How to Invest Like Emma Grede: Lessons on Self-Investment, Wealth, and Knowing Your Worth
If you've ever wondered what separates women who build extraordinary lives from everyone else, Emma Grede has a clear answer: they start with themselves.
The entrepreneur, investor, founding partner of Skims, co-founder of Good American, and author of the new book Start with Yourself joins the latest episode of She's So Lucky — and the conversation is exactly what ambitious women need to hear right now. From how she learned to think like an investor to why women are still undercharging for everything, Emma brings the kind of radical clarity that makes you want to rethink your entire approach to money, relationships, and your own time.
You Are the Best Investment You'll Ever Make
Emma's core philosophy — and the thesis of her new book — is simple: before you put your energy or resources into anything else, invest in yourself. For her, that means therapy, a business coach, continuous learning, and physical care that she treats like non-negotiable meetings on her calendar.
"You are the best bet you'll ever make," she told us. "And you are in control of that."
For women especially, Emma argues that self-investment requires deliberate protection. There is always someone else asking for your time, your attention, your energy. Building the muscle of putting yourself first — not out of selfishness, but out of strategy — is what makes everything else possible.
The Only Question That Matters in Business
When it comes to thinking like an investor, Emma keeps it simple. The first — and most important — question she asks about any business is four words: Where is the money?
Not: what's your valuation? Not: how's your social media performing? Not: are you the face of your brand?
"If you're not making a profit, what you have is an expensive hobby," she said plainly. Emma argues that founders, especially women, get distracted by visibility and vanity metrics when the real work is understanding the relationship between what you spend and what you earn. You don't need a finance degree. You need to be able to count what's left.
It's the kind of foundational thinking that Emma credits to being surrounded early on by investors who refused to believe in growth without profitability — and it's shaped every business decision she's made since.
Life Is Transactional — And That's Not a Bad Thing
One of the most powerful moments in the episode comes when Emma reframes what it means to have reciprocal relationships — in business and in life. She believes that being honest about what you need and what you expect in return isn't cold or calculating. It's clarity, and clarity is a gift.
"When you are really straightforward about what you need, what you need to be paid, what your expectations are — you get that back," she said. "It's when you're loosey goosey that things fall apart."
This extends to friendships, partnerships, and how women price themselves. Emma's take: stop gatekeeping and start being honest — about money, about your value, and about what you need in return for your time and expertise.
Women Are Still Undercharging for Everything
During the rapid fire round, we asked Emma what women are most undercharging for. Her answer? Everything. Without hesitation. She pointed to research showing that identical resumes generate lower salary recommendations for women — even from AI — as evidence that we can't afford to keep playing small.
"Whatever you're being paid, double it. I don't even know you and I'm one hundred percent sure you're not being paid enough."
The Most Overrated Business Advice according to emma
Emma doesn't believe in lanes. She says every significant opportunity in her life and career came from going outside of hers — and she encourages every ambitious woman to do the same. Paired with her most underrated wealth tip (living genuinely within your means), it paints a picture of someone whose success is equal parts audacity and discipline.
Listen to the Full Episode
This conversation with Emma Grede is one of the most honest, practical, and energizing episodes we've ever recorded on She's So Lucky. Whether you're building a business, climbing in your career, or just starting to think about what it means to invest in yourself — this is required listening.
