#28 Simone Züger - About Design, Art and Impact

In this episode, host Jeanne du Sartel meets Simone Züger — designer, artist, activist, entrepreneur, and founder of a Zurich-based design studio that just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Her work moves fluidly between art and design, questioning norms, opening perspectives, and making a more conscious, more equal world visible.Together, they explore:What a decade of creative independence has taught her about doubt, rhythm, and trustHow motherhood reshaped her work, her expectations, and her creative flowWhy she co-founded ElleXX, a feminist fintech making finance accessible to womenHow design can be cultural — a tool to reveal values, identity, and responsibilityThe role of activism in her practice, from poetic statements to feminist street actionsHow she knew it was time to step back from the startup she helped buildThroughout the conversation, Simone reflects on uncertainty, creative discipline, and the courage it takes to design not just objects, but a life guided by intention — and by hope.✨ Brillantes brings you powerful conversations with women who challenge norms and redefine what success truly means. Subscribe, share, or leave a review if this episode resonates with you.LinksSimone’s website: https://www.simonezueger.ch/Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonezueger/ ElleXX (ellexx): www.ellexx.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From climate science to politics— Nora Ernst reflects on trust, family policy, and building a liveable future.In this episode, Jeanne meets Nora Ernst — co-president of the Green Liberal Party in Zurich, member of the city parliament in Winterthur, environmental scientist, and Senior Sustainability Risk Manager at Swiss Re. Her path into politics began only a few years ago, during maternity leave, when she decided to get active — and has since turned her into one of the fresh, credible voices shaping Zurich’s political landscape.Together, they explore:How maternity leave opened the door to politicsWhy Switzerland’s part-time culture is both a challenge and an opportunityThe risks of disinformation — and why trust in science matters more than everWhy care work should be treated as economic infrastructureWhat gives her hope in times of climate anxiety and political backlashThroughout the conversation, Nora opens up about balancing three lives at once — politics, a corporate career, and motherhood — and why optimism, even when fragile, is still essential to move forward.✨ Brillantes brings you powerful conversations with women who challenge norms and redefine what success truly means. Subscribe, share, or leave a review if this episode resonates with you.**************************************Links: Nora’s LinkedIn Page: www.linkedin.com/in/nora-ernst-aa348b9a/Nora’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/nora.lo.ernst/Nora’s Website: www.noraernst.ch/About the Green Liberal Party: grunliberale.ch/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jeanne meets Regula Bührer Fecker — a powerhouse of Swiss communication. Strategist, entrepreneur, board member, and author, Regula has built her career on fierce intuition, strategic depth, and an unapologetic voice for working women.Together, they unpack:How she broke into the industry without a degree — and without connectionsWhat it means to balance ethics, ambition, and creative freedomThe rise of AI and the value of human intuition in strategyBoardroom diversity, unpaid internships, parenting, and power dynamicsWhy picking up the phone is still underratedNow founder of La Stratégiste and board member at Tibits, Namuk, and Mal ehrlich, Regula shares hard-won lessons and refreshingly honest takes on leadership, visibility, and work that aligns with your values.If you’re building a career, challenging the system, or simply craving a bit of clarity and courage — this episode is for you. Rate, share, and subscribe if you liked it — and until next time, stay curious and keep moving the lines.✨ Brillantes brings you bold and honest conversations with women who challenge norms and redefine what success really means. Subscribe, share, or leave a review if this episode speaks to you.