Aspire with Emma Grede

Emma’s debut book, Start With Yourself, is out today. This is the episode she’s been building toward since the very beginning of Aspire. 

She’s doing something she’s never done on this podcast before. She’s taking on your questions about what’s at the heart of the book, including: 


The core ideas behind her framework for work and life


Why this isn’t just a book for someone wanting to start a business 


What she’d say to the woman who’s been putting herself last for too long


The uncomfortable truths she had to face about her own thinking before she could put them on paper for anyone else

Then she reads from the book for the first time anywhere, about a moment that completely changed her mindset and became the reason she had to write it. If you’ve felt stuck or scared to go after the next thing, Start With Yourself is for you. It’s available here.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to build something so successful that it outgrows you, and then start again from nothing with your name legally off the table? Bobbi Brown built one of the most iconic beauty companies in the world. She was 37 when she sold it, stayed for 22 years, then eventually pushed out of the business that carried her name. She waited out a 25-year non-compete, and on the day the clock ran out, she launched Jones Road—at 63, with six products, no outside investors, and a completely different playbook. 

Bobbi shares:


What it really costs to sell your name (and whether she’d do it again)


Why getting fired from the brand she built was the best thing that ever happened to her


The difference between building something massive and building something that’s yours


The social media strategy behind Jones Road and why it works


The leadership lesson she’s still learning at 68 and what confidence means after decades of trying to be someone she’s not

Have you ever built something—a business, a career, an identity—and had to walk away from it? What did starting over teach you? Tell us in the comments.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emma sits down with Kimora Lee –  fashion icon, entrepreneur, and founder — to talk about building one of the most influential brands in fashion and the lessons she learned about power, ownership, and knowing her worth.

Kimora helped build Baby Phat into a cultural phenomenon, but behind the success were hard truths about being in rooms, contributing at the highest level, and still not getting what she was owed.  Over time, she learned how to navigate deals, advocate for herself, and stop accepting less than she deserved.

Now she has Baby Phat back and this time, it's hers.

Kimora shares: 


Why being in the room didn't always mean having power


The hard lessons she learned about money, deals and ownership 


What she wishes she'd known before she signed anything


How she learned to stop settling and start advocating for herself


Why getting Baby Phat back means more now than it did the first time.

Where do you need to stop settling and start taking your place? Drop it in the comments — we're reading. And subscribe to Aspire with Emma Grede so you don't miss what's next.


To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emma sits down with Cardi B, global superstar, entrepreneur, and now founder, to talk about what actually changed once she understood where her power sits.

Cardi didn’t come into this industry with a co-sign. She came in figuring it out in real time, investing her own money, navigating bad deals, and slowly realizing she’d been making everyone else rich before herself.

Now, as a two-time Grammy winner and a mother of four, she’s launching Grow-Good, her own haircare brand, and stepping into a new level of ownership.

Cardi shares:


Why getting burned early became her best business education


What she looks for in partners now, and what she won’t tolerate


How she shifted from quick money to ownership and equity


Why this moment feels urgent, and what she’s building toward


How she’s balancing motherhood, relationships, and ambition

Where do you need to stop settling and start taking control? Drop it in the comments, we’re reading. And subscribe to Aspire with Emma Grede so you don’t miss what’s next.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monique Rodriguez built Mielle Organics from her basement into a billion-dollar brand and did it without a blueprint.

In this episode of Aspire, Monique shares the real story behind building one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the world–from bootstrapping with her husband’s paycheck to risking their home, navigating criticism, and ultimately selling to Procter & Gamble while remaining CEO. 

But this isn't just a business story. It started with loss, a leap of faith, and a decision to bet on herself before she felt ready.

This is a conversation about what it really takes to build something meaningful… and what happens when you finally reach the other side.

In this episode, Monique shares:


Why you don’t need to feel ready before making a life-changing decision


How personal adversity can reshape your ambition and clarity


What founders get wrong about scaling too early


How to know when it’s time to bring in experienced operators


Why building with the end in mind changes how you run your company


The real risks founders take behind the scenes


How to navigate criticism as your company grows


What it actually means to lead after a major acquisition


How to protect your vision while growing at scale


Why success doesn’t always eliminate the feeling of having something to prove 

Monique Rodriguez’s story is proof that you don’t have to be ready to start, you just have to be willing.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices