The Foster sisters and the art of career evolution
- Dec 15, 2025
- 5 min read
Here’s another Career Breakdown — a series where I unpack the real (messy, non-linear) paths of well-known people so we can learn something essential…
Clarity doesn’t come first. The courage to follow the breadcrumbs does.
(following the breadcrumbs, if you’re new to my work, is one of my favorite tools for clients asking “What’s next?” It’s about noticing and following the little clues life leaves us about what lights us up and where we might be called to go)
Today we’re looking at Erin & Sara Foster, the multi-hyphenate sisters behind the clothing brand Favorite Daughter, the Netflix show Nobody Wants This, and The World's First Podcast, that’s become a cult favorite.
And their story feels especially relevant if you’re multi-passionate, self-doubting, “late,” or waiting for everything to line up neatly before you start your next thing.
Here are the lessons from the Foster sisters…
The myth: “Successful people always knew where they were going.
The Foster sisters built their careers by doing the opposite. Here’s what their path actually looked like:
Acting/modeling (but not loving it)
Writing (with no formal training)
Comedy
Heads of Creative (at Bumble)
Brand partnerships
Podcasting
Co-founding a clothing brand
Producing + creating their own show
Advising startups
Angel investing
Becoming the voice of a generation of “late bloomers”
As you can see, there was no master plan, no 10-year roadmap and no linear ladder to climb.
Just curiosity → small experiments → opportunity → another experiment → a pivot → repeat.
As they put it in a recent interview: “The winding road of our careers, modeling, acting, writing, producing, led us to a place we never imagined.”
What looks messy now might just be shape-shifting. What looks like detours might be laying the foundation of something brilliant.
The part no one sees: Erin’s “late” start + early failure
Erin got her first professional writing job at 29, an age most people would label as “behind.” It was her dream job, and she quickly got fired. She questioned whether she was talented enough, whether she had missed her chance, whether her dream was actually meant for her.
And yet… this setback became the first breadcrumb. Because instead of forcing the traditional “writer” path she thought she should take, she became open to her career looking different.
In her words: “Being open to your life looking a different way does end up putting you on a path you always intended to be on — just differently than you thought it would look.”
This is the entire thesis of this email.
Breadcrumb #1: Barely Famous (the experiment that “failed”… or did it?)
Erin and Sara wrote, created, and produced their own show, Barely Famous. It was scrappy. They lost money. It wasn’t “successful” in the metrics the industry cared about, it was a small show, but had a wide reach.
But here’s the thing:
Sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you expected them to, but it doesn’t mean they failed. Because Barely Famous led directly to…
Breadcrumb #2: The Bumble role that changed everything
Thanks to that show (especially the exposure), the sisters were approached to lead creative at Bumble.
This was not part of their plan. They weren’t climbing a ladder toward tech or branding or startup leadership. They weren’t “qualified.”
But they said yes.
And that yes opened entirely new chapters: entrepreneurship, brand strategy, investing, advising, partnerships… things they never would have imagined for themselves.
Erin said on the Goop podcast: “It opened us up to seeing ourselves differently… I don’t have to be the one thing I set out to be. I don’t have to limit myself in that way.”
This is what happens inside you when you allow your identity to evolve.You can be more than one thing, and in accepting that, you tap into your Zone of Genius and what makes you unique.
Breadcrumb #3: The T-shirt captions that turned into a fashion brand
They were approached for a small T-shirt collaboration, to write captions for T-shirts and sweatshirts. A tiny, random assignment. Nothing glamorous, nothing that would fit into a strategic career plan.
They said yes, because “why not?” It sounded fun.
One of those captions, “Favorite Daughter,” a joke from their dad, became a bestseller.
Then another company (Centric Brands) approached them: “We want to build a clothing brand around this IP.”
This is how their clothing brand, Favorite Daughter, was born.
Not from a perfectly designed business plan or a fashion degree. It wasn't a part of a linear path.
From authenticity.From being playful.From being open and curious.From being out there.
They didn’t see themselves as “fashion people,” but it was exactly that, being authentic to their own style, that made their brand so successful.
Sara said: “Accepting the truth of who we are and turning that into our superpower.”
Breadcrumb #4: The show that finally matched their voice — Nobody Wants This
After years of experiments, pivots, and “wrong turns,” they created a show that felt like the truest expression of their brilliance. The show crystallised everything Erin had once been told “wasn’t enough” in her writing... the subtle humor, the unpolished honesty, the way she and Sara actually talk in real life...
The irony is that those exact things became the heart of the show.
My favourite part: Erin’s Zone of Genius moment
In one interview, Erin said something that could be a masterclass on creative identity:
“The things I was told I didn’t have as a writer are the things people love about this show… I don’t need to be in every lane. There’s a lane that’s mine.”
THIS.
So often we limit ourselves because we “don’t fit the box” or the industry format. I know I did. When I went down the career coaching path, I had so many limitations and so much self-doubt because I didn’t come from a traditional career background.
Today I know that’s my superpower, and what makes my work unique.
You don't need to become the version of yourself you think is more acceptable or legitimate. You need to figure out your lane.
So what does this have to do with you?
If you’re waiting for clarity, a plan, or certainty… you will wait forever.
The next chapter of your life won’t come from thinking, it will come from movement.
From following breadcrumbs.
From experimenting, taking action, and putting yourself out there.
From saying yes to what feels exciting.
From letting your identity evolve.
From identifying and embracing your Zone of Genius.
This is why I created Start Your Thing
Start Your Thing is my 12-week program for people with a wide range of interests and skills who want to stop circling their ideas and finally build clarity, confidence, and momentum.
If you want to start your thing in 2026 — your project, your business, your creative path, this is your moment (spaces are limited!)
You don’t need certainty, you just need to follow the next breadcrumb.
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