Estée Lauder x Make My Lemonade Les entrepreneuses part 2

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your kind and enthusiastic words yesterday about Elissa, Clémentine, Insaf and Chloé! Today we continue with the last 3 entrepreneurs of this project! Originally, with the Estée Lauder brand, we had agreed to post just one article. You're used to me posting "river" articles, but that would have been Niagara. Once again, this survey really blew me away, and rediscovering all these women was a breath of fresh air, a slap in the face, an adrenalin rush!

After the intuitionproject, for which I had already discovered the woman behind the brand name Estée LauderI tried to find out more about her personality, and there again, what inspirations! I can't imagine the amount of tenacity it took for this woman to have built up a cosmetics empire from nothing, apart from her kitchen and her uncle's laboratory! Having read her biography, what I retain is that she was uncompromising, she had a precise goal and that she made the right encounters at the right time, that she knew how to surround herself but above all that she never wavered or blunted her vision.

To get back to today's entrepreneurs, it was very difficult to choose who I would post first or second, so don't read between the lines - it's a matter of chance, not hierarchy! I'm now posting the long version of the video with all the women who inspire me! Kisses and I'll leave you with Anais, Maeva and Pénélope!

ANAIS LAURENT

Co-founder of lingerie brand Noo Underwear.

I also met Anaïs during the swimsuit mini line we designed together last spring, "les baigneuses". As with Elissa, we hit it off right away. What struck me first was that beneath Anaïs' apparent gentleness hides a real strength who's not afraid to tackle the issues of her entrepreneurial life head-on. Anaïs is the one who draws, who hunts and who is always keen to take care of the little details that will make the difference on her products, and who isn't afraid to leave from one day to the next to follow a production, or to untangle the brushes of a capricious factory! As I told you yesterday, Noo Underwear and Wear Lemonade are more or less the same age and have the same collection rhythm, and it's always a delight to discover the new worlds imagined by this explosive duo, Elissa and Anaïs!

- To understand your story a little better, could you tell me where you come from and what your career path has been?

I come from Valbonne, a small village on the Côte d'Azur, my little jewel where I go to recharge my batteries whenever I can. I started my applied arts studies there, and then moved to Aix, Montreal, Berlin and Paris to study fine arts. I thought I was cut out to be an art teacher, as I have a great thirst for learning and a strong need to create.

But since I'd always felt that I didn't fit into the mold, how could I fit into that of the French education system? Nurtured by the encouragement and unfailing support of my husband, an entrepreneur at heart, in addition to a part-time food job, I worked on the NOO concept: a designer and mid-range lingerie brand for men and women, offering mismatched outfits and infinite mix-and-matches. I worked on the project for 2 years before meeting my beloved partner Elissa, and 6 months after our meeting and the birth of my daughter, NOO was finally born!

- What made you decide to set up your own business? When did you know it was the right time?

It's as if it just came to me, and when I think back on it sometimes, I don't know how it all came together. The crazy thing is that today, despite the almost daily difficulties of entrepreneurship, I can't imagine doing anything else (okay, except having a real vacation!!). If NOO were to end tomorrow, I'd have a thousand other projects in mind. And I never thought I'd be more of an entrepreneur than a designer, even though the two are intimately linked for me.

- How do you fight procrastination some days?

I rarely have time to procrastinate! My days end at 6pm, they fly by, and as there are only three of us, there are always a thousand things to do. But this constraint forces me to get straight to the point. It was a friend of mine, a stylist in Montreal, who ends her day at 3:30 p.m. to take care of her daughter, who convinced me and made me feel less guilty! Of course, sometimes I'm less efficient, in which case I stop and do something completely different, even if it means working again in the evening.

- How do you feel about motherhood and being your own boss?

Maybe I should have asked myself that question before, given that my daughter was born a month before we launched our brand. It was very difficult in the first few months to "give birth" to two babies who needed me. Of course, my priority was my daughter, and it deeply affected me not to be able to give her all the attention she so richly deserved. For 2 and a half months, she accompanied me to my appointments and to the store, just like my breast pump... Although I have no regrets, I know today that I won't have a second child if I'm not sure I can really stop.

- How do you manage your accounting, administration, current projects and the promotion of your business? Do you have any help, a chartered accountant, lawyer or financial manager?

