The Who What Wear Podcast: Too Much Costume Designer Arielle Cooper-Lethem on Maximalism, the Power of a Pioneer Nightgown, and London vs. NYC Style

Not everyone is lucky enough to stumble upon a career they're passionate about early in life. For April Gargiulo, the founder of skincare company Vinter's Daughter, it took three college degrees, stints in the design world, and time spent working for the family wine business for her to truly find her calling, and she's just getting started. Despite her untraditional path, she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 20 of Second Life, "There's nothing I would have done differently."

2 Juli 201835min

Lauren Conrad ended up on one of the world's first major reality TV shows at the tender age of 17. Since then, she's grown into the cunning, experienced entrepreneur you know today. According to her, she wouldn't be where she is now—a New York Times best-selling author eight times over, designer of her own fashion line LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's, and philanthropist behind the non-profit The Little Market—without the mistakes she made along the way. “I believe in mistakes," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 19 of Second Life. "I think that everything I know is because of a mistake I made.”

25 Juni 201837min

When you grow up in Ohio with dreams of moving to Los Angeles, becoming a TV host, and owning a Range Rover, people don't always take you seriously, according to Marianna Hewitt. However, with a bit of luck, perseverance, and the skills to turn her dreams into reality, Hewitt moved to L.A. and not only became a TV host but parlayed her experience into a career as a YouTube star, blogger, influencer, and now skincare brand co-founder. "My mentality is someone out there is doing the thing you want to do. Why can't it be you?" she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 18 of Second Life.

18 Juni 201840min

If you asked Jen Gotch in her 20s what her career might be like today, she'd have had absolutely no idea. "I'm a late bloomer," she tells Hillary Kerr on episode 17 of Second Life. The businesswoman and founder of the stylish gifts and accessories brand Ban.do spent college studying literature and philosophy with the goal of becoming a lawyer, only to realize that wasn't the path for her. Little did she know it would be a career in food styling that would ignite her creativity and lead to the beginning of her own brand then, later, a podcast about mental health.

11 Juni 201839min

From an early age, Cassandra Grey understood that you have to work for the things you need in life. It's part of what motivated her to not only work at a children's store in high school but eventually go on to manage said store and become a buyer. It's also part of what drove her to create her own, nontraditional PR business in both San Francisco and New York City and what, ultimately, led her to draft the business plan for what's now a multiplatform beauty empire by the name of Violet Grey. "I'm still on the day-to-day hustle," Grey tells Hillary Kerr in Episode 16 of Second Life, where she explains how her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for people guided her through multiple career paths.

4 Juni 201838min

The fast-paced world of advertising couldn't seem more opposite to vintage furniture shopping. However, after pressing pause on a career in marketing to raise her quickly growing family, Anna Brockway found herself using her advertising know-how to start her own website for selling vintage furniture. Brockway explains how she turned a little website called Chairish into the curated online marketplace for vintage home goods that it is today on episode 15 of Second Life.

28 Maj 201840min

There are two ways to tell Mandy Moore’s career story. While we’re familiar with the highlight reel—Moore was a breakout singer at just 15 and is a Golden Globe nominee—the real story is far more complex. In episode 14 of Second Life, Moore opens up about self-doubt and setbacks and how they helped shape the woman and actor she is today.

21 Maj 201847min

Sophia Rossi's résumé is filled with accomplishments, but there's one achievement you won't find on there: graduate. The fiercely successful CEO of women's lifestyle website HelloGiggles skipped college to dive straight into full-time work after high school. In episode 13 of Second Life, Rossi talks about working as a producer on The Hills, learning from startup mistakes, and what it takes to be a great manager.

14 Maj 201830min