Second Life

If you asked Jen Gotch in her 20s what her career might be like today, she'd have had absolutely no idea. "I'm a late bloomer," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 17 of Second Life. The businesswoman and founder of the stylish gifts and accessories brand Ban.do spent college studying literature and philosophy with the goal of becoming a lawyer, only to realize that wasn't the path for her. Little did she know it would be a career in food styling that would ignite her creativity and lead to the beginning of her own brand then, later, a podcast about mental health.

From an early age, Cassandra Grey understood that you have to work for the things you need in life. It's part of what motivated her to not only work at a children's store in high school but eventually go on to manage said store and become a buyer. It's also part of what drove her to create her own, nontraditional PR business in both San Francisco and New York City and what, ultimately, led her to draft the business plan for what's now a multiplatform beauty empire by the name of Violet Grey. "I'm still on the day-to-day hustle," Grey tells Hillary Kerr in Episode 16 of Second Life, where she explains how her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for people guided her through multiple career paths.

The fast-paced world of advertising couldn't seem more opposite to vintage furniture shopping. However, after pressing pause on a career in marketing to raise her quickly growing family, Anna Brockway found herself using her advertising know-how to start her own website for selling vintage furniture. Brockway explains how she turned a little website called Chairish into the curated online marketplace for vintage home goods that it is today on episode 15 of Second Life.

There are two ways to tell Mandy Moore’s career story. While we’re familiar with the highlight reel—Moore was a breakout singer at just 15 and is a Golden Globe nominee—the real story is far more complex. In episode 14 of Second Life, Moore opens up about self-doubt and setbacks and how they helped shape the woman and actor she is today.

Sophia Rossi's résumé is filled with accomplishments, but there's one achievement you won't find on there: graduate. The fiercely successful CEO of women's lifestyle website HelloGiggles skipped college to dive straight into full-time work after high school. In episode 13 of Second Life, Rossi talks about working as a producer on The Hills, learning from startup mistakes, and what it takes to be a great manager.

Tracy Sun may be at the helm of the impressive fashion-tech startup Poshmark, but she doesn't consider herself a "fashion person." She studied biology and psychology in college with the intention of pursuing a career in neuroscience. Little did she know that she would trade medical school for business school and leave behind New York City for the tech mecca that is Silicon Valley. Sun explains how she made the transition from science to startup in episode 12 of Second Life.

Having a successful career might seem like the goal for many actors, but for Jessica Alba, it was a foundation to try something entirely new: building a business. The founder of The Honest Company shares the most powerful lessons she’s learned along the way, including letting go of ego, recruiting the right people, and the most important quality you can possess.

Few people would consider dropping out of college at age 19 to be a pivotal first step toward an impressive career, but that's exactly what Raina Penchansky did. Now co-founder and CEO of digital talent management company Digital Brand Architects (BDA), Penchansky left college during her sophomore year and began building a wildly impressive career in public relations. She explains how her natural instincts for hustling and winging it catapulted her PR career and gave her the courage to launch her own startup in episode 10 of Second Life.

Making the decision to change careers isn't always clear-cut, but holistic nutritionist Kelly LeVeque can pinpoint the moment she realized she was on the wrong path. In episode nine, LeVeque talks about her leap from pharmaceutical sales to nutrition as well as the advice to heed if you’re thinking of starting a business.

Architecture and ice cream may sound like an unlikely combination, but bringing these two concepts together created a recipe for success for Natasha Case, co-founder of the original hipster ice cream truck, Coolhaus. After landing what many would consider a dream job as a Disney Imagineer straight out of graduate school, Case couldn’t shake the idea that she could use architecture for something bigger. For her, that meant blending her love for architecture with food, she explains in episode eight of Second Life.

Emily Current and Meritt Elliot have achieved something that most friends only ever dream about. What started as a college friendship blossomed into a wildly successful business partnership built on mutual respect and admiration. After going their separate ways following graduation, Emily and Meritt took a leap of faith, parting from their lives as freelance stylists and writers to join forces and create what would become multiple successful fashion brands together.

From an outsider's point of view, Mandana Dayani was on a clear path to success: After graduating from USC Gould School of Law, she had an offer lined up at a top firm. But something wasn't right. In episode six of Second Life, the chief brand officer of Everything But the House and former vice president of Rachel Zoe Inc. explains why changing careers was the best decision she ever made.

It's hard to sum up Kelly Oxford's career without resorting to a list. She's a New York Times best-selling author, screenwriter, sexual assault activist, social media sensation, and mom of three. Oxford wasn't always career-focused, though. In episode five of our podcast, Second Life, she explains what it was like to go from stay-at-home mom to social media star and breadwinner in a matter of tweets.

In the publishing industry, few challenges are as daunting as reinventing a beloved classic, but that's exactly what Allure Editor in Chief Michelle Lee was asked to do. In episode four of Second Life, Lee explains how she rose to the challenge and chose to rethink the traditional standards of beauty and publishing.

Few people can be credited with starting a national food craze like Candace Nelson did. The pastry chef and entrepreneur sparked America's cupcake obsession when she opened Sprinkles Cupcakes in 2005, the first of its kind in the world. In the third episode of our podcast, Second Life, Nelson explains why she pivoted from a banker to baker and how she harnessed the power of saying “no."

Jenna Bans's résumé is scarily similar to the list of TV shows we love to binge. As a producer and writer on Grey's Anatomy, co–executive producer on Scandal, and creator of NBC's new crime drama, Good Girls, she's the creative force behind some of the most popular shows of this generation. In episode two of Second Life, Bans opens up about ditching law school to pursue screenwriting, working with Shonda Rhimes, and learning to lead fearlessly.

In our very first episode, host Hillary Kerr sits down with the one and only 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.