How do you swap a soul-crushing job for one that sustains you?

Viv talks to the writer, Carrie Sun, whose new memoir, Private Equity, is about to be released in US and UK. The story draws on Carrie’s own experience of being headhunted to be Executive Assistant to a billionaire. The competitive role was glamourous but 24/7, unrelenting and led to burnout in the face of a pitiless boss.

Carrie critiques capitalism and systems of misogyny, giving extraordinary insight into extreme hustle culture within a closed world.

Viv and Carrie unpick these complex threads and counsel keeping a sense of perspective and plotting a way out when you need to escape.

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now.

Find out more about Private Equity.

@vivgroskop

How do you find the confidence to pursue the work you want and ace an interview?

Viv chats to Kate Stephens, the CEO of Smart Works, an amazing charity with celebrity backers whose mission is to help marginalised women break the cycle of rejection and deprivation that comes from long-term unemployment. Since 2013 they’ve helped over 30,000 women prepare for job interviews by giving them coaching, styling and an outfit to wear at their interview chosen from new clothes donated by fashion brands and retailers.

Kate tells Viv how respect and kindness can unlock confidence. Being welcomed and nurtured is key to enabling women to shine in an interview situation.

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now.

Find out more about Smart Works.

@vivgroskop

Are you telling your story? Viv Groskop meets Valerie Jarrett, businesswoman, lawyer and senior adviser to US President Barack Obama. She talks about living a purposeful life, and the mistake of hiding your true self from your work world. She talks about meeting a young Michelle Obama and persuading her to accept a job (no matter what her opinionated fiance thought) She talks about what gives her hope in these desperate times, and how we can't afford to be tired. 

You can find out more about Valerie including her book Finding My Voice at valeriejarettbook.com

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are out now.

And you can subscribe now to Viv's new podcast, We Can Rebuild Her; a series of intimate conversations about reinventing yourself in the age of pandemic.

Are you scared to take risks? Viv Groskop talks to violinist Tasmin Little about creativity, performance pressure, and how you reach perfection by risking it all. Tasmin reveals the punishing logistics of a performing life, the ironic potential for cultural starvation, and her need to avoid being defined by her performance.

You can find out more about Tamsin at her website, tasminlittle.com

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are out now.

And you can subscribe now to Viv's new podcast, We Can Rebuild Her; a series of intimate conversations about reinventing yourself in the age of pandemic.

Are you an arrogant idiot? Viv Groskop talks to Tara Mohr, expert in women's leadership and wellbeing, and author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women who Want to Speak Up, Create and Lead. Listen and learn how to ditch "good girl habits", how to be more improvisational, more self-trusting, more authentic. And how liberating it is to think just a little more like an arrogant idiot.

Find out more about Tara's work on her website.

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are out now.

Twitter: @vivgroskop 

Insta: @vivgroskop

Been wolf whistled by 400 boys? Viv Groskop talks to Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and author of Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists, the Truth about Extreme Misogyny and how it Affects Us All. Laura talks about anger, fear, shame and hope. About how facts are her friends, about TV interviews with men who want to "rip you to shreds" - and about how she turned that disastrous school talk into a triumph.

Laura's latest book, Men Who Hate Women, is out now.

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are also out now.

And you can subscribe now to Viv's new podcast, We Can Rebuild Her; a series of intimate conversations about reinventing yourself in the age of pandemic.

How can we be together, apart? Facilitator, strategic adviser and author Priya Parker talks to Viv Groskop about the art of gathering and why it matters. They explore the value of a proper introduction, the crime of apologising for speaking, and why so much of a successful event has been determined before it even begins. Oh, and why being a "chill host" is such a  bad idea...

Is your skin too thick? Feminist, activist and founding leader of the Women's Equality Party Sophie Walker talks to Viv Groskop about coping with hostility and the value of being thin-skinned. She talks pacing, breathing, how fitness will help you rouse the rabble, how young women will inspire you - and why amid all the shouting you must remember the effect your words are having on the quiet ones.

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are out now.

Are you on mute? Viv Groskop reveals How to Own the Zoom (it had to be done) In a special Masterclass edition, Viv talks camera position, game face, breathing through your feet, engaging an audience you can't see, dealing with a screen-hogger - and the cheering fact that even Zoom's CEO has been known to accidentally hit the mute button...

