Audrey McLoghlin’s peer once compared her to a cockroach that could withstand nuclear warfare. Weird compliment? Maybe. But Audrey says she was touched. She grew up with an alcoholic father and learned early to rely on herself, not a partner, to make ends meet. As a serial entrepreneur in fashion, she’s built her businesses through some of the toughest economic times—think: the Great Recession and COVID-19—proving resilience is her superpower.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Audrey shares: 

• Why “stranger danger” seemingly doesn’t exist in Ireland 
• How she went from engineering to entrepreneurship in her early 20s
• The biggest thing she learned going through personal bankruptcy
• Why she thinks entrepreneurs owning 100% of their company isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach 

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Before Emily Oster became a go-to parenting expert, she was an econ professor waiting on a tenure decision at the University of Chicago. While waiting, she published Expecting Better, a book that moms-to-be consider to be a parenting Bible. She got rejected for tenure, then spent over a decade believing the book was a “professional mistake”. Parents everywhere beg to differ. Listen as Emily shares how she moved past the disappointment  – and why it actually turned out to be the best thing for her career. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Emily shares: 

• Her weekly mileage as a marathoner (our legs are shaking)
• Why she refers to herself as a “vagina economist” 
• How her kids react when she tells them she’s a “parenting expert” 
• Why she doesn’t shy away from disagreements around her research 
• Who’ll benefit most from ParentData’s newest vertical 

Follow Emily on Instagram: @profemilyoster

Follow Carly and Danielle on Instagram: @carlyanddanielle

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Erin Burnett flirted with the idea of becoming a CIA agent one day, drawn to the undercover thrills. Instead, she crunched numbers at Goldman Sachs as a financial analyst, then pivoted to be a broadcast journalist. While she never became a secret spy or ran a Wall Street empire, she didn’t let her interests or skills collect dust. Listen as Erin shares how she fused her business knowledge with her world news obsession to land her daily primetime show, OutFront with Erin Burnett. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Erin shares: 

• The irony of becoming a TV news anchor despite growing up without cable
• How she got the chutzpah to send a cold email asking to meet a CNN host 
• Her transition from economic to foreign affairs news, and how the former helped inform her new beat 
• Why she doesn’t regret taking 20 minutes out of her work day to show up for her kids
• Her relatable answer to how much she’s able to prioritize her mental health 

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For millennial women, Julia Stiles needs no introduction. She portrayed some of our favorite characters growing up – like Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You and Sara in Save the Last Dance – and challenged one-dimensional portrayals of female characters. After two decades as an actor, Julia has taken her talents behind the camera to direct her first film, Wish You Were Here. Listen as she shares how she’s managed to stay grounded despite being a child actor, how she manifested her directorial debut, and why she has no regrets about taking her time to make it happen.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, shares:

• How growing up in New York City helped her maintain a grounded attitude 
• Her decision to go to college instead of continuing her acting career
• Why Hustlers marked a new chapter of intention for her 
• How being a mom was the best preparation for being a director 
• Advice on how to be confident when you lack skills needed for a specific job

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Unlike MBA grads focused on scaling and selling companies, Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald built Levain Bakery with no intention of selling. Baking was the life plan, the thing they’d do til their hands couldn’t anymore. They embraced slow, sustainable growth for years with no regrets. Then came a compelling offer and a gut feeling that led them to finally take on an investor. Listen as Pam and Connie share how a YWCA brought them together, how a New York Times article skyrocketed their company's success, and why having patience was their greatest tool.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Pam and Connie share: 

• What they loved about their former colleague and supporter, Anthony Bourdain
• How chance bike ride with an old friend got them a small business loan 
• When they knew it was time to expand to new locations 
• How they navigated tedious problems like meeting with community boards and dealing with frustrated neighbors 
• Why scaling their business slowly was key to their success and when they knew it was time to take on an investor

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In 2015, Laura Coates traded courtroom drama for newsroom deadlines, leaving her job as a Justice Department prosecutor to dive into a journalism career. She was a new mom with no media experience or contacts, but knew she’d regret it if she never tried. Fast forward to today. Laura is CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst, a Sirius XM host, and a trusted voice on today’s most pressing legal stories. Despite her success, it didn’t come without sacrifice. Listen as Laura gets real about the hard conversations she had with her husband – and herself – about prioritizing her professional ambitions over financial security. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Laura shares: 

