4 career lessons from Coco Chanel

On Monday, I always have to put on my suit. I need clothes to pull me out of my comfortable weekend zone. There was a time when I wore a fixed Monday dress. It radiated power, had a business feel but was also comfortable, and I could put it on in a minute. Perfect to ‘wash off‘ the weekend. What always helps me get back in the saddle are some inspirational quotes from leading ladies. So today for me, but also very much for you, four brilliantly good career lessons from Gabrielle Chanel.

1. Make people hungry

Gabrielle Chanel had her employees in her boutique wear her fragrance Chanel No. 5 The generally well-off customers became curious because oh oh oh, everyone smelled so good. When she knew there was enough market for her perfume, she decided to really start producing it. They say (I unfortunately can't verify it myself, but I believe it) that a bottle of No. 5 is sold every 55 seconds.

2. Embrace the silly things

Or as Gabrielle Chanel beautifully said: “Sometimes finding the opposite of the things you love can be just as useful as finding things you adore.” In other words: if you encounter something you find terrible, it helps you find what you do like.

3. Failure is not an option

“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know failure is inevitable.” Just don’t even think that the possibility exists that something might not work. And especially don’t listen to others who try to make you insecure. Best regards.

4. Choose your battles

Try to let go of something if it’s not working out and if you know it’s not going to succeed. This may sound a bit contradictory to point 3, but if you feel that something isn’t working, a colleague you don’t match with, a client you keep feeling friction with, or even a fractured friendship (read here the five-step breakup plan with your girlfriend): let it go. Or as Gabrielle put it: “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping it will become a door.”