Episode 25: From Rock Journalist to Men’s Vogue Editor | Katia Kulawick Assante | Author & Journalist

Katia Kulawick Assante has spent over two decades chasing stories across the globe, from interviewing bands in the post-Nirvana era as a teenage rock journalist to editing Men’s Vogue and co-founding Sport & Style. Today, she writes for Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and the Louis Vuitton City Guides, while splitting her time between Paris, the French Alps, and Corsica. We talk about what it means to live with curiosity, keep a rock-and-roll edge in your work and life, and trust yourself enough to follow the path only you can see. Katia’s career is proof that when you make your own rules, you get a life full of great stories...and maybe even your own Indiana Jones.

“If you want to follow the things you like, you need to listen to yourself. That’s the only intuition or advice that’s going to work because you know what you are doing and you know where you are going. No one else is going to know but you. You got to trust yourself.”

— Katia Kulawick Assante

• Show Notes

  Men’s Vogue
  Madonna
  George Cloney
  L’Equipe Sport & Style Magazine
  Strasbourg
  Adeline Perez Bondu
  Nirvana
  Rock Sound Magazine
  David Bowie
  Madison Square Garden
  Air Bands
  Rock Journalism
  Paris
  Corsica
  French Alps Le Sac
  Grace Kelly
  Indiana Jones
  Mike Rowe
  Mike Rowe The Way I Heard It Podcast
  The Corsica Classic
  Feng Shui

• Transcript

  Follow along using the Transcript

  Chapters:

  00:00 Meet Katia Kulawick Assante

  02:15 Life as a teenage rock journalist

  06:40 Traveling the world post-Nirvana

  10:20 Memorable moments with music legends

  14:05 From rock magazines to Men’s Vogue

  18:30 Building Sport & Style from scratch

  22:50 Lessons from luxury publishing

  27:15 Freelancing for Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest

  31:00 Writing for Louis Vuitton City Guides

  35:45 Balancing life between Paris, the Alps, and Corsica

  40:20 Why curiosity fuels creativity

  44:50 Staying true to yourself in any career stage

  49:30 The advice Katia lives by

  53:10 The magic of the Corsica Classic Regatta

  56:40 Final thoughts on creating your own path

   If you wanna follow the things you like, you gotta listen to yourself. And that's the only in, I mean, intuition or, or advice, uh, that's gonna work because you, you know what you are doing and you know what you are going, so nobody else gonna know for you and you gotta yourself.

  That's Katia Kulawick Assante, and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast.

  Hey guys, I'm your host, Kara Duffy, and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast where I invite my favorite humans, the awesome, the up to something, and the extraordinary to come and share their story. I hope that you'll be left, entertained, inspired, and moved to take action towards living your most powerful life.

  Katia is on my list of women I wanna be when I grow up. She's an author, a journalist, a wife, and a mom who splits her time today between Corsica, the French Alps, and Paris. So tough, right? Today she writes for Architecture's Digest, vanity Fair, and the Louis Vuitton City Guides. She started her career in 1995 at 18 as a rock journalist traveling the world over 200 days a year, interviewing bands in a post nirvana world.

  On this episode, we talk about the journey per career, what she prioritizes, and how she maintains the rock and roll approach to life, all that, and so much more coming up. But first, hey guys. Did you know that there is a way that you can show powerful ladies some real love? You can be a Patreon of The Powerful Ladies Podcast.

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  Well, thank you so much for being on The Powerful Ladies Podcast. I'm so excited to talk with you today. Let's start by you introducing yourself and telling people who you are and what you're up to. So my

  name is, uh, Katia Kulawick Assante. Uh, it's a pretty long name. Um, I'm 43 years old and I'm an author and journalist since, uh, 22 years now.

  Um, I've been working, um, in a lot of different magazine, women Magazine, fashion magazine, men's Magazine. Um, and my, my red line was always to talk about, um, the society today and, uh, what we're up to, what we're living through, the very little things, through the very little, uh, details. Uh, and not the, you know, the official information, uh, that can be.

  Yes, sometimes.

  Uh, so what else? Who, who are some of the publications that you've written for? I've been writing,

  uh, for, well, I've been the editor of, uh, men's Vogue, the Vogue, um, international, um, for a few years. Um, that was a long time ago already. It was 2005, 2006. Um, and we published it in France, but it was also the, the US, uh, version that we did.

  Um, so that was, uh, yeah, quite exciting, I must say. When you send an email to Modern's agent and. He, he's, he's writing you back, you know?

  Oh, yeah. I remember when Men's Vogue came out. I was so excited about it, and I saved the George Clooney cover, um, mm-hmm. Edition for a long time because mm-hmm. I was so excited that they were, somebody was finally treating men's fashion and lifestyle the same way that women's has been treated for so long.

  Um, exactly.

  Yeah.

  Because before that it was mostly more street wear, teenage, younger oriented men's magazines. Yeah. Or it was all health and fitness. There wasn't anything for premium high fashion. Luxury, like premium lifestyle.

  Exactly. Well, what we tried to do at the time was, uh, to really talk to, to, to men, but.

  I mean, not only and treat them, uh, not as, you know, only models or people who were, uh, ready to buy stuff, uh, in, I mean, luxury, uh, luxury items. Uh, but really try to find the content for them and, uh, and, uh, be very international too. So, yeah. And just before that, I, I created, i, I co-founded, uh, a magazine that was called Sport and Style, uh, that is a French, uh, luxury magazine, uh, that was, uh, offered with daily, uh, uh, daily newspaper.

  They keep, which is the sport, the first, uh, sport newspaper. Yeah. Uh, here. And, um, uh, yeah, and I run that magazine for, for 10 years. So that was a very, uh, mainly, uh, surrounding.

  And, uh, basically, I mean, I started in, um, I started in music. My first, uh, magazine was a rock magazine. Very cool. Um, very cool. Uh, so yeah, I was 18 and, uh, and, and that's very, uh, uh, it was very unexpected, I would say. How did you get that first job? I, I was working for a radio station in, uh, Strasbourg where, where I grew up in France, in the east of France, near the, near the German border.

  And, um, I wanted to do a, um, journalism school. Mm-hmm. Um, but there, there was that branch where you, where you could at the same time work in a, work in a magazine and go to school at the same time. And I think, I thought it was more efficient than, you know, just going to school and pretending you're doing magazine all year long.

  Yep.

  And, um, and so I, I, I found that magazine randomly 'cause I was targeting a, a metal metal magazine. Mm-hmm. And, uh, but they didn't have the money to hire me.

  You know, life is always like that. Mm-hmm. Uh, and, uh, and then I, I met the editor of, uh, of the magazine was called Rock Sound, uh, at the time. And, um, and he said, well, okay, do me, uh, I mean write the first story on, on the r scene in Strasbourg and we'll see we can, where we can go from there. And I was hired just after that.

  And, and after that I went, um, I started to travel to the States, uh, all the time following bands on tour and interviewing, uh, everyone. Uh, I mean a lot of, a lot of, um, rock scene at the time. That was 95. Oh, a great time. Great time. So right after, uh, uh, um, Nirvana, yes. Yeah, so that was all the scene after, I mean, post Nirvana.

  Um, so I went to see, um, um, David Bowie for his 50th birthday, uh, at the Madison Square Garden. Amazing. That was the high time, the high peak, I mean, of my career

  at the time. And were, but prior to getting into the Rock Magazine world, were you passionate about music? Was it, you know, already part of what you loved and were doing anyway?

  Or was it a new kind of area for you to explore

  it? It was very, very new for me to explore because I remember all the journalists at the time. I mean, first I was the only girl, uh, in France at least. Uh, there were only boys doing that. And, uh, I wasn't a musician on, you know, I mean opposite to other journalists who wanted to be musician or rock stars, but failed the career.

  So they ended up like rock journalists. Yep. Um, I had none of this. Targets really. Um, and I just wanted to meet like fun people and crazy people and artists and, uh, I thought that was the best way to, to do it and to it it brought me to travel the world and meet much more people than I ever could imagine, you know, in a life

  and getting you even here to the Powerful Ladies podcast.

  Exactly.

  And to let everybody know, um, I love how you and I met, it's one of my favorite ways I've ever met somebody. Yes. I had flown to France for, um, Adeline's wedding who, uh, I think is episode eight of the Powerful Ladies podcast. Yeah,

  I heard her. She was, she was

  very interesting. Right. She's so amazing.

