City Kid

from Mini Magazine Fall 2018, Jenny Mollen

Beauty Boss

Designer and mom of three Rebecca Minkoff shows us around her neighborhood and talks how she’s shifted her priorities (and schedule!) since becoming a mom, her favorite place to take the kids in NYC, and her recent launch of a new network of women-led businesses.

**Meet Nico, Minkoff's adorable 8-month-old son!**

MINI | As a busy working mama, tell us what a typical work day looks like for you.

REBECCA MINKOFF | There is no typical day for me! An average day starts at around 7:15 AM when I wake up and get my kids ready. During the week, it’s always hard work to get them up, but for some reason, they wake up on the weekends at 7 AM (always when I want to sleep in) like clockwork; I wish the weekdays could be that easy. My husband and I make them breakfast, drink our coffee (much needed), and pack their lunches. We generally divide and conquer, while I’m getting them dressed, he is doing the cooking and prepping. I also have to pump during this time and keep our newly crawling 8-monthold out of harm’s way. We each take one kid to school and then off to the office I go. I get into the office around 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM, so the in between I like to fill with catching up on emails and inspiration hunting. Once I get into the office, I hit the ground running. I have been invested with the launch of my podcast, Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff (it’s a must download!), speaking engagements, and panels at AdWeek or Create Cultivate, so preparation, research, recording and editing take up a large chunk of time. Add design meetings and touchbases and that’s a wrap! I get home around 6:45 PM, and put my phone away. I love the end of the day time with my kids, making dinner, and just being together before they head off to bed. I aim for an 8:15 PM bedtime, and with so much traveling lately, I’ve been lights out at 9:30 PM.

MINI | How have you seen your brand evolve and where would you like to see it go in the future?

REBECCA MINKOFF | It’s been an amazing evolution from a single category into a global lifestyle brand. As a female entrepreneur, I have an innate desire to help support and empower other women to be successful and confident in their aspirations. In the future, I would like the brand to not only offer amazing products, but make an impact on women and equality. Most recently, we announced The Female Founder Collective (or FFC), which is a network of businesses led by women, supporting women. Our mission is to enable and empower female owned and led businesses to positively impact our communities, both socially and economically. I look forward to sharing more on the launch in 2019!

MINI | What has been your proudest career moment to date?

REBECCA MINKOFF | There isn’t one moment. It’s a series of peaks and valleys with each peak growing in size. It’s those times when you get your first major award, or open your first store, or see your bag being worn around. All these moments feel just as big each time they happen.

MINI | What would you say is the greatest challenge of being a working mom?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Being present— getting home, trying to take work-related needs off my mind, being more present with my kids. It’s constantly something I am working on.

MINI | How do you manage to keep all of the plates spinning?

REBECCA MINKOFF | I feel that women often view balance negatively. For me, it is more about knowing what you’re comfortable with, staying aware of your boundaries, and trusting your intuition. The goal is to find the ebbs and flows about how your life goes and make your own journey. For me, I always want to walk my kids to school every morning, or if I need to travel for work, I will limit it to five days, otherwise they are coming with me! It allows me to feel that “even” sense between work and spending quality time with my kids. It’s the give and takes that are unique to each mother that she must explore for herself.

MINI | Where have you seen the biggest changes in your life since becoming a mom of three?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Prior to having children, I worked until midnight every night and I didn’t think anything of it. I worked weekends, traveled constantly, etc. The minute I had Luca (my first), it was so important to me that I shift those priorities and re-focus my energy on him and raising our family. It was about finding my new boundaries and empowering my team to work hard and support them through any hurdles. Having a team you can depend on and trust, is my sure fire advice for any woman (or mom) starting (or running) a business.

MINI | What is your greatest joy of motherhood?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Watching my kids grow up and develop their own personalities is both exciting and rewarding. Seeing how innocent they view the world always inspires me and keeps me grounded.

MINI | What do you think is the one thing no one really warns you about?

REBECCA MINKOFF | How fast your kids grow up!

MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry or fear?

REBECCA MINKOFF | I think it goes without saying that a mother’s biggest fear would be losing her child. I think about it every day!

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your kids’ names.

REBECCA MINKOFF | We have always loved Italian names . When Luca was born, it was between Luca and Nico, but when he arrived I knew right away Luca fit his personality. When I was pregnant with my second, Bowie, Luca was obsessed with listening to David Bowie vinyls. For about three solid weeks, all we listened to was David Bowie; the name just felt right. For our third, we were leaning towards a family name but always had Nico in our back pocket. When he arrived, we felt really good about bringing it back. It’s short for Nicolai, which I love.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your kids?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Just relax a little bit and try to raise them as tiny adults. I want to set an example for them and inspire them to always follow their dreams.

MINI | Favorite places to take the kids in NYC?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Brooklyn Bridge Park. It’s right in front of our apartment building, so it’s perfect! There is always something to do. The park is enormous. Plenty of playgrounds, and bike paths, and it sits right on the water, so it’s great for a picnic.

MINI | Looking back to your first days as a mom, what advice would you give yourself?

REBECCA MINKOFF | Sleep when the baby is sleeping and be present in the time you spend with them— those moments go by so quickly and you don’t get them back!

MINI | If you could give your kids one piece of advice, what would it be?

REBECCA MINKOFF | To learn to work hard and to be problem solving extraordinaires.