Amber Grimes Shares Her Playbook With New Podcast ‘If You Knew Better’
Amber Grimes has spent much of her career guiding strategy behind the scenes. Now, she’s stepping forward with a project that puts her more front-facing. Earlier this month, the longtime […] The post Amber Grimes Shares Her Playbook With New Podcast ‘If You Knew Better’ appeared first on Essence.
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Photo Credit: Kobe Boateng 
By Okla Jones ·Updated March 26, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Amber Grimes has spent much of her career guiding strategy behind the scenes. Now, she’s stepping forward with a project that puts her more front-facing. Earlier this month, the longtime music executive launched her new podcast, If You Knew Better, in partnership with iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network, creating a space centered on growth, self-awareness, and the lessons that often come through experience.
Grimes’ >LVRN, where she has played a key role in expanding the label’s reach. Her work has extended beyond business metrics, with a consistent focus on creating opportunities and shifting how Black talent is supported and represented.
“I feel like I’m doing something I was supposed to do,” Grimes says of the podcast. The series draws on her own experiences navigating the industry without a clear roadmap, as well as the insights she has gathered along the way. Each episode features candid discussions with creatives and culture leaders who speak openly about the decisions that shaped theirsrc="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/If-You-Knew-Better-Final-3000x3000-iHR.png" alt="Amber Grimes Shares Her Playbook With New Podcast ‘If You Knew Better’" width="400" height="400" />Photo Credit: Kobe Boateng
At its core, the podcast is built around access. Grimes is intentional about reaching listeners who may not have direct guidance or mentorship, offering a lifeline that she once had to piece together on her own. Her approach is reflected in both the tone of the conversations and the guests she chooses to spotlight. “I wanted to >If You Knew Better positions her as both a curator of conversation and a participant in it. In the discussion ahead, she opens up about the idea behind the podcast, the importance of sharing knowledge, and how her own journey shaped the way she approaches both.
ESSENCE: Your new podcast, If You Knew Better, launched earlier this month. How are you feeling about it?
Amber Grimes: I feel good. People keep asking me that and I’m like, I don’t know how to describe it, but I feel like I’m doing something I was supposed to do. So, it feels normal and natural. This is something I really wanted to do probably almost four years ago and just prioritizing different things and timing and all of that stuff was a factor. But I feel like this is the perfect time now, so it all worked out, and I’m very proud of that.
Talk to me a little bit more about that. How did the idea of the podcast come about?
Although I’ve run into some incredible people in my life and I have a list, even still on my Instagram, one of those little story notes that I have is titled “Gratitude.” And I thank all of the people who have helped me in my career. But I used to always hear people talk about mentors. And I’m like, “man, I never had one of those. Who is this special, fairy God person who comes and helps you throughout your whole career?” I recognized I didn’t have that. And I know that there are other people who don’t have that, but I’ve had books and I’ve had YouTube videos and I’ve had a person every now and then that I could ask questions to. So, I wanted torel="tag">Amber Grimes black effect black podcasts LVRN
The post Amber Grimes Shares Her Playbook With New Podcast ‘If You Knew Better’ appeared first on Essence.
