Ryvpod, Episode 3: Emmanuelle Guadagnin, fondatrice de l’agence Emmanuelle

ENGLISH VERSION:

I had the honor, for this third episode, to talk with Emmanuelle Guadagnin, the creator of the Agence Emmanuelle, an agency specializing in organizing artistic events for prestigious luxury brands.

After spending twenty years in television, Emmanuelle decided to bring her own project to life; an instructive and enriching journey that she looks back on with humility, distance, and intelligence. Emmanuelle's philosophy is to always move forward but in the pursuit of happiness—both her own and that of those around her. It is the driving force of her life and also of her profession.

Neuro-linguistic programming, social and physical environment, sources of creativity… Emmanuelle paints a picture of her universe and the things that bring her peace; or how to find the right balance between kindness and self-demand.

I truly hope you enjoy this episode!

Here is the transcript of the episode in english:

“ Hello,

Today, we’re in a new episode of the RYVPOD, and I’m delighted to welcome Emmanuelle.

Could you please introduce yourself?

Hello Ryvka,

I’m Emmanuelle Gadanien, I’m 52 years old, and I’m the founder of Emmanuelle Agency, which is an agency that organizes artistic events for luxury houses and high-end brands.

Before that, I worked as an artistic producer for 20 years in television. So, I’ve been running this agency since September or October 2023.

You are really the best example to me because of your true professional career change that is going really, really well, and where you're thriving.

Yes, indeed, I’m thriving as I wanted. I’m very lucky. I work a lot, that’s certain, but I’m lucky to see my projects developing, seeing them succeed, and the brands being happy. And I wake up every morning happy, I fall asleep like a baby. Now, I just hope it lasts. That's the anxiety, isn't it? You’re really at the forefront now; it’s you who creates, who presents, it's your business?

Yes, exactly, and you’re going to talk about your previous twenty years in another profession. Was that the big difference for you? Was it the fact that you were a little more on a ship rather than steering it?

Actually, it’s a logical progression. I left television in 2019, so it’s been six years already. And for me, it was more important than anything else. I didn’t want to be the old one in television, I didn’t want to work on programs that didn’t align with me. It was very clear to me that I had to do something else.

In the meantime, I launched a media project for women over 45. Then, the pandemic happened. After that, I worked for an artistic events agency for a year, really with a more corporate angle. It’s a very nice agency called Artwork in Promesses, where I developed luxury.

The moment when I decided to start my own business, I’d say, was more powerful than anything. It had been a few years that I wanted to do it, but I needed for things to align. And then everything aligned. I remember a period when people would say to me, "Oh, you’re going to see, starting a business in France, the accounting, you’ll be terrible at it." And I thought, “I’m not going to listen to anyone. I’m going to listen to myself, simply. If I fail, I fail. It doesn’t matter, I have a taste for risk.”

I’m a risk-taker. I’ve done live shows. So, I can tell you, when you do live shows, it’s okay, you just go for it.

So that’s what I did. When I do my accounting, I think, well, it’s a beautiful day. I’ll put on some music. I wait for it to be sunny. I’ll wear a color, you know, for the day. I’ll think, "Ah, today is going to be yellow." I’ve done NLP, so I think, everything I don’t like, I give it a color. And I’ve made the difficult things yellow, and it’s easy. I put on good music. We are the masters of our mood. It’s almost frustrating how much we decide how to approach our day.

Absolutely. The brain really focuses on the negative, so we need to counterbalance that.

One of the major themes of this conversation and podcast for me is... It's easy to start a virtuous circle, but it’s also very easy to start a vicious circle. I don’t know what circumstances made you leave your first job. Was it more positive or negative?

It was a bit of both. I had a bit of a burnout. I worked in a company that, at first, was nice, but towards the end, it was a bit different, let’s say. So, I said, no, no, I need to stop. I need to do something else. So, I fully immersed myself in sports. I did a lot of sports, and I started writing this media with one of my former colleagues who’s also a friend.

