Aspire with Emma Grede

Emma has known Rich Kleiman for 20 years. In all that time, they've never talked about where he actually came from, until now. What came next was one of the most honest conversations we've had on the podcast. 

The hardest story to change is the one you tell yourself. For Rich, it wasn't a lesson,  it was survival.

He grew up navigating a volatile home on the Upper West Side. With a mother battling addiction and no one to watch him, Rich was left to figure life out on his own.  Today he manages Kevin Durant's business empire, has built Boardroom from scratch, and is one of the most respected operators at the intersection of sports, music, and culture. 

In this conversation, he and Emma get into how chaos became his competitive advantage, what it really takes to build a partnership that lasts, and why legacy means more to him now than money ever did.

Rich shares: 


How growing up around instability shaped his instincts in business.


How his ability to navigate chaos made him a better leader.


Why notoriety and success aren't the same thing 


Why the stories you tell yourself matter – and how truth outways comfort. 


Why making peace with your past changes how you move through the world. 

What's the story you keep telling yourself? Drop it in the comments — we'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Aspire with Emma Grede.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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Sometimes you can reach a point in your career when everything looks right on paper, but feels completely wrong.  And wanting something different doesn’t make you ungrateful, it signals growth. 

But the next step is where a lot of people make emotional decisions. They quit without having a plan, waiting to feel ready before they make a move, or talking themselves out of it entirely.

In this episode, Emma talks about what a real career pivot actually looks like. Not the fantasy version where you walk away from everything and magically figure it out, but the strategic version where you build on what you’ve already done.

She gets into how to tell the difference between burnout and a real signal that it’s time to change, why the best pivots are usually closer than you think, and how to move forward without starting from zero.

You'll learn:


The Pivot Audit:  a framework for making big career moves strategically


How to de-risk a career change before you take the leap


Why being "too late" is a myth and what the data actually says

What's one part of your career you've quietly outgrown? Drop it in the comments — we'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Aspire with Emma Grede.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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The truth is, most of us weren’t taught how to manage our money, we were taught not to talk about it. 

From salary transparency and investing to honest discussions about debt and risk, women are left out of the conversation. Today’s guest, Tori Dunlap, is trying to change that. She’s built HerFirst $100K into a multi-million dollar education platform by helping women reshape their relationship with money and start building wealth. 

In this conversation Emma and Tori get into the real reasons why so many women avoid looking at their bank accounts, how money narratives impact our decisions before we are even old enough to understand them and why waiting until you're ready to invest is ultimately costing you your future. 

Tori also speaks candidly about why she believes women in relationships should keep separate accounts, how the trad wife trend can be misleading and why getting rich isn’t something women should ever feel guilty about. 

You’ll learn: 

• Why “I’m bad at math” is keeping women broke

• What most of us get wrong about investing and how to do it right

• What today’s economic uncertainty actually means for your money

• Why financial education is the highest-return investment you can make

What's your biggest money block right now? Drop it in the comments,  we'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Aspire with Emma Grede.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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Mori Taheripour is one of the leading negotiation experts in the country,  but her most important lesson may be this: negotiation has nothing to do with conflict and everything to do with knowing your worth. 

The Wharton professor has spent the last 22 years teaching people how to ask for what they want, not by using scripts or tactics, but by rebuilding the self-belief that life slowly chips away at. 

In this episode, Emma and Mori get into the fear, guilt, people-pleasing and inner work that sits at the heart of every negotiation you’ll ever have. 

They explore: 


Why negotiation is a life skill,  not a boardroom tactic


How fear of rejection stops us from asking for more


Why people pleasers struggle to advocate for themselves


How to stop taking no personally


Why your biggest negotiation is always with yourself


Why leverage is often perception 


How to ask for more without guilt or apology 

This is the episode for every woman who has ever talked herself out of asking. You already have what it takes and Mori explains exactly why.

What's your biggest negotiation challenge right now? Drop it in the comments,  we'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Aspire with Emma Grede.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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Kelly Wearstler is one of the most influential designers in the world,  but her real genius may be how she turned taste into a scalable multi-million dollar business.

Over the years, she’s built a company that stretches far beyond interiors, expanding into product, licensing, creative direction, and media  all while staying closely involved in the work itself. In this conversation, we get into the structure, decision-making, and resilience behind that growth.

In this episode, Emma explores:


How Kelly built a 60-person studio


Why she believes in “sequence” over speed


The commercial strategy behind creative work


How she’s using AI within her company 


Investing in hierarchy and leadership


Knowing when to walk away 


Why longevity matters more than hype

This is a conversation about building something that evolves and making sure it’s designed to endure.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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