An enduring aspiration for many, the concept of ‘work-life balance’ often conjures images of harmonious equilibrium between professional ambition and personal fulfillment. Yet, for multimillionaire founder Emma Grede, this widely cherished ideal is nothing short of a delusion, especially for those aiming for extraordinary success.
The Myth of Equilibrium: Grede’s Provocative Stance
“If you are leading an extraordinary life to think that extraordinary effort wouldn’t be coupled to that somehow is crazy,” Emma Grede, the visionary CEO of Good American and a founding partner of Skims, candidly stated on The Diary of a CEO podcast. Her message is stark: if true work-life balance exists for the highly successful, “tell me who she is, and I’ll show you a liar.”
Grede, who despite spending weekends in Malibu, maintains that success demands an unwavering commitment. For her, it means waking up most days prepared to give “150%” and engaging in some form of work. This isn’t an isolated sentiment among the elite. High-profile figures like Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, who famously declared, “There’s no way to balance. Work is life, life is work,” and musician Will.i.am, who urged Gen Z to abandon the notion of balance for building something significant, echo Grede’s perspective. Cava CEO Brett Schulman similarly dismisses work-life balance as a myth.
From Humble Beginnings to Business Empire
Grede’s perspective is deeply rooted in her own journey. Valued between $300 million and $400 million, making her one of America’s richest self-made women, her current ‘decent work-life balance’ was hard-won. Growing up in east London and Essex, she was one of four daughters raised by a single mother who worked full-time at Morgan Stanley. Her work ethic was forged early; at just 12, she was up at 5 a.m. daily for her paper route.
“I am unashamedly focused on making money,” Grede told The Times in 2022. “I’ve never really had a problem talking about it. People talk about their purpose and why they do their jobs—I wanted to be able to afford a certain lifestyle. Money has always been a pillar for me, because I didn’t have any [growing up].”
Her career path deviated from the traditional. After attending the London College of Fashion, she dove directly into the fashion and events industry, working with luxury concierge firm Quintessentially and later as a producer at Inca Productions. At 26, she launched Independent Talent Brand (ITB), a talent management and entertainment marketing agency. This venture proved pivotal, laying the groundwork for her collaborations with celebrity powerhouses like Kim Kardashian (Skims, Good American) and Kris Jenner (Safely).
Redefining the Workplace: The “Social Contract”
Instead of traditional work-life balance, Grede advocates for a “social contract” between founders and employees. “It’s like you’re going to work really hard, and in return, you should get an amazing place to work,” she explained on The Diary of a CEO. Her companies, she notes, offer benefits “above and beyond what a workplace back in the day may have considered the norm,” citing examples like in-office fertility seminars.
However, Grede firmly places the onus of constructing personal work-life balance on the employees themselves. “How you’re going to pick up your kids, how you get home, how you get to work … these are all things that you need to figure out within the construct of your life,” she asserted. “That isn’t the employer’s job; that isn’t the employer’s responsibility.” While not expecting seven-day workweeks from everyone, Grede is clear: “if you have ambition, if you want to do the most, if you want to grow, if you want to be one of those people that’s like at the top of the organization, the chances are you might have to work a little bit more.”
Grede’s candid perspective serves as a powerful reminder that for those chasing unparalleled success, the path often demands sacrifices and a re-evaluation of conventional wisdom regarding work and life.
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