With high-profile positions as the Democratic National Committee’s National Finance Director and Voguemagazine’sExecutive Director of Communications under her belt, Hildy Kuryk is now merging the worlds of politics, media, and fashion to build her own consultancy, Artemis Strategies.
“I’ve never been much of a morning person, but, as any parent will tell you, I am now,” Kuryk says. “Annoyingly enough, everything people say about getting more things done in the mornings are right.” By 6:15 am, Kuryk is responding to emails. By 7:00 am, she’s conquering parenthood as a one-woman band, as her husband is stationed in the U.S. Virgin Islands during the workweek. After Kuryk drops her kids off at school, her day as the founder and CEO of Artemis Strategies starts in earnest. That might mean she’s in the office, hitting deadlines and working toward development goals. Or she could be criss-crossing New York City to meet with clients like the Skimm and Nordstrom. “Each day brings something new,” Kuryk says.
Kuryk lives to help business ideas take form and to ignite a spark of creativity for each of her clients. But fueling her hectic schedule requires some serious TLC—which means finding time to train for a half marathon and “carving out real time with my family that is 100% focused on them—and not monitoring my phone,” she says. Kuryk shares more of her self-care hacks ahead in this week’s “Shortlisted.”
Power Mantra
“Breathe deeply, slow down, and trust your instincts.”
Skin Care Essential
Toner. Especially Black Tea Age Delay Instant Infusion by Fresh. (I just turned 40! It is time for some age delay!)
Can’t-Miss Podcast
NPR’s “How I Built This” with Guy Raz. A friend recommended this podcast to me a year or so ago when I was thing about going out on my own. One big takeaway for me has been the permission to fail – not everything is going to work out the way you think and that is ok. What my business is now may not be what it ends up being in 10 years and it will be ok. The journey is part of the fun.
Happy Place Outfit
Cropped jeans, flats, and a kick ass coat or blazer.
Currently Reading (And Listening To)
I’m currently reading Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. I just finished listening to The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown on Audible; she narrates, which makes it that much more engaging.
Productivity Hack
With two children, I am constantly ordering food for our house on the app Foodkick. This morning, I did my week’s-worth of grocery shopping while waiting for a board meeting to start. Not having to go to the grocery store saves me so much time.
Most-Opened App
Instagram and Nike + Run Club (for my half marathon training!).
Good Hair Secret-Weapon
Lots of dry shampoo, perfecting the art of the curling wand, and less frequent washings
Flats, Sneakers, Or Heels
Flats, given all the running around I am doing these days! I tend to splurge on shoes and coats so my winter obsession were Gucci blue velvet loafers–I literally wore a hole in them.
Self-Care Method Of Choice
Running. Because we are a little bit crazy, my husband and I decided to sign up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon—and neither of us had ever run more than a mile before in our lives! Everyone asks why I don’t listen to music while running, but I love using this time to myself to listen to a great book on tape; it feels so indulgent.
