A risk taker, fastidious worker and a dreamer - Julia Frank is a woman after our own hearts.
Not only is she the Digital Editorial Director of Vogue, Vogue Living and GQ Australia (swoon!), but alongside her brother, she has just launched luxury sustainable Australian beauty site, The Day Ahead.
As part of the Imbibe family and a bonafide overachiever (we stan), we sat down with Julia to pick her brains on work, life, beauty and balance.
1. Please tell us a bit about who you are and how you got to where you are today!
I am the co-founder of The Day Ahead, an online destination to shop and discover beauty and skincare products made locally in Australia. The Day Ahead is actually my side business. Full-time, I am the digital editorial director of Vogue, Vogue Living and GQ Australia. I have been working at Vogue my entire career, including a stint at American Vogue in New York.
2. Why are you starting/have you started your store and how has life changed since?
I started The Day Ahead with my brother after the idea came to me in a brainwave moment. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a store with a luxury aesthetic exclusively for Australian beauty brands, especially one speaking to consumers all over the world who admire the Australian lifestyle. Life has been busy working around the clock 7 days a week to fit in my full-time job and new business!
3. What are you doing to look after your health (emotional and physical) during this time?
Being a brother-sister business, our family has supported us from the start, which has been invaluable in every way, but especially for our wellbeing. I have also been making sure I move every day, whether it is walking my dogs or doing yoga and Pilates. A few minutes in the sun on my balcony also does wonders.
4. Most defining moment in your life to date?
Moving to New York City for a year and a half to work at American Vogue was definitely one of them! And studying for a semester of university in a small town in Sweden called Uppsala. These experiences gave me a newfound sense of confidence, understanding and resilience.
5. Go-to dinner party recipe/spread?
A cheese platter: a crowd-pleaser that’s easy to assemble for someone like me who doesn’t know how to cook!
6. What makes you feel most beautiful?
Clear skin. I don’t like to wear foundation so I’m rigorous with my skincare regimen. I use an exfoliant every night and love to mix facial oils with my moisturiser. I also add Imbibe Miracle Collagen to my morning smoothie for an extra boost.
7. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Only floss the teeth you want to keep!
8. Favourite Book/Album/Movie/Podcast? (We need as many pointers as we can get at the moment!!)
My favourite podcast is How I Built This, a must-listen for any entrepreneur or would-be entrepreneur. I’m currently reading the fourth book in Elena Ferrante’s The Neapolitan Novels series, and each one becomes more and more brilliant. One of my all-time favourite books is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I recently picked it off my bookshelf to re-read. As for film, I am a big fan of the Kill Bill movies by Quentin Tarantino–they would make a great Sunday marathon if you haven’t seen them already.
9. How do you balance work, health and home?
I’m not sure I do! I’m still learning how to compartmentalise and be present for each part of my life at the right time. I now schedule everything into my diary and constantly write lists. I am very dependent on a good night’s sleep so that is a priority for the rest of my life to function properly. Oh, and I have set a 30-minute time limit on Instagram!
10. What is a topic that matters to you and what would you like people to know or do about it?
From day one, my brother and I have been committed to running our business with sustainability top of mind. We use recycled or recyclable packaging, our stickers and tape are recyclable and compostable, we ship with Sendle, Australia's first 100% carbon-neutral delivery service and a certified B Corp, we don't offer express shipping as that service cannot be carbon-offset, and we stock brands with animal- and planet-friendly practices.
11. Star Sign? If you believe in them!
Aquarius! I love the app Co-star and read my daily notification for fun. I also really enjoy their Instagram account.
12. What local businesses are you supporting during quarantine?
I have been spending locally at our neighbourhood grocery store, coffee shop and florist, and only purchasing Australian-made clothing and beauty products, of course!
