The Power of the Ask: How Bravery and Vision Shape Careers feat. Elizabeth Solaru

In the Season 2 premiere of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Elizabeth Solaru, a trailblazer whose journey spans microbiology, headhunting, and luxury cake artistry. Elizabeth shares her inspiring story of resilience, from cold-calling her way to royal connections to becoming a leading voice in luxury consulting. They explore the evolving meaning of luxury, the power of inclusivity, and how consumers now shape brand narratives. Elizabeth also highlights her groundbreaking book, The Luxpreneur, offering actionable insights for businesses aspiring to achieve luxury status. This episode is a masterclass in courage, adaptability, and redefining success—don’t miss it!

Takeaways:

• Resilience and Adaptability Drive Success:
  Elizabeth Solaru's journey from microbiology to luxury cake artistry exemplifies the power of pivoting when faced with challenges. Her story highlights how desperation can fuel innovation and bravery, proving that persistence and belief in your product are essential for success.
• Luxury is Personal and Inclusive:
  Luxury isn’t just about exclusivity and opulence—it’s about emotional resonance and personal meaning. Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of understanding your customer’s unique definitions of value, whether it’s comfort, security, or minimalism, and tailoring experiences to meet those needs.
• Consumers Shape Brands Today:
  The dynamic between brands and consumers has shifted dramatically, with consumers now dictating what they value through transparency, authenticity, and advocacy. Businesses, especially in luxury, must align with these expectations to remain relevant and competitive.

It's time to say "goodbye" to the Sunday Scaries.

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Transcript

Alyssa Nolte: 0:00

Hey everyone. Welcome back to taking back Monday. I am so excited that you decided to say goodbye to the Sunday scaries and hello to a future of more meaningful work. And I'm really excited to invite my new friend Elizabeth onto the show. Welcome Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Solaru: 0:14

Thank you, Alyssa. Thank you so much for having me.

Alyssa Nolte: 0:18

So I was reading your bio as we were getting ready to chat and. You have kind of a wild resume from a microbiologist and then you were a headhunter and somehow there was a cake artistry involved. Tell us like, what is your story? How did you get here?

Elizabeth Solaru: 0:32

Um, exactly what you said. I started my career as a microbiologist. Um, bit of my background, I've got African parents and education was everything. And there were only two professions, medicine or law. And, um, it was, I was all set to do medicine, uh, but I never got the scores when it came to mathematics. So I opted for microbiology. I did a degree in microbiology, then did another, uh, my master's in medical microbiology and parasitology and then started working at a hospital. I trained at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington because that was where penicillin was discovered. So it was like, oh my goodness, one of my heroes. And um, after several years later, I just felt there's got to be more to life than being a lab rat. So I went off, did an MBA, and ended up working in the city as a headhunter and having never run a lemonade stand, I was, um, interviewing chief executives and all these high profile leaders who led multimillion pound companies. Did that for a while, and then in 2008, the market burst, um, as we know what happened there. And, um, I lost my job. And then I thought, Oh, milestone birthday. If I, if I don't do it now, I'll never do it. So I decided to open a cake business cause I'd always baked cakes when I was younger. But of course, um, coming from an African household where the oven was used as storage, um, it wasn't even conceivable for me to have a business, but had, um, a business making cakes. And then I remember, um, to get started, um, I had a I had to take the yellow pages and I called every number in the yellow pages because as a headhunter, I was trained to make a hundred calls a week, cold calling, uh, rain or shine, it doesn't, it didn't matter what you had on. And I did that. And then I ended up talking to the office of Lady Elizabeth Anson, who happened to be the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, and who happened to be, who happened to be one of the most well known party planners. in the world and had a conversation with the lady at the other end of the phone. And then I said to her, Oh, I'm going to be in your area in the next few days. How about I drop some samples? I dropped the samples. And before I got home, I got a call saying, come and see Lady Elizabeth. And that was how I started working as a cake maker to her. And the rest, as they say, is history. And then the pandemic hits in 2020. And I was asked to speak on a range of, um, entrepreneurial subjects. And that, then I did a deep dive into luxury. And I realized that all my clients were luxury. I knew so much about it. And that's kind of led me to another phase of my career and I've now written a book called The Lutspriner.