It did me good because leaving television, there’s a bit of reconstruction too. It’s a job I loved, it’s exhilarating. No day is the same. I worked a lot. I did crazy hours. Sometimes, I’d finish shows at 2 a.m. and wake up at 5 a.m. to start again. It’s cyclical. But at the time, I was a little worn out. And I didn’t want to be told... Next month, you’ll work on a music ranking. Well, I don’t have anything against music rankings, but I prefer doing things that make sense to me. And at that point, I needed meaning.

And I think it’s also related to age. As I said, I’m 52, and today, doing things that make sense is a given. And above all, my life has always been about things happening with pleasure. You know, the word "work" comes from the root meaning torture. So for me, in my life, I’ve never worked. And as soon as I started working, I stopped. I wake up and I’m good. Yes, there are days that are a little less good, but I try to minimize constraints. I don’t like constraints. It’s all about pleasure.

So for you, before that, it was always the case. It wasn’t a burnout from having lousy days. You just needed to do something for yourself, something that was intrinsically you.

Yes, it’s a second phase in a woman’s life too. You see, you’re much younger than me. For many women in their 50s, something happens, something social, societal, maybe even romantic. And this change, either you watch the train pass, or you get on it. I wanted to get on it, but in my own way. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year. I’m not going to insult the future. Life is more imaginative than we are. But right now, at this moment, I love my life. It’s extraordinary.

And it’s almost miraculous to look back and say, "This isn’t the peak, there’s more to come." You didn’t reach the summit, especially when you talk about age. Maybe those 20 years spent in this job were fueled by something that wasn’t "I want to be myself, I want meaning in my life," but rather by ambition and drive?

Oh yes, that’s exactly it. My motivation when I worked in television was: "What are we playing today?" My life is a game. I’m a fighter. So maybe that guided me a little bit. I spent my life being bored. A lot of people who are only children get bored, and that develops, it developed an imagination in me. And from a very young age, I knew I wasn’t going to have a regular job. I wasn’t going to work in a bank or finance. It just so happened that I ended up in this profession. It was a coincidence.

I studied literature, cinema, and audiovisual. Then I did a history of art degree. But I wasn’t really sure what I was aiming for. I traveled. Then, I lived in New York, then in Hong Kong. I ended up in Paris kind of by accident. Then, someone offered me a job in television. A friend said, “Hey, want to help me out?” I said, “Okay, sure.” And that’s how it all started. It’s crazy.

I held many roles until I became an artistic producer. A great role, a role with a lot of responsibilities, a great income. That too, when you leave the television world, it’s a bit dizzying financially because it’s not the same standard of living. Did that help you take the plunge?

It absolutely did. And today, I earn less money, but everything is by choice. But after 50, I think we have fewer needs compared to when we’re 30, or when we’re buying an apartment or taking crazy vacations. And even your projection, you say it can only grow, it can only expand.

I hope so. The sky's the limit.

The fulfillment, even if we’re not talking financially, that you’ve had thanks to your work, that’s also part of why you say this career change... you could never have done it ten years ago.

Not at all. It’s like in love. The person I’m with today, ten years ago, I wouldn’t even have noticed him. He wouldn’t have noticed me either. It’s really about alignment, timing, always the right timing.

You’ve managed to pinpoint your priorities now. You’ve realized that yes, it’s about meaning, but what else?

My health, my mental health, and continuing my quest for happiness. For me, that’s what life is about. What’s my dream? It’s to be happy, simply because when you tell me mental health, from what you tell me about your everyday life... we were talking earlier, you might tell me an anecdote. But we can say it’s just as demanding physically and mentally.

Oh yes! Even though I say, "I don’t work," of course, I work like crazy and do everything to make sure everything goes smoothly with my clients and the artists I adore. I respect both entities equally. One doesn’t go without the other.

As I told you off-air, I broke my nose recently. I was working for a very beautiful Italian house. Two events happening simultaneously in London and Paris. That morning, I had three vagal fainting spells with three falls. The third fall, I broke my nose. And that morning, I absolutely had to be at the event to do the setup, to set everything up. If I didn’t go, there wouldn’t have been an event. That was out of the question for me.