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are out now.

Are you feeling the fear? Actor, writer and comedian Katy Brand talks to Viv Groskop about the myth of natural confidence, how to work your best angle on camera, and how fear is just a chemical response - no more. Oh, and Nicola Horlick...

Katy's latest book, I Carried a Watermelon, is out now.

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are also out now.

And you can subscribe now to Viv's new podcast, We Can Rebuild Her; a series of intimate conversations about reinventing yourself in the age of pandemic.

Are you not "a natural"? Director Coky Giedroyc talks to Viv Groskop about building the long road to self belief, the power of lowering your voice, why she's fierce with young directors - and why it's time for men to step aside.

Coky's latest film, How to Build a Girl, based on the novel by Caitlin Moran, is out now.

Viv's books, including How to Own the Room, are also out now.

Are you embarrassed even when you are alone? Writer Kiley Reid, author of Such a Fun Age, talks to Viv Groskop about coming to terms with your own creativity and ambition, "woke scolding", changing the world - and why she would love to be the sort of person who enjoys karaoke.

How do you achieve and stay authentic? Viv talks to Angela Cretu, CEO of Avon, one of the biggest beauty brands in the world.

Growing up in Communist Romania she says she learnt about gender and social equality, while ideas of self-expression or personal ambition weren’t present.

After the revolution in 1989, Angela joined Avon at the age of 24 as the company moved into this emerging market and she flew - building new teams at home and internationally.

She tells Viv how important it was for her to share insecurities with a mentor about facing confident male colleagues from the established western markets.

Angela learnt that her voice mattered, her perspective mattered and finding strength in her own self while enabling others have proved to be key to her success.

Before going on stage she recommends immersing yourself in the energy of the room. And Angela will always make sure her eyes look amazing.

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder.

@vivgroskop

Do you know the rules? In a special masterclass episode,  Viv Groskop distils her own experience and the wisdom of previous guests from Sandi Toksvig to Mary Portas, revealing the three key rules to owning the room.

Do check out Viv's new book Lift As You Climb

Are you the one aiming at the moon? Or the one with the plan to get there? Teachers Natalie Chama-Pupé and Karl Pupé talk to Viv Groskop about respect, discipline, humour - and about how they inspire and ground each other.

Do check out Karl Pupé's book The Action Hero Teacher

And Viv's new book Lift As You Climb.

Could you work with your family? Tricia Cusden, Anna Cusden and Suzy Stern are the mother and daughters team behind beauty brand Look Fabulous Forever. They talk to Viv Groskop about boundaries, communication, the trick to grabbing an audience by the first impression - and why you must never say hello-my-name-is...

Do check out Look Fabulous Forever, and Viv's new book Lift as You Climb

Do you need a mentor? At Google, Yonca Dervişoğlu is Chief Marketing Officer for EMEA and Matt Brittin is President of Business and Operations, EMEA. Together they talk to Viv Groskop about owning what makes you remarkable, owning your instincts, owning your gender - and why you must never ask someone to be your mentor.

What makes a good ally? Actors Brian Cox and Nicole Ansari talk to Viv Groskop about female oppression, male insecurity, the difficult delight of performing and how the secret to a happy marriage is separate bedrooms. Nicole Ansari is currently appearing in the UK premiere of Joshua Sobol's play "Sinners - The English Professor", directed by Brian Cox.

What if you don't want to own the room? Author and food writer Sophie Dahl talks to Viv Groskop about making it work even if you don't want to. They talk embracing nuance, deflecting questions and what to do when you're interviewing Philip Pullman and your earpiece falls down your jumper.

Would you rather be right, or happy? Writer, broadcaster and comic Natalie Haynes talks to Viv Groskop about taking up space, facing your fears, the intoxicating magic of making people laugh - and the liberation of not needing to be liked. Oh, and the kindness of Gyles Brandreth.

Are you binary enough? Serial entrepreneur Shaa Wasmund talks to Viv Groskop about being poor, making money, cracking Facebook Lives, winning at conferences - and committing everything to what you love. Oh, and the joys of a garden office. 

