Good American CEO Emma Grede Calls Remote Work "Career Suicide," Cites Mental Health and Societal Concerns
Emma Grede—the entrepreneurial force behind size-inclusive brand Good American and Kim Kardashian's shapewear empire Skims—has a blunt message for professionals embracing remote work: "Working from home is career suicide."
In a recent Bloomberg podcast interview, Grede doubled down on her stance, arguing that the widespread celebration of remote flexibility overlooks high professional and personal costs.
"We only talk about the upside of working from home," she said. "But think about what's happening in the world: declining birth rates, declining marriage rates, and a loneliness epidemic. It's so crazy to not make the correlation between these trends and the fact that so many people aren't seeing others because they're doing Zoom calls from their living rooms."
For Grede, the solution is rooted in human connection. "The key to a long and happy life is your close relationships," she emphasized—a belief that informs her strong preference for in-office collaboration.
A Polarizing Take in a Divided Workplace Landscape
Grede's comments arrive amid ongoing tension between employers pushing return-to-office mandates and employees advocating for continued flexibility. While companies often cite improved collaboration and culture as reasons for requiring office presence, workplace experts caution that mandates must be implemented with purpose and empathy—or risk eroding trust and engagement.
Grede, however, remains unequivocal: physical presence matters—for careers and for community.
From Setbacks to Billion-Dollar Brands
Grede's perspective is shaped by over a decade of entrepreneurial experience. Good American, her first apparel venture, launched in 2016 with Khloé Kardashian, generated $1 million in sales on day one. In 2019, she co-founded Skims with Kim Kardashian; by late 2023, the brand was valued at $5 billion.
Yet Grede is quick to highlight that her path wasn't linear. "There's a ton of failures," she said. "I opened offices that didn't work out. I grew companies and then had to downsize them. Those things are really painful. We only show the glossy side—the amazing headlines, the Instagram-worthy moments. But anyone who's built multiple businesses has failed."
Her secret to resilience? "Figuring it out as you go," she explained. "You never have all the answers—and if you think you do, you're probably not moving fast enough."
Leadership Philosophy: Radical Honesty Over Performative Empathy
When it comes to managing teams, Grede leads with what she calls "radical honesty." She acknowledges the double standard female leaders often face—expected to be empathetic first, decisive second—but refuses to let that compromise her communication style.
"I don't think anybody in my organization ever wonders what I'm thinking," she said.
Given her firm stance on workplace presence, it's safe to assume her teams also have no ambiguity about where she expects them to be.
*Grede's comments invite a broader conversation about how we define productivity, connection, and career growth in a post-pandemic world. Whether you agree or not, one thing is clear: for Emma Grede, showing up—in person—is non-negotiable.*