************************Duration: 54 minutes Timeline:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:23 Meet Today's Guest: A Communication Powerhouse01:20 Personal Insights: Balancing Family and Career02:58 Early Career Struggles and Breakthroughs08:52 The Power of Communication and Creativity11:28 Launching a New Venture: LA Strategist14:12 Client Selection and Ethical Considerations18:45 Reflections on Work Culture and Career Growth26:23 Post-Exit Reflections and the Role of AI28:33 Leveraging AI in Business29:51 The Impact of AI on Junior Positions31:22 The Role of Human Empathy in Strategy33:54 Balancing Board Roles and Strategy36:07 Choosing and Contributing to Board Roles42:23 Diversity and Gender Quotas in Boards47:41 Reflections on Writing and Career Advice52:13 Final Thoughts and Personal Insights***********************LINKSLa Stratégiste: www.lastrategiste.com/de/Instagram: www.instagram.com/la_strategiste/Regula on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/regulabuehrer/ Mal Ehrlich: https://mal-ehrlich.ch/Namuk: https://ch.namuk.com/Tibits: https://www.tibits.ch/fr/home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Jeanne du Sartel meets Nora Kato, former Co-CEO of FREITAG and now co-founder of IPSUM ALII. Until early 2025, Nora was helping steer one of Zurich’s most iconic design companies — known for its circular products and holocratic structure. But behind the scenes, she was slowly building something more personal: a skincare brand rooted in friendship, cultural heritage, and a desire for balance.We talk about navigating leadership in a non-hierarchical company, what “gentle leadership” looks like, and how stepping away from structure can create space for intuition and intention. Nora also opens up about building a business alongside motherhood, the influence of Japanese wellness rituals, and her dream of opening an onsen in the Swiss Alps.Throughout the conversation, she reflects on visibility, responsibility, and what it means to lead by example — not only for her team and her daughters, but for other women navigating ambition and care.✨ Brillantes brings you powerful conversations with women who challenge norms and redefine what success truly means. Subscribe, leave a review, or share with someone who cares about women, leadership, and slow entrepreneurship.Time:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest01:33 Nora's Transition from Freitag to Ipsum Alii02:23 Balancing Two Careers and Family05:47 Holocratic Structure at Freitag08:36 Nora's Leadership Journey21:29 Founding Ipsum Alii28:06 The Organic Process of Business Partnerships30:39 Collaborating with Japanese Labs33:51 Balancing Japanese and European Values39:50 Future Plans and Minimalist Philosophy43:17 Defining Luxury and Aesthetics45:31 Concluding Thoughts and Personal InsightsRessources: IPSUM ALII Nora’s skincare brand inspired by Japanese rituals and Kampo medicine www.ipsum-alii.com/en-ch? - her cofounder is Kikoc Veopraseut www.linkedin.com/in/veopraseut/ FREITAG Zurich-based design company known for its circular products and holacratic structure https://www.freitag.chConcepts:Kampo Medicine Traditional Japanese herbal medicine system. For a general overview: Wikipedia – KampoHolacracy Organizational method based on distributed roles and shared governance https://www.holacracy.orgJapanese Onsen CultureTraditional hot spring bathing rituals, often practiced for health and wellbeing https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292.htmlStores in Zurich carrying IPSUM ALII– Asandri https://www.asandri.com/– Opia Concept Store https://opia.ch/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“ All that I did in my career was always to enable culture.”From directing the Solothurn Film Festival to shaping cultural policy for the Canton of Zurich, Seraina Rohrer has dedicated her career to supporting the arts — not from center stage, but by building the frameworks that allow others to create, take risks, and grow. Today, she is one of the most influential figures in Swiss cultural policy.In this conversation, we dive into Seraina’s personal and professional journey: from her early love of music and the moment she secretly discovered cinema as a child, to her current role funding artists, fostering innovation, and defending a vision of culture that’s inclusive, dynamic, and future-oriented.We talk about motherhood, gender equality in the arts, why failure should be part of cultural funding, and what it means to lead with both vision and humility.