Archive for year: 2022

You are here: / 2022
Alexandra Humbel standing in front of a painting by Franck Stella at NSU in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaAlexandra Humbel Coaching

The End of a Career Is Not the End of You: How to Rebuild With Intention

/in , /by

Do you feel a sense of loss when you realize your days are numbered in your current job, position, or career? Is that feeling strangely mixed with anticipation and even excitement? Soon there will be no more back-to-back meetings, no more emails answered on vacation, no more subtle power games. You will finally have the luxury of owning your time.

So why is the joy tainted with anxiety? Why does it feel like you are entering a grey zone? Why does this phase suddenly seem like “the last segment” of your life?

Several forces are pulling you in opposite directions, so it’s no wonder the result feels uncomfortable, even painful. Let’s untangle this inner conflict that drains your energy and clouds your vision of the future.

There Is No Script Anymore

For decades, you have been driven. As a professional and as a person, you always knew the direction: grow, climb, build, launch, succeed, fail, rebound, stay in the game.

There was a blueprint. From student to junior, to high potential, to senior professional, the path was visible. Growth was the norm. Progress was expected. Society celebrated it. Work culture reinforced it. You were part of a clear narrative.

And then, suddenly, the narrative ends.

When a career comes to an end, there is no obvious script to follow. Terms like “Golden Years” or “Silver Power” sound like marketing slogans, not like real life. They feel impersonal. Abstract. Detached from who you actually are.

Yet expectations are still there.

The Discomfort of Being “Decoupled”

For years, you were expected to deliver, to perform, to evolve. The system relied on your productivity. The culture rewarded your ambition.

Now, no one expects anything in particular from you. You may feel like a wagon decoupled from the train. The train keeps moving. You are standing still.

It is a relief. And it is deeply unsettling.

People around you enthusiastically describe all the things you will finally have time for: golf, travel, gardening, painting, yoga, cycling, learning languages, family time. None of these are wrong. But the more they insist on your future happiness, the more confused you may feel.

The real issue is not activity. It is purpose.

It’s Time to Get Real, Brave—and Creative

You cannot build a house without a blueprint. And at this stage of life, no one hands you one.

You must design it yourself.

This requires honesty. Who are you, beyond your title? What do you value now? What parts of your former professional identity do you want to keep—and which ones are you ready to release?

You may need to let go of a persona that served you brilliantly in the past but no longer fits the person you are becoming. That is not failure. It is evolution.

Explore what makes you feel alive. Curious. Energized. Then sketch your own blueprint and start building.

Yes, it is scary.

But it is also liberating.

This time, you are the architect, the builder, and the owner of a life designed on your own terms.

 

When Experience Becomes a Liability: Rethinking Career Strategy After 50

/in /by

As debates over extending the retirement age continue worldwide, a stark reality remains: senior unemployment has become a structural issue. Previous attempts to address it have fallen short. An entire generation now finds itself caught between the obligation to work longer and a shrinking horizon of meaningful opportunities.

While governments and companies must play their part, experienced professionals cannot afford to remain passive. Relying solely on competence, loyalty, and past performance is no longer enough in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Waiting for circumstances to decide your future is a risk. Instead, proactive reinvention becomes a necessity.

Recognizing the Structural Gap

It is encouraging to see governments beginning to acknowledge the disconnect between the demand for experienced talent and the limited opportunities available. The French government’s consideration of an age equality index signals growing awareness. But awareness is not action. Sustainable change requires concrete incentives, measurable accountability, and real investment.

Taking Ownership of Your Career Horizon

Even as systemic reforms unfold, the responsibility to shape your next decade remains yours. Job security is no longer guaranteed — nor is it always desirable. The professional landscape is shifting. Skills evolve. Business models change. Expectations transform.

The question is not whether change will happen. The question is whether you will anticipate it.

You Are Not Alone

If you feel caught in this tension, you are not isolated. Many experienced professionals face the same paradox: required to work longer, yet subtly pushed aside. The discomfort is collective — but so is the opportunity.

The power you hold is timing. You can choose when to reflect, reassess, and reposition.

