Brilliant Minds CEO, Annastasia Seebohm Giacomini
“…whilst I was always very clear about where I wanted to go, I have always been willing to kind of like throw it all up in the air and try something new.”
As driven women, we often beat ourselves up for not being perfect, we constantly question if we are “ready” and expect to walk into every promotion or new position knowing everything, ready made and fully formed. But what if we didn’t think this way? How freeing and empowering would it be to take on a new position, believe you deserve it and are the right person for it but still acknowledge yourself as a work in progress in constant evolution? Annastasia Seebohm Giacomini thinks like this. She is driven and self aware. Her dedication to hard work leaves her certain of her deservedness for the heights to which she has ascended but she remains willing to “throw it all up in the air.” She describes herself as “curious” and “interested.” She saw that her new role as Global CEO of Brilliant Minds Foundation would have her presenting on stage to large groups and on camera quite a bit so she worked with a posture expert. Her recent introduction to Scandinavian fashion got her rethinking her style, so she underwent a color consultation. Upon receiving tough feedback that her management style was too “alpha” she sought leadership coaching. Annastasia says:
“I've always been a little bit like this. I'm huge on new year resolutions. I'm huge on setting goals but I think we're always an evolution…You grow and you learn things about yourself and you read more. And I think that it's an evolution.
She would know a thing or two about evolution and the journey to greatness since she spends her time hobnobbing with founders, creatives, investors, inventors, artists and other people who make our world go round. Ever noticed how these people are all eager to learn more? They meditate, self-reflect, push their own personal boundaries and try to optimize their abilities. Annastasia fits right in. Despite this, she cautions “balance” and her experience with loss has helped her reprioritize her health and rest.
Image by Giada De Pra
As I sit looking at Annastasia on my screen, I’m struck by how young she looks. At thirty-six years old she is already on her second CEO position. Before her current stint at Brilliant Minds, she held the top job at Quintessentially Group, the world’s premier luxury concierge service, where she worked her way up from Executive Assistant to Global Chief Executive Officer in five years! She credits her work ethic, eagerness to get her hands dirty in all roles and willingness to talk to just about anyone.
At Quintessentially Group, her clients were the most successful and discerning leaders, founders and investors in the world and her vendors were brands that epitomize excellence. She managed global teams and spearheaded the company to astronomical levels of growth. She brings that experience to Brilliant Minds Foundation, an invitation-only weekend where global industry leaders, creatives, investors and thinkers meet for talks and to share ideas. Their previous roster of speakers include names such as Barack Obama, Jeff Koons, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It would take a capable, charismatic, confident and self-possessed leader to draw that kind of talent and manage that kind of event.
So how did she get here? Does her age ever feel like a positive, a negative or a non-factor? Who is she outside of work and what shapes her overall mindset? Annastasia, whom I met many years ago in NYC and fell completely in awe with gives us a glimpse at her new life in the Italian country side. She opens up about her career journey, how she met her husband, and what she wants young career women to know and do differently than she did.
You can watch our interview here.
“I had the feedback that I was quite alpha and I saw that behavior in myself as well. I felt to be a really effective and well-respected CEO, you had to have that energy. But then I saw somebody I was managing, a young woman, have that energy as well and I didn't like seeing that I'd influenced somebody to behave like that because that's what they thought they needed to do to succeed.”
You sold a business quite young. You started at the bottom at Quintessentially, worked your way all the way up to global CEO. You’re currently the CEO of Brilliant Minds Foundation. What would you say your characteristics or traits are that have helped propel you throughout your career journey?
I mean, I sort of always say, firstly, it's just old fashioned hard work. Especially at the beginning of my career, but I was, and even now to some extent am first-in-last-out, working through vacations, willing to miss things to get the job done. With age I have learned that balance and health is the most important thing but I still believe that hard work is the best way to succeed. On top of that, I think it's having a curious mindset. It's being willing to jump into a variety of different things. I don't feel like any job is ever below me and I think it's important to just raise your hand and try lots of different things.
Yeah, these are really good answers, especially curiosity because some people can be very set in terms of what they think they're good at or what they think their future is going to look like. And I think that in having that mindset, you might miss out on a lot. Were you always very clear about where you saw your career?
I was always very, very, very clear, but I have always been incredibly flexible. I mean, that's indicative of my life now: I met somebody, I left my life in New York, I now live in Italy. So whilst I was always being very clear about where I wanted to go, I have always been willing to kind of like throw it all up in the air and try something new. And I think it was that combination. I'd also read a long time ago that you should try and do your job in 70% of your time so you can allow 30% to learn other things. And I try and apply that to my life in general, not just to work. If there's something I want to improve about myself, for example, I took this role and it was a much more public-facing role. There is a stage presence that you have to have. And I wanted to fix my posture. I would say my posture wasn't bad previously, but it wasn't excellent. So I started working with a postural expert.
