Emma Grede's Unconventional Path to Billion-Dollar Success: Grit, Excellence, and Honest Entrepreneurial Advice

Mel Robbins

Meet The Guest [00:00]

Mel Robbins introduces Emma Grede, a co-founder of billion-dollar brands, and a judge on Shark Tank.

Grede emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and carefully managing one's thoughts as a blueprint for success.

Emma’s Story as a 17-Year-Old College Dropout [04:15]

Emma Grede recounts her childhood in East London, growing up as the eldest of four girls with a single mother in a tough neighborhood.

• Early Life and Responsibilities:
  • She was a "parentified child," often taking on a motherly role for her younger sisters.
  • She learned responsibility at a very young age, always being on high alert due to unsafe surroundings.
  • This instilled in her a strong desire to escape her limited circumstances and work hard to achieve more.
• Educational Challenges:
  • Grede struggled in school and later discovered she was severely dyslexic in her early 20s.
  • Her difficulty in school led to anger issues, where she learned to react with frustration when things were hard or uncomfortable.
  • She worked through these issues with therapy from age 19, learning to take responsibility rather than blame others or her circumstances.
• Dropping Out and Finding Her Path:
  • At 16, she left home due to untenable circumstances and enrolled in the London College of Fashion.
  • She dropped out at 17 because she couldn't afford tuition and living expenses, despite fighting hard to get in.
  • This setback redirected her, pushing her to seek unpaid work placements in the fashion industry to keep learning and stay close to her dream.
  • She worked multiple "terrible, bottom-of-the-barrel jobs" for free, while also holding paid jobs to survive, working seven days a week.

    

• Reframing Challenges: Grede learned that "anything is possible if you really put your mind to it," but stressed that manifestation alone is insufficient; it must be coupled with hard work.

How to Get Unstuck and Take the First Step [11:53]

Grede advises those feeling stuck to let go of blame and embrace responsibility for their lives.

• Acceptance and Forward Movement: Acknowledge unfair circumstances but choose not to let them hinder progress. "Is this thing that I'm holding on to... optimal? Is it working for me? If it ain't, you got to let it go."
• Pursuing Self-Improvement: If uncertain about a specific goal, focus on becoming a better version of yourself through better habits, diet, and exercise. This self-improvement will naturally lead to clarity.
• Embracing the Journey: Recognize that success is a journey, not an overnight event. Each experience, even the mundane or challenging ones, contributes to growth.

Why There’s No Secret to Success [18:46]

Grede emphasizes that consistent excellence and relentless effort are the true "secrets" to success.

• "How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything": Apply a high standard of excellence to every task, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
  • This includes how you wake up, prepare breakfast, interact with people, or perform menial jobs.
  • For example, when making sandwiches in a deli or packing clothes in a PR agency, she did it with "excellence."

    

• Magnetic Pull of Excellence: This dedication to excellence creates an "invisible magnetic pull," drawing people and opportunities towards you.
• Learning from All Jobs: Every job, especially the less glamorous ones, provides valuable learning experiences and insights.

Pursuing Excellence Over Perfection [27:03]

Grede distinguishes between healthy excellence and detrimental perfectionism.

• Internal vs. External Measurement:
  • Perfectionism: Focuses on external validation, comparing oneself to others or media portrayals, leading to dissatisfaction.
  • Excellence: Measured internally by one's own effort and satisfaction, acknowledging personal capabilities and circumstances.
• Self-Compassion: Cultivate a kind, compassionate, and empathetic inner dialogue, treating yourself as a good friend. This internal self-talk is crucial for self-rewiring and fostering excellence.

The Mindset Reframe That Emma Lives By [32:19]

Grede introduces her "rule of thirds" mindset for navigating life's ups and downs.

• The Rule of Thirds: When pursuing a dream or difficult goal, roughly one-third of the time will be happy, one-third will be neutral/okay, and one-third will feel terrible.
  • This acceptance helps maintain balance, reminding you that bad times are temporary and good times require humility.
• Patience and Long-Term Perspective: Avoid rushing. Life is long and unfolds in chapters.
  • Young people (20s) should prioritize trying new things, taking risks, and working hard before taking on more responsibilities in later decades.
  • Success often takes a decade or more to build, and growth isn't always linear; it includes forward steps, stagnation, and even backward movement.

    

How to Stay Motivated When Your Job Isn’t Your Dream [37:31]

Grede advises finding purpose and learning in every role.

