Cara Alwill Leyba is the author of the brand new book, Like She Owns the Place: Give Yourself the Gift of Confidence and Ignite Your Inner Magic, and of Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur, which Inc. named one of the “top 9 inspiring books every female entrepreneur should read.” She is also a Master Life Coach, a popular public speaker, the host of the “Style Your Mind” podcast, and the creator of the “Champagne Diet” blog, which has been featured in media such as Glamour and Marie Claire. She lives in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan.
Name: Cara Alwill Leyba
Website: TheChampagneDiet.com
Twitter: @ChampagneDiet
Facebook: @thechampagnediet
Instagram: @thechampagnediet
1. What are three words that best describe you?
Dedicated, loving, ambitious.
2. Tell us why you’re awesome in two sentences or less.
In a world full of “Look at me” girls, I strive to be a “Come with me” girl. I am obsessed with reinventing myself, learning, and transforming and I love bringing women along for the ride and showing them that they can do the same thing.
3. What are your three biggest indulgences?
Champagne, detox bubble baths, cheesy 80s love ballads.
Restaurant: Maialino in NYC
Food: A big warm bowl of pasta!
Cocktail: Spicy margarita
Shopping destination/store: CHANEL
Fashion item: CHANEL jumbo caviar double flap gold bag with gold hardware
Place to hangout: Pyramid Club in NYC
City: NYC!
Travel item: My Louis Vuitton Keepall 55
Beauty product: CHANEL noir black eyeliner
Skincare product: CHANEL Sublimage moisturizer
Hostess gift: Bottle of champagne and flowers
Home décor item: Diptyque Baies candle
Book: My new title, Like She Owns the Place! I could read it 50 more times 🙂
Website: Vogue.com
Magazine: Vogue
Please list at least three of your absolute favorite, MUST-HAVE items. (If you were stranded on a desert island, you would probably bring these with you.)
My journal,
A great playlist,
Coffee.
5. What’s the ONE thing you absolutely can’t live without?
Music.
6. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who follow up on an email one day after they sent it to you. Give me at least a week!
7. If you could have dinner with anyone (living or not) who would it be, and WHY?
Oprah – she is a force.
8. What does it mean to you to have a strong, engaging brand and how has having one helped you?
Having a strong brand is how people connect with you. I have always been bold with my brand – not afraid to shift and evolve – and I think this is what has allowed me to be in the game for as long as I have. I am as transparent and vulnerable as they come, and my audience appreciates that. They want to know I’m human and they want to know that they aren’t alone. It’s my priority to be real and raw, but always put a positive spin on life. I truly think that’s the secret sauce. Teaching my girls it will always be okay, as long as they believe it will.
9. What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Stop over-thinking.
10. What is one piece of advice you would give to women today about staying true to themselves and succeeding on their own terms?
Eyes on the road! You will do your best work when you stop looking around and start looking within. You have everything you need. You always did, and you always will. Trust yourself. You need less than you think.
1. Dom Perignon Vintage 2006 Champgagne
For a splurge, Cara loves a good vintage bottle of Dom Perignon – especially the 2006, which is one of the finest quality champagnes around.
$195, domperignon.com
2. CHANEL Sublimage Moisturizer
Chanel Research uncovered a peak moment in the Vanilla Planifolia life cycle — a precise instant when the fruits of the plant offer extreme regenerative properties – so that when you wear this comforting cream you feel revitalized, youthful and radiant.
$320, harrods.com
3. Diptyque Baies Candle
Diptyque’s Baies, or berries, fragrence expresses the irresistible freshness of a bouquet of roses, sweetened with blackcurrant leaves.
$35 – $65, barneys.com
4. Spicy Margarita
Be the hero of your next girls day with this jalepeno and ginger recipe twist to a classic spicy margarita. ????
Around $15 at the grocery store
5. Louis Vuitton A5 Agenda with Inserts
Cara would take her journal with her all the way to a deserted island, and though she isn’t particular about keeping to one certain style or brand, she’s currently using the Louis Vuitton A5 agenda with some inserts.
$135 – $540, therealreal.com
6. 80s Love Ballads
Let’s all take a note from Cara’s book and indulge in the most unforgettable love songs of the 1980s.
$0, youtube.com
7. Vogue Magazine
Vogue looks at culture through the lens of fashion — how we dress, live and socialize; what we eat, listen to and watch; who leads and inspires us.. Thought-provoking, relevant and always influential, Vogue defines the culture of fashion.
1 year/$12, vogue.com/magazine
8. Louis Vuitton Keepall 55
Faithful to their trunk-making history, these bags perpetuate a tradition of refinement and service, business and pleasure, without forgetting durability and dependability.
On sale for $799 (pre-owned), luxedh.com
9. Dr. Teal’s Lavender Bath Salts
Relax your body and mind as you bathe. The essential oils will soothe your senses while the epsom salt refreshes your skin’s appearance and rejuvinates any tired, achy muscles.
$2.99, bedbathandbeyond.com
10. CHANEL Noir Black Eyeliner
From long-lasting creams and contouring liner brushes to precision defining crayons and intense khol pencils, Chanel has the tools that will make your eyes pop and keep their eyes on you.
$25, harrods.com
Speak Your Mind