How did you get that feedback? How did you know that you needed to improve your posture?
Through my own self-assessment, you know, I'd seen enough photos of myself and suddenly I thought, God, I'm going to actually physically be on a big stage. I'm going to stand there. I'm going to be hosting lots of events. There's going to be photographers at these events. And when you start to think about stage presence, posture’s extremely important. So I started working with a postural expert and she developed these practices for me and they're eight to nine minutes a day and my posture’s just like worlds apart in a 12 month period. You have to look back to see how far you’ve come. It’s wild!
I love that answer because I think so many women think that to have a job like yours, they need to be fully formed and ready made. And I love that even at your level, you're still finding things that you think you could be better at and finding the solutions to solve it.
I mean, I would say even more so, for me, even more. I mean, I've always been a little bit like this. I'm huge on new year resolutions. I'm huge on setting goals but I think we're always an evolution. And it's as simple as I realize now, the importance of eating good meals, the importance of low intensity exercise. You grow and you learn things about yourself and you read more. And I think that it's an evolution.
On this topic, I was reading a profile on you and you mentioned that earlier in your career, you got feedback that you had a tendency to dominate, or something along those lines, and you had a very strong personality at work, and this was really tough feedback that I used to get, especially in my last job where I was running big teams and had cross-functional partners, et cetera. And you worked with someone there. I'd love you to talk about that, because I don't think it's talked about enough this idea of a more feminine approach. I would love to hear anything that you could tell us about what she taught you or what women should know.
It sounds like I just work with a lot of, private specialists but there was certainly a time where my budget didn't necessarily allow for that. YouTube has always been kind of my best friend for these things. I always would suggest to people, the internet can be your best friend in terms of free and more financially accessible things to do to self-improve and it's certainly always been a tool I've used.
Yeah, I had the feedback that I was quite alpha and I saw that behavior in myself as well and I felt to be a really effective and well-respected CEO, you had to have that energy. But then I saw somebody I was managing, a young woman, have that energy as well and I didn't like seeing that I'd influenced somebody to behave like that because that's what they thought they needed to do to succeed. So that's when I decided to work with somebody. My life coach has a business called Electric Woman. She believes that everybody has an electric version of themselves. So that’s not striving to be somebody else but striving to be kind of the best version of you. And it's about drawing that out from inside you. So we did this guided visualization. I think you'll appreciate this and anybody that considers themselves a bit of a New Yorker might appreciate this. She made three versions of myself sit on a bench and have a conversation. And along comes the worst version, which is stressed, busy, probably should have washed my hair the day before and I'm like, on my phone: “sorry, what were you saying? Let me just reply to this and maybe we can have coffee again on Friday, but let me come back to you.” So that's like the distressed, highly wired self. Then there's the everyday version which is quite high energy, a little bit distracted by my phone, not so much. It depends if something happens, chatty. And then there's the best version of myself, which is so much slower and just so much more present and listening more and calmer, and just like a quieter, more relaxed version. Now, I strive to be that. What this exercise taught me was to not be the worst version more than anything. Like it helped me be so aware of the worst version of myself so that I could let her go much more often. Even if I'm just mostly in this version, at least I know what I'm working towards and what I don't want to be and that translates to leadership.
That is a really interesting exercise that takes a lot of courage. I would love to do an assessment like that.
Yeah, because I think you can apply it to the way you speak to your spouse. You can apply it to the way you are with your friends. You can apply it to how you are in the office. That worst version comes through in all of this and so does the best when you have the discipline.
At IVC, I really try to drive home the message that success is really an individual thing and it looks different to a lot of people. And even to an individual, its definition might change over time. Considering all that you've done, how do you, for yourself, define success and has it changed over time with changes in your life?
It's absolutely changed over time and it continues to evolve. And I think when you have different life experiences, you reassess what's important, what success looks like. Above all, to thine own self be true. I think it's understanding who you are and being happy with that. For me, that is ultimate. Just being cool with who you are. Are there many things that I need to improve on? Of course. Are there things that I would like to change and grow in? Without a doubt. And then around that, you know, through my own experience of loss, time with people you love is just paramount. So being happy within yourself, time with people you love, and then at peace with what you're producing, with what you're doing with your time. That could be being a highly effective global CEO, that could be being a really present wife and mother. I think to be at peace with how you're spending your time.
