S02E02 | The journey of Lola Pacchioni or the art of asserting oneself

For this second episode, recorded live, Lola Pacchioni tries her hand at podcasting at my microphone. Our meeting, a few years ago at a pop-up, marked the beginning of a beautiful entrepreneurial friendship. This episode is an opportunity for us to take stock of our respective journeys, because entrepreneurship is far from being a smooth road.

Today, Lola is the head of the family film production company, Master Movies, which she runs alongside her father. Her passion for cinema dates back to her early childhood, she studied cinema and began her professional life in this field. She faced a reality that she did not really like and told herself that she was not made for it. Lola then sought to find herself, and founded Ika, her own brand of colorful and emotional ready-to-wear clothing, in her image. When it became difficult to juggle between the two activities, Lola chose to devote herself fully to cinema.

Accompanied by an exemplary family with parents who are successful entrepreneurs [Editor's note: founders of Puressentiel], Lola is full of energy in her projects and sees "failures" as opportunities to explore new paths. She approaches her journey with a healthy philosophy, demonstrating self-confidence that she draws from her ability to take a step back.

How does Lola manage to move from one project to another?

Is it possible to combine work, passion and pleasure?

How did Lola deal with imposter syndrome?

I hope you like this new episode!

MARGAUX: When you were little, did you know what you wanted to do later? Did you have a role model?

LOLA: It took me a while to find what I wanted to do. But my real passion was theater. I started very young. I wanted to be an actress. Afterwards, I'm super lazy, I told myself that it was going to be complicated and then I stopped very quickly in my tracks. But it was really my passion.

I think my role model has always been my parents, who I have always been very close to. They are the ones who gave me the desire to be an entrepreneur. My mother has several associations and my father is a very good businessman. They are very optimistic, who think work/pleasure and who have the ability to move from one challenge to another by saying "Ok, it doesn't work, but it doesn't matter, because if it doesn't work, it means that there is something else that will work".

MARGAUX: Would you say that there is a project that gave you back your taste for cinema and that ultimately made you return to production?

LOLA: In fact, if I came back to Master Movies, it's not for a specific project, it's more a question of personality, of confidence. Over time, I learned to assert myself. I remember at the beginning, when I left alone with my small suitcase, to visit factories in the north of France... you run into doors, you get told no, but it makes you stronger. By dint of being confronted with refusals, you harden up. This gain in confidence allowed me to really know what I like, what I want to do. And I finally have less of this imposter syndrome, even if, well, it's still there a little.

 

MARGAUX: How do you juggle your life as a never-ending entrepreneur and as a mother, which is also a full-time job?

LOLA: Honestly, it's true that it's the hardest to manage. With social media, you see so much advice, parents who seem perfect, and you start to feel guilty about missing out on certain moments with your child. When I have to go to Cannes for ten days or attend a dinner, it's not just an entrepreneurial thing, it's the fact that it's MY company, it pushes you to give it your all... but then you wonder if you're missing out on precious moments. Lately, I took a step back from Instagram, because I needed to stop seeing this advice that makes you feel less present.

But hey, my son is pretty cool about all that, so it helps to take the guilt away! Ultimately, I tell myself that if I'm good at what I do, it will make him happy too. And then, being a mom has also made me want to succeed even more, to do something strong, that he could be proud of one day. It has become a real driving force in my professional and personal life.

MARGAUX: What do you like about ŌKAN?

LOLA: What I like about ŌKAN is that the jewelry allows you to stay in the background while still giving off a discreet strength. ŌKAN is that: everyday armor that protects you, accompanies you and gives you the necessary weapons.

There, you see, I've been wearing them for a while now, and I feel like a 'strong girl'. It's this inner strength, this power that ŌKAN's jewelry helps to reveal.

Discover the Lola episode!