Second Life

Before Christina Tosi started Milk Bar—the trendy bakery known for its covetable, playful desserts—she was studying math and Italian in college with dreams of becoming a mathematician, a UN translator, or a perhaps a truck driver (yes, really). "I like to be uncomfortable," the entrepreneur tells Hillary Kerr on this episode of Second Life. Drawn to restaurant life with a passion for baking, Tosi moved on from her mathematical endeavors to pursue cooking at culinary school and (with a lot of hard work) went on to found her very own wildly successful bakery. Here's how she made it happen. Originally broadcast on November 19, 2018.

Eva Chen's résumé reads like the front row of a well-stocked magazine stand. She's held jobs at publications like Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Teen Vogue, and Lucky (where she was editor in chief, no less). Although landing a job as editor in chief of a major publication sounds like the peak of one's career, Chen was just getting started. Now, she's catapulted to director of fashion partnerships for Instagram, has written her first book (a children's story called Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes), and is trying her hand at design with the launch of a capsule collection with Janie and Jack in conjunction with her book. Originally broadcast on November 5, 2018.

Lauren Conrad ended up on one of the world's first major reality TV shows at the tender age of 17. Since then, she's grown into the cunning, experienced entrepreneur you know today. According to her, she wouldn't be where she is now—a New York Times best-selling author eight times over, designer of her own fashion line LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's, and philanthropist behind the non-profit The Little Market—without the mistakes she made along the way. Originally broadcast on June 25, 2018.

Emma Grede is the CEO and co-founder of Good American, the hugely successful, size-inclusive fashion brand that she started with none other than Khloé Kardashian. But starting this business wasn't the first time Grede struck out on her own. She'd long been making a name for herself in the fashion and entertainment industries on the business side of things and had already checked starting a company off her list. "I am a person who can sell anything, and I think I just had that naturally," she tells Hillary Kerr on today's episode of Second Life. Originally broadcast on September 24, 2018.

If anyone has mastered the art of the hustle, it's Ellen Bennett. The entrepreneurial powerhouse behind Hedley & Bennett, a Los Angeles–based chef wear and handcrafted apron company, started her own business at age 24 while working as a line cook at not one but two prestigious restaurants in L.A. "I was permanently running on adrenaline, and I loved it," she tells Hillary Kerr. Now, she's outfitting top chefs around the world, including the likes of Martha Stewart, Jamie Oliver, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo. Originally broadcast on September 10, 2018.

There was a time when Aurora James never thought she'd have a seat at the proverbial table. Now, after dipping her toes in multiple industries, she's at the helm of the sustainable fashion company Brother Vellies and is proof that if you have a goal, you can make it happen, even if that means finding a new way of getting there. "I always knew that I wanted to work in fashion. I just knew that fashion wasn't working for me in a way that I needed it to," she tells us. Originally broadcast on August 8, 2018.

In an updated and extended interview from our very first episode, Hillary sits down with Jen Atkin, celebrity stylist and founder of cult haircare line Ouai. Dubbed the "most influential hairstylist in the world" by The New York Times, Atkin counts Bella Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, and Kendall Jenner as clients. Here, she gets candid about the power of social media, reflects on her journey from salon apprentice to CEO of a thriving business, and explains why mental toughness is the most underrated quality. This extended episode has an additional 20 minutes of previously unreleased audio from when it first aired on February 19, 2018.

Anine Bing launched her successful clothing and accessories line in 2012, but her days once revolved around modeling, music, and blogging. Listen to the story of her career pivots on this week's episode.

Jennifer Meyer’s career has taken a non-linear path that went from psychology to fashion editorial to PR before she founded her now wildly popular jewelry brand. Listen to her story on Second Life.

Lauren Kleban started out as a professional dancer and now runs L.A.’s popular LEKFit workout studio. Hear about her career journey and what’s next for her company on Second Life.

When Anastasia Soare immigrated to Los Angeles from her native Romania in the early ’90s, she had no idea she’d someday change the way we collectively groom our brows. But after attending aesthetician school and getting a job at a salon on Melrose Place, she noticed that her facial clients weren’t taking proper care of their brows. Sensing a white space, she eventually launched her own salon where she dedicated herself to shaping brows of A-list clients. On this episode of Life Lessons, she’s talking us through how she ended up launching a full-on empire complete with a best-selling product line you’ve definitely heard of: Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Paige Adams-Geller was a fit model and actress before founding lifestyle and denim brand Paige in 2004. The brand now has a global presence and a slew of celebrity fans.

