Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe and you're listening to I'ming in Heels. The show is all about celebrating the most extraordinary superwoman who will be sharing their incredible journeys to the top, all while staying glamorous. Today with me, I am very excited. We have the most I don't even know how to describe her. I have so many ways to describe her. But she is clever, she's smart, she's witty,
she's funny. She is Laura Brown. She's an incredible Australian fashion journalist, former editor in chief of in Style magazine and former executive director of Harper's Bizarre Magazine. I have known her most of my career. She is as funny as she is kind, stunny and talented. I'm so excited for all of you to hear about Laura's journey today. So let's get started, Hi, Kittie. So let me first start by saying, we don't have to be formal because I can't be formal with you.
Well, I don't know how to do that for me neither.
So so basically I started climbing in heels because because well I'm pretty sure we know that it's not true. But but if you ask my dad, he would tell you, up until I met boys, I actually was. But I loved boys everything. Yeah they do. It's like a make or break. But but what I did was I realized, very similar to you, how many extraordinary women that were surrounded by in every field, in our friend's circle, in our professional circles, and our fashion service, like every circle.
There's just badass women doing amazing things. But what I have found over my career is that people have asked me of any age, how on earth did you get here? How'd you become? How did you start this? How did you? And what I realized is that's actually always the question with anyone because because like most of the world knows you as Laura Brown, right, they'll say, oh, I know Laura Brown. She's amazing, Like I love her. She made fashion like she made she made it relatable. She made
fashion human and not scary for me. Or she's really funny. She tiacks humor and fact like, oh, but I bet nobody. I don't want to see nobody. But I would say, the most people don't know how on earth you actually became Laura Brown. I know how little I know a little because I met you so early. I remember the first time you interviewed me. I think it was at the Mercer Hotel.
I got the Mercer.
It's a time capsule and it was four hundred years ago. So you're you're a proud assy.
I'm a proud assy. I have lived you bloody. I've lived in America twenty one years. I in a in a try of strategy, I moved here week before Stember eleventh. But yeah, I've been I've been here for I mean i've been yeah, Aussie, I've been here twenty one years. I lived in London for a couple of years in between to do that kind of like backpacking, but like I wanted to go see Paris fashion shows kind of.
You wanted to get out of Australia.
Why delusions of grandeur? You just But also you've got to remember, for us ladies who perhaps did not grow up with an ife phone in our house, we when we didn't have access in Australia to everything we have access there now, you know what I mean, we didn't.
Have So I was like, you felt far away, oh.
So far, and I would get like, you know, two months old vogues or whatever. I like fashion on like TV or whatever. So we didn't have the immediately. So I felt very removed, and I was so desperate to get well, you know, especially it's a very fashion like what did a journalism thing? Oh, I want to I want to get out of here. I want to go where it's where the action is, and and I just
wanted to go. But it was more that I felt like, if the experiences are having a fashion or film or creativity or arts or whatever, we're all diffuse because they had all come to me kind of secondhand. So and so I was like, no, no, no, no, I want to say them that with my own eyes. I want to be at the fashion show or the freaking movie or whatever the hell was. And so I was so hungry for that. I wanted to. I think that's just number one, like a journalistic instinct, like.
Were you a student, Like were you someone who like you were a writer?
Right?
You were? I mean that's very important.
Yeah, I studied communications at university, so I studied journalism and I was a writer. Yeah, And I just but it was just I wanted to feel the culture happening like in my face in a way and get myself to where I thought it was, which it was at the time, you know what I mean. And it still is obviously, yes, breaking news New York Paris, like it doesn't hasn't changed that much, but it has. But and so I was just I couldn't think of anything else
but getting to where it was, you know. So I kind of spent, you know, after my college years, so much time with my mind here, you know. And I would get all the I would work at magazines in Australia and we get a big bag of like magazines from New York like once a week. It was called poetically in Australia. Interesting, yeah, we'd call it the air bag.
