the goop podcast
Episode: Emma Grede (Best Of)
Host: Gwyneth Paltrow
Guest: Emma Grede
Date: March 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This "Best Of" episode of the goop podcast features entrepreneur and cultural changemaker Emma Grede—co-founder of Skims, Good American, and Offseason—discussing her journey as a visionary leader, mother, and force in redefining fashion and inclusivity. Gwyneth and Emma dive into building purpose-driven businesses, leadership, family, mentorship, and what it means to operationalize conviction, gratitude, and creativity.

Key Discussion Points

Emma Grede’s Career and Companies

[03:33–06:25]

• Emma currently leads as CEO of Good American, co-founded Skims with Kim Kardashian (serving as Chief Product Officer), and launched Offseason, a luxury sports merch line motivating women's sports culture.
  • “I'm a merchant at heart. I have a pretty good idea for what women want and how they want to feel. And I'm obsessed with pleasing customers.” —Emma, [05:15]
• She highlights focusing deeply on a few things she excels at, emphasizing building great teams for support.

Founding Story of Skims & Good American

[06:25–12:50]

• Skims started with Kim Kardashian’s vision for inclusive shapewear; Emma brought the concept to life, leveraging her operational expertise and a merchant's intuition.
  • “My job is to go, you know what, I think that everyone's gonna die for that one legged thing or not. ... So what I do really well is take the bets.” —Emma, [11:10]
• Key to success: anticipating trends, understanding nuanced fit and sizing (19 sizes at launch), and operationalizing customer feedback.

Taking Risks & Operationalizing Innovation

[12:50–17:14]

• Emma is an instinctual risk-taker, often trusting her gut on novel products (like the Skims nipple bra or Always Fits denim).
• She discusses the innovation behind Always Fits jeans—minimizing waste while maximizing fit inclusivity with just four size ranges.
  • “When you innovate and you really think about like, what's going to change the game, you start to get into these, like, really interesting positions where again, you're in uncharted territory and you have to use all of that gut instinct to figure something out because it's not being done before.” —Emma, [16:32]

Cross-Pollinating Expertise, Leverage, and Separating Teams

[17:25–19:29]

• Grede’s businesses are structurally separate, but she brings her learnings (especially around leverage and client relationships) forward into each new role.

Growing Up: Family & Grit

[22:34–30:11]

• Raised in East London by a single mother, eldest of four girls, Emma credits her resilience and confidence to her mother’s insistence that she was “not better than anybody else, but nor is anyone better than you.”
  • Notable quote: “I just was raised with this idea of, like, I'm totally good. I don't need to change anything about myself.” —Emma, [25:00]
• Reflections on never wanting children at first, then realizing maternal desires after marriage.

Cultivating Gratitude & Keeping a Journal

[32:00–36:08]

• Emma shares her lifelong gratitude practice, rooted in daily journaling since age 17 as a way to reframe her perspective and maintain her mental wellness.
  • “Writing things down was a way of me, like, just therapizing.” —Emma, [33:00]
• Gwyneth relates, expressing regret about stopping journaling after a personal invasion of privacy.

Leadership Philosophy & Requiring In-Person Work

[36:32–44:48]

• Emma courts controversy with her insistence on office presence, believing that workplace relationships and culture are irreplaceable:
  • “The single best things that I met all of my best friends that I go on a girls trip with every single year. I met them at work. ... This idea that somehow work is only a drag, it's only a negative ... on what planet?” —Emma, [37:02]
• She expects trust, accountability, and clarity; those who thrive are given autonomy.
• Emma prefers hiring people for attitude over experience, seeking flexibility and curiosity above rigid expertise.

Company Culture & Operationalized Instinct

[43:29–45:49]

• Operationalizing excellence: processes are set for constant innovation, staying culturally relevant, and focusing on consumer obsession.
  • “You can operationalize excellence. Like being obsessed with something... how do you make sure that those [innovations] come in? They don't—they're not accidents.” —Emma, [45:02]

Offseason & Partnership with NFL

[45:49–49:33]

• Offseason, co-founded with Kristin Juszczyk, fills a gap for high-quality, fashionable, premium sports merch for women.
  • “The whole ... sports merch market, it's a bunch of horrible stuff ... there's nothing that feels remotely like, luxurious or premium. And so what we wanted to do was a premium experience.” —Emma, [46:12]
• The partnership with NFL leveraged personal connections and vision.