Laura Vassar has spent most of her life crafting beautiful ready-to-wear, a passion that began in high school when she learned to sew and designed her own prom dress. She met her future husband (and business partner) Kristopher Brock while studying at Parsons in New York City, and the rest is history: Their brand Brock Collection is now stocked at fine department stores and on big-time sites like Net-a-Porter and Moda Operandi. On this week’s episode of Life Lessons, she’s offering up advice for aspiring designers and explaining what it’s really like to work in fashion.

Nancy Twine went from working at Goldman Sachs to becoming the founder and CEO of clean, buzzy haircare brand Briogeo. Find out how she did it on Second Life.

When Molly McNearney arrived in Los Angeles and landed an interview to work as an assistant producer at Jimmy Kimmel Live, she jumped at the chance (although she admits she had no idea who Kimmel was at the time). The job wasn’t glamorous, but the initiative she showed in those early days led to other opportunities on the show. She worked her way up the ranks and into the writers’ room, eventually earning her current status as head writer. On this week’s Life Lessons episode, McNearney offers up advice for aspiring writers.

Whitney Tingle went from working on Wall Street to co-founding Sakara Life, the go-to meal-delivery service of celebrities like Chrissy Teigen. Hear about her journey from finance to wellness on Second Life.

Mercedes Abramo, president and CEO of Cartier North America, has never been one to avoid taking risks or making moves. In fact, her career as a businesswoman has taken her all over the world, from the Ritz Carlton in Maui to business school in Paris to a stint at Tiffany & Co. in New York City before landing her at Cartier, where she worked her way all the way up the ladder. Tune in to this week’s Life Lessons episode as she chats with Hillary and offers up insights on expanding your skill set, learning how to be a manager, and learning how to decide when it’s time to move on to a new opportunity.

Ariel Kaye started her career in PR and digital advertising. Now she’s the founder and CEO of Parachute , the wildly popular direct-to-consumer bedding and bath company. Hear the incredible story of her career on Second Life.

Gregg Renfrew has been an entrepreneur practically all her life… She started her own business cleaning summer homes when she was in college at the University of Vermont, she founded The Wedding List soon after she graduated (and later sold it to Martha Stewart!), and eventually she founded her current business, Beautycounter, which will be familiar to most of our listeners as a company that transformed the way we think about the ingredients we slather onto our skin. Tune in to Life Lessons for her wise words on collaboration, knowing when to cut your losses, and explain what compelled her interest in natural, nontoxic products.

In addition to her prolific acting career, Michelle Pfeiffer recently created a clean fragrance line called Henry Rose. Listen to her story and learn about her new venture on Second Life.

When Tamara Mellon started working at Brown’s in London at age 18, she never could have imagined that the experience would someday lead to working at British Vogue, co-founding Jimmy Choo, becoming a designer in her own right, and eventually starting her own eponymous label. On this week’s episode of Life Lessons, Mellon swings by to deliver important advice for entrepreneurs, explain what it’s really like working in fashion, and give us some insights into the game-changing model she’s adopted at her own company.

Katherine Power moved to L.A. on her own at 16 to be a professional dancer. Now, she’s the co-founder and CEO of Who What Wear while also leading its namesake clothing line at Target and new skincare line, Versed. Listen to the story of her fascinating career on Second Life.

Jenni Konner always knew she wanted to work in entertainment, but she didn’t necessarily know that she’d find herself executive-producing one of the most talked-about TV shows of our time. On this week’s episode of Life Lessons, find out how Konner found her way to Girls (which she ran alongside Lena Dunham) after spending time in writing rooms on shows like Undeclared and Help Me Help You, and discover valuable lessons she’s learned along the way.

After working as a special assistant at the White House, then in brand marketing for companies like Tiffany & Co., Kathryn Duryea started Year & Day, which is shaking up the tableware space with its chic, minimal plates, flatware, and glasses.

