For the fourth edition of Sexy Jobs, I’m joined by Annabelle Jordan, the mind (and face) behind the home fragrance brand Flammes. Before founding her brand, Annabelle worked in fashion, PR and marketing. If 2026 is the new 2016, the girlboss has gotten a makeover. She’s still aspirational, but now with a healthy dose of honesty about the struggles behind the glamour. On a Zoom call that felt more like a much-needed catch-up with a girlfriend, we talked about experimenting in your twenties and figuring out your purpose, how there’s really no such thing as cringe, and the ups and downs of starting a business on your own.

How would you define a Sexy Job?

I think that ultimately, a Sexy Job is something that you love to do. I think an unsexy job is a job that you hate, that doesn’t align with your values, that doesn’t creatively stimulate you, and that doesn’t fulfil your life. We spend so much of our lives working, so if you don’t enjoy it, then that’s not very sexy.

What is your current role? What do you do, and what does that look like day to day?

I’m the founder of Flammes, a home fragrance brand that launched just over a year ago. Within 9 months of launching, it became exclusive to Selfridges, one of the most well-known department stores in the world. It’s been pretty wild, and I still don’t quite know how to describe what the experience has been like (laughs).

I’ve always been fascinated by entrepreneurship and the idea of creating something of my own. I was raised by parents who built something for themselves, which I found incredibly inspiring. Growing up in that environment gave me this belief that anything is possible if you’re willing to go for it, and maybe even be a little bit delusional in your thinking. If you’re not slightly delusional, you’re probably not thinking big enough. For a long time, though, I wasn’t sure what that thing would be for me.

Everything changed when my mum was diagnosed with cancer. It was a real sliding-doors moment where life suddenly flashed before my eyes, and I thought, holy shit, I’ve really got to try and create something for myself. I think until you experience something traumatic like that, you can feel somewhat invincible, but that’s not reality. Watching my mum fight for her life was incredibly difficult. Thankfully, she’s now in remission, but it was truly life-altering.

Towards the end of her treatment, I worked closely with Jenny Halpern Prince MBE, an incredibly inspiring businesswoman who founded Halpern PR, one of the first PR agencies in London in the 90s, and who is also the co-founder of The Lady Garden Foundation, a gynaecological health charity raising awareness and breaking taboos around women’s health.

After going through such a difficult period with my mum’s illness, I really started questioning what I wanted from my life and what my purpose was. Flammes had actually been brewing in my mind for about a year, but I hadn’t quite found the courage to go for it. Jenny was unbelievably supportive and encouraged me to take the leap.

Flammes is all about redefining home fragrance for a brighter generation, combining unique design with feel-good scents. I saw a gap in the market for a design-led, next-generation home fragrance brand, and I was delusional enough to believe I could create it.

Honestly, I think that’s such a common theme among a lot of my friends - that question of when do you know you’re ready? It comes up all the time. And I really do think it comes down to being a little bit delusional and just deciding to go for it. You are very present in the brand’s identity; your face is the face of Flammes, so how was your experience stepping into that very public-facing role compared to your previous experience in PR, where you’re more behind the scenes?

When I started Flammes, I didn’t consciously decide to be the face of the brand. But very quickly it became clear that I would have to, firstly because it’s just me running it, and secondly because so much of Flammes’ story is tied to my own journey - finding my inner flamme, encouraging self-expression, and of course creating scents that people genuinely connect with.

If you want the world to know your brand, you have to shout about it. And today, consumers don’t just want to know about the product - they want to know about the person behind it. They want to understand the story, the personality and the intention behind the brand.

Coming from PR, where you’re typically behind the scenes building someone else’s narrative, stepping into that more public-facing role was definitely a shift. But in many ways, it also felt natural, because I understood the importance of storytelling and brand identity from the very beginning.

In such a digitally driven world, I don’t think there’s really an option to be completely incognito as a founder anymore. People want that connection. So embracing that visibility became a really important part of building Flammes and sharing its story.

Putting yourself online can feel really vulnerable, especially at the beginning when you’re worried about what people might think. Was that ever a barrier for you?

Quite frankly, I don’t think cringe exists. If people think something is cringe, that’s their problem, not yours. That’s what I always tell my friends who say they’re too scared to post online. At the end of the day, who really cares? There are far greater things in life to be afraid of, and posting online should definitely not be one of them. I realised that when my mum was fighting for her life. Experiences like that really shift your perspective. Suddenly posting something online just doesn’t feel that deep anymore.

