Sketch

As a PR (which is what I'm studying to become at university), it is typical of our practice to take clients out to lavishly expensive and trendy restaurants, to shmooze them (with extra ooze) so they will want to hear about our product or accept collaborating with us etc.

Lets be frank, you are more likely to hop into bed with a young man if he took you to a restaurant than an OFFICE MEETING ROOM.

How un-sexy is that? How do the corporate people do it?

Us ladies in fashion PR, just like Samantha from Sex and the City and Edina in Absolutely Fabulous, have built our industry around doing business.. in style. 

That is a glass of wine in one hand, and a contract in the other. 

One of the hottest hubs for shmoozers and shmoozee's is Sketch. 

A Mayfair based, 2 Michelin Star, impossible-to-get-a-booking restaurant. 

In pink.

Fashionably fittingly as well: Sketch used to be Christian Dior's Atelier...

So my two good friends and fellow PR students; Sache and Dina, graciously took on the burden of a little homework, and dined there with me.

Below is our day!

It was very dimly lit (probably to help the PR's get their clients to not-read-but-sign a contact handing over their soul. You know. The usual.)

This kind of strange artwork covered the walls!

A Very Lemonade Beyonce-esque Chair: the girls and I decided.

Mixing old and new.. (don't know who that chick is smiling though.)

There was an open door to intermix the the outdoors and indoors theme further.

Sache got given a napkin with the waiters number on it and was deciding whether to call or not.

Kidding they all came with it. Cute idea though, right?

ONE CAN ONLY APPRECIATE THE TERM 'BOTTOMLESS' WHEN ONE HAS HAD 'BOTTOMLESS'

No I'm not talking about me. (Because we all know my butt is amazing.)

I mean that when you finish your pot of tea, cake, scone: you name it! 

YOU GET A REFILL. FREE.

But a fancy re-fill. Not like a McDonalds refill. A Michelin Star Restaurant refill.

The bathroom is the weirdest part. (see confusion on Sache's Face)

It's like in Godzilla when the human sized eggs were hatching. 

Except instead of human-sized-reptiles; It's relieved-humans.

Me being really silly:

Dina laughing at me.

An ever so fashionable exit!

(That means play in french)

Overall: a great day! Considering we are students: heads up, it's expensive! 

But going to the tea lounge (the one we sat in) is less expensive, and you can visit the iconic pink tea room as often as you'd like!

..and after our expensive fancy lunch: we went back home, got changed into sweatpants, and watched Game of Thrones!

Just like the bottom dwelling geeks we really are!!

Founder of Rodial: 10 Tips When Launching a Business!

                            

                                

                                           

So today I met the founder of Rodial Skincare products; Maria Hatzistefanis. 

(Insert cheesy photo here)

                                             

She came to Condé Nast to give a talk on who she was, what she does, and how she got there. Her lecture was inspiring, funny, and full of wisdom. It was so incredible seeing such a young woman with a business and brand as big as Rodial! 

I wanted to share with you all what I learned so without further ado!

Top Ten Tips For When Launching A Business

 (Not just in Beauty!)

1. You Don't Need Experience

Maria [The Founder of Rodial] was armed with just a Finance degree, not a Chemical Skincare Degree, so the first thing she did instead is get a team of scientists to realize her idea's: simple. 

2. Be Different

She named her product "Dragons Blood Sculpting Gel". That's different.

"It isn't really made of dragons- no Game of Thrones, Sorry!"

3. Get People Talking

Her free samples that were given out at the Oscars were Rodial's big break!

4. Embrace Social Media

"Even is it's a sex tape like Kim Kardashian!"

No advertising works better than a friend suggesting to a friend: make this happen.

5. Find Your Brand Ambassadors

Kylie Minogue was Rodial's first celebrity ambassador- and now Naomi Campbell uses it and Victoria Beckham even wrote about Rodial in her book! It gets the ball rolling.

6. Take Risks

She called her anti aging serum "Snake Serum"; even though most women hate snakes!

7. Be Nice

"Being tough is good... but being nice is better"

Because this industry [Beauty and Fashion] is so much smaller than you think. 'Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because they will be the same ones you meet on the way down.'

8. How to be an Overnight Success

"The iPod came out of no-where, Twitter came out of no where, and Angry Birds came out of no-where"

The iPhone game app, 'Angry Birds', was an overnight success. 

But Maria told us about how the company had created over 50 games prior to Angry Birds and that Angry Birds was that companies last shot because they were on the verge of bankruptcy. 

If you keep to your work ethic, you persist, and you trust that even though you haven't had a break yet: it's coming- it will come.

9. Hire People Smarter Than You
Get people that challenge you, get people that make up for your flaws, a team will always do the job better.

10. Have Faith in Yourself
If you work hard and love what you do: it will come.

"Doing something you love is like getting paid to play; it's the best job in the world!"

So with all this advice on starting up a buisness in mind now... go get em' tiger!

Lots of love sweeties!

-J xxx