On the occasion of International Women's Rights Day , we wanted to give the floor to Pauline Bony , founder of Saeve, entrepreneur, woman and mother of a family!
What are you most proud of?
What I'm most proud of (after my children of course 😉) is having always believed in my dreams : working in the cosmetics industry, creating your own skincare brand, not compromising on quality! And especially for having persevered until I got there, even if it was sometimes (very) difficult, I always tried to stay the course without giving up. My perseverance is surely the trait of my personality of which I am most proud.
What does “power” mean to you?
To the word "power" which I don't like, I will rather speak of power . It is a term that is unfortunately not often associated with women. For me, power would be courage, doing what you want without being afraid, without worrying about the opinion of others, which is not always easy for women, who are often brought up in educational models where they were not taught to dare . Power is being aligned with your values, with whom you are deeply.
What do you think is the biggest problem facing women today?
From my experience, I would say what is called the “ mental load ” and the pressure that society puts on us to be “perfect” on all fronts: the super mom, the super wife, the daughter who is extremely successful in her career… it is extremely burdensome and very unfair because we expect a lot less from men, I think. And then having children also slows down women's careers, which never happens to men.
And motherhood, especially in the early years, represents a huge change in life for women, we are not necessarily well prepared for it and there is little empathy in companies during this period, we often navigate between guilt , the desire to always be on top , fatigue and new family responsibilities... in short, major changes that make it difficult to tackle everything and that can alter our self-confidence.
What message would you find important to share with young women considering their careers?
Dare ! life is too short, seize your chance. I encourage them to “trace their way” without worrying about the ominous birds, to have confidence in themselves and in life. And I will end with a quote from Walt Disney which is a bit like my mantra: “To achieve something truly extraordinary, start by dreaming it. Then wake up and go straight to the end of your dream without ever being discouraged. »