It’s really not that serious!

It’s really not that serious. People’s assumptions and judgments are usually a reflection of themselves, not of you. Once you realise that, it becomes a lot easier to just put yourself out there.

You document a lot of your journey founding Flammes, but what would you say is the biggest challenge of your job today?

It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. I honestly don’t even know where to start. When I launched Flammes, I was completely blindfolded. It was my first time starting a business, so I’ve really been learning as I go. Sometimes it feels like being on a permanent driving lesson. There hasn’t been a moment when I’ve thought, okay, I’ve completely got this now. Every single day, there’s something new to figure out, especially as a solo founder.

I also think there’s a lot of glamourisation around entrepreneurship. I fall for it too. Online, everything looks very easy and very achievable. Everyone seems to be starting a business or founding a brand, and I have friends who feel like if they’re not doing that, they’re somehow falling behind. Social media has definitely made the whole landscape feel more competitive.

But the reality is that it’s hard work. Every day I’m balancing marketing, financials, projections, raising investment, planning for the year ahead, retail opportunities - all while still figuring everything out as I go.

What’s really important, though, is trusting the process. I have to remind myself of that constantly and try not to be so hard on myself. Whether you’re a freelancer, starting a business, or running one, I think we’re often our own toughest critics. It’s much easier to be self-critical than it is to acknowledge what you’ve actually achieved.

I think it’s especially intense when it’s a personal project. When you’re working for someone else, even if you take a lot of pride in your work, it’s ultimately their responsibility at the end of the day. When it’s your own project, you want to put your whole self into it.

Definitely! I went to an event this morning and was speaking to a co-founder of a creative agency. I asked her something I’m always curious about, how do you sleep? Because I really struggle with sleep sometimes.

She was very honest and said, “I don’t really sleep.” Not because she’s constantly working, but because she’s wired from running a creative agency, being a co-founder, and carrying the responsibility that comes with it - especially when the business is still so new.

When you work for someone else, and your name isn’t really on the line in the same way, it’s much easier to switch off. You clock in, and you clock out. But when it’s your own business, that boundary doesn’t really exist. It stays with you all the time.

Pivoting a little to your life outside of work, I’ve seen that you’re training for a marathon. What are the things that help you switch off, or at least attempt to switch off, from work?

Running is probably my favourite thing in the world, other than Flammes. Honestly, my life is pretty simple: I work on Flammes, I run, and I spend time with my partner. Who I am before a run and who I am after a run are two completely different human beings. I find it incredibly therapeutic.

For the last three years, I’ve been trying to get into the London Marathon through the ballot and never managed to get a place. Then I tried to get a charity spot through my mum’s hospital, The Royal Marsden. I was rejected last year, but this year I finally got a place1. A lot of people asked me if it was really the right time to be training for a marathon when Flammes is still in its early years. But for me, it didn’t really feel like a choice - running is the thing that keeps me balanced. Without it, I honestly don’t think I’d be able to do everything else!

I totally get that. I ran my first marathon this past October, and it was the one thing that kept me from going crazy. I’m so excited for you, the London Marathon is the dream!

I’m very much a Type B person, and I don’t have that early-morning, perfect routine. My life is generally quite chaotic, and somehow it works. But the marathon training plan I’ve been following has honestly been life-changing. It’s the first thing in a long time that’s really held me accountable to something outside of work. And I think that structure has been really good for me.

I’m still very much figuring my life out, so this is something I tend to ask everyone around me. When you were figuring out your path, what were the priorities that mattered most to you? I know we don’t always get to tick every box on our dream list.

I think your twenties should be a time to explore. You’re not supposed to have everything figured out. I definitely still don’t have it all figured out. For me, it was about exploring in ways that felt possible and interesting at the time. I’ve worked in fashion, art advisory, PR and marketing. Each experience helped me understand a little more about what did and didn’t feel right for me.

I also think the journey can be more complicated if you’re pursuing something creative. I have friends who were very academically driven and went into fields like law or medicine, where the career path is quite clear. With creative careers, it’s often much less linear and a lot more competitive.

So I think the most important thing is trusting the process and giving yourself permission to try different things. The more avenues you explore, the more likely it is that eventually something will click.

And finally, what’s the best career or life advice you’ve ever been given?