And so the air bag had come and they would all like push each other out of the way to get like the vogues and the details and ws and like real top era of those too, remember like in two thousand whatever. And I would read them, and I remember I would sometimes I would be reading New York Magazine or something and I would like look up and I'd forget where I was. Like I was just completely it was very ezy to say, let's forget where I was. But I was just here wherever this is in my head.
So I just knew I had to go, and I think there's a there's a there's a thing about being Australian, and I think it's are people.
But that's what I was saying to me that when whenever I go to Australia or I meet friends from Australia, they the first thing they say. I found it so remarkable the first time I went there that everyone who I met said I'm so sorry, We're so far. They were so apologetic about being so far and they would say to me, how are you enjoying your trip? I was like, I love it here, it's beautiful that people are so kind, like blah blah blah, and and but
they would apologize. They would say, oh, we're so far from everything, We're so far. And it was this bizarre concept for me because I had always been like a New Yorker like lived you know in it, Yeah, realizing yeah, first of all, it is far, right, it is far, but it's so special.
It's and that's what makes us quescial. And I think we used to be more apologetic than we.
Are now, because yeah, it's different now, more potar, but.
No, it used to be like and it still is a bit like, oh, they're coming down. Oh they're international, and they use is kind of like, oh, we need to validate ourselves by international people, like Rachel's coming down, No Da And you know, I think there's a bit of that still because again we just we it is distance blessing and blessing and curse. It was completely you know that it has mellowed a bit now because there's so many things coming out of Australia and new and
exciting and part of the world. And but now at that time, because this was like you know, when I moved here, it was two thousand and one, you know, we had like we had the Internet, but we still didn't. I still was like, but there's a thing of Australians and I And oftentimes it's sometimes used it as a criticism, but I love it. I actually love it that the word guileless, you know, to be and and I love being guileless because you kind of then you get on the plane.
Yeah, you know, you're like me, I don't mind getting on the plane. That's what I know to travel because we don't.
Have the option. We don't have we have to but like it's sort of like a logo, I'll give them plan I've saved some money, I'll go And also like I mean, you know, for for us, your worst case scenario if you if it doesn't work out and you can go back to beautiful Australia. Right, it's not the highest stakes coming from We'll lucky coming from Australia to right, because you can try and shore go back. So yeah, so you just kind of just go for it, really
just for your curious cat. And I think, how do you when when you're younger?
How'd you end up with Glenda?
Though?
How did you so? Glenda Bailey a former editor in chief of Harper's Bizarre And I met Laura probably two thousand and five, Oh.
Yeah, donkeys, that's when I started there two thousand.
And five, okay, okay, so probably around then.
Glinda I met because I think I knew someone who'd worked at Harper's Bizarre UK with someone there. One of it is said do you no, Glenn? Did you want to come in for a meet and greet thing? And so I did right off. Sometimes it was just funny to remember.
If she said, I can happily.
Do what is the common wealth in common? Right? You know, we're like it's a NAUSI show, and but I remember she was saying it was right, like I wasn't that long after Sember elevens, but business time to get on with, you know. It was all so it was so surreal. The whole thing was like a dreamsake. And I remember
going going, Laura, Laura, what are your fashion connections? And I'd be like, well they I knew all it's going in London like that, and there wasn't anything going then, so that was like an information and then and this
was yeah, a long time ago. And then two thousand and five I ended up there because Sarah Bailey, who was a Deppytator at the time, she called me and she was like, hio, and she said, we'd love to talk to you, da da and and I was about to take a job at Details magazine and and I, uh, I was like, oh sorry, I'm about to go do this one and uh. And I was only there. I was there nine months and I didn't care for it, but they called me again and I said do you
want to come? And I went yeah. So I started their Valentine's Day two thousand and five and worked with Glenda Bailey gb Glenda Bailey for eleven years and through it it felt like so many iterations of a job. And that's so funny. Just like about two weeks ago, I hosted a party for her collection with Peruvian connection.
Oh see, it was just like.
The old days. Like to me, Moore came and Alan coming and it was so funny and we were all like it was like we've been like cryogenetically frozen.