Karla Welch is the in-demand stylist behind some of the biggest names in entertainment, from Justin Bieber to Tracee Ellis Ross to Elisabeth Moss. In the first episode of the Life Lessons series, listen to how she got her start in the industry, ramping her way up from scrappy shoots to working on Apple’s memorably iPod commercials and eventually taking on clients as a personal stylist. She’s had a serious effect on celebrity fashion, and she’s also changing the way we get dressed by way of her cool, in-demand collaborations with brands like Levi’s and Hanes.

Erica Chidi Cohen is the co-founder and CEO of Loom, the Los Angeles–based empowered education and wellness center that focuses on everything from periods to parenting. In the latest episode of Second Life, listen to how she parlayed a background in the culinary and fine art worlds into becoming a doula and eventually co-founding Loom, where she’s helping people truly understand their bodies in a feminist, inclusive, sex-positive, and fact-based way.

Reshma Saujani once had political aspirations, even becoming the first Indian American woman to run for Congress. Now, she's the CEO and founder of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that aims to close the gender gap in technology. Learn about her inspiring career path on Second Life.

What happens when you leave an established finance career in NYC to open a nail salon in Los Angeles? Olive and June founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle has some answers. She had spent 10 years working as an equity sales trader at JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley when she noticed a white space in the beauty industry. Listen to Second Life to hear her story.

Korean skincare expert and Glow Recipe co-founder Sarah Lee spent years in the corporate beauty world at L'Oreal Paris before making the leap to start her own company, which has created cult products that have sold out numerous times on Sephora. Learn about her fascinating career journey on the newest episode of Second Life.

Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li has more on her plate than just her music career. In the newest episode of Second Life, she tells Hillary Kerr about co-founding an all-female mezcal brand called Yola Mezcal, which aims to economically empower women in Oaxaca.

Acting on not one but two hit shows may be satisfying enough for some, but Pretty Little Liars and You star Shay Mitchell is determined to pursue a variety of other interests. She's already written a YA novel and has developed a successful YouTube lifestyle channel, but now she's pivoting once again to travel entrepreneurship.

How does one go from a job in the district attorney's office to a career as a hotelier running some of the coolest hotels in the U.S. and Mexico? Austin-based hotelier Liz Lambert, who runs the impossibly Instagram-worthy Hotel San Cristóbal in Todos Santos, among other properties, sits down with Hillary Kerr to share her journey from Manhattan to Texas and beyond.

Where do you get your news? If Jessica Yellin's Instagram isn't at the top of your list, it will be soon. The former chief White House correspondent for CNN and founder of #NewsNotNoise tells Second Life how she took her Emmy-winning reporting skills to both social media and book publishing.

Sophia Roe's passion for food and wellness started as a distraction from her tough childhood. Growing up with parents who were substance abusers and eventually ending up in the foster care system, Roe found comfort and stability in both food and music. In the new episode of Second Life, Roe tells Hillary Kerr about overcoming unconventional beginnings, dropping out of college twice, and becoming a chef, wellness expert, and thought leader.

Armed with experience in finance and fashion buying, respectively, sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard started their fashion brand with a single jacket style and no business plan. A decade later, they have a successful label with seven brick-and-mortar stores. Here, they speak about working with a business partner, learning to trust your gut, and the question Anna Wintour asked them.

All of our guests have changed careers at some point, but Susan Tynan's path took several different turns on her way to raising $67 million in venture financing for Framebridge, a quick and affordable custom framing site. The founder and CEO, a Harvard Business School graduate, shares advice on how to accept "no" in your career, how to run a business ethically, and how to lift women up.

It started with a crush. Renowned chef, restaurant owner, and author Nancy Silverton first developed an interest in the food industry because she had a crush on a student cook at the dining hall of her college dorm and convinced him to hire her in the kitchen. Learn how she went from being a pastry chef to running her own empire and winning the food industry's highest honor.

L.A.-based retailer Revolve paved the way for influencer trips that now take over your Instagram feed, and Raissa Gerona is the brains behind the site's innovative strategy. Early in her career, she dealt with her parents' disapproval of her career path and a business failure, but you can bet she learned a thing or two on her way to becoming Revolve's chief brand officer.

Erin and Sara Foster are nothing if not honest. In the newest episode of Second Life, the sisters get real about feeling in over their heads, pursuing careers that paid the bills but weren't fulfilling, and regretting not going to college. Whether you know the Fosters from their parody-reality show on VH1, Barely Famous, or from their current positions as the heads of creative at Bumble, you'll learn a whole new side to the sisters.