I think it’s simply: ask! Ask for help, ask questions, ask for opportunities. People are often much more willing to help you than you think. And if you’re working for yourself, you have to be a little bit delusional. It’s the only way you’ll move the needle forward. If you think too logically about everything, you’ll never start anything - you’ll see all the risks straight away and talk yourself out of it. You’ll also find your people along the way, and that’s incredibly important. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good and who support what you’re trying to build.

Thank you for keeping up with the fourth edition of Sexy Jobs. You can shop Flammes at https://flammes.co.uk/, as well as Selfridges and Maison Flâneur. Follow Flammes on Instagram @officialflammes and keep up with Annabelle on Instagram @annabellejordan and TikTok @annabelllejordan. If you (or someone you know) has a Sexy Job and would be down to talk about it and give me life advice in the process, please reach out to sexyjobsjulia@gmail.com.

And if you’re new to the Sexy Job universe, check out the piece that started it all:

For the third episode of Sexy Jobs with Julia Novis, I am joined by . I first met Laura a few years ago in London when she was getting her bachelor’s degree in nutrition. She has since done a plant-based cooking course at the Cordon Bleu, worked in a renowned plant-based restaurant in London, hosted incredible dinners, worked as a private chef, gotten a master’s in Marketing and opened her own cookie business. We talked about all things cooking, the challenges of starting a small business and following an unconventional career path, and what her advice would be for young professionals who are unsure about taking the leap. You can listen to our entire conversation here (it’s a goodie) or check out the highlights below.

How would you define a Sexy Job?

Honestly, I think a useful one… not that all jobs aren’t useful! But I think one that actually impacts people in a tangible way. Something you can hold in your hands, there’s something sexy about that, about creating or fixing something real.

Could you tell me a little more about what you do?

Currently, I own my own cookie business in São Paulo, Brazil, and it’s called Bodô. I do everything myself, from production and product development to branding and marketing. It’s a mix of creative chaos and a little bit of spreadsheets.

And would you say that you have a Sexy Job?

I think society would define it as a sexy job. I think people have something with chefs and people who actually know how to cook. I don’t consider my job sexy, but if someone else had my job, I would consider them sexy because of their job. So I guess, yes, I do have a sexy job.

You’re a real multi-hyphenate, but in your current role, what does your day-to-day look like?

I work every single day. When you’re an entrepreneur, I think you get used to not having days off, even when you do give yourself a day off, because there’s always something you have to do. My business opens from Tuesday to Sunday, so I only close on Mondays. I’m in production all throughout the week. I work from about 9 am until 5 pm, which is when I stop doing deliveries. So there’s a lot of time spent in the kitchen. Then there’s the marketing side, I’ve kind of built the whole brand by myself. I did get someone to do the initial design, but nowadays I don’t have anyone helping me on that side. So when I finish my “9-to-5”, I go into the side of spreadsheets and scripts for videos and campaigns. Product development takes a huge amount of time since there is so much testing. You really have to be up to date on what’s trending and what flavours people are looking for. It’s a really fast-paced business, and people get bored with seeing the same thing over and over again.

I’d say you have a pretty creative role, both on the product development side and also on the marketing side. I’m really jealous of your neighbours who get to try all the test recipes! Where would you say your inspiration comes from?

On the product development side, I travel a lot, and I think I get a lot of inspiration from that. Brazil also has such a huge culinary scene, but in regard to specific flavours, I think lots of things get trendy in the US or in Europe before they get popular here. I think people here, at least from my experience and what I’ve seen with my clients, tend to be a little more close-minded to different flavours. For the marketing aspect, I’m not sure if I have a specific answer for that, but I think I’ve always had a very clear vision of what I wanted Bodô to be. This minimalistic but cool vibe, running away from the classic pastels that we’re used to for bakeries. And then if you have a look through our Instagram as well, I try to add humour, which people seem to enjoy. It’s a break from pushing products and sales, a different approach to get people to notice the brand.

At least from a consumer side, when I’m supporting a small business, I’m quite interested in who’s the face behind it, and I think that’s something you do really well. So pivoting a little bit, what was your relationship with cooking like growing up?

I’ve always loved food, not necessarily cooking, but everyone in my family says I had a surprisingly adventurous palate as a kid. Cooking was always very big in my family; it was something that brought everyone together. My grandma played a huge role in that and taught me a lot. It was something I was always interested in but never considered as a potential profession. It wasn’t until later, when I went plant-based, that I really got into cooking, because I went from being a huge meat eater to cutting out about half of my diet. That led me to experiment more in the kitchen, and I realised how much I enjoyed being in that environment and creating and sharing what I made with the people I love. To this day that’s what brings me the most joy.