We have a chartered accountant, a great lawyer, lots of friends who have given us advice and a helping hand in many areas, and a desire to master everything. In my opinion, one of the keys to entrepreneurship is to get your hands dirty before delegating to better people.

- Do you regret having embarked on the adventure of entrepreneurship?

Never, and once you've had a taste of it, there's no turning back! À In my eyes, I'm not a lingerie designer, I'm an entrepreneur who's bubbling over with desires, and who loves to imagine you finally being you, wearing NOO.

"The art of inventing beauty transcends class, intellect, age, profession, geography - virtually every cultural and economic barrier"- Estée Lauder. What does this remind you of?

Because for me, being beautiful isn't just a question of looks, but of attitude, posture, character, sometimes even insolence, which has nothing to do with your background, where you come from, or even your culture. And I like the idea in this quote that it's an art to invent beauty. That insinuates that we can play at being someone else, at any time, and that it's part of who we are. Women are multiple, and it's this complexity that makes them beautiful. She doesn't have to be sexy to be beautiful.

– And if you were Mrs. Estée Lauder, and in 2017 you wanted to release your "must-have product", what would it be?

An eye illuminator to make eyes sparkle!

MAEVA BESSIS

Co-General Manager of l'Exception boutique and e-shop for French designers.

Maeva is my fairy godmother. I can hardly believe she's only a year older than me. Not that she looks any older, but when I see what a businesswoman she is, I feel very small next to her. Maeva manages hundreds of things a day, and she never forgets herself. She's capable of listening to herself, of taking a step back, of adjusting to feel better, while continuing to be unfailingly efficient. I'm very impressed with her, she's been a friend to me ever since and a consultant to my company, so it was a natural fit for her to end up here. Her mind is sharp and she always has a creative solution to the problems that arise in her daily life as an entrepreneur... She's an example to follow!

- To understand your story a little better, could you tell me where you come from and what your career path has been?

I spent my childhood in Montreal, Canada, but I didn't keep the accent! Back in Paris, I grew up with my 2 sisters and my mother #girlpower... After the baccalaureate, I went to a business school, the ISG, which offered a curriculum around the world (Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York) I was able to study in 3 different universities, it was a crazy experience! At the end of my studies, I found myself at Nina Ricci, in the digital department. It was also a great experience, which made me realize that I wanted to work in a small structure where things happen fast! As fate would have it, I met Régis in early 2013, and the amazing adventure of L'Exception began for me.

- What made you decide to set up your own business? When did you know it was the right time?

I jumped on the boat with L'Exception, 1 year after its launch, but I immediately invested myself as if it were my own business, thinking about it day and night, breathing, living L'Exception. It paid off, and a few years later I became a partner! I'm an entrepreneur at heart, I need to give 200% and be carried along, invaded by my project. It's sometimes destructive, because I put work before everything else, but I can't help it, it's my baby and as long as it needs me, I'm there.

- How do you fight procrastination some days?

I'm a firm believer that an idea is no good without execution. And the execution is up to you. I read an article on brain mechanisms which said that it takes less than 5 seconds for your brain to make the decision to act or not, so every time I hesitate to do something, my unconscious tells me, FAST you've got 3 seconds left to make up your mind and act! It puts positive pressure on me, and I love it! When I come to the end of a long day and go back to my to-do list, crossing off tasks one by one gives me intense happiness, a satisfaction without which I don't think I could live.

- How do you feel about motherhood and being your own boss?

Haha, I have to admit that as I approach 30, the idea does cross my mind from time to time. On the other hand, I'm not putting any pressure on myself, as I haven't yet found the special man I want by my side... After that, I think it'll be hard to manage baby and work at the same time, but I know that we women are resourceful, so I'll manage, as many women have done before me!

- How do you manage your accounting, administration, ongoing projects and promoting your business? Do you have help, a chartered accountant, lawyer or financial director?

I'm lucky enough to have an exceptional partner who manages everything like a thunderbolt and takes care of all the things I hate, i.e. accounting and administration, cash management.... But we still have a lot of projects to tackle, and year after year, I feel less and less a slave to time. One thing that has helped me a lot: every evening before going to bed, I take stock of the day and visualize the next day by preparing my "to do list".