Where Do You Stand?

The most strategic career moves are rarely made in panic. They are made in moments of relative stability. Take the time to evaluate your assets, your relevance, your aspirations. Approach this stage not from fear of decline, but from anticipation of what can still be built.

Structural ageism is real. But so is your capacity to adapt, reposition, and expand your impact.

This is not the end of the story. It may well be the beginning of your most intentional chapter.

7 Tell-Tale Signs You Need a Career Transition - By Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

/in /by

You may be surprised to hear that most of my clients don’t feel the urge to change careers because they hate what they’re doing. Work is good. Pay is good. The position is generally satisfying. From the outside, everything looks enviable. There seems to be no reason to disrupt the status quo.

And yet — like them — you may feel it deep down, even though things are going smoothly.

Here are some signals that should make you curious.

1. You introduce yourself with a conversational version of your CV.
When asked who you are and what you do, you deliver a polished, well-rehearsed loop. You mask your boredom with a cheerful tone. But something feels… off.

2. You consume stories about people who reinvented themselves.
You avidly read about those who succeeded in another field, or built a different life. Your rational self says it’s too late, too risky, too complicated — and that you lack the required skills. Still, you keep documenting the topic. Avidly.

3. You’re on autopilot.
You go through the motions because you’ve mastered your job. But you’re not fully there anymore. You’re coasting more than you care to admit.

4. The retirement question lingers.
You catch yourself wondering whether you’ll do this until retirement. The thought has become part of the mental furniture. It doesn’t go away. It quietly unsettles you.

5. Other people’s passion surprises you.
You hear someone speak enthusiastically about the very job you’re doing — and you’re intrigued. You used to feel that way. Once.

6. “What if…?” keeps visiting you.
What if you were doing something else? Living differently? Waking up with another agenda? These inner conversations scare you — and make you feel intensely alive at the same time.

7. You fix the surface, avoid the core.
You focus on small optimizations — health tweaks, home projects, marginal work improvements — while sidestepping the deeper question:
Why are you doing what you are doing?

If you recognize yourself in some of these signs, it may be time to sit with that question.

There is no wrong answer. Money, status, convenience, and security are valid reasons to stay. But what else needs to be heard? Who is the person you would like to become? How far are you from that version of yourself? Where would you be in a year if things unfolded as you truly wished? What are you ready to say yes to — and what are you ready to say no to? How would it feel to remain exactly where you are for another year? Another five?

Every life-changing decision starts with listening — really listening — to your true feelings. It requires the courage to face the confusion and the conflicting demands that will inevitably surface. The moment you begin questioning the status quo of your life and work, you may already be in transition.

How to Know If It’s Too Late for a Career Change (Hint: It’s Not About Age)

/in /by

When one of my clients shared this humorous graph with me, I laughed.
Then I paused. And I kept thinking.

Is there really an age limit for changing careers?

According to the unwritten corporate rulebook, the answer seems to be yes. The moment a high-performing professional subtly transitions — almost without noticing — from “high potential” to “senior,” the options appear to shrink at dizzying speed.

You can’t control corporate culture. In many environments, everything pushes you to hold on tightly to your position, hoping you won’t be pushed out prematurely. But while you may not control the system, you are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to the limits you impose on yourself.

And that’s where things get interesting.

The Fear-Based Questions

When the idea of a career change surfaces, it rarely arrives alone. It brings an entire committee of doubts with it:

Is it worth it?

How much effort will it take to start over?

If I start now, how many active years do I realistically have left?

What if it doesn’t work out? Will I regret it?

What will people think?

Am I being irresponsible… or foolish?

What does it mean financially?

All these questions are valid. They deserve to be explored with courage and integrity. They protect you. They ensure you don’t act impulsively.

But if you only listen to fear-based questions, you will only get fear-based answers.

So let me add another set.

The Vision-Based Questions

What are you craving? What truly makes you tick?

What kind of life do you want — beyond the job title?

Are you prepared to say “no” to certain benefits so you can say “yes” to something more aligned?

What is the best-case scenario?