Could you talk a little bit about your trajectory from university to now? Going from a nutrition background to fine dining and then into starting your own business? What was the thought process behind all that?

Honestly, I don’t think there was much thought going into it! I think if you look at everything I’ve done on paper, it looks so random, but it makes a lot of sense in my head. Right after graduating high school, I went on to study one year of Communications in the US, and while I was there, that’s when I went plant-based. My whole idea of my professional life changed around that time. I didn’t love living there, and around that time, my parents moved to London. That’s when I got really into nutrition, and I decided to pursue my bachelor’s in Human Nutrition at the University of Westminster. At the same time, I started hosting these dinners and trying to experiment with different things to see what I liked. I think we talk a lot about the things we do and enjoy, but there were so many things that I did that I didn’t enjoy and didn’t keep doing, and I think that’s equally important to consider. When I finished my nutrition degree, I went on to do a plant-based culinary course at the Cordon Bleu, and right after I finished, I started working at a plant-based restaurant in London. It was a great experience, and I learned more than I ever thought I could working in a restaurant. At the time, it wasn’t something I wanted to keep doing, but now I would love to do it again. I think there’s something really great about sharing and being able to bounce off ideas and learn from each other. I was in a kitchen with very experienced chefs, and it gave me so many opportunities to not only learn different techniques and recipes, but also about how to get into the culinary world. They took me in and gave me advice that I still consider to this day. I then moved back to Brazil for personal reasons and decided to start a Master’s in marketing, which was also something I’d always been interested in. I opened Bodô in tandem with that, which was a little crazy but also a great way to apply everything I was learning.

I think it’s so important to create things that you consume. I have friends who aren’t huge readers, and when they ask me if they should start a newsletter, I say, well… if you’re not reading any newsletters, then like probably not right?! You are someone who’s so naturally curious and excited about food, so I feel like it was a natural transition; you’re creating something that you really enjoy. When we go out to dinner, you’re looking at the food from almost a clinical perspective.

I’m used to dissecting things; it’s almost like research every time I go out to eat. It’s a field study, so it’s great because I can eat great food, and I’m learning along the way as well.

On the entrepreneurial front, did you always want to start a business, or was that something that came later?

I think I’ve always had that entrepreneurial mindset. I see it in my mom as well; she’s had so many businesses in her life, and I think I got it from her.

We need to get her on as a guest!

Yes please! My mom on Sexy Jobs? I would love that! I’ve also always been very creative. I remember as a kid, I used to sell postcards that I would draw for my family. I would do a tiny little drawing and sell it for like fifteen bucks, and they would pay for it! I’m really grateful for my family; they always made me feel like I could sell a product I really believed in. I also saw a huge gap in the market here in Brazil. I lived in London for almost five years, and the vegan scene is huge. I see it evolving here, I’ve been plant-based for over six years now, and every year I see it being more accessible and present in the market. In London, you’ll go anywhere, and you will have good options

Yes! Someone has thought about the menu, and it’s not just: you can have fries and a salad with dressing on the side.

Exactly! So I saw that, especially with sweets. And I think I chose to go with cookies because in London, I have some cookies that I’m absolutely obsessed with

OMG Crème!!!!

Yes! They have this double chocolate cookie, which almost tastes like a brownie, it’s incredible! I saw a gap in the market in Brazil, and there were some options, but they weren’t great. I think it’s hard to break through here. I don’t advertise my cookies as vegan because people have a preconceived notion that a vegan product is going to taste bad, and I think that’s so outdated. I’m trying to bring products that taste good, 90% of my clients aren’t plant-based.

Focusing a bit on your job today, what do you think are the biggest challenges you’re facing?

It can get a bit lonely. I do everything by myself, and it’s hard to disconnect. I miss the experience I had working in a professional kitchen, where I could brainstorm and bounce ideas off other chefs. I miss that exchange a lot because I’m such a people person. On the side of scaling up, it’s also difficult. I’m trying to get the cookies in different stores so have something that’s more stable, because the demand varies a lot with different seasons, a lot of things are out of my control.

And on the flip side, what would you say is the best part of your job right now?

I think the freedom is something I’m really grateful for. Also, getting to create something that only exists because of you is something that’s very gratifying. I can look back on everything that I’ve built up to now, and I’m very proud of it.

We’ve talked about choosing an unconventional career path or taking a non-linear road, and both of us have the luxury of being very young but also of having an incredible support system. Do you think that puts you in a position where you can take more risks?

