I have my kids and I manage their lives and all of those things you have to manage in a household. It kind of all blends together because I’m doing it from my house. I have an office, but I started in my home, at my dining room table, and that’s how I am today. I just wake up and go to work and when I need to take a kid to school or do something for the dog or anything like that, then I do it.
The best career advice I’ve ever gotten
I can’t quite remember who said it, or if I just had to figure it out on my own, but this idea of staying in your own lane and being true to who you are. You have a brand DNA, you are who you are. I’ve never looked at the competition. I’ve never tried to follow trends. I really try to lead and make decisions from my gut.
My work uniform
It’s probably workout clothes. I don’t typically go into the office. If I did, it would be jeans and boots and a T-shirt or something. I’m a very casual person. I really like working in a baseball cap and sweats and workout clothes, because typically during the day I’ll work out at some point. I never have a set time. And if I’m already dressed that way, then I’m more likely to do it.
How I deal with setbacks
I’m a true believer in this idea that if a door closes or if something happens that is a setback, not only is it something that you can learn from, but it’s something that happens for a reason. Maybe it’s saving you from another huge setback down the road, or maybe it’s redirecting your course and you have to listen to those things.
As an example, when I first launched Drunk Elephant, there were a couple of retailers who I really thought would be a dream come true. I didn’t get in them. They rejected me. At first you go, “Gosh, oh no, that’s such a setback. I’m so devastated.” But it really helps chart your course. So, setbacks to me are lessons and they’re valuable. You just have to look at them in a positive way because you can’t control them and you can’t change them.
The Drunk Elephant product I’m most proud of
100%, The Littles. It’s a kit that represents the whole line, or at least it represents the philosophy. It’s the philosophy of avoiding certain ingredients that I believe are at the root of skin issues and by getting together these six products that we did in the very beginning, it gave the consumer a way to have the whole solution, the whole skin-care routine, in these little sizes that lasted 30 days. Skin care’s expensive, and it can be a big investment. We don’t want people to invest in one or two things and then not be able to benefit from the philosophy.
My evening routine
Usually eating dinner with the kids. Then, I go upstairs and it’s the same routine every night. It’s washing my face and applying my nighttime smoothie. So, it’s usually T.L.C, Lala or Protini, F-Balm, and sometimes I mix a little A-Gloei in there too.
I always have a hot cup of collagen cocoa, or a cup of hot tea. I’ve been very into Dr. Kellyann Petrucci. She has these products that have bovine collagen in them. It’s just made such a difference for me. It’s so relaxing and doesn’t keep me up or anything. It is so cozy and feels like you’re having a treat. It satisfies the sweet tooth for sure. It’s a ritual now that I’ve gotten into.
Then I go to bed and read for a little bit, or I may watch a little bit of TV, but my husband and I, we’re famous for turning something on and falling asleep two minutes in. It’s almost better if we just talk about the day, catch up on emails real quick, and then fall asleep.
Lindy Segal is a writer and editor based in New York. Follow her @lindysegal.
