Driven Dreamer, Co-Founder and Global Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?

I’m with Winston Churchill on this one, “Never, never, never give up.”

WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?

An assortment of books, but the one I’m most dedicatedly reading at the moment is a biography called Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953. Also, lavender hand moisturizer by Neal’s Yard, and, occasionally, if I have to get up super early, my phone.

WHAT GIVES YOU GOOSE BUMPS?

Being in the presence of magic, greatness, true art, God….you know it when it happens.

WHAT IS YOUR BAD DAY BACKUP PLAN?

I imagine something Wayne Dyer said once in one of his talks: Every day, it’s like we’re riding a trolley car, and holding on to the bar for balance is connecting us with our power, our flow. Sometimes, we let go of the bar, our source, and we lose our balance. So, I just close my eyes and imagine I’m grabbing the bar, holding it, and getting grounded again. That usually works.

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

Feeling vital and being able to share that with the people I encounter around me; I’m grateful to my husband for showing me evidence of unconditional love (my cat Phoebe does that, too); and I’m grateful to be able to engage with millions of women everyday about topics and ideas that really matter to their lives and future. That one is big.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

It changes with whatever it is I’m trying to achieve, but generally, success for me is a feeling of growth, satisfaction, and advancement…that my efforts are in line with my spiritual purpose. Anything can happen when those two things are in sync.

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Norma Kamali spoke on my podcast, UnStyled, about “deciding to be GREAT, regardless of the job you had to do.” I thought that was brilliant. Because it shifted the power from someone else to you. Being great, at anything, is within your control, no one else’s.

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GIVEN?

I’m not sure. We’d have to ask someone I gave it to!

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW THAT YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT?

I’m preparing for a short writer’s residency this spring at Edith Wharton’s house The Mount. I’ve never had time before to dedicate exclusively to research and write about a topic I’m passionate about, so this is really huge for me.

HOW DO YOU PRESS PAUSE?

By going to bed early and getting a good night’s sleep. Just doing that is transformative for me.

WHAT DID YOUR 8-YEAR-OLD SELF LOVE DOING?