INTERVIEW BY MEL EVANS. GETTY IMAGES; SUPPLIED
‘IT’S SO IMPORTANT
TO CHANGE THIS
CULTURE OF BURNOUT’
As a child, what were
your aspirations?
‘I wanted to be a
journalist. My father
was a journalist and I
grew up on the romance
of the profession.’How did those early days of
your career shape you as a
businesswoman?
‘As with all women, there
are challenges being heard
and respected. But, also as
with many women, many of
my struggles were less with
outside voices than with the
inside voice of negativity
and doubt, which I call the
obnoxious roommate living
in my head. The one that tells
you you’re not good enough,
you’ll never succeed. Women
tend to internalise this voice
from a young age. You have
to learn ways of ignoring it.’Did you always have the
tenacious spirit needed for
the media industry?
‘I’m not sure it’s tenacious,
but I have the Greek spirit,
which is a love of engaging,
connecting, talking and
listening (and eating) – a
plus in the media world.’How did you deal with
rejection in the early days?
‘I got good advice from my
mother, who would often say
that failure isn’t the opposite
of success, but a stepping
stone. I had a lot of stepping
stones! But it’s important to
remember that failure is part
of life, that it’s inevitable and
that it’s there to teach us and
to enrich our lives.’How do you approach a
work/life balance now,
compared to then?
‘I approached it very badly
back then, mostly by ignoring
it, or putting many things
ahead of it, in the mistaken
belief that this was what
working hard required. Now
I prioritise my wellbeing- I get enough sleep, I’m
deliberate about building in
time to recharge, I charge my
phone outside my bedroom
and I practise meditation,
breathing and yoga regularly.’
What are your thoughts on
women in business in 2017?
‘Women pay the highest
price for workplace cultures
fuelled by stress and burnout,
where the macho culture of
overwork is taken as a proxy
for commitment or dedication.
Even when they’re working
outside the home, women are
still doing the lion’s share ofthe work of keeping up the
household. So this becomes
a backdoor way of excluding
women, or at least making it
harder for them to advance.
That’s one more reason why
it’s so important to change
this culture of burnout. It’s
about going beyond access,
getting our foot in the door
and promoting diverse hiring
practices – as important and
vital as those continue to be.
We need workplace cultures
that don’t make women
choose between success and
the wellbeing of themselves
or their families.’What would you tell a Cosmo
reader, to pay it forward?
‘Take care of yourself and
you’ll actually be better at
everything you do. You’ll be
happier, more creative, more
productive, more fulfilled
and more present in your
relationships.’ #A DAY
IN MY
LIFE7A M
When I wake up,
I don’t reach for
my phone. Instead,
I take a few minutes
to breathe deeply,
remember what
I’m grateful for and
set my intention for
the day. Then I’ll do
20 minutes or so
of meditation and
half an hour on my
stationary bike.8AM
Poached eggs
and coffee.1PM
Unless I have a
lunch appointment
with someone, I eat
lunch in the office.3PM
The afternoon
is taken up with
meetings. We
make our meetings
device-free.11 PM
I turn off all my
devices and gently
escort them out of
my bedroom. I love
reading in bed, and
then it’s lights out.MOTIVATING
OTHERS IS WHAT
SHE DOES BEST.ARIANNA IN
CONVERSATION
WITH DJ KHALED.work