Powerful Stories
A Powerful Conversation with Danielle Gay
At Natalie Marie Jewellery, it's no secret that we're big on sentimentality. We believe that jewellery holds the power to signify a moment or milestone in time and we love nothing more than learning many of our customers feel the same.
Danielle Gay is a repeat buyer of NMJ (we featured the beautiful love story of Dani and Max here) and we were thrilled to work with her to celebrate a recent career move.
Beauty Director and Executive Editor at one of the most prestigious beauty publications in Australia, Danielle can now be found at Gritty Pretty, having recently moved into the role after eight years at Vogue.
A firm believer that luck is 'preparation meeting opportunity' and that the universe won’t send you that opportunity unless you’re prepared to take it, here we speak with Dani about her career journey, taking the leap and how she defines success.
You spent 8 incredible years as Digital Editor at Vogue Australia before taking on a Beauty Director and Executive Editor role at Gritty Pretty—an exciting and incredible career milestone! Can you share with us what it felt like to take such a big career leap?
It felt right. I think it’s really hard to make the call that a job is no longer serving you, particularly if it has been part of your life for close to a decade. It’s really easy to get swept up in the day-to-day thrill and the challenges of an incredible role like the one I held at Vogue Australia and to stop thinking long-term about what really makes you happy.
I have always loved beauty and I’ve always been inspired by incredible beauty editors like Eleanor Pendleton, so when she reached out to me about the Beauty Director & Executive Editor job at Gritty Pretty I really took notice. It has been such a rewarding leap—I feel like I am exactly where I’m meant to be.
What do you love most about your role at Gritty Pretty?
It’s so diverse. On any given day, I could be at our cover shoot for Gritty Pretty Magazine, meeting with clients, writing an interview for GrittyPretty.com.au, recording a podcast, playing with bronzers in the beauty cupboard, and then heading to a beauty event (or virtual event) for a new product launch. I love that I touch every aspect of the brand and that means I can make a real difference.
As someone who now holds two incredible titles that span across both the fashion and beauty industries, what advice would you give to those who are hoping to work their way up to similar titles?
I really believe in that quote that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. When I landed my job at Vogue, I felt so lucky that I happened to be interning when the editor-in-chief, Edwina McCann, needed a new assistant. But looking back, I had been interning for two years at the time, so I had worked really hard and I was prepared to take on the role.
It may feel like luck but the universe won’t send you that opportunity unless you’re prepared to take it, so work hard, be patient and focus on the end goal.
The newest designs to arrive at Natalie Marie Jewellery were inspired by both the challenges and achievements of days gone by. Influenced by those who dared to do things differently, we reimagined a world where we could be bold and unafraid—our latest styles invite you to celebrate your success, no matter how big or small. Generally speaking, how do you consider ‘success’?
I really love this collection so much because I think that sentiment is so important. I consider success as fulfilment—being fulfilled with what you’re doing or where you are in life. That usually signifies you’re on the right path.
And more specifically, when have you felt your most successful?
My biggest passion is writing, so I always feel my most successful after I have finished a piece of writing. It’s the longer-form pieces like our cover stories that give me that feeling the most. I compare my writing process to trying to finish a jigsaw puzzle and when I put that last piece in and stand back and look at it, I feel on top of the world.
Who and what inspires you?
Other writers. I spend every Saturday morning reading the week’s New Yorker from cover to cover because it pushes me to read different styles of writing that I wouldn’t otherwise come across.
I’m always reading a good novel—even creative writing can inspire something in my own writing as a beauty editor. But I’m inspired by all spectrums of writing and words—I love when I see a brilliantly worded Instagram caption or how a beauty influencer may describe a lipstick on TikTok. And of course, my team at Gritty Pretty who seem to be endlessly creative and who are committed to making Gritty Pretty Magazine and GrittyPretty.com.au the best beauty publication in the country.
What are some ways in which you celebrate success, whether big or small?
I love to celebrate my successes over a beautiful meal with my fiancé, Max. Whether it’s a takeaway pizza and a glass of red on the lounge after we’ve revealed our latest Gritty Pretty Magazine cover or a bottle of Champagne and a sit-down meal at Glebe Point Diner (our local favourite!) to celebrate landing my new job, a good meal and glass of vino always feels like the right way to celebrate.
At Natalie Marie Jewellery, we believe that every piece of our jewellery holds a story. A motive. A memory. A milestone moment. What story does this new piece hold for you?
The Jia Pendant Necklace is a piece I will treasure because it will always remind me that listening to my intuition is the path to happiness.
