Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Kristen Shirley of La Patiala On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be social and friendly. Being a woman in a male-dominated business can be intimidating, but I’ve never been shy about walking up to people, introducing myself, and finding a way to connect with them. Once you make a connection, it’s easier to get to know more people, find allies, and build your relationships and reputation.
In the United States in 2022, fields such as Aircraft piloting, Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, Finance, and Information technology, are still male-dominated industries. For a woman who is working in a male-dominated environment, what exactly does it take to thrive and succeed? In this interview series, we are talking to successful women who work in a Male-Dominated Industry who can share their stories and experiences about navigating work and life as strong women in a male-dominated industry. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kristen Shirley.
Kristen Shirley is an expert on luxury goods and travel. Her comprehensive writings have appeared in many of the world’s top print and digital publications, including Forbes.com, Bloomberg Businessweek, Travel + Leisure, Departures, Robb Report, Nobleman, Iconic Life, The World of Fine Wine, BusinessInsider.com, Watchonista.com, and Editorialist.com. Now as the founder of La Patiala, Kristen shares the knowledge she has accumulated through years of experience in an easy-to-understand way, so that luxury is accessible to everyone.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
My family moved around quite a bit when I was growing up, which was a wonderful experience. I was exposed to so many different places and cultures at a young age, which instilled a sense of curiosity about the world. I went to high school outside of London, and it was the first time I was really immersed in fashion and luxury. It was then that I knew I wanted to work in the luxury world.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I started my career as a fashion assistant at ELLE magazine in New York, which I loved. I worked there as an editor for several years, then moved to Elite Traveler, a luxury lifestyle publication. There, I began to cover different markets, including travel, wine, spirits, watches, and jewelry. I quickly became fascinated with the craftsmanship and stories behind these experiences and products. Now, I’m most passionate about luxury goods, which is why I launched La Patiala, the luxury encyclopedia. I love educating people about luxury, helping them find more beauty in the world, and giving them the confidence to enjoy luxury experiences and products.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world, which has been amazing. One of my most unique experiences was catching a lobster with a lasso while scuba diving in Nevis. I also went skiing with Bode Miller!
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I’m passionate, detail-oriented, and curious.
I am extremely passionate about what I do and always strive to put out the best product possible. Being so passionate about my work elevates everything I do to the highest level. I will do whatever it takes to become an expert in my field and create the best product I can. While I strive to have a good work-life balance, at times, I know that’s just not possible, and I’ll be working early in the morning or late at night to get things done. If you want to be successful, you need to do whatever it takes (within reason, of course).
In the luxury world, details matter. I’m extremely organized, a bit of a perfectionist, and I notice the little things. If an image is not sized or positioned correctly, it can ruin an entire feature. It might seem like a little thing, but all of the little things add up. Creating a luxury environment is all about the details.
I have always been a curious person. I ask tons of questions, and I’m known for asking questions that stump people. As a journalist, I need to thoroughly understand the topic I’m writing about to provide a valuable service to the reader. I find that asking questions opens the door to even more questions, and finding the answers to all of those questions has helped me become an expert in my field.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you help articulate a few of the biggest obstacles or challenges you’ve had to overcome while working in a male-dominated industry?
In some male-dominated fields, it can be difficult to get men to take you seriously or to believe in your knowledge and capabilities. In the early days of my career, I was interviewing a watch executive who felt the need to explain the basics of watch movements to me. As a watch journalist, it was insulting. He would never have said that to a man. But things have thankfully changed for the better since then. There are far more women writing and in executive roles, which has made a big difference. Today, I let the quality of my work speak for itself.
Can you share a few of the things you have done to gain acceptance among your male peers and the general work community? What did your female co-workers do? Can you share some stories or examples?
Once they understood I was passionate about the industry and knowledgeable about it, they were very welcoming. At first, I really had to advocate for myself. But it’s a small industry, and there aren’t a huge amount of journalists working in luxury watches. After you break into it, it’s really welcoming.
What do you think male-oriented organizations can do to enhance their recruiting efforts to attract more women?
I was shocked to learn that some major watch companies have terrible or non-existent maternity leave policies, so you can imagine what that means for paternity leave too. I find it disappointing that these international brands don’t offer the same benefits to European and American staff. Offering equal pay, flexible schedules, and good benefits are the best ways to recruit more women.
Ok thank you for all of that. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. The talent and knowledge to succeed in the industry. I wouldn’t be taken seriously if I didn’t have a deep knowledge of the industry. Remember, no matter the industry, no one is born knowing everything about it. Everyone has to learn. So put in the time, learn your craft, and work hard.
2. You need to be confident in your talent and abilities and advocate for yourself. If you aren’t invited to a meeting or event you think you should have been at, reach out to the company and nicely request an invitation to the next similar event explaining your credentials and why you think you should be there. But remember, no one owes you an invitation. Be polite and use good judgment in your requests. If it’s a celebrity-filled event, the only guests are executives, and you’re a junior reporter, you probably aren’t at that level yet.
3. Be social and friendly. Being a woman in a male-dominated business can be intimidating, but I’ve never been shy about walking up to people, introducing myself, and finding a way to connect with them. Once you make a connection, it’s easier to get to know more people, find allies, and build your relationships and reputation.
4. Find what makes you unique. I speak French fluently, which has definitely given me a leg up because I can interview Swiss watchmakers and executives who don’t speak English, and many of my colleagues find it impressive. Who knew my college major would be so important to my career?
5. Make female friendships within the industry. I have a lot of amazing female friends in the industry who have supported me since I started. They can advocate for you to their executives, take you under their wing, and help show you the ropes. These relationships are truly invaluable, and have turned into wonderful friendships outside of work as well.
If you had a close woman friend who came to you with a choice of entering a field that is male-dominated or female-dominated, what would you advise her? Would you advise a woman friend to start a career in a field or industry that’s traditionally been mostly men? Can you explain what you mean?
I started my career in the fashion industry, which was mostly women, so it was a shock when I started to work in a male-dominated industry and experienced sexism in the workplace. It definitely upset me. But I had a lot of work experience and was confident in my abilities, so I didn’t let it stop me. It actually inspired me to break in and become successful. I also have a very supportive family, including my dad, who was a business executive before he retired. He helped me navigate tricky situations and gave me confidence when I needed it.
If I had started in a male-dominated industry and was put down or wasn’t given equal opportunities to succeed, I don’t think I would be where I am today. For these reasons, I would be cautious about starting your career at a young age in a male-dominated industry unless it’s known to be very supportive and offer women advancement opportunities or if it’s your dream. Don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your dreams.
However, if you’re just looking for a job and your options are a male-dominated field that’s known to be toxic or a female-dominated industry, I would pick the latter. Starting your career is scary, and there are so many unknowns. Working with women can be a more supportive environment. Of course, these are just generalizations. I’ve also worked with terrible women who didn’t want to help anyone succeed and wonderful men who have mentored, supported, and championed me.
Have you seen things change for women working in male-dominated industries, over the past ten years? How do you anticipate that it might improve in the future? Can you please explain what you mean?
Even in the past five years, I’ve seen a big change. There are more women working in male-dominated industries, and I see that trend continuing. As these industries become more gender-balanced, I think the work environment will improve for everyone.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Amy Griffin from G9 Ventures. I really admire her approach to business and the companies she has invested in. Starting a new business is challenging, and I would love to have lunch with her and pick her brain about La Patiala.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Kristen Shirley of La Patiala On The Five Things… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.