So, I don’t know how I did it, but I took a taxi, I informed my client, I set everything up, everything was fine. I took a mental picture of it, and then I took a taxi to the emergency room. The next day, I was back at the event with a slightly busted nose. And that’s something... I think you would have done it in your job too. Because surely, when you’re in a very high position, even if... You’ve had people under you, right?

In my whole life, I’ve maybe had three sick days.

So, we need to tell the listeners, if you think you’re unhappy in your job and you have an idea for a business you want to start, don’t think it’s going to be smooth sailing. It’s just that the giving of oneself and the sacrifice are completely different now. Because everything intertwines. You don’t say, “I’m making a sacrifice for my job,” it’s for myself.

Just like when you’re starting and you don’t have the means, when there’s a debate between going on vacation or investing in something, well... it’s a no-brainer.

But yes, it’s also about personal fulfillment, and you know it will make you happier.

How much does creativity play a part in our lives?

All my life! There’s no... It’s all about creativity from the start.

Well, I can’t do anything with my hands. I can’t even draw a dog. But conceiving things, seeing things, having ideas—this is stronger than me. It’s like breathing.

And what I find quite similar in your current work and what you did in television is the speed of bringing projects to life. Because I imagine that when you’re working on a subject in television, it happens during the day, or the week, or at most within the month. And here, it’s the same; you’re always working with short-term realization.

Yes, but it’s like a challenge. You know, people contact me, saying, “We need this by next week, or tomorrow.” And I’ve gotten used to that in television. It’s always right away, it’s everything, right away. I’ve gotten into that groove.

And, of course, you develop a network. And today, that’s something you can redevelop in a different way. Because in your head, when a client tells you that, immediately, boom, boom, you make the connection. In an hour, you’ve already contacted the people, and everything falls into place.

And that’s very satisfying too, that kind of process. It’s logical...

Absolutely. Sometimes, I don’t have the contact

Everything I did before, today, in fact, I’m capitalizing on it, on these five years. I think, what happened during these five or six years? Oh yes, there was this.

And even just to make a presentation, even just for meetings, for artists I had met before, all that, there is a path.

But do you think of this retrospectively, or were you already aware of it in the moment?

Ah, I wasn’t at all aware.
Yes, that’s it.
Not at all.
But later...

You’re still reflecting a bit on it, in the moment.

Of course, of course, of course. That’s what makes it even better, it makes the moment even more joyful.

In any case, I try, in the way I phrase things, in my emails, when I express myself, to remove all the negative words. I try to eliminate negative words... in my head, in my thought process, in the emails I send to clients, to artists, you see, I use them, all that, really sparingly, let’s say.

Sorrow taught me that.
I haven’t gone too deep into it, but I try.

In each layer of your life, there’s been work.
Yes.

It’s true that we tend to think of the COVID years as wasted years, but no matter who you are, something happened during that time.

Of course.

I loved that period.
I loved it because it was really...
I think it was the first time in my life I really stopped.
Not stopped thinking, but...
I took time for myself.
It was really important.
For me, it was very happy because the people around me were healthy.
Because I didn’t have any constraints.
I didn’t have children at home.
No homework, the whole thing, cooking, all that hassle.
I really lived a carefree life during that period. I did sports, I wrote things, and you don’t have that regret because you know what it is.
You don’t say from time to time, “I’m tired, I just want to be left alone for two months, lock myself in my house and do sports.” You say, “Okay, I found what I love doing.”
So I’m telling you, I don’t feel like I work. After, I’ve been running my agency for a year and a few months, but maybe in six months, I’ll tell you, “No, this isn’t possible.” I don’t know what can happen. The pandemic taught us that so much can happen in this world, so for now, everything is fine.

You also have to say that if it was a source of happiness at some point, it means there’s something real, something viable.
It’s not like you’re saying, “Okay, I was so lucky, I didn’t have any trouble.”
I imagine you’ve had your share of struggles, and the luck is something you created.

