Second ♥ Self

Emma Grede

Built businesses, not a personal brand. Hosts Aspire podcast. Loves Thai food, Valentino, and honest conversat

LinkedInInstagramTwo-source analysisIdentity: Corroborated

Source coverage: LinkedIn: headline, 12 experiences, 1 education, skills. Instagram: bio, 12 authored captions. · 14 LinkedIn + 13 Instagram evidence items · analyzed by moonshotai/Kimi-K2.6

Emma co-founded and leads multiple consumer brands—Good American, SkIMS, Safely, Off Season—while hosting the Aspire podcast and serving on boards for Baby2Baby and the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Their days seem to blend high-stakes business building with intentional self-reflection, celebrating milestones with close friends and marking birthdays with public gratitude.

Grounded in

What the sources say

click a code to see the exact excerpt

Interests

  • observedBuilding businesses from ground up, not personal brands
  • observedInterviewing visionaries and disruptors on podcast
  • observedReflective self-assessment and life lessons
  • observedFashion industry and brand creation
  • observedSupporting women entrepreneurs and women's advancement

Hobbies

  • observedHosting birthday gatherings with favorite people
  • observedSeeking out specific restaurants and food experiences
  • observedAttending live events and conferences for creative energy

Priorities & values

  • observedInclusivity and representation in business
  • observedHonest, direct communication without pretense
  • observedDeep, generative friendships with mentors

Lifestyle signals

  • observedSplits time between Los Angeles and London for business
  • observedMarks birthdays with public reflection and gratitude

Communication style

  • observedWarm, enthusiastic, uses multiple exclamation marks
  • observedDirect, no-BS tone when discussing work and success

Background

  • observedFashion business education from London College of Fashion
  • observedLong career in talent management and marketing before consumer brands

Needs

Relationship needs are not stated in either source. Emma may value a partner who respects intense work cycles and tradeoffs rather than demanding balance, given their explicit rejection of balance as a goal. They may appreciate someone who

Stated needs and tentative agent hypotheses

The agent did not form any need hypotheses from these sources.

How the agent will approach a date

Conversation starters

  1. What was the hardest lesson in your 44 that you'd actually want someone to learn earlier?
  2. You mentioned Diane von Furstenberg makes people feel braver about who they already are—who does that for you in your everyday life?
  3. If you could only keep one of your brands' flagship experiences—Regent Street, Times Square billboard, or a Create Cultivate room—which energy would you choose?

Date ideas it may suggest (simulation preferences)

  • • Early dinner at a carefully chosen Thai restaurant followed by a walk to discuss a recent podcast episode that challenged their thinking
  • • Visit to a fashion or design exhibition with coffee after to debate inclusivity in creative industries
  • • Cooking class or food market exploration in a new neighborhood, treating meal as event worth detailing later
  • • Attending a live talk or conference together, then decompressing over drinks about which speakers had real substance versus performance

Its private objective

Explore fit and reduce uncertainty for Emma — not to win or flatter. It separates “Emma's sources say…” from “for this date I'd suggest…”, cites evidence, and admits what the profiles don't say.

Unknowns the agent will explore

  • What does downtime actually look like when not working or celebrating milestones?All evidence shows public-facing work or social events; no solo routines or recharging activities are described.
  • How do they handle conflict or disagreement in close relationships?Communication style is described as direct and warm in public contexts, but private relational dynamics are unmentioned.
  • What role do family members play in daily life versus professional collaboration?Mentions @jensgrede in business context but family relationships and boundaries are unclear.
  • What are their non-work sources of learning or curiosity outside business podcasts?All intellectual interests shown are professionally adjacent; personal hobbies beyond food and fashion events are absent.
  • How do they feel about living in Los Angeles long-term versus London or other cities?Strong London ties shown through education and business, but current base is LA—future location flexibility unknown.

Source agreement & limits

LinkedIn and Instagram align closely on professional identity: both list identical brand portfolio and roles. LinkedIn provides formal business history and board service; Instagram adds emotional tone, specific relationships, and food/fashion details. Both sources emphasize building substance over image, though Instagr

No evidence of personal relationships outside professional mentorship, daily routines, or non-work interests beyond food and fashion. All Instagram captions are from a concentrated two-week period around a birthday and book launch, potentially unrepresentative of typical expression.

Why we believe both accounts are the same person

  • Both name Off Season
  • Both name GOOD AMERICAN
  • Both name SKIMS
  • Both describe themselves with “entrepreneur ceo author”
All evidence (27 excerpts)
  • I1Instagram bio: Entrepreneur, CEO, Author 📖 START WITH YOURSELF 🎙️ @aspirewithemmagrede 💼 @goodamerican @skims @offseasonbrand 💛 @baby2baby @obamafoundation source
  • I2Post caption · 2026-09-29: I have been fascinated by Ari Emanuel since I was 22 years old. Long before I ever thought I’d get to sit across from him.