Shiona Turini has the résumé that anyone with a dream of working in fashion envies. In episode 50 of Second Life, she shares what she learned cutting her teeth at the industry's major print magazines before fearlessly moving into freelance styling and finally transitioning into costume design for HBO's acclaimed tv series Insecure.

Everyone has interests outside of work, but not everyone knows how to turn their side hustle into a successful business. But it's safe to say that Sierra Tishgart, co-founder of cookware brand Great Jones, knows a thing or two about the transition. In the newest episode of Second Life, Tishgart tells Hillary Kerr how she went from being a Teen Vogue intern to becoming an entrepreneur in home cookware.

How do you go from being a hat maker to running a billion-dollar jewelry brand? In episode 48 of Second Life, Kendra Scott tells Hillary Kerr about the embarrassment of dropping out of college, learning retail "the hardest way possible," and how she transitioned from running a hat store to creating one of the most successful jewelry brands on the market.

Like many of us, Hannah Bronfman's most valuable college experience came from outside the classroom. Bronfman successfully pivoted from being a sculpture major to becoming fashion's favorite DJ and wellness master. In episode 47 of Second Life, Bronfman tells Hillary Kerr how she's learned to cope with the failure of a business venture, understand her worth, and inspire fans to lead a healthier, happier life.

Aimee Song's rise to fashion blogger stardom is a lesson in what you can accomplish by following your passions. The fashion guru behind Song of Style got her start working as a receptionist at a construction company right out of high school while saving up money to pay her own college tuition. It was there that she got her first taste for architecture and design and decided to go to school at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. However, one job interview changed everything. "I got the job because of my outfit," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 46 of Second Life.

Jamie Kantrowitz co-founded Countertop with Nicole Rice based on the goal of helping people focus on wellness through simple and delicious home cooking. Today, the duo sells a variety of products from seasonings to honey, all meant to enhance both the flavor and nutritiousness of your food. But before all this, Kantrowitz was following a very different career path. She spent her twenties working in politics and digital media at companies like Rock the Vote and Myspace. "Even though I've jumped industries, there are common threads that go through it," the entrepreneur tells Hillary Kerr on episode 45 of Second Life.

Everybody knows that before Jennifer Lopez was the multihyphenate superstar she is today, she was Jenny from the block. But most people don’t know how she made the leap from a dancer to an actor to a singer to an icon. “I always knew from a very young age that I loved performing,” Lopez tells Hillary Kerr on episode 44 of Second Life. With the help of Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas (then her agent, now a producer), who’s had a few career swaps of her own, J.Lo catapulted herself to international success. Lopez’s philosophy for mastering the pivot? “If you feel like you need to move, move.” Find out how both women paved their own paths.

Kerry O'Brien never could have anticipated that her career in public relations would lead her to become an underwear designer, but that's exactly what happened. The entrepreneur started out in corporate PR, quickly making her way up the ranks (she was a vice president at just 25 years old). However, when September 11 happened, she felt like she needed a change. She quit her job without a plan, but it wasn't long before she found her next passion: women's underwear.

Carla Hall was always a creative, but before competing on Top Chef, authoring cookbooks, and starring on The Chew, she was auditing at a big accounting firm and pursuing modeling in Europe. When she returned home from Europe—where she'd also taken up cooking—she stumbled into her own lunch delivery service that parlayed itself into catering, culinary school, and her rise to foodie fame. "It was really an adventure," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 42 of Second Life.

Meredith Melling is proof that landing your dream job isn't the end of your career path. In fact, it might even just be the beginning. Melling always wanted to work in fashion, and with a bit of luck, good timing, and the smart decision to dress for the job she wanted, not the job she had, she landed the coveted title of a fashion assistant at Vogue early in her career. But that was only the start of her journey toward creating her own consulting business and co-founding fashion brand La Ligne.

Tyler Haney knows activewear. She was raised in Boulder, Colorado—a town known for its outdoor activities—and grew up running track and field. With a few courses in business and design under her belt paired with the desire to create a sporty uniform for recreational activity, Haney eventually became the CEO and founder of her own brand, Outdoor Voices. However, her journey was filled with challenges and missteps that she looks back on as lessons learned.