I never really saw a “traditional career” as something that I wanted, not in general, but more so, there wasn’t one career that I aspired to have. I think that not having a specific dream helped me explore different things and figure out what I wanted. I also think that having the support from people that I love and admire also gave me the courage. If it doesn’t work out, at least you tried, and you know that’s maybe not something you want to do again, or you might want to give it another go, and that’s fine too. I think that once you take a few leaps and you survive, you start to trust yourself more.

What would be your advice for someone who wanted to go into your area, whether that be from an entrepreneurial perspective or the food side?

I think that, honestly, the best advice is to not wait until you feel ready. I know it’s cliché, but we never really feel ready to do anything, and if you wait for that feeling, it might never come. You’re gonna learn along the way, and you’re gonna mess up, and that’s fine too. I opened my business a year ago, and there are so many things that I would have done differently and that I have done differently when given the chance. I think if you’re going into something food-related, the best advice is to taste everything like fifteen times. You can’t have enough trial and error.

I think the Just Do It mentality is so important, and like roping in the food comment, I think you learn so much by doing. I was talking to a friend, and he was like “it’s so cool that you’re doing all these things and you’re not embarrassed” and my immediate response was “of course I’m embarrassed!” It wears off, but in the beginning, I used to black out after publishing things. You’re mortified, and that’s a good sign; it means you care!

When I first started, I did have to be the face behind the brand, and it was the last thing that I wanted to do, but I think it was also the best thing I could have done. I was embarrassed; it was like sending a risky text to a crush. I’d post a video, and I wanted to throw my phone against the wall.

And finally, what is the best career and life advice you’ve been given? Let’s pass on the wisdom!

I think the career best advice I’ve gotten is to be a little dangerous, take the risks! You’ll never know if something is going to work out until you do it. And in terms of life advice, I think it’s important ot remember that not everything has to make sense right now. You don’t need to have an explanation and make everything make sense, and not just career-wise, but just do what makes you happy, and I think in hindsight a lot of things start to make sense.

Thank you for keeping up with the third edition of Sexy Jobs. Keep up with Laura on Instagram @lauramp.nutri, on Substack at and check out Bodô on Instagram @eat.bodo (for my São Paulo based readers, you are in for a treat!). If you (or someone you know) has a Sexy Job and would be down to talk about it and give me life advice in the process, please reach out to sexyjobsjulia@gmail.com.

And if you’re new to the Sexy Job universe, check out the piece that started it all:

For the second episode of Sexy Jobs with Julia Novis, I am joined by Claire Bonnisseau, who currently works as a Data Strategy and Insights Engineer at Red Bull Powertrains. Claire also happens to be my former flatmate, one of my best friends and a fountain of knowledge. You might also know her as a regular recurring character (and minor celebrity) in Novis Newsletter. This week, I asked Claire about how she ended up working in motorsport after an unconventional start, her advice to other young women who might want to get into the industry and as an added bonus, she dished out life advice that will have therapists everywhere questioning their job security. You can listen to our entire conversation here, or check out the highlights below.

How would you define a Sexy Job?

I think there are two different ways to look at it. There is what you actually do and the industry you’re working in. I know that when I first started in F1 last year, you were already saying I had a Sexy Job, and that was one hundred per cent because of the industry, because my actual role was not that fun. What I’m doing now is a lot more aligned with what I actually want to do and with racing, so it definitely feels like a cooler job, even though to the outside world it probably looks very similar.

I always mention that you work in F1 when I’m introducing you to anyone new (a perfect litmus test to identify if someone has a sexy job), but what do you actually do?

In Formula 1, each team has a chassis team which designs the car, and the powertrains team, which designs the power unit, which is the engine and all the electrical stuff. I’m in the power unit team. Right now, we’re not racing; we start in 2026. I recently changed roles, so it’s all very new, and there is a lot of me asking my boss and my colleagues why things aren’t working.

Were you always interested in working in motorsport? When did that interest first arise?

Not really. I studied at UCL and I was always interested in science and physics. I did my undergrad in Biochemical Engineering. I was really interested in biology, and I thought I wanted to be a Vet for the longest time, until I did an internship at a Vet clinic and realised that it was not for me. I went into engineering so I could do whatever I wanted. Halfway through my degree, I realised that I hated it, and at the same time, Julia’s brother started coming over to our place to watch F1 races because we had a bigger TV. Our old landlord will forever have my undying gratitude for that1. So I started keeping up with F1, and at the same time, I was having a degree crisis, and I realised that it wasn’t really meant for me. I started saying that I wanted to work in race strategy, and at first it was a joke, and then a few weeks later it wasn’t a joke anymore, and I was sending out applications for a master’s in Mechanical Engineering.