Leading Teams and Hiring

[50:31–55:42]

• Emma’s rules: articulate clear vision, avoid micromanaging, expect accountability, and be immediate (and kind) with feedback.
  • “The better the people are around me, the better I look.” —Emma, [54:00]
• She constantly meets potential talent, seeking “T-shaped” leaders with both depth and broad understanding.

Working with Her Husband

[56:17–58:32]

• She and her husband, Jens, separate personal/professional life; clear roles, mutual respect, and honesty ground their relationship.

15% Pledge for Racial Economic Equity

[58:35–63:06]

• Chairwoman Emma details the 15% Pledge (founded by Aurora James), a movement asking retailers to dedicate 15% of shelf space and spend to Black-owned businesses.
  • “We've created a $16 billion pipeline for black owned businesses. ... It's been amazing for these retailers that have got behind it.” —Emma, [60:35]
• The initiative’s positive impact on business and consumers, and its continued strength despite political and economic headwinds.

Emma’s New Podcast: Aspire

[63:06–66:12]

• Emma introduces her new podcast, “Aspire with Emma Grede,” aimed at scaling mentorship and transparency, especially around money, ambition, and practical wisdom for women.
  • “When you elegantly avoid the subject of money, the money has a way of elegantly avoiding you.” —Emma, [65:25]

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “I now know that nobody changes until they change their energy. And when you change your energy, you change your life.” —Gwyneth, [01:18]
• “What I do is focus my energies around, what could that be? And so I feel like for the last eight years, the fixation has been on making people look and feel their best...” —Emma, [05:15]
• “You have to create the conditions for [innovation] to happen. ... It's part of our culture.” —Emma, [45:02]
• “I wake up every day and I have this beautiful pitch ceiling in my bedroom. And I'm like, this is insane… I do feel grateful all the time.” —Emma, [32:00]
• “I need people in the office. ... The best things...happened in those workplaces. ... This idea that somehow work is only a drag...on what planet people?” —Emma, [37:02]
• “I've really made it part of my mission to just get amazing people.” —Emma, [54:00]
• “We've created a $16 billion pipeline for black owned businesses... the pledge has been unbelievably successful.” —Emma, [60:35]
• “When you elegantly avoid the subject of money, the money has a way of elegantly avoiding you.” —Emma, [65:25]

Rapid Fire Segment Highlights

[66:12–70:20]

• First thing you do when you wake up?
  Emma: “Say thank you for the ceiling.” [66:19]
• Always in your makeup bag?
  Emma: “Eyebrow pencil. Always.” [66:32]
• Favorite place to unwind?
  Emma: “In the front of my house on the beach in Malibu.” [66:40]
• Go-to meals: Anna Jack Thai in LA, Scott’s in London, Café Flore in Paris for the nostalgia. [66:52–67:27]
• Best campaign: Working with Gwyneth for Hugo Boss. [67:48]
• Which Shark to partner with?
  Emma: “Mark Cuban all day long.” [68:29]
• Biggest founder turn-on: “I want someone who is nuts about what they do...” [69:01]
• Being a mother: “I don't think I understood how maternal I am ... I'm extremely maternal as a person.” [70:00]

Memorable Moments

• The laugh about one-legged shapewear and the process of trend-forecasting at Skims. [08:43]
• Emma’s pragmatic, refreshingly honest stance on in-person work, and discussion on modern work culture. [36:57]
• Stories about Emma’s gratitude practice and keeping a journal; Gwyneth’s diary-reader trauma. [34:00]
• Annecdotes about meeting her husband, working together, and navigating boundaries. [56:17]
• Emma’s “no shame” about money talk and aspirational transparency in her upcoming podcast. [65:25]

Useful Timestamps

• [03:45] — Emma summarizes current roles and companies
• [06:25] — Skims origin story
• [12:50] — On risk, instinct, and innovating in business
• [22:42] — Childhood, upbringing, and grit
• [32:00] — Gratitude and daily journaling
• [36:32] — Leadership philosophy and office culture
• [45:49] — Offseason and NFL partnership
• [50:31] — Hiring, leading teams, and giving feedback
• [58:35] — The 15% Pledge
• [63:06] — Introducing her new podcast
• [66:12] — Rapid fire Q&A

The Episode’s Tone and Vibe

Grounded, humorous, incisive, open, and warm—this candid conversation is packed with real talk and wisdom for founders, leaders, and anyone interested in purpose-driven work, innovation, and living with intention. Emma is both practical and inspiring, making legendary success accessible through grit, gratitude, clear vision, and a willingness to do things differently.