Embracing Change: Eva Chen's transition from aspiring doctor to successful fashion editor demonstrates the importance of being open to new experiences and following one's passion. Her journey highlights how taking risks can lead to discovering one's true calling, as seen in her inspiring work at Harper's Bazaar and Instagram.
Eva Chen's career journey illustrates the significance of exploring paths outside of initial ambitions. Starting with the intent to become a pediatric cardiologist, she found herself struggling in the sciences during college. Instead of sticking to that difficult course, she took a leap of faith by applying for internships and ultimately discovered her passion for fashion and editorial work. Her experience at Harper's Bazaar not only ignited her love for the industry, but also opened numerous doors for her future endeavors, including her role at Instagram and her work as an author. Eva's story encourages listeners to embrace change, seek out new opportunities, and follow what truly resonates with them. By doing this, one can find fulfillment and success in unexpected places.
Career Growth: To stand out in your career, take the initiative to do tasks others may hesitate to tackle. Explore different career paths, build connections, and seek advice from experienced professionals. Maintain these relationships to support your growth and success.
Taking initiative can set you apart in your career. By doing tasks that others may avoid, you make yourself valuable. It's important to explore different job options and try new things, as this trial and error can help you discover what you truly enjoy. Building connections and maintaining them is crucial for long-term success. Reach out to others and stay in touch, as these relationships can support your career advancement. Overall, stay proactive, be open to various opportunities, and don’t hesitate to seek advice from those who have experience. This approach can help you navigate your career path more effectively and lead you to fulfilling roles.
Beauty Insights: Beauty writing involves both creativity and science, focusing on helping people feel good about themselves. However, there can be challenges like repetitive language and cyclical trends. The writer emphasized the importance of finding passionate and creative team members, and recognizing when it's time to move on for personal growth.
Working in the beauty industry can be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding because it helps people feel good about themselves. The writer found joy in connecting the scientific aspects of beauty products with real-life applications, enhancing both health and wellness for others. However, writing about beauty also has its challenges, including repetition in descriptions and cycles of trends. Moving from Teen Vogue, where the writer balanced beauty with serious topics, to a new opportunity in Los Angeles was a decision driven by personal growth and the pursuit of passion. Hiring team members is also about finding those who are driven, creative, and a good fit for teamwork. Passion and enjoyment in work are key to a successful career, and it's important to recognize when it's time to move on to new opportunities.
Editor-in-Chief Insights: Taking on the editor-in-chief role at Lucky magazine was a mix of excitement and stress. It involved balancing creativity with management while learning from Anna Wintour’s efficient approach. The experience taught the importance of understanding the business side of publishing and the challenges of managing a larger team, especially during personal life changes like pregnancy.
Transitioning to the role of editor-in-chief at Lucky magazine was both challenging and exhilarating. The individual faced immense stress while trying to reshape the magazine for a new generation, focusing on incorporating a digital presence and showcasing influencers. Working closely with Anna Wintour provided invaluable lessons in efficiency and management. However, the journey was marked by long hours and the difficulty of managing a larger team. This experience highlighted the importance of balance between creativity and business understanding, as the individual recognized that being more involved in the business side from the start could have led to better outcomes. Ultimately, personal challenges, such as pregnancy, added to the complexity of navigating the demands of the job, especially during a time of significant change for the magazine.
Personal Growth: Taking maternity leave is important for well-being. It can lead to unexpected opportunities, like a job at Instagram that connects fashion with social media. Pursuing personal interests, such as writing, can also lead to fulfilling accomplishments, proving that self-care and passion can open new doors in a professional career.
Taking time off for maternity leave is essential, as it allows you to focus on your physical, emotional, and mental well-being after having a child. For one woman, this break gave her the chance to reconnect with her personal interests and network. After being approached by Charles Porch from Instagram, she found a unique job opportunity that was created to bridge the gap between the fashion community and Instagram. Her role involved helping fashion brands understand and use Instagram effectively, which was crucial as visual aesthetics are key in that industry. Her experiences at Instagram, along with launching her first children’s book, reflect the rewarding possibilities that can arise from taking time for oneself and following personal passions. Seeking new roles aligned with personal strengths can lead to fulfilling career paths, demonstrating how time taken for self-care can yield unexpected and positive outcomes in one's professional journey.
Book Creation: A children's book can stem from personal passions, like fashion, and convey themes of self-expression through relatable characters. This author created a special story to inspire her daughter and others, showcasing how collaboration in publishing can bring an idea to life quickly and effectively.