Who do you become if everything unfolds beautifully?

What would your everyday life look like?

How would you feel — physically, emotionally, mentally?

On the contrary, what is the realistic worst-case scenario?

What would the objective consequences truly be?

And finally: what is the price of letting life decide for you by default?

That last question is often the most confronting.

Because staying where you are is not neutral. It is a decision.
Not choosing is choosing.

The Real Question

Is it too late for a career change?

The better question might be:
Is it too late to live the next chapter consciously?

You are not the same person you were at 30. Your priorities have evolved. Your intelligence has deepened. Your “crystallized” experience — the wisdom accumulated over decades — is an extraordinary asset.

The graph may suggest that options narrow with age. Reality is more nuanced. Traditional paths may narrow. But unconventional, purpose-driven, portfolio, advisory, entrepreneurial, and hybrid careers often expand.

The key is not to jump blindly.
The key is to question honestly.

A career change after 45, 50, or 60 is not about starting from scratch. It is about starting from experience.

And sometimes, the riskiest decision is not to change — but to stay stuck in a story that no longer fits.

Self-Confidence Is Overrated: What Truly Drives Bold Career Move

/in /by

In the space of personal growth — especially when it relates to women — the expression self-confidence is omnipresent. Or rather, the lack of it. The need for more of it. The pursuit of it.

The Self-Confidence Paradox

And yet, many of the women I work with are high achievers. Brilliant. Respected. Proven. They lead teams, close complex deals, run companies, manage demanding environments — and still, they confess quietly: “I wish I were more self-confident.”

One of them, whom I’ll call Katie, once told me: “I am good at what I do. I kick ass. So why do I struggle? Why don’t I take credit, once and for all, for my achievements?”

Redefining What Self-Confidence Really Means

Instead of trying to “build” her confidence, we slowed down and became curious about what self-confidence actually meant to her. How did she recognize it in her body? What did it allow her to do? How did it influence her decisions? What expanded when she felt it? We also explored what was happening when she didn’t feel confident. What was the fear underneath? What felt at risk? What would become possible if confidence were no longer an issue?

The Shift: From Emotion to Clarity

Something shifted. Self-confidence stopped being a magical emotional state she had to reach before acting. It lost its power as a prerequisite. What emerged instead was deeper and more stable: a stronger connection to her values, her ambition, and the impact she genuinely wanted to create. From there, confidence was no longer something to chase — it became a by-product.

On that foundation, she was able to build clear strategies and access her inner resources intentionally. She stopped waiting to feel confident before making decisions. She acted from clarity rather than from emotional certainty. In the end, self-confidence became almost irrelevant — a middleman she no longer needed.

She chose the faster route.

And you? Are you craving more self-confidence? Or are you ready to explore what truly sits beneath it?

The Quiet Crisis of Successful Professionals—and the Opportunity Inside It

/in /by

“In the first half of life, ambitious strivers embrace a simple formula for success in work and life: focus single-mindedly, work tirelessly, sacrifice personally, and climb the ladder relentlessly. It works. Until it doesn’t.”
— Arthur C. Brooks, bestselling author and columnist behind The Atlantic’s “How to Build a Life”

The momentum that drives you through the first part of adult life fuels your motivation to gain expertise, power, financial security, mastery, leadership, learning, excitement, and social recognition. Hard work pays off. Challenge makes you grow. Experience sharpens your skills to excellence. Your peers respect you. You belong to a league of successful professionals.

And then something shifts.

It may start quietly: a subtle loss of interest in work you’ve pursued with drive and perseverance for decades. A vague craving for something else. Before you know it, you, a corporate leader, a respected expert, or a successful entrepreneur—admired, even envied— are now questioning the meaning of the story you’ve been telling about yourself.

What changes, exactly? And is decline inevitable?

In Breaking the Age Code, Dr. Becca Levy challenges deeply rooted age stereotypes. She shows that several forms of cognition actually improve later in life, including metacognition (thinking about thinking), the ability to integrate multiple perspectives, skill in resolving interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, and semantic memory.