And right, that's a really that's a big lesson that I like to share with people. For a second, because I've had people that worked with me for many years, ten years, eleven years, eight or nine years, and they move on and sometimes they come back. Sometimes I hire them freelance, sometimes they consult with us four years later. You keep your family close, right, you stay close. And I always like to point out in business, it's not that you leave, it's how you leave. And I imagine you agree.
With Fred just you can't just be gracious always. And it's actually got to the youth.
Who really like to Actually it's easier, it's easier being gracious and nice is actually the lazy man's because.
Of course I find it very stressful having a conflict. To me, of course we've had them, but I just like to me when I when I left, I mean I was because I had been in an approach for in Style, so that was very clear that I was going to go and do that. And and Glenda was the first one actually because I'd worked with her for
eleven years and we've done incredible stuff together. She was the first one to go, no, you absolutely have to do it, to go do that, Like the publishers weren't so yeah, of course for her bosses, but she was like and she had the most to lose, and she was like, no, no, you've you've to off you go. So I think if you just do good work and
you're nice, but you're also clear. Like and Glenda again, who really could have benefited by having me working with her for another ten years, you know, she was like, no, you've earned it, so just like to earn your stripes and then really stand on top of the opportunities that you are given and that you make for yourself on the equity that you make for.
Yourself forever with your wife, way forever.
It doesn't and it doesn't go away. I agree, you know, and you just been on it. It doesn't matter regardless of your professional situation. We all got fired from Inn Style in February, and that that everything I did and do does not disappear because I've got I've you know, I don't already run one of the three existing magazines.
Yeah, you know what I mean, I agree.
And I stand on those related that work and those relationships and the little house you build.
Well, I agree with that, and I think you know, I've known you, like really, I mean seventeen years, and it's crazy because I think we've we've kind to come up in parallel. Like you know, really we have a lot of the same friends. We gravitate towards a lot of the same people, nice ones, yes, nice ones. And I think that that was sort of always the thing that I found so captivating about you, because you have you're very different in this business. But I mean that
in a way. I mean that in a way. Look, I've had people move on for me in a way that was so wrong and it wasn't that, you know, and I remember someone going, oh, so you kind of relieve you. It's like, no, leave me now. Everyone has to go and move on spread their wings at some point. Whatever. It's not it's not that you do it, it's how you do it. And so I think with you, you know, you always stood out to me. You never felt to me in any way like a fashion person, a traditional fashion.
Person, the one from the manual.
Correct, you actually felt very again against manual, and you felt very.
I found this a huge compliment. Thank you against Manuel.
Well against Manuel. And I think that Manuel is very old and I think that manual is not what people want.
You know, fashion can be so old fashioned. It can it's talking, and that's so many businesses.
And it was weird because I would never I know, I mean, I'm established enough, and but I used to sort of strike me. I was always so confused that people would say I was so unusual, and I'd go like, why am I? Why am I? So? Like, wow, is that good about it? But it's just because it's such an insecure business, right It's so you know, if you're trying to get a currency based on the jacket you're wearing, then that's not really the way, is it?
Right?
And also I think when you realize and I realized this reasonably, really, I mean, that was what happens bizarre by that point, but like this the industry that I thought was going to be this incredible, ex super highway, where everybody was more connected and more glamorous and smarter a minute of the more accomplished than me, and I realized they weren't. And I was like, oh wait, so this is not like mensa, right, and so why would the people that are so far away from mensa be,
you know, not the great intellects of our time. So I met so many of them be influencing how I feel on the day to day, you.
Know what I mean.
