Pod Insights Aspire with Emma Grede Kristin Cavallari on the Business That Set Her Free About this episode Kristin Cavallari became a household name before she'd even graduated high school, and spent the next two decades building a life, a business, and a family under constant public scrutiny.
But this conversation isn't just about the version of her life you've seen on screen.
In this episode, Kristin sits down with Emma for a candid conversation about money, financial independence, and what it actually took to leave her marriage on her own terms. Together, they unpack the financial planning most people never talk about, the power of building something that's truly yours, and why Kristin believes money isn't about lifestyle—it's about freedom.
Kristin shares:
Why knowing her "number" changed the way she thinks about money and success
How the success of Uncommon James gave her the confidence to leave her marriage
Why she walked away from her divorce giving up money instead of taking it—and why she'd do it again
Why she recently replaced her entire C-suite—and the leadership lesson every founder eventually faces
How she's building Uncommon James on her own terms while raising three kids
How twenty years in the public eye taught her to stop living for other people's approval
How much freedom does financial independence really give you? And what would change if you knew you could always choose yourself?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. And subscribe to Aspire with Emma Grede so you don't miss what's next.
Transcript 12,927 words · 2 speakers
Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:09 Emma Grede? Today, I'm having a conversation with Kristin Cavallari. Most people first met Kristin when she was 17 years old on Laguna Beach. But since then, she's been a reality star, a mother, a divorcee, a podcaster, and someone who has had almost every chapter of her life watched and judged in public. But what I find so interesting about Kristin is not the public narrative around her, it's what she quietly built beneath it. Today, she's the founder and CEO of Uncommon James, a business she started with $50,000, without a big team or a perfect plan, but a very clear understanding of her customer. We talk about building that company while raising three young kids, why its success gave her the confidence to leave a marriage that no longer fit,
0:51 Emma Grede? and the mindset that shapes the way she thinks about money, freedom, and work. Here's Kristin Cavallari.
1:06 Emma Grede? Kristin Cavallari, welcome to Aspire.
1:08 Speaker 01 Thank you, I'm excited to be here.
1:10 Emma Grede? I'm so happy to have you here. Honestly, when I think about you, and I've been thinking about you non-stop for the last couple of days, like, I just said to you, I feel like you've always been on a screen in my life, my entire life.
1:22 Speaker 01 I'm sorry.
1:22 Emma Grede? Which can't be true, because I'm much older than you. But I feel like you've just lived such a big life. There's like, you know, you as a teenage reality star, you as an adult reality star, there is you as the businesswoman, as the mother, as the divorcee, as the podcaster. You've just done so much. And what I want to ask you is, like, almost, what is the through line? What is the one thing that has never changed in your life throughout all the stages that you've been in?
1:50 Speaker 01 Wow, I love that question. We're just starting off strong.
1:53 Emma Grede? Let's go.
1:54 Speaker 01 Wow, the one through line, probably authenticity. And I really credit that to having a lasting career. I think when I, you know, got in the entertainment world on Laguna Beach when I was 17, I was authentic then, without even realizing it, I think. It wasn't a conscious decision. I just have only ever known to be myself, to fully be myself. And that's lasted throughout well into adulthood. And now I'm 39 years old and I can sit here today and still tell you, I've always been authentic, everything I've done, it's because I've wanted to.
2:29 Speaker 01 You know, even launching businesses, brand deals, the podcast, like anything I've ever done, it has to be something that I fully encompass and I'm fully on board with and excited about. And I think that the audience can tell through all of that.
2:43 Emma Grede? 100%. I think it really shows. I heard you say recently that this is the first time in your life where you literally don't give a shit what anyone thinks, which I love that for you. After 20 years of public opinion, what do you think has changed?
2:55 Speaker 01 I think it's a combination of growing up, maturing. I think when you get into your 30s, and now that I'm almost in my 40s, I think you start to understand what's important in life and people's perception of you. When you can finally understand it actually has nothing to do with you, I think that's a really beautiful place to be. And I mean, listen, I've dealt with public opinion since I was 17. And I think at the time, that was really hard. And I used to go into the chat rooms and read what people were saying. This is before social media, where now people have a direct line of communication. And it's kind of hard to avoid. But I think when your life becomes so much bigger, and I've got kids, and I've got the business, and I've got beautiful friendships, who cares what, you know, Jane in Montana thinks of me? I mean, at the end of the day, it doesn't
3:40 Speaker 01 matter. And I really do fully understand now that her opinion of me has nothing to do with me. It says more about her than it does about me. And that goes for everybody. And so I think when you can really start to understand that and embody it, it's very freeing. And it makes you be able to move throughout your life how you want to, rather than what other people's opinions are going to be.
4:01 Emma Grede? I completely agree with that. And I think that what I see with you is that you've built a ton of resilience. And people often ask, like, where does that come from? And I always think that resilience comes through going through so much and coming out at the other end. And you have been through a lot, like you've done, and we're going to talk today about all of the successful things that you've done in this beautiful business that you've built. You've also done a lot of things that haven't worked. And I guess I'm trying to like, really understand like, how you just keep everything going? Like, what allows you to keep going?
4:32 Speaker 01 Yeah, I would say I am definitely resilient. And that started in childhood. I mean, and I think you understand that more than anybody. That's not Something that all of a sudden, when you're 18 and on TV, you develop that. Like, that started just from parents divorce, stepfamilies, different things that happened in my, my early life. And I learned at an early age also, if I wanted something, I was gonna have to do it myself. And so that has carried me through. And even when I got on TV, like, I, I was always a new girl. I moved around a lot. And so I was always forced into these new situations where it was sink or swim. And I knew how to swim. I was always really good at that. And that has carried through. And I think that's really helped me as a business owner.
5:17 Speaker 01 And I think being in the entertainment world too, you have to learn how to be resilient. You get told no every single day, pretty much, and you can't let that stop you. You have to brush it off. You have to pick yourself back up and keep going.
5:29 Emma Grede? Yeah, I mean, and it feels like you've done that so much. I mean, we have literally been watching you since you were 17 years old. And it's so funny because I feel like there has been this narrative that's followed you around for 20 fucking years.
5:41 Speaker 01 Yeah. What would you say that narrative is?
5:43 Emma Grede? I just don't know. I'm gonna let you talk about that. But it's so interesting, right? Because even as we fuck around and do TikToks, it's like there are these things that everybody assumes that they know about you.
5:54 Speaker 01 Yeah.
5:55 Emma Grede? And I just wonder, like, what is the thing that you know about yourself? Like, what is, what have you learned about yourself, having gone through all of these years of, like, public scrutiny? And people thinking that they know you way more than they actually do?
6:09 Speaker 01 Well, first of all, I know that the public perception about me is not fact. And I think I had to really wrap my head around that because it's an interesting thing. Getting on TV at 17 years old, overnight, my life completely changed. And people knew who I was. And all of a sudden, paparazzi is following me everywhere. And I'm on the cover of every tabloid.
6:28 Emma Grede? How quickly did that happen to you?
6:29 Speaker 01 I mean, it happened fast. So I was a junior in high school when we started filming. It aired my senior year. So in a way, I will say that first year, I was still able to sort of be in this bubble. In Laguna Beach, still going to high school. The only difference was I would literally be in class and MTV would call me and be like, "Hey, we need you to get on a plane and be on TRL tomorrow." And I'd be like, "Oh, my God." Like, so like, it was so crazy, my life. But, and then I graduated high school. I moved up to LA and I started pursuing this career in entertainment. But I mean, I never got to have your typical You know, college experience or like those ages like 18 to 23, those formative years, I was on TV and people knew who I was. Every move was being followed. And so
7:12 Speaker 01 that was, that was interesting. And I think those years, no one really knows who they are, right? You're still figuring it out. And I think for me, it was, it was weird because the public had this opinion about me. And I remember being like, I really, I don't know who I am, but I don't think I'm that girl. But I think in a lot of ways, what it did do was it made me take a hard look in the mirror and be like, I definitely know I don't want to be that girl. So it really did make me grow up. And I just, I remember one time I, I met with a producer and he said, my best advice for you is to meet as many people as possible, because I was so different than how I was portrayed on the show.