  I love her. And, um, so I, I fly to her wedding and. They did this great thing at the middle part of their wedding where they gave everybody a name and you had to find your match. And a lot of it was Disney themed. Like you'd find Belle and the Beast. And I don't remember which one of us got which, but I know that one of us was Nemo and one of us was Dory.

  And you're walking around and like, I know how to say like 10 things in French. That's about it. That's where I cap off. I can read more than I can say, but that's it. So I'm meeting all these people who, most of whom English is not their first language, trying to find, you know, Nemo or Dory. Mm-hmm. And then I find you.

  And then we just kind of hit it off and kept talking. And then I realized what an amazing, interesting, powerful person you are. And I'm like, yes, we're gonna stay friends. I like this one.

  Thank you. Yeah. I have a very good memory from, from that evening in that party and uh, yeah.

  Yeah, it was super fun. And speaking of interesting characters, I mean, I didn't realize I was going to, uh, a wedding with so many of the most interesting people of Paris.

  Um, yeah. Experience. Like there was the entire, and you, and please correct me if I, if I get it wrong, but there was the entire group that does like, um, air bands.

  Oh yeah. They're playing air music, I mean, uh, air music.

  Yes. Which I had never even heard of before. And they were so entertaining 'cause they did a performance at part, at the third part of the wedding.

  Yeah. They're just pretending they're playing Yes. Instruments. Yeah. Yes. It's, it's, it's like, um, um, uh, milli Vanilli basically all the time. No, but it's so amazing 'cause they're such good performers and you think that they're the musicians, but they're not singing, they're not playing an instrument, but they're going for it.

  Yeah. It's like, it's as if they were doing, I mean, it's the same energy on stage, so,

  ah, even more probably because you're not consumed with having to actually like, make the music happen. Yeah. And in France, that was a TV competition, correct?

  Uh, with uh, air music. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

  Yeah, I really hope that this somehow comes to America.

  'cause we need this. I know how that No,

  wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Time out, time out. What do you, what do you win if you win an air music competition? What is the overall, are you just having fun? Are you winning? I no guitar

  or no drum.

  Like you're pretending to play the instrument and like the winning prize is the instrument that you've been pretending to play.

  I dunno. Winning in the end really. I dunno. But I saw there was um, uh, I don't know where it was, but I think it was in France or maybe Belgium. There was an air sex, uh, show. You know, so you have people on stage just pretending they're having insects.

  This is amazing. But with no one else. I mean, just by themselves, you know, this is so great. The world just got a little bit happier.

  So, you know, you get a,

  you get evil. When you were a music journalist, did you ever, um, do, uh, an interview with air musicians before you had met? Uh oh, never. No,

  no. It was only, you know, real musicians.

  And what was interesting, it was, you know, mostly people trying to escape. I mean, their daily lives, often very young. Yeah. And, um, and I thought it was very interesting, you know, to meet, uh. Uh, people from all over the world and, and, and see that, I mean, at some point everybody has the same, uh, the same needs or the same dreams, so, and mm-hmm.

  And, um, and for me it was very, um. Uh, very rich, I mean, to, to, to meet, you know, all these people. And it's, um, I mean often, you know, the, the interviews for were very long and, um, and it was like a catharsis too, because, you know, people were, uh, telling their whole lives. And for me, at, at the end of the story, uh, it was often like a, a therapy, you know?

  Yes. Uh, and you have so much, you know, and you have so much stuff on your tape and you're like, oh my God, how I'm gonna say that? I cannot say that to the world. You know, I cannot say that in a magazine, or, um, so it was, uh, it was very interesting and, uh, um, and, uh, I mean, on the, on the human level, it was, it was very, very rich for sure.

  Do you still have all of your tapes? I still have, well, the thing is I gave it to a, a foundation. Oh, you did? Good. Yeah. Like to save them and, um, and, and I'm trying to call them back. Uh, but I, I, they don't know where it is. Oh, no. Because I knew the guy at the time and he, uh, I mean, that guy left now. So I, I'm, I'm trying to talk to the new person and they're like, well, I don't know where your tapes are, but I have like 300 interviews, you know?

  Yeah. Uh, so yeah, I'd like to find them back and, you know, sometimes when. You know, I have, you know, someone is, is, uh, is on back on the scene or, uh, uh, or even, you know, disappeared. I'm like, well, I, I wanna try. I, you know, you know, I wanna find this, I wanna find this interview back and try to do something with it.

  You know, because that's the, that's the, the shame, you know, when you write stories, I mean, in the end, you know, 'cause I saw all my friends photographer at the time, they're all making books now with Yeah. You know, the photos we did together and mm-hmm. The photos we did at the time, and it's very representative of, of, uh, of an era.

  Yeah.

  You know, because you have all this style and, you know, people change and often it's the same people on the scene still even 20 years later. Mm-hmm. Um, but you know, and I'm like, oh gosh, I have all that stuff and I should really do something with it, you know? Um, I'm, yeah. And. I'm being, uh, yeah.

  Sometimes I'm like, oh God, you should really, should, you know, do books. Like, I have so many books I want to write, but,

  well, you should. I agree. Let's get that done. I wanna read them. Yeah.

  Like, you know, I was, I I was given so much, you know, I mean from material, uh, and travels and experiences that, you know, it's, it's meant to be some, you know, it's got to be something, you know, uh, it's got to be something coming out of it,

  you know?

  A hundred percent. I mean, as someone who loves the idea of meeting people and traveling the world and that being your whole life, um, I mean, I think your, your life as a journalist is just so amazing. Um, was it, was every day awesome? Or like, how did you balance traveling the world and, um. You know, always being on the road and then also having a home base.

  Like, what was that like in, during the time? Well,

  the thing, I mean, you have no home base, you know? Yeah. So, um, you just gotta, I mean, you, you can't really choose because it's such a, it's such a world, such a, you say a world, world whirlwind. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Whirlwind. Um, that it, it never stops, you know? And I was traveling 200 days a, a year.

  And, um, and at the end, I remember my boss, you know, the third year. He was like, well, I was 20, I was 20 years old. And he was like, yeah, you know, you are not so excited about everything, you know, every day I'm like, man, when you send me up to la, you know, to see a show and, you know, fly me back two days later with a piece done, Emily.

  And I'm like, yeah, I can be excited.

  Yeah. You only have time to like sleep, be jet lagged and maybe write in time. You know, I, you know, I didn't eat

  at the time. I mean, come on. I mean, which is not the same today,

  which is one of my great joy today. But at the same time I could live, you know, on, on beer and no sleep. Yep. And cigarettes and, um, but, uh, yeah, no, that's the other thing, you know, you're getting, and also, you know, 'cause I, I feel like I'm, I'm passing stories, you know, from, from some people to others. So it often feels like, you know, you have to digest all that all the time.

  And, and it's a, it's a big work, you know, it's a, it's, it takes a lot of energy, you know, you don't, you don't see it, you know, because you see someone sitting behind, it's your computer. Yeah. And even today, you know, people are like, oh yeah, it takes you so much time, you know, to do things well, you know, you're just starting from a blank page, so.

  Yep. Uh, yes, it's a lot of energy and no, you don't see it, you know, and on the opposite of, you know, uh, influencers, you know, when we're making a photo each time they're doing something, um, yeah. There's no photo done each time you're making a paragraph.

  Yeah. I mean, e even the podcast, which is so much easier than writing an article because it's happening in real time, but there's still hours and hours of work beyond the recording that goes into it.

  So like times that by 10 is what, and the article is like a, a written one because I don't have to, we have this amazing conversation and it's captured and then I just, there's still things that have to happen after, but I don't need to recreate it and transform it into something that's a cohesive linear story.

  Right. So, yeah, it, it's impressive the people who write well and people like you who don't just write well, but create entire spaces for conversations and stories to be told. 'cause it's, it's a beast. Like the fact that you ran that magazine for 10 years, um, and I'm sure it wasn't the only thing you were doing right when you were doing, um, sport and style.

  Yeah. So, yes. So sport and style. Yeah. When created it, I mean, we started, uh. Uh, from a, from a blank page. Yeah. It wasn't my idea, but I was hired for the first issue to do it, and honestly, nobody was thinking we were, we were going to do another issue. Yeah. Uh, that's how a lot of things start. Yeah. If you look at, well, it's like people, you know, it's like love stories.

  I mean, often it's, you know, the one who, who, who worked the longest. Yep. But, um, uh, yeah, so, so because I spent half of my career being freelance and freelancing and, uh, and writing for different magazines or, or, or trends, uh, uh, trans offices, uh. And, um, and health and the other health being, you know, uh, um, how do you say, being an, an editor.

