Rebranding the definition of success with Bianca Bass
Career coach Bianca Bass sharing musings on work, creativity and being human. From working at Vogue to managing a team at age 23, Bianca has some solid advice when it comes to your career.
Hi Bianca! Your website is full of empowering stories and advice for women, by women. What encouraged you to start this blog?
Hi Femke! Firstly, thank you so much for reading and being so encouraging. It means the world. :)
I started BiancaBass.com after reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Big Magic’. It had been years since I’d written for fun, but I found the book so compelling that I started my blog there and then. (And, on a side note, if you’re ever stuck in a creative rut, I can’t recommend Big Magic enough). I didn’t have a plan, or a goal… all I had was a desire to create honest, relatable career content for millennials. The kind of content I wish I could have read when I was starting out.
Whenever I felt lost in my job or, you know, my LIFE, I’d look at the career content on Forbes or Fast Company and, although it was (and remains!) super informative, I couldn’t see myself in any of it. I’d read interviews with top, high-flying business people and, although they were seriously impressive, they didn’t speak to me.
Seriously, how was I supposed to relate to a 40-something CEO in Silicon Valley? Motivational? Yes. Relevant to me, at this stage of my life? Absolutely not! So, I decided to make it my mission to create a careers blog for ambitious and creative millennials before the boardroom.
Today, my aim is simple: I want to share my stories, while leaving enough room for you to see yourself and your stories, too.
You once interned at Vogue — that must have been eye opening! I’m sure it’s not as dramatic as what we see in the movies, but there must have been some things you had to adjust to. What’s the biggest lesson you learnt during your time there?
Great question! I learned a lot at Vogue — from event planning the first ever Vogue Festival, to phone etiquette, and everything in between. The biggest lesson, however, was one in resiliency.
For context, interning at Vogue had always been my dream. Always. But, as I grew older, I started learning how difficult a dream it actually was. After all, I had no contacts, no money and no real knowledge of the industry.
What I did have, however, was tenacity. Lots of it.
So, I kept interning elsewhere, building my experience, working incredibly hard, applying, and getting rejected. I was rejected three times before I even got an interview. And you know what the Managing Editor said when I finally met her? “We’re impressed with your work ethic.” It was the single most affirming moment of my life to date, because it proved to me that, with hard work and self-belief, it really is possible to get to wherever you want to be. It won’t be easy, but breaking boundaries is always worth it.
As a writer, what is it that excites you about writing and building a community online as opposed to other mediums?
The Internet has taught me SO much. About work. About life. About myself. I learn from my readers every single day, and I trust their opinion more than anyone else’s. I’ve made great, real life friendships and connected with people all over the world, all through my blog.
Having a readership is not something I take for granted and, as it grows, I’m constantly thinking of new ways of connecting with my audience. For example, I’ll soon be beta launching 1–1 career coaching for millennials, and I’m so intrigued to see how that goes!
There’s never been a better time for content creators. The possibilities are ever-evolving. Who knows what online communities will look like 5, 10, 15 years? We’re writing the rules and making it up as we go along, and that is very, very exciting.
You’re always publishing or posting something new, which a lot of us really value. How do you make time for creating new and valuable content?
Thank you so much! It may sound strange, but the key for me has been to only create content when I feel like it, because the moment creating content becomes a chore is the moment inspiration stops coming. If I feel overworked or exhausted, you won’t see a blog post from me that weekend. Instead, I’ll be going for walks, reading new books, discovering new places and waiting for ideas to come to me.
I trust the process because I’ve been through the process so many times now. I know that you’re not always going to feel inspired, or feel like writing, and that’s totally ok.
Taking regular breaks allows me to do more when I DO feel like it. And the key, for me, is doing as much as I possibly can when I feel inspired. In the moments when it feels fun, run with it until it doesn’t.
You’ve talked before about managing a team of people at age 23. Surely there were feelings of self doubt? How do you deal with imposter syndrome?
Oh my, I have had extreme moments of self-doubt (I still do!). But when I first got a managerial job, I remember being in the office when everyone was talking about birthdays. Everyone was discussing their next birthday and how annoyed they were to be in their thirties, when I, no word of a lie, grabbed my phone and pretended to take a call just to avoid my age being revealed! Cringe!
But, with time, and thanks to fantastic mentors, I learned that I was made a manager for a reason: because I’d earned it and because other people believed in me and my capabilities. I believe in what I’m capable of now, too.
The truth about imposter syndrome is this: even the best paid people in the world have imposter syndrome. It happens to Every. Single. One. Of. Us. The key is to believe in yourself anyway. You attract what you think you’re worth. So, you have a choice: you can either stay in your comfort zone and wait until you’re ready (which, FYI, will leave you waiting forever), or you can exit your comfort zone (because that’s where the great stuff happens).
You talk a lot about side hustles and doing more than the day job, which is common talk for people our age. Why do you think there’s so much importance placed on side projects these days?
Side hustles are good for the soul. What does that mean exactly? Well, having a creative pursuit that is entirely your own, with no external pressure, is proven to be good for your mental health and sense of self. Millennials love and need side hustles because our priorities are so different from our parents’. Many of us graduated in a non-existent job market, and many of us still find ourselves in jobs we kind of hate.
Side hustles are a way of creating and learning on our own terms. Having projects outside of your day job helps put everything into perspective.
There’s a lot of pressure throughout our lives to find and achieve success, which we know looks different for everyone. Do you think achieving success is a healthy goal to have or should we be aiming for something closer to the heart?
Success needs a rebrand. It really does. I think it’s an outdated term, and ‘successful’ is a word we should stop using to describe people.
I’m not saying don’t chase money and all those arbitrary pillars of success. By all means, do! Go get it. I love money. Money is great, as long as you don’t let it define you. But just know that you can never achieve ‘success’, because your definition of ‘success’ is forever changing. Success is never yours to keep, and if you make it your sole focus you’ll only ever be miserable. Trust me, I should know.
Instead, I think we should learn that there’s more fun to be had in the PROCESS of chasing our goals and, above all, we should be chasing our curiosity. Gravitate towards what feels good, because that’s all any of us ever truly have.
You can find Bianca on her website, medium, Instagram or Twitter.
What is The Creative Series?
The Creative Series is a publication run by Femke that highlights the under-deserved creatives of our industry. If you’re interested in being featured or want to submit someone, please reach out to Femke on Twitter.
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About the interviewer
Hi I’m Femke — a designer, writer and podcaster who overlaps between a day job, freelancing and side projects. I love to help other creatives be the best version of themselves. I’d love to get to know you more, say hi on Twitter 👋