Alyssa Nolte: 3:50

There's so much to dig into. I love the, the progression. And I do find that people who are scientifically inclined are also great at baking. That is one, like there is a definite crossover there. I knew someone who's a chemistry professor who was like one of the best bakers I'd ever met. There's so much. Science that goes into it, um, and and measurement and all of that, but I want to stop and talk about, you know, you opening up the yellow pages as a small business owner, essentially the amount of bravery that that had to take to make that phone call and to make the ask to go someone who is adjacent to royalty to make the ask and say, hey, can I drop off some samples? Like, yeah, You made that seem like it was no small thing, but I can't imagine that you weren't like shaking in your boots, having to figure out how do you gather the courage to go do that? I

Elizabeth Solaru: 4:38

I'd say there was a bit of desperation because sometimes when you have to survive, uh, when the buck stops with you, you've got no choice then to do what you need to do. Um, and also I think all my years, um, because, because I've made the transition before from, um, scientist to headhunter, that actually was so tough because I had to network. I mean, I can't even tell you, I tried everything in the book and I networked and that brought me into the right space. So I just had this idea to ask for the ask and just say, I'm going to be in your area in the next few days. Can I drop the samples? Of course, I had to run around, get the right packaging, make the right cakes and be at the right place. And even if I didn't get the order because there were others I did ask who did, I did drop off samples and I never got responses. So it does happen, but I just took a chance. Uh, so to me, there was a, yes, you might say bravery, but I think there was a bit of desperation as well. This has to work kind of. thing. Yeah. Yeah.

Alyssa Nolte: 5:49

love that though, because I think a lot of us, we have entrepreneurs on the show all the time. And one thing that they always talk about is when you're successful, there is a little bit of desperation, right? Like you're trying to make your business work, but there's also the belief that that you can do it, right? If you didn't believe that you, Had something worth buying and had something worth sampling, you would never pick up the phone in the first place.

Elizabeth Solaru: 6:12

Oh, absolutely. And I think that mindset thing, um, is absolutely key when it comes to any industry, but in particular luxury, because you're asking people to pay over the odds for, as I put it, all I'm selling is eggs, butter, sugar, flour, milk. That's it. That is a basic recipe. And also I'm in, I'm working in an industry where the barrier to entry is really low. Anybody with an oven can make cakes. So what is it, you know, where is the value coming from and where is the emotional resonance coming from to make people pay over the odds for what essentially they can pick up elsewhere? So that is what kind of started that luxury journey for me into thinking where is the value? Where where does the luxury start and the end? Yeah, so absolutely. I absolutely agree with what you're saying.

Alyssa Nolte: 7:10

For people who aren't familiar with luxury and what it means, like for me as someone who I'm in, I'm in the US, I'm in the Midwest. We are not exactly known for, you know, a luxury experience. It's farmland and cornfields. You know, what does luxury mean to you particularly around? It's not just about exclusivity. What is it really about?

Elizabeth Solaru: 7:32

That is an incredible question for me right now at this stage of my life. Luxury to me is health. If I have good health, great health, That is the best luxury of all. So, and you've hit on something. Luxury means different things, different people. Um, and because people have this idea that luxury means opulence and outrageous stuff,

Alyssa Nolte: 7:55

Right? Maximalism, right? Expensive.

Elizabeth Solaru: 7:58

Expensive. et cetera. And you've actually, um, hit on a really great point because in my book, I identify eight different types, um, of luxury client. So they're not what people think they are. So the people, there are people that go out there and they're all maximalists and they want to spend and they want to get only the best things in life. And that's great. But there are other people that view comfort and security as the ultimate luxury. And that is what, and that, and when you're selling to them, that's what you sell. This product is going to make you more comfortable, is going to make you feel more secure. And there are people that buy based on how something looks. It's, you know, they, they, their life is very ordered and, and you mentioned maximalism, but then you also have people on the opposite of the scale who are minimalists.

Alyssa Nolte: 8:51

Right. That like quiet luxury, I think is what they are. They call it on tech

Elizabeth Solaru: 8:54

no, no, that's, that's different, you know,

Alyssa Nolte: 8:57

Oh yeah.