  Yep. Um, uh, so yeah, that's, but when you become an editor, I mean, it's another story because, uh, then you have a lot of people to, to hire first, and then to run the office and run the daily things. And that takes a lot of energy too. And then you're not writing that much anymore. Mm-hmm. Uh, and I really always try to keep that link with writing because that's, that's for me, that's, that's the job that's, uh, the core of the job.

  And if you lose that, I mean, you become, you know, you're becoming some, some someone else. I mean, if you, even if you're deciding not for a lot of different stories for others, it's never the same, you know, because. When you imagine a story and then you ask someone to write it, I mean, of course it's gonna be different because someone just is doing it.

  So yeah. It's never going to be, you know, the same. And, um, and I love the fact of, you know, discovering things and, uh, discovering people. And, uh, people often ask like, oh, what do you, what do you like? Or what do you think is interesting? Well, for me, I mean, everything is interesting and it's not, you know, um, it's not trying to be polite or, you know, not, not trying to answer the question.

  It's, uh, uh, it's really, I mean, everyone has a story to tell. Mm-hmm. And, uh, what I love the most is, you know, even sometimes you have, you know, you have a preconceived idea on someone. Mm-hmm. And, uh, then when you talk with 'em or when you discover them, you know, you discover something else too and you know, the door's open to, uh, to something else.

  So I think that's, you know, that's the human, uh, factor. That is interesting.

  No, I mean, I completely agree. It's, it's, I love learning and meeting and seeing everything. Like I really can't think of something where I'd be like, no thanks. Like I, I don't, I cannot come up with that list. And exactly what you said of everyone has a story, like that's why I'm doing this.

  'cause there's so many amazing stories that don't make it. Yeah. Into the mainstream space. And I, I often think that, you know, the stories that, um, we're telling on here and the people that we're, we're showcasing are more inspirational than the people who get the attention just because there's a different level of every day, like grind and hustle and go out there and figure it out.

  Like it's, it's real. And to look at someone with, you know, like yourself with the accomplishments that you have and the stories you have, I mean, just you on your own and the story that you could tell from your life experience is so fascinating. Um, let alone all those stories you could tell of all the people that you've met, right.

  And the places that you've been.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you, you said it, I mean, it's about learning and, uh, and I think that life, you know, is really about learning all the time. And you don't stop one day. Um, you know, if you cannot decide one day off, I've learned enough, you know, and there's nothing else to learn.

  Now I'm going, I'm going to do something else. I mean, for me, this is, this is, uh, the end of life. Yeah. Yep. Um, and, uh, I remember, well, I mean, school was interesting. Not so much

  No, because there was that, you know, that human factor missing. And, and I think I choose that job to, to be able to learn all the time. And also maybe to be able not to make a choice about, uh. Um, you know, having a job. Yeah. Really, because one, one, you know, one day you are with a fisherman in Iceland and the other day you are with a Countess in, uh, on the French Riviera.

  And you know, and that's the interesting thing. It's like, you know, skipping and switching world all the time.

  Yes. I'm having complete life envy right now. The more that you keep sharing your story. No, but it's, it's, it's true. Like there's so many fascinating, fascinating people and stories and just the scale you described from a fisherman to a, a Countess Right.

  And everything in between. Yeah. Like, people are just so interesting. And the, the things that they decide to create and the things they worry about and the life that they've led, um, there's just such a richness in the storytelling just from that alone.

  And I think also you hear the, that you hear the lesson or you hear the stories that, you know, you, you, you wanna hear because you're writing your story through all the other stories at the end.

  Mm-hmm.

  And, um,

  it seems like you've had a lot of success of continuing to have new opportunities come to you, right? Like the, you continue to be able to work freelance and then someone calls you about sport and style. And then like, did all of these opportunities come to you? Did you seek them? Like, how did you, how have you sustained your career?

  I, I think the,

  I think that being happy, I think that to be happy you have to stay close to yourself through the road. Mm-hmm. And, um. Because it's easy. I mean, to wake up five years or 10 years after, uh, saying, you know, what am I doing here and what is this life and what did I choose in this life? Well, nothing because you kept on, uh, I mean, not losing things, but I know just following, you know, a path that wasn't really meant to be, or because it was easier to choose that way.

  I mean, you chose that and, and then you lose yourself on the way too. Mm-hmm. And I think it's very important to, to, to remember who you are and what you love and what you wanna do. And I mean, often, I mean, the, the, the, for me, the worst, uh, and, and the strongest, uh, remembrance of that is often when you have someone, when you are losing someone around you.

  Yeah. Um, when, when, you know when someone just died and. Uh, I lost, uh, my first editor a few months ago and, um, I'm so sorry. Yeah. And a few relatives. Um, and, you know, it's always a shock and you are always like, okay, uh, what was I doing in my life? Uh, okay, well, you know what, it's not important, you know, and let's face now what is important because tomorrow everything can stop.

  And, um, and you need to, and I need to be, uh, as fast as possible where I want to be, you know, before anything happens. Yeah. Um, yeah. So that's my, yeah, that's the, I mean, that's the way I, I I, I work and, and yeah, it's not always easy to, to keep the same, the, the same, I mean, your closest. Uh, your closest choice.

  Choice and, uh, and the things you like, uh, in life. But I think that it's like that, that you can renew yourself and, um, and, and continue to be yourself through the way and to, to continue to do what you like. Really.

  When you were in your twenties, were you, did you have the same perspective of always choosing what you thought would be the most fun or the next adventure or true to yourself?

  Or is that, is that, um, like intuition been developed over time? No, I think

  I was, I think in my twenties I didn't. I didn't control much. Yeah. It was just around. And, uh, I didn't, I didn't really realize what was going on. 'cause when I, I was seeing my friends, they were like, oh my God, you're so lucky. You know, you're going to see bands, you're going to see shows, and you paid for that.

  Mm-hmm. And, um, and as you asked before, I mean, I was, I was a fan of music, but I didn't have like a big, uh, notion of music or culture, you know, or culture of music. And, uh, I remember my first boss, you know, I talking about the white, the white album, the Beatles White album, which I didn't know at the time.

  And for him it was, it was, um, it was a tragedy. He was like, well, you can't be a writer, you know, if you don't know that album. But my, my, uh, um, I always follow the, uh, uh, uh, my intuition. Uh, and I, I must, I think I have a, a good intuition, uh, in general. Well, it, I just lost it once or two, twice in my life for all the rest.

  It works really. And, um, and the way I, I was, um, uh, approaching the, the music, it's the same way I, I'm approaching, you know, design or architecture or fashion or, uh, whatever, uh, lifestyle piece I'm, I'm writing today. It's, uh. Uh, put yourself, I mean, put yourself in other shoes, you know, and I am trying to be the person who's gonna read the story and try to make it, uh, interesting for that person.

  Yeah. You know, I don't like people who write for, uh, in insiders. Yeah. Yep. You know, was that side where, you know, well I'm writing to you but you know, you can't really understand what I'm writing.

  You know, so, um, I love that you brought that up 'cause I was just going to ask about that. Um, because so often in, you know, with my background in footwear and apparel, but on mostly the sport side of the world, um, you know, the other side of that world is often the, you know, ho couture, high fashion, you know, a footwear apparel, what people really think about fashion industry, they think about that side, not the side that I've worked in so much.

  And there's often an intimidation. Of people who at the end of the day, we're all making the same stuff. Mm-hmm. Um, but there's an intimidation of it being so, um, exclusive to, to move into that space as someone who works in the industry, but especially as somebody who, um, wants to talk about, you know, street wear or what's happening on the runways.

  And coming from where you did, being someone who was so ingrained into the music culture, but not necessarily part of it when you joined and getting to share those stories, it sounds like you've brought that same like outside, but inside perspective to all the other areas that you write about.

  Yeah, exactly.

  And it's true that, that fashion, um, it's um, it's a historical, uh, side to fashion to be really very cl a very close Yeah. Um, world. Um. I think mostly on fear, uh, for sure, more than anything else. Um, and there is that very intimidating, uh, behavior, uh, towards the newcomers, as you said. Um, and uh, yeah,

  it's true.

  It's only how, how was it for you breaking into that world?

  Well, I arrived, um, I arrived with, with a new magazine. I mean, I, I was thinking, 'cause I did women's, I did women's fashion magazines, but that was freelancing, so I had no status really. Mm-hmm. Um, but uh, when I was the editor for both, uh, sport and side and uh, mans folk, um, then you come with a status.

