9 to 5ish with theSkimm theSkimm

Debra Lee was the chairman and CEO of BET, where she worked for over three decades. But even though she was a leader in the entertainment world, Debra said her biggest career weakness was being “too nice”. This week, we sat down to talk about Debra’s new memoir, I Am Debra Lee, and how she stepped into her power as a leader – from taking back control of her senior staff meetings, to literally finding her voice. 
In this episode, Debra shares…

How she dealt with getting denied a raise

Why men are promoted based on potential, and women are promoted based on experience 

How she took her power back as an executive 

The celeb who left her the most starstruck 


And PS: There’s so much Debra shares in her new memoir – including some things we weren’t able to get to in our interview. You can find her book here. 

Bozoma Saint John is one of the most celebrated marketing execs out there. She’s worked for Apple, Uber, Endeavor, Pepsi, and Netflix…just to name a few. But while those big names are on her resume, Boz told us about the other titles that have influenced her and her career. Like ‘single mom.’ And ‘widow.’ This week, Boz explains how her story of love, loss, and survival has made her live “urgently”, especially when it comes to work.
In this episode shares: 

What it means to live urgently at work 

Why you need to take the credit for what you do   

How we can better show up for our colleagues that are grieving 

Why grief has made her a better leader

The hardest part of writing her memoir, The Urgent Life

Chantel George had a plan to go to law school. Then, she found out she was good at sales. Really good. In fact, she became one of the best sellers in the tech world. Chantel’s experience learning how to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, asking tough questions, and challenging the status quo convinced her she needed to start her own sales community. So in 2017, she started Sistas in Sales, the largest global organization for women of color in sales. In today’s episode, Chantel told us how she saw opportunities everywhere – even when they seemed out of reach or hard to spot. 

In this episode, Chantel shares: 

The earliest lessons she learned about entrepreneurship

Why she’s not afraid of having tough conversations 

The advice she got that made her a better manager 

Who would play her in a movie

For Amy Griffin, being one of the most successful venture capitalists actually has a lot in common with being a college athlete. Amy played volleyball at the University of Virginia, and now as the founder and managing partner of G9 Ventures, she helps early-stage startups perform their best in a different kind of arena. And some of the companies she’s coached include Goop, Athletic Greens, and Bumble. This week, we ask Amy about the secret to her coaching magic. Which, spoiler, is all about relationships. 

In this episode, Amy shares: 

How her mentality as a college athlete stayed with her throughout her career

Her experience stepping out of, and stepping back into, the workforce 

How she supports founders through the good times – and the bad 

Her approach to relationship-building 

How founders can prepare for an uncertain economic environment 

From navigating war zones to negotiating with affiliates of terrorist organizations, Emily Hikade lived for the thrill of working as a CIA officer. But a near death experience at work made her realize: it was time to try a different kind of adventure. While in East Africa, Emily worked nights to start her luxury sleepwear brand, Petite Plume. Today, Emily shares how working in diplomacy prepared her for the challenges of being a founder and CEO.

In this episode, Emily Hikade shares:

Why she knew she’d have an international career from an early age

The moment she started feeling vulnerable in her CIA career 

What a near-death experience put into perspective for her

How she started her business while working full-time and being a mom of three 

Advice on how to know which investors are worth working with 

Pinky Cole came up with her business, Slutty Vegan, in her apartment in Atlanta. She started by taking orders through Instagram DMs and eventually expanded to multiple locations outside of ATL. Now, her company’s worth $100 million. But she says: she wouldn’t have gotten there without hitting rock bottom first. Today, how Pinky found her success, and why she wants to help people in the Black community find theirs too. 

In this episode, Pinky shares: 

Her favorite recipe from her new book, Eat Plants B*tch

How a grease fire that destroyed her restaurant was actually a blessing

Her philosophy on success – and why it’s not about being the only one winning

Why giving up entrepreneurship and returning to a 9-5 job was the hardest thing she’s done in her career