LAUNCHING:
DANIELLA PERI

WHAT DO YOU DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?

I would say project management or juggling everything that a company at an early stage needs to accomplish. Anything from administration, to marketing, sales, finance and product development. 2018 is all about taking Yoppie to the next stage, funding the company and building a great executive team that complements myself with the skillset Yoppie needs to scale.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND WHAT CHANGED?

I used to play sports and I danced. I miss it a lot when thinking about it. I guess it changed to normal workouts. I love running classes and Barre.
My New Year’s resolution is to make a big painting for our living room, based on the fact that I loved being creative when I was a little girl.

WHAT ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE?

I studied Marketing & Communications and Economics at Uppsala University, in Sweden. I guess I’m one of those dropouts. I only studied for two years, because I got a great job opportunity. I’ve always been a practical learner, I love learning by doing and since 2010 I have been working fulltime with different start-ups and operational development. It taught me a lot, probably more than I ever learned in the classroom? I sometimes miss school and I hope I get the opportunity to finish my degree someday. I also studied Graphic Design and Communications in 2013, which is helping me a lot now with Yoppie, as we do everything ourselves. I don’t recommend people dropping out from school necessarily and having an education is great. It would probably be much better for my entrepreneurial journey, or who knows. I try to read a lot and stay focussed on learning something new everyday.

WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

I’ve always been lucky in terms of being given opportunities to join interesting companies and work with great individuals. What I learned from one of my previous bosses, was that the dream job or job description does not exist, so don’t be afraid to make it your own. She always gave me the freedom to explore new responsibilities and be creative in terms of my development. I loved working with her. Working hard and trying your best is what mattered to her. Not the actual result itself, that is always secondary.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

Oh I have so many. First of all, my friends. All my friends are just killing it in terms of following their dreams. They are all a bunch of kick-ass women that inspire me every day by being themselves and being passionate about their work.
I also love following the young Swedish entrepreneur Isabella Lowengrip and her journey. She is very driven and inspiring. I’m amazed by her success and I hope someday to be sat at the same dinner table discussing women, female empowerment, gender equality and the future of organic beauty industry with her.
Emily Weiss, the CEO and founder of Glossier. Do I have to say anything more? She inspires me to build a company based on great people, majority of whom are women. Let the business and the brand be driven by great, experienced people. That is something we will follow at Yoppie. I want to work with people that are better than me, on everything. I want to inspire people to do their best and give them the opportunity to build the dream company.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT?

Managing my own time and responsibilities. Having a dog!! We will for sure strive for a dog-friendly office and a kids club! I want to build a company where women can enjoy and combine their personal life with work life.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR DAILY WORK ROUTINE IF YOU COULD?

Having an office and more colleagues. I love working with a team and on projects involving more than just one or two people. It is very hard to work by yourself, at your kitchen table.
I need to be even better with my routines and sticking to them. It is ok to leave the kitchen table at 6 pm to hit the gym. Working hard is not about hours its about being structured, efficient and acknowledging your results. Results are not just about being profitable. If you just stick it out, work a bit harder, hopefully you will be rewarded.
My mantra – Don’t give up this time Daniella.
My goal and my change for 2018 will be to wake up earlier. I’m a sleepy head, but I know I feel better when sleeping a bit less. So I guess no more snoozing.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF PROFESSIONALLY IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?

I’m working fulltime with Yoppie and we have a great team. Many great women and men that are just killing it are rocking the fact that we are taking market shares from the bigger brands. Yoppie has successfully been launched in different countries and we are running a hugely successful charity dimension that works globally with girls, education and gender equality.
I hope to be a transparent and inspiring CEO. That I’m still very creative and have the ability to come up with great responses to new situations. I am surrounded by great mentors and maybe I’m a mentor too.  
I’m a mother.

DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BE THE SAME PERSON AT WORK AND IN PRIVATE?

Yes, I’ve always been very transparent with my personality at work and in private. I often end up being friends with the people I work with. It is so important to me that my work life is filled with excitement, joy and positive vibes.
As I’m working on my own little venture, it is very important to me to build a brand that has strong values and objectives that align with my personality. Yoppie is all about being convenient, creative, transparent and innovative.

WHERE AND IN WHAT ROLES ARE WOMEN IN THE LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AT YOUR COMPANY?

Currently, we are all women. I want my team to be able to evolve and feel free to challenge themselves in different fields and initiatives. As we are at an early stage, it’s all about finding your own role and responsibilities. No one will tell you what do to, you need to find out. Which I love.

DOES DIVERSITY MATTER TO YOU?

Yes and I hope Yoppie will be able to attract great individuals with different backgrounds and cultural views, and give them equal opportunities. As for our marketing and brand identity, we are promoting and representing all types of women and we don’t call anything normal – every women is normal and just perfectly beautiful.

HOW GOOD IS YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE?

Having your own company means you think about it 24/7, which I guess as an employee is not necessary. Theoretically you can leave your job when leaving the office. My personality has always been very passionate about everything I do. I get personally attached and involved which means it important to me that my job feels good and inspiring. It would be a lie to say it is easy, fun and glorious being an entrepreneur. The reality is that some days are just filled with self-doubt and self-criticism. Being successful and able to work with your passion, your own start-up is not only happy days. The last year has been filled with anxiety because you are taking risks, you are making mistakes, failures and disappointments.

WHAT QUALITIES DOES BEING IN YOUR ROLE NECESSITATE?

Be able to build relationships, have good communication skills, both with co-workers and external parties. It’s all about selling our story and brand, as well as great teamwork and inspiring people.
Working hard and being self-sufficient, I’m my own boss. It all comes down to me, which can be very hard sometimes when I have a background working with executives telling me and guiding me in my professional development.
Most importantly, the willingness to learn. Every day holds something different, which requires me to learn and challenge myself. I need to wear different hats, some of which I've never worn before.

ANY FINAL COMMENTS?

www.yoppie.com