Stop Letting Emotions Make Decisions with Emma Grede

April 14, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Emma Grede walked into the Skims office in Los Angeles, and the energy shifted. The team was buzzing, moving with precision, and Jefferson Fisher—who was there to be interviewed on her podcast—felt it immediately. He describes it as stepping into The Devil Wears Prada: everyone serious, multiple things happening at once, and the unmistakable sense that the person in charge was about to arrive. Then Grede walked in, laughing and charming, and Fisher realized something crucial: she could turn the temperature up at any moment. She was warm, but she was not someone to mess with.

That combination—approachable and uncompromising—is the thread running through Grede’s new book, Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life. She is the founding partner of Skims, co-founder and CEO of Good American, and a woman who built her career from a cupboard in fashion PR, packing boxes and writing notes, before running billion-dollar brands. The conversation covers how she communicates with directness, why she rejects the myth of work-life balance, and what it means to take full responsibility for your own trajectory.

The Red Flag That Starts With "What Do You Do?"

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What you'll learn

1 (00:23) **Welcome and Confession** - Jefferson Fisher introduces Emma Grede, confessing he was intimidated when they first met at her podcast.
2 (04:34) **The Core Idea: "Start With Yourself"** - Emma explains the book's philosophy of self-leadership and personal responsibility.
3 (05:50) **Red Flags in Business** - Emma identifies the biggest red flag she sees in business relationships.
4 (06:35) **Directness vs. Performative Politeness** - Emma explains why she owns her ambition and is straightforward in business.
5 (11:10) **How to Speak with Directness as a Woman** - Emma shares her personal approach to being a straight shooter without apology.
6 (15:14) **The Power of Presence** - Emma describes how she enters a room with intention and gives undivided attention.
7 (20:19) **How Emma's Team Would Describe Her** - Emma gives an honest self-assessment of her communication style, including her strengths and weaknesses.

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Guests on this episode

Emma Grede Jefferson Fisher

Show Notes

Join me on Supercast for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and AMAs: https://jefferson.supercast.com/

There’s a version of you that keeps waiting—for permission, for clarity, for someone to hand you the opportunity. In this conversation, I sit down with Emma Grede to challenge that thinking head-on. She breaks down what it actually takes to lead, build, and succeed at the highest level—without hiding behind politeness, fear, or overthinking. If you want more confidence, more clarity, and more control over your life and career, this is where it starts: with yourself.

Buy Emma’s new book: Start with Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Start-With-Yourself/Emma-Grede/9781668085486

Order The Next Conversation Workbook: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/workbook

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