Micaela English ’08 Interviews Erika Bearman ’03

Erika Bearman ’03 is a consultant in communications and branding. She was most recently SVP of Global Communications for Oscar de la Renta LLC, a position she held for seven years. She now counts the luxury goods firm as one of her clients. Erika’s work in branding and digital strategy has been written about in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and Vogue. In 2012, Erika was named to the “Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List.” 

Erika graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She has previously worked for Dior and Burberry. Erika is a founding member and an advisor in brand strategy on the new app Peanut. Peanut is an app designed to connect a mobile generation of like-minded women who are mothers. She resides in New York City with her husband, Jonathan, and their daughter, Electra.

Erika Bearman ’03
Erika Bearman ’03, a consultant in communications and branding.

Q&A

Micaela: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Erika: Oscar (de la Renta) was such a defining presence in my adult life. Professionally, personally, everything. When I came to work for him I was in my mid-twenties. I had some experience in the industry, but I very much felt I should sort of ‘speak when spoken to’ in his presence. In the early days of my taking over the communications department, I remember Oscar said to me, “come over here, don’t stand against the wall.” It was like a lightbulb moment for me. For some reason I thought I needed to be invisible, especially around those more experienced than me. Don’t stand against the wall. That was the best advice. Oscar gave me the confidence to stand in the center of the room, and that really changed everything for me.

Micaela: What life skill do you think is of utmost importance for young women/people who are starting their careers?
Erika: I think to be successful you have to have a thick skin. You really have to be quite tough, actually. You have to learn not to take things personally. You have to be prepared to be wrong. I think you also have to learn not to gossip. That’s a girl’s game. It holds women back. The ones you gossip with will be the ones to talk about you, I can promise you.

Micaela: What lesson do you wish you had known in the beginning of your career?
Erika: I wish I wrote everything down. All the stories, lessons learned, the beautiful small things. Nothing lasts forever. You think you will remember everything, but you don’t.

Micaela: What is the one thing you should never do in an interview?
Erika: Don’t wear flats.

Micaela: If you could work with anyone, who would it be?
Erika: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Micaela: Advice to millennials and Generation Z?
Erika: Build your relationships IRL. Send thank-you letters.

Micaela: What word should you never say in the office place?
Erika: Tired. Tell your mom, tell someone else.

Micaela English ’08 Interviews Ashley Codianni ’07

Ashley Codianni ’07 is Executive Producer of Social and Emerging Media at CNN in New York City. Both women are actively engaged in the Holy Cross alumni network in NYC.

Ashley Codianni ’07, Executive Producer of Social and Emerging Media at CNN in NYC.

Q&A

Micaela: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Ashley: My kindergarten teacher always used to say, “show me, don’t tell me.” It’s something I’ve never forgotten. Show the work you can do and be proud of it. Just saying you can do something isn’t enough. Also, it never hurts to be the first one in and the last one out. It’s something my Dad ALWAYS said, and I really believe in it.

Micaela: Describe your day in 5 words or less.
Ashley: Very busy.

Micaela: What lesson do you wish you had known in the beginning of your career?
Ashley: Talk less and listen more. And ultimately, just be nice.

Micaela: How has social media changed since you started your career in it?
Ashley: Twitter didn’t really exist when I started my career and now my entire job is to manage and grow the largest social media accounts in the world and I absolutely love it!

Micaela: What life skill do you think is of utmost importance for young women/people who are starting their careers?
Ashley: Work hard. Holy Cross gave me the stamina and the drive to welcome challenge and produce my best work. Continue doing that in your career and you’ll be aces. Also, do something that you love. It’ll make life a lot easier.

Micaela: Any industries that you think young women should be looking into for careers?
Ashley: Entrepreneurs, social good, media and tech.

Micaela: What is the one thing you should never do in an interview?
Ashley: Chew gum

Micaela: If you could work with anyone, who would it be?
Ashley: I honestly work for the best people in media right now, so I wouldn’t change a thing.

Micaela: Advice for Millennials and Generation Z?
Ashley: Don’t take anything for granted and again, just work hard. If you work hard and are passionate about what you’re doing, good things will come with time.

Micaela: What word should you never say in the office place?
Ashley: Never say “no.”

Micaela: What book do you think every young person needs to read?
Ashley: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by: Jen Sincero

Micaela: What is your favorite social media platform?
Ashley: Right now, it’s Instagram and I just met @jiffpom (very exciting!). Shameless plug: I’m at @ashleycodianni if you want to give me a follow. 🙂

Micaela English ’08 Interviews Role Model Carolyn Risoli ’86

Fashion and luxury industry veteran Carolyn Risoli ’86, the 2018 honoree of the Holy Cross Leadership Council of New York annual fundraising dinner, shares career and life advice with digital and social media strategist Micaela English ’08. Both women are actively engaged in the Holy Cross alumni network in NYC. 