I also write "To do week/month/year" in a small notebook. This allows me to keep track of what I want to achieve in the short, medium and long term!

- Do you regret having embarked on the adventure of entrepreneurship?

Not for a second, and even if from time to time it's very hard, you have doubts, you question everything, you wonder if you've done things right... Despite that, I'll never regret having embarked on this adventure. It's what makes me the woman I am today, and I'm proud of it!

- If you were Mrs Estée Lauder, and you invented your "must-have product", what would it be?

I'd invent a range of wellness products (not beauty products) inspired by nature. I'm convinced that nature is full of magical recipes for our bodies, and I recommend Idriss Aberkane's videos on the subject! I'd like a lotion or lip balm to combat stress and negative thoughts, or a product that makes me want to laugh, that makes my skin want to be touched... Am I crazy? I'm getting carried away, I'm stopping!

PÉNÉLOPE BAGIEU

Pénélope, I don't really know if I should introduce her to you... Pénélope is an illustrator, cartoonist and comic book author, and you may have come across her comic book blog. “My life is utterly fascinating".which enabled her to get her foot in the door and make her mark in the world of comics (I'll stop with the metaphors, I promise), but perhaps you've also had your hands on an album by the famous Joséphine. Today, Pénélope works with many clients, brands and magazines, and I think she has the strength to always be where you least expect her! I remember when she made me want to go to Finland without a single photo, just with her drawings and little details of the story of her trip, and I thought she was really strong to be able to convey so much through the stroke of a pencil... The day we met, I discovered her a little more, as she was in Paris for the release of the brilliant : les culottées ! Penélope illustrates all the little anecdotes that trace the extraordinary destinies of these 15 women, and it's a must-have! Volume 2 is due out in January!

- To understand your story a little better, could you tell me where you're from and what your background has been?

I took a baccalauréat ES because I was average (if not mediocre) in just about every subject. I wanted to get rid of the "bac" stage so that I could do what I'd been doing all day since I was three years old, which was drawing little stories. I passed with an average of 10 and then went on to do a preparatory course for art schools, failing all my entrance exams except the one I really wanted the most, ENSAD les Arts Déco in Paris. It's a great school (and it's free) where you can experiment with all sorts of things: painting, video, wood, scenography, engraving.

Then I started working as an illustrator in advertising and publishing. Then a magazine I was working for asked me to start writing a weekly comic strip for them, and I created Joséphine for them. And then I made a book of it, and then three, and then lots of other comics, and now that's all I do. And that's it!

- How do you fight procrastination some days?

I've got a great trick: I make a completely stupid decision on the spur of the moment, which then forces me to take responsibility and do what I set out to do. For example, signing a contract for a big book with a super-tight deadline, announcing that I'm going to publish a comic strip a week on Le Monde, as I did this year... And the good thing is that it works for all aspects of life: signing up for a marathon one evening (a little drunk), for example. After that, you just have to go for it.

- How do you manage your accounting, administration, current projects and promoting your business? Do you have help, a chartered accountant, lawyer or financial director?

I delegate! Everything I can! Honestly, it's really the best investment for a freelancer, as soon as you can afford it (ex-aequo with "getting an office"). These fields are so complex, and there are people whose job it is. Mine is drawing, so having an accountant, an agent, a lawyer... well, I have 50% more time to do my real job. (Well, most of the time I don't really understand it, so it's great to be able to say "Here!" when handing someone the stack of mail).

- Do you now regret having embarked on the adventure of entrepreneurship?

Of course not! I do think, however, that it's not for everyone. Because, in addition to having great self-discipline and a certain amount of organization, you also need to be comfortable with the unknown, the unexpected, the months without, the fact that you have no idea what tomorrow will bring and that's just the way it is. It's really something to consider when you're wondering if you're cut out for freelancing.

Personally, I hate it when people stick their noses in my little kitchen and tell me how to work, in what order, at what time of day, that sort of thing. And I really like solitude. So I'm not really company (I tried for two weeks).

- If you were Mrs Estée Lauder, and you invented your "must-have product", what would it be?

Something that cancels out all my excesses in five minutes. A mask, a cream, I don't know, something that makes my skin think I've slept 8 hours and drank nothing but water!

Thank you to all these entrepreneurs and to Olitax for these photos and videos.