• Finding "Glimmers": Identify useful skills or lessons in seemingly mundane jobs (e.g., organization, back-office support, customer service).
• Building Foundational Skills: All past experiences, including "bad jobs," contribute to making you a better leader and professional, fostering empathy and understanding for others in similar roles.
• Everything Adds Up: Understand that every experience is a piece of a larger puzzle, leading somewhere. Maintain the belief that "this is leading somewhere."

Nobody Is Better Than You — And You’re Not Better Than Anyone Else [42:01]

Grede credits her mother for instilling in her a unique sense of confidence.

• Self-Worth: Her mother taught her, "Emma, you're not better than anybody else, but nor is anyone better than you." This belief helped her confidently enter any room, despite her unconventional education.
• Recognizing Your Value: Understand your unique gifts and strengths. Whatever you bring to a space is valuable because there isn't another "you."
• Action Over Planning: To get started, you must act. Don't just plan or network; make art, call stores, ask questions. Rejection and failure are inevitable but not personal.
• Building Your Network: Your network isn't just "shiny" contacts but includes vendors, banks, lawyers, and even local business connections. Work with what you have.

The Origin Story of Good American [49:05]

Grede leveraged a decade of industry experience to identify a market gap.

• Industry Insight: After 10 years building an entertainment marketing agency, specializing in brand partnerships and celebrity endorsements, she understood the fashion industry's "white space."
• Identifying a Problem: She recognized that most women, particularly those above size 16 (68% of American women at the time), were underserved by the fashion industry, with limited and often unattractive options.

  

• Creating a Solution: Good American was conceived as a brand to address this, offering inclusive sizing and stylish options. She knew the power of coupling a market gap with celebrity talent (Khloé Kardashian) to accelerate a brand.
• The Pitch: Grede pitched the idea to Kris Jenner and Khloé Kardashian, confident in her research, product (a pair of jeans), and understanding of the market.

  

  

  

  

• Early Success and Community: Good American launched, generating a million dollars in sales on day one. Grede personally engaged with customers who couldn't find their sizes, building community and understanding their needs.

What Nobody Tells You About Overnight Success [1:04:02]

The initial success of Good American quickly revealed underlying challenges.

• Unexpected Disaster: Selling out of inventory on day one was initially celebrated but quickly turned into a logistical disaster as there was no immediate way to replenish stock.
• Learning Supply Chain: Grede had to quickly learn about inventory management, fabric sourcing, and vendor relationships—areas she had no prior experience with.
• Prioritizing Profitability: Amidst the "growth, growth, growth" mindset prevalent in direct-to-consumer businesses, Grede focused on building a profitable business, understanding that "money on the bottom line equates to optionality."
• Foundational Relationships: The biggest lesson was the value of "unsexy" foundational relationships (banks, vendors, retailers like Pete Nordstrom) over press and celebrities. These behind-the-scenes connections enabled the business's long-term growth.

How to Craft a Business Pitch That Actually Works [1:12:04]

Grede offers practical advice on successful pitching.

• Storytelling over Product Features: Frame your pitch as a compelling narrative that takes the audience on a journey, rather than just listing product specifications and prices. Practice this story extensively.
• Strategic Timing: Choose the right moment for a pitch. Avoid casual social events for formal proposals; instead, gauge interest and schedule a dedicated meeting.
• Confident Attitude and Deep Knowledge: Be excited and confident, even a little arrogant, but ensure it's backed by thorough knowledge of your industry, competition, and unique value proposition. There is "no practice" when the real moment arrives.

Brutally Honest Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs [1:15:50]

Grede emphasizes self-awareness and long-term commitment for aspiring business owners.

• Not Everyone Should Be an Entrepreneur: Be honest about your risk tolerance and what you prioritize (comfort vs. uncertainty). A successful corporate career is a valid and ambitious path.
• Long-Term Commitment: Entrepreneurship requires a long-term commitment, often 10 years or more, to see true success. Short-sightedness is detrimental.

The One Skill You Must Learn to Stay Relevant [1:21:30]

Grede identifies adaptability to new technology, specifically AI, as the most crucial skill for future relevance.

• Embrace AI: Learn how AI will disrupt your industry and actively integrate AI tools into your work.

  

• Avoid Missing the Next Tech Boom: Women largely missed out on the first tech boom; it's vital not to repeat this with AI.
• Practical Application: Challenge yourself and your team to find efficiencies using AI tools in every department, as exemplified by her accounts team saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Your Dream Only Works If You Do [1:26:52]

Grede's final message reinforces the power of action and perseverance.

• Get Out of Your Head: Change the fear-filled narrative that prevents action.
• Take Action: Don't let dreams stay dreams. Write proposals, make presentations, and then actually send them out and execute.
• Embrace Failure: Be willing to "sit with the failure and the knockbacks" because eventually, your time will come.