In life, timing often plays a big role in how things play out. I don’t want to attribute your success so far to luck, but I think in terms of ending up at your current job, it was a combination of the right opportunity coming along at the right time, but also being the most prepared when those opportunities did arise. Can you tell me a little bit more about the things you started doing when you decided that you wanted to go into motorsport, besides the Mechanical Engineering Master’s?

I think in all industries, but in F1, probably even more, your network is everything. There’s this competition called Formula Student, where lots of universities compete in a race, and they have to build a car. It’s all student-led, some teams got banned last year because their cars caught on fire, and they set fire to their uni building. So I’d say joining Formula Student was a pretty big one, and every student who wants to go into motorsport will probably try to join. I know that most of the people I’ve met there, I will probably meet again throughout my career. When I got my first job (before RedBull), I was told afterwards that the recruiter had reached out to the leader of Formula Student in my year because he knew her through placements, so yeah, the network is huge. And then I think it’s also about knowing what you want and doing everything you can to get there, even if the positions don’t already exist. For example, what I’m really interested in is the data analysis part, and the Formula Student team didn’t have someone for that, so I just went to them and told them that that was what I was interested in, and if they had the right sensors to collect the data, I’d be happy to be on it. I also made it my master’s project. I knew that a lot of people had been dreaming of working in motorsport for years and spent all this time getting experience, so I just tried to find every opportunity I could. I think when I started applying for jobs, they could see that even though my initial degree was pretty unrelated, I put a lot of effort into getting experience during that year, and I think that definitely played a part in their decision.

I think it’s something that’s starting to change, but in sport, and especially in motorsport, it’s not exactly an industry where we see a lot of women. What has been your experience as a young woman in motorsport? Have you faced any challenges, and how do you see the industry changing?

It’s still very male-dominated for sure. Overall, people have been very open and very encouraging, and I think being so young is more of a factor than being a woman. I think getting into motorsport as a woman is also maybe a little harder because you don’t really get pushed in that direction as a child. But within the company, they do promote a lot of events organised for women to grow their network.

I think we’re seeing a real push towards bringing more women into motorsport. There’s F1 Academy, and you’ve been involved with Girls on Track, right?

Yes, that started at uni, one of my friends who was the leader of Formula Student recommended me. She was very involved with Girls on Track. They organise events for girls in motorsport or those who are interested in getting into motorsport. You can network, and they have panels with interesting women in the industry. I volunteered a lot for them, and we’re still in contact.

Okay, my next question is pretty personal. I think you’ve become a bit of a local celebrity on my Substack2. In the years we’ve lived together, I always found you to be very practical, and I never got the sense that you felt like you couldn’t achieve anything you wanted. To what do you attribute this confidence, where a lot of people might feel delusional going after their big dreams?

I think it’s kind of like dating, you know? If you wouldn’t date yourself, why would you expect other people to want to date you? If I don’t believe I will be head of strategy, why would anyone else believe it? And it obviously depends on the days you know, some days I know 100% that I will get there, and some days I feel like I will end up sorting oranges at Lidl because I’m not good enough and I don’t understand anything about my job. I also think that if you break things down into small enough steps, anything is doable. And obviously, you need some luck and you need opportunities and you need to work for it, but every step is achievable. It has always surprised me when people don’t think like that, that if they want anything, they can just go for it.

I’d say your plans are pretty on track (pardon the pun), but where do you see your career going? What do you want to be doing in the next ten to twenty years?

I know I want to do race strategy, so I’ll say head of race strategy because, well… Why would I be in the team when I can be the team leader and get paid more, you know? And then after that, well, I don’t know. There are positions that are higher up, but I’ve got a decade to figure that out. I think I’ll definitely stay in sports, hopefully for my entire career. If you have ever met me, you know I’m super competitive, so that definitely keeps me going. For now, it’s F1, who knows, maybe in twenty years I’ll get bored with that and want to move into tennis or football.

Alright, final question: what would be your advice for readers who want to follow a similar career path? So, anyone who might want to go into motorsport, F1 specifically or something a little broader?

