The Pebble Issue 1

Q: What are your responsibilities as associate publisher of Vanity Fair?
A: I oversee the luxury category. My specialty is managing the relationships with the large European
investors that we have, the large European fashion luxury companies that invest money to
advertise in Vanity Fair, in our brand.
Q: What is the hardest part about your job?
A: The hardest part is that you always have to do more. In sales, the goal is a number that is
always growing. You’re only as good as your last number, so you’re constantly trying to do more.
Q: To what do you attribute your success?
A: I think grit. I’ve been working since I was 14, from bagging groceries at a supermarket [to
working] as a hostess at the Dinosaur BBQ. I always had numerous jobs throughout the summer,
and I grew up working. I’m exceptionally competitive and I love to win, and so sales is the right
profession because it’s a competitive field. You’re constantly being charged with doing better than
you did before, and winning. That’s a personality requirement I guess. So work ethic, being competitive,
wanting to win, and loving what you do. You have to really like what you do.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: Having a wonderful family coupled with a fun and successful career that is stimulating and
rewarding.
Q: What did you want to be when you were in high school?
A: I thought a lot about either international law or environmental law.
Q: Have you seen yourself change a lot since then?
A: A little bit. I think the international part is still very much there. I was a big champion of environmental
rights and that sort of thing, but I kind of grew away from that, and the international
aspect of it all stayed with me. When I got to college, I went to Spain on my semester abroad, and
that was my first trip to Europe, and that’s really what planted the seed. I knew I wanted to go
back. I just loved living in Europe, I loved living in Spain, I loved the Mediterranean culture.
Q: How did MPH contribute to your success?
A: I had a wonderful experience at MPH. There was a lot of individual attention that you received
because the class sizes were very small. Some of my best memories are really in the Lower
School, kindergarten through fifth grade. Those were really formative, fundamental years there.
Great teachers and a real sense of community and family. And as a matter of fact, my two best
friends today ... I met in kindergarten at MPH. We are still very close today.
Q: What advice do you have for MPH students?
A: Be gritty. Stick through even the hardest times. Don’t give up too easily. Hard work does pay
off. You can create your own luck and opportunity. Always create short- and long-term goals.
Always have a vision of what you want to achieve. Trust your gut and intuition. And know you
can do anything you set your mind to.
spring 2016 | 9