The Mel Robbins Podcast

Episode: "If You Only Listen to One Podcast Today, Make It This One"

Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Mel Robbins
Guest: Emma Grede (Co-founder/CEO, Good American, SKIMS, Safely)

Overview

In this electrifying and deeply motivational episode, Mel Robbins sits down with Emma Grede—self-made billionaire, fashion industry powerhouse, Shark Tank judge, and inspiring advocate for representation. The conversation dives far beyond business, revealing Emma’s personal blueprint for dreaming big and achieving against all odds, starting from her tough upbringing in East London to the helm of globally influential brands.

Listeners are guided through Emma’s actionable philosophies on responsibility, mindset, resilience, and the power of authenticity. This episode is a powerhouse of storytelling, practical advice, and a rallying call for anyone ready to change their life—regardless of where they’re starting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Responsibility and Mind Management

[05:18] Emma Grede:

• Success begins with taking responsibility for yourself and carefully managing your thoughts.
• Living with purpose is a daily practice, not a one-off choice.
• “I think about my life and more specifically my career as a bit of a blueprint for what happens when you a, take responsibility for yourself and when you really manage your thoughts carefully.” (Emma, 05:18)

2. Emma’s Early Life: From East London to Dreaming Big

[06:46] Emma Grede:

• Raised as the eldest of four girls by a single mom in East London, Emma learned responsibility early, often parenting her siblings.
• Living in an unsafe neighborhood meant being hyper-vigilant; dreaming big was fueled by knowing she wanted more for herself.
• “I knew I would in a way. I just felt like I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know how this is going to work, but I've got to get out of here.” (Emma, 08:07)

3. Keeping Your Roots and Grit

[09:19] Emma Grede:

• You don’t leave behind who you are just because you leave your physical origins. Your roots, values, and grit go with you.
• Hard work, not just vision, is non-negotiable.
• “You are not going to manifest your way out of anything. You have to … couple it with … really, really hard work.” (Emma, 10:43)

4. Transforming Anger and the Blame Game

[13:08] Emma Grede:

• Emma openly discusses her struggles with anger and blaming others—a common mindset where she grew up—until she learned that taking ownership was the path forward.
• Therapy and self-reflection helped shift her perspective:
  • “At 19… I was like, nobody owes you nothing, that things started to fall into place for me.” (Emma, 14:12)
• Learn to ask: is holding on to anger serving me? If not, let it go.

5. Identifying and Pursuing Your “Thing”

[18:08] Emma Grede:

• It’s vital to have something to care about—an interest, a goal, or even self-improvement, especially if you don’t know your greater purpose yet.
• Emma’s love for fashion was both a dream and a lifeline out of her circumstances.
• “If you cannot figure out what that is, if you don't know what you should pursue, you should pursue yourself.” (Emma, 18:08)

6. Excellence vs. Perfectionism

[20:53] - [31:23]

• Excellence is internal and about your own standards; perfectionism is external and based on others’ perceptions.
  • “How you do anything is how you do everything.” (Emma, 21:41)
• Even “crappy” or mundane jobs are opportunities to practice excellence and build character.
• Perfectionism traps women in particular—Emma urges focusing on self-compassion and honest self-assessment.

7. The Power of Just Getting Started

[33:01] - [34:08]

• Progress comes from action, not planning:
  • “Everything you want is on the other side of what you're working towards. You just gotta be working.”
• If you don’t know the right direction, go anyway—learning happens on the way.
• Treat yourself as you’d treat a friend: with kindness after mistakes.

8. The “Rule of Thirds”: Coping with the Ups and Downs

[34:47] Emma Grede:

• “If you are doing something difficult … a third of the time you are going to be happy, a third you are going to be okay, a third you are going to feel terrible.”
• Accepting this mix is key to long-term perseverance.

9. Embracing the Long Game

[40:19] - [41:36]

• Success is rarely overnight. Most “overnight” successes have long chapters of struggle and “crappy” jobs behind them.
  • “I've only really enjoyed what I'm doing for the last five years.” (Emma, 41:35)

10. The Evolution to Entrepreneurship and Brand Creation

[60:38] - [68:27]

• Emma’s career in agencies put her at the intersection of brands, celebrity, and fashion. Understanding both the business and the “white space” (market gaps) was foundational to creating Good American.
• She highlighted the importance of relentless preparation, research, and being “obsessed” with the category before pitching.
• “I had done my homework. I knew the difference between me and everybody else. I had obsessed the price point.” (Emma, 65:17)

11. Learning from Disaster and Leading with Responsibility

[68:34] - [73:43]

• Even a “perfect” launch (Good American sold out day one) can reveal how little you know—Emma had to deal with inventory issues and disappointed customers.
• Her instinct: handle problems with transparency and personal outreach.

