Talking BOLD with Leigh Campbell, Executive Editor at Mamamia
After a long stint as the beauty director of Cosmopolitan, followed by Head of Lifestyle at HuffPost Australia, Leigh now holds the title of Executive Editor at Mamamia – she is also the host of beauty podcast You Beauty – amassing over two decades in women’s lifestyle media, Leigh is an authority in her own field, with beauty lovers alike soaking up her every word.
When it comes to bold moves, Leigh is no stranger; as a beauty director and editor of glossy magazines in the glory days, she speaks of stepping outside of her comfort zone. Career wise the world of glossy print media was no longer, so adapting and evolving to the world of digital was imperative – a thought that couldn’t ring truer in the current climate, and, if the last year has taught us anything its that adaptability and the desire to evolve and thrive remain forefront runners of our mind, whether this be personally or professionally; everyday Bold Moves can be made, all it comes down to, is standing up, stepping out and pushing your boundaries.
When we asked Leigh about her thoughts on stepping outside of said comfort zones, her response was simple:
“Sometimes it is through necessity that we realise it’s time to step out of our comforts,
we sit in the feeling of familiar for far too long – and often the feeling the of comfort, essentially
just isn’t enough of a reason to stay.”
So, with this in mind, we sit down and talk with Leigh on her career, whilst she shares many insightful thoughts on Bold Moves – and what they mean to her.
To be able to take my readers on a journey with me, I have opened a space for honest and insightful conversations – I want both my readers and podcast listeners to feel included on this journey, so I speak with transparency; its not all about the ‘pretty’ side of beauty, I want people to feel seen and heard when it comes to the ‘unglamorous’ side too, and that is exactly what You Beauty has done – we have created a problem-and-solution based model, and with wonderful success, we thank the premise that it helps women (and some men!) solve ‘unglamourous’ and not spoken about beauty issues in a safe and understanding space.
“Thinking boldly is a part of who I am and working in a predominantly female based workplace – we all respect a direct approach to work. So, if you find yourself around people who fear you because your bold, find a new audience.”
“Living boldly, to me, means she was spontaneous, took risks, said what she was thinking and wasn’t afraid to make mistakes.”
As humans, we are hardwired to be risk adverse – And it's this wiring, that stops us from making bold choices – so often I think the fear of taking the risk; is people avoiding change and continuing on with familiarity. Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being happy doing your part in life as altering changes and big life leaps are not for everyone!
The daily juggle is a normal part of life – And, as a working mum I think the juggling act is part of the definition of parenthood, the sense of overwhelm, or biting off more than we can chew will come and go; and my best tip to manage that feeling is write a list. I live for them and would forget everything I needed to do without them.
Sharing your mistakes, just as much as your wins is not always necessary – Taking time to make that career or personal leap that may sometimes not always work out doesn’t have to be shared with people around you. It is however important to digest those mistakes yourself, dissect them and decide what it is you want to learn and take from them.
Looking to the future I am less about planning and more about spontaneity – I lost my dad to cancer around a year ago, and since then I am less about planning any sort of trajectory and more about being spontaneous, focusing on surrounding myself with people I love, respect, and have a great time with.