Are you making the "porridge" mistake? Aline Santos, Unilever's EVP of Global Marketing and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, talks to Viv Groskop about how not to get burnt by business culture. She talks wearing aftershave, never being angry - and how Sigourney Weaver's film Alien transformed her life.

Do you have an inner hype woman? Entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid talks to Viv Groskop about preserving your energy, knowing your brief inside out, and transforming your inner critic into a hype cheerleader. Oh, and how Jamaican music made her believe she could achieve anything...

How do you follow a dream? Viv talks to the fashion legend, Lucinda Chambers, who worked at Vogue from the age of 21, eventually working her way up to become fashion director at the iconic magazine.

Chatting in Lucinda’s beautiful west London home, she tells Viv about how she learned graft in her childhood and about working hard to follow creative sparks.

Despite being in the glamorous world of fashion, Lucinda reveals that she never took it for granted and made sure her feet stayed on the ground while the sparkles danced among the style and the glossy pages of the magazine.

She’s now co-founder of Collagerie, a curated online shopping platform for fashion and interiors, which she runs with former Vogue colleague Serena Hood.

And her advice is simple… it’s all in the baby steps.

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder.

@vivgroskop

Are you one of the guys? The policy analyst, economist and robotics expert Pippa Malmgren talks to Viv Groskop about body language, advising presidents, the end of expertise and why she stopped trying to look like a man and started wearing killer Louboutin heels on stage.

Are you a victim? Author Patricia Cornwall talks to Viv Groskop about unlearning the lessons of a childhood that taught her she was a victim. She talks about giving people what they want - but not giving away your power. She talks Kay Scarpetta, Captain Calli Chase, bad reviews and forgetting the name of her own novel on live TV. She talks surfing the asteroid belt in a swimsuit. Please, listen.

Are you getting enough potatoes? Sandi Toksvig, writer, broadcaster, actor and activist talks to Viv Groskop about owning rooms from the Royal Albert Hall to the QI studio and the Bake Off tent. She talks confidence, social media, being "interruptable" and getting death threats for being lesbian. And reveals the source of her power: a childhood fighting for her share at noisy family dinners.

Are you keeping it fresh? Writer Margaret Atwood talks to Viv Groskop about tap dancing, cannibalism, puppetry, feminism, the joy of the unexpected and the value of a well chosen quip to defeat your enemies. And Tina Turner.

Are you owning your individuality? Hillary and Chelsea Clinton talk to Viv Groskop about our narrow notions of what female speech and power should be - and how they must be expanded. They discuss The Book of Gutsy Women (co-authored by the Clintons), plus pant suits, press bullying, Greta Thunberg and Hillary's very first public speaking "trial by fire".

Have you done your homework? Actress, singer and writer Julie Andrews tells Viv Groskop that you never know when something quite wonderful might happen - so be prepared. She talks being inspired by the excellence of others, being flattened by a helicopter - and how discipline is the foundation that leaves her free to fly.

Would you be paid more if you were a man? BBC journalist and former China Editor Carrie Gracie talks to Viv Groskop about how women should arm themselves against the gender pay gap, about rehearsing the tears out of your voice and about drawing strength from the voices of other women.

Can you own a room you aren't even in? Monica Galetti can. The chef and Masterchef judge talks to Viv Groskop about making your  personality felt even when you aren't there. She recalls being sick with nerves when first filming Masterchef, how the fear of failure drives her - and how vital it is to say no when your gut tells you an opportunity isn't right for you.

Can I touch your hair? Tech entrepreneur and inclusion campaigner Abadesi Osunsade talks to Viv Groskop about diversity, confidence tricks, the power of your personal story - and why you must never believe that the problem is you. 

Ever seriously considered pretending you'd died? TV chef and writer Nadiya Hussain tells Viv Groskop how she begged her husband to tell Bake Off producers she was dead. She talks learning to accept her anxiety, how a teacher squashed her ambition, and the moment her child said his mum "lives her dreams". Oh, and the vital importance of coconut oil moisturiser.

How do you simply get things done? Viv talks to the American writer, Curtis Sittenfeld, whose new novel, Romantic Comedy, is already a bestseller and has been selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. They chat about feminist breakthroughs, navigating the room – literally and metaphorically, and what to do with your hands in a photoshoot with an A-list movie star.

