What do you do at Wax in the City?
Wax in the City is a premium service provider for hair removal with warm wax. I am a franchise partner for Wax in the City in Switzerland and run two waxing studios in Zurich with 16 employees. When I left PwC in 2016, I took over the existing studio in Kreis 1 and opened a second studio in Zurich Oerlikon in April 2017.
What’s your idea of a perfect day at work?
My perfect day at work starts with a few hours of uninterrupted work at my desk. I check e-mails, make calls and prioritise my tasks for the day. When my employees arrive, I can spend a good hour talking with them to gauge the mood, answer questions and make sure everyone is motivated to perform at their best. I go out for a long lunch with a friend who also has her own business and we have a very stimulating exchange. In the afternoon, I get a call from a business partner confirming a marketing cooperation that I have been working on for the past month. All customers are very satisfied with their treatments and leave big tips for my employees. When we close at 8:00 p.m., everyone is in a cheerful and happy mood because we broke the record of number of clients for a single day.
What’s the biggest lesson you took away from your time at PwC?
Besides all the technical skills, I am very grateful for obtaining a complete set of skills, including project management, leadership, critical thinking and active listening skills as well as good judgement and decision-making abilities.
What do you most value in your co-workers?
I enjoy working with reliable and honest people. I especially value people who have internalised the principle of give and take and are willing to put in the extra effort for the success of the team.
What do you think is the most underrated and most overrated characteristic?
- Underrated: the ability to apologise and admit making a mistake.
- Overrated: creativity. While I am sure it’s essential in some jobs, in most jobs creativity is no more than a ‘nice to have’.
Any advice for the next generation of leaders?
The most important advice I would give the next generation of leaders is to put the people you work with at the centre of your decision-making (especially in the service industry, where employees have a direct impact on client satisfaction). This sounds very simple but it requires a lot of confidence as well as humbleness. If you focus on the people, I believe success in other areas will follow.
What’s the last book you read?
Built to Last – Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras.
Who would you have dinner with (dead or alive)?
Paula Radcliffe. She is the current women’s marathon world-record holder. During her career, she experienced many ups and downs but never lost her stamina and focus.
Last vacation you took?
An unforgettable trip to Colombia.
On the weekends, you can find me
Depending on the season, I’ll either be cross-country and downhill skiing or rowing and sailing on Lake Zurich with my husband and friends.
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The most important advice I would give the next generation of leaders is to put the people you work with at the centre of your decision-making.