Arthur C. Brooks builds on this idea by describing what he calls crystallized intelligence: a form of wisdom made of accumulated knowledge and lived experience. This intelligence excels at teaching, mentoring, connecting people, and creating value through the cross-fertilization of ideas. It favors meaning over momentum, contribution over competition.

Which raises an important question:

Do you even realize how good you are at managing transitions?

If you did, you would feel less fear. Think of how many transitions you’ve already navigated. From student to professional. From role to role. From corporate to entrepreneurial paths. From independence to partnership, to parenthood, to caring for ageing parents. Some transitions were deliberate; others simply happened. Either way, your transition muscle is well-trained.

What makes this one different is its insidious nature. It comes from within, carrying a message you may not yet understand—and may not want to hear.

Change, however, is inevitable. If you ignore what your inner signals are trying to tell you, change will still unfold, often in ways you wouldn’t choose. Some people double down, pushing harder to stay in the game at all costs. Others experience a slow erosion of motivation—or both. Sometimes the wake-up call arrives sideways: a job loss, a dip in performance, or concern voiced by those close to you.

So what now?

This is the moment for a profound and authentic reset. Not necessarily a dramatic upheaval, but an honest reassessment. Question your current situation, your beliefs, your identity, and what you think defines you. Explore what still makes you feel alive, what you want more of, and what no longer serves you. This step can feel destabilizing—but it is also deeply rewarding. It shapes the contours of your future self.

From there, resonant choices become possible. Choices grounded in connection to your values, your heart, your inner wisdom. They often require saying NO to habits and beliefs that once supported you but now hold you back. And they invite you to say YES to what truly matters: relationships, meaningful work, self-care, and new avenues of personal and professional growth.

Action follows naturally. And this kind of action feels different—lighter, clearer, more energizing—because it comes from alignment. Fueled by renewed purpose, you’re ready to surprise yourself and others.

Don’t wait for the unwanted wake-up call.
Take the lead.

Valery Guyot-Sionnest who embraced a bold change of career to become a Funeral PlannerValery Guyot-Sionnest

Women Reinventing Careers: A Bold Move From Luxury to Legacy Work

/in /by

Valery Guyot-Sionnest had a successful and envied career in the world of luxury, from cosmetics to fashion to hospitality, as a Communications Director for leading groups such as Estée Lauder and Barrière. Today, she reinvents an industry that is as muted as it is essential, the last farewell to loved ones. She is the author of the acclaimed “Ultimes Cortèges“. Through her book, with great respect and humility, she uses her experience of more than ten years as a funeral planner to testify to how the final goodbye can be a true hymn to life and a remedy for sadness. Meet a remarkable person who embraced a bold change of career and made it her mission to be a precious ally to families when they need it most.

Why such a bold change of career?

I was born an organizer, this is what I do. I’ve taken care of all of life’s events, now I’m taking care of the last one. The decision was both linear and mission-driven. I have been a Communications Director most of my adult life. It’s a job that already existed. As a Funeral Planner, I am breaking new ground. I feel like a warrior and a missionary. This profession is known in the USA and in the Northern Europe countries, whereas it is quite new in France.

What motivated you?

First, I believe that a 50+ years old Director of Communication is irrelevant. Secondly, the human factor has guided me all my life. The last tribute to a person is fundamental. It is a one-time event. There is no possible rehearsal.

I embraced this new change of career with a sense of mission combined with business ambition. I had this idea for a long time. What makes one farewell ceremony different from another? People. Every human being is unique. Every last tribute has to be unique as well.

Most of us are afraid of death. In the Western world, when we lose someone, it is a disaster. I am aware that I am touching on a real taboo. During the pandemic, families could not attend funerals. I, therefore, organized video recordings of funeral ceremonies. It is a very delicate work, which requires two professional cameramen for a high-quality rendering. We have to respond to all situations and sometimes to very specific requests.

Faced with an inanimate being, empathy comes first, a deep concern for the person. It’s also a race against time. My job is to think quickly and take flawless action on very short notice. A wedding planner has six months to prepare. I have three days.
I take care of families of various faiths, sometimes multi-religions. I quickly understand the situation. I work without a safety net. At my age, it suits me well!

How did your change of career go?

I took 240 hours of training on topics including legal, religion, civil ceremonies, police, and cemetery regulations.

While I was taking the course, I kept running my communication agency. There were intense moments. One day I was in charge of a Muslim funeral. The same evening, I was organizing a lingerie catwalk show. It was challenging. In the funeral business, you have to be very flexible. I went looking for the right energy.

My goal was to be acknowledged by the profession. I started by setting up a company with partners, but it did not work, so I had to change the structure of my business. Today, I am backed by Funecap, the 2nd largest funeral group in France. I will continue to develop my partnership with the group, and expand my reach in Europe.

I have an exciting project, to develop a Funeral Planner module within the training academy, to share the concepts and the best practices with a new generation.

I am making a film about the construction of a chapel ordered by a family, in tribute to a loved one. Eighty professionals, representing seven different trades are at work. Again, the human factor is at the heart of this project and I am very proud to contribute.

I also work on more accessible concepts. Many people ask me for a “simple” ceremony. But this notion means something different for everyone. All lives are unique and deserve to be celebrated.

What did you learn about yourself?

I continue to learn from each family. These encounters give me 250% more life energy.

It’s a wonder. Living in service to others gives me a purpose. Should I have done it before? I don’t think so.

I’m not interested in retirement. My partner and I have raised eight children (four each). My professional life is humanly rich, infinite, and magnificent, even though the emotional load is sometimes heavy.

This career change did not change me. It improved me. I experienced my mother’s death with serenity and peace of mind. I am closer to my truth.

In my work, I am very attentive to the well-being of families. I am particularly attuned to children. I find solutions that are both creative and technical. I care for them. This goes through simple things: Did you sleep? Did you eat? I try to restore a daily routine for people who feel lost.

Your advice to those who want to embrace a second act?

When you get close to retirement age, you realize that you still have a lot to do. You have to go for it, and at the same time, adopt the strategy of taking small steps. During a change of career, you need perspective, empathy, and a business mind. In the beginning, I launched myself into a partnership which proved to be a bad experience. It didn’t stop me. I moved on quickly. I have a great energy that pushes me forward.

The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

/in , /by

If you are unhappy at work, you may be considering a major decision — changing jobs, moving into a new industry, or even reinventing your career altogether.

Yet this possibility often comes with fear and hesitation.

You may catch yourself thinking: What if I regret it?
At least I know what I have.
I may not like it, but it’s familiar.

So what stands in the way of making a clear, informed choice?
And how can you begin to recognize — and challenge — your own internal biases?

The invisible force behind your hesitation

Award-winning journalist David McRaney describes the Sunk Cost Fallacy with striking simplicity:

Misconception: You make rational decisions based on the future value of objects, investments, and experiences.

Truth: Your decisions are shaped by emotional investments — and the more you have invested, the harder it becomes to walk away.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky offered a perspective based on biology and evolution: Organisms that prioritized avoiding threats over maximizing opportunities were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Over time, this instinct became deeply wired in us.

As a result, the fear of loss often outweighs the promise of gain — even when the gain could lead to a better life.

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely adds another layer with what he calls the “pain of paying”: the discomfort we experience whenever we must give up something we already own.

How the Sunk Cost Fallacy shapes your career choices

You — and possibly your parents — invested in your education so you could start a career in a field of your choosing.

Since then, you have progressed through roles with increasing responsibility, recognition, and financial reward. Or perhaps you created your own business — maybe more than one — and navigated growth, setbacks, risks, and achievements.

All the time, energy, and emotion you have poured into your career have shaped the professional you are today.

So even if your work no longer brings satisfaction, the idea of walking away from what you have built year after year can feel unbearable.

And yet — why are you staying?

Are you honoring your past investments, or remaining loyal to the effort it took to arrive at a place that no longer fulfills you?

Becoming aware of how your decision process

Awareness often starts with small things.

Every day, you make countless micro-decisions — what to eat for dinner, how to react in a meeting, whether to speak up or stay silent. Begin observing how you make those choices.

David McRaney offers a telling example:

“Have you ever gone to see a movie only to realize within fifteen minutes that it’s one of the worst films ever made — but you sat through it anyway? You didn’t want to waste the money, so you stayed and suffered.”

Your career is not a movie. And your investment is worth far more than a ticket.

Holding on to the status quo simply because you have already paid the price will not move you toward what could be.

What is — versus what could be

Questions around career change can quickly become obsessive. There is much at stake, and the desire to make the “right” decision can feel overwhelming.

At this point, I invite you to step back from the career question itself. This may sound counterintuitive, but stay with me.

Your real agenda is not your job.
It is the life you want to live.

A life that includes your health.
The time you want for your family.
Your personal well-being.
The level of income you need to sustain it.

Only from this wider perspective can clarity emerge — about what needs to remain, and what is ready to change.

There is no loss — only transformation

You may believe that all your value is written on your CV.
It isn’t. What appears there is only the visible part of who you are.

At this stage of life, you deserve more than repeating what you already know how to do. You deserve to focus on what you truly excel at — the activities that feel natural, energizing, and meaningful.

Wherever you go, everything you have learned goes with you.

Your experience travels.
Your insight deepens.
Your value does not disappear — it transforms.

And sometimes, what feels like loss is simply the doorway to something more aligned waiting to open.

 

 

 

 

 

Sources
Mc Raney, D. “You Are Not So Smart”
Kahneman, D. “Thinking, Fast And Slow
Ariely, D. “Predictably Irrational”

The Big Picture - Alexandra Humbel at the Wynwood Walls in MiamiAlexandra Humbel

Why Updating Your “Big Picture” Can Change the Way You Work and Live

/in /by

The Wynwood Walls, in Miami’s iconic street art district, never fail to move me. I love the feeling of being dwarfed by these monumental murals, overwhelmed by their power and scale. During my latest visit, a simple question surfaced and stayed with me: Am I seeing the big picture of my life—or only fragments of it?

The big picture of your world

It is what you call reality. You have been taught that what you see, touch, and feel at any given moment is reality. From there, the idea that the person sitting next to you on a bus or standing beside you at a concert experiences something entirely different can feel almost unsettling. Aren’t you seeing the same buildings, feeling the same bumps in the road, hearing the same music?

And yet, your neighbor’s experience is profoundly different from yours. Their values, culture, past, and present circumstances tell a different story using the very same material. Even your own perception is not fixed. Think back to the building next to your childhood home—how enormous it felt back then, and how ordinary it looks today. Like the child you once were, your world evolves as you do.

This is why your big picture needs updating. It asks to be embraced as it is now. Be mindful of old beliefs and outdated perceptions that quietly pull you backward. Your present life—and even more so your future—requires that you release what no longer nourishes you and move forward with curiosity about what could be.

The big picture of your achievements

Pause for a moment and imagine this: if someone were introducing you at a conference and listing all your achievements—every single one—what would they say? They might mention your marathon running, your devoted parenting, the sales targets you surpassed, your presence for ageing parents, your ability to thrive in a new job, a new country, or an entirely new industry. They might speak of your capacity to learn new skills, your talent for creating a welcoming home, your resilience in the face of illness, your courage, your loyalty as a friend.

You bring far more value to the world than you realize. This is not an invitation to self-satisfaction—far from it. It is an invitation to occasionally acknowledge your unique contribution to your family, your friends, your colleagues, and beyond. Research shows that we celebrate our successes for minutes and dwell on our failures for years. Does that sound familiar?

The big picture of your dreams

When your mental space is crowded with what you didn’t do, did wrong, or wish you had done differently, there is little room left for dreams to expand. Big dreams need big walls on which to be drawn. They require space, focus, and the freedom to explore, get inspired, feel excited—and eventually, move into action.

Yet even in action, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. One of my clients felt strangely out of sync just as she had reached a major milestone in an ambitious project. Something was draining her energy right before the finish line. As we explored this together, we realized she had lost sight of the broader vision beyond the immediate goals. By stepping back and reconnecting with her deeper “why,” by visualizing her larger agenda as if she were already living it, her momentum returned.

So I’ll leave you with this question:
What does your big picture tell you today?

Alexandra Humbel - Career Transition CoachAlexandra Humbel

Behind the Scenes at Thierry Mugler: Leadership Lessons From the Fashion World

/in /by

In the picture, this was me around 2000, fully immersed in a corporate career in the fashion industry that I thought I would never leave. The recent passing of the immensely talented Thierry Mugler brought me back to that time, when I served as Director of Public Relations for the company he had created. It was an intense chapter of my life — rich in learning, challenges, and inspiration.

In this photo, I appear calm and confident — the kind of confidence Thierry Mugler wanted for his female clients. His perfectly tailored jackets, elegant with a sharp, sensual edge, had the power to instantly elevate a woman’s presence. That was certainly the effect they had on me — and on the many clients who felt something close to devotion toward him. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

This role marked a major step in my career: leading the most strategic department of a highly regarded Parisian Maison de Couture. During those two intense years, I had the opportunity to refine my leadership skills in a complex and demanding environment. Here are a few insights I carry with me to this day.

1. Leading people who are more skilled than you

In previous roles, I had been the undisputed expert in my field. I hired junior team members and trained them until they could manage projects independently.

At Thierry Mugler, I stepped into a team of highly skilled, autonomous professionals who did not need me to tell them what to do. When preparing for Paris Fashion Week, they orchestrated flawlessly choreographed shows from A to Z — casting models, negotiating venues, coordinating logistics, technical teams, music, dressers, hair, and makeup — all the way to showtime. Backstage: 100 people. In the audience: 250 top journalists and international TV crews. All delivered on budget and with remarkable agility, despite last-minute creative changes from the designer.

I was deeply impressed.

So I focused on what I could uniquely bring: strengthening international media exposure and optimizing global PR strategy. But you don’t lead experts by trying to out-expert them. My role was to create the conditions for their excellence — helping them grow and feel valued, navigate conflicts, and represent them at the executive level when needed.

2. Stay curious about change — especially when you resist it

As the company underwent significant structural changes, I found myself caught between two realities. The CEO relied on me to communicate decisions and help the team adapt. At the same time, our daily work was directly impacted by choices that, in the short term, compromised performance.

When we relocated offices and showrooms, we risked losing proximity to journalists and stylists who regularly pulled pieces for editorial shoots. I remained loyal to leadership and committed to implementation — but internally, I struggled. I did not hide my doubts very well.

With hindsight, I realize I could have stayed curious longer. Being right in the short term is not always the most constructive stance. Sometimes the wiser move is to leave space for possible positive outcomes to emerge.

Curiosity is not denial. It is allowing time for new dynamics to settle.

More importantly, instead of trying to shield my team from inevitable change, I could have empowered them more actively to co-create solutions.

3. Never underestimate culture — but don’t lose yourself in it

Working for a designer I admired was an extraordinary privilege. Beauty and artistic vision were everywhere — from iconic Haute Couture creations to the futuristic universe surrounding the brand. Thierry Mugler himself was fascinating: cultured, intelligent, magnetic. Journalists, often rushed, would linger longer than planned just to listen to him speak.

Yet I was not prepared for a Maison with such a strong, unspoken culture. Much of it was implicit. It took time to decipher the codes: the intricate communication patterns, the invisible support systems, the subtle dynamics of power.

The pace was driven by passion and urgency — often with little regard for conventional working hours. I invested enormous energy in adapting. But as the mother of two young children, the long hours and emotional intensity gradually weighed on my personal life.

That chapter taught me something essential: culture can elevate you — and it can consume you if you are not attentive to your own boundaries.

Looking back, I feel deep gratitude for having had the chance to “touch the stars” — the emblem of Angel, the iconic perfume by Thierry Mugler.

I am grateful for the growth, the stretch, the lessons, and the privilege of witnessing genius up close.

That chapter shaped me — as a leader, and as a human being.

 

Alexandra Humbel
Let's Chat!
Available