What It Means To Be a Female Executive In The Media Space

The following is a guest post by Stephanie Mark.  Her bio follows.

I’ve said this many times but when we started Coveteur it was never in my roadmap to start my own company, it just sort of…happened! On top of that, setting out to be a woman in a field traditionally run by men was also not something I deliberately planned. But lo and behold here we are and I would like to think I have gained some nuggets of wisdom about being a female executive in this space and would love to share them with y’all.

Lesson One: I’m in great company. 

One of my favorite things about working in media is all the other great women I can call on for advice. I think people are usually too proud or even shy to admit that they need help, but help is all around you! There have been countless times I have relied on the many other women in similar positions for advice and guidance. If you are feeling overwhelmed or in need of advice, just look to your other powerful females and lean on them for support!

Lesson Two: Things are changing, fast!

Media was traditionally a man’s world, not only is that changing (WhoWhatWear, Coveteur, Refinery29, Zoe Report) but the landscape of media is changing rapidly as well. It is important to know that during these times of change you will feel like you are in the eye of the storm but that’s ok! You will constantly have to prove yourself (to yourself and to others) and feel a pressure to stay ahead of the curve. Knowing that these feelings are normal and that you are not alone in feeling all of the changes is important to remember.

 Responsibility. 

To me, being a woman executive in media also means I have a big responsibility to make sure the content we are publishing is informative and empowering for our readers. We have the privilege of having millions of smart, savvy, fashionable, political, (the list goes on and on) women and men visit our site and knowing that they are coming to Coveteur for information that will shape their day and their lives is a huge responsibility. It is important to think into the future about the causes you want to stand behind and the messages you want to give to your readers.

Even superwoman had sidekicks. 

Straight up, you can’t do it alone. No one can. As much as we are powerful kick ass girl bosses, we all need help. Plus- it is way more fun to do things with a great team than a party of one. Bringing great people into our company and growing it together has been the most valuable lesson I have learned.

About Stephanie Mark

Stephanie Mark is the Co-­‐founder and Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for Coveteur, the leading destination for a luxurious, behind-­‐the-­‐scenes look at all things fashion, lifestyle and culture. She uses
her innate sense of style to help drive creative direction for the company’s partnerships and collaborations, and her serious street cred in the fashion industry has led to explosive growth for the brand.
As a graduate student from Parsons with a focus in Fashion Marketing, Mark interned with Kate Lanphear, Style Director at ELLE. She then assisted celebrity stylists Leslie Fremar and Annabel Tollman with dressing and accessorizing their A-­‐list clientele, including Michelle Williams, Charlize Theron and Julianne Moore, among others.

Got your sights set on leadership positions?  Find out which companies are best for female executives in the video below!

Main image credit.