Life is a constant hustle, one which involves extraordinary amount of concentrated power of will, a bit of luck, a pinch of pleasure and a whole lot of pain. It takes a lot of work to get to where you want to be, so only those who learn how to walk by crawling first, learn how to stand tall by falling thousands of times, the determined, the opinionated, the truly persistent, those who never settle will get to catch the dream they’re chasing and make the world remember their name. Well, just so it happens we know a woman whose name is yet to shake up the world of tech fashion. Natalie Pedrayes who currently works as a social advertiser at Shopbop is a woman whose determination, hard work and powerful voice inspires and encourage us to do and be better. For the latest edition of Cool Faces of Bastet Noir, she shares her tips for landing the dream job and life lessons that made her stronger as a woman.
Who is Natalie Pedrayes?
I am a Miami native living in New York with a passion for travel, food and fashion. I have been living in NY for the past 5 years, and just recently moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan. I live in a really cute neighborhood in Williamsburg, which is surrounded by shops, restaurants and DOGS everywhere! It’s been such a great change moving from the busiest city in the world, just across the river to Brooklyn, where you can find your peace and quiet but still feel like you’re in the city.
What’s your morning routine?
Most mornings I wake up early to workout. The gym I go to is Crossfit style gym just around the corner from my apartment in Brooklyn. I love completing my workout first thing in the morning because it gets me ready for the long day ahead and I feel super productive. While getting ready for work, I always listen to music. My favorite music to play in the mornings are chill R&B hits, those always seem to get me in a positive mood.
You currently work in as a social advertiser for Shopbop. How did you end up there?
I come from a digital marketing & tech background, and have always loved fashion, but was never able to break into the industry due to my lack of experience in that vertical. I also really enjoy social media and how it connects you to people (family, friends, strangers) from all around the world. I wanted a role that combined the things I love: fashion, social, and digital media and this role came along at the right time. My role is a perfect combination of both the creative and analytical sides of marketing.
Best part about your job
Working in fashion! It is inspiring being surrounded daily by super fashionable people. It’s really cool coming to work everyday and seeing how my coworkers style their outfits; it kind of feels like you’re in a fashion show everyday and you’re trying to spot your favorite look.
Worst part about your job
Working in fashion means holidays and big sales are super stressful. If something goes wrong on a day like Black Friday, you have to be sure you’re available to react and make necessary changes, so I try to stay away from planning big vacations around these times and always expect to work.
What career tips would you give to any woman who wants to follow your footsteps?
Never settle. That advice applies to both your career and every other aspect of your life. There will always be people that will tell you no, people that will tell you that you aren’t good enough, people that will make you feel like you don’t deserve the best. But everyone is unique and capable of great things, even if those things are harder to come by or take longer than you’d hope. Settling is a shorter term solve, but will most likely result in longer term unhappiness.
Biggest failure in life and what you’ve learnt from it?
I don’t love the phrasing of this question, but I do appreciate it. I don’t consider anything I’ve done to be a “failure.” Everything I’ve done in life has taught me something about myself, even if it’s been an embarrassing experience or bad decision.
Favorite female empowerment speech or favorite quote?
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” — Roseanne Barr
I really like this quote because it resonates so well with me. I am not one that likes to be told what to do and am not really good at following rules, and this quote makes me feel like it’s okay to just grab the mic and speak up even if you weren’t asked to speak. I like being opinionated and not being afraid to express how I feel about something.
What’s in your Bastet Noir cart?
Each piece is really so unique, but my favorite pieces tend to be the more covered ones with an exciting feature like a high slit or open back. I really love the Liz Dress and the Maiara Dress.
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We love strong, confident and self reliant women, so if you think you got what it takes, send us an email with your Instagram account and the story you’d like to share and you might just become Bastet Noir’s next cool face.