  And then it's crazy from one day to, to the other. But it's the same the other way around. Uh, well, suddenly, I mean, everyone, you know, every, every everywhere you are is important, but because you become more like a, um, a rep, uh, uh, a representative, uh, representative, yep. Um. Um, also you, the ambassador. Yeah.

  Thank you. Way easier an

  ambassador.

  Then you become an ambassador for the magazine or for the publication? Um, for the, the, the print, uh, uh, for the, for the publishing house. Mm-hmm. And then everybody wants you, and then you have to be everywhere, you know? And if you are not at that show, I mean, it's the end of the world.

  Uh, and if you're not at that cocktail, it's the end of the world. Uh, and I thought there was, it was. It was both very exciting, but also very, very heavy. Mm-hmm. Because you are not free. I mean, because I mean, yeah. You are not free. You're not free of your time anymore, and you're not free of your work, and it's not the final work that counts in the end.

  It's what you do on the way and how you show yourself. Yeah. Um, you know, and what show you show to the world, you know mm-hmm. At that time. And that in the fashion industry is really, really, really exhausting.

  Yes. All aspects of, I think the fashion and entertainment world are exhausting, um, because it doesn't stop and there's so much, um, competition to always be on the edge and always be in that small percentage that's in the discovery phase.

  Um, exactly.

  And my, my purpose, you know, was. Is to do things because I think that's interesting. And I think that's, you know, that's my life in the end. And that's, uh, that's what I keep from it, you know, and that's how I spend my time on it. Mm-hmm. And it's not how I show myself, you know, to the world or how, you know, how many cocktails I will do in a week or, or, or anything like that.

  So,

  you know, H how have you learned to say no, thank you, and have some sanity when you're in such high demand?

  Well, at some point, I mean, you just can't, I mean, you just, you know, you just, uh, can't do everything. Mm-hmm. You can be there for, for, for everyone, you know, and there was a famous, uh, French president who was saying, well, I'm working all day long.

  They won't see me at night. You know, don't ask me to do anything at night because that's my life. And otherwise, how, how do you recharge yourself? You know? Which is not totally true because, you know, as long as I was single and, um, and, uh, um. You know, you have nothing else to do. I spent my life working because that was the, I mean, the fun was inside too.

  Oh yeah. And, and then at some point I was like, well, I don't wanna end, uh, you know, like an old fashioned lady

  in your, alone, in your pie deter with your whole closet,

  you

  know, having hundred thousand miles on my, uh, on my, uh, flying, uh, cards. You uhhuh with your

  beautiful closet. Yeah.

  Yeah. And a beautiful clothes. And, uh, well, you know, that's, that's, that's great. You know, and people are, you know, just. Dying to wear clothes and uh, and yes, it's exciting, but you know, at some point when you have like every, that you have so much stuff around you.

  I mean, at some point I was like, oh my God, all these objects are taking so much time in my life. Yes. And it's funny because when I was young, I was never. I was never into fashion. I mean, people, the kids were having were laughing at me because I was wearing a, like a, uh, how do you say? A co, uh, a cooked pants, you know?

  Yep, yep. Chef pants. Well, uh, I had no side. Basically, when I see the photos, I had no sight. And, um, and I, and, and I don't care. You know, today I'm, it's very grunge of you. Mm-hmm. It's very g gr That's my punk side. That's my husband's day.

  Uhhuh, I have that same side. Yes.

  So I say, yeah, I'm a punk who discovered luxury and, um, it's easy to like it, but I'm still punk inside.

  Yes. There's, there's still a majority of black in the closet, no matter. Yeah. Yeah, totally. I get yelled at all the time for maybe wearing too much black and gray and denim, but I just, I don't know. There's, it's nice.

  Well, if you, and it's funny because if you look at, well, the people in the fashion industry, like, you know, designers coming out at the end of this show and everything, they always wear like very simple white, uh, black, uh, things.

  Yes. Yeah. It's, um, it makes me feel better that when people are up to things they like, blackish is what you go to because you just don't wanna think about it all the time. There's moments when I love, like really putting the creative and the craft into what I'm walking out the door like, and there, there are other days when I'm like.

  Mm. Nope. I, my to-do list is so big today. Like, I just gotta go. There's no time. Like, what's, what's there? And you go back to the things that, you know, just work.

  Yeah, exactly. And there's, I had a friend who was saying, well, the colors is inside, you know?

  Yes. All of my color and sparkle and glitter is always on the inside.

  It's a, it's internal unicorn.

  Exactly. Mm-hmm.

  And, uh, today you do a lot of writing, I know with Vanity Fair. Um, what, what is that relationship today and for which publications Globally?

  Well, today I am working as a freelance, uh, again, actually since my son was born six years ago. Um, so yeah, I've been working for French Vanity Fair since, uh, five years now.

  Uh, almost I'm freelancing for them and I'm writing lifestyle stories, uh, for their website. Um, and, uh, I'm working for the, uh, a Architectural Digest. Mm-hmm. Uh, the US website, um, two. And, uh, I'm doing the, the Paris Louis City Guide and I'm doing the hotel section. What was that last one? Uh, I'm doing the hotel section.

  Yes. Uh, and, uh, the other part, uh, is, uh, writing content for luxury brands, uh, whether in beauty or lifestyle. Mm-hmm. Um, so that's another, yeah. Another important part now, which is quite trendy for the journalist,

  the, the Louis Vuitton city guide is to me it's like that little piece of accessible luxury.

  Yes. Like, yes. It, it's, I, uh, love Paris. I always have, even before I went, and then once I went, admit all of my expectations, so I instantly was in love forever with the city. And I love it because you see. All the wonderful, beautiful stereotypes that people talk about in Paris. Like they're all actually there.

  You can turn one corner and see, uh, you know, the, the fashion world. You can turn another corner and there's like a gypsy and sitting in front of, you know, the Eiffel Tower or you know, yeah. The beloved Notre Dame that I look forward to it being rebuilt. Uh, you go another corner and there's um, you know, the old man with the baguette and then there's all the trendy like kids running around and the stylish families with kids in strollers.

  And I'm like, how is this possible? How is everything that you see come out of the city, like actually still here? Um, so I love that. I love the mix of the cultures and the people and the new and the old, like all mixed together. Um, yeah,

  it's true. That's, it's really fascinating about Paris. I mean, it's not as clean as a Woody Allen movie, correct?

  Correct. There's a few nightmares in the middle, but, uh, you gotta take it and it's true that, I mean, for me, Paris was always the, the right size of a city where, you know, if you want to meet, if you wanna meet people, you can do it. Yes. If you wanna be by yourself, you can do it too, because you're not going to run, you know, into, into each other every day.

  Even if you do sometimes. Yeah. Because it's a small world in the end, but, um, it, it, it's a good, it's a good spot to, to stop by and, but you gotta leave it to, to enjoy it.

  Uh, which I think is true of every place in the whole world.

  Yeah. Traveling with all the

  Yeah. All the, yeah. Especially for people like you and I that love traveling and do it so much that, um, I get itchy if I'm in one place for too long.

  Me too. Mm-hmm. When did you decide to make Paris your home base? Um, I was, um,

  I, I, I grew up near STR broke, so I really grew up in the countryside. Mm-hmm. And, uh, it is really enjoyable 'cause I really wanted to share that with my son, for instance, today. Uh, but I was really needing, uh, a big city and when I, I did a few weeks of, uh, um, of, um, of study studying in Strasburg.

  Um, I love the city and it's really interesting 'cause it's really international.

  Mm-hmm. Uh,

  with the parliament and, you know, all these schools and universities and everything. But you know, you always run into the same people and dah, dah. So I was like, oh my God, that's way too small for me. I need to go to Paris.

  Yep. So, and, um, my, my school, my journalism school was in Paris, so I felt, uh, like, you know, I was queing like a new city when I, when I, when I, when I went there. Mm-hmm. I was 18, probably 17,

  yeah.

  School

  And Paris has changed so much in that time. Like, it doesn't occur to people as tourists that Paris changes very much.

  But, um, when it's been your home for, you know, that long and especially what it's gone through, unfortunately with some of the, the terrorism and, um, you know, a lot of what's happening across Europe with migrants and immigration and that entire discussion, um, Paris has changed, uh, somewhat within that. Uh, how has it changed for you, for the, for the good and, and what are the areas where you are excited to see it continue to evolve?

  Well, it's true that, you know, all these last years with all the terrorist attacks we had, it was very difficult to keep a, uh, I mean, a joyful life in Paris. Yeah. And as innocent as before, um, it was quite heavy, uh, because all these places, I mean, you know, we all knew people who were there were all, you know, could have been there.