And so when you realize that you had some a voice and some stature in the room quote unquote, or you made great relationships just with your personality, then you kind of stand on that. So I just say, it's kind of because people would say we're so unusual, and I would get good work done, and I'd build relationships or I would make great friendships. So with people it could be in fashion, or it could be like actresses
and Jay or whatever. It be like, oh god, we've not you know, And I think that I always just also walked into a room with a good sense of myself too, not like this like like black. These people rather species for me, sure, or better than me, sure, or had things that I should envy, you know, because we you know, a whole lot of these people, and I love a lot of them. I'd envy none of them, and you know what I mean. I think to have
that realization really helps. So I think if you just and also like different, because yeah, I came from Australia, had to come here on my own. I think that I remember being so struck as people would go, wow, your so, and I'd be like Jesus God, like can
I can? I it's lovely to have a currency to be unusual, But you're always unusual coming up as a stylistic because I just wanted to be vin character and things to say and a real character, you know, and and not just this sort of templatized idea of what a fashion editor should be or what a stylist should be or whatever. So you're always very much yourself, you know. So I think that, like God, honestly, personality gets you so far, and enthusiasm gets you so far.
I think it's kind, yes, actually humility. I think the other thing I want to say about you that has always stood out, and it's not just like to stroke you. I think it's I know so many women in this industry and I think, like people have always said I was different because I was kind, right, and they always said, like, you're you're such a nice, normal person and whatever normal is, because I don't. I'm clearly I don't think I'm normal, but I don't because I don't know what normal is.
But I does know. But I think the idea is you've always stood out as incredibly witty and smart but really clever. And the reason I want to bring that up is I actually think that your success, yes as a person because you're so likable and you're funny and you're self deprecating and all those things, but I actually think that, like you actually have this gift for are ideating on things that are completely uh disruptive, controversial, game changing.
I mean, even the thing that we did that still sits in frames on my wall and still the story that people. I did a lot of photoshoots in my life, and of all the ones, I die as the one people talk about, they reference, they try and copy it. There was it was controversial, It was there. Yes, I was. I was being murdered by design.
You get away with that anymore?
No, you couldn't. You could not not. On social media, someone said, how could you post a picture of Brian out would trying to kill you with a shoe. What poor taste. I'm like, oh god, is there no fashion? It just because it was so cab cool.
But that was the thing. I mean, that's what how you got away with it because it was a bloody wink you know what I mean? But I know, but no, that's what. Honestly, anything that I miss about magazines and is not much. There's two things corporate health care and and photo shoots and like having like having an idea and and saying.
And elaborating, go along with it, and then and then doing it.
And that's like I mean, I think, especially during COVID, we did and stuff best best work then. But I really I do love that. I do love going, oh my god, you know what would be great? And then you call up someone and then I always just to get so mad, e set for a while, but like everyone shows up to a place because you've had an idea. But in the shower and and and and then you make it happen. The image comes to life in front
of you. I find that the most thrilling thing to make things, you know, with the giraffe something to me with a Giraffe. I mean just so many. I mean Rihanna and the Shark and the Shark's Mouth and another of install like Doctor Fauci and.
I like cried, I think on that and the one who.
I did you know that that when we did the cover that was inspired by that Ormond Julie picture Girls in the window my favorite and that was like right peak COVID, and it was always people living in a house and then sorry having building in Brooklyn. I was trying to do something about community because we do it. We were at risk of losing community two months. It
was only two months into COVID. But know those sort of like grand ideas that if you can pull them off, and I think that I certainly did those a lot with with Glenda Bizarre, but like I still have grand idea, is it install a little more rooted like on the ground. Glenna's a real fantasist and uh And I'm I like to take a reference and twist it, take something psychonographic and twist it.
I want to talk about your girls, Laura.
My girls. Do I have girls? I do have a cat.
I have a girl cat back. You have an amazing you have an amazing girl. Group. You are a girl's girl, but you're tough.
I do like them.
You're tough, though, so I I think like you obviously are a career person, right, you fall in love, you get married whenever at forty seven, but like I feel like you've only just be gone. And I do think you lean on your girls a lot. But I don't. But I don't think you. I don't think you've ever been one to rely on the guy to me when I say rely, When I say rely, I mean you've never ever come off to me as the girl waiting for the guy.
Oh shit, because if I was, I would have been waiting fain. I would when I finally met my husband Brandon. I was full BEAUTI pie, and I used to make jokes that I would be I would be dying alone, eaten by cats. And I wouldn't even in this scenario. I now do have a cat, but I wouldn't even have cats. They would come, they would smell my running corpse, and they would come and eat me next door. Yeah, that was my scenario. I mean it was meant to be humorous.