Of course.
But you see, when I talk about struggle, I have friends who lost loved ones, who may have lost their parents and all that.
For now, it’s still ahead of me.
It will happen to all of us.
I dread it, but in my life, in my entire life until now, I’ve been lucky.
There are people who collect problems, health problems, and all that.
That’s why I feel incredibly lucky.
Every day, I say it to myself, I thank... I don’t know who, but every day I say thank you.

For me, what I also think about a bit, you’ll tell me if it’s the same for you, is a bit of an imposter syndrome.
When we do something that makes us happy every day, and you know that it’s not the case for most people, you feel a little like an imposter.

Well, I didn’t have that.

No, I didn’t have that.

I don’t know why.
Maybe because you worked a lot.
I don’t know.
I think it’s a build-up... I think no, I didn’t have that.
There are times when you’re unsure of yourself, but to say imposter syndrome, I don’t think so.

And you, for example, what was your confrontation with your circle like?
Because it’s true that what’s amazing about Emmanuel, your agency, is that you really got to use a network you already had.
So it’s not like you arrived and knocked on a door.

Well, I had a small network, a network of artists, but as for a brand, all that, I didn’t have.
I didn’t have that.
Oh no, I didn’t have that.

Luxury, you started from zero.
I knew the codes,
It’s because I know a lot of people who are involved in this industry, and I like beautiful places, and all that.
So I watch, I’m constantly observing.
I worked, but I didn’t feel, oh wow, this isn’t for me, I don’t know how I did it.
No, I went with immunity, sure, but I thought, well, we’ll see if it’s possible, if it’s not.
And yes, there are times when we talked about doubt.
You think, “Okay, it went really well,” and then this month it’s weird, I haven’t had a call, I haven’t had a response.
Well, there are bad days.
And on those days, you know what I do?
I’ll tell you.
On those days, I go see an exhibition.
I go to see an exhibition; it’s going to be fun.
And that kind of reassures me, it warms me up a bit.
And on those days, it’s not bad either, because it tells you, maybe you were a little lazy, so you need to follow up, prospect again, because prospecting is hard.
Because especially when you’re hands-on with events, all that, prospecting, you have a lot less time to prospect.
Except that when you have an agency...
It’s also the key to the viability of your agency.

You probably do a bit less prospecting now?
Oh no, I have to do it.
No one is waiting for me.
And follow up with past clients when it went well?
Yes, send little things, all that, of course.
Right now, I’m lucky.
The clients I have are coming back because we’ve built a good relationship.
That’s important.

And when you told me that for you, a work of art, it could be anything, music, cinema, anything, it’s not your favorite, but it holds an important place in your life because it got you through a bad time and inspired you...
Yes, so, I have a movie,
It was in 2014,
It was a pretty difficult period in my life,
And there’s a movie I watch with pleasure,
It’s Whiplash by Chazelle,
By the way, I watched it, I think, last year at the Philharmonie.
So Whiplash is really the story of a drummer,
Such a great film,
I think it’s amazing...
Damien Chazelle, at 40, making a gem like that.
I don’t know how he did it.
And this film gave me faith and a desire to keep going.
Because if you’ve seen the movie, you understand that the guy is tenacious.
He goes until he destroys himself.
I didn’t go that far, obviously.
But in any case, this film...
And then having, you see, ten years later,
So last year, going to the Philharmonie and watching the film with the Philharmonic Orchestra playing.
It’s fabulous.

So, I’m going to talk to you about this movie and also other things that, for me, are art.
For some, not at all.
Perfume.
There you go, I love perfume.
And if you want, there’s a perfume I don’t wear,
But it’s a perfume that has followed me my whole life,
Which is for a man, Carven.
And it’s a bit of a comforting scent.
When I take a plane, for example...
I go to the duty-free, I put it on my wrist, and that’s it, it gives me something.
In fact, when I was in elementary school,
In my school,
We had a priest who came and told us stories,
But it wasn’t very religious,
But he still told us the whole story of Israel and all that,
Of Jesus and all.
And he wore that scent.
I didn’t know it was that perfume.
And years later, I met my best friends who wore that perfume.
I said, “What’s your perfume?”
It took me back to my childhood.
My life, I can tell you my story through my perfumes.
Through music too.
It’s so multifaceted.
Inspiration,
Where it can come from,
Also the need to be reassured,
The need to say,
“Okay, things are going badly, but it can get better.”
And it’s holding on to something.
And then, having this message of hope, which can take any form.
Whiplash is certainly not feel-good.
And everyone, everyone will take something different from everything.
Ah yes.
And Whiplash...
I remember, I was at Studio 28.
It’s great, they have an amazing film selection
I watched it there, and I said, “Oh yes, it really speaks to me.”
And I think the world of art is so important.