I think don’t be afraid to go for it. Like, no matter where you are in life right now, there are steps that you can take to get closer to what you want. Also, just reaching out to people. Not everyone is going to reply, but if you’re prepared and you reach out to people on LinkedIn, and you know what you want and you’ve done your research and you’re not wasting their time, I think a lot of people are willing to help. Everyone I’ve met since I started working has been so helpful, even people who are super busy and important reply really quickly, I guess because no one thinks to reach out to them. I think people tend to limit themselves, like worst-case scenario, they ignore you, and you move on with your life.

Thank you for keeping up with the second edition of Sexy Jobs. For more information on Formula Student, visit their website, and to learn more about Girls on Track, visit their Instagram at @girlsontrackuk. If you want more of Claire, you can check out more of her life advice at Jesus Isn’t Hiring — and other life lessons from a blunt Parisian. If you (or someone you know) has a Sexy Job and would be down to talk about it and give me life advice in the process, please reach out to sexyjobsjulia@gmail.com

Welcome to the first profile feature as part of my new Sexy Jobs series! This week, I sat down with my friend Hilary Nguyen, who works as a Communications Manager at Recirculating Farms, an urban farm in New Orleans. I met Hilary a few years ago, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who is more passionate about their job. When I realised I needed to consult the experts and reach out to the people in my circle with the sexiest jobs, texting Hilary was a no-brainer. You can listen to the entire interview here or check out the highlights of our chat below.

How would you define a Sexy Job?

When you say Sexy Job I think of a job that turns you sexy. I think a lot of jobs can be really draining and filled with too many menial tasks that don’t really give you a sense of fulfilment. A sexy job would be the opposite of that; it’s a job where you’re really thriving in that space.

Okay, what does your job actually entail? You’re the first person I’ve met in urban farming

I oversee outreach, but also step into other roles since we have a small team. I do a lot of volunteer coordination and some project management. Everyone is also required to have some farm time, and I love that, since I first started at the farm as a volunteer.

How did you get into this line of work?

I knew that I was interested in nonprofit work, I love government work and helping to give back to the community in any way. Moving to a new city for university, volunteering was a great way to see new places and meet new people. I started at Recirculating Farms in my first year at university, and the team got to know me. I interned for them in my final year and talked very openly about wanting to get into the nonprofit space. Even as I was volunteering at other organisations, I asked people how they got into the industry, and 85% said they entered through AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a federal programme. You apply, and if you are accepted, the process of matching is similar to sorority rushing, where you interview with different organisations and nonprofits, and you’re matched in the end.

What did you consider to be the most important things when applying for a job? What were your priorities when starting your career?

I was really looking for something that would allow me to be flexible since I travel so often. I’m travelling internationally every three to six months, and I needed a job that would be okay with that. We’re a working farm, so there’s nothing really to do in the dead of winter. Besides that, I really wanted a place where I could grow. A lot of places want you to work for them, but they don’t allow you the courtesy of messing up, and I feel that can be very stressful for someone who’s just starting out. Something I didn’t know about my job, but is now something I will continue to look out for going forward, is this very lateral power dynamic. We all have a say in the organisation. It allows you to want to do the work because you know you have buy-in and that your voice has a say in what happens next.

What would be your advice for someone who wants to get into the nonprofit space?

If you have the opportunity to volunteer with an organisation and start to cultivate a relationship with the team prior to a job application, that’s a great way to have a working interview for yourself and see if that organisation really is for you1. If there’s no job opening being announced, I’d recommend just talking to the team. Once you start getting involved and they get to know you, you have the opportunity to express your interest in being part of the organisation in the future.

Thank you for keeping up with the first edition of Sexy Jobs. If you’re interested in learning more about Recirculating Farms, visit their website or check out their Instagram. If you (or someone you know) has a Sexy Job and would be down to talk about it and give me life advice in the process, please reach out to sexyjobsjulia@gmail.com

On Unexpected Compliments and Career Advice from Unorthodox Sources

I find that unusual or unexpected compliments are always the ones that seem to stick. I was once told by a (surprisingly polite) drunk man that I was the sexiest picnic blanket he had ever seen. I am reminded of that every time I reach for the backless plaid dress I was wearing on that muggy summer night. In my post-grad, quarter-life crisis, unemployment era, I often find myself asking people for career advice2. A newfound level of agency has left me longing for someone to tell me what to do with my life3. I’ve become embarrassingly earnest, looking to the people I admire for guidance, whether it be a girl a year ahead of me in high school who perpetually had her shit together and had me considering a career in corporate law, or a writer I was newly obsessed with who seemed like a Nora Ephron and Carrie Bradshaw lovechild, dishing out big sister advice after several glasses of wine. When I was told I was pretty and smart enough for a sexy job, I initially laughed it off, but the idea stuck, and I found myself dissecting the term with my friends who had sexy and unsexy jobs alike (contributing my rich takes as someone who had no job at all).

