Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What happens when the business — and the person — need to grow beyond the identity that made them successful? Emma Chamberlain joins me to answer why, after years of relentless momentum, she's giving herself permission to step back and rediscover what actually fulfills her.
Emma started posting videos at 16, before anyone fully understood what the creator economy would become. Within a couple of years she'd become one of the most-watched people on YouTube, 12 million+ subscribers, ambassador deals with Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Lancôme, and a Spotify-exclusive podcast.
She helped define a new kind of fame, built one of the most recognizable personal brands of her generation, and turned a real love of coffee into Chamberlain Coffee, now in over 8,000 retail doors across Walmart, Target, Costco and Sprouts.
Now, at 25, she's asking a harder question: what actually fulfills her — and what is she willing to walk away from to find out?
In this episode, Emma shares:
· Why she moved into the co-CEO seat, and the fear that came with it
· The real business story behind choosing profitability over growth
· What she's learned running a brand built around one person
· Why she stepped away from her podcast at the height of it
· The personal cost of giving an audience constant access to your life
· Why she believes influencer culture is approaching a major shift
Hey Darlings 💛, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE HERE: youtube.com/@EmmaGrede?sub_confirmation=1
#EmmaChamberlain #ChamberlainCoffee #EmmaGrede #CreatorEconomy #Influencer #PersonalBrand #WomenInBusiness
0:00 Introduction
0:54 Leaving social media
3:30 The hardest part of the job
4:19 Starting in DTC
10:14 Starting YouTube at 16
11:31 The rise
17:01 Ad Break
22:03 Retail strategy
24:49 Profitability over growth
27:43 Scaling down and co-CEO
33:04 No more fear
36:25 Ad Break
38:44 A brand beyond one person
42:01 Why influencing isn't sustainable
48:28 Leaving the podcast
51:06 The cost of constant access
59:05 Ad Break
1:01:39 The future of creators
1:05:51 What do you still aspire to become
1:07:41 Rapid Fire
_____
Emma's book START WITH YOURSELF is out now — grab your copy at emmagrede.com or wherever books are sold.
_____
ABOUT ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world's most successful people.
Emma Grede, one of America's richest self-made women, wants you to make the most of your life. On 'Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet, including goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, investor, philanthropist and former chair of Starbucks, Mellody Hobson, podcast host Jay Shetty, billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, rapper and cultural icon Cardi B, fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons, actress and entrepreneur Issa Rae, bestselling author and motivational powerhouse Mel Robbins, and public luminaries like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Charlamagne Tha God, Jessica Alba, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy, and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology, and, of course, how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need to turn your dreams into reality.
LISTEN TO ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
link.pscrb.fm/f0281/Aspire_YT
_______
ABOUT EMMA GREDE
Emma Grede is a founding partner and chief product officer of SKIMS and CEO of Good American. She also made history as the first Black woman to serve as an investor on Shark Tank. Learn more at: emmagrede.com
What happens when the business — and the person — need to grow beyond the identity that made them successful? Emma Chamberlain joins me to answer why, after years of relentless momentum, she's giving herself permission to step back and rediscover what actually fulfills her.
Emma started posting videos at 16, before anyone fully understood what the creator economy would become. Within a couple of years she'd become one of the most-watched people on YouTube, 12 million+ subscribers, ambassador deals with Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Lancôme, and a Spotify-exclusive podcast.
She helped define a new kind of fame, built one of the most recognizable personal brands of her generation, and turned a real love of coffee into Chamberlain Coffee, now in over 8,000 retail doors across Walmart, Target, Costco and Sprouts.
Now, at 25, she's asking a harder question: what actually fulfills her — and what is she willing to walk away from to find out?
In this episode, Emma shares:
· Why she moved into the co-CEO seat, and the fear that came with it
· The real business story behind choosing profitability over growth
· What she's learned running a brand built around one person
· Why she stepped away from her podcast at the height of it
· The personal cost of giving an audience constant access to your life
· Why she believes influencer culture is approaching a major shift
Hey Darlings 💛, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE HERE: youtube.com/@EmmaGrede?sub_confirmation=1
#EmmaChamberlain #ChamberlainCoffee #EmmaGrede #CreatorEconomy #Influencer #PersonalBrand #WomenInBusiness
0:00 Introduction
0:54 Leaving social media
3:30 The hardest part of the job
4:19 Starting in DTC
10:14 Starting YouTube at 16
11:31 The rise
17:01 Ad Break
22:03 Retail strategy
24:49 Profitability over growth
27:43 Scaling down and co-CEO
33:04 No more fear
36:25 Ad Break
38:44 A brand beyond one person
42:01 Why influencing isn't sustainable
48:28 Leaving the podcast
51:06 The cost of constant access
59:05 Ad Break
1:01:39 The future of creators
1:05:51 What do you still aspire to become
1:07:41 Rapid Fire
_____
Emma's book START WITH YOURSELF is out now — grab your copy at emmagrede.com or wherever books are sold.
_____
ABOUT ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world's most successful people.
Emma Grede, one of America's richest self-made women, wants you to make the most of your life. On 'Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet, including goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, investor, philanthropist and former chair of Starbucks, Mellody Hobson, podcast host Jay Shetty, billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, rapper and cultural icon Cardi B, fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons, actress and entrepreneur Issa Rae, bestselling author and motivational powerhouse Mel Robbins, and public luminaries like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Charlamagne Tha God, Jessica Alba, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy, and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology, and, of course, how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need to turn your dreams into reality.
LISTEN TO ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
link.pscrb.fm/f0281/Aspire_YT
_______
ABOUT EMMA GREDE
Emma Grede is a founding partner and chief product officer of SKIMS and CEO of Good American. She also made history as the first Black woman to serve as an investor on Shark Tank. Learn more at: emmagrede.com