  And, um, and uh, it, it was touching directly our society.

  Yep.

  And, uh, the, the, the way we live, I mean, shows, I mean cafes and, you know, this, this, uh, all these, uh, things that you are supposed to enjoy, you know, that is supposed to be fun. Mm-hmm. So it's true that the, the, the, the ambience, uh, in Paris was, you know, became quite, quite heavy.

  Um, um. For the parties and just for the people in general. But maybe it's also a question of generation. 'cause I'm like, you know, my friends are becoming, you know, um, um, you know, uh, turning like between the forties and fifties and so I'm like, maybe it's about getting old.

  You don't wanna, yeah, you can enjoy that much, but, um, and just the everyday life is, you know, is taking over and, uh, and you don't, don't go out that much and the parties are not that fun and the people are not that fun or maybe so fun, just less wild.

  Uh, yeah. So I thought, you know, um, I see my husband who was really, who was really fed up with Paris, um, and, uh, he wanted to, to leave. So now we spend our, our time, I mean, health and health here in, uh, in the Alps, uh, part in Corsica where he's from and part in Paris. And I must say that I enjoy Paris much more that way.

  I mean, it's much more exciting again. Yep. Um, and uh, when I go there, I'm like, I have so much energy and I'm so excited about everything and, and, um, that, yeah, it's still, you know, a little bit special. And, and that makes the

  moment special too. And then once you wear yourself out, you go back to the Alps or Corsica.

  Yeah, exactly. Uhhuh. No, I mean, you ha you've got this, this sounds like an amazing plan. It was

  for me, it was the end of the world of, you know, leaving Paris. Uh, because I never thought I would, I wouldn't be living there, I mean all my life. Um, but it turned out, uh, it was a good idea, you know? And today when I see my friends from Paris, they're like, you know, soaked from work and, you know, because.

  I mean, companies are asking always more, more and more, you know, from, from everyone. And mm-hmm. It's hard to, to say, uh, yeah, to keep your energy, to work well, to have a balanced life, to have a love life, to have a parent life, you know, and to, to gather everything with, with harmony. So I think that's,

  yeah, that's my goal now too.

  Where in the Alps are, do you guys have a home?

  Well, we are in Zark, which is the ski station.

  Beautiful.

  Well, so we are at, uh, uh, 2000 meter height.

  Is it a beautiful sunny day there today? Or was it

  Uh, no, it was, it was raining this morning, but, uh, I, I, we, we made it out this afternoon and we went to. To, we went out for a walk to a magical, uh, water source.

  Oh. And we picked up some water there, and I brought my mom there.

  It's so charming, right? Yes. How did, how did you meet your husband?

  I met my husband on a boat, uh, on a classical, uh, boat because, uh, his work, part of his work is, uh, organizing regattas, uh, classic yacht regattas in Corsica. Mm-hmm. Um, and I was, I was invited on a press trip and he was organizing, uh, the, that week trip that I, that I took, uh, for a Pastis brand.

  Yes. And, um, it was a, it was, um, a beautiful classic yacht. I didn't know anything at the time about classic yachts, and it was a boat that took, uh, the prince, uh, of Monaco, the Prince Rainier with, uh, Grace Kelly mm-hmm. On the honeymoon.

  So super fancy yacht. Mm-hmm. It was

  super fancy yacht, big cadding with a bathroom and bathtub and everything.

  And, um, and I was about to cancel the trip a few days before, uh, because I was just coming back from a trip to Greenland, uh, with, uh, the explorer, my home. Mm-hmm. So I thought, you know, I did the, the, the most exciting things, the most exciting thing in my, in my life.

  And I was like, oh, another boat, you know, I'm done. Let's cancel that. And the girls at the press office, they were like, no, no, no, no, no, you can't do that. You can't do that because you only, you are the only guest for the week. I was like, oh, okay. And that's where I meet my husband. So it's funny to, to think of that story.

  Was it love at first sight? Uh, no.

  You have to ask because some people are like a hundred percent yes. Most people are like, no. And it's, I love the notes. 'cause you're like, Ooh, well what happened?

  No, I was with my best friend. Uh, and, and, um. We were following him, we were taking notes because he was such A-A-U-F-O in our whole world. I mean, everything he was saying was so different and so unique.

  And because it was

  all yacht speak or what, what, what made him a UFO? Because

  it was, uh, I don't know. He is, he is just different.

  Not in that sense. Yeah. I mean, we weren't used to guys like this Okay. In Paris or elsewhere.

  So, uh, so I have to get more information, but like, what type of guy is he? Like, is he super fancy and sophisticated? Is he, um. No, he was more like,

  uh, um, how you say, Indiana Jones, you see? Yes. An adventurer. Mm-hmm.

  Okay. Exactly. So he's an adventurer and, uh, you know, when he's a city with, when he's a in the city, he is trying to find, you know, the south and the sun too, know where to go because he can't find his way, you know, in the streets. So yeah, he's, um, he's a guy from the nature. I mean, he's,

  yes. Fascinating. Now I wanna meet him because, well, you met him.

  Yes, yes. I met like actually have a conversation with him. Yeah. Because I think I said hello and then just kept talking to you for like eight hours, so, yeah. Oh, amazing. It, yeah. I mean, I, you're, I love that you have had this. Life of travel and journalism and meeting fascinating people and doing amazing things.

  So of course you marry Indiana Jones, like, I don't think there's another option.

  Yeah. I mean, I didn't, I didn't find anything more exotic and fun and, uh, and, um, and yeah.

  Well, yeah, there's no, after a while everyone that you would meet is just like, yes. Like are you more exciting than the Explorer? No, no, no.

  Yeah. No. Well, and I imagine that the two of you must balance each other out quite a bit as well.

  Yeah. It's only, I mean, we often say to say, you know, oh, I, I took some of your, uh, some of your, you know, personality side and, uh, he took some, some of mine. So it's funny how, you know, when you spend a lot of time with someone, you end up like being a bit like him, you know?

  Mm-hmm. Even if you don't choose it. Yes. I mean, it's, you know, it's just.

  I think anyone, it's helpful. It happens with your best friends as well. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Uh, so now you guys are splitting your time between the Alps, Corsica, and Paris. You have your, um, 6-year-old son. Yes. And like, what's next for you guys?

  What are you, what are you creating next?

  Um, well, I think, uh, what's important is always, you know, to keep doing what you like to do. And, uh, I'm working on a new project, uh, which is a realizing and editing some content for hotels. Mm-hmm. Uh, because I thought, you know, I've been traveling a lot of, all through the world and I've been visiting a lot of hotels in Paris too, for the, for the city guy.

  And I, I just realized that, you know, hotels have no content. I mean, no stories to tell to the, to the clients. And I wanna offer like a print or, or podcast or digital version, uh, of a story for, for the person who's, you know, falling asleep in this hotel. Mm-hmm. And, um, and I was making some researches and I found that, you know, people take generally like 19 minutes to fall asleep.

  Yep. So I like my stories, uh, to last 19 minutes, you know, of reading. Very cool. So, you know, it could be a story, uh, related to the hotel or to the place. You know, if you have like several, uh, like, I don't know, famous characters who went there, or an incredible place or mm-hmm. Um, or it could be, you know, uh, a novel or.

  Uh, all kind of, uh, stories written by different authors too.

  Mm-hmm.

  Uh, well

  I think it sounds amazing. I mean, I wanna listen to them even if I'm not staying at the hotel, because I think having, there's so many, when you go someplace new and you walk into a hotel, especially like a cute boutique hotel that has character and is telling part of the city story, like you wanna know about it, you wanna know, you know, at least I do.

  'cause I'm curious about everything. Like, why is it here? Like, what's this neighborhood about? Like you, when you're not a local, you really want to get what that place is as fast as possible. Um. And like I, sometimes I've gone to a city and just shown up and you figure it out. And then other times when you're at a place that you know has so much and it's so complex, like I think of Barcelona as being such an amazing and complex city with the different neighborhoods.

  And even if you take, if you do a city hop on, hop off bus tour in Barcelona, like mm-hmm. Yeah. You'll see things, but you really don't know anything. And it's like sitting in the cafe or sitting in some other place when you start talking to people who are from there, when you really get the information you want.

  So to be able to get some, you know, 19 minute previews of that. Um, so when you show up at a hotel and you fall asleep that first night, it gets you inspired to go discover something else. That would be amazing.

  Yeah. And also it's, you know, it's a little, a little book, a little souvenirs that you can take home.

