The journey to personal success is often paved with collaboration, mentorship, and support from others. Now more than ever, it’s essential to understand that genuine connections go far beyond mere superficial interactions. It’s not about collecting business cards or securing LinkedIn contacts. Instead, it’s about the authenticity, mutual respect, and trust that go hand in hand with these relationships. The answer cannot be found in networking for the sake of it, but in the dedication to hard work and building honest, long-term relationships, as well as the willingness to challenge ourselves and the openness to change.
Leya Kaufman is a true advocate of building friendships first, always considering their importance over any job title. She currently oversees Coveteur’s sales, marketing, and account management as the Head of Brand & Publisher. Beforehand, Leya oversaw partnerships for Hearst Digital’s fashion and luxury division within the jewelry vertical. She began her career working for brands like Giorgio Armani & Hermes, spearheading their media and digital strategy. A working mom of two boys, Leya is a true modern-day girl boss with a special affinity towards jewelry. If you’d like to know more about her impressive career and journey to success, keep on reading!
Leya Kaufman is wearing The Sara 3 Piece Set, custom-made for her
Who is Leya Kaufman?
I’m currently the Publisher & SVP of Sales for Coveteur, but I’ve been in the fashion industry for over a decade. First, as a client, and more recently, with a focus on sales and brand partnerships. In my spare time, I highlight my personal style, which has continued to evolve with my career, on my own channels too. I’m often in workwear-inspired silhouettes, denim, and an overabundance of jewelry. My love of jewelry comes from my grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who wears a gold chain featuring the Hebrew names that span his family tree. I express myself with jewelry, leaning into gold chains and modern‑day heirlooms from emerging designers. I’m also a full-time working mom of two boys under five. I’m married to Jerry Seinfeld’s doppelganger — but, my husband also lives a double life as a superhero. He is my everything.
What’s your morning routine like?
5:45, one or both of my toddler boys wake up. We cuddle and hear about their dreams. By 7:15, breakfast is served. Alongside something like peanut butter toast, I chug a coffee and a collagen-infused water. If there’s time, I use my NuFace in the kitchen for 5 minutes. At around 8, I workout for 25 minutes before getting ready like a maniac and running out the door to make the first train into the city. Usually, I’m running 3 minutes behind and end up sprinting to the train station. On the best days, I have enough time to snap a few selfies of the outfit that I threw together at the 11th hour.
You are the Head of Brand & Publisher for the fashion and lifestyle magazine Coveteur, where you handle all things marketing and sales from the digital end of things. What made you pursue a career in this field and what would you say is the biggest challenge that comes with the position?
The industry is constantly changing, which means that this job is never boring. If the best challenge is the call to innovate, I will always be inspired and ready to work. What works for clients one year might not be their priority in the season that follows. This requires flexibility and an openness to change. Partnerships are collaborative, so I’m constantly revisiting how to enhance our brand value while delivering even more to our brand clients.
Your personal blog Kaufmom.com covers all things pregnancy and motherhood as a first-time mom, but also serves as a hub for all your fashion and beauty recommendations. How did the idea of making Kaufmom a reality come to be?
I launched a blog in 2019 because I missed writing and had absolutely zero mom friends. Some of the topics I cover on kaufmom wouldn’t necessarily be as relevant for our Coveteur readers, so I do still come back to the site to share something new, or a feeling that’s too long for an instagram reel post. I wish I had more time set aside to give the blog the attention that it deserves, but even having it there reminds me that I have an outlet, outside of work, that I can always tap to share my thoughts, insights, or jokes.
Leya Kaufman is wearing The Sara 3 Piece Set, custom-made for her
Three things you wish you knew before starting out?
1.My dad told me this but I share it with anyone starting out, because he was 100% right. Your first job doesn’t have to be on the path to your dream career. Skills are transferable. Experience, of any kind, is what most employers are looking for. Don’t limit yourself by only interviewing for your “dream” role — just, get a job. Build your Rolodex and portfolio. Continue networking. Then, land your dream job with more skills and qualifications than you would have had otherwise.
2. Not everyone will like you. It’s actually nearly impossible to be in a leadership role and be “loved” by everyone. Respect, consideration, fairness, and friendship are important in the workplace and leadership sets the tone. But then, leaders have to lead. That often means giving feedback that people don’t want to hear, changing systems, or saying “no” when you have to.
3. I always say, “It’s PR. Not the ER.” I heard it once years ago, and I come back to that reality a lot. Unless you’re an ER surgeon, chances are that you’re not actively saving lives at work. So, no mistake is that big. No problem is that detrimental. Your mental health and long-term stability matter more than any “work emergency.”
Biggest setback in life and what you’ve learned from it?
In the middle of 2020, I had a moment. I genuinely thought that the media industry may never rebound, and that the career that I had worked so hard to build would imminently crash. Then, I started networking again. I snapped out of it for my own mental health but learned a valuable lesson. Before brands were ready for partnerships, I leaned into friendships. Those friendships opened so many doors and brought me into countless [zoom] rooms. Soon, I realized that I was measuring my self worth through my title — not through my innate value. I now recognize the strengths that so many of us have, and the success that we will always deliver, regardless of our titles on paper.
Books that changed your life
1. My grandfather’s book, Yankele. As a holocaust survivor, it’s a first-person record of the atrocities he faced as a young boy, and I always come back to it to remember the details of my family’s legacy, the dead-ends and great grandparents that perished, and more. One day, I’ll read it to my children so that they can carry on our legacy too.
2. Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. It might seem trite, but it’s true. To be fair, I think I read it a decade ago. I’m sure many would say I’m overdue to lean into inspirational books more regularly. Some would even probably say that there are a few generalizations in the book that don’t apply to all of us. But, whenever I find myself apologizing at work or politely pulling back if I feel left out of a conversation, I remember to lean in. This was one of the first books that made me feel like I was in control of my destiny, and like all of us, I am.
Leya Kaufman is wearing The Sara 3 Piece Set, custom-made for her
Favorite female empowerment speech.
Despite how polarizing she might be, I got the chills throughout almost every one of Hillary Clinton’s speeches. She didn’t necessarily talk about “female empowerment,” rather, she embodied it. I watched her 2016 concession speech through tears and certain words about inclusivity and equality will resonate forever.
What’s in your Bastet Noir cart?
I’m in love with all of Baset Noir’s suiting. I always feel like a boss when I’m in a sustainably made-to-order blazer, especially in a modern cut with a cropped top underneath. A few favorites are The Arlan Set and The Sara Set.