9 to 5ish with theSkimm

Leah Busque Solivan is an engineer and entrepreneur. In 2008, she became a rising star of the gig economy when she quit her job at IBM to found TaskRabbit, the mobile and online marketplace that hooks you up with people to help with everything from picking up your laundry to building your furniture.
She sold her baby to IKEA in 2017 and now she’s using her expertise to help other startups as a general partner at the venture capital firm, Fuel Capital. On the Couch, Leah talks to us about how she hired her first 30 task rabbits (11:45), why it was hard for her to celebrate success (18:00), what pushed her to the edge (23:20) and how she helps new entrepreneurs learn from her mistakes (30:20).
This episode of Skimm'd From the Couch is sponsored by AC Hotels by Marriott.
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When Phoebe Gates started her company, Phia, her parents – yes, those Mr. and Mrs. Gates – wished her good luck and didn’t invest a penny. And while her last name lends it self to opportunities other people might not get. But instead of letting the nepo-baby convo overshadow her entrepreneurship, Phoebe shares why the pressure to live up to her family name actually is a positive thing.

In this episode, Phoebe also shares:


The values her parents instilled in her that have nothing to do with money or business


Why she started a business with her roommate-turned-best-friend-turned- co-founder


The most surprising founder skill she had to learn


Her number one tip for speaking with confidence in business meetings

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Leah Garcia’s career path has never been a straight line. It’s ben more like a rodeo loop. She grew up as the daughter of ranchers, went to college on a rodeo scholarship and became a pro mountain biker. All that happened, then she had a career as a TV sports reporter, and now, the founder of Nulastin, a cult beauty brand she launched with zero investors, no pitch deck, and plenty of grit. Today, Leah shares how she connected the dots between all of these seemingly separate careers – and how she had fun while doing it.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Leah also shares: 


Why she loved the extreme nature of rodeoing and mountain biking


How she built Nulastin with zero investors and zero clue of how to pitch


The backstory of starting Nulastin in her 50s 


Where boundaries end and burnout begins – and how she decides that 


How she became comfortable with her lack of knowledge in business 

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Trinny Woodall went from recovering from addiction in her mid-20s to becoming one of the most beloved authorities in style and fashion. She landed a lucky break with a weekly style column in London, then parlayed her expertise into the TV show What Not to Wear. Life threw her some curveballs, from mourning loved ones to going through 16 rounds of IVF. Today, Trinny gets real about the sacrifices she had to make around those private battles because of her self-employment status. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Trinny also shares: 


Why she made herself try a stint in finance


Sacrifices she had to make for being self-employed


Why she only took three weeks of paid family leave after having her daughter 


What she learned from having her business fail during the dot com bubble

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Norma Kamali started her career when women were expected to type memos in Mad Men-esque offices, not build their own empires. She came of age in 1960s New York City and since then, Norma's become one of the most influential names in fashion. Norma is responsible for iconic looks like Farrah Fawcett’s red swimsuit, the sleeping bag coat, and some of the earliest activewear, before “athleisure” was ever a thing. At 80-years-old, she’s showing no signs of stopping. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Norma also shares: 


How a $29 flight and a basement boutique kicked off her career


What it took to walk away from a toxic business – and marriage


Why she took her brand to Walmart, even when people told her not to


How learning to ask for help changed her life


Why AI gives her a bigger creative high than anything else

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