Podcast Summary:

On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Episode: Emma Grede: #1 Trick Successful People Use Every Day (THIS Will Open Doors You Didn’t Know Existed!)
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Jay Shetty
Guest: Emma Grede (Entrepreneur, CEO, Co-founder of Good American, Founding Partner of SKIMS)

Overview

This live episode, recorded at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, features an in-depth and candid conversation between Jay Shetty and his friend, renowned entrepreneur Emma Grede. The discussion focuses on self-belief, overcoming societal and internal doubts, building unshakeable confidence, harnessing focus, and the “I’ll do that” mindset that allows doors to open for successful people. Emma shares deeply personal stories about her journey, challenges for women in business, the reality of ambition, and the importance of defining life on your own terms. The event also includes a Q&A segment where an audience member pitches a business idea to Emma.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dealing with Self-Doubt and Judgment

• Emma’s Early Struggles:
  Emma talks about how she, like many, spent her early life consumed by what others thought of her.

  • “I spent my entire life worried about that. And I'd be lying if I said there weren't parts of me that still feel like that now.” (03:17, Emma)
  • She describes a turning point:
    “Who am I doing my best for? Well, for me...I have to meet my own expectations. I have to get to the point where I can lay my head back down on that pillow at night and feel really, really good.” (03:48, Emma)

• Missing Out Due to Fear:

  • “There were times in my life where I didn't speak. There were times in my life where I didn't put myself forward...where I kept out of the conversation.” (04:28, Emma)
  • Emma credits confidence as something that comes with experience and emphasizes that even high achievers are often just improvising.

• Gendered Barriers in Business:

  • Emma and Jay discuss studies highlighting that men will apply for jobs if they meet only 40% of qualifications, while women hold back even at 80%. (06:10)
  • “Let's just be honest about some of that. The barriers are real. They're really real.” (07:04, Emma)
  • Emma explains her commitment to elevating women in her companies and how women are systemically penalized for confidence and boldness, especially in business settings.

2. Building an “I’ll Do That” Mindset

• Radical Ownership & Openness:

  • Emma attributes much of her success to volunteering for opportunities:
    “The three most important words for career acceleration is, ‘I’ll do that.’ I spent my whole life with my hand up going, ‘I’ll do that.’” (12:51, Emma)
  • Jay echoes this, citing Richard Branson:
    “If you get an opportunity to do something, say yes and then figure out how to do it afterwards.” (13:30, Jay)

• Manifestation and Self-Belief:

  • Emma describes always having believed she could make it, despite obstacles.
    “I visualized the life that I wanted. …I truly believed that I could do anything so long as I was willing to put the work in.” (14:25, Emma)
  • She notes that narrative and self-kindness are crucial for progress:
    “I wake up every day and I choose to tell myself that whatever it is, I can probably do it if I apply, if I learn, if I put 100% effort in…” (15:50, Emma)

3. Purpose, Passion, and Competence

• Don’t Chase Passion, Follow Competence:

  • Jay asks Emma’s advice for people struggling to find their passion. Emma’s response:
    “Don’t look for your passion...Find what you’re good at, find what lights you up…Think about the things that give you energy versus the things that take energy away.” (17:15, Emma)

  • Jay adds:
    “Competence builds confidence. And I think a lot of us are trying to do it the other way around. We’re like, I want to be confident. But you can’t be confident if you don’t feel competent.” (18:51, Jay)

• On Finding Your Focus:

  • Emma describes focus as “the force multiplier in business,” allowing people to “figure out what you can actually dedicate yourself to and give all of your focus…you will find unbelievable unlocks.” (19:35, Emma)
  • She shares that the notion of overnight success is false; real success comes from going deep and becoming truly excellent at one thing.

4. Self-Awareness, Strengths, and Asking for Help

• Jay’s StrengthsFinder Story:

  • Jay shares how discovering his #1 strength (strategy) changed the way he approached work after taking the StrengthsFinder assessment (24:10–24:38).

• Emma’s Honest Self-Assessment:

  • “I have an unbelievable ability to focus…I am as resilient as a person gets…I have a work ethic like you wouldn’t believe…but I am super impatient. So I have to surround myself with people that have the things that I don’t have.” (25:09, Emma)

• Surrounding Yourself with Support:

  • Emma emphasizes not only recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses but also building a team that complements you.

