Meet Edith Lassiat: from 20 years as a global luxury marketer to exhibiting as an artist in Europe and the USA

Edith Lassiat’s career journey has taken her around the world. From 20 years spent in marketing for brands including Cartier, YSL, and Descamps, to exhibiting as an artist in Europe and the USA. She’s also been an art critic (she’s the founder of contemporary art magazine Exporevue), an art director for galleries, and she’s edited four books. Since 2014, Edith has turned her focus to helping women who want to contribute to changing the world for the better, through business coaching, speaking, online programmes, and Leadership Masterminds and MasterClasses. Married for 35 years, she’s a mother of two. 

My first job ever was… Marketing Assistant for a small European company in wallpaper business. It took me to Germany, Austria and then 1 year in New York. I loved the idea of being involved in design and decoration. I created a ”collector’s” collection for US Market called “Tête à Tête”…  The premisses of my artist flair :-). With my own sketches and a poem inside. Soooo French! 

15 years later an old stylist of a group I was leading a negotiation within New York, asking me about the reason of my good level in English, suddenly understood I had also worked in wallpaper business and smiled at me saying: ”Tete à Tete”, it was YOU?

My love for art began… Very early, I think I’ve always loved art. Painting, sketching, sculpting, photographs… I remember I offered my father, who was a fine musician, a portrait of Debussy done by myself when I was 14… 

I decided to pursue a career in marketing because… it was for me the best way to travel around the world, discover and understand as many cultures as I could. And because I felt I would meet incredible people… It actually happened, I worked with Yves Saint Laurent and became part of the outstanding world of Cartier.

My proudest accomplishment is… To have been recruited at 28 years as area manager, to supervise half of the world for Cartier. A jump into an incredible world, and a reward as it turned into a successful challenge, and gave my career huge momentum.

My boldest move to date was… To quit marketing and de-luxe industry when I was 39, in order to explore my passion for art. I chose to learn the art of Quattrocento (15th century in Italy, a period of the genius of Renaissance painters) with a Master, Pierre Yves Gianini. I became an artist who could exhibit in USA and all over Europe. 

Be yourself, push the limits, connect with your Higher Self, and trust your intuition, and nourish JOY at each moment of your life!

I surprise people when I tell them… 

1. That I landed twice in VENICE in a private helicopter with my husband… and that I learned to fly for the sake of love. I did it in order to be part of his passion, even though I was really scared of piloting.
2. That I quitted my first job and safety, when I was 24, to spend one year in South America, with as little as 4 $ a day. To find out who I really was !
3. That even though I accomplished so much, I am still the ”Champion of Imposter Syndrome”… It is my very best friend. I never really could get rid of it! But together we can do miracles :-).

My best advice that I like to share…is to be yourself, push the limits, connect with your Higher Self, and trust your intuition, and nourish JOY at each moment of your life! LESS IS MORE WITH JOY!

My best advice from a mentor was…be authentic, focus on your Genius Zone, and dare to be excellent…

I would tell my 20-year old self… stay with me, express your dreams and desires. Together we can make all our dreams come true. See what we already did !!!

My biggest setback was… well, it was my best gift as well… ”My 1 million $ lesson”. We made a very bad investment 15 year ago, which could have put us down. It really scared me, but also gave me the strength to do all that had to be done. In the end, I got out of this nightmare, stronger, more confident, and closer than ever to my husband.

I overcame it by… understanding that there was a hidden gift, that I had an inner strength which was limitless, that I was guided, that it was worthwhile fighting, that my ego had no place at the time, and that I would really grow through this challenge. Also, I understood that money is not the most important thing in life, love is a higher value. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.