Completely agree and sort of like ignoring all the outside noises telling you what you should be doing, how you should be doing it, by when you should be doing it. I think we get lost in that a lot, especially women.
Exactly. Definitely.
“in the beginning. There were many times I was mistaken for an executive assistant instead of the CEO when people arrived to meet the CEO”
I talk a lot about the importance of pivoting and changing your mind and bouncing back from struggles and negative experiences. Can you name a time where a negative experience or not getting what you want in the end worked in your favor.
Yeah, I can think of lots of times. I will say that probably the one that had the most profound impact over recent years was the passing of my father, which was unexpected. It just made me reassess how I was spending my time, and I very quickly pivoted from living on an aeroplane and going to everything that I thought I should go to and I needed to be at, to without a shadow of a doubt prioritizing my health and slowing down and sleeping. I used to be up four or five hours a night, “be productive, be productive.” And now sleep is number one.
Just to pivot back to your career journey a little bit, when you were coming up at Quintessentially, because you literally worked your way up from the bottom to the top at a young age, how did you deal with the fact that number one, you were so young and I'm sure the people that you were working with and the clients that you were facing, the vendors you were using, sometimes were much older than you, way more experienced than you? And the fact that now you were sort of the boss of a lot of your colleagues, did you ever have moments of self doubt, confidence issues, questioning yourself, or you knew it was just right?
I think both. I think I knew it was right. And of course, imposter syndrome was real, especially in the beginning. There were many times I was mistaken for an executive assistant instead of the CEO when people arrived to meet the CEO. Now, my issue with that, I don't mind being mistaken for an executive assistant, it’s how I started. My issue was that people treat people of different hierarchies differently. So that was what upset me most about that. So I would always be quite vocal about it. Definitely happy to call anybody out in a very kind way. And I would definitely tell my colleagues about my experience. So younger women within the organization knew that if something happened, it wasn't exclusively to them.
I think you can have imposter syndrome but deep down inside know that [you belong]. Again, I've got to say YouTube motivational videos were my best friend. I love meditation, visualization, motivational talks. And back to the point of hard work. If you're working hard, then even if it doesn't work out, you can be at peace with yourself.
I agree. Whenever I had my issues of self-doubt or questioning myself at work, I always knew my work was good. It was never that. It was just convincing myself that once I got to that table that I belonged and sort of like ignoring and killing all those negative voices and questions and things that from the past, perhaps had sort of messed with confidence a little bit. It wasn't the work, like you showed up as your best self and you did it.
Right, there were other factors.
You're still very young but looking back on the younger you what's the big thing that you wish you could tell her?
Health, without a doubt…You can still do it all and be a bit healthier in the process. Meditation, I think it's so important. And I'm quite disciplined. For example, if I'm going to scroll on Instagram just to switch off, I have to do Pilates that day. So, you know, I try and like coach myself. I'm not going to waste like 20 minutes doing reels if I'm also not going to do 20 minutes doing Pilates. So trying to have balance.
I need a bit more of that. I'm a little too nice to myself. A little too free and let myself get away with too much.
Balance, it's all balance. Health and meditation.
Annastasia photographed at Villa Gozzi. Image by Giada De Pra
“Look, I talk to strangers all the time…I met my husband on an airplane. You know, I've met so many interesting people on airplanes.”
You’ve moved quite a bit. You were in London, then in New York City, and now you are spending time between Stockholm, another big city, and the Italian countryside. Now if a woman was listening to this or having coffee with you, how do you find the courage? I know a lot of women who are afraid to take opportunities because they don't want to move their lives, make new friends, and deal with all that comes with it. What helps you? How do you make new friends? How do you set up a new life?
How do you set up a new life? It depends where you are, is the truth. So this is the seventh time I think I've done it from university and so on. I love New York, which was the place I moved. And I thought, try Italy, if it doesn't work out, New York is still there. My best friends are still there. The life I had is still there. And New York will always be there. So that was a safety blanket. And I feel that with anywhere, you know, my family and my friends in Athens, my family and friends in the UK, you can always go back. I don't believe going back is a failure at all. So that's my safety net. I've always got New York. I've always got Athens. I've always got London. The second thing is: if not now, when? Life comes in chapters.
I recently got my blood work back. This is the healthiest I've ever been because the produce in Italy is just excellent. And in New York, you know, there's pros and cons. In New York, I was gluten-free, dairy-free. In Italy, I eat as much tiramisu and pasta as I want and my blood work’s perfect. New York is high energy. This is lower energy. There's something to gain from everywhere. And then... I think you have to be comfortable being alone if you're going to move. You have to be comfortable being in your own company, I should say, rather than alone. And Google Translate now in Italy, less so in the other places, but here, yeah, practically Google Translate.
