Very few can say they’ve built their dream career from what began as a weekend hobby from the couch of their San Francisco home. That is, unless you’re Lisa Sugar. In the wake of a lifelong love for popular culture, fashion and celebrity, Sugar began writing a blog, coined POPSUGAR, for the fun and sake of writing about what she loved. That was back in 2005.
Now, after years of work and establishing a voice for the brand, POPSUGAR has made its way to becoming the number one independent lifestyle media company for women, boasting a 500-person staff and over 100 million unique readers. The brand, which offers content focused in anything from entertainment and wellness to travel and fashion, continues to expand its base across a variety of platforms as Lisa Sugar sits proudly as founder and president of her bourgeoning empire.
And while operating a multi-faceted business, directing a full-time staff of employees and raising three young daughters seems like more than enough to satisfy a typical 9-to-5 routine, Sugar decided to toss ‘book author’ into the mix as well. Available for purchase on September 20th, “Power Your Happy: Work Hard, Play Nice and Build Your Dream Life” delves into Sugar’s journey to building the POPSUGAR brand, the many hurdles – personal and otherwise – she’s faced in doing so, and how it’s given her the privilege to provide likeminded women insight into establishing a dream career of their own.
“Power Your Happy” readers will learn how building a powerful team around you, polishing leadership skills and learning to let go and delegate out can equate for successful business. More importantly, Sugar stresses the importance of “working hard and playing nice,” a reflection of her own business mindset, and doing so while staying true to your vision and voice.
Sugar also extends her business savvy beyond her new book, as she joins the speaker lineup at Advertising Week in New York from September 26th–30th. Sugar will speak as part of the “Nasdaq Innovation Series: Founders Forum” alongside a panel of CEOs and founders to discuss how realizing your dream takes serious guts. Attendees will listen to Sugar real-time as she chronicles the ups and downs of running a company, and how she stays true to the very passions that led her to launch a business from her San Francisco living room 11 years ago.
For more information, head over to newyork.advertisingweek.com/calendar, and for more about Lisa Sugar, check out poweryourhappy.com.
