5 beauty moguls on how sisterhood set them up for success

What does sisterhood mean to you?

To me, sisterhood means being supportive, non-judgemental, inspiring each other and giving your time and energy to someone even when things are busy or overwhelming. It means being honest even when it might be difficult and always lifting each other up. 

Who is someone who helped and supported you throughout your career?

Jaimee Lupton, the co-founder of MONDAY Haircare. We worked together for many years agency-side and when she went on to start MONDAY she brought me on board to head up the Marketing. She is one of my very closest friends and our relationship is the very definition of sisterhood – always supportive professionally and personally. Jaimee and I have a very special connection, something I can’t quite put down in words! 

She trusted me from the get-go to work alongside her to take MONDAY Haircare global, starting with our launch into North America and I have not looked back since. We’ve had a very clear mission with MONDAY from the start – making luxury more accessible and building a community of empowered women.

What does sisterhood mean to you?

Sisterhood means women empowering and celebrating women for their successes but also walking beside them when times are tough.

Who is someone who helped and supported you throughout your career?

Alice Haemmerle, a Business Coach Extraordinaire. Alice is an incredible mentor who has helped me navigate the ups and downs of business. She has empowered me to strive for greatness and taught me the most valuable lesson, fail fast and fail forward. With her calm strength, she not only taught but showed me good leadership is about leading by example.

What does sisterhood mean to you?

People in your sisterhood are those you laugh and cry with. They support and lift you but are also comfortable being completely honest and transparent with you, without ever passing judgement. They find joy in your success and vice versa. My mum, two amazing sisters, intimate group of friends and colleagues have all taught me how special sisterhood is.

Sisterhood and women supporting women is a core value of Alpha-H. We recognise that femininity is our strength and look to celebrate this. To open up our family of women, this year Alpha-H created a career empowerment program title The Encoreship that will offer dedicated roles to women looking to re-enter the workforce after extended time away. 

You can read more on this here. 

Who is someone who helped and supported you throughout your career?

The CEO of the business I joined after returning to work after my second child, Michele Kernahan.  

I was excited about starting a new role in a new industry but was also torn about my ability to juggle a new role with two children. I didn’t want to do an average job at both but Michele’s support and encouragement gave me the confidence to give it a go. I worked out that when I am fulfilled personally, I am also a better mother (albeit often tired!). Even though it has been many years since we worked together, Michele is someone I know I can call anytime and she will share her balanced and honest advice, always encouraging me to be true to my values.

What does sisterhood mean to you?

Lifting up your teammates, supporting other women and inspiring them to their highest potential. The key thing for me is feeling unconditionally supported by friends and colleagues and building up other women. I have felt at my least inspired when I have been in environments which felt aggressive or unsupportive….. it’s not hard to be nice!

Who is someone who helped and supported you throughout your career? 

I was very inspired by the team at my first job back home in the UK. I was lucky enough to work at an agency called Yellow Door ( now Portas Agency) surrounded by incredible women. The agency was run by Mary Portas who is a creative icon – who was hugely inspiring daily – but additionally, I had a wonderful friend and mentor who worked there called Alison Jonkler, who was instrumental in my PR Career. She was the first to give advice and taught me how to navigate work and clients with a totally honest approach.

She always had my back and patiently taught me how to create strategies and learn the ropes of PR  - she led without fear and with good humour and grace in an environment that could often be diva-ish.  She sadly passed away two years ago but every person at the agency had the same thing to say about her. She made me really love the career I had chosen and I still miss her to this day. 

What does sisterhood mean to you?

Sisterhood means everything to me. It means loving, accepting and inspiring the women around you. Reaching down, pulling others up, as I too have been pulled up by so many ‘sisters’!  It's about looking out for one another, being honest to others, even when it's hard. Collaborating over competing and knowing there is room for everyone to shine.

Who is someone who helped and supported you throughout your career? 

ONE!?!?! It's the army through my career who have trusted and pushed me to be the person they believed I could be – before I believed in myself. 

People such as the marie claire Editor in Chief, who gave me my first job and threw me in the deep end to learn. My agent, who said don't take the money, do the job that makes you happy. The Talent Exec at NBC, who trusted me (a total broadcast novice!) to deliver the goods on live TV. And my brilliant Milk Makeup Co-Founders GG and Dianna, both of whom are natural-born leaders and who never cease to inspire me.

I would be totally lost without the women in my life. The women in my life have guided me personally, professionally and emotionally. On every level. I grew up the youngest of three girls, my big sisters taught me how to be worldly at a young age. They are still my best friend's today. I now have two daughters and four nieces – all of who teach me daily about the next power gen of women.

I've had incredible leaders who have instilled confidence in me. And then there are the whippet smart assistants I've had, who I’d be half as successful without! And of course, my incredibly smart partners in Milk Makeup Georgie and Dianna (along with a whole host of other women!) who have made Milk Makeup what it is today.