Five years ago, Mireille Guiliano rejected the notion of American-style deprivation diets in her international bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat. Instead, her pleasure-oriented approach to staying thin combined classic principles of Gallic gastronomy, time-honoured secrets of French women and common sense. In her new book, Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire, Ms. Guiliano tackles women and their careers in similar style – applying her joie de vivre to the topics of advancement, leadership, risk-taking and, above all, achieving pleasure and balance.
A long-time champion of women in business and one of the few to reach the top of the luxury goods industry, Ms. Guiliano spent 20 years as chief executive officer of Clicquot Inc., the U.S. division of the celebrated French Champagne company. Under her leadership, the brand grew from less than 1 per cent to more than 25 per cent of the U.S. market.
What inspired you to write this book?
Every time I lectured in America, women would approach me afterwards to suggest I write a book of just this kind: not a business textbook but a guide to balancing work life with life life. This is why my business book, while covering important workplace skills and strategies, also covers style and food and wine and entertaining: because you can't disassociate work from life. The book I wrote is as much about ‘art de vivre' as it is about getting ahead.
Words like ‘fast tracking' and ‘sweat equity' are part of our work vernacular. But thinking about one's career in terms like ‘pleasure' and ‘savour' – that's pretty radical. What does it mean in practical terms?
I see it in France. Quality of life remains essential to the French and they are unified on what this means. Work should be something you can take some pleasure in – for the simple reason that it gives you more equilibrium with which to enjoy life. If you have a happy relationship with your work, you are in a better headspace to enjoy your family and the rituals and traditions that anchor French life. Being home in time to prepare and eat dinner together, for example, is something lots of families of all social and economic strata still do. It makes for a more organized, sensible approach to work: less about sacrifice, making money, running after promotions and more about knowing what matters at a given time.
Finding pleasure, feeling good in your skin, in the midst of this economy adds an extra challenge, no?
It's about managing your expectations and coping with challenges as they arise. The job situation in France is even worse than North America yet I'm constantly amazed by how débrouillardes [resourceful] French women are. They have the inner strength and equilibrium to do what it takes, see their situation as a phase and rise to the occasion. They will take a bad job and see it as a temporary thing to help the family. They stay positive and sensible, making do with less in ingenious ways.
Any advice for those starting out in their career? How to move forward with purpose and passion in a recession?
I advise them to think outside the box and, for example, volunteer in a foreign country. They'll come out of it with new skills and also with an understanding of a new culture, a new language. You can't put a price on that. Perhaps ‘knowing thyself … or finding oneself' is most important in sorting through the internal quest for balance between passion and talent in a career.
But what about if one can't afford to take the time away?
Find a mentor – someone who can help you analyze your strengths and weaknesses and jump-start a career plan. Working for Veuve Clicquot in New York, I'd see bright young women from small towns who weren't told by HR in advance about the company's expectations on working evening events and dressing the part. I used to wonder how one of our employees could afford a mink coat on her salary until I learned she was on a 10-year payment plan. This is an example of where a mentor would be helpful – someone could either steer you away from the industry or at least help you craft your image more affordably.
