‘ It ’s OK not to get it right the
first time - few people do ’
YOU WENT FROM
LAW TO MARKETING
BEFORE CO-
FOUNDING SHOES
OF PREY, BUT AS A
KID, WHAT DID YOU
WANT TO DO?
‘Before I chose law to be
my degree, I had auditioned
to dance. When I was a kid,
so many of my aspirations
were creative! I wanted to
travel and do something that
was adventurous but also live
a comfortable life.’AS A CO-FOUNDER
ALONGSIDE MEN, WERE
YOU TREATED DIFFERENTLY
THAN THEY WERE AT ALL?
‘There were occasions, and
sometimes it was a negative
thing and sometimes it was
positive. The positive times
would come when it was so
unusual for a woman to be
at a tech conference, so you
would automatically have this
specialness about you that
meant you would be able to
open up conversations more
easily. On the other hand, I
would sometimes be targeted
as the only female in a very
male-dominated place. There
would be times where a guy
said something inappropriate
about my appearance...’HOW DO YOU APPROACH
THE IDEA OF FAILURE?
‘You start to realise that it’s
part of the journey. It’s easier
now having practice in that
cycle and having self-belief,
knowing I can make decisions
and I can see when things are
going badly and I can help
to control them.’‘BELIEVE IN
THE WORK
YOU DO.’HAVE YOU ALWAYS LOVED
A CHALLENGE?
‘I’ve always loved to work
towards something. I’ve been
impatient with that at times
and tripped over on my way
to doing things before I was
capable of them. But I don’t
think that’s a bad thing. I’ve
discovered over time that I
learn by doing.’WHAT’S THE ONE THING
YOU’D GO BACK TO TELL
YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
‘To listen to my gut and not
be afraid to fight for those
“instinctual” things. It’s about
testing something, seeing if
it works and being ready to
iterate immediately.’HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE
WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
‘We don’t talk about “work/
life balance”; we talk about
how your work should be
“life-enhancing”. I know thatsounds really pie in the sky,
but it’s practically grounded.
I wouldn’t hire anyone who
didn’t believe in what we’re
doing and didn’t think they
would have fun doing it.’HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A
HEALTHY MENTAL STATE?
‘It’s hard and I’ll be honest: I
haven’t figured it out. I’ve got
a little better at not burning
myself out. What’s important
for me is exercise. And I know
everyone says this, and I got
so sick of reading it, but then
I started doing it, and I was
like, Oh I get it. Actually, good
sleep as well!’WHAT’S YOUR ONE TIP
FOR COSMO READERS?
‘Just go and do everything
before you’re ready. You’re
never going to have all of the
solutions ready but it’s OK not
to get it right the first time- few people ever do.’ #
A D AY
IN MY
LIFE6AM
‘I set my alarm a
couple of minutes
early because my
cat jumps up to say
good morning. I
have lemon in warm
water and ride my
bike to CrossFit.’6.50AM
‘I ride my bike into
work, shower and
pop into ‘Snooze
of Prey’ – a dark
room with aroma-
therapy – for 10
mins of meditation.’- 3 0 A M
‘I start with the
biggest tasks I have
to get done that
day. I have to work
hard to focus
straight away.’
LUNCH
‘We cater lunch for
everyone and eat
together.’6.30PM
‘If I don’t have an
event or dinner with
girlfriends, I’ll cook
at home and try to
read instead of
INTERVIEW BY MEL EVANS. STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW FINLAYSON/BAUERwatching TV.’
CHIC MINIMALISM
FOR JODIE’S
CREATIVE SPACE.COSMOPOLITAN SEPTEMBER 2017 79
work