Banker, mum of three and workwear style influencer. We sat down with the just-turned-50, looks-like-30 Trailblazer @monikagoestowork on her style, outlook, and life with three teenagers in lockdown.
1. Tell us about your Dai'namic self. What are the top 3 things we need to know about you?
1. I am passionate about confidence. It’s only recently that I realized that unless you have inner confidence in yourself, you can't achieve your goals.
2. I am disciplined and weight train 4-5 times a week and can deadlift 1.5 times my body weight.
3. I am a geek and have a STEM degree, BSc. Computer Science and Financial Management.
Bonus: I am also an influencer on Instagram.
2. You turned 50 recently (and don't look a day over 30). Tell us what turning 50 means to you. What's your outlook on this decade?
I have to say that I think I love you for saying that... I am fortunate that I have good skin, and I only recently converted my weight into stones and realized that I weigh what I did in my 20s... that helps me to look younger, I think. My eldest son is going to university this October, so I am looking forward to spending time with our other teens, who are 14 and 16. The teen brain has lots of plasticity, which means it can change, adapt, and respond to its environment, so I want to create memories with them. I would also like to grow my Instagram account more, more content creation relating to young professionals, and partner with sustainable workwear brands.
3. What is your style philosophy?
Buy the best quality that you can afford. Not only does it last in terms of washing and wearing, but you also create a collection of curated pieces that you simply love and wear for many years to come.
4. What's been your best (or worst) career moment, and what did you learn from it?
I moved from a Warehouse Management systems software house to Investment Banking. It was my best career move as I discovered an industry that I have succeeded in for 25 years, and at the time, it helped me realise that warehouse software wasn't the industry that I wanted to work in.
5. We're 1.5 years into the pandemic. What's your biggest takeaway from it?
Time Management. Working from home, my working hours were blurred from the moment that I woke up to the time that I went to bed. There wasn’t clear designation of 'working hours' and 'non-working hours.’ We have three children, and including my husband, there are 5 of us at home. We both work full-time. However, there is considerable effort required to run a household. Without a cleaner and having to home school, I realised that this was "work" as well. For some reason, in our society, chores that are part of your life aren’t acknowledged or appreciated. So I decided to be more transparent on all the work at home we adults have to do.