In the fast – paced realm of business and innovation, even the most accomplished entrepreneurs occasionally require a mentor – like moment to truly comprehend the next significant trend. Imagine constructing a multi – billion – dollar empire, redefining industries, and guiding numerous emerging stars, only to find oneself admitting that one is “using AI like a 42 – year – old woman.” This candid and self – deprecating confession comes from none other than Emma Grede, the self – made multimillionaire behind the $4 billion Skims empire, a co – founder who has consistently demonstrated her talent for identifying cultural shifts before they gain widespread popularity.
Emma Grede’s entrepreneurial odyssey is nothing less than extraordinary. She is the founding partner of Kim Kardashian’s Skims, a brand that has expanded from shapewear into a sprawling fashion empire. Beyond Skims, she also serves as the CEO of the flourishing denim brand Good American, which she co – founded with Khloe Kardashian, generating an astonishing $1 million on its launch day alone, setting a record as the largest denim launch in the history of the apparel industry.
Her influence extends well beyond the fashion sphere. Grede holds a seat on the board of the Obama Foundation, a testament to her extensive impact and dedication. Moreover, she has emerged as a paragon of inclusion in the retail sector, breaking through glass ceilings by becoming the first Black female investor on the hit show Shark Tank—all before reaching her 45th birthday. This pioneering spirit is now being harnessed through a new UPS campaign, in which she collaborates with tennis champion Coco Gauff to mentor the creators of emerging female – led brands, providing invaluable one – on – one coaching to assist them in scaling up.
Despite her remarkable prowess in business expansion and talent cultivation, Grede openly acknowledges that when it came to artificial intelligence, she herself found that she was in need of a mentor. She recognized a personal deficiency in her comprehension and utilization of this rapidly advancing technology. The pivotal moment, as she revealed exclusively to Fortune, was facilitated by a fellow Shark Tank investor, the outspoken and visionary Mark Cuban.
Grede shared insights from an unaired episode of her well – known podcast program Aspire, in which she and Cuban explored in depth their respective uses of AI. She recalled how that particular conversation triggered a profound transformation in her perspective. “I was already somewhat on the way,” she explained, “but if I am truly honest, that episode in which we really delved into AI imparted to me a new sense of urgency regarding how I employ AI.” The extensive scale of Cuban’s engagement with AI truly impressed her, as she observed, he had “a staggering 60 AI apps on his phone.” With a chuckle, she added, “Yeah, he gave me a push.”
This “push” was precisely what Grede required to expedite her AI education. Right after the podcast recording ended, she did not waste a moment in seeking advanced learning opportunities. She candidly confessed, “I need to figure this out, because I am using AI like a 42 – year – old woman,” alluding to her relatively cautious and superficial interaction with the technology in comparison to its real potential. Her proactive attitude led her to commence researching AI courses at prestigious institutions such as the Wharton School and Harvard for the upcoming autumn.
Interestingly, Grede was not completely unfamiliar with the notion of integrating AI into her business operations. In fact, approximately two years prior to her revelation, she was ahead of the curve in promoting AI adoption within her companies. She introduced a bold incentive, stating, “About two years ago, I issued a notice in my office, offering a cash bonus to anyone who utilizes AI in their work.” This initiative proved to be an enormous success, particularly resonating with her marketing and finance teams.
This early promotion of AI adoption led to substantial changes within her organizations. As Grede described, the incentive “transformed the office. It altered the way people presented their work. It modified the way people performed their work.” Her younger, tech – savvy Gen Z and thirty – something staff members enthusiastically embraced experimenting with new AI launches, including tools such as ChatGPT, and became proficient users of these emerging technologies. However, Grede admitted that she might have inadvertently relied too heavily on their expertise.
Until recently, her personal engagement with AI mainly involved using it as a basic search engine, delegating the more complex applications and in – depth explorations to her staff. This realization triggered a critical moment of self – reflection for Grede, during which she recognized the necessity to personally upgrade her skills. “I thought, Emma, you need to address that,” she recalled, indicating her internal commitment to mastering AI at a deeper level.
