ChickSpeak

 Want an exclusive inside scoop on New York City fashion and how to make it in this high-energy industry?

Six hungry twentysomethings plunge headfirst into the New York fashion world on The Fashionista Diaries. We recently got to interview one of the SOAP.net reality stars, JanJay Sherman, and her boss, Kathleen Pierce at Flirt! cosmetics to find out what life inside the fast-paced fashion business is really like. JanJay shared her thoughts with us last week, and now her boss, Kathleen Pierce gets to weigh in and share her advice with us.

ChickSpeak:As JanJay’s boss, it’s expected that she’ll learn many things from you. Are you learning anything about your leadership style from her? What can you take away from your experience working with the two assistants and participating in “The Fashionista Diaries?” 

Kathleen Pierce:I have enjoyed mentoring both JanJay and Tina tremendously.  JanJay has a wonderful presence and calmness to her, she approaches each task with reserve and extreme thoughtfulness, this is unusual given the crazy pace of the industry.  People are normally fairly quick to react. It has been refreshing for me to see her take on our world.  I adore working with the assistants and seeing how hungry they are to get into the industry, it reminds me of my 20’s and taking that first step into beauty world. 

CS:  You began your career in local television, what prompted your switch to the beauty industry? 

KP: TV was wonderful, but while working in NEWS, my schedule was a bit chaotic. Once I started a family I needed a more normal pace.  PR offered the best of both worlds.  Luck brought me to a beauty account at my first PR firm and I was taken with the industry from that point forward. 

CS: What/Who motivates you to be such a successful businesswoman? 
 

KP: I happen to be in a fantastic industry, so success has been a wonderful byproduct of loving what I do.  The drive to succeed for me stems from my father who at a very young age pushed me to constantly challenge myself.  Now my great motivator is my family.  I want my daughter to be proud of my career and my decisions. 

CS: If you had the ability to find the “perfect” assistant, what three attributes would that person possess? 

KP: Drive, self-confidence, and patience 
 

CS: Who is your role model and why?
 

KP:My first internship was for Carolyn Lord, she was the head of the New York Bureau for NBC’s Nightly News.  Carolyn brought out the very best in everyone that worked for her.  At first you were afraid of her, but you realized that it was the fear of not putting forth your very best in an effort to impress her with your abilities.  I was very fortunate to work with such an important figure so early in my career; she possessed an uncanny ability to command respect and loyalty from her employees by respecting each of us, and I have always tried to emulate that. 

CS: What advice do you have for young women who dream of working for a company like Flirt! Cosmetics someday? 

KP: Get your foot in the door in any way you can, be willing to take on any project that comes your way with a smile and know that hard work truly does pay off. 

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