The tendency for mothers is to protect their children from, well, everything. Yet the one thing you shouldn’t shield them from is failure, says reality TV star turned entrepreneur Nicole Richie.
Speaking at a panel at New York Advertising Week, the mother of two described how her daughter has witnessed the ups and downs of her career, which has included stints in television, fashion, writing, and philanthropy.
“She’s seen me go to auditions and not get the part. She’s seen me design a collection [for my fashion brand House of Harlow 1960], and have 25% of it disappear,” the Candidly Nicole star said of her daughter. “It’s really important for them to go through the journey with you.”
Richie’s comments were part of larger discussion this week about how women across industries have shattered glass ceilings—and how the next generation of women can do so. Some of the best advice: “Don’t spend all your time trying to perform,” said AOL CMO Allie Kline, of women who do good work, but do it quietly. “Spend your time performing, but also advocating for the brains behind that performance.” Kline said that being totally heads down in her work for much of her career came at a personal cost.
Fashion designer Misha Nonoo, on the other hand, said her biggest takeaway from her brand’s successful launch through Instagram—as opposed to a traditional fashion show—proved to her the importance of taking risks. “Being bold really paid off,” she said of her decision—which industry insiders had tried to dissuade her from, but which ended up garnering lots media attention and sales.
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Cindy Whitehead, CEO of The Pink Ceiling and the woman behind Addyi, the women’s libido-enhancing drug often referred to as “the female Viagra,” had two straightforward pieces of advice for women: “Kill them with competence” and “Have more sex.”