What is a Sexy Job?

I think people have varying ideas of what a sexy job might be. I’ve had to explain myself more than once when trying to convince people to talk to me about their sexy jobs4. A sexy job might be the job itself, and unsexy jobs at sexy places might also make the cut. I have once again done what I do best and taken to the masses (read: put up a question box on my Instagram stories) to try and get to the bottom of this question. Whilst there was some confusion around the term itself (sexy job and sex work might seem pretty similar, but they carry completely different connotations), there was some consensus on what a sexy job entails. Frequently recurring themes included passion and a certain perception of what your job might look like. Main characters have sexy jobs5. Sexy jobs are the ones that get people eagerly asking you to go on as you explain what you do. People with sexy jobs are unfamiliar with the glazed over look and mindless nodding that usually comes along with talking about work (as someone who spent way too much time at Maggie’s6 as a student, I will say that on the bright side, the majority of my financial education came from men in button downs who explained the difference between venture capital and private equity whilst we waited in line for our G&Ts).

You don’t have a Sexy Job, you are a Sexy Job — The Ultimate Litmus Test

This piece would be incomplete without a contribution from the experts themselves, so I reached out to my friends with the sexiest jobs. After all my toiling to come up with a comprehensive definition, the answer was clearly laid out as I looked down at my list. The sexy jobs I covered were in a variety of sectors, but they all had one thing in common: they were an identifier. Whenever I introduced any of these friends to someone new, my pitch was always the same: their name, followed by their job title. I find that what someone does for work is rarely the most interesting thing about them, but when it comes to someone with a sexy job, this rule no longer applies. My friends had a variety of sexy jobs, ranging from F1 engineers to urban farmers to chefs and glossy magazine editors. There were the non-traditionally sexy jobs made sexy by a noble motivation, such as environmental lawyers, or by a sexy place of employment, such as data analysts at big fashion houses.

I’m a Professional Coffee Chatter

Throughout my year of job (and soul) searching, I have had more coffee7 chats than ever before. Sometimes I was applying for a specific role within a company and wanted to learn about the dynamic and have an in, but mostly I was asking for both career and life advice. I wanted to know how people ended up in their current roles, what they considered to be the key elements that got them there, and, probably my favourite, what advice they would give their twenty-year-old selves. When it came to job titles and industries, I reached out to all the usual suspects for a marketing graduate: account executives at agencies, strategists, in-house professionals, as well as some friends8 working in consulting. These conversations helped me define which area I had a specific interest in and which roles would best align with my skills. At many of these coffee chats, however, I found myself talking about this newsletter. Something I started on the side when I was bored out of my mind and going crazy looking at a (predominantly red) postgrad job application spreadsheet. I also broadened my scope; I slid into LinkedIn DMs, reached out to anyone with a cool-sounding job and pestered my friends’ significant others with questions during dinner parties.

Asking the Experts (and maybe getting a job in the process)

I had originally wanted to interview some people with sexy jobs to include in this piece. I had more people with interesting careers in my life than I realised. I had grown up hearing my dad’s wild stories of his time working at MTV before I was born (though I doubt he’d go on the record) and lost count of how many times I explained my mom’s job to friends and airplane seatmates whenever I joined her on a work trip to some random destination9, and though I think revenue and customs are not a particularly sexy field of work (sorry mom), there are some sexy perks (she has been to 83 countries and counting). The more I spoke to people about this project, the more I wanted to share the conversations I was having, and thus, the Sexy Jobs vertical was born. As I was overwhelmed with people dishing out the best career and life advice, I felt like there wasn’t enough room within a single 2000-word email to contain all the good stuff I was getting. I’m not sure if one can make a career out of asking for career advice, but if anyone is expertly suited for the job, it’s me10. For the coming months, tune in to Sexy Jobs with Julia Novis to listen to me ask for professional and life advice, discuss the unglamorous sides of a glamorous career and check out the profiles of the people with the sexiest jobs I know.

Call to action! If you (or anyone you know) has a sexy job and would be open to having a chat about it, please reach out!11