EDEN SASSOON | 04/2014/ Dawn McCoy & Felicia Waldman
#sassoonway
In a candid conversation, Eden Sassoon, reveals her relationship with her father, the Former actress Eden Sassoon is things that bring her joy and on the board of the Association her determination to create aof Celebrity Personal Assistants legacy of her own. and also oversees the LA branch
Edited transcript by Felicia Waldman from an exclusive video interview with Dawn McCoy
of very British, Quintessentially People
What led you to LA and how long have you been here? Uniquely, I moved out to LA to be an actress! But I quickly realized my passion and talent lay in organization and managing people. That’s when I decided to become a professional Executive and Personal Assistant which evolved into House/Estate Management.
Watch the entire video interview at www.focusmag.us/eden
I know you’re involved with the Association of Celebrity Personal Assistants, can you tell us about that? The organization has been around for over 20 years. The members are the gatekeepers to the Hollywood elite, VIPs, and captains of industry. The assistants do everything from making sure there are only blue M&M’s in a bowl to coordinate with the office colors (yes, I did this), to reading lines with Oscar winning actors, and everything in between. It has been an honor to get to know these hardworking assistants. I have served on the Board of Directors for the past six years and it’s been challenging but always worthwhile, and the relationships I have developed along the way as a PA/EM have been very rewarding.
Photoraphy: Rod Roberts Hair & Makeup: EDEN by Eden Sassoon 8 FOCUS | A P R I L 2 0 1 4
Dawn McCoy: Your dad is of course this iconic legend, Vidal Sassoon, and as a successful business woman yourself, along with your charitable endeavors, you are making quite a name for yourself. Eden Sassoon: It’s evolved from a really organic place from becoming a mother and sitting across from my father and him saying, “So what are you going to do with yourself?” And I looked at him and I’m like, “I’m a mom!” And I left that house and literally I went to therapy the next
exactly what I do now. So that’s how Pilates started. Changed my whole world.
So you had a vision and how did you put it into action? I think everything that I do comes from an organic visualization – I have a connection with what I call God, people call it higher power, whatever it may be, the universe; for me its my God – and I get this immediate gut feeling and all of a sudden it’s very clear what I have to do. And then you take the steps. You make it happen. You “You know, I’m a single sober mother. And, find the right team. That’s one that says a lot, those words right there: thing my father taught me is you are only as good as your single, sober mother at 40. Ok….why? you team. So if I don’t have that know where did that all come from? And team around me that’s gonna I’m not afraid to show all that.” build something, I can’t. There’s no way I can do it all myself. But I do a day, and I was like, excuse my language, lot of things and I’m like wow, at the end “S#*t! My dad asked me what I’m going of the day I’m like, I’m like Superwoman, to do with myself, what am I doing with [laughing] I mean it feels sometimes I’m my life?”, and I thought being a mom was superwoman. I mean sometimes I take it that, I’m done, and I sat back and I’m like, for granted but I just get up and do it again! One; I’m in therapy which means I got And I just think, alright! [looking up and some problems, of course, its life, but they pointing to the ceiling] I’m listening to you, need to be worked on, Two; what am I and how am I gonna make a difference in going to do? Being a mom for me is not someone else’s life. That’s it, that’s my goal. my everything. I love my kids and I can do It’s not anything else. I’m gonna build these all this, so I at that point, where does my businesses, it’s gonna come natural, but passion lie? And, I found it. At that point the intention is, how am I gonna make a in my life it was pilates. I was there every difference in someone else’s life? day, and I was, obviously because I’m single now, unhappily married, and pilates was my safety, it was my home. I went to bed looking forward to that next day of my journey, my physical journey and how I was gonna get through it, and just finding myself. And through that, there was a divorce, opening the business, and so much that came from just Dad saying, “What are you gonna do with yourself?” Coming from him, really it was very clear to me because he’s a man, there’s no B.S., there’s no joke, he looks you in the eye and its like “who are you? And what are you going to do? And how are YOU going to make a difference?” And he and I are very much alike and I’m like, “Oh G-d, ok here we go!” And that’s’
THE SASSOON LEGACY
You are already making a difference in so many people’s lives – your charity work on top of your two health and beauty businesses... I will go out carrying on his legacy. He, (Vidal), said to me one day, “You know, I wonder if it will be forgotten, or if I’ll be remembered.” and I’m like, “Uh, are you kidding me?” And its not because of hair, and its not because you’ve come up with an original idea, but, its who you are. You take the time, you stop, you talk, you listen…. he was blessed. And he followed through. And you know, growing up as his daughter, focusmag.us 9