Creating a children's book can be a fulfilling journey where personal stories and experiences shape the narrative. This author, inspired by her love of fashion and strong female characters, wanted to write a book that resonates with her daughter and her friends. The concept involves a girl exploring different historical figures and modern icons through their shoes, symbolizing self-expression and identity. The author collaborated closely with her book agent and a legendary editor, going through the fast-tracked publishing process. It illustrates how passion drives writers and how a simple idea can evolve into a beautiful, collaborative project that reflects both personal interests and wants to share them with young readers.
Career Transition Insights: Changing careers can be daunting, but thorough research and networking are keys to success. Understand the roles in your desired industry and conduct informational interviews to gain real insights. This knowledge can boost your confidence and help you make a more informed and gradual transition towards your new career.
Transitioning to a new career can feel overwhelming, particularly if you lack confidence in making the change. It's crucial to research the field you want to enter, as understanding the various roles within that industry will help narrow your focus. Conducting informational interviews is a great way to learn from those already in the area you’re interested in. This allows you to gain insight into the realities of different jobs, moving beyond any romanticized ideas you may have. Coupled with courage and proactive outreach, doing your homework can enable you to make a more informed transition and motivate you to pursue your passion in a structured manner. Overall, combining research with networking is essential for anyone poised to change their professional path.
Job Search Insights: It can take a long time to find a new job, so prepare financially with savings to support yourself. Follow your instincts and passions, as they often guide you in your career decisions. Trust your journey and keep an eye open for the signs that lead you in the right direction.
Navigating the job market can be challenging and often takes much longer than expected, sometimes up to a year. It's crucial to be financially prepared by saving enough money to support yourself during your job search or transition to freelancing, as clients may take time to pay. Listening to your instincts and being open to new opportunities can lead you to fulfilling paths, even if they seem uncertain at first. Connecting your past interests and experiences can provide clues about your true passions, which may guide your career decisions. In essence, trust in your journey, remain practical with your finances, and keep an open mind to the signs that lead you to what you truly love.
Eva Chen: Instagram's Director of Fashion Partnerships
Recent Episodes from Second Life
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: The Story Behind Emma Stone's Oscars Dress, as Told by Her Stylist, Petra Flannery
And just like that, an eventful 2024 award season has come to a close. Today, we’re joined by super stylist Petra Flannery, whose roster of clients includes Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, Reese Witherspoon, Claire Danes, and Emilia Clarke. Flannery is here to dish about the Oscars and give us the behind-the-scenes details on Emma Stone’s greatest red carpet looks, from the pale-yellow slip dress at the Poor Things premiere to the stunning mint-colored peplum dress she wore while accepting her second Oscar for Best Actress. And yes, we’re talking about that pesky zipper.
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Gail Simmons: Food Writer, Culinary Multi-Hyphenate, and Top Chef Judge
Gail Simmons is the ultimate culinary multi-hyphenate. Though she’s perhaps best known for her 21-season tenure as judge on the competition reality show Top Chef, which debuts its latest season on March 20, she’s also made a lasting impact on so many other areas of food media. Simmons has spent 15 years of her career leading teams at Food & Wine (including organizing the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen); has written numerous books; and has even launched her own production company, Bumble Pie Productions, which focuses on bringing women’s voices to the food landscape. But before Simmons was making a name for herself as a food expert, she spent her early career gaining industry knowledge by attending culinary school; working at the iconic restaurants Le Cirque 2000 and Vong; assisting Vogue food critic Jeffrey Steingarten; and running special events for Daniel Boulud’s legendary restaurant group.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Celebrity Hairstylist Mara Roszak on Crafting Emma Stone's Award-Season Looks and Getting Red Carpet–Level Hair at Home
With the Oscars only days away, celebrity hairstylist and Roz founder Mara Roszak is dropping all the details behind creating her gorgeous red carpet looks. Her client list includes stars like Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, and Zoe Saldaña, but it's been an especially busy award season for her longtime client Emma Stone on the heels of her Oscar-nominated film Poor Things. Roszak is not only sharing the inspiration for Stone's hair looks this season, but she's also giving the full breakdown of how you can re-create her sleek Golden Globes lob and romantic BAFTA braid at home. Plus, if you've ever wondered how to achieve the elusive "wet look"—as seen on Roszak's clients Kristen Wiig and Natalie Portman—look no further.
