolve their values. Grede stresses the power of a compelling narrative, passion, and solving a genuine problem as essential elements for any pitch, underscoring that ultimately, a founder's ability to articulate their vision is a critical driver of investment and success.

THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE AND HOLISTIC GROWTH

Grede advocates for founders to cultivate perspective by regularly stepping back from the daily 'trenches' of their business to observe the broader market landscape and competitive environment. This practice, akin to Bill Gates' 'reading weeks,' allows for strategic evaluation and prevents founders from becoming too immersed to see potential issues. She also touches on the multifaceted nature of fertility journeys, acknowledging the emotional toll and advocating for more open conversations. Grede's own journey, including the use of surrogacy, highlights resilience and the profound impact of love and support in building capacity for both work and life.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Products

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Books

●Studies Cited

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Emma Grede's Principles for Building a Brand & Career

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Have strong gut instinct and conviction in your decisions.

Know your weaknesses and hire people to fill those gaps in knowledge.

Be willing to take calculated risks.

Be passionate about your mission and the problem you're solving.

Focus intensely on a finite number of important things.

Drown out external noise and disregard what others think when pursuing your goals.

Take customer feedback as absolute truth for their experience.

Cultivate the skill of articulation and selling your vision.

Build a strong personal 'board of directors' for advice and honesty.

Prioritize being excellent in your current role before seeking promotion.

Hire for attitude, winning mentality, and cross-functional interest.

Be flexible and adaptable to changing technology and consumer experiences.

Put the business first and develop an 'enterprise mentality'.

Be clear in your management style and communicate goals without ambiguity.

Bring your team on the journey during difficult times and involve them in solutions.

Regularly 'float up' to gain perspective on your business, market, and competition (e.g., quarterly/biannually).

Seek out 'fresh eyes' from new employees for objective feedback.

Embrace 'paranoid' thinking in competitive industries to stay ahead.

Prioritize finding a supportive partner who believes in your ambition.

Actively plan and think about fertility if you desire children.

Spend significant time (20-25%) on talent acquisition and development.

Sell a compelling dream and strategy to attract exceptional talent as a startup founder.

Focus on doing very few things exceptionally well rather than everything mediocrely.

Engage with customers in real-life experiential ways.

Build a brand that stands for something and continuously evolves its purpose.

Avoid This

Don't rely on toxic positivity or manifestation without immense work.

Don't confuse general excitement with true gut intuition for big decisions.

Don't under-dream or undervalue your potential.

Don't expect work-life balance to be the employer's responsibility.

Don't try to be a leader and a people-pleaser simultaneously.

Don't fear being 'canceled' by disgruntled employees; lead with integrity.

Don't internalize others' prejudice or limit yourself because of it.

Don't hold on to underperforming employees for too long due to loyalty.

Don't allow success to mask dysfunction within your organization.

Don't hire friends or go 'off vibes' without rigor, especially for key roles.

Don't underestimate the impact of early hires on your company's trajectory.

Don't isolate yourself during business challenges; share anxiety with your senior team.

Common Questions

Emma Grede was raised by a single mom with three younger sisters in East London. This upbringing instilled a strong work ethic, a sense of responsibility from an early age, and a deep desire to escape her circumstances, driving her relentless ambition and grit.

Topics

Grit Customer Acquisition Fertility Journey Purpose-Driven Business Fashion Industry Diversity & Inclusion Podcasting

Mentioned in this video

studyIDC White Paper

A white paper that found companies using Vanta saved over $535,000 a year.

companyFrame

An incredibly successful denim company started by Yens Grede and Eric, which gave Emma insight into the denim category.

personAndrew Rosen

A board member for Emma's company who advised a focus on profitability rather than just customer acquisition, especially during the social media 'golden period'.

productBoncharge Red Light Therapy Mask

A red light therapy mask Emma uses for skin benefits like reduction in scarring, wrinkles, and blemishes, boosting collagen, and improving complexion.

conceptRed Light Therapy

A therapy proven to have many benefits for the body, including reducing scarring, wrinkles, blemishes, improving complexion, and boosting collagen.

companySkims

Another multi-billion dollar brand co-founded by Emma Grede with the Kardashians.

bookGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

A fantastic book about grit that many people read, referring to Angela Duckworth's work.

productBoncharge Infrared Sauna Blanket

An infrared sauna blanket Emma's partner, sister, and she use for health benefits.

personJamal Edwards

A role model for the host, embodying the idea that if he can do it, anyone can.

companyITB

Emma Grede's first company, an entertainment marketing agency she started around 24-25 years old and ran for about a decade.

personAshton Kutcher

Mentioned as an example of talent taking equity in Silicon Valley startups.

companyGood American

A multi-billion dollar fashion brand co-founded by Emma Grede, known for its inclusive sizing and denim products.

personAngela Duckworth

An author who coined the phrase 'grit' and wrote a book about it.

personJohn Howard

A board member for Emma's company who advised a focus on profitability alongside Andrew Rosen.

softwareAspire

Emma Grede's upcoming podcast, launching in May, aimed at scaling mentorship and providing an honest female perspective on business success.

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