Recommended Biography: Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
Learn the secrets of success behind one of the most powerful people in media and culture.
My Rating: ★★★★★
Length: 464 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Released: 2022
Key Takeaways for Personal Branding
Anna: The Biography chronicles the career of Anna Wintour’s extraordinary rise to become one of the most powerful people in media. From American Vogue Editor-in-Chief to eventually dominating the Condé Naste media empire.
A Clear Vision
While few take their ‘career objective’ as a teen too seriously, Wintour’s would be set in stone. She describes, at a very young age, her father’s advice for completing an application. With the application asking for her career goal, he encouraged her to highlight that she wanted to be Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. Whether it was actually Wintour’s goal or her father’s — an influential figure in media himself — putting pen to paper appeared to make her mission predestined.
Many years later, when she finally sat opposite the reigning Vogue Editor-in-Chief and was asked what job she wanted, she boldly replied “yours”. She wasn’t even working for Vogue at the time. Yet, she was confidently and proactively putting her agenda on the table from the get-go.
The Bigger Picture
As American Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Wintour was already one of the most culturally influential people in the world. Her ambition could have understandably ended there. However, she went on to become Artistic Director and Global Content Director of parent company, Condé Naste and Global Editorial Director of Vogue. Wintour’s contribution to the bigger picture, her industry and adjacent industries at large ensured her vision and talent touched nearly every aspect of culture worldwide.
With a passion for left-leaning politics, she also used her influence to platform political candidates of her preferred Democratic party. Playing a pivotal part in why Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, as former First Ladies, are enduringly positioned as style, cultural and career icons.
The Non-linear Career
Wintour’s career was not a linear path to her dream job. She didn’t start specifically in the Vogue trenches and work her way to the top office. Her first role with Vogue was one of the most senior in the brand. Earlier in her career, she was also fired several times in other roles before proving her potential. She took time off. She held jobs across multiple brands. She even worked in other countries — she was Editor of Vogue in Britain, where she grew up, before securing the leading role for American Vogue.
Wintour also embraced roles in related industries while she waited for her moment. While we have since seen Wintour heading American Vogue for over three decades now, she highlights how the path to your purpose is likely non-linear. It will entail twists and turns that eventually put you right where you’re meant to be.
A Signature Style
Wintour is not just one of the world’s most powerful people in the world, but also one of the most recognisable, thanks to her signature bob and relentless sunglasses. Even at the helm of the fashion world, with the designer wardrobe to match, Wintour demonstrates how it’s the tiny touches that create a signature personal brand.
Creating an Enigma
Wintour proves that your personal brand doesn’t need to be about ‘putting yourself out there’ or being authentic and vulnerable. The ‘wintery’ Wintour is a stunning example of how the opposite can be true. She is known for saying and expressing as little as possible in her professional life. She is an example of how less can be more in your professional personal brand.
Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell: Available on Amazon.
