I’ve been in the trenches of job applications, phone interviews and assessment days for the past few weeks. In between networking over the tiniest pastries known to mankind and filling in countless online forms, I’ve been thinking about some of the women whose careers inspire me as I look to start my own path. For the latest installment of The Nine To Five Guide I wanted to share with you some women whose stories and businesses deserve to be celebrated. Too often we focus on successful women’s relationships, wardrobes or perfect hair and spend not enough time recognizing their competency, talent and hard work.
Lydia Elise Millen Gordon
A woman who has built a compelling personal brand through social media, Youtube and her blog, Lydia Elise Millen Gordon walks a tightrope of authenticity and inspiration. Her penchant for feminine fashion and luxury travel is balanced by her tongue in cheek sense of humor. From the glamour of Cannes to the charm of her back garden (complete with two Bengal cats) , Lydia Elise Millen brings her audience along with her every step of the way. Her campaigns consistently generate high engagement as well as beautiful content. I may or may not want to steal her entire wardrobe (can you blame me), but above all would love to get her thoughts on the influencer industry.
Audrey Leighton Rogers
Photographer, storyteller and vintage shop owner Audrey Leighton Rogers is a woman of many hats (quite literally). Her Instagram features her restless and hungry creative spirit through both her signature photography and vivid captions. The careful curation of her own style and that of her vintage e-shop reflect Roger’s love affair with bygone eras and neutrals. Her accolades include making brown the chicest color in existence. Unabashedly human, Rogers’ work is poetry in motion.
Arlan Hamilton
Founder and managing partner of Backstage Captial, her venture cap group invests specifically in underrepresented entrepreneurs and startup founders. Hamilton seeks to unlock potential for women, people of color and LGBTQ innovators. In a world where community can mean everything for small business, Hamilton has created a dynamic and well-resourced network to help others like her shine. Backstage Capital is changing the very assumptions of investment and venture capitalism. We stan.
Hildy Kuryk
Founder of Artemis Strategies, her boutique consultancy helps companies develop civic engagement, craft their corporate social responsibility and navigate shifting political landscapes. Kuryk’s ability to pinpoint the pulse of culture and society led her from Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign to the Democratic National Committee to directing communications for Vogue Magazine. Now trying her hand at a startup, her consultancy already works with clients such as Nordstrom and Condé Nast. Is she my idol- quite possibly.
Chriselle Lim
Head of a fashion, beauty and lifestyle content network, Lim has redefined the idea of chic. After winning Bloglovin’s Blogger of the Year award in 2016, she launched the Chriselle Lim Collection in 2018 which stocks with Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Shopbop. Her message of elevating the everyday resonates with an audience of over 1.1 million, and with the recent expansion into a CINC creative studio, Lim is the future of the modern media mogul. Say it with me: BOSS.
Martha Oritz
A chef who creates food like a composer writes an operatic suite, her restaurant Ella Canta became the talk of London when it opened in 2017. It’s menu is magical realism made edible, with inventive dishes like a gold leaf grasshopper topped guacamole and creatively named cocktails like Nahuani’s Star (tasty as they are artistic as I can personally attest). You half expect for Frida Kahlo to be sitting at the next table over. In a male dominated industry, Oritz is a feminist icon and both her London venue and her restaurant Dulce Patria in hometown Mexico City have garnered cult followings. She has written 8 books and presented on Top Chef Mexico. All the while fighting to break through ‘the caramel ceiling’.
Charlotte Elizabeth Jones
Founder of Charlotte Elizabeth, this handbag designer created the classically feminine Bloomsberry bag from her bedroom. Entrepreneurial spirit incarnate, she started the company with the support from The Princes Trust all the while battling severe health problems. The Bloomsberry bag, a favorite of Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, comes in 10 different colours and has recently launched in a backpack style. I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Jones speak at panel organized by platform She Can She Did and her story is nothing short of extraordinary.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and if there’s anyone who you think is killing it in their field, please drop a comment below!
Xx