Here’s the translation of your text into English:

Me:
It can be the presence of someone.

We materialize things as best we can.

In fact, it’s deeply connected to other people in your life.

It’s often like that, with events, with people you’ve loved or still love.

It’s also very hard to project yourself into the future, to project yourself into the old self, neither without regret nor fear, but with faith and confidence.

And I have the feeling that the emotion we felt about faith in the future at a specific moment in time, we remember it.

When you tell me today that the way you left in 2019 and the entire career change still gives you a happy and positive memory...

Yes, yes.

And I think that those six years were really necessary.

Otherwise, I think maybe I would have kept going, I would have gone back to television.

In fact, I took a break in 2014, and I came back to television.

Yes, you were...

No, I took a year and a half off saying, "Okay, I’m stopping."

And in fact, I came back to television.

So, it wasn’t the right time, the right timing.

Because still, in television, you were kind of your own boss, already.

Yes and no.

After, I wasn’t just an artistic producer.

I was also a chief editor, where you refer to others.

But that didn’t bother me, you know.

It never bothered me.

There’s a team strength that was good.

But after, it’s... yes, after, it’s your tastes.

Your tastes change, evolve, and...

And when, after a while, you no longer have the same tastes, you no longer like those programs, you say no.

No, okay, I need to do something else.

And how did you surround yourself at the beginning when you started Emmanuel?

So how did I surround myself?

My partner helped me a lot.

Regarding trust, first of all.

People told me, of course, "You’re absolutely capable."

"I’ll help you, all that."

My parents too.

My father said, "But of course, I have no doubt."

Then, there are friends.

Some friends would say, "I see you doing this."

"I see you doing that."

And others would say, "Of course, it’s now."

"You’re ready."

It’s people who are first and foremost kind and who know if it suits you.

Yes, it’s super important to be well surrounded.

Knowing that, in my opinion, when you make a decision, even if you consult others, the decision is already made.

All the time.

So, I can ask a lot of things.

Do you think I should do this, should I do that?

So, the person advises you, they’ll take an hour and a half to advise you, to talk to you.

But in the end, you’re going to do...

You already have a firm opinion from the start on the matter.

Exactly.

You don’t even listen to the end of the person’s sentence, which is horrible for them.

But that’s how I am.

Of course.

And I think when you start your business, what’s funny is that you’re so used to making decisions where you imagine that normally...

In fact, due to lack of personnel, due to lack of support, of course, you make the decision alone.

If you had someone beside you, you would probably consult them right away, but here...

You can’t, it has to go.

And sometimes, there are moments when you have someone beside you, you ask for their opinion.

You know you don’t care about their opinion, but there’s still an exchange.

It’s not that you don’t care about it.

Do you think it will really weigh on the balance?

And in fact, not at all.

All you want is to be reassured in the choice you already made.

That’s it.

It’s really, but it’s very pleasant, and at the same time, we wouldn’t do anything if we constantly needed feedback. Can you imagine, especially if you’re not showing something that’s still in creation, but showing a finished product, a project, a presentation that you’ve already spent a lot of time on?

The person has no business being a finished work inspector.

Afterwards, you still listen a little bit, you see, especially when people are professionals who have their own brands, big brands, all that.

Then you say, "Well, it depends on the approach you’re in at the beginning."

There are moments when you just want people to say, "It’s amazing, well done!"

There are moments when you’re seeking advice.

Of course.

But at the beginning, when I remember, I set up my business very quickly, and everything was done in one summer.

