I found Caroline on LinkedIn and I was soon fascinated by her work experiences. We explained to you the difference between working for established companies vs startups and her experience is the proof that you can have an amazing career path by working at fashion startups. She worked at RewardStyle – that despite now has a big team and is well established is still a new an innovative company within the fashion industry – Gisou the haircare brand founded by the influencer Negin Mirsaheli and now she’s just started a new adventure as Content Producer at a new nail art concept salon called LAKWERK. Enjoy her interview!
1.What did you study?
I majored in Journalism with a minor in English Literature at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I grew up reading Vogue,Marie Claire, you name it. I would watch How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and Sex and the City and think, “That’s going to be me someday.” As I got older, I became addicted to WhoWhatWear, Byrdie, and many more online platforms.
- What was your first internship and how did you get the job?
My first “grown-up” job was at PaperCity Magazine as an intern. My days consisted of writing, editing, transcribing interviews, assisting our editors, helping organize major fashion events in our social calendar, basic errands, and organizing the office. I always knew I wanted to work for a magazine and fell in love with the fast-paced work environment that naturally comes with magazines.
- You worked as Business Development at RewardStyle, the monetization platform for influencers, what did you do?
I was a part of the LIKEtoKNOW.it Team, which focuses on the editorial side of the platform. My job was to create a cohesive story throughout our social media channels by using the millions of actionable pictures and links our influencers created for consumers. I would search through hundreds of LIKEtoKNOW.it posts per day. I planned what would go out that day, week, and even month. We kept our content calendar scheduled as far in advance as possible. Captioning, trend searching, writing monthly newsletters and simply growing our audience was also a big part of my role.
- From Dallas to Amsterdam, why did you move?
I moved for love, actually! To be honest, though, I have to preface this answer because I’ve always been super independent and I don’t want young girls to change their career path on a whim for another person. I strongly believe in trusting your instincts and mine lead me to this place.
I’ve always wanted to live and work in Europe and have family here, so that part of the decision process was easy. I knew moving here meant just as much for myself as it meant for us together as a couple. I met my boyfriend three years ago while I was studying abroad at Regents University in London. We’ve lived in Australia and the U.S. over the last three years and wanted to give Amsterdam a try for a while.
- You worked at Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi as Marketing Coordinator, what did you do?
My job was focused on the editorial side of Gisou. I spent most days writing the text for the social channels, website, campaigns for new products, and planning photoshoots. Being ahead of schedule on the content calendar was key in my role because we wanted to crack out as many posts and clever Instagram stories as possible. Since Gisou is growing so fast we kept very busy with content. My job was to create really “out of the box” content for our viewers and customers, which was fun for the creative side in me.
- You worked at RewardStyle, Gisou and now as Editor and Content Producer at a new nail art concept salon called LAKWERK, all startups. What are the advantages of working for startups in fashion and beauty?
Working for a large company or a startup in fashion is different; each one has its benefits, but I don’t believe one is better than the other. Whether working for a magazine or influencer-based company, writing has always been the main focus of my work. Working for a few startups has taught me a tremendous amount of what it takes to be an entrepreneur, especially because I hope to have a company of my own one day– but that’s way down the line! Startups teach you how every little detail counts, and that even the smallest thing can make such a big difference. You will not have a 9-5 workday, but that’s the beauty of it because some of my most creative concepts came from 2 A.M. brainstorm sessions.
- What is your job at LAKWERK?Â
I’m really excited to help grow a new platform with LAKWERK. We recently launched the website, but the store officially opens June 1st. Jessica and Saar have a great vision for it, and I think LAKWERK will shed a new light in the fashion industry of nails and beauty. I’ll be making videos and content for major nail and beauty brands in collaboration with Glamour NL. I’m beyond excited to see it flourish.
- What are your favorite beauty products?
Oh my gosh, that’s such a hard question. I’m pretty minimal with makeup (even though I own a sinful amount) but I’m a skincare junky. I’ve loyally used the Tom Ford Extreme Mascara for over two years, I’ve got my mom hooked on it too. I have pretty dry, sensitive skin and am prone to redness around my nose, so I can’t live without the Avène Eau Thermale Skin Recovery Cream. I use foundation mostly to spot and color correct because I love a natural look. I switch between Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation and the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I always go back to my Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Heather, which is a subtle purple for green eyes. MAC paint pot in Groundwork is a cream eyeshadow that I adore and stays on all day. Makeup has to be fast, easy, and simple for my lifestyle. I recently went to Dany Diop for a Biologique Recherche facial. He’s a skin whisperer. People fly here to see him from overseas, he’s really that good. Aside from all the BR products I’m now hooked on, he introduced me to Sun Prep by Hynt Beauty, which will forever be in my makeup bag. I have fair skin so sunscreen is my best friend. I love this one because it smells amazing, doesn’t break me out, and is basically skincare with SPF. As far as haircare goes, I love New Wash by Hairstory. I’ve used it for three years now and my hair has never been so healthy. My hair is thick and can take an entire day to dry naturally, so the Air Dry Foam by Ouai has been a game changer for my waves and drying. I’m pretty much a sucker for anything Ouai and Hairstory.
- What’s on your desk?Â
Since the LAKWERK salon is not open yet, I’ve been working from home, cafes, trains– pretty much everywhere! I’m super old school when it comes to making notes and scheduling, so I always have a notebook with me. Just a few days ago, we worked at a little cafĂ© on the beach. It was heavenly to say the least.
- What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m trying to learn Dutch! Our house is covered with Post-it notes with Dutch translations. Most nights I love winding down watching Netflix or reading a book. I’m currently reading The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fisher. It’s so funny and has great advice for non-actors as well. I try to FaceTime my dog Beau (I mean parents) almost everyday. I enjoy roaming around Amsterdam, exploring, writing, and taking it all in.
