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Hello Céline, welcome to ‘Tonalités de Femmes’,
thank you very much for being with us today.
My first question will be for the fashion woman you are,
what are your three favourite brands?
One is Zadig & Volltaire, a brand which can be very feminine,
but which has a little masculine side to it, which I really like, and which corresponds well with the Parisian style.
The second would be Freelance for shoes.
And for the third, we’ll go up north with Filippa K from Sweden.
Céline you are a commercial director at an American consulting company, your clients are based internationally,
was having a good career a big part of your life plan during your studies?
A good career, I am not sure, but in any case the career I’ve had up until now definitely corresponds to what I wanted to do.
Very quickly, from the age of 17, I was maybe in Première or Terminale, I participated in a student forum
and I knew immediately that marketing/sales was the sector I wanted to orient myself in.
After that I studied marketing and international sales, got a degree in international business in Caen, which took me to the US, where I studied.
Back in France I always worked internationally as well, with a two year self-employed experience in Italy, and a return to France, before leaving again for the Netherlands,
where I have now been for 10 years, as a commercial director for this American consulting company, like you said.
When I look back, yes, the career I specialized in is the one I wanted to do. Now if this is a good career, I’m not the one to judge.
But in any case I am where I had planned to be.
And tell us about a typical week out of your professional life, and in which way this can sometimes affect your personal life’s balance.
And finally, what made you decide to change?
Ok so a typical week, it’s difficult, because every day is so different.
What is relatively consistent, on the other hand, is the level of stress, the level of activity you need to face every day, in different ways and with different people,
but in any case every day is extremely full.
To add to that is constant travelling around Europe, in my case anyway.
This, it’s true, results in a schedule that is out of control even if you know you have to implement rules, and even if you have told yourself to be careful each week,
to take your time, to have a good lunchbreak, to leave the office early, unfortunately you often stay late because of events.
But I would say, what makes me go beyond what I have in my head in terms of management are the trips because there you’re not only very busy,
but also at the mercy of trains, planes etc. to make it on time.
Those are logistical details I don’t like to pay much attention to, but that have a big impact on my personal life.
There is no typical week, they are all very, very, very difficult to live actually,
and this is what motivates me to want to totally change this type of life.
Céline, last November the magazine Elle talked about how women in their thirties are changing their ambitions,
and many of them refuse to sacrifice their personal lives for their professional careers.
With your experience, what do you think about this development?
Look, I am really glad about that actually. I think it’s a very good thing.
Of course I am not saying you should leave your professional life on the side lines, it’s very important and plays a big role in our equilibrium as a woman today.
I think it’s great to work and hold positions with a lot of decision making, it shapes your personality and character, like I said before,
we are often under a lot of pressure, which allows us to know what we want and what we don’t want.
So I am 100% for being professional, but I am indeed convinced that there are ways to find the right amount to suit each one of us, as we all have different needs.
And I am delighted to think that the personal aspect of life will play a more important role in the minds of 30 year olds,
and that they will not have to wait 40 years, like myself today,
to reset this equilibrium.
I am delighted to hear of such a discourse, because in fact I believe this kind of equilibrium between professional and private life, is fundamental,
not only for the success of your private life, but also your professional one, in some ways.
I very often found myself not only in situations where was I unable to manage the private sphere,
but mostly in absurd situations where you have to make appointments to see your parents, make appointments to see your grandfather at the old people’s home
and to have to leave early to not miss a flight.
That seems absurd, you think you should be able to plan these things, to take your time, but no!
At that moment you are so caught up with the pressure and the things you need to get done that you don’t even take the time to do those things,
which are basic, and which if you re-organise them in a way that makes sense and is reasonable, are feasible.
This is a really very important point for me, to be able to re-balance my life, in terms of what is important and my work.
And before we part, I know that you love the stand-up comedian Florence Foresti, what was your favourite sketch from her last show?
Yes, it’s true I love Florence Foresti, I think she is an exceptional woman, I don’t know how she balances her professional and private life,
but in any case she makes me laugh a lot.
My favourite sketch from her last show is the text message story. It’s so well defined and captured, she trapped us with this text message story
and when you see that you can’t help but laugh, really.
Thank you very much, Céline. See you soon in ‘Tonalités de Femmes’.