5. Focus, Trade-Offs, and Balancing Roles

• Rejecting Perfection, Embracing Trade-Offs:

  • On being a working mother, Emma is open about her choices:
    “I’m not the mom that is at every drop-off…But guess what? There are all of these other amazing things that I do that I enjoy. And I’m not trying to make you guys feel guilty about it.” (30:57, Emma)

  • Jay argues that “time doesn’t equal love”—energy and intent matter more (33:34, Jay).

• Setting Your Own Standards:

  • Emma actively works to define her own priorities:
    “Are these my standards or are these somebody else’s standards…once you get there, everything suddenly falls into place.” (34:23, Emma)
  • She lists her non-negotiables and reassesses as life changes.
    “I just have a bunch of things that I feel are non-negotiable in my life, but they’re mine. I own it. It doesn’t belong to anyone else.” (35:42, Emma)

6. Realities of Success and Giving Back

• Myth of “Having It All”:

  • Emma calls out the impossibility and dishonesty of the “work-life balance” narrative imposed on women:
    “If people look at me and think, well, you know, her hair’s done and the husband’s nice…and she’s running all these companies. You would have missed the entire point of me because what I do well is what works for me.” (38:43, Emma)
  • She’s transparent about the need for help—nannies, a supportive spouse, and never being afraid to ask for assistance.

• Telling the Truth, Not Selling Perfection:

  • “Stop trying to chase this idea of balance and also stop, you know, I just stopped lying about it. I started to say this is really hard. I really have to make difficult choices.” (40:37, Emma)

• Launching Her Podcast 'Aspire':

  • Emma speaks about her new podcast, aiming to scale mentorship and make honest, practical advice available:
    “There’s so much toxic positivity out there, and it’s totally unhelpful for all of us. So I was like, I’m going to tell the truth…give people the tools so that they can make and build the life of their dreams.” (43:09, Emma)

7. Live Q&A: Elevator Pitch and Advice

• Audience Member's Pitch:

  • Kate Wood pitches her “Stage” show idea—taking celebrities through food industry experiences. (47:00–48:38, Kate Wood)

• Emma’s Feedback:

  • Emma encourages starting small:
    “You can scale ideas down and you can test into them…the most amazing things that I’ve seen really work…is when we’ve taken things that we thought had potential to be really big…and we’ve tested them on smaller platforms…So I would take this idea…and try it in some really little small way, whatever you can. I would do it tomorrow.” (48:46–50:41, Emma)
  • Jay follows up: sharing his own rejection stories and how ‘On Purpose’ was born out of being rejected by TV networks (51:29, Jay).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The three most important words for career acceleration is, ‘I’ll do that.’” — Emma Grede (12:51)
• “If not you, then who?” — Emma Grede (03:28)
• “Competence builds confidence.” — Jay Shetty (18:51)
• “Focus is a force multiplier.” — Emma Grede (19:35)
• “Are these my standards or are these somebody else’s standards?” — Emma Grede (34:23)
• “None of us are successful alone.” — Emma Grede (25:09)
• “Time doesn’t equal love.” — Jay Shetty (33:34)
• “Just have conversations, be really honest…give people the tools so that they can make and build the life of their dreams.” — Emma Grede (44:03)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment Topic | Timestamp | |---------------|-----------| | Emma on self-doubt and self-confidence | 02:36–06:10 | | Barriers for women in business | 07:04–09:24 | | “I’ll do that” mindset, manifestation | 12:51–14:25 | | Passion vs. Competence | 17:15–19:35 | | Focus, strength assessment | 19:35–24:38 | | Building/Supporting Teams | 25:09 | | Work-life trade-offs, motherhood | 30:57–38:43 | | Owning your standards & non-negotiables | 34:23–36:41 | | Launching 'Aspire' Podcast | 43:09–44:03 | | Audience Elevator Pitch + Emma’s advice | 46:57–50:41 | | Jay’s story of podcast origin after TV rejection | 51:29–51:52 |

Tone & Final Impressions

The episode is honest, direct, warm, empowering, and funny, with Emma and Jay sharing wisdom through personal anecdotes and practical advice. There’s a constant encouragement to act courageously (“I’ll do that”), focus on your unique strengths, and set your own benchmarks for life and success. Emma’s transparency about the realities of being a working mom, how she structures her help and trade-offs, and her refusal to perpetuate myths of balance or perfection, offer a refreshing narrative for ambitious listeners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Recommended Action for Listeners:

• Identify your own strengths, focus deeply, and volunteer for growth opportunities.
• Stop seeking external validation and perfection — craft your own standards.
• Practice radical self-awareness, and don’t hesitate to ask for help.
• Listen to Emma Grede’s podcast “Aspire” for more unfiltered mentorship.