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Sandra Oh Lin: Founder and CEO of KiwiCo
Sandra Oh Lin is the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, the company that’s helping millions of children develop creativity and problem-solving skills through art- and STEM-based activities. Remembering how much she loved participating in hands-on projects with her mom when she was a child, Lin sought to inspire that same sense of innovation and “creative confidence” in her own kids. Soon, other parents began asking about the activities she was creating for her children’s playdates, and she realized that she wasn’t the only parent wanting to provide fun, educational experiences for her kids. With her engineering and business degrees, alongside her experience at major companies like eBay, Procter & Gamble, and PayPal, Lin started KiwiCo out of her garage. Over the last decade, she has scaled the company to include more than 1500 products, sent out 50 million shipments of KiwiCo products, and developed partnerships with over 400 educational organizations.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Zac Posen on Designing Costumes for the Epic Black and White Ball Scene in Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
Zac Posen is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer whose designs have been worn by Natalie Portman, Oprah Winfrey, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna, among many others. Posen is known for his fine craftsmanship and glamorous gowns, and powerful women have historically sought him out to dress them for significant moments in their lives. Because of this, it only made sense that Ryan Murphy and Gus Van Sant called upon Posen while developing FX's Feud: Capote vs. the Swans to craft costumes for the reimagining of a real-life event: Truman Capote's 1966 Black and White Ball. He's giving us all the details about how he walked the line between historical accuracy and his signature stylistic flair to create showstopping looks for all of Feud's leading ladies.
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Dianna Cohen: Crown Affair Founder and CEO
Crown Affair is a haircare brand that empowers people to create ritual out of their hair routine. Launched in 2020 with four products (a towel, a brush, an oil, and a comb), Crown Affair has since grown to include a range of hair products and tools; has become one of the buzziest beauty brands on TikTok; and is now sold at retailers such as Goop and Sephora. But before Cohen founded Crown Affair, she spent her early career in marketing and partnerships and later consulted for some of the most influential direct-to-consumer companies of the time. Think Away luggage, Outdoor Voices, Harrys, Buck Mason, and more. But when a Google Doc detailing her other passion (aka her haircare routine) began circulating, Cohen realized it was time to take a pause on building other people’s companies and create one of her own.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: New York Fashion Week F/W 24 in Review
New York Fashion Week just wrapped, and Editor in Chief Kat Collings and fashion editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman are here to give you the inside scoop on what the fall-winter 2024 collections had to offer. Tune in to hear which emerging designers to have on your radar, who's giving a sultry update to workwear, which types of interesting necklines we can expect to see everywhere this fall, and what it was like breathing the same air as Beyoncé at the Luar show.
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Maria Dueñas Jacobs: Super Smalls Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
Super Smalls is a line of playful, gem-studded accessories inspired by and made for kids. After years as an accessories editor and director at fashion publications Glamour and Elle, as well as working on brand development at personal styling company Stitch Fix, Maria Dueñas Jacobs developed a deep knowledge of the accessories space. So when her daughter, who was five at the time, began playing with her beautiful (and expensive) jewelry, a lightbulb went off for Dueñas Jacobs. Soon, she began channeling both her inner child and her trained editorial eye to bring the luxury jewelry experience she knew and loved to a kid-safe jewelry line. Today, Super Smalls has made Oprah’s Favorite Things list three years in a row and expanded into a stunning range of jewelry, shoes, crafts, and more. Each item is made for play and is sure to bring joy to any kid (or “kidult,” as Dueñas Jacobs refers to herself in this episode) who wears it.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Amy Smilovic, Founder of Tibi, Gives a Style Master Class Through Her Lens of Creative Pragmatism
Amy Smilovic founded the women's luxury brand Tibi in 1997, and over the years, she's honed her distinctive brand identity and coined a phrase for her design philosophy: creative pragmatism. If you're a creative pragmatist like Smilovic, you find your style rooted in creative expression and utility, and you feel at home in an aesthetic that is at once chill, modern, and classic. Written from the point of view that style can indeed be learned, her book The Creative Pragmatist details all of her guiding principles, from how to style colors and prints in a way that feels modern to how to pick basics that aren't, well, basic. Smilovic has developed a highly analytical approach to making outfits look effortless, and she's breaking down her greatest and most useful style tips for us this week.
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Charlotte Cruze: Co-Founder of Alice Mushrooms
If you’ve dipped your toe into the world of functional, non-psychedelic mushrooms, you’ve likely seen Alice’s chic adaptogenic chocolates grace your social media feed or the shelves of your local boutique grocer—you have Charlotte Cruze to thank for that. In 2022, Cruze and her co-founder Lindsay Goodstein launched Alice with two products: Nightcap, a sleep aid, and Brainstorm, an energy booster. Today, the line has expanded to include an aphrodisiac chocolate called Happy Ending and a limited-edition lingerie collab with Fleur du Mal. But before she was creating mushroom chocolates, Cruze spent most of her career in media at companies such as Refinery29, InsideHook, and NBC. During that time, Cruze realized she loved the food industry, and in the early days of the pandemic, she enrolled in a food studies master’s program at NYU with the intention of pivoting her career. From there, she took on a role as the head of operations at meal-kit company Quinn and later led growth at Nutella-alternative brand TBH. While Cruze was still working at TBH, Goodstein, a former pharmaceutical salesperson, tapped her to help build Alice, and the rest is delicious, benefit-packed history.
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