the alphabet of a businesswoman according to Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato

Less than five percent of managers worldwide are women with Sabina Belli being one of them. She has worked for numerous firms including Bulgari, Christian Dior, Moet, Hennessy, and is now the current Chief Executive Officer of Pomellato. As part of her autobiography, she included an alphabet of keywords and principles that have characterized her career in the luxury industry. They are a set of concepts that tell the story of a woman, a life that serves as inspiration for her peers.

Ambition

Often people perceive ambition as a negative trait, one related to vanity, pride, and the desire to dominate. But what if, instead, we look at it from another perspective, one in which it represents the quest for excellence, a driver to do better and overcome our limits. From this standpoint, Belli remarks the importance of finding an equilibrium between quality and result, a way of nourishing self-confidence and measuring the celebration of success.

Bucket list

Creating a “bucket list” is an amusing and useful exercise that allows for us to explore our inner thoughts. It leads us to understand our dormant needs and pleasures, our most beloved dreams. Belli’s list consists of concrete points and new projects that evolve as she passes through the different phases of her life. Particularly, she points out the importance of setting one goal and living up to it, through a set of distinct actions.

Career

It is fair to say that there’s an increase in awareness towards the inequality between the economic value given to women's and men's skills. Nonetheless, Belli guides her attention towards the difference between the expected salary and the real one. Nowadays, a successful career is built in a discontinuous way, not necessarily following a vertical progression. Thus, it is often useful to increase our competencies: choosing a position which does not increase in salary nor the importance, but one which develops experience and knowledge allowing for a more significant step up in the future.

Doer

The “doer”, coming from the verb “to do", is an extremely valuable quality for an individual. The doer transforms every desire, every dream, every responsibility into concrete action. In business, it's a central aspect of group projects and relevant positions: being a doer means being reliable, trusted upon and being able to accomplish what's asked for. Belli highlights the importance of being able to demonstrate that; we know what to do and how to do it, which adds value to our professional career.