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If You Only Watch One Video Today, Make It This One

2025-09-01 People & Blogs
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Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins
5.7m subscribers

Emma Grede’s Blueprint: Grit, Vision, and Relentless Execution from Zero to Billionaire

Discover the foundational mindset principles and tactical execution strategies Emma Grede used, rising from a struggling college dropout in East London to co-founding billion-dollar brands, proving that an extraordinary life starts with self-responsibility and relentless effort.

Short Summary

  • Take radical responsibility for your life and intentionally manage your circulating thoughts.
  • Apply intense excellence to every single task, regardless of how small or menial it seems now.
  • Understand that "overnight success" is a misnomer; success is built over decades of consistent hard work.
  • Use failures and disliked jobs to clearly define what you do not want, guiding your path forward.

This conversation unveils Emma Grede’s journey from poverty and academic struggle to entrepreneurial dominance in fashion and business. Readers gain insight into shifting blame into action, defining personal excellence separate from external perfectionism, and understanding the multi-decade commitment required for true industry impact.

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Description

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — This episode is a MUST listen. Mel calls it “the single best conversation” she has ever recorded. If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or doubting yourself, you need to hit play. This is the most motivational, eye-opening episode that you will ever hear, and it will give you the roadmap to become the person you’ve always wanted to be. Today, Mel is joined by Emma Grede. Emma is one of the most successful self-made businesswomen in the world, playing a huge role in 3 billion dollar brands, as the founding partner of SKIMS, cofounder & CEO of Good American, and co-founder of Safely. But this is not a conversation about business. It’s about creating an extraordinary life, even if you’re starting from nothing. Emma was raised in East London by a single mom. She’s dyslexic and did poorly in school. She dropped out of college in her first year because she couldn’t afford tuition. But that was just the start of her story. She proves that anything is possible when you refuse to quit. Today, she has built 3 billion-dollar companies, became a Shark on Shark Tank, and is the host of Aspire with Emma Grede – in addition to being a mom of 4. In this conversation, Emma will give you the mindset, the strategy, and the motivation to bet on yourself when the world doubts you. This is a masterclass in grit, vision, and relentless execution. By the time it’s over, you’ll stop waiting, stop wishing, and start moving. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-321/ Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Meet The Guest 04:15 Emma’s Story as a 17-Year-Old College Dropout 11:53 How to Get Unstuck and Take the First Step 18:46 Why There’s No Secret to Success 27:03 Pursuing Excellence Over Perfection 32:19 The Mindset Reframe That Emma Lives By 37:31 How to Stay Motivated When Your Job Isn’t Your Dream 42:01 Nobody Is Better Than You — And You’re Not Better Than Anyone Else 49:05 The Origin Story of Good American 59:45 Inside the Billion Dollar Pitch That Changed Everything 1:04:02 What Nobody Tells You About Overnight Success 1:12:04 How to Craft a Business Pitch That Actually Works 1:15:50 Brutally Honest Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 1:21:30 The One Skill You Must Learn to Stay Relevant 1:26:52 Your Dream Only Works If You Do — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Top Comments (10)

@Brklynpark 2025-09-02

I love what she said about being 42 and having her dream job for only 5 years, THAT is something that is not normalized. Thank you Emma <3

866 11 replies
@canberravocaldevelopment9413 2025-09-02

“If you have choices, you can pivot, if you don’t have choices, do what’s in front of you”. So good.

589 4 replies
@HoTtrendingV 2025-09-09

A few months ago, I used to feel so embarrassed about my body. I wasn’t even overweight, but I just didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. No matter what I did, I wasn’t happy with myself. But then I started reading The Silent Feminine Power by Lana Cressel and instead of scrolling my fyp I watched self-love and ‘that girl’ type videos on YouTube. This book truly changed everything for me. I started working out, cut down on sugar, started drinking 3L water daily, and instead of watching useless content on YouTube, I’ve started watching videos like you make. I focused more on myself, and now my acne is gone, my body feels like a new version of me, and most importantly my mindset has changed. Even my hobbies have shifted. I started my own small business, something I never thought I’d have the confidence to do. I used to be super shy, never stood up for myself, and let people say whatever they wanted. But now I’ve learned to speak up, to defend myself, and to be proud of who I am. I’m honestly so grateful for this growth. 💖 ✨

406 4 replies
@nikevabrown6614 2025-09-01

16:25 “if you don’t know what to pursue, then you should pursue yourself”. Gems dropped 💎💎💎

358 3 replies
@Rinafashionista 2025-09-02

"Be excellent at where your at with whatever you're doing" Emma dropping bars!

353 2 replies
@364anw 2025-09-05

I hear too often from millionaires and people society calls ‘successful’ that success is simply about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. While I'm happy for their success. I'm still thinking about the people in lower-income communities who wake up at 5 a.m., show up to low-paying jobs with relentless work ethic, and still hold big dreams of building something greater—yet never make it out of where they are? The narrative that struggle equals laziness is false. Many in these communities live with determination and resilience, while plenty of high-income earners carry low-vibrational mindsets and weak work ethic. That’s the conversation I want to see because it’s long overdue.

204 13 replies
@Squiddit2025 2025-09-04

Mel, I cried when you and Emma said, “If you don’t know what your passion is, make yourself the reason… pursue yourself.” 💥 I’m 53 and only recently diagnosed with ADHD. My head has been so loud with constant “shoulds” that I’ve never truly connected with my why or passion. In that moment, it felt like you were speaking directly to me. Thank you for paving the way to finally choose me. ❤️

126 4 replies
@alanasimonecoach2226 2025-09-04

As someone who went to the same school as Emma I am blown away by her journey and hung onto every word. So inspiring

72
@TheNewEarthCollective1-x2m 2025-10-05

I’ve done it all, mostly alone. Moved thousands of miles alone, started businesses, raised kids, unschooled, and I’m putting them through college now…❤

68 1 replies
@msaparajita849 2025-09-07

It's sad how I'm often forced by my elders to be "friends" with some people. Every time I watch a podcast like this, I'm like THESE are the kind of friends that I want in life. Not ones who'll ridicule things like sincerity and hardwork, but rather inspire and encourage such qualities ✨

62 5 replies

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