Emma Grede has written exactly one book so far, and she made it count: an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, praised by Oprah on her own podcast, that arrived after Grede had already spent two decades building Good American and SKIMS into billion-dollar brands. She didn’t write a business book about theory — she wrote down what actually worked for her, and what she had to unlearn to get there.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 book · 2025 · Updated July 2026
Why trust this list: Every detail below, from the publisher to the endorsements, is checked against publication record rather than assumed from memory. Curated by Lisanne Swart, who reads and writes about each author individually rather than generating lists algorithmically.
01
2025
Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & LifeStart here
Part memoir, part practical guide, Start With Yourself traces Grede’s rise from a working-class childhood in East London — the daughter of a single mother, a high-school dropout — to becoming one of America’s richest self-made women. She structures the book around what she calls “Old Thoughts”: inherited, unexamined rules about ambition, money, and work-life balance that she argues aren’t rules at all, just biases readers need to strike from their thinking before real change is possible. Published by Avid Reader Press, it debuted as an instant New York Times bestseller, was praised by Oprah Winfrey on her podcast, and was described by the Wall Street Journal as “Lean In for the post-girlboss era.”
“Start With Yourself is a practical, direct guide for women who want to stop waiting for permission. If you found yourself nodding along — or arguing back — these books will take you further.”
Frequently asked questions about Emma Grede’s book
How many books has Emma Grede written?
Emma Grede has written one book, Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life, published in 2025 by Avid Reader Press. It was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller.
What is Emma Grede’s book Start With Yourself about?
Start With Yourself is part memoir and part practical guide, tracing Grede’s rise from a working-class childhood in East London to becoming one of America’s richest self-made women through cofounding Good American and SKIMS. It identifies what she calls Old Thoughts, outdated internalized rules about ambition, money, and work-life balance, and argues readers must dismantle these before achieving meaningful success.
Who endorsed Emma Grede’s book?
Oprah Winfrey praised the book on her podcast, calling it a guide for anyone starting or already running a business. The Wall Street Journal described it as Lean In for the post-girlboss era, and it received endorsements from Jenna Bush Hager and coverage on Good Morning America, TODAY, and Meet the Press.
Is Emma Grede’s book a memoir or a business book?
Both. The Los Angeles Times described it as part memoir, built from personal stories Grede calls straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie, and part self-help book offering a practical mindset framework for managing emotions and clarifying goals in work and life.
What companies has Emma Grede built, and are they covered in the book?
Grede is cofounder and CEO of Good American, a founding partner of SKIMS, and cofounder of Safely and Off Season. Start With Yourself draws directly on the experience of building these brands, using her own history as the source material for the book’s practical framework, rather than treating the businesses as a separate case study.
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