Focus on a strong and authentic woman: an interview with Laetitia Blume
Laetitia Blume, aka missmondo, has featured regularly on Högl’s online channels in recent years. We love her style and are always delighted when we get the opportunity to work with her. She spoke to us about her personal power style, her role as a mother and her views on authentic influencer marketing.
Hello Laetitia, tell us about yourself. Who are you and what makes you tick?
Hello,
my name is Laetitia Blume, I’m 40 years old and I live in Düsseldorf with my husband Felix, our daughter Kaia and our two cats Cookie and Karlchen. I share my passion for fashion on my ‘missmondo’ Instagram account, where I present a mix of high-end luxury meets high street looks. What many people probably don’t know is that although I’m a qualified doctor, I’ve been working as a flight attendant at Lufthansa for the past 15 years and as an influencer for the past 4. I feel very lucky to have been able to make a career out of my two biggest passions: travel and fashion.
Do you see yourself as a power woman? If so, how do you define the term for yourself? In your opinion, what characteristics does a strong woman have?
I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a ‘power woman’, but rather as a woman who knows what she wants, works hard to get it and believes in herself. In the same way, I wouldn’t describe a man as a ‘power man’ just because he follows his own path or is successful in what he does. A strong woman is confident, believes in her vision, is determined, motivated, and inspires and empowers other women to follow their own path.
Your role as an influencer makes you both a mouthpiece for others and a role model. What exactly do you want to share with your followers?
As an influencer, I am a role model to a certain degree and I know that the communication and relationship I have with my followers means that I inspire a lot of women. And that’s not just on the subject of fashion, but also in terms of shaping their own lives. It’s always been really important to me to follow my own path: when I completed my medical degree, I didn’t start work as a doctor, I became a flight attendant instead and have flown all over the world. That’s a decision I’m still proud of and have never regretted, because I followed my heart and I’m extremely happy in my job. My husband and I also went against expectations and social pressure when it came to having children: we didn’t want to become parents until later in life (I’m 40). This is a very sensitive subject for women and in society as a whole. Most women feel pressure to meet the right partner, marry and start a family by the age of 30. But lots of women also want to build a successful career and they therefore feel pressure from their friends, family and society. I’m able to speak openly about these subjects on my account and I can inspire and empower women to listen to themselves and to ignore social pressure. It’s great that all of this is possible on Instagram.
How important is authenticity in your work? How do you make sure that you appear authentic as an influencer? And as a follow-up to that, do you also wear HÖGL shoes away from the camera?
Authenticity is the most important thing for me. I also get annoyed with accounts where everything is being marketed and discount codes are shared at every opportunity. For me, it’s always been about quality, not quantity. Lots of brands contact you when you start a career as an influencer, but earning a quick buck has never persuaded me to enter into a collaboration. Instead, I always make sure that I really like the brands and products and back them 100%. I wear Högl shoes nearly every day and my followers also know that. I share my OOTD (outfit of the day) every day and it always includes shoes from HÖGL.
How would you define your own personal power style? Which outfit makes you feel empowered when you wear it?
I would describe my personal power style as ‘sophisticated business style’. I feel most comfortable in a look that isn’t over the top, but that looks special and can be changed around easily. Accessories play an important role here: a hat, the right bag or special shoes can add that certain something extra or transform an office outfit into a party look. That’s why the quality of my accessories is so important and why I take such good care of them. If I had to choose an outfit that makes me feel particularly empowered, it would be a trouser suit, my favourite Högl block heels – which I now own in five different colours – and one of my timeless designer bags. In autumn, I would add an oversized coat.
To what extent is your style an expression of your personality?
My style is a mix of elegant, classic and very hip, trendy pieces. I usually combine high-end luxury with high street brands. My outfits are often very colourful with a touch of extravagance. I’m actually always looking for something
special that sends out the message: ‘Be different, be unique, be self-confident’. That’s also exactly what I want to convey to my followers: fashion has such a huge effect on us, it can make us feel beautiful and confident and emphasise our personality.
What does a normal day look like for you? How do you balance work and family and where do you find the energy to do everything?
I became a mum to my baby daughter in the summer. Kaia is now 12 weeks old, so she obviously still dictates our daily routine to a large extent. I would certainly say that being a working mum makes you develop great organisational skills. We’re lucky that Kaia sleeps well, so we are now also getting 7-8 hours’ sleep. That’s actually more than I was getting before she was born, because I often used to go to bed very late. I sit at our dining table and work while Kaia is sleeping, just like I’m doing now. As we don’t have a nanny or any other help around the house, I share the housework with my husband. I love cleaning and cooking (yes, really ;-)) and I buy our food fresh every day, while my husband does all the washing. Felix and I make a great team and we help each other wherever we can. That’s particularly important at the moment as new parents. We both still have our own hobbies and interests that we want to pursue. Obviously, it requires good organisation to make this possible for each other. Our day starts at around 7:00 am with coffee in bed. My husband is then usually finished in the gym by 7:30 am. I do the housework and go shopping while it’s quiet in the morning, then I sit down at around 11:00 am and go through my emails, work on potential collaborations and deal with the administrative part of my job. I really enjoy being a working mum and continuing to be creative. My biggest motivation is that I’m in control of my work and that I love what I do.
Do you have any recommendations for young women who are perhaps just getting started on their career?
I would advise everyone to always listen to their heart and follow their gut. More than anything else, I believe it’s important to love what you do. Motivation will then follow all by itself.
What was your biggest challenge in recent years and how did you overcome it?
Eight years ago, we moved from Düsseldorf to Stuttgart because of my husband’s job. To begin with, it was hard to leave friends and family behind, because we really didn’t know anyone at all in our new city. I was forced to leave my home and my comfort zone, but this opened up new opportunities and I was prepared to push my boundaries and to work on myself. Growth requires change. There’s a saying: ‘Perfect is the enemy of good’. Effort and challenge are just as much a part of the growth process as enjoyment and enthusiasm. We moved back to Düsseldorf in November 2020, but I would say that, even though our time in Stuttgart was my biggest challenge personally, I can look back on it and see that it helped me grow a great deal.
Finally, what motivates you during difficult times and keeps driving you forward?
Sometimes, life pushes us into new situations and we can decide either to rise to the challenge and grow as a result, or to struggle, complain and get frustrated. Having a positive mindset plays a key role during difficult times. I see this as one of my strengths: being able to focus on the positive and motivate myself. In psychology, this is called ‘intrinsic motivation’: motivation that comes from within yourself. It’s the best feeling when you can motivate yourself and then maybe even use this power to inspire others.
Thank you to Laetitia Blume for this fascinating and inspiring interview!
