CHAPTER 1

Work, A Love/Hate Story
Brains & Beauty-ism #1: Work hard. Then stop.

Even if you love what you do—especially if you love what you do—it is easy to get sucked into feeding work’s endless hunger. Work is infinite. Work is unforgiving. It is also exciting and joyful. And that’s what makes it so seductive.

Not many books on leadership have the word seduction in their titles. It’s a powerful word for me, crystalizing the dilemma that business leaders constantly face: how to embrace what we love about our work while keeping it from eclipsing the other parts of our lives. Whether you are a just-out-of-the-gate entrepreneur, a seasoned C-suite executive, or an employee of one of these leaders, you’ve learned that work is never satisfied. Work can take every moment, every thought, every ounce of energy you can give and still want more.

Success and seduction are not mutually exclusive, rather two sides of the same coin. We all want to be successful, whatever our endeavor. That desire is what leads to seduction. The challenge is to give ourselves fully to our work, which is necessary for success, without getting drained by work’s immense neediness. That means knowing when to say, “enough for today,” turn out the lights, and go home, physically and mentally. This book offers insightful conversations on how beauty industry leaders strike that balance. Or valiantly try...