Latest / Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast) / 6 quick questions with Piera Gelardi , Founder of Refinery29 (Part 2)

Transcript

6 quick questions with Piera Gelardi , Founder of Refinery29 (Part 2) · Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast)

• 0:00
  Welcome back. Here are the six quick questions. So question number one is, what's your why? Why do you wake up every single day and focus on Wild Things World? I love to see people come alive through creativity and play.
• 0:24
  Love it. Love it. Question number two is throughout your career, what's been your most favorite marketing moment? Oh, throughout my whole career?
• 0:35
  It can be anything. It can be recent, old, whatever you like. Okay. Well, definitely my most favorite marketing moment ever was when we launched 29 Rooms for the first time. It was such a gamble and it was something we had never done before and I...
• 0:54
  you know, was so passionate about it. The team was so passionate about it, but, you know, there was still a lot of question of like, is this going to work? Are people going to show up? And it ended up being one of the things that we were most known for, you know, at refinery was doing it. And it was also...
• 1:13
  one of these things where I saw how when you are courageously creative, that creates more courageous creativity in the world. Like everyone that came through the way that they lit up the way that their creativity like came alive in the space was so magical. And it was like,
• 1:30
  you know, wouldn't have happened without that huge risk, you know, taking that huge leap of faith. So that was definitely just the most like magical marketing moment of my career. Wow. That's so cool. So cool. And it's so cool that you get to be like the, you know, the visionary of that and you're able to be like, yeah, we, like, we created that we got to do that and impact so many people. Powerful.
• 1:59
  Really powerful. Yeah, it was amazing to lead the team through that. I mean, it was such a group effort of coming up with the idea and bringing it to life, and it was amazing. So special. Yeah, the best. Question number three is what's your go-to business resource? What are the books you're reading or the podcasts you're listening to or the newsletters that you subscribe to that help you in business?
• 2:28
  My favorite business podcast and just general podcast is Reset with Liz Tran. She's an incredible executive coach and...
• 2:41
  entrepreneur herself and author. And I love her podcast because it really blends like spiritual wisdom with business and just, and life. And so it's, it's one that I just go back to all the time. I re-listen to some of my favorite episodes and it's just like a, definitely like a touchstone for so many things that I do. I love that. I'm going to link it in the show notes for anyone who wants to check that out.
• 3:07
  Question number four is how do you win the day? What are your AM or PM rituals and habits that keep you feeling happy, successful, and motivated? I don't do, I'm not perfectly consistent with any of them, but the things that definitely help me to win the day are...
• 3:28
  movement, especially running and dancing, just are both so good for my mental health, spiritual health, joy, all of it. So getting, yeah, either running or dancing, my self-compassion practice of writing myself a note in the morning, just taking two minutes to check in with myself and
• 3:56
  notice where I'm at and have compassion for myself, um, really helps to center me and to just ground me and like where I'm at in a given day. I think it's impossible for us to imagine that we're going to be like perfectly consistent day in and day in and day out. We're ever changing beings. Like, you know, I mean,
• 4:20
  Hormones are changing. Our surroundings are changing. The weather is changing. It's all in slug. So I find that having a practice of self-compassion and checking in with myself just helps me to be grounded and be realistic with what I want.
• 4:38
  where I'm at each day and what I can, what I can give and what I, what's like aligned to even focus on given where I'm at. And then definitely like play, making space for play and creativity, which often, you know, which often is something that I do at the end of the day with my daughter. I usually like when I transition out of work and into mom mode, it's usually through like drawing with my daughter or, you know,
• 5:04
  you know, having a dance party or playing music, you know, making up a song together, but definitely getting play into the day is especially because I'm doing a business that is all centered on playing creativity. It's absolutely like a necessity for me to feel aligned and feel connected to the work that I'm doing.
• 5:26
  Absolutely. I was watching your video with your daughter, Viva, where she's giving you the makeover and having creative expression. And I was like, that is so damn cute and so fun. It looks so fun. Yeah, it's so fun. I mean...
• 5:43
  Yeah, it's fun to give her like, yeah, just let her have creative control. Sometimes I let her dress me, you know, she likes to like pick out my outfits. I don't always let her do my makeup for like a regular day because it's very, very expressive, but it is fun to, it's just fun to like collaborate with her on things and love it. So special. Question number five is what's been your worst money mistake in business and how much did it cost you?
• 6:12
  That's a good question. I have to, I think my just general money mistake that I constantly make and like, unfortunately, still continue to make is undervaluing my time and energy. And that happens for a whole host of reasons, like often.
• 6:28
  Often I'm unrealistic about how much time and energy something's going to take and I don't value it appropriately. Sometimes I'm just really excited for an opportunity and I don't value it because I'm just fixated on like how excited I am. So that's been like something I'm still working on is just making sure that I take the time to...
• 6:52
  properly consider like how much something is going to take and how much that, you know, that is worth. I think also as a creative person, like often, actually, I guess this is true of like all gifts. Like, I think we often undervalue the things that come more naturally to us because we, you know, because they don't feel hard.
