Among the personalities we LOVE, there is Nathalie Fargeon, who co-founded the lovely family brand émoi émoi in 2010 with Adèle Bounine. Lifestyle, vision, professional approach... She has many things in common with Mathilde Lacombe!

Your key approach to best balancing your life as a mother and entrepreneur?

Mathilde: Balance… quite a subject! I even wrote a book about it, “A Question of Balance,” which came out in 2017. I’m a Libra, a sign known for its need for balance. What I love about entrepreneurship is above all the fact that I create my life; I don’t follow a set path. My husband and I have invented the daily life that suits us in order to make the most of our children and our family life while allowing me to develop AIME with ambition. And I never forget that we have several lives in one life. Our balance today will not be that of tomorrow when our children are teenagers, then adults, etc.

Nathalie: Mathilde's balance inspires me a lot. I had my first child shortly after her, and at the time, our discussions helped me through this huge upheaval. One of the keys is to allow yourself to take time for yourself. This is often what falls by the wayside when you juggle your business and family life, but it's essential for finding balance. I try to take a few minutes alone each day to make myself a herbal tea with plants from my garden, read a few pages of a book, or listen to a podcast. I do yoga once a week, and every year I go away for a few days alone, on a yoga retreat, or with friends.

House in the provinces and office in Paris: why this lifestyle choice?

Mathilde: I've had this rhythm for 12 years! Things happened naturally, at the time my husband was working in Reims and I was a freelancer in Paris, I made the choice to join him and go back and forth from time to time to attend editorial conferences and submit my articles, without knowing that I would end up having to do them daily for almost 8 years... By creating my first company with a team in Paris, I reviewed my initial rhythm. We have 3 children and a quality of life that we wouldn't have in Paris. Even if sometimes I would dream of not having to take transport, I still like the balance that it brings me: a sort of break between professional and personal life. Between the frenzy of Paris and the calm of Reims.

Nathalie: I lived in Paris when I created émoi émoi 10 years ago. I moved to Brittany 4 years ago because my husband had a professional project there, and because we wanted our children to grow up closer to nature. We live by the sea, which is a great opportunity! Since our move, I have a garden, I spend more time outside, I walk in the forest, and it does me a lot of good. I am very happy to be able to pass these habits on to my children. But I also love going back to the office in Paris, spending time with Adèle, my partner, seeing the team and having lots of meetings and appointments. It gives me a lot of energy and ideas! This new balance suits me better than the one I had in Paris, where I often came home when my son was already in bed.

What rhythm and organization have you established to make this choice an asset in your work and personal life?

Mathilde: When we created Aime, I immediately wanted to establish a rhythm that suited me and that I didn't "suffer" from. Mondays and Fridays, the whole team works remotely, I like to start the week at home, think about weekly objectives, etc. And the same goes for Fridays, it's really nice to be able to finish by picking up the children from school, having lunch with my husband. The rest of the time, I'm in Paris but I come home every evening, I limit invitations and events as much as possible. I like being at home, it recharges me. This rhythm works really well, I am convinced that the more people have a good work/life balance, the more fulfilled and happy they are to come to work.

Nathalie: I come to Paris every other week, for 3 days which are often very busy. The rest of the time I'm at home working remotely, in constant contact by video, chat or phone. I like this rhythm which allows me to have time in Paris to see my team "in real life" but also to meet other people, to work in the evening at the office... When I'm working remotely, I have more time to concentrate on in-depth subjects, and I can pick up my children from school in the evening. If necessary, I reconnect in the evening when they're in bed.

What advice would you give to those, entrepreneurs or employees, who would like to live and work in two different regions?

Mathilde: Weigh the pros and cons! As in any situation, there are pros and cons. Reims suits me because it's 45 minutes from Paris by TGV, so I can easily make the trip in a day. And I took my office right next to the train station to minimize travel time, which imposes a tiring rhythm.

Nathalie: It's a decision that needs to be carefully prepared with your partners and family... Everyone has to adapt, so you have to discuss it beforehand to work out the best schedule together. It requires a lot of investment and professional flexibility from my husband, who manages the family schedule alone every other week. In Paris, my partner Adèle is at the office every day, which also makes things easier. I don't want to paint too idyllic a picture; it's not always easy for me, or for those around me: the week I go to Paris, I take the train at 6 a.m. and I don't see my children from Monday evening to Friday morning. I would recommend, if possible, not living too far from your business location, as Mathilde did; it's easier when you can make the round trip in the same day.

What links LOVE and emotion emotion?

Mathilde: Love! It's no coincidence that our brand is called AIME. It's a beautiful word, and our mission is to help women love themselves and feel good about themselves. Emoi émoi celebrates emotions, love, excitement, and happy moments!

Nathalie: We passionately love creating beautiful products and we are very connected to our community, at our two brands!

If you only had to choose one favorite product from the other brand?

Mathilde: I like them Sweatshirts with a message to wear with the family! I had the pleasure of taking photos for émoi émoi after my first pregnancy for the launch of this collection and then during my last pregnancy, lovely memories.

Nathalie: At Aime, I love the Good Glow Cream and the Body Elixir .