The most powerful woman in luxury (LVMH): how to develop TASTE before AI takes over

Ladies, grab your notebooks, this episode is an absolute masterclass. This week’s guest is Pauline Brown, the former Chairman of LVMH North America, a board member who's worked with companies like Estée Lauder, Carlyle Group, and Neiman Marcus, and now an author, professor, and entrepreneur building a life and career entirely on her own terms. She's also one of the most thoughtful people you'll hear talk about power, taste, and what it actually takes to build a life that's aligned with who you are. If you're feeling stuck in a role that looks good on paper but doesn't feel right, if you're trying to figure out your non-negotiables, or if you're tired of optimizing for everyone else's definition of success — this episode is for you. Pauline shares the exact exercise that helped her identify what matters most, how to recognize when something is deeply misaligned and being brave enough to walk away, what aesthetic intelligence actually is and why it's your competitive advantage in the age of AI, and how to stop giving your power away to hierarchies, proving energy, and other people's expectations. People pay thousands of dollars to learn from Pauline at Columbia and Harvard, and we're getting this wisdom for free. Let's dive in. What You'll Learn: The 100 cards exercise that helped Pauline figure out her non-negotiables 30 years ago What aesthetic intelligence actually is and why it's your superpower in the age of AI The 4 steps to developing taste Why work-life balance is a myth How to redefine wealth when you're no longer optimizing for money Why being yourself is the only thing you do better than anyone else EPISODE CHAPTERS [06:30] - What it was like being an ambitious woman at Wharton in the 90s [12:15] - How to find your career non-negotiables using the 100 cards exercise [18:45] - Why she left consulting for products, creativity, and New York [24:30] - Watching entrepreneurs get rich from her expertise while she stayed on salary [31:20] - The decision to leave Carlyle Group [38:15] - What happened when she stopped defending "what do you do?" [44:50] - Aesthetic intelligence: the other AI [52:30] - How to develop taste in 4 steps [58:40] - Why partnership as an ambitious woman requires the right plant [65:20] - Why work-life balance is a myth and what actually works [71:45] - Ambitious material girl rapid fire ABOUT PAULINE BROWN Pauline Brown is the former Chairman of LVMH North America, where she led a regional unit of more than 25,000 employees across 70+ luxury brands. Before LVMH, she held leadership roles at Carlyle Group, Estée Lauder Companies, and Bain & Company. She's a Wharton MBA (where she and Alexis are both proud alums), the author of Aesthetic Intelligence: How to Boost It and Use It in Business and Beyond, and her second book on decoding taste is forthcoming. Pauline has taught at Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School, and she's a board member and advisor to multiple companies. She's also a Substack writer, SiriusXM radio host, and proud New Yorker. WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE Instagram: @alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarbe... @toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollecti... Substack: Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/ TikTok: @alexisbarber_: TikTok: alexisbarber_ YouTube: Subscribe here: @alexis_barber Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549 Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/sche... Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate? Email Alexis at [email protected] ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success. Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life. Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less. Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more. ABOUT YOUR HOST Hello, love! I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan. This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com