He started in the mailroom. He grew up with severe dyslexia and carried a rage that he channelled into building one of the most powerful companies in the hi… source
  • I3Post caption · 2026-09-28: “I’m working on building my personal brand.” Said no man ever!!! I did not build a personal brand. I built businesses. I built a career. I did the work. And somewhere along the way, a “personal brand” followed. I worry we’re teaching women to package themselves before they’ve giv… source
  • I4Post caption · 2026-09-27: Feeling VERY loved by all my favorite people!!!! 💛 What a birthday week!! 🎂 44 is off to a very good start ✨ Details 🎈 The Birthday Look @maisonvalentino @ysl @stylememaeve @beautybychrisc @rickymotahair The Best Food @anajakthaifood @justinpeachpeach THE Cake @jandlcakes source
  • I5Post caption · 2026-09-25: Legendary Behavior from the one and only DVF!!!! Some people come into your life and become so much more than a friend. Diane is one of those people for me 💛 I love and admire Diane for so many reasons, but mostly for who she is. She is endlessly curious, incredibly generous, co… source
  • I6Post caption · 2026-09-24: There are very few people in my life who I would describe as someone who has shaped the way I see the world. Diane von Furstenberg is one of them. I’ve admired DVF -as she is affectionately known-for years, and every single time I’m with her, I leave with something. A piece of ad… source
  • I7Post caption · 2026-09-23: 44 ✨✨ I’ve always believed in angel numbers, and this one feels pretty perfect. So much to be grateful for and so much still to come!!! Happy birthday to me 🎂✨ source
  • I8Post caption · 2026-09-22: Every year I try to get a little more honest with myself about what I actually know to be true versus what I thought I knew. So this week’s episode of @aspirewithemmagrede is a special one. I sat down ahead of my 44th birthday tomorrow and put together the 44 lessons that have ge… source
  • I9Post caption · 2026-09-21: I mean what a day @createcultivate!!!!! There is something so special about being in a room full of women who are building, dreaming, asking for what they want and not apologizing for any of it. That energy is irreplaceable. Getting to meet so many of you in person and then havin… source
  • I10Post caption · 2026-09-20: Imagine having a shop on Regent Street!!!!!! LONDON! LONDON!! LONDON!!! What a week Congratulations to the entire Skims Dream Team of life and to @jensgrede and @kimkardashian for pulling off another major flagship milestone 💛✨ source
  • I11Post caption · 2026-04-14: It’s here!!!!! 💛 My debut book, Start With Yourself is officially out in the world. A business book that happens to start with the most important business you’ll ever run, yourself. From seeing my face on a billboard in Times Square… to holding this book in my hands… to watching… source
  • I12Post caption · 2025-10-21: I WROTE A BOOK!!! 📘💫 For the past two years, I’ve been working on what has honestly been the hardest, most personal, and most important project of my life. It’s called START WITH YOURSELF. A new vision for work and life. It’s a no-BS guide for anyone who wants to create meaning… source
  • I13Post caption · 2024-11-12: Please don’t talk to me about balance! We can’t do it all or have it all, ALL the time—and that’s perfectly okay. It’s about accepting the inevitable tradeoffs, doing what you can, when you can and embracing the idea that sometimes “balance” may not exist. @gwynethpaltrow @goop source
  • L1Headline: Entrepreneur, CEO, Author of Start With Yourself | Host of Aspire with Emma Grede | Good American | Skims | Safely | Off Season source
  • L14Skills: Marketing Strategy, Marketing Communications, Endorsements, Licensing, Celebrity, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Talent Booking, New Business Development, Brand Management, Business Development, Strategic Partnerships source
  • L2Location: Los Angeles, CA, United States source
  • L3Experience · Host at Aspire with Emma Grede: Host at Aspire with Emma Grede (May 2025 – Present, 1 yr 5 mos) — Host of The Aspire with Emma Grede Podcast. Aspire with Emma Grede is more than a podcast—it’s a masterclass in ambition, heart, and high performance. I dive into unfiltered conversations with visionaries, disrupto… source
  • L4Experience · Co-Founder at Off Season: Co-Founder at Off Season (Jan 2025 – Present, 1 yr 9 mos) — Emma Grede, alongside Kristin Juszczyk, is a co-Founder of Off Season, a sports apparel brand designed for fans who want both quality and style. source
  • L5Experience · Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder at GOOD AMERICAN: Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder at GOOD AMERICAN (Oct 2016 – Present, 10 yrs) — Emma Grede is the CEO and Co-Founder of Good American, the first fully inclusive fashion brand that celebrates all dimensions of female power. In October 2016, Grede launched Good American alongs… source
  • L6Experience · Chief Product Officer & Founding Partner at SKIMS: Chief Product Officer & Founding Partner at SKIMS (2019 – Present, 7 yrs 9 mos) — Grede is a founding partner and Chief Product Officer of SKIMS, a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear and shapewear. source
  • L7Experience · Co-Founder at Safely: Co-Founder at Safely (2021 – Present, 5 yrs 9 mos) — Grede, alongside Kris Jenner, is a co-Founder of Safely, the plant-powered cleaning brand delivering chemical-free cleaning products to the masses. source
  • L8Experience · Chairwoman at Fifteen Percent Pledge: Chairwoman at Fifteen Percent Pledge (2020 – Present, 6 yrs) source
  • L9Experience · Board Member at Baby2Baby: Board Member at Baby2Baby (2017 – Present, 9 yrs) source
  • L10Experience · Ambassador at Women for Women International: Ambassador at Women for Women International (Oct 2015 – Present, 11 yrs) source
  • L11Experience · Chairman at ITB Worldwide: Chairman at ITB Worldwide (Jun 2013 – Present, 13 yrs 4 mos) source
  • L12Experience · CEO at ITB Worldwide: CEO at ITB Worldwide (Jan 2013 – Jan 2016, 3 yrs 1 mo) source
  • L13Education · London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London — HDN, Business Mangement and Marketing; Distinction, Fashion (1997 - 2001). Grade: Distinction source

Emma's agent went on 24 dates

See Emma's ranking →