She tells Viv that it’s a feminist act to assume knowledge by the women in your audience. And on the business of pushing projects forward she shares tips on separating your to do list and your emotions, and in the face of being overwhelmed, taking a moment to calmly ask the question - what do I need to do to get this done?

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder.

@vivgroskop

Do you know your "Why"? Choir conductor Karen Gibson talks to Viv Groskop about intention, spirituality and making a mark in people's hearts. Oh, and owning the room when performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle... 

Are you ready to walk through the door of opportunity? Writer Jessica Fellowes talks to Viv Groskop about seizing the moment, putting on a show, owning the room when you are deaf - and the wonderful world of Downton Abbey.

Are you putting limits on yourself? Actress, director and writer Olwen Fouéré inspires Viv Groskop with her refusal to accept limitations. They talk mastering non-verbal communication, the power of the in-between and the way fear can be poetry. Oh, and the vocal benefits of (whisper it) cigarettes...

Have you got your rubber head on straight? Writer Ann Patchett talks to Viv Groskop about dressing up as your better, braver, more confident self when you go on stage. And even channelling someone else entirely. And the strange comfort of knowing that, actually, noone cares.

This special bonus episode is part of #PODSTRIKE, a coalition of podcasts supporting the Global Climate Strikes by helping spread the word.

More here:

https://globalclimatestrike.net/

https://www.podstrike.net/

Are you trying to sell something you wouldn't buy? Marcia Kilgore (Beauty Pie, Fitflop and more) talks to Viv Groskop about being driven by loss, the fearlessness that comes from knowing what makes you happy, and being so devoted to what you do that criticism is irrelevant. Oh, and how Beauty Pie was born from a desire to bring Christmas to us all...

Writer Ann Patchett and How to Own the Room endorse #PODSTRIKE, a coalition of podcasts supporting Greta Thunberg and the young people behind the Global Climate Strikes starting this Friday 20th Sept, by helping spread the word. Ann will feature on a special edition very soon. Have your favourite shows signed up yet?

https://globalclimatestrike.net/

https://www.podstrike.net/

Are you over-thinking it? Musician Cerys Matthews talks to Viv Groskop about the dangers of thinking too much, the myth of the tortured artist, the responsibility to conjure magic on stage and the importance of wearing a REALLY BIG COAT. Oh, and she does a cracking impression of Tom Jones...

Are your clothes holding you back? Viv Groskop talks to Kenya Hunt, deputy editor at Elle UK, about Karl Lagerfeld; the performance secrets of being a professional dancer and how to own the room on different sides of the Atlantic. Oh, and why you should visit a tailor. Now.

Do men think you're soft? Viv Groskop talks to entrepreneur, CEO and author Margaret Heffernan about how confidence comes from confronting yourself (and others) with concrete achievements, why she won't do International Women's Day and why change always involves sacrifice.

Are you relentlessly authentic? Viv Groskop talks to Sarah Hurwitz, speechwriter to Michelle Obama (and her husband) about why it's a waste of time to memorise speeches, why improvising is bad, why women can't be angry and why, if you wouldn't say something to one person, you really shouldn't say it to lots of people.

How do you nurture self-belief? Viv talks to the bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson, about cultivating gentle trust in ourselves.

The Pulitzer prize-winning writer of narrative nonfiction, whose latest book, Caste, explores the inner workings of an American hierarchy, talks to Viv about bringing your absolute all to the stage and creating an experience of communion with the audience.

Such deep and generous sharing in this space is balanced, though, with a word of caution about keeping precious projects close in early stages, protecting them from those who might discourage you when they’re most delicate.

Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder.

@vivgroskop

Are you trying to own all the rooms all the time? Viv Groskop talks to writer, poet and performer Chimene Suleyman about picking your battles, embracing your nerves and finding your cheerleaders.

Are they laughing with you or at you? Viv Groskop talks to performer Petra Massey about embracing failure, the importance of rehearsal and the richness of play.

Are you being fair to yourself? Viv Groskop talks to the novelist Elif Shafak about how we learn self doubt, how anger is sexy but dangerous, why she is wary of certainty - and why you really shouldn't cut your own hair.