12. Building True Networks and Taking Initiative

[45:32] - [50:55]

• The right relationships are often not who you expect; your “network” is built through doing, not by networking events.
• “Stop looking at what you don't have and look at what you do. And make that the network.” (Emma, 49:49)

13. The Art of the Pitch & Storytelling

[76:52] - [79:41]

• The best pitches tell a compelling story and demonstrate deep, lived-in knowledge of the space.
• Practice is essential: “I can't tell you how many times I sat down in a mirror and spoke about Good American before I met Pete Nordstrom. Like maybe 50 times.” (Emma, 77:17)

14. Should You Be an Entrepreneur? Brutal Honesty

[80:23] - [82:55]

• “Not everybody should start a business.”
• Be honest: Are you risk-tolerant? Are you committed for a decade? Corporate careers can be entrepreneurial and fulfilling too.

15. Skills for the Future: Get Obsessed & Embrace AI

[83:41] Emma Grede:

• Disruption is coming fast; women especially can’t afford to miss the AI (Artificial Intelligence) boom.
• “Whatever it is that you do ... figure out the way you can utilize AI tools and start learning them ... That's the future.” (Emma, 83:41)
• Embrace progress and learn to leverage new technology in your field.

16. Final Takeaways: Get Out of Your Head and Start

[86:53] Emma Grede:

• The most crucial move is to take the idea out of your head and do something:
  • “The idea that made it off of my desktop. That's it. And if I can do it, anyone can do it now. Anyone.” (Emma, 87:44)
• Your dream requires action, not perfection.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mindset:
  “When you bring those two things together, it allows you to be really, really purposeful and the outcome starts to just manifest.” (Emma, 05:56)

• On self-belief and starting from nothing: “You don't have to give up who you are and what made you, you. If you leave that physical space, you can still be and have that heart of gold and that sense of scrappiness.” (Emma, 09:19)

• On persistence: “I didn't take it personally. I thought they didn't get the letter because I'm so good and I have so much to offer ... They just must not know yet.” (Emma, 27:14)

• On comparison and perfection:
  “Perfectionism is when you are focused on the outside. ... Excellence is on the inside because excellence is about the effort in ...” (Mel, 31:23)

• On resilience:
  “If what you've got is keeping you stuck, leave it. Like, walk away.” (Emma, 15:31)

• On navigating early career: “Be excellent at where you're at, at whatever you're doing, because that has some kind of invisible magnetic pull.” (Emma, 22:11)

• On the long game: “People tend to overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what can actually happen in a decade.” (Emma, 36:48)

• On embracing imperfection:
  “Everything you want is there. It's just gotta find you working, and that's it. ... You gotta do. And that's where this perfectionist trap is poisonous for us.” (Emma, 33:01)

• On self-compassion: “You gotta be real careful that your biggest enemy isn't living between your two ears.” (Emma, 31:23)

• On starting a business: “Not everybody should start a business, right? ... We’ve romanticized this idea of what it means to be a founder.” (Emma, 80:23)

• On innovation and AI: “We must not miss out on this AI boom. If you ain't using it, use it now.” (Emma, 83:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:18] – Emma on the importance of responsibility and thought management
• [13:08] – The role of anger and blame in her upbringing and personal growth
• [20:53] – Excellence vs. Perfectionism; actionable definition
• [31:23] – Self-compassion as part of excellence
• [34:47] – The Rule of Thirds for emotional resilience
• [41:35] – The reality: “I’ve only really enjoyed what I’m doing for the last five years.”
• [50:55] – On building a network through action
• [60:38] – How Good American was born: finding “white space” in the market
• [76:52] – The craft of pitching, storytelling, and preparation
• [80:23] – Who should and shouldn’t start a business
• [83:41] – Future skills: get obsessed, get tech-savvy, especially with AI
• [87:44] – The final charge: “If I can do it, anyone can do it now. Anyone.”

Emma Grede’s Success Blueprint — Condensed

1. Take total responsibility for your life.
2. Curate your internal dialogue—choose empowering thoughts.
3. Act with excellence, no matter the job.
4. Do—don’t just plan, talk, or dream.
5. Accept and learn from setbacks. Move anyway.
6. Work harder than anyone else—and take nothing personally.
7. Build authentic networks through what you do, not who you know.
8. Tell your story compellingly and know your space inside out.
9. Be honest about your temperament: entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone—corporate careers can be just as fulfilling.
10. Lean into skills for the future—especially harnessing AI.
11. Share your ambition, take your shot—and keep moving forward.

Final Words from Emma [87:49]

“I dreamt of being who I am now. But I just didn’t let the dream stay a dream. Right? ... Eventually your time will come. That’s it. You have to know that about yourself.”

Listeners’ Action Steps

• Get out of your own head, take one concrete step today.
• Practice excellence in whatever task, big or small, is in front of you.
• Embrace the long journey, keep moving through setbacks.
• Don’t wait—use the tools and connections you have right now.
• Take the dream off your desktop and out into the world.

This is the podcast episode to send to anyone who needs a jolt of courage, clarity, and the unvarnished truth about what it takes to build a life you’re proud of.