7:51 Emma Grede? Because he saw that in you and he was like, you need to get around.
7:53 Speaker 01 Yeah, he's like, you need to get in front of as many people as possible so that people can see that you're not this girl. And so it was just an interesting time of trying to figure out who I was, aside from public perception. But I think trying to almost disassociate from public perception was important for my own mental health and my own maturity and just trying to grow into the woman that I ultimately wanted to become.
8:15 Emma Grede? But you were so young. Did you ever find yourself like playing into the character? Was there any part of it to you that was actually quite, because you were getting so much attention, I can imagine that being like quite alluring in some ways.
8:27 Speaker 01 Well, on camera, absolutely. So I took a break between Laguna Beach and The Hills. But when I joined The Hills, I remember saying to them, listen, I know the character you want me to play. I'm all for it. I mean, and it is fun playing the villain, you know, I got to live it up. And I, I knew at that, at that moment, it would be easier for me to lean into it than try to fight it, because ultimately, these producers are going to get what they want anyways. So I may as well be on board and have a good time with it.
8:51 Emma Grede? Totally. Do you think that growing up in front of the cameras actually gave you like an advantage to, I almost mean that when it comes to like, understanding the dynamics, the part you have to play, what the audience or a customer wants, like, was any of it actually quite informative to you as you've moved into becoming like more of your own business?
9:11 Speaker 01 That's a good question. Question. That's interesting. I've actually never thought of that. I would say no, only because that's never been a conscious thought or decision for me. Again, I think it goes back to that authenticity piece of I've never tried to put on a show, not even a show, but I've never tried to like be this character or this person, even as the founder of Uncommon James or on this, on a podcast, whatever it is. I've always just been myself and it's just never even occurred to me to like carry that over into everyday life.
9:43 Emma Grede? I'm so glad. No, because I can imagine when you're, when you're so young, and I've been in situations myself where something's expected of you and so you kind of play into it. And sometimes it's hard to make that, you know, that almost like the distinction when you're there and you're paying a character and you're getting so much love for that. And then wait a minute, you've got to step into this like other side of your life. It must have been like a really, just like a really taxing time, I imagine.
10:07 Speaker 01 Yeah. I mean, I think, I think because I had a separate life. Like I really think of The Hills when I think of these types of situations. I had a very separate life. So I was dating off the show. I had friends that weren't on the show. So I was able to really look at The Hills as a job.
10:21 Emma Grede? You had some separation.
10:22 Speaker 01 And I think for my own sanity, that was really important because I remember when I first joined The Hills, there was a gray area with a lot of people. They didn't know it was real anymore, what was fake. And that scared the shit out of me, quite honestly. So I just knew I wanted to keep everything separate. And I think that ultimately saved me.
10:37 Emma Grede? No doubt it saved you. Like a hundred percent. I wonder when you look back at your younger self, are there things that you've had to like, unlearn to become the person and the woman that you are today?
10:48 Speaker 01 I would say most of that would be just work personally that I've had to do. I think when I look back at like seventeen year old me, I was a mess. And I was ultimately really insecure. And so like my biggest thing that I've had to learn over the last however many years is Like a mantra that I used to tell myself is I am whole. I've had to learn that I am whole, just like we all are. We all are enough, but I have a narcissistic dad. And I think it really affected me and I always felt like nothing was ever good enough. I was never enough. And that's ultimately been like my healing journey. And that carries over into business and to everything else that I'm doing.
11:30 Speaker 01 I think now where I am sitting in front of you, I can tell you I'm very much comfortable in my skin. I'm at peace, I'm happy.
11:36 Emma Grede? Do you feel whole?
11:38 Speaker 01 I do feel whole. And I think the difference too is in my, you know, early twenties, we'll say, I was working so hard and chasing all of these things that ultimately never fulfilled me. And I found my worth in my resume. Where now it's very different. I actually feel like I'm good, like I can almost kick back. But I do have that fire in me still, I'm a Capricorn. Like I do love working and I, you know, I get so much out of it. But it's a different sort of chase now that I find where now it's more just like, I know what I'm capable of and there's so much more that I want to do with Uncommon James or whatever else it may be. Where before I was like chasing this open ended thing that was never going to fulfill me.
12:20 Emma Grede? And it's never could never be satisfied. I don't know, maybe I'm just being like really narrow minded when I think about you. Like even as you say, like I have a mantra, like I never think about you and put you like as a, like a super spiritual person. Is that a part of you that I've like completely missed? Like where did you even learn to have a mantra?
12:39 Speaker 01 I, okay, so it's so funny because I've become so spiritual and I tried to do this whole spiritual thing on my podcast and it did not resonate with my audience. I'm like, you guys, come on.
12:49 Emma Grede? They were like, they wanted some tea.
12:51 Speaker 01 What? Let's go back to talking about dating.
12:53 Emma Grede? You can do it, it's fine. I actually am so interested because when you said that, I was like, really? She has a mantra?
12:58 Speaker 01 Oh, my gosh. I, my spirituality, not to be like, you know, cliche or cheesy, but it's really become everything for me.
13:06 Emma Grede? Really?
13:06 Speaker 01 So what happened with, my brother passed 10 years ago.
13:08 Emma Grede? I'm so sorry.
13:09 Speaker 01 Thank you. And that was what sort of like jump started my spirituality and the journey that I've been on. And I think really when you lose someone. Start asking a lot of questions, right? And questions about life and what are we all doing here? And where do they go when they die? And so it's been this evolution of it. And then I started doing hypnotherapy and I've, I've just done a lot of work in the spiritual world. And that's given me so much peace and really, I don't know, I just, I really look to spirituality now for guidance. And ultimately, I think what spirituality does for people, it allows us to trust ourselves and know that we are our own best compass. It's that gut feeling or whatever you want to call it.
13:51 Speaker 01 I just think it's your best guide in life and I've really leaned on that a lot.
13:55 Emma Grede? I love that for you. I mean, it's so interesting because I think that we all need something like in times like, and again, it can just be a time when things get really difficult in your personal life, in your business life, but you always need something to go back and something to go home to.
14:10 Speaker 01 Yeah.
14:11 Emma Grede? So I love that you've found that for yourself because, you know, you know, more than anyone, like life will throw a pile of shit at you at some point.
14:18 Speaker 01 Exactly. And being able to say, okay, there's a, like I, I'm that, you know, cliche where it's like, I think everything has a meaning and I'm always looking at it like, what's the lesson in this? It's like, okay, this sucks.
14:29 Emma Grede? No doubt.
14:30 Speaker 01 But what's the lesson in this?
14:31 Emma Grede? Sometimes the lesson doesn't come so immediately, but you're like, I will find a lesson in this.
14:36 Speaker 01 Exactly. It can be hard. But I really do think ultimately there is a reason for everything. And that has helped me in every facet of my life, whether it's romantic partners, you know, business, friends, kids, being a mom. I think it really, it's helped me a lot.
15:03 Emma Grede? I'm so interested to talk to you about Uncommon, James, because I don't know if you remember, I met you for the first time. I don't know if it was like three or four years ago.
15:12 Speaker 01 I remember in New York.
15:12 Emma Grede? Yeah, we were in New York and we were both on a thing and you looked so gorgeous. You were in like, you know, fit and lovely and toned and in a good outfit. I was like, oh, look, she looks as good as she does on the telly. So nice when someone's not a disappointment. Um, and then you were so like cute and lovely and I heard you speak. And if I'm again, just being super honest, because we were on a very serious like business type panel situation. Um, for a very serious client that we love. And, um, you spoke so eloquently about your business and you spoke so thoughtfully. And again, very honestly, and I was really impressed. I was like, oh shit, she's like really doing her thing. And I really want you to talk just a little bit about Uncommon James, because my audience is always, you know, they're the most entrepreneurial.