🎧 Brillantes brings you powerful conversations with women who challenge norms and rethink what success really means. Subscribe, leave a review, or share with someone who cares about women and culture.Photo: Mathias Zuppiger Fotografie************************************************************Duration: 47mn00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest01:31 Connecting Art and Science Through Podcasts03:35 Early Passion for Art and Cinema08:28 Supporting Artists and Cultural Funding14:07 Innovative Cultural Initiatives20:11 The Cultural Scene in Zurich21:53 Public and Private Partnerships in Culture25:38 Leadership at the Solothurn Film Festival28:08 Gender Equality in the Arts31:01 Challenges in Cultural Funding34:21 Leadership Style and Future Goals37:14 Cultural Accessibility and Inclusion42:26 Personal Reflections on Motherhood and Career44:49 Inspiring Women and Career Advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful comeback episode of Brillantes, host Jeanne du Sartel welcomes Tanya Koenig, whose voice has shaped Swiss television, journalism, and live events for over a decade. As a journalist, moderator, and storyteller, Tanya opens up about navigating the evolving media landscape with authenticity at her core. From hosting G&G on Swiss TV to international events, she shares insights on embracing imperfection, building bridges across cultures, and redefining success on her own terms.As she navigates the challenges of being in the spotlight, Tanya also opens up about the impact of pregnancy on her career and personal projects. She reflects on the closure of the Swiss show 'G&G' and its implications for the media landscape, while contemplating her future aspirations, including potentially working internationally. Throughout the dialogue, Tanya emphasizes the significance of authenticity, self-trust, and the evolving role of women in media.This conversation goes beyond the glamour of TV to explore what it truly means to be authentic in an industry often focused on perfection.Duration: 43mn00:00 Welcome Back to Brillantes00:36 Meet Tanya Konick: Authenticity in the Spotlight06:33 Navigating Feedback and Confidence09:02  The Closure of G&G and Its Impact13:53 Balancing Multiple Roles and Passions23:43 Balancing Career and Pregnancy25:22 Future Aspirations and International Work25:46 Cultural Background and Language Learning27:31 Hosting International Events29:43 Role Model and Public Figure36:34 Women in Media and Representation39:46 Defining a Brilliant Woman41:55 Conclusion Links:G&G show: https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/sendung/gesichter--geschichten?id=e3e4d0a7-2482-4574-926d-db62621dcf2fTanya Koenig's website: http://tanyakoenig.com/Swiss Art Bizz (Tanya's podcast): https://www.swizzartbiz.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After four years, Brillantes—the podcast with a French accent—returns, bolder, sharper, and more relevant than ever.Hosted by Jeanne du Sartel, Brillantes brings powerful conversations with brilliant women who challenge norms and redefine success on their own terms.Because success isn’t just about titles or headlines—it’s found in bold choices, resilience, and the impact that often goes unseen.Founders, leaders, caregivers, artists, mothers—the women of Brillantes are moving the lines in their own way.So tune in and get inspired. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nina Müller is the CEO of Jelmoli, Switzerland's oldest department store, and certainly one of Zurich's best-known institutions. The native Austrian, who defines herself as a true European, took up her post in April 2020, right in the middle of the first Lockdown. A more than complicated timing, which did not, however, dampen her optimism and passion for retail. Before taking the helm of this almost 200 year old house, Nina Müller worked in several beautiful premium luxury houses all over Europe, including Wolford, Mandarina Duck, Swarovski and Christ. In this discussion, the marketer explains how she shaped her career, and how luck, but above all determination and the ability to believe in herself have enabled her to get the positions of her dreams. Together we talk about leadership, but also about diversity and feminism. Nina Müller also outlines her vision of the future of retail, and of department stores such as Jelmoli, which she believes should become places of exchange and encounter, where infotainment is key. The discussion is rich, optimistic, and definitely makes you want to go for a stroll in one of these beautiful European department stores... But I won't tell you more and let you discover my discussion with Nina Müller… Links and references To follow Nina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamariamuller/To follow Jelmoli: Website: www.jelmoli.ch/Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/jelmoli/Instagram: www.instagram.com/jelmoli/Facebook: www.facebook.com/jelmoliTwitter: twitter.com/Jelmoli_Zurich Women Nina is mentioning in the episode: Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States Sandra Stella Triebl, Founder of Ladies Drive: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrastellatriebl/?originalSubdomain=ch Olga Miler - Co-founder and CEO of SmartPure: www.linkedin.com/in/olga-miler/Help me grow up Brillantes! If you liked the episode, please share it with as many people as possible, rate it with 5 stars and