  And that makes really sense with your, with your trip.

  Yes, a hundred percent. Like I, I would rather know a neighborhood in a city than to know a whole city.

  Yeah. 'cause you can't do all it all. No.

  Mike Rowe does a great podcast, um, how I heard it, and all of his podcasts are like five to eight minutes, and that's it each episode.

  Mm-hmm. And he calls it the, um, podcast for the, uh, when people can't pay attention. What's this called? A DD Oh, ad. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So it's podcasting and storytelling for, for the a DD. And, and he does them in such a great way when it's just him talking and telling a story, and at the end it gets revealed, like who he told the story about.

  They're usually, you know, interesting or famous people or people that created something that, you know, like he told the story of how the guillotine got its name and how the poor guy is like. His name now means death. But he was just made an invention and it stuck. Um, but so it's cool, like you wait till the end 'cause you wanna know how this all connects to something that you already know a little bit about.

  Um, but that sounds super fun. So I'm pro, I'm pro u writing books. I'm pro u telling your stories. I'm pro u creating all of this because, um, yeah, just coming from a person stories and, and content that come from people who are truly curious and come at it from a, not their perspective, but whatever shows up perspective to me is the best form of, of storytelling and content.

  'cause there there's no, there's no ego in it. Yeah. No. Mm-hmm.

  And you, you are not the subject, you know, other people are. So,

  yes. Yeah. When you, when you look back at your career and everything that you've accomplished, and what do you see as your biggest victories?

  Um,

  well, I think it's still doing what I love, you know, and doing the way, uh, I, I want to, I want to do it. Um, you know, because working as a freelance, um, and, you know, having a family, having a kid, um, and a husband, I mean, you know, you wanna spend a lot of time, I mean, I wanna spend, you know, a lot of time with them too, and trying to find a balance between all that.

  I mean, that's quite a victory, but I think that's quite a victory for any woman really. Mm-hmm. Because, uh, everything takes so much time and I'm, I'm so passionate about my work. I mean, I could do that night and day, you know, so for me it's really like, okay, now you gotta stop that, you know, you gotta switch on to something else and do something else with other people, you know?

  So I totally get that. If you're doing something that you love and lights you up, you, it's easy to get swept into it. And it's, it's not bad, right? It's, it's really, there's so many elements to it when you really look at all the parts that go into your work, like going to the cocktail party is part of your work, and writing is part of the work, and meeting people is part of the work.

  And if you enjoy those, all those aspects, there is no reason to to switch off, right. If you don't have to. Um. I think it, yeah. Yeah. What, what, how do you, what do you set up in your day or your schedule or routine so that you do switch off and you do get time with the other things that you care about?

  Like, do you have a cutoff every day when you stop working or,

  well, that's when my, that's when my son comes out of school. I mean, so I'm like, you know, uh, I'm, I'm taking a, a pause with him and then I can go back to work or not, it depends, but, um, so I'm trying to concentrate really my work now. I mean, I think I, I work much less hours in a week, but it's way more efficient than it, than it used to be.

  Mm-hmm. Um, because my routine when I'm here, uh, in the Alps, it's uh, you know, I drop off my sun at 8, 8 15, 8 30, and then I go for a walk, uh, in the forest here. So nice. And, uh, and then I come back here, I come back to my office and, you know, start working, um, around nine o'clock. I love to get up really early, so sometimes I'm up at like five or six and I can, you know, go back to go to my computer directly and then, you know, having, having the daily thing going on after.

  Um, and then, yeah, my son comes out at four 30, so I'm, I'm, I'm stopping, but when I'm here, I have no lunch. I have no, you know, I have no, uh, break really at lunchtime. Mm-hmm. And, uh, when I'm in Paris, when I'm in Paris, I'm mostly, you know, seeing people and doing lunches and dinners and cocktails and yeah.

  Seeing people, seeing my clients, seeing the magazines, like trying to get new, new ideas with press things and, and really recharging, you know, the, the, the, the, the first, the, um, the, the, the raw material.

  Yep. How, how have you and your husband like figured out a routine together so that you both can, um, like continue your passions and continue what you care about outside of, with having three homes and having your son and wanting time together, like, what have you guys put together or in place to allow each of you those freedoms?

  Well, the thing is, I mean, there's no routine because it changes all the time, you know? Yeah. Uh, so when, when he's on a trip or when I'm on a trip, I mean, this week is both. I mean, he's in Corsica preparing the new Regatta, uh, the Corsica Classic, uh, this summer. Um, and I was in Paris for a week. I just came back yesterday.

  Um, so we're not going to see each other for two weeks, and I think that's quite the secret

  not to see each other all the time. No, but it's true because, you know, then you, you can recharge and you, you know, you also also have like things to tell and, you know, because he's always like, oh, you know, I've, I've never been with someone, you know, as interesting. And you always have like, stories to tell and everything and, and, uh, I think it's important to, yeah, to recharge yourself in the outside world.

  Mm-hmm. Uh, and, uh, after we can have, you know, very long times like, you know, this winter when, you know, you see each other every night and you don't travel that much. And, uh, all or all days. I mean, we worked for years. I mean, uh, face to face on the same office, like all day long, you know, and people are like, how do you do that?

  And it's the same table for the dinner. Yeah. So, um, yeah, I mean sometimes you, you, you need your space, but I think that, you know, we love to do things, uh, together. We're working together for On the Regatta. Mm-hmm. On the SCA Classic 'cause I'm, I'm helping him with like, uh, sponsors and the press and, uh, journalists and the, the, the image.

  Mm-hmm. And, um, so it's quite fun to do something together and at some point when you're grown up, it's also good to do some things together. 'cause otherwise you never see, uh, each other. Yeah. So if you wanna see people just work with them and he's like me, I mean, we're working all the time, but we, we are enjoying it so much that, you know, it's, that's our common passion too, I think, you know, even if it's not the same thing.

  I mean, we, we, we share the same, um. The same process, I think.

  Yeah. And there's such a difference between working all the time on something that you love and working all the time on something that you don't love. When you don't love it. It's just this heaviness that impacts you and everyone that cares about you.

  And when it's something that you love, it really can be a source of energy for you and everyone that you love.

  Exactly. The energy is totally different. And you know, sometimes when I meet people and they're exhausted and they're like, how do you, I mean, and it's like you and. You know, change is good too.

  Mm-hmm. And people are afraid of change. I mean, most of the people are afraid of change. I mean, if you ask someone, do you wanna change something? It's like, no, no, no, no.

  But change is good, you know? And I'm happy when a change is happening because, you know, that means that the wheel is turning and, you know, new things come up and you gotta make space. And I'm a big Feng Shu, um, fan. Yep. So I'm always working in my home to, to make sure that, you know, spaces are empty so that new things can come in.

  No, I think that's such an amazing point, because I think it's important in your physical space. I think it's important in your mental space. Yeah. Um, and even like your spiritual space, like where is there room for something new? Where is there room to discover something if everything's full and you're just carrying everything around?

  Exactly you, there's no space lit, literally or figuratively. Um, and, and you mentioned it before about like the, the heaviness of things and you know, I, I think when you travel so much, you realize that you can live for out of a carry-on suitcase and it's amazing how much stuff you don't need. So, um, there's such a freedom in not having, having things because you don't need to worry about it.

  Um, you, you're able to say yes and be more fluid and flexible when there's just not stuff you have to worry about or make sure is taken care of or cleaned or the list keeps going. So I think that's a really big secret that a lot of people who are successful and living a life that they feel empowered by is how, um, how much they say no to things so they can say yes to experiences.

  Yeah, exactly. And I, I, I can see it in my work. I mean, how, you know now even in, in, in the luxury, uh, field, I mean, how you see how experience is valued much more than objects. Mm-hmm. You know? Mm-hmm. And you, I mean, you have it in the, in the, in the datas and, uh, and everything. I mean, people want an experience rather than, you know, a new thing, you know?

  Mm-hmm. Yeah. No one, well, not no one. There have been people, but most people tell stories about their experiences. They don't tell stories about all of the stuff that they have.

  Yeah, exactly.

  Now there are a few books like the, the, I think there's a Japanese woman who did a whole picture book of all of her daughter's things that are pink and like just took a year and documented all of it 'cause she couldn't believe how much pink stuff existed in her house.

  Um, so it was kind of a joke, uh, book. But when, um, when you look at the industries that you've gone back and forth between, you mentioned how for a long time you were the only woman in the space. Um, how did that kind of shape who you are and how you, um, have grown as a person and how, what has happened when you transitioned into, um, the fashion space where it is much more, um, balanced or even leaning towards women?