15:56 Emma Grede? They're the people that wanna start things. And your start was really interesting because you had all of these opportunities. You were doing a deal here, a deal here, a bit of an endorsement, but you actually decided to go out and start on your own. And to this day, you're still a hundred percent self-funded.
16:12 Speaker 01 Yeah.
16:12 Emma Grede? It's your company, you own it a hundred percent. But I'm interested to understand like A, what led you there and how all of the smaller opportunities that led to this. Like how, how did that actually inform the business that you've got today?
16:24 Speaker 01 Well, first of all, thank you. Okay, so I first, my first intro into the branding world was I had a shoe line with Chinese Laundry. Who I loved, you know, I grew up wearing them and I'm really thankful for them to this day. And I had it for I think five, five and a half years.
16:39 Emma Grede? Oh, that's pretty good going.
16:40 Speaker 01 Yeah, it was substantial.
16:41 Emma Grede? You were selling some shoes.
16:42 Speaker 01 I was selling shoes, slinging shoes. And I learned so much with that experience. The biggest takeaway for me was that I know my girl, I know my customer. And the shoes that I felt so strongly about were always my top sellers. But because I was working with a team of people, a well-established company, they know what they're doing, they're the experts. I would bend sometimes and I would listen to what they wanted me to do. Those shoes never performed, so I got to see very quickly, I've got a really good handle on who my girl is. And that is invaluable, as you know. And so I. Well, I had final say, I sort of didn't, right? I was working with a team of people and I had this fire in me to prove to myself and everybody that I could really do a lot more in the branding world.
17:27 Speaker 01 And so, yeah, I decided to launch Uncommon James. At the time, I was essentially a stay at home mom. I mean, I would pop into LA and do some hosting for E.
17:36 Emma Grede? How old were your kids at that point?
17:37 Speaker 01 Sailor, my baby, she was only a year and a half when I launched Uncommon James. And she was, I mean, they were all little.
17:42 Emma Grede? Babies.
17:43 Speaker 01 Babies.
17:43 Emma Grede? But you had like babies?
17:44 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah, they were all little.
17:45 Emma Grede? All under five, essentially?
17:46 Speaker 01 Yeah, exactly.
17:47 Emma Grede? Three under five, that's a fucking nightmare.
17:48 Speaker 01 But you know, because I was home all the time and I, I've always-
17:51 Emma Grede? But that's so hard, like that's a crazy time to even have the headspace to think about doing something.
17:57 Speaker 01 That's just who I am though, is like, I always have to be doing stuff. Like, I'm not the kind of person that can sit on the couch and watch TV. I'm always like, there's so much more I could be doing. Like, I just, I don't like downtime, I gotta be moving, I gotta be going. So I launched Uncommon James and I launched it in, you know, my house. It was Pretty Small Potatoes at the time. And so I was able to do it. I had a girl who would come over and help me ship out boxes, but that was it. I'd always sort of toyed with going back to reality, but I wanted it to be on my terms and I wanted it to really serve me. I always knew, I always used to say, I can go back to reality in 20 years if I want, it'll always be there. So, when I launched Uncommon James, I just thought, this is a really good opportunity to go back to reality TV, show everything that it takes to launch a company, pull back the curtain, good and bad.
18:41 Speaker 01 And yeah, I pitched it to E and E was excited about it.
18:44 Emma Grede? They were like, let's go. But take me back to the beginning, right? Because you actually launched the company with $50,000 of your own savings.
18:50 Speaker 01 Yeah.
18:50 Emma Grede? You had no team, it was just you, you were like shipping out of your own house. Talk to me about what that first year actually looked like.
18:57 Speaker 01 Well, so the $50,000 came because I had a jewelry line with one of my good friends at the time and she bought me out of the company with that $50,000. So I used that $50,000 to launch Uncommon James.
19:08 Emma Grede? Did you feel, I think that's, it's a really important part to think about because I'm assuming that you didn't just have lots of $50,000 hanging around. So you're like loaded at that point?
19:19 Speaker 01 Yeah, well-
19:20 Emma Grede? Was it a risk for you? Because again, I think some people find it very difficult to seemingly think about like putting a- Bunch of money into something that's unproven.
19:29 Speaker 01 Well, right. And how I sort of looked at it was it wasn't $50,000 coming out of my pocket. Right. I mean, we had this jewelry line that wasn't doing well. I actually tried to buy her out of it. Again, thank God, one of the best things that's ever happened. She was able to get $50,000 to buy me out of it. So, yes, I mean, to me, that was money that would be easy to start the company with because again, yes, it wasn't coming out of my pocket.
19:51 Emma Grede? Fair.
19:52 Speaker 01 With that 50,000, I think 20 went to the photography. I mean, a big, a big chunk.
19:58 Emma Grede? You in the campaign?
19:59 Speaker 01 Yeah, I was. And I still use that same photographer to this day for every single campaign.
20:04 Emma Grede? No, you don't.
20:05 Speaker 01 He's the best.
20:05 Emma Grede? That's so nice.
20:06 Speaker 01 He's the best. But I knew, I just, I mean, images are everything. Your content, your images, they really are what's conveying. The feeling, the message, your whole aesthetic. And so I knew that I wanted to definitely put money behind that. Obviously, product, which I think I launched with like eight or nine SKUs and ordered not, I mean, I probably, I don't remember exactly. Maybe it was 500 per, per each SKU, because I think that was the minimum at the time, which I probably would have done lower if I could have. And then I hired someone to create my website and that was it. I had no business plan. I didn't, I've never really taken a step back to think about anything. I'm someone who just goes off of gut instinct. And if I have an idea, I just go and I execute it.
20:47 Emma Grede? So there was no like grand vision. I'm going to start a lifestyle empire. I'm going to be in these categories. It's gonna, you know, eventually be bricks and mortar and so, nothing.
20:56 Speaker 01 Literally, nothing.
20:57 Emma Grede? I know my customer. I can sell shit. I'm me. I'm going.
21:00 Speaker 01 Literally, that's it.
21:02 Emma Grede? Wow, that's just so crazy.
21:04 Speaker 01 I created our Instagram and I think the first, you know, nine photos were just the image, the vibe that I wanted to convey. And that was it. That was it.
21:12 Emma Grede? What was your ambition? Like, do you remember if you go back to when you started, do you remember what you were trying to get to? Like, did you have a number? Did you, like, what was there?
21:21 Speaker 01 No, I had no number. I just knew I could do so much more than I was. I just had this fire in me to prove to everybody that I could make it in the branding world.
21:31 Emma Grede? Wow.
21:31 Speaker 01 And I think again, because with Chinese laundry, I felt very limited. And then with the jewelry line that I had with my friend, it was called Emerald Dove at the time. I also felt really limited because she was involved in all of the operations. She was designing. Essentially, she was doing everything and I was just marketing and I just. I didn't love it the way that I knew I could love it because I wasn't as involved. I'm also a bit of a control freak.
21:53 Emma Grede? You wanted the involvement, you wanted to get like.
21:56 Speaker 01 To this day, I've always said I'm the heartbeat of Uncommon James, the same way every founder is the heartbeat of their company. I've seen, because I've had Uncommon James for nine years, when I've tried to take a slight step back, it shows. And when I come back in guns a blazing and I'm excited and I'm fired up, it shows and everyone can feel that energy and, and I just, yeah, because you know what? At the end of the day, no one's going to care about your company as much as you do. And that's just the truth.
22:26 Emma Grede? No, but I mean, it really is the truth. I'm, I'm interested to understand like what you actually learned about yourself as a founder. Like when you were just like this one man band that you couldn't have learned any other way. Like what actually happened to inform you and the type of leader and businesswoman that you would eventually become?