• 7:16
  And so I, you know, that's just something I've been guilty of, like over and over again. It's just like not valuing the things that are exciting to me or that come naturally to me. And so it's something that I'm working on. And I'm sure it's cost me a million dollars. I'm just going to throw that number out there. I mean, I think it's cost me a lot of money.
• 7:38
  you know, even actually when I was first started working on refinery, I was just girlfriend. I was like, I started with my partner, Philip, and I was just like consulting for free, because I thought it was interesting and exciting. And it was actually like, you know, my other co founder said, like, you know, you need to, you need to
• 8:02
  you know, make this, make this official and make this, you know, and get paid for this. And so, yeah, this is something I've been guilty of for so many years. It's just like not properly valuing my time.
• 8:15
  Wow. Yeah, that's crazy. And I also feel like as women, we tend to do that more, like give time and kind of go with the flow instead of being like, hang on a second, I'm adding like real value here. I'm actually part of building the vision of this business and its brand. Like, of course, you should be remunerated and part of that for sure. I'm totally guilty of that. Absolutely. Yeah. That's a big one.
• 8:44
  Big one. It's a really big one. Question number six. Last question. What is just a crazy story, good or bad, that you can share from building your businesses?
• 8:57
  Okay, well, this is just a wild story generally, but I was debating whether I should start Wild Things World last summer. I felt very passionate about it, as we talked about in this podcast, but I was just...
• 9:18
  you know, questioning whether there was a business, you know, whether there was a business there, you know, whether it might be wiser to, you know, pursue other opportunities that were more like immediately and clearly lucrative. Anyway, so I was debating, I was just like feeling kind of stuck about whether I should pursue it or not.
• 9:39
  And I was talking to my friend Sophia and she suggested that I ask the universe for a sign. So I, it was the summer and I was in Germany visiting my in-laws and I decided to ask the universe for a sign and go for a walk and see if I got a sign. And so I went for a walk along the Rhine river in Cologne and,
• 10:04
  And I passed like a carnival and I thought like, oh, maybe this, maybe this is a sign to start my play business, but it didn't feel, it wasn't like.
• 10:17
  I didn't feel like electricity. So then I like kept walking, then I passed like one of those, like these like amazing German playgrounds. And I was like, is that my sign? Like I was like, but they're all, there's playgrounds all over the place. Like that's, this isn't it. And I kept walking and then it was a gloomy day and like the sun started to come out. So I walked down to the water of the Rhine river. And as I got to the edge of the river, I heard this clinking sound and I looked down
• 10:45
  And I shit you not, there was a message in a bottle at my feet. And I picked it up and I was like, if this is not a sign, I do not know what is. And I opened the letter and it was a message from a seven-year-old boy named Emiliano about how much he loves playing and creativity and drawing. And what? Yeah.
• 11:12
  Yes. That is crazy.
• 11:16
  Yeah. So, and then I got in touch with him and his family and actually the project, the like decision, like basically they created this whole like world of activities during the pandemic to bring more joy, creativity and connection into their lives, which is like, I'm crying. Those are like my three words. And they, this was the message in a bottle project was one of them.
• 11:45
  And they're like the most amazing, like beautiful, loving, creative family. And I've been pen pals with them since then. And like, basically, whenever I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, why, like, I must be out of my mind to like be in this like startup world again. I have the bottle like right here.
• 12:06
  Oh my God, I was going to ask if you still had it. Yeah. No, I have it. Yeah, I have it like right on my desk. And yeah, when I feel a doubt, I just remind myself of this unbelievable sign that I got and this seven-year-old that lives in all of us. And I'm like, okay, I keep going. Got to keep going. Wow. That is like, I mean, that's the clearest sign we've ever heard of. Yeah.
• 12:34
  I know. It was unreal. I mean, a message in a bottle. I was like, you have to be kidding me. Literally. I'm like over here just still processing that. That's wild. It's actually wild. That's so cool. It's so cool that you're still in touch with them. I love it on so many levels. Yeah, it's so wild. Did you frame the letter? I...
• 13:01
  I have to be honest. I, my daughter was playing with the letter and I can't find the letter. I only have the bottle now. I have a picture, I have a picture of the letter and, but I don't, I like, don't know where it is. I reckon that letter is going to resurface when you need it. Yeah. I mean, the bottle itself is like kind of enough of a, of a reminder and like. Of course. It's a vessel. It's a vessel.
• 13:31
  Yeah, just such a wild thing. Yeah, it was magic. That is so wild. Piera, this has been so much fun. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I'm so excited for 2023, end of 2023. I'm going to be there front and centre.
• 13:47
  And I'm excited for what's to come for you. I will see you on the dance floor. Thank you. You're an amazing hype woman. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me on this epic podcast and for signing up in advance for 2023. First ticket sold right here. First ticket sold. I'll make you...
• 14:13
  I'll frame it and put it as a pin for you. The first ticket. Thank you.
• 14:23
  Hey, it's June here. Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com where you can subscribe to our free newsletter. We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
• 14:48
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• 15:10
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