This individual journey of self – improvement for Grede mirrors a broader trend sweeping through boardrooms worldwide. Many other CEOs are currently rushing to appoint AI leaders, future – proof their businesses, and prepare for the disruptive yet transformative changes that AI promises. The urgency is evident across industries, with leaders acknowledging that a passive approach to AI is no longer feasible.
Indeed, even tech behemoths acknowledge the unprecedented velocity of AI’s evolution. Microsoft co – founder Bill Gates famously remarked that AI is advancing at a pace that “surprises” even him. He warned that even if workers assiduously learn how to utilize the latest technological tools, they may still find themselves unemployed if the underlying business models undergo radical shifts. A former Google executive further amplified this concern, suggesting that many CEOs are currently too preoccupied with “celebrating” their initial efficiency gains from AI to realize that they themselves might be next on AI’s metaphorical chopping block if they fail to innovate strategically.
Emma Grede, as one of America’s wealthiest self – made women, boasts a reported net worth of nearly $400 million and oversees at least four major enterprises. Her track record unequivocally establishes her as a ruthlessly efficient leader. Yet, in her view, her intensified engagement with AI is not about extracting even greater productivity from her already hectic schedule. “I’m likely the most productive person in the world. I don’t think I can be significantly more productive,” she stated, emphasizing that her time is predominantly occupied by making high – stakes decisions rather than performing routine tasks.
For Grede, the true potential of AI does not lie in enhancing her personal output of daily tasks, but in elevating her strategic decision – making and reshaping her leadership paradigm. She passionately elucidated, “I think it’s a re – framing of how we’re going to conduct business.” Her role entails making monumental bets and decisions for her multi – billion – dollar enterprises. Therefore, her primary objective with AI is to “position data in a way that optimizes that decision – making.” This, she believes, is “probably where I’m going to be using it most.”
Looking forward, Grede envisions AI fundamentally transforming her core responsibilities. “When you start to consider my role as a merchant and as a planner,” she articulated, “it’s really those aspects that I think are going to undergo fundamental changes.” This visionary perspective regards AI not as a mere efficiency tool, but as a strategic partner in navigating complex market dynamics and mapping out future growth.
Product on Amazon: AI SOFTWARE BUSINESS: 100+ Micro SaaS Ideas To Rapid Launch Your Software Empire
Binding: Kindle Edition Product Group: Digital Ebook Purchas
Price: 0.99 USD
Rating: 3.4 Total reviews: 5
Top Review from US: “Was thinking to create some micro apps using GPT-3. There is a lot of app ideas out there. This book has a nice collection of app ideas that can has a good niche and profit potential. Well researched book.”
Shopping on Amazon >>
Read more about: Walmart’s AI-Powered Produce Scanners Promise Fresher Fruits & Veggies: The Tech Behind Your Better Basket
Mark Cuban’s insights from the Aspire podcast episode, which has since been released, deliver a stark and unequivocal warning to founders who hesitate to embrace AI. The television personality and owner of the Dallas Mavericks did not mince words: “You’re f**ked…” He powerfully analogized this reluctance to historical technological shifts, stating, “That’s like saying, back in the day, ‘I don’t need to use a PC; I don’t need to use the internet; I don’t need a cell phone.’” For Cuban, AI is not optional; it’s an imperative.
Cuban’s advice for aspiring and current entrepreneurs is clear and actionable: “If you’re an entrepreneur or want to be an entrepreneur, start experimenting with it to get a sense of how it works and how to prompt it.” He emphasizes the profound impact AI can have, suggesting that mastering its use “becomes akin to having an entire staff of 1,000 business professors.” This underscores the unparalleled leverage AI offers to individuals and small teams.
Cuban himself is a living testament to the transformative power of AI. Speaking on the High Performance podcast on June 30, the minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks confessed, “It’s insane how much I use it right now,” acknowledging AI’s deep integration into virtually every aspect of his daily life, from software development to personal health tracking. Despite not having written code in years, Cuban demonstrated AI’s capabilities by building a pharmacy price – tracking app using Replit “in minutes,” simply by describing his desired functionality.
