Hi Jesse! Thanks for talking with us. Your concept is so original and interesting. Who is The Valley Girl?
The Valley Girl is a character I play on my talk show, “The Valley Girl Show” (http://www.valleygirl.tv). She’s a valley girl, like one you would find in the San Fernando Valley who is very curious about business and from Silicon Valley. She’s not afraid to ask smart people silly or simple questions and overall is positive, pink, entertaining and entrepreneurial!
Great motto. The show really does answer a lot of questions about business that maybe women (me) are too scared to ask – you’re a great source of information. How did you start your series?
I grew up in the Silicon Valley and went to school at UCLA for acting. I realized that because of where I grew up, around start-ups and amongst entrepreneurs, I looked at the world like a business. As an actress, I had this overall sense of business and entrepreneurship that I soon realized not everyone has. I also looked at people like my Dad (Tim Draper), Richard Branson and Steve Jobs as heroes and never understood why there wasn’t a fun talk show/game show dedicated to people like this: The real movers and the shakers. They were always on MSNBC and Charlie Rose, but there was no Ellen Degeneres of business. Immediately after college, I began acting on a Nickelodeon series called “The Naked Brother’s Band.” The show was a family mockumentary, created/produced by my aunt (Polly Draper). Working with family, I had more of an opportunity to learn and explore. Although I was an actress on the show, I began attending production meetings. I thought, “I can do this.” So after the 2nd season [of The Naked Brothers Band], during my hiatus, I tried. I had an idea for a gameshow/talkshow for people in business, I had my brothers film it and did it for no money at all. We got enough of a positive response that I tried it again and 2 weeks ago, we just filmed our 3rd season which will be released starting in Mid-May.
Who's been your favorite guest?
I have so many favorites! All of them! Most recently, MC Hammer was on. [ed note: awesome.] He was definitely one of my favorites. He is wonderful. I also LOVED having Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors on last season, I made him eat escargot (http://www.youtube.com/valleygirl#p/u/38/MIMy02htWAY ). It was really funny. And he is an incredibly inspiring guy. He’s only 30, has triplets and is the CEO of both an electric car company (Tesla Motors) and Spacex which makes spaceships.
The set is awesome - how did that come together? Did you design it?
My brother came up with the idea to call the show “The Valley Girl” and once you call it something like that everything becomes pink! The first season, my friend and I collected pink things from everywhere we could think of and for the 2nd season I hired an AMAZING set designer named Kirsten Larsen who has taken the pink idea to another level!
I love head adornments, too - do you have any favorite designers?
In terms of jewelry, I only wear Christina V. She is an AMAZING jewelry designer! Check out her stuff, http://www.christinav.com !!!
As far as my outfits, we look at Jackie O and Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde and basically just try to take those ideas and certain elements but make them all pink, of course. Valerie Iida, our new costume designer, is incredibly creative. This season I wore everything from Tahari to BCBC to Aqua. I wear a lot of Aqua, which is Bloomingdale’s house brand.
What kind of tea are you drinking there?
Pink tea/pink lemonade or water is usually what is in the cups! We have to keep our guests hydrated!
Any companies you'd like to interview in the future?
First and foremost, I have been dying to get Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook! But I would also love to get Chad Hurley of Youtube, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Meg Whitman [ of eBay]…the list goes on, so many people! And women in business of all sorts. There aren’t nearly enough of those.
Definitely agree, but you’re setting an awesome example and supporting the connection between women and business. One last word of advice for readers?
Just do it! If you have an idea you want to pursue, don’t let anyone stop you. If you don’t know how to do something, find someone who does! Nothing should stop you from starting your own company if that is what you want to do!
Follow me @valleygirlshow (http://www.twitter.com/valleygirlshow)
Subscribe on Youtube! (http://www.youtube.com/valleygirl )
Check out “The New Pink Times” (http://blog.thevalleygirl.tv/ )
The Valley Girl with the dreamy Thomas Foley – I keep watching this one over and over again
Thanks to McKenna Sweazey for introducing me to Jesse!
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