”I have always felt that I've needed to prove myself.”

Stephanie Unwin became CEO of Veronica Beard this year after thirteen years as its president. At 22 she left a banking job in Canada, moved to New York, enrolled at Parsons, and started over in fashion. She has been building brands ever since.

In this conversation, Stephanie is honest about what the big job costs. She loves her work and her team, and by the end of the day there isn't much left for the people at home. ”That is the hardest part,” she says. ”I would say that I fail at it most times.”

We talk about why the need to prove yourself is so hard to let go of, how it makes you say yes to things that don't need to be yours, and the small daily pause she uses to ask, ”Does this feel too hard? Am I in the wrong space right now?” We also get into why she wants her two teenagers to be a little uncomfortable, why she doesn't believe in balance, how losing her father changed the way she thinks about legacy, and what heart-led leadership looks like at a company that is more than 90% women.

Near the end I asked what would still be true about her if the title were taken away tomorrow. ”Everything,” she said.

If you're a senior leader who is still chasing the next thing, this one is for you.

Guest: Stephanie Unwin, CEO of Veronica Beard
Host: Steven Miyao, executive coach and founder of Coaching Metta
https://coachingmetta.com

#MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao #StephanieUnwin #VeronicaBeard #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #WomenInLeadership #SelfCompassion

Chapters

0:00 ”Eventually you surrender”

0:45 Meet Stephanie Unwin

1:29 Leaving banking at 22

3:14 Nothing left at home

4:27 Fire in the belly

5:47 Let kids be uncomfortable

6:45 Balance doesn't exist

8:35 Alignment, not hours

10:50 Leading with compassion

13:06 Is this the mountaintop?

15:16 Loss and legacy

16:58 Proving yourself

19:59 Without the title

20:45 Two practices to start