  Um.

  Well, it's true that, you know, whether music and my first jobs or, um, in, in the men's magazine, I've, I've, I've been, I've been doing for 10 years. Um, I was surrounded by men most of the time. Um, and I was the only, uh, editor in a men magazine, uh, for, for a long, long time. But, um, you know what? Men don't talk about that.

  No. It's like, you know, and even I felt, you know, I never felt like, you know, I never felt like I had to write a story for men or for a woman when it was for a man or a woman magazine. Mm-hmm. Um, I never had that approach. Uh, I think with man, you're just talking to, um, a person. Well, maybe that's cliche, but, uh,

  no, it's true.

  You,

  you are here to do something. I mean, I never put, I never put ahead that, uh, I'm a woman. Yeah. Uh, in my jobs, I think that women work probably much more than men because they have to. I mean, because they have to, not because they have to, but uh, because they have to if they want the same thing. Uh, and I think that, you know, in the end, my boss valued me because, I mean, I, I don't think he realized I was working all the time.

  I mean, that work was my whole life. Mm-hmm. Actually, and it's only when I get, um, when I got pregnant, you know, that I really saw the difference. Because then I thought, you know, there's really a glass ceiling, and all of a sudden, like everybody remembered that it was a woman, you know, including myself. And that was a big shock.

  What did you see happen? So they, they acknowledged that you were female for maybe the first time? Yeah. And, and, and then what else did you experience? And it, it, it, it

  all coincide, coincided, uh, the same time. I mean, I, I met my husband and, and, um, I got pregnant like, I don't know, a few months later. Um, so that was very, it was very fast.

  But um, before that I was single. I had no baby, so, you know, I could do, I was, I was working all the time. Yeah. That's what I mean. And, um, and after that, uh, I was like, well, no, now things are going to be different. And, uh, well, uh, I really felt there was a glass ceiling, you know? Mm-hmm. For women. And the, the, the thing, I was never told that before because everyone was, everyone was like, oh, it's so great.

  That's fantastic, even to see, have a baby, blah, blah, blah. And nobody told me that. It was so tough. I mean, to come back to work. Yeah. Having a baby, you know. And then I started to talk, you know, to women when we had business lunch and everything, and they all told me the same thing. Like, you know, yeah. You know, since I get my baby, I'm like, well, I'm in the office.

  But, you know, they took me all the exciting files for me and, you know, I, I wasn't promoted and I wasn't blah, blah, blah. And I was like, really? So, you know, it's, it's really happening in this world, you know, and nobody's talking about it. Yeah. So that was quite important.

  And you als, when your son was born, you also decided to do more freelance work.

  Was that so you could have more flexibility and work and make it all happen together? Or did you feel pushed into it a bit more?

  Not, not immediately. Uh, because I came back to work, I was still the editor, uh, for, for for Fallen style. And when I, when I came back from my pregnancy, uh, I came back to work like, like normally like four months after.

  Okay. Uh, that is the time we're having friends Aternity leave and I went to work like straight ahead and, um, yeah, it was a, it was, it was a big schedule. I mean it was a big change and, and I prepared everything, you know, until the day I was, um. Uh, the data. I had my baby, I was still sending emails. Like that was, you know, yes.

  Very boss lady of you.

  Yeah. Like,

  duh, like try to switch off. And then I came back and you know what? I don't remember a single moment with my son for the first year and that clearly it terrified me. 'cause I was like, well, I'm seeing the photos of my son. I'm like, you know what? I don't remember that moment.

  And it was really, um, a, uh, a shock for me. And I was like, well, you know, it's not, that's not life, you know? Mm-hmm. That's not how to, you want to lead life. And there was also tension with my husband and, um. And actually life did the work for me because my, the two editors that I hired, uh, who were longtime friends, uh, pushed me aside while I was pregnant and decided they wanted, uh, my job, they took the opportunity of the maternity leave to, you know, to work on, to work on that clearly and work, you know, not only as a single person, as, you know, two, two person, uh, two guys together.

  Yeah. You know? Yeah. 'cause you had replaced so clearly. I was replaced by two guys, so that means probably that I, I'm worth two guys in real life. At least. There was something too that, uh. You know, I think it was a question of power. I mean, I don't think if I was a man, the story would've been different probably.

  Mm-hmm. Um, but because I was a woman and I had that much power, um, it was, it was, it was very difficult. I mean, for men to deal with that.

  That's wild. Um, I mean, that must've been so frustrating for you in the time. Like I'm sure you were heartbroken and all the add-on, all the layers of being a new mom and exhausted and trying to figure that out and then to have that happen, um, it must've been a hard time for you.

  Yeah. Yeah, it was a very hard time because, you know, as you say, you have a baby, and, uh, it's like, you know, it's not like you're going to school, you know, to have babies. I mean, nobody's preparing you for that. You don't know what's, you know, you don't know what is, uh, going to happen. I mean, every, even if everything when, uh, smoothly, I mean, it's such a, it's such a revolution, you know?

  It's such a big, uh, change. And after that I was like, you know what? Um, I don't think I'll ever do something that good than a baby.

  You know? I think, you know, doing magazine all my life, I mean, nothing is as, you know, incredible as making a baby, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, and it's simple, you know, and everyone can do it, but it is really incredible. And that's probably, you know, the. I mean, in the end, I think that's the power. I mean, men are longing for, you know, because they don't have that.

  Yeah. Well I think, I think it's easy to, to conceive the baby, but making a great human is where the hard work is. Right.

  Well, that's a hard word. Yeah.

  As, as you went through your career and these challenges, like who were people that inspired you and, and who did you go to for leadership or mentorship?

  I always had a lot, I mean, not a lot of mentors, but I always had mentors in my life.

  And I think that it's an, it's a really important place. Um. It's a really important thing to have, uh, uh, through life. Um, people who, you know, who can teach you. I mean, I'm thinking of Eve who passed away in, uh, in, uh, a few months ago. Um, he was my first editor at the Rock magazine and um, he was a teacher before that.

  So he had really that notion of, you know, like transmitting. Uh, and he really showed me, I mean he really explained me the work and he really got me better, I mean, at my work. Mm-hmm. Um, and, um. Yeah, there's, there's, there's so many people. I can't think of, uh, everyone, but there's one I'm, I'm, I'm really thinking of too.

  It's Laura, Laura Albert, um, who's, uh, been an author, and so the name of gt GT Deroy. Mm-hmm. Uh, and she has an incredible story too, and you should, hi. You should, uh, get her for the podcast too.

  I'd

  love to

  connect

  us. Yeah. She loves, she lives in San Francisco and, uh, and, uh, I met her when I was, uh, uh, editor at The Mans Vogue.

  And we, we, we did a special issue, uh, on, on the states and we're trying to find people who could tell us, uh, what the country looks like, uh, at that time. Mm-hmm. And, um, and my friend Jenny, who was, uh, AD at the time of the magazine, told me about, uh, this author. And then I contacted, uh, her slash him because at the time she was supposed to be, uh.

  Amen. Yeah, it's a long story. But then, you know, and then, uh, we connected and we talked on the phone, and, uh, right after that, her story came out and her story was that she created, uh, a character, uh, to impersonate the author. Mm-hmm. That she was, because she didn't want to show her to the world as she was.

  So it was easier for her to, to embody that, you know, person into somebody else. And, um, and when I finally met her, because the story came out in between and, uh, we became like great friends and she's really, she's really a power of nature. She, she's really incredible and unique.

  Well, I think that's a great segue into when you hear the phrase powerful lady, like what does it mean to you and, um, how does it leave you?

  Well, you know, one of my, uh, of my, um, project, I mean I, I, I didn't really work on it, but that's a, a thing that I'm thinking of often is, um, I'd like to make a book on the women, you know, who are really. I mean, may, maybe not celebrities, but, you know, powerful or who made some things, incredible things in their, their life.

  And I'd like to talk about their, their, their men, you know, their husband or their mm-hmm. Or whatever, you know. Yeah. I'd like to see, I'd like to hear Madonna, you know, talk about her relation to men, about her plague. I mean, you know, about the, how it feels, you know, to be in, in couple, you know, with a woman like that.

  I think that'd be really interesting.

  And, and how they cope, you know, with men, because I ask myself that question like so often in my life until I met my husband. Uh, that, you know, it's really, it, it's really intriguing, you know? So when I think of a powerful lady for me. Because it's my ideal, uh, life.