Carolyn Risoli ’86, the 2018 honoree of the Holy Cross Leadership Council of New York annual fundraising dinner.

Q&A

Micaela: What has been the breakout moment in your career thus far?
Carolyn: Hmmm … I think I am still waiting for this one!  It has been a lot less about the breakout moment and more of a culmination of work that has been seen as successful.

Micaela: What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Carolyn: Well besides my two amazing kids (Alex and Olivia), it is most definitely the incredible associates whom I have had the pleasure to mentor and support. I am filled with immense satisfaction to see their success. To be really blunt, I have had the chance to lead some of the most fabulous, kick-ass women (and some pretty great men).

Micaela: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Carolyn: Don’t take it personally.

Micaela: What lesson do you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?
Carolyn: Ahh … perspective and taking care of yourself. I wish I had the perspective to know how to handle some of the bad behavior — even though I found fashion to be a great industry as a young woman.

Micaela: How has the fashion industry changed from when you started to now?
Carolyn: With the changes in technology, our ability to communicate with partners worldwide has changed dramatically.  A product can be conceived and reach the consumer in a much shorter time. I can remember running up to the telex room and begging the telex operator to type my messages first so that our factory across the world could respond a day later. When you went to a fashion show it took months before anyone would see the clothes publicly. Now the clothes are knocked off before you leave the show! … It did feel exciting to wait for something fabulous.

Micaela: What life skill do you think is of utmost importance for young people who are starting their careers?
Carolyn: Judgment and integrity. As Mark Twain said: “It is never wrong to do the right thing.” I also think adaptability is crucial — this is where liberal arts educated people have the leg up.

Micaela: Any industries that you think young women should be looking into for careers?
Carolyn: Uhh … fashion! It is a great industry where women can achieve based on their accomplishments and not be held back by their gender. When I started working in the ’80s, I did not feel judged by my gender where my friends were facing different issues in banking and law. Industries all over are opening up for women and people of all colors, shapes, and sizes. We are moving towards a world where the best person for the job will get it and be successful.

Micaela: What lesson do you wish you had known in the beginning of your career?
Carolyn: Perspective. I wish I had not sweat some of what I did; and had enjoyed how great it was. We were always worried!

Micaela: What is the one thing you should never do in an interview?
Carolyn: Besides, wear a bad outfit? 😉  Be disingenuous.

Micaela: If you could work with anyone, who would it be?
Carolyn: I have worked with such great talent and am totally grateful for that — but a little spin with Coco Chanel would have been fun.

Micaela: Advice to millennials and Generation Z?
Carolyn: Continue to push forward with changes you want to see in the world but do allow for those with experience to guide and support you. There is a reason we say wisdom comes with age.

Micaela: What book do you think every young person needs to read?
Carolyn: Falling Upward. Great way to look at how you want to build your life.

Micaela: What is your favorite social media platform?
Carolyn: I personally try to stay off the grid and only engage in them professionally. But I would have to say Instagram. I am sure my kids are wincing about now.

How Not Having It Figured Out Helped Me in the Long Run

Micaela English ’08, a digital and social media strategist, and freelance writer based in New York City, discusses the power of the Holy Cross network in her NYC success.

Micaela English '08, digital and social media strategist, writer
Micaela English ’08, digital and social media strategist, writer. Photo by Joanna Garcia.

Reader beware: This is not a traditional job story. There wasn’t one magical internship that paved the way for me. There was no shiny offer that I had entering my senior year. The lingering, complicated question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  was always a  challenge for me, as there was never an answer that immediately presented itself. In fact, I still ask myself this question monthly, weekly, daily. I still want to be so many things. I still want to learn so many things. I still want to contribute to so many things. At the end of the day,  I’m a creative thinker, and not having my future written in stone has actually helped my career.

So where does a degree from Holy Cross, and the alumni network fit into this backwards fairy tale? Holy Cross helped me feel confident that I didn’t need to fit into a box. Holy Cross made the real me bubble up to the top, and the network of women I have met in my alumni journey have emotionally carried me on their shoulders to help me shine brighter than I ever imagined.