I was in the heights of Grasse, in a very beautiful house with my best friends.

In the morning, I would wake up, go for a walk.

Then, I would sit under an olive tree with a desk, a tea.

That’s where I wrote my project.

I would watch my friends swimming, others working.

I was in an idyllic setting.

I was very lucky.

And everything was built like that.

And I was so relaxed.

And I believed in it so much.

I was going to ask you this question.

The social and physical environment is essential.

And I was going to ask you if you, in fact, think back to a physical environment that helped you.

Oh, yes.

That environment was...

Fabulous.

It’s an old house, you see,

old stones with a magnificent garden, with centuries-old trees.

A very beautiful house, and being there every morning, then going swimming, coming back, and working on your project.

It was a very, very happy time.

Yes, you think back to that.

Oh, yes?

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

It was the start of my business.

I told myself, "No, this isn’t suffering."

"I don’t want there to be problems."

"I don’t want there to be..."

You know, to set up a business, you need to call an accountant, who does this, the registry, all that.

I did it all in one day.

I asked them, "I want an email with all the points."

"I’ll answer all the points."

"I’ll find all the papers, and that’s it, it’s done."

"Afterwards, you take care of it."

"I don’t even want to get involved."

"Okay, I want my company set up by September 1st, and we’ll see after."

And it went like that.

And then, it’s writing...

You see, it’s your presentation,

it’s the story of your business,

what do you want in your business.

And in fact, everything started from one sentence by Maya Angelou.

And the sentence is, "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

And I told myself, if I respect that,

and I engraved it in my notebook,

I put it on all my presentations,

because it kind of represents...

And in every part of your life, you need to impose that on yourself.

It’s really nice.

When we talk about brand storytelling, it always feels like there’s a bit of BS when someone is asked, "Why did you create your brand, what’s the idea behind it?"

The other person will tell you something that you might not necessarily take seriously.

But in fact, the person who came up with the idea, you,

with exactly what you told me about this inspiring sentence from Maya Angelou,

Me, with everything I say about my childhood, etc.,

In fact, you are so intimately convinced and sure of it,

and you will only meet people,

the people who will understand it,

are those who have already gone through the reflection and thought process,

and it will speak to them,

simply.

Oh, yes?

It’s sincerity.

I’ve known people who started businesses that weren’t sincere, pretending to have had this and that.

It works.

It can work.

But after that, what do you have in your gut?

What do you have in your heart?

For me, at least, it’s sincere.

I can’t disguise myself, especially not at my age.

It’s not possible.

Otherwise, you see, I have a luxury.

My biggest luxury isn’t a bag, it’s not a scarf, not shoes.

My biggest luxury is my sleep.

It’s sleeping well, falling asleep well, and waking up well.

And I assure you, that’s a real luxury.

But it also means you have a night, especially...

It’s calming, there’s peace.

There are days when I may have problems with one event or another, no matter what,

I have a harder time falling asleep.

Or I’ll wake up at 5 a.m. and force myself to work on it to reverse the situation, let’s say.

In general, is it the last thing you sacrifice, your sleep?

After,

I’m painting you a perfect picture,

all well, with beautiful phrases,

saying that you were in a beautiful place and all.

We can guess that, but I think that’s what’s important.

It’s the image you have of it behind.

Yes, exactly.

No matter what really happened.

It’s a bit like when we think back to our childhood,

we can see things one way or another.

Of course, if we tell ourselves we had a beautiful childhood,

we have two or three memories that will define it all.

I’m sure that if you’ve decided in your mind to embody the beginnings of your company through this moment in Grasse,

it’s the most beautiful thing.

Picking tuberose in the evening, jasmine in the morning.

Because I love perfume,

again, I always come back to perfume, which tells a story for me.

It’s funny, I have a perfume with tuberose and jasmine.

Oh, which one?

Frédéric Malle.

Ah, yes, great collection.

Emmanuel, thank you so much for this conversation.

It was a pleasure.

I suspected you had a lot to say.

We could talk for hours more.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Thank you for listening to the podcast, and we’ll meet again for the next episode.

See you soon.