LinkedIn's Posh Productive Pampering Event with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in NYC [PHOTOS]
There’s nothing we love more here at LinkedIn than connecting talented professionals. Last night we invited dozens of fabulous female journalists (who work at outlets like CNBC, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Reader's Digest, TIME, etc.) to network and mingle with one another while chatting about how important their online professional brand is. LinkedIn's event took place at CORE: club, a veritable power portal for the business elite, just off of Park Avenue in Manhattan. The evening consisted of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, makeup makeovers, headshots taken by professional photographers, LinkedIn Profile makeovers and an amazing chat with world-famous makeup artist Bobbi Brown, the founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and author of the new book Pretty Powerful.
During the fireside chat I asked Bobbi:
- How she built her company
- Which business leaders she looks up to
- How her company uses online networking sites
Below is an excerpt from the chat Bobbi and I had last night.
What inspired your business?
The business started 21 years ago basically as a result of my being a freelance makeup artist and realizing that everything that I used as a makeup artist I had to mix together and most of the cosmetics on the market were not easy to put on. They didn’t make you look better. So I started basically with a quest to create a lipstick that looked like lips.
What inspires you?
Friends, family, women I meet, my artists... You know, I get a lot of creative ideas on the treadmill and when I’m outside walking. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a creative idea in the office. Other things happen in the office.
Are there any business leaders that you look to for inspiration?
Mickey Drexler at J. Crew, who is also a friend, certainly Apple and Steve Jobs for his precision, Richard Branson at Virgin who focuses on the customer experience, and Howard Schultz at Starbucks.
What do you think of the word balance?
There is no such thing as balance all the time. There are days when you come home from work and everything is perfect and you feel like that for a second and then something happens. Sometimes I am more work focused, sometimes more family focused. You have to work to maintain balance.
What makes a powerful first impression?
It’s about showing that you have simple strength. You know, you have to be confident in what you do. Confidence is everything. And sometimes, if you’re not confident, you just have to act like you are.
Do use online networking sites?
I have a 14-year-old son, so when I can’t figure out something I turn to him. We have a corporate LinkedIn Company Page, and Estée Lauder as a corporation has a LinkedIn Company Page – and they use it for hiring, we look at everything. Every single employee that comes through, we check out his or her LinkedIn Profile.
We hope this post inspires you to host your own version of, "Productive Pampering." Take 15 minutes to update your profile, rekindle a connection with a business contact you haven't spoken to in awhile or upload a snazzy new head shot to your LinkedIn Profile… and then treat yourself. What would your ideal treat be? Is it a nice glass of wine or an amazing new work bag you've had your eyes on? Get ready to head into the weekend by sharing your idea of "Productive Pampering" with us on LinkedIn's Company Page or by tweeting @LinkedIn with the hashtag #inwithbobbi.