22:44 Speaker 01 The learning lessons for me have actually happened later. And I think, I think for me, one of the biggest things is because during COVID, I hired my whole C suite team, you know? And I got some of the best people and I used recruiters and did the whole thing. And these are the experts, these are the people that have, you know, tons of experience. And I really felt like they know what's best. And they do in a lot of ways, there's a lot that I can, that I can still learn. And especially with like, you know, warehouse functionality and some of these things. I don't really know what I'm doing, right? I'm gonna, I'm gonna lean on the experts for these things. But when it comes to anything that's the heartbeat of the company, the marketing, the product, you know, anything customer facing.
23:29 Speaker 01 I have learned that actually I don't think you need all of these years of experience to be an expert. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I would say I do know what's best for my company. And I think a lot of founders could probably attest to that. Just because someone has 30 years of experience doesn't always mean that they have the answer.
23:49 Emma Grede? So I think you heard Jennifer Fisher say, if you can fund it yourself, don't take outside money.
23:54 Speaker 01 It must have been, I don't know if I was about to launch Uncommon James or. Right after I saw an interview that she did and yeah, she said, if you can do it yourself, do it. And that for some reason just stuck with me.
24:03 Emma Grede? And have you ever even considered raising capital?
24:06 Speaker 01 Yeah, I have. And I do think there may come a time when when we do. For me, there is so much more that I still want to do before I bring on an investor. To me, the reason to bring on an investor is to grow it, to sell it, right? And I think really for us, what that would mean is open seventy five stores. You know, stores are expensive and we continue to open stores. We're about to open Austin. But because it's just me putting money back into the company, it's slow and steady. You know, stores are expensive. And so that would be the reason why. I just feel like I'm not quite there yet because there's so much more I want to do still.
24:41 Emma Grede? Fair. No, listen, and I think it's so interesting to like have a business that is actually tracking and doing really well, and for you to be making the decisions and going at your own pace.
24:51 Speaker 01 That's the thing. Not having anyone to answer to is a dream come true for me.
24:56 Emma Grede? Right. Well, especially also, I think at this point in your life, when you had three young children, like that's not, that's not all you're doing, right? It's not just about the business. And so having an element of flexibility, of not being answerable to shareholders, of making the decisions, of you deciding if and what and when and how is, you know.
25:16 Speaker 01 That's the thing. That's the thing. And it's not like I just have the kids and uncommon James. I also, how I look at it is I've got two buckets. I've got my family bucket and my work bucket. And work almost never spills over into family. But.
25:28 Emma Grede? And we're going to talk about that.
25:29 Speaker 01 We're going to talk. We'll talk about that.
25:33 Speaker 01 But work, it's not just uncommon James. I've got the podcast. I'm doing TV things. I've got.
25:38 Emma Grede? Tell me, let's actually go through like, what is your professional life? You have the brand and there's a whole team and we're talking a hundred people all in. It's bricks and mortar. It's direct to consumer. And that is, and how much of your time are you like working on that brand every day?
25:54 Speaker 01 I go into the office every single Tuesday and I'm there all day. And I'm going to start going, I think now twice a week.
25:59 Emma Grede? Got it.
26:00 Speaker 01 But I was in Cabo last week with my kids and we were just talking about this. And I was up before them on the phone with general contractor. For our Austin store and on emails and trying to do all the things, you know, so I am, I'm very much involved and my emails are outrageous, you know, it just sort of is what it is.
26:16 Emma Grede? What do you mean outrageous?
26:18 Speaker 01 They stress me out so much. That is the one thing. I hate emails so much. If I don't look at my phone, I'll come back and it's just, it's hundreds.
26:24 Emma Grede? So what happens on the other three days? So you're two days a week in the office?
26:27 Speaker 01 Yep.
26:28 Emma Grede? And the other three days, what does that look like?
26:29 Speaker 01 A lot of podcast work. So, and with my podcast, I have an incredible producer, but really I'm the one doing all the prep work. I'm of course, obviously taping the podcast. I do a first pass listen at it and then I'm going through and approving all of the clips. I mean, I'm doing, I'm doing a lot of it. People don't realize how much work a podcast is.
26:48 Emma Grede? No, they don't.
26:49 Speaker 01 They do not realize.
26:50 Emma Grede? I definitely didn't. But I do think if you're, if you're really hands on with, and you have a partner, right? You're with Dear Media.
26:56 Speaker 01 Yes, yes.
26:57 Emma Grede? But you have a producer and you're hands on and you're like in the studio, you're like doing that from home.
27:03 Speaker 01 So luckily I have a studio in my house, which is incredible. So I can just walk on out there. But yes, a lot of the times I am prepping because what I'll do is I'll come out to LA and I'll bank, you know, four, five, six podcasts. Yeah, it's a lot of prep work and then the past, but so it's, so it's, it's podcast, it's uncommon James. I just launched a new sparkling juice with protein called Fizin. I'm working on.
27:25 Emma Grede? How much protein is in?
27:27 Speaker 01 I should have brought you.
27:28 Emma Grede? You definitely should have. It's actually rude not to.
27:31 Speaker 01 We'll send you guys.
27:32 Emma Grede? Yeah, I'm not the protein freak. Like every day I'm like, am I at a hundred and twenty five grams?
27:37 Speaker 01 Okay, I got you.
27:37 Emma Grede? I can't eat another fucking thing.
27:39 Speaker 01 You don't need chicken anymore. I've got you.
27:41 Emma Grede? I'm up to here with cottage cheese. I can't go.
27:44 Speaker 01 But I'm also working on, I'm launching a company called True Bakes and it's, because I've got cookbooks. So some of my recipes, ready to bake baking mixes that you just add egg and oil or whatever to it. So.
27:55 Emma Grede? You're doing the most.
27:56 Speaker 01 I'm doing the most.
27:57 Emma Grede? And why are you, like, tell me, what is it that drives you to doing all of these different things? Is it about the money? Is it about? Satisfying different parts of your creativity. Like, I really want to understand, like, why are you doing all of those things?
28:09 Speaker 01 Great, fair question. I get something different from all of them. My real passion is actually in the health world, I would say. I've had four books, but three of them are cookbooks and they're all very healthy. And when people come up to me on the street, this has happened more when my cookbooks came out. It's been a few years, but people would come up to me and say, I've started cooking how you cook and I've lost 20 pounds. It's like that for me is everything. And because I have three kids and I've always been so conscious about everything I'm putting in my body and used to be their bodies, now that they're older, I can only control so much. But when I'm at home, you know, I'm cooking very healthy. And so these recipes that I'm doing for True Bakes, they all have a hidden added benefit. So like my zucchini almond butter blondies, they have zucchini in them.
28:54 Speaker 01 I have green banana muffins with spinach in them and you can't taste it. But so I just want all of this to be really accessible for moms, that specifically for moms, where it's easy to actually get some, some nutrition in your kids without it becoming this huge battle.
29:09 Emma Grede? Are you driven by money at all?
29:10 Speaker 01 Absolutely. I would be lying if I said it. I always have been, by the way, my whole life. And I think, so, so my parents got a divorce in third grade and my dad moved to California. My mom got remarried and we moved to Chicago. And my mom at the time wouldn't give me anything, anything. I remember one time I wanted a $40 pair of jeans and she wouldn't buy it for me. And it, I mean, it drove me crazy at the time, but I'm so thankful now because it taught me that if I wanted something, I was gonna have to work for it. I was gonna have to make it happen myself. And then I moved to California, my freshman year of high school, and I moved in with my dad. And it was a very different situation. My dad didn't throw money at me, but it was never an issue. If I wanted money, I could have money. And I didn't, for some reason, I didn't like it. I didn't want to take his money.
29:53 Speaker 01 So I went and got a job when I was 16 because I wanted to, not because I had to. And I remember that was interesting for my dad. My dad kind of brought that up, like, why are you working? I've just never wanted to take money that wasn't mine. And I saw with my stepmom at the time, they had a very toxic dynamic around money. My dad used to have to give me money in an envelope. He would lie to her about it. And I just knew I never wanted to be in a relationship, an unhappy relationship or a toxic relationship because of money. To me, I knew at a young age, money was freedom. Money gives you choices and especially as a woman. I just think it's so important. And so I've always wanted the option to stay or leave.