I wasn't actual.
Facal these facialistic cat cat ideas. But no, I never I was such a self propelled engine. I think there's something New York City kind of self possessed lady. I'm not super interested in you know, oh, I've got to meet the man with the Hampton's house and and mac Yeah, exactly as long as you know one person and and but I never was looking for yeah, that sort of thing.
And I think I I says everything that when I felt it's not I wonder like a gong goes off and h like I'm sort of But I think I felt that tacitly at like forty forty one, that I had my own worth, I made my own money, I was professionally established. And Brandon, you know, was my breakfast waiter at the Sunset Tower or a hotel story. Ever, by the way, I wasn't going for him for his
vast fortune, you know. And but that when you and there's a lot of New York ladies that wouldn't take go out with a waiter because they're trying to get some idea of something which just leaves them very, very unhappy. So I feel like I had to sort of be built in myself to be able to find the one that gives me happiness and all these other other spheres of my life because at the end of the day,
I take care of myself. Yep, I just do I've got my savings, I do this, I've got my whatever it is that you need in life to feel that you're you're okay. I have that to a degree, and so it gives you a sense of calm, you know, and openness to everything else, to a broader life. Then you would feel if you don't have that. So I think, Yeah,
Mett Brandon at forty one got married. We were supposed to get married in twenty twenty, but like breaking news, you wuldn't believe what happened in twenty twenty covid covid, and so yeah, finally got married April this year. So No, forty seven years old, wore a pink dress.
And we're also shocking, also shocking by the way, Laura, I have to say, you wearing pink I mean. And then it made sense because it's by Pierre Paulo, who I mean, another love of your life and a love of.
But I had pockets. So I had a pink dress, but they had to.
Have pockets, I know.
So I just said I had to be like pink but functional, And I was like, I had to be really dissuaded for like taking my phone and putting it in my dress, because like I would have taken my phone up the aisle.
Well, let me ask you that it's a minute, Lara. So one thing that I really like to talk about in this is because I've had these moments in my career. You've had. I mean there's challenges, right, there's rises, there's falls.
No, I had a challenge. What are you talking about?
I mean, tell me what like obviously most recently we know, well maybe not everybody else they closed in style? Which style? Can I say that you crushed in style?
No?
And I say that in a positive. When I say killed, I mean like I know.
I actually it did indeed die, But I did not.
You made everyone talk about in the style.
And so we really did, I think especially through Look long story, sure, I've been doing this for a long time. I have been doing this twenties. I it was not my master plan to stick with magazines because I'm not a total idiot, So I've been thinking sort of beyond it. And anyway, which does sound a bit like I was going to leave him, but I really was and so I was probably God, I flare.
No, I was sometimes life makes decisions for you. Laura really stand by that.
Yeah, I was looking to sort of start making my way on to do my own stuff by the end of the year. And I remember the InStyle was last year. It looks so looking around it was really great and everything and it was a really really good one. And I remember I remember thinking that it was my last. I was like, ask all right, and yeah, but we all got they shut it down and we always had jobs in February, and it was so earlier. I tipped out of the nest, earlier than I planned, if I
I had had planned. But that said, look number one to my earlier talk about the equity you earned, So I was, I'm fully confident the fact that in Style kind of existed for as long as it did do to my hands help rather than the other way around. I don't I don't get and I urged this of any woman anyway, man, anyone, and whoever.
Don't proud of it.
Yeah, and don't attach your value to the place where you work. Remember the value that you give to it, and you keep wherever you work. So so when that happened, it was. Yeah, it was a shock, and I had to get my team placed in and saw all that out. But I knew that I had other fish to fry, and I was already you.
Were a kind of half there.
