Entrepreneur Interview: Charlotte Giver, Your Coffee Break
- Clare Heighway
- Jul 17, 2015
- 4 min read
We chat to Charlotte Giver, the founder and editor of Your Coffee Break - an online magazine for professional women.
What were you doing before you launched Your Coffee Break?
Before Your Coffee Break (YCB), I was in PR for several years. I worked in LA at Red Light PR for a bit and then moved to Barcelona in 2012 to manage PR and social media at Suitelife Barcelona.
Where did the idea for YCB come from?
It was actually inspired from a film! I had just seen Morning Glory with Rachel McAdams and realized there weren't any magazines that properly catered to professional women. YCB initially began as a way for me to share my professional experiences in PR and give advice. I wanted YCB to capture the interests of the professional woman, who is constantly juggling career obligations while tending to her caffeine addiction. From there it has really grown into the magazine it is today.
Who is a YCB reader?
Definitely the career oriented woman, who also loves to dress her best and host a fabulous dinner party. YCB is for inspirational women who are go-getters and never settle for anything less than what they set their minds to attaining.
What can readers get from visiting YCB?
YCB offers great career advice and tips to improve your work life. But YCB is more than that - it's a lifestyle magazine that focuses on everything from great clothing pieces for the office that transitions into a fabulous outfit for after work drinks, to the best places to get a quick mani/pedi in the city.
We also focus on luxury getaways and interior design tips. We basically cover it all! We really relate to readers who, like us are busy career women so most of the time what we feature in our magazine - topics that we are interested in and that will make life run a bit more smoothly.
What's your most popular section on YCB?
The careers pages!
How many are in your team?
Today, we have a team of 5 girls who are just so passionate about the magazine. Your Coffee Break wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn't for them and our fabulous freelance writers who we source from across the globe. I am working with some of the best journalists in the industry and I am so grateful to be having these ladies contributing for the mag.
You have a large worldwide readership. How did you go from a UK based online magazine to having a large audience in places such as New York, LA and Paris?
Largely, I have social media to thank for that - its definitely been a big driver! What we write about has a universal appeal and we are very established in the social media world. In this day and age; with twitter, instagram and Facebook, anything is possible - you just need a great idea and keep going!
What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
Opportunities tend to be one-time shots; if you don't take them that instant, you may lose them forever.
Tell us about your average day, Charlotte.
On an average work day, I’m a coach and a mentor to my employees, editor and social media guru to my clients, and I thrive on seeing great result happen for designers, brands and clients that started off as an article idea. Being a magazine editor, there’s always something to do, and work starts early for me-around 7 am and I am usually in the office till about 8 pm. I don’t sleep much and I TOTALLY depend on coffee to boost my energy. I try not to get back home too late though because as much as I love my job, I also love to take care of the home (I am a sucker for interior design!), cook and spend quality time with my boyfriend.
What's the best part of your job?
I love the writing elements and the diversity of my job. I often say that every day is like a new adventure. One day I might be in Paris for Paris Fashion Week, the next I'm meeting with a designer in Notting Hill and the following I’m pitching a social media campaign to a new app that just launched in Chicago. Through my work, I meet with so many wonderful and talented professionals and to get the opportunity to learn about their life and career success is a rewarding experience.
What's the most challenging part of your job?
The administrative work - don’t get me started on taxes!
What plans do you have for YCB's future?
We are constantly growing and recently welcomed new members to our team in the U.K. and U.S. We are so excited to establish more partnerships with great magazines and online platforms. Since the conception of Your Coffee Break, I've always envisioned a print version of the magazine to be available in coffee shops for our readers to snag a copy while they grab a coffee. So this year we will really focus on making that happen!
And finally, where's your favourite place to visit in London on your day off?
Covent Garden!
Comments