30:47 Emma Grede? Have you had unfortunate money experiences in your life? I'm just thinking you were famous like so young.
30:54 Speaker 01 Yeah.
30:55 Emma Grede? And had so much more money than like a probably a regular 20 year old would have access to.
30:59 Speaker 01 Well, my dad, I lent my dad money, I mean, hundreds of thousands of dollars in my early twenties that I'll never see, which, listen, is it fine? I don't know. It is what it is.
31:11 Emma Grede? Doesn't sound that fine.
31:12 Speaker 01 I've had to grapple with it, you know? And I've ultimately put it to bed and made peace with it. But I think as a parent now, I can't imagine asking my kids for money, especially that amount of money.
31:22 Emma Grede? Yeah.
31:23 Speaker 01 And putting that on them. And I think at the time, I didn't know how to say no to my dad. That's also been sort of like a big life lesson for me.
31:29 Emma Grede? Totally.
31:29 Speaker 01 And I've ultimately cut my dad out of my life. So I really figured out how to say no to him. But it was really hard for me when I was younger. And so that's probably like the biggest, the biggest thing that stands out in my mind.
31:42 Emma Grede? In terms of like how you think about teaching your kids about money? Is that even something that you're thinking about?
31:48 Speaker 01 Yes.
31:49 Emma Grede? Because you were raised in a very specific way, but very differently between your mother and your father. So now that you, I mean, you're a single mom, like, what are you telling your kids?
31:57 Speaker 01 Yeah. Well, I really value how my mom raised me with money. So my kids don't just get whatever they want. And if they want something, they have to work for it. So good example is last summer, both of my boys created their own little businesses. So one of my boys was washing windows, people's windows. And the other one was washing people's garbage cans. Because if they want something, they gotta go work for it and they gotta make it happen. I try to be very hyper aware of that because they are growing up in a very fortunate situation. And I want them to know, this is my money. This is not your money.
32:28 Emma Grede? Totally.
32:29 Speaker 01 And you know, something as small as they fly coach, I'm flying in first class. That was important to me when they become, became old enough that they could.
32:36 Emma Grede? It's so difficult to do that, isn't it?
32:37 Speaker 01 No, it's not when they're older.
32:38 Emma Grede? Wrong.
32:39 Speaker 01 I'm all, bye. Bye, guys. Have fun back there.
32:42 Emma Grede? See you later.
32:43 Speaker 01 No, I think when they're younger, you know, like four kids. But you can't because first of all, I couldn't put my three in the back and I'd be like, please don't fight. Please don't fight. Like who knows what's gonna happen back there.
32:52 Emma Grede? Now you're like, you'll figure it out.
32:53 Speaker 01 They'll be fine. Yeah. And it's good for them. And I think it's it's little things like that as a parent that make ultimately, I think, a big difference in the long run.
33:00 Emma Grede? So tell me about, like, I understand how you're spending your time in your businesses. But I'm really interested in the way that you look at, you've got three kids, you're single, you've got all of these businesses. How do you even approach financial planning? Like, are you sitting here going like, okay, I expect my podcast to make X, Y, Z? And I need to start this new thing and I have an expectation over there. I'm just interested like what your relationship looks like to money and how you're figuring out like where you're spending your time.
33:31 Speaker 01 Well, I have a financial advisor who I do meet with, of course, and he helps me with all of that. But yeah, I mean, I know how much my, I know. I know I have a guarantee for my podcast and then I can, of course, make more. Um, so I know that that is set. I have my salary at Uncommon James. I have these set incomes, which is great. And then anything else I do on top is just icing on the cake. So, and I know what it takes to live my life annually without changing anything, right? I think that's the beautiful thing of having a financial advisor. I wouldn't be able to do that on my own, but he can sit here and tell me what it takes. And so I know in my head, okay, I've got X amount coming in and it takes X amount to run my life. So.
34:09 Speaker 01 But I also am thinking about in 10, 15 years, what that looks like. And so, you know, I do need a certain amount of money if I want to maintain my lifestyle. And I do have to keep working. And so that is a driver for me. I have a certain amount in my head that I would like to make. But then I could actually kick back and not have to worry about any money for the rest of my life.
34:28 Emma Grede? You've spoken quite a lot about the need for financial independence. I think it's really interesting because, again, it sounds like that wasn't necessarily something that came from your childhood. That's something that you've decided for yourself.
34:42 Speaker 01 I think it started with seeing my dad and my stepmom in that dynamic and just knowing how unhappy they were together. But she was staying because I don't think she had another option.
34:53 Emma Grede? Which happens to so many women.
34:54 Speaker 01 I know, and I think about that all the time. And I I hate that. If I could go out there and help every woman and be like, this is what we have to do. I just, yeah, I knew I never wanted to be in that situation, and especially having a daughter. I mean.
35:07 Emma Grede? And you've never found yourself in that situation? Because again, you've had money from such a young age.
35:12 Speaker 01 I did. I will tell you that what ultimately gave me the confidence to leave my marriage was the success of Uncommon James.
35:21 Emma Grede? Really?
35:22 Speaker 01 Yeah, that gave me the confidence to be like,
35:27 Speaker 01 yeah, I don't, I know what I'm doing. And which is interesting, because if I didn't have Uncommon James, I could have taken half of his money, right? But because I had this company, there was a really large asset on our balance sheet. I didn't get anything, which I'm so happy about now. But I don't get any money from my ex-husband. I had to give him half the value of Uncommon James in cash and properties and everything else. Yeah, isn't that interesting?
35:52 Emma Grede? Yeah, interesting is one word for it.
35:54 Speaker 01 I was really pissed at the time. And now I'm so thankful because I think for me, I've needed these things in my life to keep going. And I have found that that is an instance where I was like, I'm gonna fight harder. Those little moments push me and I actually come out the other side stronger.
36:09 Emma Grede? What advice would you give to other women that end up like in a situation where obviously there's like financial entanglement? Like now, having the benefit of hindsight, would you have done anything differently?
36:22 Speaker 01 I don't know what you can do differently. I mean, I will say, I don't believe that just because you're married to someone, you're entitled to have, man or woman, on either side of it. Because unless your blood, sweat and tears are in it too, and you can prove that you are.
36:34 Emma Grede? Something together, it's different.
36:36 Speaker 01 That's very different. But if you, if it's just because you were married, I don't agree with that at all. I think those laws need to change, but. Other than that, I mean, no, I don't know what else I could have done differently. I mean, I'm still so thankful that I started on Common James to begin with. I'm glad I did it all, you know, it just sort of is what it is.
36:55 Emma Grede? But it's kind of amazing and freeing to think that you actually started the very thing that ultimately has given you freedom.
37:01 Speaker 01 Absolutely.
37:02 Emma Grede? The fact that you were able to create a company that meant that you could leave an unhappy relationship, that meant that actually you could uncouple yourself from that man and still come out on the other end.
37:16 Speaker 01 Exactly.
37:16 Emma Grede? With the one who has the asset.
37:18 Speaker 01 Exactly.
37:19 Emma Grede? It's pretty impressive.
37:20 Speaker 01 Thank you.
37:20 Emma Grede? Do you have a relationship with your ex?
37:22 Speaker 01 Just a co-parenting relationship, you know, I'd say that's pretty much it.
37:25 Emma Grede? Did you have to make a lot of trade-offs like during that period, like other trade-offs in terms of like your ambition and the things that you wanted to do?
37:33 Speaker 01 You know, I look at that time period where my life, like right before my divorce, during my divorce, or I guess I should say right before, I felt just so overwhelmed with everything. I was hosting, I had launched on Common James, I was doing a reality show, I was doing cookbooks. I had three little kids, my marriage was falling apart. Like, I felt like I couldn't breathe.
37:59 Emma Grede? Yeah.