You know, Yeah, because I think what you when you work at how much I think, Look, it's a corporate life is a great life for so many people, and that's fine. I'm a good corporate girl and I have been, but I was starting to just tire of bringing so much value in and I'm sort of having my fate fortune's day bonus mood decided by other people. I had a lot of autonomy. They're creative, like they didn't come with me like that. I was very lucky and Meredith
actually were great to work for. So I was always really I never had any with what the work I did. No one ever bothered me at all. But I just was starting to be like, yeah, we're doing this for a long time. I'm worth I'm worth something. I did well with it of me. But I was just like, I'm going to start to, you know, when I want to run my own thing one day. And so I actually registered my own media company a couple of years ago, and I stuck it in a folder.
Yeah, of course.
And then I was like, because I starting get her to pick out things and you know, very slow boil plans. So then when this all happened, I was like, where is that binder?
Yeah?
And the best thing that happened was if I got this crazy like outpouring of DM's messages from people.
Like yeah, I as my mind.
Then if I as like industry people, yes, I mean obviously lovely but like readers from I call on from this lady and if I just left, I would never have gotten these, right So if I just gone on my right away, I wouldn't have. So so this all happened. I got this message from this lady called Boo and she she was in Mississippi and she was sixty plus something and and she said, Laura, only ever read magazines that you worked for at and like, thank thank you
for making me feel included. And that's that's the ship, ladies, Like that's it, Like I get ill. I'm sure I enjoyed your freehand, that's fine, but like that stuff, And so that was so unbelievable. What was light reading like?
But did that help you? Laura kind of start to think about Okay, this is my purpose because I had many things throughout different touch points in my career that that someone I didn't know would say something to me about an impact that I had in what way that was like something I had no idea could happen, And I go, huh, that's my purpose. Hold on, I have to I have to pivot what I thought I was doing to now do this, because this is actually my purpose. Now this, I need to touch this right.
But you have a community, and you have to bring a sense of community with you, and so do I. You know what I mean? So I think that that's a lovely thing to have and to recognize and to be reminded of in those in those situations, did.
You ever were you scared? Like I guess my question is like, have you hard that moment where you woke up and go, what the actual just happened? And I'm terrified? Or you like, I'm good it was in general at any or at any point in life in your career.
I think the guilelessness comes back, Honestly, it comes back of like, Okay, there's things like that, and I am breaking news and accomplished quote unquote successful lady, you know, and so for me to feel vulnerable about healthcare, god forbid. And I was like, I'm I can afford it. You know that there's those kind of skewy things with life that you know you're taken care of when you work
for a large company. So and you feel vulnerable, you know in those in those moments, just those life moments. And now for the first little bit, I really honestly haven't. I basically took six months off, went and got married and and so I kind of only pressed go recently. But it's there's a big some of the grinding of the gears to kind of work on this buffet of stuff I'm doing, and but what I love about it, And even at those moments of honestly, and I'm not
being bullshit, not so many. And I kept wondering if I would. I kept wondering if i'd like have a chuck of wobbley as we stay at home, but like if I'd go to the Paris fashion shows, and I wouldn't be going to all the ones that I used to do wobbly, would I? I haven't because I do I'm not interested in doing all those things and being with those people that I wouldn't want to hang within
their soundbox anyway. So now what I think triumphs over all of if even if you have the little twitches, is the ownership you've owned over what you do and that so now it's like, I feel me to work with you if I'm going to do a podcast or make a movie with you, or design stuff or consult or do whatever. What am I going to do? But you pay me?
And I yeah, And that is that, ladies, is the ship I need to bring you, Laura.
That's the thing.
It's for you, and you have to own that. And that's when you can be That's when you have to always like, that's when you've got to own you shit. And I learned this a little because Australians are self deprecating and yeah we're not like I'm not a big dossa, but I have sort of in the lasts have been in the States just gone no, I did do that work, and that was good work, and I deserve that thing.
And I think that's still sadly hard for you know, I can't I'm not going around swinging saying, oh, you know, pay me this, but I do have I can articulate the ownership of what I've done and the pride and the work that I've done. And I really urge all women it doesn't mean you're like an ego. But it doesn't mean you're like an ego monsters. I'm proud of it.