Let me backtrack for a moment, to when I was a first-year moving into Mulledy at Holy Cross. I unpacked my trunks of eccentric clothes (luckily, there was no Instagram to document these “looks” in 2004), wore sky high heels to class (that prompted many falls in front of Dinand), and proclaimed that I wanted to be a lawyer when I graduated. Any student/faculty/human could have looked at me, my strengths, and interests and quickly realized that I probably was not going to be a lawyer. But at this point, I craved a clear understanding of who I was going to be. I felt this self-imposed tremendous pressure to have it “figured out.” After a summer internship at a law firm that made me feel like I was putting on a costume of who I was supposed to be everyday, I quickly realized that while the legal path was the right career for many of my fellow classmates, it wasn’t highlighting my inner strengths, and I was back to the career drawing board.

I had a very clear “aha!” moment my sophomore year on Mount St. James. I’ll never forget, my mom sent me this email: ” Hi Micaela, first of all, I hope you are doing your laundry. Second of all, you need to read this month’s Holy Cross Magazine, there’s a profile on an alum named Carolyn Risoli and she is the president of Marc by Marc Jacobs.”

My eyes lit up, my heart started booming — there was an alumna who was slaying the fashion scene in New York City. Instantly, I was inspired and wanted to learn everything about Carolyn Risoli. I Googled the heck out of you, Carolyn, in a socially acceptable stalker-ish way. I think I even memorized some of your quotes from that article my mom sent me, and might have used them to answer questions in upcoming interviews. “Why a liberal arts education?” I proudly recited your words,”I was taught to think, to speak and to write.”

With Carolyn’s career as my North Star, I started applying for summer internships that felt more like me during my time at Holy Cross. Also, as I got deeper into my philosophy major, with the help of my female mentor and professor May Sim, I became more open-minded and felt more comfort in the discomfort of not having it figured out. My one regret? I never reached out to Carolyn when I was a student at Holy Cross. I was intimidated and wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t want to be one email in a sea of emails that she got from HC students just like me. Are you a student or alumnus that feels that way? Write the email.

When I finally did get the chance to meet the mentor who didn’t even know she was my mentor, I was wowed. Carolyn offered me career advice. I told her about my struggle to unplug in a digital world and in a digital field. We laughed and instantly bonded. And I have to say, that is the gift that keeps on giving to me professionally post-graduation from Holy Cross. The purple network of strong women that I have surrounded myself with. From my own friend group and peers (I text and email my Wheeler roommate, and St. Andrews abroad bestie, Courtney Hakanson, an unhealthy amount on job advice) to the insanely influential  brand consultant Erika Bearman who will take a call with me whenever I have a question to CNN social superstar Ashley Codianni who has kindly introduced me to her professional network. As women in business, we help each other out, offer advice, help with introductions, and most importantly, friendship.

So want to know where a dream of having a career like Carolyn Risoli got me? It didn’t quite land me a big job at a fashion house. But it did take me to some cool places. After jumping around to a few positions in publishing post-graduation, I found my home at Hearst. First on the print side of publishing and then moving over the Hearst Digital Media group, launching the digital footprint for the brand TOWN&COUNTRY. There I learned the inner workings of “the internet” and had a blast exploring the ever-changing landscape of social media, algorithms, engagement and growth.

That position eventually got me working in digital and social media on the brand side of things, first for the brand Anthropologie and now as a consultant for beauty and luxury brands (while still flexing my writing muscle as a freelance writer). As a Crusader with an untraditional career, I am so grateful to those that have helped me, feel so lucky that I didn’t have to fit into a box in order to feel gratified professionally, and can’t wait to provide mentorship for those students and alums that need hand holding throughout their process. We’re here for you. No matter your career path, a Crusader is a Crusader through and through.

Carolyn Risoli ’86, who serves on the College’s Board of Trustees, the Board of the International Pre-schools in New York City, and on the Advisory Board for Comprehensive Development, Inc., will be honored at the New York Leadership Council Annual Dinner on May 14. 

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the annual dinner of the Holy Cross Leadership Council of New York.

The Leadership Council is comprised of loyal and dedicated alumni in New York City who understand the necessity of student internships, scholarships, mentoring and networking. Each year the Leadership Council hosts a fundraising dinner to honor the accomplishments of distinguished members from within the alumni community, while raising critical funds to support Holy Cross students as they pursue internships and real-world experiences in metro New York.

The 2018 dinner at The Pierre in NYC honors fashion and luxury industry veteran Carolyn Risoli ’86. Risoli has served as a mentor to many young alumnae through her active engagement in the Holy Cross alumni network in NYC, including Micaela English ’08.

On this blog, Micaela reflects on the great power of the Holy Cross network and will talk with Carolyn and several other Holy Cross alumnae who have created dynamic careers for themselves in fashion, marketing and media in NYC.