STRATEGY: WHEN THE ODDS AREN'T IN YOUR FAVOR

One of the biggest challenges of my career was repositioning Glamour Italia—then one of Condé Nast’s most profitable titles. Both the magazine and website had to be completely reimagined and relaunched in just eight weeks. It felt like a Mount Everest climb. Yet, I still set myself a higher goal: not just to make a beautiful magazine on time, but to grow as both designer and leader.

When I landed in Milan, the odds weren’t great. I had the CEO and Editor’s support, but I was the American in a role many felt belonged to an Italian. The staff was distant, their vacations were sacred, and the language barrier was real.

So I got resourceful. I built a nimble freelance team to keep things moving, but knew the redesign would only succeed with the in-house staff on board. I opened my door wide, listened, asked for help—and slowly, something shifted. Curiosity turned into contributions, vacations got shortened, and the energy in the room lifted.

Within weeks, we didn’t just deliver a redesign that boosted sales and ad revenue. We built trust, camaraderie, and a team that believed in itself—and we laughed a lot along the way.

The lesson? Love is a strategy. Deadlines and rules push, but warmth, respect, and passion pull. When you see people for who they are and give them space to shine, they give their best—and often more than you dreamed possible.

View the Glamour Case Study Here

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