No, it's okay to have confidence. Yes, it's okay to have confidence. And I actually, weirdly think, funny enough, I actually think that's the thing as women that we struggle with the most. I like meaning, I know maybe I can count on one hand the amount of truly confident women. I know, really like actually because I think a lot of what drives us very often is our insecurity. So we constantly go do better, do more. I'll do that person,
you can do better. Like That's why they always say like women are overachievers and men are typically underachievers because the expectation of them is not as high. Right, It's just different. And I think, but I have always found you know, the thing I always get asked, and I'm sure you do too, is I love fashion. I want to get into the fashion business. You, to me, have never seemed like that person. I actually think what motivated you.
It's almost like the fashion Weirdly from where I sit for you with secondary I never felt like you were that Like fashion editor in the front Road was like look number blah blah blah.
Like you were sort of sketchy.
You wanted to like write a story about you know what I'm saying that.
The broadest story he wrote it cultural story. But not to be pretentious about it. No, not just like, no, a bigger thing about the designer, in the world they live in and the women they dress, rather than like it's all about the wide pants.
Yes, and we love a white pant.
I do a white pant. It is all about a white pant the whole my whole life and most of yours. Like, but like I that is just that's not that challenging, is it.
No?
No, the new I mean the new coat. Okay, it's a bunch of coats.
I live in la I barely get to wear damp.
All this, all this prescriptive fashion stuff, it's just so dum it's so dull.
So Laura, So what happens in what happens? Like, I want to know what happens with Laura Brown next, because I have a feeling you have many irons in the fire.
I actually do.
I'm aware that you probably.
Iron's in the fire and a little like I got to say, what I'm really enjoying right now is it's just things coalescing. But I'm not overdoing. I'll go out sort of bank in my days. I'll bank like some Zoom Command performances all together in the one day, and then I'll go for a walk and then if I don't have to do something on a Friday, I won't like so that kind of I've been in Australia more like all those things, just a bit live more holistically.
But what I would say LB media is and what I I have characterized it as an umbrella over a buffe.
But it's just but it makes you're touching a lot of things and.
It is, but it is I think, but even I guess another way to describe I've just been thinking on it is almost like everything I'm doing it would almost be like the sections of a magazine, which is there's words, there's pictures, there's podcasts, there's film, there's producing, there's design, there's aesthetics, there's pr there's hosting, and there's all of
these things. And I think what it's going to come back to and again I've really only been at it two months, you know, is a kind of community, you know, And and I'll see which way, Like I'm producing a film that sort of that I ended up makes that involved in and and so it's all of these things that people would sort of call me and go, hey, how about it? And I just really love it. I'm working on maybe a big beauty idea. Hopefully it's very slow, but who knows. But just like I love this sort.
Of touching a lot of things I do.
I like, like here's some shrimpanis and chicken, and here's some carrot sticks, and here's like some cheese. I really I don't want to have to decide, and I don't want to have to be linear. I don't want to have to describe it in a linear way, which is again still quite American. And I and people go, so what are you doing? And I sort of go and it's and sert even my Asians, and so what are you doing? I'm like, dude, it's all the things. But like I never did we even I was in magazines.
I never just distant words just in pictures. I did the whole world to create the whole world. So it's like we're having to talk about myself the third person. It's kind of this LB universe and I'm very good at and I really love also as introducing people and connecting people so they can take beautiful things together and I can. So I'm just going to I'm going to be a you know, a producer, but also sort of talent as well a little bit. I've got manager now
and all that sort of stuff, you know. So I'm just seeing where it goes. And I'm not pushing anything, and I'm not I don't have anything to prove to anybody. I don't you know, I don't get as many handbags. It's fine, I've got plenty, like you know that sort of stuff. Like I also would like to make you know, a real success is when you buy your own handbags. Is this you know so, and you're not depending on other people's largess and a lot of stuff with journalism
and media. It's it's lovely and luxurious, but is that not actually your life?
No, Like it's not.
You get to go stay at the nice hotel for the chanel and then you go home to your apartment. So I kind of I like to live my own.
But it's been quite.