His innovative use of AI extends beyond business tools. Cuban actively taps into its creative capabilities for his NBA team. He utilizes text – to – video tools to generate content for the Dallas Mavericks, marveling at how quickly AI can produce initial drafts for both software and creative projects. “I just provide it with new ideas and things I want,” he explained, showcasing AI’s versatility as a creative assistant.
Remarkably, Cuban’s reliance on AI has even penetrated the most personal corners of his life. Following a cardiac procedure for atrial fibrillation, he leveraged ChatGPT to monitor his medications and workout routines. He instructed the chatbot, “I’m going to inform you when I take my medicine and when I do my workout, and I want you to record it all,” asking it to flag anything that seemed amiss. He now converses with ChatGPT as a personal health assistant, a task he previously might have used a dedicated mobile app for.
Yet, for all his enthusiastic adoption, Cuban remains a vocal advocate of caution and human oversight. “You’ve got to be careful,” he repeatedly warns. He likens AI interaction to “talking to a friend who you think knows a lot about something,” emphasizing the crucial need to “still have to consult an expert.” He acknowledges that even the most advanced AI programmers could do a better job, underscoring that the technology, while powerful, isn’t flawless.
Cuban is far from alone among tech leaders in embracing AI in their daily routines. According to reports, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman utilizes AI for managing emails and summarizing documents, streamlining his communication workflow. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also leverages AI to organize his inbox, ensuring efficiency in his demanding schedule. Even Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, whose company develops the foundational models for much of today’s AI, relies on chatbots to help draft his speeches. At a Wired event in December 2024, Huang explained, “I give it a basic outline, provide it with some PDFs of my previous talks, and I get it to write my first draft. It’s really fantastic,” highlighting AI’s role as a creative accelerator.
Read more about: 17 Cinematic Disasters: Movies That Should Never Have Been Made
However, despite these glowing endorsements and widespread adoption among tech titans, experts continue to issue warnings regarding the notable flaws of AI tools. A March 25 report from Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism revealed that even the paid versions of popular AI chatbots often provide answers that are confidently incorrect. More alarmingly, some were found to fabricate news citations when prompted to provide accurate sources, underscoring the critical need for verification.
Both Cuban and Grede acknowledge these limitations, emphasizing that AI “still generates hallucinatory content.” Their shared conclusion points to three vital lessons for anyone navigating the AI landscape: Firstly, “Prompt Engineering Matters,” which means that the quality of results is directly correlated with the clarity and iteration of user prompts. Secondly, “You’re Still the Pilot,” reinforcing the idea that AI is an assistant, not a replacement for human accountability, especially in high – stakes scenarios. Finally, “Trust Comes from Testing,” as trust in AI is earned through rigorous and repeated validation of its outputs.
Emma Grede’s evolution is not merely a personal anecdote; it serves as a powerful blueprint for the broader fashion industry and countless other sectors that are grappling with AI integration. Skims, which is already thriving on its ability to stay culturally relevant, gains unprecedented agility through AI, enabling it to spot and capitalize on viral moments instantaneously. This pivot underscores Cuban’s central truth: companies that fail to deeply embed AI into their core operations risk becoming obsolete in an increasingly AI – driven world.
Read more about: The Body Imperative: Navigating Toxic Fitness Trends and Societal Scrutiny
Grede now views AI as a transformative force, enabling her to actively “shape—not just respond to—the market.” This paradigm shift is encapsulated in her profound realization: “Mark made me realize that AI isn’t about replacing creativity; it’s about supercharging it.” Her journey from a cautious, “42 – year – old woman” approach to AI to a full – scale integration strategy provides an invaluable roadmap for entrepreneurs facing similar technological crossroads. If her results continue to mirror her brand’s history of bold and successful moves, Skims is poised not only to maintain its dominance in shapewear but also to establish pioneering new standards for how fashion businesses leverage AI to stay at the cutting edge of innovation. The future, with human expertise guiding AI’s immense power, truly promises to be extraordinary.