37:59 Speaker 01 And so when, when we finally split, I felt like I, I could breathe again, like I had a minute and that felt really nice. And it felt like all of a sudden I had some freedom and it was during COVID also, which I think was a timing. It was a huge blessing. And so I just felt like I could come up for air again.
38:21 Emma Grede? What a gift.
38:21 Speaker 01 I needed that, yeah, really badly. And I felt like I found myself again, I got my spark back, like I was a shell of who I was. And I didn't even realize it at the time, but then when I started to get my spark back, even my mom and all my friends were like, oh my God, I can't even, you're back, you're back to your old self. And so that time period felt like just freedom and refinding myself.
38:43 Emma Grede? Which is like.
38:44 Speaker 01 It's huge.
38:44 Emma Grede? It's huge.
38:45 Speaker 01 And I also, I hired my C-suite level in the exact same time, in the height of COVID. Like, I think.
38:50 Emma Grede? Because the business was exploding?
38:52 Speaker 01 Exploding, exploding. And so I. I think the last episode of Very Cavalry aired in March of 2020. I filed for, or we announced our divorce in April of 2020. My C suite level started in May of 2020. It was just like boom, boom, boom.
39:06 Emma Grede? The world just shut down.
39:07 Speaker 01 It's so literally like, I don't even know what is happening. And in the same breath, and I think because my C suite level came in, it allowed, not only did I have a little bit more time now, because at the time Jay and I did 50 50 with the kids. That has since changed, but we did at the time. So I had every other week where.
39:23 Emma Grede? You could pour yourself into.
39:25 Speaker 01 What am I doing with all my time? It was, it was amazing. And I also now have people helping me with a company. And so I'm not on emails till 10pm every night and, and I just, I just needed it so bad. It was, it was a huge blessing.
39:39 Emma Grede? I really want to talk to you a bit about, you touched on like the way you have the business or your businesses, and then you have your family and one doesn't encroach on the other. Let's talk about that.
39:51 Speaker 01 Let's talk about it.
39:52 Emma Grede? Let's talk about that. How do you think, I mean, again, because you know, while you've been running this business, you've always had kids, right? Because you started it when they were really, really little. What does it actually look like running a business that is growing, doing all of these things? What's the reality of how you're able to mother in a way that seemingly like you're making the decisions and you're deciding?
40:14 Speaker 01 So I think, we talked about this when you came on my podcast. You can't be the best at everything that you do. That is true. There's just not enough as much time in the day. I have chosen, this might be a little bit different than most of the people who have sat in this chair. I have chosen to be the best mom that I can be and be a good business owner. And that's the trade off. I would love to sit here and tell you Uncommon James is a $100 million company and it's not. But I am the best mom and my kids would tell you that also. And that to me was more important than being, you know, the best, the best business owner on the planet.
40:50 Emma Grede? So what does that look like? Like as you say that, because you're essentially saying your trade off is actually being your professional career. You've decided that actually you're going to put 110% in to your kids because that's the most important thing. Consciously, what does that decision look like? Like you're saying no to opportunities?
41:08 Speaker 01 I say no to a lot of opportunities. Yeah. And I think because I live in Tennessee, a lot of things are in LA or New York or wherever they are. And I do say no to a lot. And I also think that's a good thing because it puts everything in perspective. It makes you only do the things that you absolutely want to do. And by the way, I don't know what else I need to be doing. I feel very fulfilled and I feel on the business front, I'm doing everything I want to do. So I don't know what else I would even say yes to. So that's actually been really easy for me to turn down opportunities. I think also my kids are in school all day, right? I have full days where I can do all of the work things. I'm very efficient. I'm very organized. I'm very on top of it. I can be doing 20 things at once and they can be done perfectly.
41:50 Emma Grede? But you're walking out of that office at four o'clock because you go home earlier.
41:54 Speaker 01 My kids get home at like three 20 every day. And I'm like, Tuesday, sometimes I will stay a little bit later. Usually sometimes I'm home like three 45, four, but no, I mean, I'm like, yeah, I'm pretty adamant about it.
42:06 Emma Grede? I think there are so many ways to come into being a businesswoman and a mother. And there is no one size fits all. And what works for me is very different from what will work for you.
42:17 Speaker 01 Yep.
42:17 Emma Grede? But I do think it's really important to be honest about the things that give and honest about what it actually takes, what your infrastructure looks like, like all of the things, right? Because I'm sure how you were doing things, perhaps even, you know, in the first two, three years of the business is very different from what you're able to do now. So give me an idea of like what it actually looked like for you.
42:38 Speaker 01 Yeah. I mean, and that's the thing is my days are never the same. I mean, I can run you through a Tuesday. Okay? So the day that I go to the office, I wake up and I make breakfast and lunches for my kids. We are out the door at seven 30. I'm home at eight oh five, eight 10. I'm not working out that day. You know, I'm just not, I don't have time for it. I get ready. I'm in the office by like nine 45. I also live 45 minutes away from my office, which is.
43:04 Emma Grede? I do. Brutal.
43:06 Speaker 01 It's brutal. It's brutal. That is not ideal.
43:09 Emma Grede? I would build a house in the office if I could.
43:11 Speaker 01 It's really not ideal. It's a lot of time wasted.
43:13 Emma Grede? It's really not.
43:14 Speaker 01 But I can do phone calls.
43:15 Emma Grede? I was gonna say, you can do phone calls and you can listen to yourself on your podcast. You could do that first pass.
43:20 Speaker 01 Oh wait, I don't know why I haven't been doing that. Well, you wanna know why? Because I'm highlighting stuff to take out.
43:26 Emma Grede? Oh, okay, fine. You need a hand. You need a hand. This is it.
43:28 Speaker 01 And I also, but I also value that time to listen to music.
43:32 Emma Grede? Oh, that's so nice. Do you like singing in the car?
43:34 Speaker 01 Yes, I need that. I need to check out. Yeah, I need that too.
43:38 Emma Grede? What a glorious forty-five minutes you have.
43:40 Speaker 01 But my Tuesdays, I'm in meetings the entire day. Sometimes I'm shoving food in my mouth in between meetings because that's just how it is.
43:45 Emma Grede? Yeah.
43:46 Speaker 01 I will leave usually like three fifteen, home by three forty-five, four. And then I'm making dinner. I'm, we're off. My kids are also so active right now. I mean, we're in summer break, but right before, my boys are playing basketball, my daughter's playing volleyball. Like, we are just on the move constantly.
44:00 Emma Grede? Yes.
44:00 Speaker 01 And then I'm in bed like nine, nine fifteen.
44:03 Emma Grede? Wow.
44:03 Speaker 01 Sleep is the most important thing to me.
44:05 Emma Grede? What a mom. What a girl. I'm not doing any of that.
44:08 Speaker 01 But I'll tell, what time, oh, I think I asked you this too. What time are you going to bed?
44:12 Emma Grede? I'm going to bed, I'm going to bed around, like, I like to be in my bed at ten.
44:17 Speaker 01 That's right.
44:18 Emma Grede? Right? Like, that's like, but I'm, I just am not someone who has ever slept particularly well. Like, I can sleep anywhere. Like, you know, it's like, I could sleep here. But I don't like have, you know, I'm not very, very good at sleeping. But also, I am not doing all the things that you're doing. Like, I'm not up and making the breakfast and cooking the lunches and ferrying them around. It's like, that bit, I miss. Like, and that is, you know, again, that's like my truth.
44:41 Speaker 01 It's the trade-off, yeah.
44:42 Emma Grede? I sit and I eat breakfast with my kids and I eat dinner every night with my kids, even if I'm going out for dinner. It's like, I'm gonna sit.
44:49 Speaker 01 Yeah.
44:49 Emma Grede? And like be with them at the table, but I don't cook the dinner.
44:51 Speaker 01 I've thought a million times. I should get a private chef. But I do love cooking. That's.
44:57 Emma Grede? Well, that's also, that's like, but that's your passion. I love it. I really understand.
45:00 Speaker 01 Yeah.