Elizabeth Solaru: 8:58

because when I say minimalist as in stripped bare of as many possessions as possible, um, coded luxury or quiet luxury again, um, you know, I, I talk about that in the book as well. Um, but it's about, and I, I describe it as You know they're wearing something expensive, but it'll take you at least 5 10 minutes to work out who they're wearing because they're probably labels you've never heard of. So again, um, and as human beings, we're all different. Um, a lot of us, if we won the lottery today, we would literally, the money would literally, um, what's the word? It would enhance what we already are. So if you are not a maximalist, if you win the lottery, you're not just going to watch them. Bye. a Bentley or a private jet just because you will just buy more of whatever it is you are. So that's why I, I think, um, that question around what we consider to be luxury is very, very personal indeed. And another thing is that even luxury brands now, um, in the old days, the luxury brands dictated how we enjoyed luxury, how we viewed luxury, and they still kind of do. But nowadays, many more people are stepping into, into their role as Kings and Queens. And the luxury brands are just king and queen makers. So you have this dynamic shift. So at one time the king makers had all the power and now the kings and queens are having all the power in how they consume and choose to consume luxury.

Alyssa Nolte: 10:42

I'm just taking a note on exactly what you said because you hit on something that I think we're seeing across the industry. Like whether you're talking luxury, whether you're talking software, whether you're talking, you know, vacations or travel brands, no longer dictate our experience. We, as consumers, And, you know, back in the day, brands would say who they were, they would push advertising and there was not a lot of two way communication between brands and consumers, but that's really changed on every level. Like, you can see brands making major shifts because their consumers are demanding it and and are showing with their wallet or pushing in a certain direction or not buying certain brands because they aren't enjoying that experience. And it's really powerful, I think, to say we as consumers get to decide. What is and isn't in our definition of luxury, like how empowering is that?

Elizabeth Solaru: 11:35

Exactly. And if, and also there's something interesting happening. There's a generational. a difference in generational shift as well. So in my day, I remember CSR, you know, everyone was like, Oh, corporate social responsibility. And all the corporate had to do was put something on their website, show us a few photos. And we believed it. Nowadays, the Gen Zs, the alphas, they investigate, they will write directly to a CEO, come and tick tock, show everyone the letter they've written to the CEO. Tell everyone if they've not received a response within a certain time. And if they do receive a response, show that response. So there's a lot more investigative power. There's a lot more transparency. So brands now need to navigate. And especially in luxury where, as you mentioned earlier, exclusivity, rarity, quality. They were the buzzwords. And they are still the buzzwords of luxury, but now we have other buzzwords like transparency, integrity, greenwashing. Um, so those words are now in the, uh, in the dictionary and in the vocabulary of luxury brands because they've got to be careful. You can't lie to people anymore. You'll be exposed within two minutes. So it's an amazing shift and I think it's a shift for the better.

Alyssa Nolte: 12:57

I would agree with that. And you know, you talk about in your expertise in luxury consulting advocating for inclusivity and representation in the industry How does that square with this idea of exclusivity? Like how are you driving that forward? Because obviously inclusivity and representation is Really really important Luxury has never really been known for inclusivity. So how are you driving that forward?

Elizabeth Solaru: 13:22

I think that's one of the best questions I've been asked. Um, and this is how I see it. Your vision as a luxury brand can be inclusive, but your execution can be exclusive. And what do I mean by that? If you look at the luxury consumer, especially for Western brands and for the well known brands. majority of their clients are people of color. So if China decides they're not buying as many luxury goods, the whole luxury market feels really, really feels it. And that's actually what's happened this year where there's not been as much spending from China. Um, but there's been a surge in spending in places like Japan, in places like India, in places like Africa, uh, So if this is your demographic, these are your, are the people buying, you definitely have to consider cultural diversity, which is what I'm very, very passionate about, about having as many cultures as possible represented in luxury because they are your buyers. They're not telling you how to manufacture your products or anything like that, but they're just saying to you, you need to consider your customer base and it makes good business sense as well. If you are catering to certain cultural nuances, to certain generational clients as well. So diversity is not just, it's not necessarily just. of race and gender, there's a lot more to it as well. And that's what I mean by looking at luxury in a different way. So to give you an example, um, I run, uh, the diversity in luxury awards and one of our winners was the chief executive of Chanel. And the reason she won was because when she was appointed, Chief executive Chanel has a fund of 20 million euros for the education of girls around the world. Nobody knew about it. So she increased the fund from 20 million euros to 100 million euros. Now, and the reason that really resonated was I know as a headhunter, the first thing you do when you're appointed chief exec is not tell your company to spend more money, especially on charity. So for her to do that, she's, she, um, was saying to the world, this moving forward, I want to position Chanel as this kind of company. So that made a statement. Another example of diversity and luxury. is Dior. Uh, there's a needle craft school in India that does all the embroidery for Dior. Nobody's heard of that school, but everyone knows Dior. So what does Dior do? For the first time ever, they have a major, major, major fashion show in India. I think that was last year or this year. I can't remember. Oh, early this year. Can't remember. But my point is even the big, um, luxury brands are beginning to realize. That there's a lot of power in diversity. There's a lot of potential business in diversity. And by making that move of having that fashion show in India and recognizing that needle craft school that looks after women, that empowers and up skills women, they are doing something positive with diversity. They're luxury. So this is the power of luxury to do to do good in my view. So that's the kind of diversity that I'm interested in.

