Aspire with Mellody Hobson: What I Learned From My Business Hero
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Who is Mellody Hobson and why is she admired?
I'm so excited about today's episode of the Aspire podcast because today I'm talking to my ultimate aspiration. Whenever I'm asked who I look up to in business, I only have one answer and it's Melody Hobson. Melody is the co-CEO of Aerial Investments, a firm which manages over $14 billion in assets. She was chairwoman at Starbucks and has held board seats at JP Morgan, Estee Lauder, and even negotiated the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. She is someone whose journey is marked by incredible success, but she's also navigated her path with grace and courage and just an unshakable sense of purpose. If you ever wondered what it takes to rise through the ranks, not just to the top, but to redefine what the top can be, then Melody is that blueprint. We'll get into her thoughts on how to get promoted, finding the power in negotiation, and how sometimes being underestimated can be your superpower.
We'll talk about money and how she's using her voice and influence to build real ownership, especially for women and people of colour. Melody is a true one-of-one, and I am so excited to share this episode. Welcome to the show, Melody Hobson. Melody, thank you so much for being here today. When I think about someone in business who I aspire to, you are number one, number one, number one again. No, come on. No, not come on.
Seriously? Yes, seriously.
Right. You know this.
You say that to everyone.
Every time I start, that's my intro. No, I have to tell you, when I decided to do this show, which ultimately the idea is that I get to share the people that I aspire to the most, it was number one you. And I'm so happy that you're here. And we've got a lot of stuff that we're going to talk about today.
How did Mellody Hobson's childhood shape her career?
But before we start, I really want to understand a little bit more about your childhood and where you come from. And I know you grew up on the south side of Chicago. I know that you're one of six and you were raised by a single mother. But I'd really like to understand a little bit more about how you were raised and where you came from. Really, you know, what does that mean in terms of who you are today and how you kind of move through the world?
Me knowing your story, I think you'll understand very well. I grew up in Chicago, youngest of six. My siblings are much older than me. So a couple of decades.
Oh, wow.
So interestingly... I am technically an only child because they say if you have more than five years between yourself and your next sibling, and my next sibling is nine years older than me. My mom was a single mom. She worked extremely hard, but we had a hard existence and not harder than anyone else's, but our own form of challenges where despite the effort, we would get evicted. Our phone would get disconnected. Our lights would be turned off. My mom used to borrow gas from the gas station to get me to school. And all of those things created trauma. You know, I feel like my purpose came from that trauma. And I think my fire, and I said this recently in an interview, was lit by scarcity. There was scarcity, and it made me very, very, very focused and very driven.
I mean, very. I could sit for hours and work without even looking up. The focus that I have is extreme.
Well, I know that about you. And I think that for so many people, when you come from a place where scarcity is like, it's there, it never leaves. Like it's always around the corner. Do you feel like that now? Absolutely.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Who is Mellody Hobson and why is she admired?
0:36–2:18
2
How did Mellody Hobson's childhood shape her career?
2:18–4:32
3
What motivated Mellody Hobson to pursue a career in finance?
4:32–9:26
4
How can simplifying finance empower individuals?
9:26–20:46
5
What does it take to thrive in male-dominated industries?
20:46–28:25
6
How can aspiring professionals get promoted and excel?
28:25–1:02:08
Speakers
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