Women in CO is about the women I meet, know, love, and admire—those who inspire me daily with their wisdom and strengths but also their vulnerabilities, complexities and humanity. Their voices offer insight, encouragement, and the kind of quiet reassurance that reminds us: We are not alone.
1.WHAT IS YOUR ROLE, AND HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK IN THIS FIELD?
It's so hard to define our jobs today—I'm an author, an entrepreneur, a sometimes art director, an OG blogger, and some might simply call me an influencer. I work in the fields of publishing, beauty, fashion and lifestyle.
2. IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR WORK SHAPED YOUR IDENTITY AND PERSONAL GROWTH?
Truly I don't think of my work as work, and when I think about it as work it means that something is not right—and I think that's because my identity and my work are inherently linked. I share my personal growth with my audience through my essays and one feeds the other, it's a tapestry more than it is layers.
3. HAS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS EVOLVED OVER TIME?
Yes, I think there probably was a moment (I can't pinpoint it) where I had proven to myself (and, let's be candid, my parents, and maybe "society") that I was able. It's a very important moment in any professional's life, whatever the ups and downs that come after. To me, finding that peace of mind was success. It's the idea of reaching your potential. I am ambitious in the sense that I always want to reach new highs and prove more to myself, but since that baseline has been found, my professional success is no more intrinsic to my happiness. So now, success to me is enjoying every day, loving and being loved back, creating a beautiful life around me, laughing, having enough money to not stress about it. The rest is extra.
4. WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING?
I go through moments. I just came out of a phase where I did very little for years, and didn't make as much money, and it was very interesting. Careers can be very long now, and I don't imagine ever retiring, but I think it's good to let ourselves recharge if we can. I don't think we ever know what motivates or inspires us—it's part of the mysteries of being human, we just know when we feel it and that's why we just keep looking for it.
Joy, beauty and laughter are definitely fuel for me, so I'm always looking for them and trying to capture them in anyway possible.
Saturday at the market in Corsica we met an old friend of my mother who was very sick, and at the same time had a sense of humor which was so bright that it made me want to stay around him for hours. To me, a fresh and bright take on life no matter the circumstance is food for the soul.
5. DO YOU HAVE A ROLE MODEL, FEMALE OR OTHERWISE? WHAT LESSONS FROM THEM HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR PATH?
I like the general idea of freedom in women and men, people who are not tied to an idea of themselves, who can change, own their mistakes as well as their successes, leave everything behind, come back, evolve.
I don't really have role models in term of their lives, but I am an admirer of any woman with a sharp observational sense of humor. Men too, but women express things that are closer to my experience. Nora Ephron, Fran Lebowitz, Joan Rivers even, and I don't know if you've ever read this wonderful book Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons—oh, and Françoise Sagan as well, these are women that just speak to my soul.
I don't really care about their lives or how they did it—even though it's usually stories of courage and original thinking, but I care most about their words and storytelling.
I have loved Martha Stewart recently, because she's allowing the world to see her darkness as much as her light and she doesn't spend her time apologizing for who she is.
6. HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGES/RESISTANCE THAT PERTAINED TO YOU BEING A WOMAN IN THE WORKPLACE? HOW HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES SHAPED YOUR APPROACH TO WORK OR LEADERSHIP?
I'll be honest, I haven't. The only industry I was really in was fashion which is a world of women, and anytime I was going into working with men, on sets for example, I only had good experiences. I've known tough people but they were women as much as men. I also think I was older when I started working with other people, so maybe that protected me.
7. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THE WORKPLACE AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME IT? COMMUNICATION? MANAGEMENT? TIME MANAGEMENT? MOTIVATION? WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
I just thrive on freedom, which doesn't really match with having a team or being in an office, so I am always conflicted between the fact that I'd like more collaborative work and that I know I can't grow on my own, and the fact that I am my most creative when I am free as a bird.
8. WHAT UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES OR QUALITIES DO YOU THINK WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORKPLACE, AND HOW DO THESE INFLUENCE TEAM DYNAMICS?
You know, truly, the best work places are always the one with a mix of men and women and I couldn't tell you the reason. I don't really analyze the why, I just love the different energies mixed together. I have always lived in a world of women—in my family, in my friend's groups, even my audience is mostly women but I so welcome the beautiful presence of the men in my life.
9. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD SHARED WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE STARTING OUT?
There is so much advice our there, but to me the most important thing is to find truly supportive people—and to truly support others. Mistakes will happen and some lessons need to be learnt by failing—failure is part of any career.
10. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU HOPE YOUNGER WOMEN ENTERING YOUR FIELD FEEL EXCITED ABOUT?
I hope they know, and feel excited about the fact that through their work they can change the world. Invent new ways to do things, new ways to be, break barriers, change industries. We're living through so many revolutions, the internet, social media, now AI—it's almost overwhelming, but I feel so lucky about it.
11. WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED PIECE OF CLOTHING?
I don't really have one. I easily let go. The only things I hold on to is jewelry gifted by people I love.
12. WHAT PURCHASE RULES DO YOU HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO CLOTHING?
I don't have any, and I make a lot of mistakes. But that's okay, fashion should be for fun and experimentation!
13. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MISSING IN YOUR CLOSET?
A long spring coat. I'd like to find that. A nice pair of everyday flats to walk around Paris. A body con dress to dress up and down. I could go on... So many things!!!
