Hello stars!!!
When I first came up with the identity around this show — the ambitious material girl — she was largely fictional. She was the woman I consumed on screen and in the pages of every book I could get my hands on. Olivia Pope running the country, armed with a Prada tote and white coat. The women of Sex and the City who treated New York City like their personal playground and their careers like their greatest love stories. Women with this specific combination of taste, intellect, drive, and unapologetic desire for a beautiful life. I was constructing an archetype from imagination because I hadn’t met enough of her in real life yet.
Over time, I started to recognize her spark in the wild. She never looks like her problems. She’s serious about her work and silly with her friends. She’s always drawn to the most expensive thing in the room — but swears by some hyper-niche $3 hack to stay chic. She knows meaning comes from the life she builds, not just the man she dates.
I’ve interviewed a lot of remarkable women on this show. And every now and then, I sit across from someone and feel that spark — that unmistakable quality that tells me: she is one of us. But I have never, in all the years I’ve been building this show, sat across from someone who is the full, final, completely realized version of everything the ambitious material girl was always reaching toward.
I had the extraordinary privilege of interviewing Pauline Brown at her home last month. And yes — it is exactly what you would expect from a woman who has spent her career studying and practicing taste as a discipline. Beauty, life, intention in every corner (her pink Smeg collection was a material girl giveaway!)
Ambitious barely does her justice. Few people in business—men or women—have a résumé like hers: former Chairman of LVMH North America, partner at The Carlyle Group, senior executive at Estée Lauder where she worked on the acquisitions of brands like Jo Malone and Bobbi Brown, earlier leadership roles at Bain & Company, and a graduate of Wharton. Today, Pauline leads Aesthetic Intelligence, hosts the show Aesthetic Intelligence on SiriusXM, and advises some of the world’s most influential companies and founders.
Sitting across from her didn’t feel as stuffy or intimidating as you’d expect when talking to a billion-dollar leader: she was forthcoming, generous, funny, and most of all, centered. A first-generation American raised by strong women with flair, she developed an appreciation for beauty and growth early on. She didn’t decode other people’s standards. She decided her own. And as she says in this episode: “The only thing I can do better than anyone else is be myself.”
Pauline and I both went to Wharton — thirty years apart. And sitting across from her, I kept thinking: this is what it looks like when an ambitious material girl builds it all the way out. No gatekeeping, no vagueness, no performing. Just razor-sharp intelligence and a genuine desire to hand over everything she knows so you can take it somewhere.
Here is what we cover:
— What it was actually like to be an ambitious woman at Wharton in the 90s (chaotic)
— The 100 cards exercise she used 30 years ago to get ruthlessly clear on her non-negotiables
— Why she walked away from millions in private equity to work entirely on her own terms
— Her honest takes on the brands getting taste right right now, including The Row, Jacquemus, and why Rhode is her current favorite beauty brand
— What she believes every ambitious woman needs to understand about aesthetics before AI makes it non-negotiable
You’ll be smarter if you follow Pauline’s work, so check out her riveting Substack here and pick up her book Aesthetic Intelligence if you want to cultivate your relationship with your own taste and values!
One of my favorite things about this community is that you love to learn.
Getting to sit with someone like Pauline, who has actually built a magical, impactful life and is genuinely willing to pass the map back? That is a treat. And she gives us so much in these 90 minutes, though it feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface!
The ambitious material girl finds the women who already built what she’s dreaming about — and she listens. This is the kind of conversation I want to keep having. Consider this the first installment!
And speaking of conversations worth showing up for — if this episode lit something up in you, I want you at The Alignment Edit on March 22nd. We are spending the day doing exactly what Pauline would approve of: getting ruthlessly clear on your Q2 goals and what it actually looks like to spring forward in your career with intention. No vague vision boarding. Past attendees said:
“From the moment I arrived, the room was filled with diverse, high-vibration women who were open, welcoming, and deeply present. I found myself wishing we had more time together—I would have loved to connect more deeply with each of them. We all felt it. We wanted more: more joy, more fulfillment, more life. My heart left this experience feeling full”
“This was a group of amazing ambitious women and it was such an inspiration to hear what everyone was doing and how we were able to be vulnerable but also realize that we were not alone in our experiences. I hope Alexis realizes what she did today. She made an impact and I can't wait to see where this goes!”
Grab your spot here — I would love to see you there.
With love,
Alexis 🖤