Alyssa Nolte: 17:18

I have so many thoughts racing through my head. I got like goosebumps when you were talking about the Chanel story. Um, let's go back to that for a second in the luxury market. Are you seeing a shift of more women stepping into leadership roles? Because my, when I picture a fashion director, I picture a guy in a black turtleneck who is bossing everyone around. And as a man dictating women's fashion, like that's the stereotype that I have in my head. I went to the Met in New York last summer and went to the Karl Lagerfeld. Exhibit and I'm sitting here thinking like that's what I'm picturing when I'm picturing men dictating luxury choices Are we seeing women stepping into those leadership roles and and really driving change like you mentioned?

Elizabeth Solaru: 17:59

Oh, absolutely. Although with regards to creative directors, We're not seeing enough women. I completely agree with that. But, um, for example, recently, Sarah Burton, uh, she left McQueen, was formerly of McQueen's, Alexander McQueen. She's now, um, the, the creative director of, I think it's Givenchy, I think. Um, a major French fashion house. So we, we are seeing progress, um, not quickly enough in my opinion, but we are seeing progress, but the areas in which we're seeing even more progress actually is in CEO roles. So chief executive roles and head of roles. There are a lot more women being appointed and, um, you've actually hit on something, um, really incredible because I created a diversity and luxury leaders list. The first one was this year and I looked all around the world and I looked for obviously women, people of color, et cetera, um, from different continents. And I put them on the list, a list of a hundred people doing amazing things. And I looked at, I looked for very small brands. So you had, you had one man bands up against very big names in luxury. So it's things like that that I believe brings about change because I believe in the carrot approach. Some people do the stick approach and that's, um, you know, that's just as valid, but I believe in the carrot approach and I believe in encouraging. And my list has, um, thought leaders, practitioners, industry people. So different sets of people, tastemakers, et cetera. So there's a variety again. And I also looked for age diversity as well. So old, very young, et cetera. So for me, that's how you bring about really amazing, positive change in the industry. And I don't believe in change for change sake, because at the end of the day, we are running businesses is But we can still be very ethical about how we run our businesses.

Alyssa Nolte: 20:14

I I love how much I just you know, having just met you for the first time today I just get this feeling that you really Walk the walk like you're not just up here writing a book or telling me a story like you are doing things to actually Drive change and that's so refreshing because a lot of times we hear people who are just Talking about the, the way that things should be done. And do you mention they're mandating and using the stick to tell people how things should be changed, but they're not actually taking steps to drive that change that they're looking for. So first of all, I want to commend you. And second of all, tell us a little bit more about how are you breaking down these barriers and, and shepherding the next generation of professionals to kind of take your, your approach and taking it to that next step, that next step further.

Elizabeth Solaru: 21:02

Um, I think a lot of people talk about breaking down barriers. Um, again, um, maybe because I'm in it. I don't see, I don't see it as breaking down barriers. I just think it's about creating space and making more space for more people. Um, to join us around the table, um, and doing it in a really lovely, nice diplomatic way. And yes, some barriers, you have to take a sledgehammer to it. I agree. And I'm very grateful for the people who've gone before me and who have done it. But I think different people work in different ways. Um, some people, and I look at it as when you go to battle, you've got the generals who would plan in the strategy. Then you've got the foot soldiers, and then you've got the people who've got to look after the foot soldiers, et cetera, et cetera. So everyone's playing a part in everyone's doing what they need to do using the skills that they have. Um, and also there's something you mentioned earlier, having the courage. Um, and also when you've got nothing to lose, nobody, you know, when I started this, nobody knows me. If I lose, um, it doesn't really matter. But somebody who runs a multimillion pound business, if they alienate half their clients, they've got a lot to lose. So we've got to think about that as well. And sometimes it's not that people don't want to do stuff. It's just that they might be constrained or they might not know how. So, but at least I will start with what I know. And I would say to people, you don't have to do the big changes. Just start with something very tiny, very small. Just do your bit and, um, hand over to somebody else. Um, to, to, to do their bit as well, because we're all in it together, a more, um, equitable and a more fair society benefits everybody, um, really and truly. But the one easy way in which we can all help is by, um, building what I call a knowledge bank. So, um, we can all write, we all write posts every day, even if it's a sentence. And also we can all go online and support people. So even if it's liking or sharing or whatever, so we can all start, um, a very tiny step at a time. Um, so for those who don't want to put their nets on the line, that's fine, but a bit of support in whichever way would go a long way.

