Jennifer Lopez: Actress, Singer, and Producer with Writer and Producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas

Busy Philipps always knew she would be an actress. In fact, she was studying theater in college when she landed her first major role as Kim Kelly on the coming-of-age hit Freaks and Geeks. While she found success early on at the age of 19, her career hasn't been without setbacks, rejection, and grit. "I never have really fit into a lot of people's molds," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 35 of Second Life. But Philipps persevered in a male-dominated industry fraught with unrealistic expectations to come out the other side more sure of herself than ever.

22 Loka 201847min

Interior designer Amber Lewis, the force behind Amber Interiors, is proof that you don't necessarily need a college degree or a straightforward career path to find success. With just a few semesters in an interior design program at UCLA, Lewis found work as an assistant at an interior design firm, and eventually branched out on her own. At the same time, the creative was getting married to a musician, having her first child, and taking every opportunity that came her way. "I was a perfect storm of...luck, talent, and timing," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 34 of Second Life.

15 Loka 201838min

Amanda Hesser is responsible for the chic e-commerce and community site Food52, which she launched with co-founder Merrill Stubbs in 2009. Before she struck out on her own, the foodie had a thriving career as an editor for The New York Times and as a cookbook author, both unexpected paths seeing as the entrepreneur studied economics and finance in college. "I had no idea really what I wanted to do, but I knew the sort of lifestyle I wanted," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 33 of Second Life. Here's how she made the leap from cooking to writing to running her own company.

8 Loka 201837min

If you've given or received a gift in the last six years, you've probably heard of Sugarfina, the luxury candy brand made for grown-ups. The champagne gummy bears and other adult-friendly candies wouldn't exist had it not been for Rosie O'Niell and a particularly good date she went on to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with her now business partner and fiancé, Josh Resnick. Prior to starting her own whimsical venture, O'Niell was working in brand management at Mattel for Barbie. "When I did eventually step away and start Sugarfina, it's like I knew how to do it and I didn't even realize I knew how to do it," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 30 of Second Life.

1 Loka 201852min

Emma Grede is the CEO and co-founder of Good American, the hugely successful, size-inclusive fashion brand that she started with none other than Khloé Kardashian. But starting this business wasn't the first time Grede struck out on her own. She'd long been making a name for herself in the fashion and entertainment industries on the business side of things and had already checked starting a company off her list. "I am a person who can sell anything, and I think I just had that naturally," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 29 of Second Life.

24 Syys 201851min

Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, co-presidents of the nonprofit Baby2Baby, met on a blind date. Well, a double blind date with their husbands, orchestrated by Patricof's father-in-law. Since then, Patricof and Weinstein married their passion for helping others with their unique backgrounds in fashion and law to head up operations at Baby2Baby—an organization that started with just three women collecting donations for local families in need that has since blossomed into a wildly successful nonprofit backed by some of the coolest moms in Hollywood.

17 Syys 201842min

If anyone has mastered the art of the hustle, it's Ellen Bennett. The entrepreneurial powerhouse behind Hedley & Bennett, a Los Angeles–based chef wear and handcrafted apron company, started her own business at age 24 while working as a line cook at not one but two prestigious restaurants in L.A. "I was permanently running on adrenaline, and I loved it," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 29 of Second Life. Now, she's outfitting top chefs around the world, including the likes of Martha Stewart, Jamie Oliver, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo.

10 Syys 201857min

Emily Henderson is proof that when you're passionate about something, you can turn it into a thriving career—no matter what you studied in college or where you started out. “I learned on the job and I think it’s a very good way to start and build your career," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 28 of Second Life. Find out how Henderson went from being a prop stylist to running a design blog and getting her own show on HGTV without any traditional design or business education.

27 Elo 201856min