What you said is really important about that self-love because not only, like you said, you're gonna be alone a lot and being in your head, it needs to be a nice place to be, but to open yourself up to making new relationships, you have to kind of like who you are, you know? Like it starts with the inner work and that's what brings it all, the new relationships and new friendships. People ask a lot, “how do you make friends”? And it's like, I always say just... have an open mind and be authentic and it'll come.
For sure. Look, I talk to strangers all the time. So I met my husband on an airplane. You know, I've met so many interesting people on airplanes. I met some of my best friends in New York at Soho House, Meat Packing, like I like talking to people. And through that, I have made my best friends in New York, I have met my husband. So yeah.
Annastasia’s recent wedding was just featured in Vogue.
Annastasia with UK-based, Rebecca Moss ,at a cafe outside of Venice.
Based on the conversation that we just had, if somebody asked me a word to define you, your life and your successes, that word again, “curiosity” is the answer. Because it sounds like it's what propelled your career, it's what's propelled your personal life between romantic and friendships.
Yeah. And I'm interested. I'm curious and I'm interested, whether that's about reading something or whether that's about meeting the person walking down the street. I've always been interested in what's going on around me.
Now we're going to switch to a couple of fun questions to get to know your taste and style a little bit better. I like that you always look so feminine, in my opinion, very stylish. All right, here's one question -
It's an interesting time because I'm working on my style a little bit. I just did a color consultation.
At Quintessentially, in your experience there where you worked with the finest establishments, vendors, the highest taste level, what is your favorite restaurant or dining experience in the world?
Oh, my favorite restaurant in the world. This is easy. It's a restaurant at the Four Seasons in Athens, in Vouliagmeni . It was a Nobu. It's a Matsuhisha. So Japanese cuisine, which I love. it is undoubtedly the most beautiful view. It's tranquil. It's in the Bay of Vouliagmeni, an amazing sunset. I always feel good after I've eaten Japanese food. Like I never feel weighted or heavy or blah. So it's by the Greek sea, which is just my favorite and it's Japanese food. So, Matsuhisha in Athens at the Four Seasons in Athens.
We always fly through Athens to go to the islands, but I think we have a night there this summer, so I'm going to check it out. I hope it's still there.
You should. I think Athens for 48 or 72 hours should be on people's radar more. It's just an incredible city and beach destination.
Okay here's another one, a hypothetical. Money's no object, right? An insane amount of money has just dropped into your lap and you can only use it for travel. What are you doing? Take us on a journey. Who are you going with? Where are we going? What are you wearing?
I mean, it's, you know, I'm not going too far from home. I'm buying a boat and I'm inviting the people I love onto my boat in Greece. There are some adventures I'd love to do, the gorillas in Rwanda and safari and all of these things, but my motherland, I think has the most beautiful waters and I am most at peace and happiest out on them with the people I love most. So. I'm buying a boat and on rotation, I'm inviting the people I love to come and enjoy that.
Last one is you can only wear four brands for the rest of your life, for everything. Accessories, evening, home wear, everything. Who are we picking?
Okay, by Marlene Berger for sure. I wear just an insane amount of that brand. When I got introduced to Scandinavian fashion, it was just one of the brands I totally fell in love with. Then I'm a Zara girl, you know. You can't go wrong with some Zara. Jimmy Choo. Just the best shoes in the world. Jimmy Choo, always. And then, I mean, I'm gonna go Lancome mascara because I can almost give up everything else except for Lancome Mascara. Those are my four coming with me wherever I go.
As we end this, I have two last questions for you. What's next for you? What's coming up? Where can we see you next?
Well, we're leading up to our big moment of Brilliant Minds 2023, which is not too far away now. So you'll definitely see me welcoming some of the most interesting people in the world to Stockholm next month, and having some really interesting conversations and doing some work with the community there as well. Then in the summer, most likely, between Italy and Greece. So... really living our Mediterranean lives. And then we have some exciting things coming up in the fall.
Final question. A quote that exemplifies your outlook on life?
Tough one. Slight tangent. I have a Smythson's diary. Every year I write a quote for the year and I set five new year's resolutions and I have to complete four. I've been doing this for 12 or 13 years. I think this was the first quote I wrote in the first book of this and it was DVF. And I think it goes along the lines:
I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be.
That's the perfect way to end this. Thank you so much for your time. Good luck to you on everything you've got coming up. And I'm sure we'll be talking again soon.
Thank you!