Alyssa Nolte: 23:37

This is I could, I could talk to you all day. I am sure I'd keep you from getting to onto the rest of your evening. If, if, you know, if you're thinking about all of the incredible people that you've had a chance to meet, and it sounds like you have an incredible network, and you have built an incredible network, who is really leading the charge in taking back Monday and changing how we think about our work week?

Elizabeth Solaru: 24:00

Now this is going to sound odd. This is someone I've never, ever met. I wish to meet her. Um, but someone I've always, always had. a massive admiration for, um, and, uh, the person I think is taking back Monday is Jolly Parton because she is a doer. She's an astute businesswoman. She's written over 3, 000 songs. She has, and I love what she started by, um, setting up the imagination library where she gives, she gives away millions of books for free.

Alyssa Nolte: 24:34

Yep. My five year old is one of the recipients of those books. So we were able to get some of those are she turned like two and then our library sent out a notice that we were an official like library that was participating. And so we got those books right up until kindergarten. I love that.

Elizabeth Solaru: 24:49

Wow. So for me, her change. is so impactful because you reach people's minds via books. Books can do so much, um, and can bring about so much change. So again, for me, somebody like Dolly Parton, um, she's still a singer, still doing her thing, um, loves people. Everybody loves her. I think she's You know, everyone talks about a na, a national treasure. I think she's a world treasure and people like her where you change you, your change doesn't have to be offensive, is what I'm trying to say. Um, change can be nicely done. impactful. And I love that she puts her money where her mouth is because in her hometown, everyone who graduates high school, she pays them. Um, she pays for college, et cetera. So that is a kind of change and that's kind of person I would love to be in terms of taking back Monday.

Alyssa Nolte: 25:48

I love that. And we'll put out into the universe. That, uh, Dolly, if you're listening, we would love to meet you.

Elizabeth Solaru: 25:54

Exactly.

Alyssa Nolte: 25:55

So, uh, you talked a little bit about the book, but I want to hear more about it. I've actually got it in my Amazon cart ready to order. So tell us a little bit more about the book and you know, if someone's really connecting with you, where can they find you online?

Elizabeth Solaru: 26:07

Okay. So the book to me came about because again, I'm a book person. I love reading books. A lot of luxury books out there, beautifully written, very informative, very impactful, but they're written by professors of luxury for the most part, and they're always aimed at very big brands. But if you're a small business owner and you want to know, okay, how do I even get my brand to be luxury? Um, the book is it for you? Because I, I, first of all, I addressed the person. So you as a person, what's your personality type? What kind of people do you need around you? What's your mindset like? So I addressed that. Then I go on to the very five pillars of a luxury brand, which is a, I just state them. This is what you need to do and this is how you need to do it. Even things around storytelling, how do you tell your story to make it more impactful so it's worthy of a luxury brand? I tell you that. Then lastly, what many people want to know about in business. How do I find luxury clients? Who are they? What, where, where are they? How do they think? I tell you everything. Um, I created archetypes for the different type of luxury clients. I created archetypes. for the different types of luxury brands out there, where do I fit and who will be the best client for me? I do that as well. So almost like a matchmaking process that I used to do when I was a headhunter and where to find me right now, LinkedIn is my preferred platform. Um, I'm on LinkedIn as Elizabeth Solaru, um, find me. Connect with me and I'll be very, very happy to hear from you. And of course, if you're interested in, even if you're not interested in creating a luxury brand, but you just want to know how things work by the book.

Alyssa Nolte: 27:56

I love that. Well, I just, uh, finished my order. I've got my copy of the book coming on the way. So everyone make sure you get the book connect on LinkedIn and thank you so much for taking back Monday with me. This was amazing.

Elizabeth Solaru: 28:08

Thank you so much for having me, Elisa. I wish we could have spoken for longer, but this has been brilliant.