  It's someone who's coping with, you know, a successful life, personal life with her choice, a personal and a, a successful personal life.

  Mm-hmm. Yeah. I, I agree that the, the balance is a, a key factor in I think anyone being, um, powerful, um, and whatever that looks like for them, right? Because some people, their personal life means single and swashbuckling and running amok, and that's their power.

  And other people, the power is in, you know, finding that partner and, and having a family. And I think, yeah, true, powerful people are really just authentic in who they are and what they care about. Going back to kind of how you started this, right about if you're living into your happiness and, and your joy and your curiosity, like your power comes out almost automatically, like you don't need to work for it.

  Yeah, exactly.

  Mm-hmm. But it's a job, but it's uh, but it's a work.

  Oh, yeah, yeah. None, none of it's easy. You can down,

  you can be dragged down by, you know, whatever you do or people surrounding you. And, uh, and, and it's supported to, to, to do that work for yourself, you know? And, um, yeah. For your own, for your own, for your own happiness.

  Mm-hmm. What's some of the best advice you've been given?

  Well, when I was, uh, when I was starting to work like around 17, I went to see, um, uh, a video producer in Strasberg, and he told me. Uh, some really basic things, but I mean, I think I can still relate to them like 20 years later. It's like, you know, the people you love, I mean, your family, they don't want to let you, they don't want to let you go.

  Mm-hmm. Or their child. They will try to keep you, uh, with them and, you know, the, the, the people you wanna reach or the, the, the, the world you wanna reach, they don't wanna let you in. So that's basically the story of your life

  fighting between the two. Yeah,

  exactly.

  We, we ask everybody on the podcast like, where they rank themselves on the powerful lady scale, zero being average, everyday human, and 10 being mega powerful lady. Uh, where do you see yourself today and where would you put yourself on average?

  Uh, on average.

  What do you mean? Uh, like, so if the scale's one to 10, where do you feel today, uh, on the, on the powerful 80 scale and on most days, where would you put yourself?

  Uh, that's very tough. I would say, um, uh, maybe six or seven because you can always do better. Yeah. But I think that I'm quite happy with, you know, leading my personal life and my work life. Mm-hmm. Um, and I think it's quite a balance. And, uh, and it's also, yeah, when I, when I tell people these days, uh, um, what it, what it looks like, I think, I think that's, uh, it looks good.

  It looks great. Yes. Um, for, for women who want to be freelance journalists and would love to spend their life, um, kind of following in your path, what advice would you give them?

  Um, to listen, to listen to yourself and not to the, and not to other. Not to the others. Um, because yeah, because I think that if you wanna follow the things you like, um, you gotta listen to yourself.

  And that's the only, uh, in, I mean, intuition or, or, or, uh, advice, uh, that's gonna work because you, you know what you are doing and you know where you are going, so nobody else gonna know for you. Yeah. And you gotta trust yourself.

  Mm-hmm. I agree. It's only us. Yeah. Well, I think, you know, I knew you were fascinating before and now I think that, um, everyone listening and joining us on this podcast is going to be huge fans of yours.

  Um, so I can't wait to, to get the feedback from this and to be someone to share your incredible story with the rest of the world. Um, you know, thank you for being a powerful lady. Thank you for, um. Just living the life on your own terms, because I really think that's the, the secret to living full and living happy.

  And, um, I'm really excited to have a role model like you to, to look up to and to remind myself, you know, am I playing by those same roles because, um, I also value them so much. Um, and thank you for being a yes. You know, it's, when you start a project like this, you never know who's gonna be a yes. And the fact that you were a yes with enthusiasm really just made me so happy and I feel so honored.

  So thank you so much.

  Well, thank you very much for thinking of

  me and for having me. Of course, of course. Um, any last minute words of advice or, or sharing that you would like to give to everyone listening?

  Well, um, I think you got to, you know, be, you gotta be passionate about what you do and, uh. Um, you gotta believe, uh, in what you do, and it's, it's an easier thing to say than to, to actually live.

  Mm-hmm.

  Um, but I mean, if, if you put energy, if you're excited by, by the things you, you, if they live in you, uh, you will brought them to life.

  I'm a firm believer in all things being connected and having, you know, purpose within them. And you have no idea what sharing your story today has been for me and just, oh, thank you.

  No, but really like, just needing the reminder that, just needing the reminder of like, what matters to me and what I need to focus on because, you know, like. When you're freelancing and on your own or creating something from scratch. Yeah. It's so easy to get sucked into, um, exactly. All the junk and the heaviness.

  Yeah, and the, and the, hold on. What is my life supposed to be? So, yeah, really thank you for the refresher because I am so much more lit up than when I got here this morning and just refocused on, um. The things that bring me energy, so thank you. Oh, that's cool.

  Well, I was so afraid to be boring, you know?

  And, uh, no, I just, yeah. I, I hope this Yeah,

  the things, uh, that people can relate to, and so we're gonna have to have you on again. Like, it's just For sure. 'cause I, I know, like, I have questions and I know that other people are going to about all the parts you talked about, like all of it because, um, it makes me feel better personally that someone like you worries about being boring because I do.

  And, um, it means that we're human.

  Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Because you, there's, that's interesting thing in life and, and that's how you Yeah. You get to enjoy and to keep the hope, uh, for, for what's best because, you know, sometimes humans can be, uh, horrible. Um. But you know, you have to believe in second chance, and you have to believe that, you know, better things can come up and, uh, uh, with face or not.

  I mean, it's, uh, it's, uh, it's, it's, it is great to think that. Yeah.

  Yeah. Perfect way to wrap this up. Well, thank you again, and I look forward to seeing you when I'm in Europe next.

  Thank you, Carol. Thank you.

  How awesome and inspiring is Katia. I truly was left in a completely different mindset after we recorded this episode. Listening to her share her story brought me back to what I value and care about using this life to gather great experiences, to share the stories of amazing people and places. To make sure I'm having fun and making up the rules as I go.

  And who doesn't wanna marry their own Indiana Jones? Come on. As Katia mentioned, she and her husband are partnering on the 2019 Kka Classic Regatta. To follow, support and get in contact with Katia, you can. You can follow her on Instagram at Katia Kulawick. You can follow her on Twitter at Parisian Land. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Katia Assante, or you can email her Katia Kulawick Assante@gmail.com.

  Visit the Corsea Classic website@corsea.classic.com. As always, all of the links to everything for Katia will be in the show notes. If you'd like to support the work that we're doing here at Powerful Ladies, there's a couple of ways you can do that. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Google Play, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

  Leave a review on any of these platforms. Share the show with all the powerful ladies and gentlemen in your life. Join our Patreon account. Check out the website, the powerful ladies.com to hear more inspiring stories. Get practical tools to be your most powerful. Get 15% off your first order in The Powerful Ladies Shop, or donate to the Powerful Ladies one Day of Giving campaign.

  And of course, follow us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies for show notes and to get the links to the books, podcasts, and people we talk about. Go to the powerful ladies.com. I'd like to thank our producer, composer, and audio engineer Jordan Duffy. She's one of the first female audio engineers in the podcast team world, if not the first.

  And she also happens to be the best. We're very lucky to have her. She's a powerful lady in her own right, in addition to taking over the podcasting world. She's a singer songwriter working on our next album, and she's one of my sisters. So it's amazing to be creating this with her and I'm so thankful that she finds time.

  In her crazy busy schedule to make this happen. It's a testament to her belief in what we're creating through powerful Ladies, and I'm honored that she shares my vision. Thank you all so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. I can't wait for you to hear it. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life.

  Go be awesome and up to something you love.

  Are you looking for a place to get amazing, powerful ladies merchandise and shop from your favorite female brands? Great news, you can do that all@thepowerfulladies.com at our store. Use Code listener L-I-S-T-E-N-E-R and get 20% off. 20% off your first purchase.

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To connect with, support or collaborate with Katia you can:

• Follow her on Instagram: @katiakulawick

• Follow her on Twitter: @parisianland

• Follow her on Facebook: Katia Kulawick-Assante

• Follow her on LinkedIn: Katia Kulawick-Assante

• Email her katiakulawick@yahoo.fr

• Follow Corsica Classic on YouTube: Corsica Classic

• Visit the Corsica Classic Website

Check out some of Katia’s articles and publications here:

• Architectural Digest Articles

• Vanity Fair Articles

• Buy Her Louis Vuitton City Guide Here

Learn more about the Corsica Classic via press articles here:

• Ultratravel, The Telegraph

• Financial Times - How To Spend It

• Forbes.com (USA)  

Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud