Business
Casey and Julie visit the Peach Pit in Refinery 29’s New York office and go deep with co-founder and executive creative director Piera Gelardi on failure and success, self-image, the media, aging, and what it means to create a company - and be a person - that strives to be “real, raw, and relatable.” (RIP Sassy magazine.) TOP TAKEAWAYS If someone looks like an “overnight success”, you’re missing part (or most) of the story. And success comes in moments along the journey, not a destination. Counter the instinct to watch yourself perform by focusing on generously sharing your expertise, your ideas, and your energy. Friction creates sparks: “the power of a problem” to give us insight and creativity that might have never come otherwise. Representation matters - from top stories down to the stock footage you use. Vulnerability can be a superpower and give others permission to talk about their own struggles. Piera Gelardi is co-founder and executive creative director of the trailblazing media and entertainment company, Refinery29. As of 2019, Refinery29 was acquired by Vice Media Group, in a transaction valued at over $400 million. Refinery29 has won countless awards for its creativity, helping to change the way media and advertising speaks to and represents women through original content and live experiences. Piera is dedicated to championing inclusive stories that resonate globally, with an eye towards what matters most to this powerful generation of women. She has been honored as one of Adweek’s Creative 100, Ad Age's 50 Most Creative People, Entrepreneur magazine’s 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs, and one of Adweek's 37 Women Who Are Disrupting the Status Quo and Championing Gender Diversity. She also sits on the board of The Lower Eastside Girls Club, an organization training the next generation of ethical, entrepreneurial, environmental leaders.