45:00 Emma Grede? So then on the flip side of that, what have you outsourced to be able to, because your company's not small, right? You, I, I read that your company was like fifty million dollars?
45:08 Speaker 01 Yeah, we're just shy of fifty.
45:09 Emma Grede? So you're just shy of fifty million dollars. It's not a small business. There's a hundred staff. What bits of the business are you outsourcing that enables you to be really hands-on at home?
45:18 Speaker 01 Well, first of all, my team is phenomenal. I mean, they really are. But really where I sit within the company is everything product-related and marketing. Those are the two areas that I absolutely love.
45:31 Emma Grede? Do you have a CEO?
45:32 Speaker 01 So, okay, I
45:35 Emma Grede? Are you the CEO?
45:35 Speaker 01 Recently, I am. And I just recently let go of my entire C suite.
45:40 Emma Grede? What?
45:40 Speaker 01 Yeah.
45:41 Emma Grede? No, you didn't. All of them?
45:44 Emma Grede? On the telly, on the, on a shirt. Did you do this as part of a, you gotta go?
45:48 Speaker 01 It sounds like it, right? You know what?
45:50 Emma Grede? It really does. Who lets go of all of their C suite at once? Like, I'm, I'm like, do you need me to come next? Should I do something?
45:56 Speaker 01 If you want to, I would be more than happy to have you come.
45:58 Emma Grede? I'm really panicked for you.
46:00 Speaker 01 Yeah, it was time. And I am not gonna re, well, so I let my COO go about a year ago. And then hired my merch, my VP of merch, who I am promoting to CMO. She's phenomenal. I just let go of my CFO and my, my CMO, my marketing. And I
46:18 Emma Grede? What? Like, why? What is the reason?
46:20 Speaker 01 Um.
46:21 Emma Grede? They're all terrible? I don't want you to talk about individuals.
46:24 Speaker 01 If I can't justify why I'm paying you, yeah, I'd say if I'm doing your job, not finance, but I, I still have three people on the finance team. I think with marketing, I'm so passionate about it. I love it so much that I'm so involved with it. And we have a huge, most of our team is on the marketing team. And they're incredible. And I just, I realized we don't have a need for that role anymore. I won't be rehiring that. And we had four people on finance. We're a small company.
46:55 Emma Grede? Yeah.
46:56 Speaker 01 That's outrageous.
46:57 Emma Grede? And you were like, that's outrageous. I'm like, yeah.
47:00 Speaker 01 Yeah.
47:01 Emma Grede? Right?
47:01 Speaker 01 I had to take a step back and really evaluate everything. I'm trying to just trim all the fat right now, right? I'm like reeling everything in because I was a little lax about things for a while. And when I'm sitting here looking at everything, I'm trying to really evaluate, to evaluate, where's all this money going?
47:27 Emma Grede? I love that you're talking about this because I do think there comes a period in any company, I've had this, certainly a good American, but in other businesses, where you look around and you go. What happened?
47:37 Speaker 01 Yeah.
47:37 Emma Grede? Like, what is this swell? I brought people in, who brought people in to bring other people in. And now, you know, there used to be fifteen of us who did this and now there's fifty seven.
47:48 Speaker 01 Yeah.
47:49 Emma Grede? And I do, I do understand that. So, so you got to a point actually where you were just like, this is not the company that I wanna run.
47:57 Speaker 01 I sort of stepped away for a few years, if I'm being completely honest. And about a year ago, I started getting really involved again. And I've just been taking it all in, seeing it all. And yes, now I'm cleaning house and I'm.
48:10 Emma Grede? What was the reason you stepped away?
48:11 Speaker 01 Time, quite honestly. And you know, because you hire these people, these experts who have all this experience and you think, great, I can lean on them. And I can, and I was still designing all the jewelry and I still was doing, you know, all product related things, developing skincare and doing all these things. But I wasn't involved in the day to day like I am now, or like I was. And it makes a difference. It makes a difference. And when I started to get more involved again, yeah, it was, it is. It's like you wake up and you're like, hang on a second. How did we get here? And why are we spending so much money? And, cause you know, the thing is too, because it is my money. It's just me, right? And no one is gonna appreciate your money the same way that you do.
48:52 Speaker 01 And it, even like looking at softwares and apps that we're using, I'm like, what is going on? Everyone has all their own apps. I'm like, hey, we gotta, we gotta allocate this, guys. Like, this is crazy. And so I, I just think periodically you have to take an assessment of what's going on and reel everybody in.
49:09 Emma Grede? Honestly, I think that that's such a great piece of advice because again, I feel like I've done that systematically in almost every company that I've ever been a part of. And there comes a point where you really have to make a decision about what type of business you wanna run. And if you're very clear about that and you're in it day to day, like you do know, like you, you build it. What's interesting is like, you have to then be willing to go back in and do it.
49:35 Speaker 01 So I think that's why I didn't for so long, cause I knew it was gonna make my workload a lot more.
49:40 Emma Grede? Yeah.
49:40 Speaker 01 And that scared me a little bit. But ultimately, this is my baby, you know, I care the most and I am so passionate about it. For me, that's when the trickiest part, though, is like allocating all of my time on the business front. And it scared me, but now I'm so fired up about it and it's exactly what I needed. And we also talked about this, the same people who get you from 50 million are not the same that get you to 100 million. And unfortunately, in business, sometimes I do think you need fresh blood, you need to kind of shake things up a little bit, and you outgrow people. It's just the nature of the beast.
50:12 Emma Grede? Yeah. Is there anything in you that struggles with those decisions?
50:16 Speaker 01 Yes, because when I personally like someone, it makes it really hard. I had to let someone go recently and it was really hard because I really loved her. But ultimately, I have to do what's best for the business. I'd say that's one of the hardest things about owning a business, is having to make decisions sometimes solely based on the business and removing your emotion from it.
50:35 Emma Grede? How are you thinking about growth differently, I guess, like in this chapter of your life, both in the business but also personally?
50:42 Speaker 01 Yeah, it's, it's, there's this pressure now, right, for the growth. When you launch, you're like in la la land, like, this is exciting. Like, again, I never even thought about it. But now, it's like, you always just feel it. It's always on your shoulders. And, and part of selling excites me to let go of that. Like, just let that go. I do feel this pressure to continue to grow and I do want to be a hundred million dollar company one day. I just, I don't know, because again, it's allocating my time. If I was in the office every day, I think we could easily do it.
51:12 Emma Grede? Of course.
51:13 Speaker 01 And that's not just crediting my team whatsoever. Again, I just think as the founder, when you live and breathe this, and you, I think it, it's an energy, right? It trickles down to everybody and everyone can feel it. And when you're fired up and excited, everyone is. And I just think, again, I just can't do it right now.
51:31 Emma Grede? How much pressure do you feel from the outside? Because again, I think when you look at where you started, you're the one who's kind of like the shiny bright star that has this like fantastic business and a big career still. And I wonder if there's any part of you that's like, I have to like, keep that up, you know?
51:49 Speaker 01 No. And I can honestly tell you that. I would be okay, I mean, this is not going to happen, but if, if the world fell apart, right, and uncommon James just... I would be okay just being like, I don't, I couldn't do it anymore. I don't want to do it anymore because I want to be home and just travel the world and whatever it may be. I would be okay with that. I think because I've experienced enough failure publicly that that doesn't scare me. Which thank God, because I would not want that to be my driver.
52:16 Emma Grede? No, totally. What would you say to somebody that is sitting at home and listening to your story and hearing the way that you have slowly built this business that really feels so intrinsically like you? And you've had like great moments with it and you've had moments where you know you've needed to step back in. For someone who's kind of already decided like what she's supposed to be doing and what her destiny is, what's your advice?
52:42 Speaker 01 I would say go for it and just give it a hundred and ten percent. And I, I think, you know, I didn't even go to college, right? Like, I don't have any degree whatsoever. I do have passion and drive and an incredible work ethic. And I think if you have those things, you can do anything, truly anything. And you can't let some no's stop you. You can't let people get in your head and tell you not to do it. Listen, people are always going to tell you no and you can't let that stop you. And I think, I hope that I can be inspiring and show people that if I can do it, you can do it, truly. Like, if I can create a business and make it work for me, you can do it.
