9 to 5ish with theSkimm Podcast

Melanie Masarin once pitched Glossiers founder to do a pop-up at a former fried chicken shop. Her response? I dont get it, but I trust you. It was a career-defining moment for her. Because getting approval from the founder meant she couldnt afford to mess it up. Listen as Melanie shares why being given major responsibilities in her mid-twenties shaped her career. Plus, how it prepared her to start Ghia, the non-alcoholic apritif thats now a millennial bar-cart staple.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Melanie also shares:

Her food-centered core memories growing up in the French Riviera



The money-shock she experienced attending Brown University



The once-in-a-lifetime chance she had to design the Glossier flagship store



Her journey shifting from founder-to-CEO mode, and the difficulties that come with it



How pivoting Ghias launch strategy actually paid off





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Alice Waters never cared about making money. After more than 50 years in business, she still doesn’t. She opened her restaurant, Chez Panisse, with money that friends and family lent her. They had no expectations of ever seeing it again. It’s no surprise, given she’s sparked a slow food revolution where consuming food slowly and resisting the industrial food system is the name of the game. Some call her the “mother of the farm-to-table movement”. Alice says: it’s just the way things ought to be. 



In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alice shares: 

The visit to a certain European country that changed the trajectory of her life 



How disrupting the traditional hierarchy of kitchens kept Chez Panisse alive



Why she doesn’t care about money – and when she maybe should’ve 



The last thing her mom said to her, and how having supportive parents shaped her career





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Karissa Bodnar once got advice from a peer – she needed real friends, not just “deal” friends. It wasn’t a dig. Entrepreneurship is lonely. And if Karissa was going to make it as a founder, she’d need friends who cared about her and not the number of zeros in her bank account. Karissa sits down with us to share how she found those kinds of friends, the time she got ghosted out of a big investment, and what she really thinks about those beauty influencer trips. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Karissa also shares: 

 

Why she affectionately refers to herself a “dirt road diva” 



How growing up in a small Washington town shaped her entrepreneurship



How the passing of her friend, Kristy, inspired her to start Thrive Causemetics 



The lesson she learned from being ghosted by a potential investor 





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Kristen Kish didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming the first woman of color to win Top Chef—or of one day hosting the show. She grew up in the Midwest as a Korean adoptee and those wins hadn’t crossed her radar. But with a little luck—and a lot of support—she got there. Listen as Kristen shares how one mentor changed everything by challenging her to think beyond day-to-day dinner service and chase a career she never thought was possible. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Kristen shares: 

Who’s cooking she loves the most (chefs, they’re just like us)

The one woman who helped Kristen unlock her potential 

What changed when she went from being a relatively broke chef to winning Top Chef

How she confronted her ego when writing her memoir, Accidentally On Purpose



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Geri Halliwell-Horner, aka Ginger Spice, practically invented girl power and forever holds a special place in our millennial hearts. In her twenties, she answered a magazine ad and ended up making pop history with the Spice Girls. In her thirties, she felt the pressures of “time lines” and adult-life creeping in. Welcome to the club. Listen as Geri shares how girl power carried her through her post-Spice Girls career.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Geri shares: 

The DIY skills she used to create her iconic Union Jack dress

How she fought through insecurity during her time in the Spice Girls 

How embracing her inner wisdom has guided her through her career

One thing she does to stay curious and challenge herself

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