"Fashion’s Godmother," Fern Mallis on Why Being Nice is Underrated

Kentucky-born model Molly Sims never met a biscuit she didn’t like. Her southern charm brought her to college at Vanderbilt University, where she made the boldest move of her career: quitting her pre-law studies to become a full time model. Molly was in her early 20s, alone, and homesick halfway across the world. But with placements on the cover of Sports Illustrated, French Vogue and more, it’s safe to say she made a name for herself.   In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Molly shares:  Why southern sorority culture wasn’t for her  How her mother encouraged her to think beyond the US for her career + life experience Why she’d never want her daughter to become a model  The secret to building resilience and the “thick skin” that helped her survive the modeling industry How confronting her mental health challenges helped her be OK with work curveballs Check out Molly's beauty brand, YSE Beauty.

Alli Webb was a stay-at-home mom for five years when she realized she needed to get out of the house more. So she started a mobile hair business. She’d go house-to-house and offer $40 blowouts to moms in LA, something that pretty much no one was doing at the time. She soon opened her first brick and mortar and called it Drybar. 100+ locations later, Alli sold the company for more than $200 million. All without a college degree or formal business training.  In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alli shares:  The sunshine and beach-haired days of her childhood growing up in Boca Raton  How having parents who operated a small biz gave her life lessons in entrepreneurship Why it felt intoxicating building and scaling Drybar, plus the mental cost that came with it How her divorce, son’s visit to rehab, and burnout led to her book, “The Messy Truth”  Why she felt intimidated when fundraising + curating the Drybar board – and how she got through it

Before September 2018, the public didn’t know Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. She was a busy mom and professor at Palo Alto University and Stanford. Then, she leveled a sexual assault accusation against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a SCOTUS nominee. She testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and 5 million people tuned in. From then on, any concept of a private life went out the window. Christine needed security to go…well, anywhere. Strangers sent her and her family death threats. Five years later, Christine shares how she navigates her new normal, plus the story behind the headlines and soundbites.  In this episode, Christine shares:  The behind-the-scenes leading up to her testimony against Judge Kavanaugh What she makes of her unique connection to Anita Hill Suggestions on what to say to sexual assault survivors instead of “I believe you” What parts of working on her memoir, “One Way Back”, were therapeutic – and which were re-traumatizing  Content warning: this topic deals with sexual assault. Please take care when listening.

Zibby Owens witnessed first-hand the payoff of great entrepreneurship as she watched her father build his company, Blackstone, from the ground up. She freelanced as a writer earlier in her career. She focused on raising her kids for 10+ years. Then her marriage ended. So she spent her weekends without the kids rekindling her love of literature – and developing a media empire focusing on all things books.  In this episode, Zibby shares:  The story behind her iconic color-coordinated bookshelf What she learned watching her father build his private equity business, Blackstone Her recent Vogue article she published – and why she almost wishes she hadn’t How her podcast became the vehicle to sell her first book Why building your personal brand is key in almost any industry today

Ancestry CEO Deb Liu grew up in one of the only Asian families in South Carolina. To avoid being teased, she mostly kept to herself. It wasn’t until Deb got to Stanford Business School when she realized: she had to learn to speak up. That realization spurred her long career in Silicon Valley. But Deb says, without some openness and vulnerability from herself and others, it never would’ve happened.  In this episode, Deb shares: Why she should’ve been fired from her first product management role How being open and vulnerable with her boss actually helped her career  Key moments from her tech-heavy product career at eBay + Facebook   Why being a “strategic introvert” allowed her to contribute more effectively at work Her most used tip from her new book, Take Your Power Back

The late-90s bubblegum pop music defined Mandy Moore’s career. She always knew she was her record label’s answer to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Mandy also knew she’d never be them – and that was okay with her. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Mandy shares advice on how to know your competition without becoming distracted by it.  In this episode, Mandy shares:  The boy band she’d tour with again  Why having parents who didn’t want to manage her was the secret to her success How she managed to be unbothered by the pop industry’s comparison loop  Her go-to practices for easing her public speaking anxiety  A skimm of her latest project, The Boars’ Nest

Growing up with a politico father in Washington D.C., Alex Wagner initially swore off any career that dealt with politics. 25-ish years later, Alex is the primetime anchor of MSNBC's “Alex Wagner Tonight,” a show about the news and politics shaping our world. Talk about a 180. In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alex tells us how doing everything she was not “supposed” to do jump-started her media career.  In this episode, Alex shares:  How a pair of vintage heels nearly ruined her job interview with George Clooney  The influence her father’s political work had on her own career How she wiggled her way into media with zero connections in the industry  Why writing her memoir was the hardest thing she’s done professionally  The lessons she learned from Rachel Maddow when she took over her primetime slot

Award-winning director and producer Ava DuVernay, known for her groundbreaking films like “Selma,” “A Wrinkle In Time,” and “Origin,” didn’t actually start her career behind the camera. She spent years working in public relations before taking the plunge and pivoting in her 30s. Spoiler: it paid off. And she’s got an Academy Award to show for it. To kick off our new season of "9 to 5ish," we spoke to Ava about how she embraced change and found joy in her career. PS: Ava’s film, “Origin,” will be streaming on demand starting March 12. In this episode, Ava shares:  Why she’s intentional about finding joy in her work  What “ear hustling” is – and why it’s helped her level up in her career  How she’s learned to embrace change in her industry  The secret to a good working partnership (plus, what she’s learned from Oprah)

Today, we’ve got a special bonus episode of “9 to 5ish” for you. Our guest is Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former US Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump Administration. She’s currently running for the Republican nomination for president. In this episode, we talk to Governor Haley about the job she wants, running against her former boss, and her positions on reproductive rights, the economy, and more.  At theSkimm, we’ve mobilized hundreds of thousands of women to vote. And it’s important that we hear directly from the candidates about the policy positions that impact women. We’ve also invited President Biden and former president Trump to sit down with us.

Fern Mallis – aka “fashion’s godmother” – is a legend in the industry. She’s the founder of New York Fashion Week and the former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Over decades working behind the scenes, Fern has seen it all – from disasters, to demanding personalities, to less-than-friendly behavior. So it makes sense that Fern told us her best piece of career advice is refreshingly simple: Just be nice. Your move, Miranda Priestly.  In this episode, Fern shares:  Her behind-the-scenes look into the fashion world  The origin story of Fashion Week  How she’s thought about reinventing herself and her career Why she’s never stuck to a career plan  How she got her biggest opportunities by raising her hand  Psst: Need a movie rec? Catch “Scrambled,” at a theater near you starting February 2nd. Rated R, under 17 not admitted without parent.