• How she charmed her husband when they first met, despite having a waxed off eyebrow
• Why she found it difficult to financially depend on her husband while figuring out her career 
• How she got her foot in the door in media with no connections, and why getting the second foot in is more important
• Why she never shuts down her kids’ curiosity around current events
• How she’s dealt with big personalities in the courtroom, and on television 

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Laura Modi’s organic baby formula company, Bobbie, thrived during a formula shortage that saw nearly 50% of the nation’s formula supply vanish. As desperate moms searched for alternatives, many turned to Bobbie, leading to massive growth—until the demand threatened the supply. Laura faced a critical decision: continue accepting new customers or pause growth so OG Bobbie babies were taken care of. Laura tells the story of how her bold choice paid off and how Bobbie has future-proofed itself through smart business decisions.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Laura shares: 

• How growing up in rural Western Ireland taught her hospitality 
• Why it took having a second child to push her to start Bobbie
• How she navigated Bobbie through a product recall just two weeks after it launched
• Bobbie’s recent 15% price cut, and how the company was able to do it 
• Why implementing paid family leave federally would help alleviate moms’ mental health issues 

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When Han Wen got a job at L’Oréal as an entry-level marketing associate, she didn’t even know what marketing was. The interviewers didn’t care. They spent the bulk of the interview talking about her bold outfit, which she got off the sales rack at J.Crew just an hour before. Fast forward to 2022, and Han became the CMO of L’Oréal USA at just 39-years-old. Talk about a full circle moment. Han shares how she made impressions throughout her corporate career, and how she’s gotten really good at listening – even when it might be hard to hear. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Han shares: 

• Why her work stint in France was nothing like “Emily in Paris”
• The best lesson she learned about being a people manager 
• What she focused on instead of chasing after titles during her career
• How having kids destroyed any illusion of control, and how it carries into her work
• Why L’Oréal encourages some rule-bending to make great products 

Follow Carly and Danielle on Instagram @carlyanddanielle, and be sure to subscribe the show so you never miss an episode.

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Neha Ruch chose to take an indefinite pause from work after having her second child. She immediately faced raised eyebrows and unsolicited advice. She didn’t bat an eye at her choice. But the reactions got her thinking: why are we riding on outdated stereotypes about moms choosing to exit the workforce to take care of their family for a chapter of their lives? Enter: Mother Untitled, the leading platform dedicated to ambitious women choosing to lean into family life – without shame. Today, Neha shares tips from her new book The Power Pause to help listeners pull it off like pro. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Neha shares: 

• The importance of her gap year in India and what it did for her self-trust
• Why she couldn’t find the peace and purpose at work that she got from motherhood
• How stay-at-home-motherhood has been wrongfully labeled as a “luxury”
• The percentage of women who stop working because of high childcare costs 
• Financial levers couples can pull to make room in the budget for a future pause 

Neha’s Instagram: @motheruntitled

Neha’s book: The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids – and Come Back Stronger Than Ever

Carly and Danielle’s Instagram: @carlyanddanielle 

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Alice Milligan left home at 19 to escape a dysfunctional family life. Her peers went to college right out of high school. Meanwhile, Alice spent ten years getting her college degree while working full-time to support herself. She had no choice but to be resilient, independent, and patient. Decades later, and faced with choosing between a dream job or staying near her husband awaiting a liver transplant, Alice shares how the patience she cultivated as a young woman guided her choice.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Alice shares: 

• Her deep cut bagel order (cinnamon raisin fans, rejoice)
• The strong women in her life who helped her navigate leaving home 
• Why working in HR in her early career served her well throughout her career
• How she rationalized her choice of remaining close to her family or taking on her dream job 
• How Morgan Stanley prioritizes women feeling financially empowered – and how the company’s new marketing initiatives reflect that  

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She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment. Connie Chung is the trailblazing veteran broadcaster who worked her way up from being a copy-girl at a local news station to anchoring one of the most popular nightly newscasts, CBS Evening News. To get there, she had to make it through the “boys club” of the 70s newsroom. Think: Mad Men, but news. She says it could’ve been worse. But she made it work by being just as confident as they were.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Connie shares: 

• The impact of growing up around four strong-willed sisters  
• How she defied the racist and sexist stereotypes men had of her
• Her biggest regret of her career and how she reconciles it now 
• Why getting fired from CBS Evening News proved to be serendipitous
• A cameo from her husband, Maury Povich. Yes, that Maury

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