What would you do if you happen to had a six-figure wage? Maybe you’d by no means prepare dinner one other meal once more or bask in a month-to-month Thai therapeutic massage and a Soho Home membership to unwind from the stress that comes with being at your A-game.
Right here at The Good Life you don’t need to think about what life on the high seems to be like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for a way probably the most profitable dwell their lives.
In the present day Fortune meets Maria Hatzistefanis, the London-based entrepreneur, bestselling creator and founding father of magnificence giants Rodial and Nip + Fab.
The Greek-born 54-year-old started her profession as a magnificence author for Seventeen Journal, earlier than transferring to New York to review an MBA at Columbia Enterprise Faculty after which once more to London to affix the aggressive world of finance at Solomon’s Brothers Metropolis.
However it wasn’t till Hatzistefanis received sacked from her “dream banking job” in 1999, that her profession actually took off.
“My life was about to change forever,” she writes of the pivotal second in her autobiography model self-help ebook, How To Be An In a single day Success.
She took a leap of religion and went again to her magnificence roots with a skincare firm, Rodial.
Amazon.co.uk
It wasn’t all clean crusing: Hatzistefanis wasn’t capable of safe funding, so she invested in herself, placing all of her financial savings—£20,000—into funding the startup and ran the enterprise “as a one-woman-show”.
“I used to be doing every thing from growing formulation to producing buzz across the model.
Hatzistefanis wasn’t capable of safe funding, so she invested in herself…
As one of many early adopters of bizarre elements like bee venom and snake peptides, the model made a reputation for itself—and attracted a cult celeb following.
Quick ahead 25 years and you’ll find the model in 35 nations and over 3,000 shops together with Selfridges, Harrods, Neiman Marcus, Blue Mercury and SpaceNK.
In the present day, one Rodial Lowlighter is bought each minute.
3,000
The variety of shops promoting Rodial.
Hatzistefanis’ even launched a sister magnificence model focused at Gen Zers, referred to as NIP+FAB which launched completely with Boots ten years in the past. Now, it’s experiencing a lift in gross sales throughout Europe due to the opening of two,000 Rossman shops in Germany alone.
To this present day, each manufacturers stay privately owned with out exterior funding. Final 12 months, it turned over $32 million.
This interview has been edited for brevity.
The funds
Fortune: What’s been the perfect funding you’ve ever purchased?
My household residence in Notting Hill, London. We purchased it 15 years in the past and it has gone up in worth by 40%.
And the worst?
My automotive, a Porche Cayenne. It loses worth by the minute.
If in case you have youngsters, what does your childcare preparations appear like?
My youngsters are at college proper now.
How do you commute to work?
We dwell in a contemporary home in Notting Hill. I like the ambiance of Notting Hill with its cool espresso outlets and out of doors eating places. I go to the Portobello Market on weekends. The Rodial workplace was at a special location however we not too long ago moved and it’s quarter-hour away from my residence. When the climate is sweet I stroll to work.
Do you carry a pockets?
Sure, a Louis Vuitton in Gray Damier.
Michele Limina/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs
What private finance recommendation would you give your 20-year-old self?
Spend money on property somewhat than lease.
What’s the one subscription you may’t dwell with out?
I like my Airmail subscription. I like the tales and ebook suggestions.
“Invest in property rather than rent.”
The place’s your go-to wristwatch from?
I don’t put on a watch typically, but when I do, it’s the Hermes Cape Cod.
The requirements
How do you get your each day espresso repair?
I’ve a Magamix machine at residence and the workplace. I drink the CruKafe natural espresso pods in Espresso. I’ve one espresso within the morning after which one other one or two cups of decaf in the course of the day. I often have breakfast a bit later within the morning, which is often a bowl of grains and berries with almond milk or eggs & avocado.
What about consuming on the go?
I often have lunch on my desk. I like sushi from Oka, Sticks & Sushi or a salad from Atis. Lunch is often £20. For a sit-down meal, I’m going to 5 Hertford, a membership I’m a member of, or I’ll go to one of many Soho Home places in London.
The place do you purchase groceries?
I purchase my groceries on-line. I get Monday morning deliveries from Ocado.com.
How typically in per week do you dine out versus prepare dinner at residence?
I often eat out twice per week.
The treats
The place do you store in your work wardrobe?
I’ve my staples from The Row, Toteme, and Wardrobe NYC. My model is traditional, timeless, minimal and sporty.
Are you the proud proprietor of any futuristic devices?
I’m not into devices. I virtually ordered an Oura Sensible Ring, however I couldn’t bear the considered sporting it 24/7 so I made a decision to not get one.
How do you unwind from the highest job?
I like spending time in nature on weekends at my trip residence within the Cotswolds, strolling my canine, and unwinding with my mates.
What’s the perfect bonus deal with you’ve purchased your self?
I’m into holidays, journey, and experiences greater than materials items. Final week, my husband and I took an extended weekend journey to Ibiza the place we hiked for a number of days. We liked it.
Take us on vacation with you, what’s subsequent in your trip listing?
I’m planning a vacation in Montenegro in a few weeks. I’ve a superb good friend who has a spot there. Will probably be my first time visiting and I can’t wait to discover. My household and I all the time attempt to go to a brand new place yearly to expertise one thing new. I often take a while off throughout Christmas and in August. We now have a weekend residence on the Cotswolds and we go most weekends. After the Pandemic, lots of people moved to the world both completely or for the weekends. Many cool and new eating places and outlets have opened—it’s just like the Hamptons of the U.Okay. (with out the ocean).
Right here at The Good Life you don’t need to think about what life on the high seems to be like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for a way probably the most profitable dwell life.
Fortune desires to listen to from European leaders on what their “Good Life” seems to be like. Get in contact: orianna.royle@fortune.com
