How She Does It

A special feed drop from Her Money.

What motivates some of today’s successful leaders? What person or event helped snap their futures into focus, creating a roadmap they followed with grit and resilience, determined to make it to the highest levels in business and beyond? Some of the most high-profile founders and CEOs have shared such moments from their lives with Karen Finerman on HOW SHE DOES IT. In this episode, we want to revisit some of these pivotal experiences: from a few well-placed words of encouragement to living through circumstances they became determined to find a way out of. Hearing these stories is a reminder of the power within each of us. We can inspire others through the right words and the right example, and we can shape our own course, however similar or different it may be from the one we’re currently on. 💬 In this episode, we hear from: Your Rich BFF CEO and content creator Vivian Tu shares the exact moment she knew she wanted to be wealthy, and the work she did to make that happen. TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett is a force. She details how her parents, despite some financial struggles, prepared her for a life of accomplishment and impact. ULTA Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman on her lowest moment, and how a realization plus lots of hard work propelled her from government assistance to the C Suite. OpenTable CEO Debby Soo details the impact of her parents' work ethic on her life and how she is trying to teach her young kids about grit and humility. Kendra Scott, Founder, Executive Chairwoman and Chief Visionary Officer for her namesake jewelry brand, opens up about the incredibly moving story of the person who inspired her to become a businesswoman, and how an early failure led to her greatest triumph. Ariel Investment Co-CEO Mellody Hobson reflects on all that she has been able to accomplish, who she credits for helping her, and why her own focus and hard work as a young person were pivotal for her success. 🎧Listen To Vivian Tu on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 80 🎧Listen To Thasunda Brown Duckett on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 82 🎧Listen To Kecia Steelman on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 73 🎧Listen To Debby Soo on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 50 🎧Listen To Kendra Scott on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 64 🎧Listen To Mellody Hobson on HOW SHE DOES IT Episode 29 💻Watch episodes on HOW SHE DOES IT on our YouTube Page 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine willingly opening up your life to as much A.I. as possible. Have a question? Ask A.I. first. Feeling blue? Talk to an A.I. therapist. Need a ride? Summon a Waymo. In journalist Joanna Stern’s New York Times bestseller “I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything,” she did all of the above and more. She shares what's hopeful, what’s creepy, and how A.I. is already in your life, whether you like it or not. As she worked on her book in 2025, she was also facing another big question: whether or not to quit her job of 12 years at the Wall Street Journal. She was weighing the pros and cons of leaving legacy media and making the leap to the creator economy as an independent journalist - and would it pay off. She even asked A.I. for its input. For the record: A.I. said she should make the move - and she ultimately agreed. She is now CEO - Chief Everything Officer - of her new venture: New Things. There, she does what she does best: producing humorous videos and writing (in this case, a newsletter) all about the latest in tech. 💬 In this episode, we explore: How A.I. is already in our lives, whether by invasion or by invitation Why Joanna believes the pushback to A.I. is a good thing Her experience with an A.I. therapist and an A.I. boyfriend Why A.I. robots are not yet fully capable of taking over chores like cooking and cleaning How she approached the difficult decision to leave the Wall Street Journal and how she views that move now The challenges and rewards of being her own boss and running her own venture, New Things Resources: 📸 Follow Joanna Stern on Instagram 📸 Follow Joanna Sternn on LinkedIn 💻 Check out New Things 💻 Watch New Things Videos on YouTube 🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode. Ready to stop worrying about outliving your money? Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, and get the roadmap to a retirement that actually pays you back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first-ever pop-up podcast in front of a live audience, Karen Finerman sits down with Karen Firestone at the CNBC Pro Event: Wealth For Women at the Nasdaq MarketSite. Karen Firestone, who goes by Kari, began building her impressive career as an investor in the early ‘80s. There were far fewer women working in finance at that time, and things were far more challenging for women in that space than they are today. Still, Kari couldn’t have imagined taking a different path. She was drawn to investing at a young age and for 22 years, worked her way up at Fidelity. Kari spent a good portion of that time working as an assistant fund manager to the legendary Peter Lynch on the Magellan fund. According to CNBC, the fund “earned an annualized return of 29.2%” under his leadership - an incredibly impressive feat. In 2005, at age 47, she took a big risk and launched her own company, Aureus Asset Management. She is now Chair Emerita of the firm, which manages over $8 billion in assets for families, individuals, and non-profits. She is a contributor for CNBC and the author of “Even the Odds: Sensible Risk Taking in Business, Investing, and Life.” 💬 In this episode, we explore: What Firestone took away from working alongside Peter Lynch and learning his approach to investing How a pregnancy surprise, a plane ride, and an unexpected run-in with a celebrity changed her life What it was like being one of the few women at Fidelity in the 1980’s and the choices she had to make that are thankfully no longer necessary today The importance of avoiding arrogance and embracing humility in investing Why prioritizing exercise helped her manage a demanding job while raising four children How her repeated battles with cancer have shifted her outlook on life Resources: 📸 Follow Kari Firestone on LinkedIn 💻 Check Out Aureus Asset Management 💻 Check Out “Even the Odds: Sensible Risk Taking in Business, Investing, and Life.” 🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Ready to stop worrying about outliving your money? Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, and get the roadmap to a retirement that actually pays you back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to create culture-defining entertainment that not only attracts loyal viewers but wins accolades as well? We’ve asked Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Programming for HBO Max. The streaming service behind shows like “The Pitt,” “Hacks,” “And Just Like That,” and the forthcoming “Harry Potter” series is once again evolving what audiences expect from premium television: high-quality entertainment delivered on a consistent basis. Aubrey, a Texas native, began her career as a lawyer before making the jump into film producing. Her first foray, the Billy Bob Thornton comedy “Bad Santa,” was a hit. From there, she worked with Peter Berg for many years, producing both the movie and television series “Friday Night Lights.” Now an executive, she balances managing the big picture of series and movie development with the occasional need to go deep into the details (case in point: she shared the conversation around how a particular actor’s hair should be worn in an upcoming project). 💬 In this episode, we explore: Why she thinks “The Pitt” has been such a hit, and the thoughtful way the creators put that show together On keeping the end of “Hacks” a secret, and why all the details in a show are so important How Aubrey is viewing the upcoming acquisition of Warner Bros, the parent company of HBO Max, by Paramount, and why she values embracing uncertainty How she sees women evolving in the workplace, and what she’s learning from the next generation Why uber-producer Brain Grazer once commented that Aubrey never gets “panicked.” How she prioritizes her three kids, and the advice from one of the most famous divorce attorneys who has helped her thrive in her big, blended family Resources: 📸 Follow HBO Max on Instagram 💻 Watch HBO Max 🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Ready to stop worrying about outliving your money? Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, and get the roadmap to a retirement that actually pays you back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices