Secrets to success? No, thank you. Welcome to Work Friends, a podcast for sharing upfront and unfiltered career stories—the good, the bad, and the unapologetically ambitious. Because what’s better than a bit of real talk among friends?
Each episode, Sali Christeson, Founder and CEO of women’s workwear brand, Argent, hosts one of her Work Friends for a conversation about climbing the corporate ladder, building a brand from scratch, raising money, and finding success on their own terms. Meet industry-shifting women in media, entertainment, business, and more, as they share the ups and downs of their careers, without glossing over the difficult parts.
This podcast is for everyone who takes their work (but not always themselves) seriously and believes in radical equality in, and out of, the workplace.
Ambition suits you.
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Retta on Playing an Iconic Character & Still Having a Backup Plan
Season 1 · Episode 39
Monday, February 9, 2026 • Duration 01:02:50
We are thrilled to welcome Retta to Work Friends today. The actor, HGTV host, and one-half of the team who brought us “treat yo self ” joins Sali to share how a prospective medical student and a somewhat reluctant stand-up comedian found herself cast on one of the most beloved sitcoms in history.
Retta is best known for her portrayal of Donna Meagle in all seven seasons of Parks and Recreation, andsince the hit show wrapped, she continues to captivate with roles in Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Good Girls, and in seven seasons of HGTV’s Ugliest House in America and its spinoff Scariest House in America.
We start all the way at the beginning, and get into some of Retta’s best stories along the way, including:
the very first time she ever did stand up (she crushed it!), and the second (she bombed!).
how she planned her path to med school and then abandoned it....yet why she refuses to throw away her MCAT books.
the real reason she thinks she was cast as Donna on Parks and Rec.
how she learned to be her authentic, unfiltered self as the host of Ugliest House in America.
and, what she really thinks when someone quotes “treat yo self” to her.
For more Retta, be sure to check out the newest season of Ugliest House in America, now streaming on HBO Max and discovery+ .
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Beth Hutchens on "Stupid" Mistakes, "Lawless" Fashion & Changing Careers
Season 1 · Episode 38
Monday, January 26, 2026 • Duration 55:00
Today, Beth Hutchens sits down with Sali. Beth has spent her career in fashion, first cofounding the Rebecca Taylor brand in her 20s, alongside designer Rebecca Taylor. As CEO, Beth saw the company reach massive success. But after nearly two decades, she stepped away and launched Foundrae.
The celebrity-loved jewelry brand is known for its stunning, statement-making adornments that feature 18 karat gold, precious stones, and symbols—both overt and subtle—that make each piece a personal treasure for whoever wears it.
Naturally, when it comes to making a big career change, Beth is a supporter. After all, it’s no small feat to become a successful two-time founder. She joins us to share more about how she navigated:
launching a fashion brand without a business plan.
the absolute “lawless” fashion industry of the ‘90s.
how she decided to step down from a company she thought she would spend her entire life at.
the “stupid” mistakes she made when she launched Foundrae.
and the questions anyone should ask themselves before making a major career pivot.
Nikki Ogunnaike on Fashion Media: "It's a Game, at the End of the Day"
Season 1 · Episode 37
Monday, January 12, 2026 • Duration 59:53
Nikki Ogunnaike joins Sali to tell the story of her career, one that’s landed her at the top of the masthead as the Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire. Prior to taking the helm over two years ago, Nikki stacked her resume with roles at some of the most prestigious fashion publications in the world: InStyle, Glamour, Elle, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar among them.
Over the course of her career, she’s covered the major moves in the capital-F Fashion industry, dived deep into celebrity style, and is a certifiable shopping expert. Since stepping into her role at Marie Claire—and launching her own podcast, Nice Talk—Nikki has also become a leader on power: what it means and the women who wield it for good. She is certainly one, as well.
Today, she gives us a look at her over-decade-long career, including:
having an expectation of excellence from a young age, as a first-generation Nigerian American.
building a portfolio of work from one fashion publication to another…with some tough transitions along the way.
learning about the New York elite and how the fashion industry is really just “a game at the end of the day.”
why she actually didn't want to be an Editor-in-Chief.
and, now that she is one, how she’s approaching her leadership role at a historic publication.
Ricki Lake on Becoming a Talk Show Icon & Entering a New Career Chapter
Season 1 · Episode 36
Monday, December 29, 2025 • Duration 53:01
Today’s guest on Work Friends, we have a guest who—for many—needs no introduction: Ricki Lake.
As a teen, Ricki landed her breakout role as Tracy Turnblad in John Waters’ Hairspray and, just a few years later, became the youngest talk show host in history with her self-titled show, Ricki Lake. Today on Work Friends, the ‘90s icon sits down with Sali to get into the reality (and major missteps) of her success, including:
landing her first roles in Hollywood, without a plan B.
navigating the chapter when her work dried up.
how playing Tracy Turnblad helped her become a good talk show host.
the famously scandalous storylines that played out over 11 seasons of her show.
the project she considers to be her legacy (that’s not her talk show).
how shes holding up after losing her home in LA wildfires last year.
and what’s defining this chapter of life and work for the one-and-only Ricki Lake.
Lisa Joseph Metelus on Working With NBA Icons & Owning Her Mistakes
Season 1 · Episode 35
Monday, December 15, 2025 • Duration 01:06:44
This week, Sali sits down with Lisa Joseph Metelus, the Head of Athlete Brand Strategy and Board Member at Creative Artists Agency, and Co-founder of PlayMakeHer.
Over Lisa’s three-decade career, she’s been a force behind the biggest, most-celebrated athletes of our time. This includes Hall of Famers Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, with whom Lisa has worked for over 20 years.
Lisa has not only found incredible success in a male-dominated field, she’s also committed to uplifting fellow women in the business of sports. In that spirit, she gets totally candid about the mistakes she’s made along the way. This episode is not to be missed, as Lisa shares:
the origins of her love of basketball.
the near career-ending mistake she made as an intern (it involved an NBA party and learning why you shouldn’t mix liquors).
how she landed a job in sports, despite no one wanting to hire her—and what she did to prove herself.
what a manager actually does. (And yes, it’s different than an agent.)
and, how Lisa is helping women succeed through building a community of mentors.
Today, Sali is joined by the President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves. A staunch champion for all women and girls and defender of civil rights, Fatima is a first-generation lawyer who comes from a family that intimately understands the importance of equal protection under the law.
In this episode, she gets into her backstory, as well as what it was like navigating Yale Law School (not without imposter syndrome) and, eventually, navigating Congress (not without Real Housewives comparisons). Fatima is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration, especially in the current political climate, and shares:
how she found success, without knowing the “secret language” of Yale Law.
how some laws that “defend” and “advance” women may actually be doing to opposite.
what to know if you believe your civil rights are being stripped away.
the common misconception around creating societal change, and why you should actually think smaller. And, much more!
Gregg Renfrew on A New Founder Era & The Launch of Counter
Season 1 · Episode 33
Monday, November 17, 2025 • Duration 01:00:36
This week, Sali welcomes Gregg Renfrew, the Founder of Counter, a beauty company that launched earlier this year. Previously, Founder and CEO of the now-defunct Beauty Counter, Gregg has experienced all the highs and lows of entrepreneurship as she grew her first beauty brand into a $1 billion business—only for it to go into foreclosure a few years later. At the last minute, Gregg decided to buy back the rights to the company name and its signature product formulas. Enter: Counter and an all-new chapter for Gregg, the CEO.
Counter offers some of the same bestselling products that people associate with Gregg’s previous company and, more importantly, the same commitment to clean ingredients and transparency. We’ll dive into it all, including:
prioritizing social life over school studies (aka honing your soft skills!)
why she launched a beauty brand in the first place, and enlisted a community of individual sellers.
how she sold her $1 billion business, witnessed its fall, and the exact moment she took a leap and bought it back.
what clean beauty actually means and what it looks like in practice for Counter.
the key differences between Counter and Gregg’s first business, and so much more.
Today, Sali sits down with Abby Phillip, the host of NewsNight with Abby Phillip on CNN. Since joining the network in 2017, Abby has covered the biggest headlines in the country and around the globe. Notably, she also co-moderated the democratic debate for the 2020 presidential election.
A self-professed introvert, Abby got her start in print and digital media and never set out to be on television. But today, she’s widely recognized as one of the most prominent voices of political news. Just last week, she also released her debut book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power (be sure to pick up a copy!), which has been years in the making and documents the legacy of the political and civil rights leader.
As a journalist, Abby is a steady, calming presence among a slew of emotionally charged headlines. She sits down to share her career story, including:
why she switched from pre-med to journalism while at Harvard.
feeling like a fish out of water in the workplace, and the “myth” about hard work and merit.
why she waited a year to accept a job on camera at CNN.
how the 2020 democratic debate was both a career high and a career low.
and, her advice for future journalists: “be a good guy.”
Breanna Stewart & Lindsay Kagawa Colas on WNBA Contracts & Systemic Inequity
Season 1 · Episode 31
Monday, October 20, 2025 • Duration 49:55
Welcome to Argent’s first-ever live Work Friends episode, recorded earlier this month at the Tech Futures Summit in New York. Sali was joined on stage by New York Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart and Executive Vice President of Talent and The Collective at Wasserman, Lindsay Kagawa Colas. Lindsay manages an incredible roster of star athletes, including Stewie.
Right in the thick of the WNBA’s new collective-bargaining agreement, Stewie and Lindsay opened up about the inequitable playing field that exists and what they hope to see from the league going forward. And, in true Work Friends fashion, we get into their backstories, too. This is a conversation not to be missed, including:
Stewie’s reaction to her Unrivaled co-founder, Napheesa Collier’s comments on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
how Lindsay negotiated the first-ever Inclusion Rider into an athlete's contract.
why the Unrivaled league is so necessary for women basketball players, who typically play overseas in the off-season.
how fans can support the WNBA in their fight for equitable pay, and so much more.
Both Stewie and Lindsay’s work sparks attention and societal change—they are cultural conversion starters and actively work to push the status quo. I’m honored to have them both join me today to speak more about their work on and off the court.
Shaniqua McClendon on Using Your Voice (& The Risk of Losing It)
Season 1 · Episode 30
Monday, October 6, 2025 • Duration 59:31
This week, Sali sits down with Shaniqua McClendon, a political strategist, commentator, and the Vice President of Politics for Crooked Media.
Shaniqua has spent her career in politics—starting with an internship in the Obama White House, followed by stints with several elected officials. In 2018, she joined Crooked Media—a company most known for its suite of popular podcasts, including Pod Save America—in a role that’s focused heavily on its Vote Save America initiative. It’s here where Shaniqua’s work has been making incredible strides to drive voters into action, in both the biggest elections nationwide and on local levels. To date, she’s helped raise over $70 million for progressive causes and candidates, and driven nearly a million people to register to vote or check their registration.
At a time when political angst is high, Shaniqua’s background has prepared her to meet this moment, and she shares it all—highs and lows—in today’s episode, including:
how witnessing Hurricane Katrina moved her to work in politics.
landing a job on The Hill—what she considers her late mother’s final gift to her.
the “pay it forward” lesson that’s left a lasting impression.
why she considers attending the Harvard Kennedy School to be some of the most difficult years of her life.
getting hired at Crooked Media…even if in a rather undefined role at first.
launching a new vision of Vote Save America, and so much more.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
Work Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women’s clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women’s progress.
For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content.
To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
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