9 to 5ish with theSkimm theSkimm

Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson is a self-described “movement baby" as her parents fought for racial equality during the civil rights movement. As an adult, she mixed pop culture with civic engagement to turn out young voters of color. Even though she credited her success to the women who raised her, she wasn’t specifically thinking about the role of gender in social justice issues. Then she walked by a billboard in SoHo depicting the dire state of reproductive health care for Black women. It quickly became all she could think about. 
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alexis shares: 


Her go-to bagel order as a certified Jersey girl 

The biggest lesson her mom taught her about community organizing

Why a Princeton professor thanked her after she called out his racial prejudice

How she finds time to plan for the future of the org with so much uncertainty 

Her secret to getting people to see her perspective on politicized issues like abortion 

When Sarah Paiji-Yoo became a mom, she started rethinking her serial entrepreneurship life she’d led since leaving Harvard Business School. She loved it, but early-stage startup building isn’t exactly a walk in the park. If she was going to hustle again, it had to mean something to her. Meanwhile, she was learning about the effects microplastics in our water have on us (spoiler alert: it’s scary stuff). Naturally, the serial entrepreneur in her was hungry for a solution to both of these issues. She found it in her plastic-free cleaning product company, Blueland. 

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


The classic new-mom research rabbit hole she fell in 

Why she hid from her in-laws that she wasn’t working for a year after having her son

How having unclear choices as a consumer and mom led her to found Blueland

Why recruiting her #1 pick for the Head of Product was crucial to Blueland’s success

The difficulty of being a sustainable business while being beholden to outside investors

Advice for listeners who feel too small to make an impact (hint: no action is too small)


Psst…this episode of “9 to 5ish” is brought to you by New York Life. Their financial professionals can help you navigate life’s decisions, big and small.

SNL called Meghan McCain the “Princess of Arizona”, and she’s embracing it. Her last name is nearly synonymous with Arizona as her father, the late Senator John McCain, led a 30+ year political career in the state. Her family name laddered Meghan up to big career moves, from regularly commentating on Fox News to repping conservative view points on “The View”. And she says: more nepo babies like her should own it, not shy away from it. 

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

The cringiest photo op she had to do as the Senator’s kid 

Why opting out from having an opinion was never an option growing up 

How her family settled political disagreements and why all politics are celebrated in her family

The event that changed her views on paid family leave – and why all moms deserve it

Why she’s not voting for Trump or Biden, and what her dad would do 

Tiffany Masteron’s grandma told her the name “Drunk Elephant” was the most asinine thing she’d ever heard. Granny wasn’t the only one – her friends thought so too. But Tiffany never bent when it came to her vision of the company, even though she was a stay-at-home mom with zero experience in skincare. Instead, she had this gut feeling about her ingredient formulation and trusted it was different enough to take the company far. Spoiler alert: it did. 

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


Why she chose to disrupt stay-at-home mom life to become an entrepreneur

When she realized her first entrepreneurial journey was kinda sketchy 

How she discovered the Drunk Elephant “Suspicious Six” philosophy – and why it works 

The moment she knew her company had “made it” (hello, Sephora) 

Her response when consumers claim Drunk Elephant markets to kids

In the 1990s, Christy Turlington posed alongside icons like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista as one of the world’s first supermodels. She retired by 25 before going to college, earning her degree, and getting married. Then came her first baby – and a life-changing birthing experience that would inform her future work and advocacy. 

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


The benefits of her sister marrying her brother-in-law (hint: holidays are a breeze)

Why she has “survivors’ guilt” about getting out of the modeling industry unscathed 

Her thoughts on building a career out of being a supermodel 

Her traumatic birthing story and how it led to the founding Every Mother Counts


Advice on how to advocate for yourself in medical settings 


Psst…this episode of 9 to 5ish is brought to you by New York Life. Their financial professionals can help you navigate life’s decisions, big and small.

PS: A new episode of 9 to 5ish will be back in your feed next month. 

At 59, Edith Cooper never thought she’d make a career pivot. She spent nearly 30 years working her way up at Goldman Sachs, but then, she was approached to co-found a company called Medley. Who was the other co-founder? Jordan Taylor, AKA her daughter. The mom and daughter duo launched Medley, a coaching platform equipping Millennial-aged workers with the skills they need to be dynamic, inclusive, and authentic leaders. 

In this episode, Jordan and Edith share: 


Whether Jordan calls Edith “mom” or “Edith” in the workplace

The parts of her Wall Street HR career that Edith misses 

Why we forget to support middle-level managers – and how Medley solves for it

The moments Jordan relies on Edith as “mom” vs. “co-founder” 

Why boundary setting is crucial to success as co-founders who are friends or family


Psst…this episode of “9 to 5ish” is brought to you by New York Life. Their financial professionals can help you navigate life’s decisions, big and small.