I went to Paris for some shows just recently access during this video a series with my Terresa that was kind of I would scam rise from like samiro Christino, but then I would use my gay on the j
set like taxi service and walk around. And I'm also really enjoying, like feeling like I'm part of a city and I'm functioning and I'm not just looking at some car window, you know, because in between appointments with advertisers that like, I just I feel very solid, yeah, and not eroded or dependent on things that I had or thought I needed.
That's so interesting and I want to just talk about that really quick. The thing is, it's definitely something I want to talk about because that's an incredible example with lots of takeaways about being working in corporate America versus being an entrepreneur. I haven't had a bar since I
was twenty five. I had no support in terms of like if I don't show up, there's no one to show up for me, you know what I mean, Or like healthcare any of the things, or like when I go to Europe, I'm paying for that, do you know what I mean? Or like I'm booking drivers I'm pooking, and so I want to bring that up because there is this real like pros and cons thing to being both, and some people really can only function in that corporate because whether it's insurance, whether it's people like that.
Yes, yeah, my sister, you know what I mean.
No, Rag, I mean like, it's not.
But I was like, I was a good coup of girl like and I would be always the one who funny, like can you ho'st the funny sweater party at Christmas? I'm like, yeah, okay, you know, but I would be got to say the masking exactly. I'm very on brand, but I I can yeah, god yeah, just Ratramma boobs anyway, and I I just and look at it. It's a great especially like an editorial, like it can be like a really and you get your perks and your bonuses and you can.
I just was like, no, but I don't. It's not for you.
It's not for me. I'm more me. I'm my value comes from me. I want to decide what that is, and it is it is. It's certainly riskier in the early term, yeah you know, but but it's awesome. Excuse you a whole lot more to stand on and it's like the it's the house that you built. And I am really, like, you know, raised by single mom, only child in Sydney, Australia. So I'm like, I got on the damn plane and I'm here, So I really I
feel solid. I feel solid and good and optimistic and also not trafficking any of all of those old, silly behaviors and tropes of fashion that we just don't need to bother with anymore.
Can I tell you one thing that there has been such a common thread, many common threads throughout the amazing women that I've interviewed, and I have to say that the most common thread is that every woman except every single one except for two, were raised by a single mother. Wow, a working blood swine tears single mother. And I have to tell you that I'm here on the other side of it, watching the most extraordinary women as products of
single mothers. And as hard as it is to be a single mother, it's nice to know that your children, particularly the daughters, really, even though it may suck in the moment, like how hard it is, you know, it really does have an impact in a good way.
I know, like you know, yeah, I'm and that's another thing for when like if you know that you grew up with yeah, with not much and ye who just worked I worked for when I was fourteen years old, and so I feel very I think that does give you equity as well. I got the five grand to get me the plane backet to come here. You've earned us, Laura, you know kind of yees, you know, it's you know, And so I feel like that every everyone does. And
it's so important to remind yourself of that. Whether you've got three kids and a mom and pop with the matter, but big offense or moms or dads or whatever it is, or whichever way you came out into the world, just do the work, do the work, and believe in yourself and then and then create something you can stand on, and you create something else and something else, and you can just stand a little bit higher.
Can you give a kiss to your gorgeous husband and your camp?
I will? I will?
I mean, really, how could you not fall in love with Laura? I mean the fact that she left Australia and moved to New York proves her work ethic, how dedicated she is, and how ambitious she is. Because Australia
as we all know, is so incredibly far. It's just so admirable because she didn't do this sort of traditional paths into fashion, which I don't know what is traditional, but a lot of people I think go to school, they major in fashion merchandising, they go to fashion school, then they become designers or then they become fashion editors. And I think with Laura, as I said in our discussion, she has always stood out to me because she had so much humor about her approach to the industry, which
very often is lacking in humor. So thank you so much for listening to Climbing in Heels and don't forget to write a review wherever you get your podcasts, I'd love to read them. And while you're at it, follow me at Rachel Zo and at Climbing in Heels pod on Instagram for more updates on upcoming guests. I'll talk to you next week. Law