53:22 Speaker 01 I also think you have to, we're living in this society now where unless you're a two hundred and fifty million dollar business, it's like you're not successful. I make a salary every year from Uncommon James. It's a really good salary. I am making money every single year. That's a good thing.
53:37 Emma Grede? That's a great thing. It's more than a good thing. It's a great thing.
53:41 Speaker 01 Like, to me, that's successful.
53:42 Emma Grede? I don't think that every business needs to be like a unicorn or it needs to be something so insane that the whole world knows about. You could literally have a business that pays you, that pays a couple of people, that gives you a nice life. And like, that is not just good, it's enormously successful.
53:59 Speaker 01 Exactly.
54:00 Emma Grede? Enormously successful.
54:01 Speaker 01 And so don't let society tell you that you're not successful.
54:05 Emma Grede? Looking back, is there anything that? And this is not about regret. Is there anything that you would do differently? You've been such an open book. You had the bloody show. You've, you know, again, you've lived your life in this very open way. Are there things that you're like, ah, I would probably not do that?
54:19 Speaker 01 My career as a whole. I mean, I've essentially grown up in front of the public. I've done and said really stupid things, but I was growing up as a kid. Or I'm also just figuring it out. I've never been a thirty nine year old woman before. Like, I'm still figuring it out. You know what I mean? Like, we're all figuring it out. And I think learning how to have more grace for everybody in general, I think is really important. I've had to learn that myself. But it's just, it's a wild ride. I will say this, when I look back at my life, while there's been a lot of hard times and things I'm not proud of, it's been a really great life. I've had a lot of fun. I've gotten to do really cool, amazing things, meet incredible people. I've got three of the most amazing kids on the planet. I have creative freedom.
55:00 Speaker 01 Like, I'm doing the thing. And I'm really proud of that. And I'm really thankful every single day for that.
55:05 Emma Grede? Oh, what a great place to be. I have one last question for you before I move to rapid fire. What are you still aspiring to now in your life?
55:14 Speaker 01 Ten years ago, it would have been such a different answer. Right now, for me, what really fills my cup is my kids. Like, truly. And I think we were talking before we started rolling. I have five more years with my oldest Camden in the house. That wrecks me when I think about it. I've got eight years total with all of them. And to some people, that probably sounds like a lot of time. You know how fast that goes as a mom. And so I am trying to just take it all in, be around as much as possible. And by the way, they also already want to be with their friends all the time. So like, my time with them is pretty precious. And if I died today, I could look back and be like, I did it. I really did it. I think I want to travel the world, but I think I'll do that later in life. I would like to get married again. Dating has, you know, slipped by. That, that is one area that's really suffered, but I'm okay with that because it's working kids right now.
56:00 Speaker 01 And I know this is a phase and that won't be forever. And when the right guy is supposed to come into my life, he will. But, yeah.
56:07 Emma Grede? I love that. I have absolutely no doubt. I'm going to take you to some rapid fire.
56:12 Speaker 01 Okay.
56:12 Emma Grede? What is the one healthy habit or routine that you swear by?
56:17 Speaker 01 I feel like I have a lot, but okay.
56:20 Emma Grede? Give me the good ones. I wanna know.
56:21 Speaker 01 Well, I really think the infrared sauna and meditating in the sauna is.
56:27 Emma Grede? Meditating in the sauna.
56:28 Speaker 01 In the sauna. So kill two birds with one stone. I only do 20 minutes, so it's quick. But the physical detox, it's also because I'm meditating. It feels like a mental detox as well. That for me is something I can't go without.
56:40 Emma Grede? How often are you in the sauna?
56:41 Speaker 01 Only probably three days a week, but it makes a difference. Meditating really, as much as we all hear it and say it, I can tell a huge difference when it's, when I'm active and when I'm not.
56:52 Emma Grede? Yeah.
56:52 Speaker 01 Yeah.
56:52 Emma Grede? Yeah, it's no doubt. Do you have like a specific meditation that you go to?
56:56 Speaker 01 So I used to love Headspace and then because I've done a lot of hypnotherapy now, it's more of a visualization. But hypnotherapy essentially is a deep meditation and it's a visualization. And so I think because I've done a lot of that, I sort of tap into that.
57:10 Emma Grede? And it's three days a week for you that you're meditating or three days a week in the sauna?
57:13 Speaker 01 Both. I wish I could meditate every day.
57:15 Emma Grede? No, no, no.
57:16 Speaker 01 I could. I just.
57:17 Emma Grede? I never get to it more than three or four times a week, but similar to you, I 100% know when I go without. Like I start getting like the edges of me start fraying. I'm like.
57:27 Speaker 01 Exactly. Yeah. Huge difference.
57:29 Emma Grede? Way more frazzled. What's something 17 year old?
57:35 Emma Grede? I'm laughing at my own question.
57:39 Emma Grede? Actually, this is very sweet and heartfelt. What is something 17 year old you desperately needed to hear?
57:45 Speaker 01 That I am enough, that I am whole. I was such a mess. I was so insecure. And I was overcompensating for that, which is why people thought I was so confident on the show, but I was not at all.
57:56 Emma Grede? What's something that you spent your life thinking you needed, but you realized you actually did not need it at all?
58:02 Speaker 01 Any sort of outside validation from anybody. Everything that we need comes from within.
58:07 Emma Grede? This is a fucking question from the fucking team. I'm just blaming you lot right now.
58:13 Speaker 01 I'm scared.
58:14 Emma Grede? It's a really, it's a really good one. I really rate you bitches, but still, I'm gonna point to whoever I think did it. I was gonna actually change the ending of it, but this, but we're gonna do both. I'm gonna do both. Lauren, Heidi or Spencer, who would you call first if you needed a favour?
58:29 Speaker 01 I'll never live any of this down.
58:31 Emma Grede? A favour.
58:32 Speaker 01 A favour. Well, Heidi, I talk to you the most, for sure. So I guess I would say Heidi. Depends on the favour, I guess.
58:39 Emma Grede? Depends on what you need.
58:40 Speaker 01 Yeah, hand, what do I need?
58:42 Emma Grede? What is a book that changed your life?
58:45 Speaker 01 The Four Agreements. I think it's a book I've read, I don't know, 15 times over the years, but I think if you can really apply these four things, it really makes a difference in your life. It's an easy read. I think everyone can read it. Have you read it?
58:59 Emma Grede? I've read it so many times. I even have the little mini version in my bag, which I think is so cute.
59:04 Speaker 01 I just think it's a good book for everybody and I think everything in it, it's so true. When you can apply it, it makes a difference.
59:09 Emma Grede? It's heaven. Kristin, thank you so much.
59:11 Speaker 01 Thank you.
59:12 Emma Grede? You're a diamond.
59:12 Speaker 01 So fun.
59:17 Emma Grede? If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favourite listening platform. While you're there, give us a review and a five star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend. We'll be so grateful. Aspire with Emma Grede is presented by Odyssey. I'm your host, Emma Grede. Our executive producers are Ashley McShan, Derek Brown and me. Executive producers from Odyssey are Asha Saluja and Leah Reese Dennis. Producer KK Sublime. Stephen Key is our senior producer. Sound design and engineering by Bill Schultz. Angela Peluso is our booker. Original music by Charles Black. Video production by Phil Sweetech and Carla Stelgada. Social media by Olivia Homan, Catherine Bale.
59:59 Emma Grede? Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sydney Ford, my teams at The Lead Company and WME. Josefina Francis, Hilary Schaff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose, Tim Meekle, Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, Sean Cherry and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DM me at aspirewithemmagreed. Grede is spelt G R E D E. That's aspire, A S P I R E with Emma Grede. Or you can submit a question to me on my website, emmagreed.me.
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