COURAGE AT WORK

Last edition, I wrote about what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a layoff. I shared the story of a client who spent two weeks in professional limbo. She sensed something was wrong. She was told everything was fine. Meanwhile, the people around her already knew what was coming. This week, I want to flip the script and talk about the person on the other side of that conversation. The leader who has to sit someone on their team down, look them in the eye and deliver

It's summer. And if you're reading this from an office that is half-empty, or a desk that feels quieter than usual, or a calendar that - for the first time since January - actually has some breathing room in it: I want to say something to you directly. You can leave early today. Not because you've finished everything. You haven't. You never will. The to-do list does not end - it just changes shape. Not because someone told you it was okay. Nobody is going to tell you that. B

I lost someone recently. It was sudden. There was no warning. No time to prepare. No final conversation I knew would be final. One day they were here. The next — without explanation, without transition, without any of the things we tell ourselves we'll say when the time is right — they were gone. And that's the thing about sudden loss that nobody warns you about. It doesn't just take the person. It takes every future moment you had assumed was still available to you. The coff

Part 8 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter Let’s have an honest conversation. Fashion has never looked more diverse on the surface. Runways, ad campaigns, and glossy brand reports showcase a beautiful spectrum of faces, identities, and cultures. And yet — behind the curtain, not much has changed. If you’ve worked in this industry long enough, you’ve seen it firsthand: People of color, women, LGBTQ+ professionals are welcomed in the door… bu

Part 5 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter “They let me go in a 10-minute Zoom after 12 years.” I wish that quote was rare. It’s not. It’s one of many I’ve heard lately — and it says everything about where the fashion industry is right now. Behind the runway shows, glossy campaigns, and DE&I panels, there’s a workforce that’s disillusioned, burnt out, and quietly watching loyalty disappear. One restructure at a time. One 10-minute Zoom at

Part 4 of the "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter "It’s a dream job!" "I’d take a pay cut just to say I worked there." "We don’t offer top salaries, but you’ll be part of something iconic." Sound familiar? These are the stories I’ve heard — and the language I’ve seen used — across fashion, luxury, and lifestyle organizations for years. In an industry that trades on image, prestige, and aspiration, the compensation illusion is one of its most en

Part 3 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter Let’s be real. In fashion and adjacent industries, there’s an unspoken code — a myth so embedded in the culture it barely gets questioned anymore: They call it "paying your dues." I call it glamorized burnout! Overwork isn’t just accepted. It’s glamorized. Burnout isn’t seen as a warning sign. It’s worn like a badge of honor. Late nights? You must be dedicated. No holidays? What loyalty! Emails at

Part 2 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter In my last article, I wrote about a common pattern in the fashion industry: Hiring for brand pedigree instead of actual leadership ability. When we choose résumés over leadership skills, we don’t just risk bad hires — we damage cultures, lose great talent, and stall innovation. But the point isn’t just to critique what’s broken. It’s to offer a better way forward. Because fashion needs a new kind o

Part 1 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter They’ve worked at all the right brands. They know all the right people. They have presence, polish, and a beautifully curated CV. On paper? Perfect. But ask the teams who worked under them? “Empowering?” Not really. “Visionary?” Never saw it. “Safe to disagree with?” Only once — never again. In fashion — especially luxury — 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