subscribe to the podcast on your listening platform. This help will be extremely precious to me Find all the links to listen to the episodes here: www.flow.page/brillantesFollow Brillantes on social networks:Instagram: www.instagram.com/brillantes.media/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/brillantesFacebook : www.facebook.com/brillantes.mediaAnd her host and founder, Jeanne du Sartel:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeannedusartel/Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeannedusartel/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneduSartel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How about this week we talk about art and culture? Because yes, the nicest news this week is the reopening of cultural venues here in Switzerland - after long weeks of closure. So for the occasion, I have decided to republish the very first episode of Brillantes, with the founder of the Zurich Art Weekend, Charlotte von Stotzingen. The Zurich organisation is organising three days this weekend, from 5 to 7 March, dedicated to all the exhibitions - in museums or galleries - that we haven’t been able to attend in the last weeks. The episode was recorded in July 2020, but it will give you the opportunity to take a look at the exciting journey of Charlotte von Stotzingen, the head of this initiative. And I promise you, her journey is rich, and very international… In Paris, she created Thanks for Nothing, a philanthropic association, which aim is to promote solidarity through art and culture.In Kenya, she launched with her husband Startup Lions and Learning Lions, two extraordinary humanitarian projects, to train young people in the remote region of Turkana in ICT and enable them to work as freelancers.In this episode, Charlotte describes the richness of the Zurich art Scene. Together, we look back at the coronavirus crisis, we go through each of her projects and we talk about art, culture, education, and the need for democratisation. So tune in to your listening platform, and enjoy the listen! Interesting linksActivities in Kenya: Learning Lions: https://www.learninglions.org/index.php?gclid=Cj0KCQjwp4j6BRCRARIsAGq4yMGLB384VOp-uJcQfhFnEtAHDylujgwWWJkmVWSMBVOeKacStCo6nQ4aArMLEALw_wcBStart up Lions: https://startuplions.org/Association in Paris: Thanks for Nothing : https://thanksfornothing.fr/en/homepage/Zurich Art weekend : https://zurichartweekend.com/Help me grow up Brillantes! If you liked the episode, please share it with as many people as possible, rate it with 5 stars and subscribe to the podcast on your listening platform. This help will be extremely precious to me Find all the links to listen to the episodes here: www.flow.page/brillantesFollow Brillantes on social networks:Instagram: www.instagram.com/brillantes.media/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/brillantesFacebook : www.facebook.com/brillantes.mediaAnd her host and founder, Jeanne du Sartel:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeannedusartel/Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeannedusartel/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneduSartel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raphaela Pichler is a photographer, artist, consultant, musician ... Certainly one of the most creative Zurich women I know. Her signature? natural, benevolent portraits, with plays of light, delicacy and harmony. Raphaela works for fashion and advertising, but her speciality lies in portraying women.In 2019, she got nominated as the best photograph of the year for her biggest artist project, Currency. In this ongoing series of self-portraits, she uses the codes of fashion photography to challenge the notion of value. With her twin sister Marisa Burn, she has also created the House of Change, an institute dedicated to creativity and change. As consultants, they help companies, leaders and individuals to put creativity, authenticity and courage back at the heart of their journey. In this episode, Raphaela describes her passion for photography, her professional begginings, her successes. But we also talk about her disappointments, the challenges she is facing as a freelancer, as well as her fears and uncertainties. In this deep discussion, Raphaela explains how she recently became an artist. She shares with me her poetic vision of the world and opens my eyes to what creativity can bring to our society. Finally, of course, we talk about women and their status, and we discuss about feminism. So don't waste a minute, Take a deep dive into Raphaela’s creative universe, open your mind and let yourself be inspired by this beautiful conversation. Interesting links and references To follow Raphaela : Website: www.raphaelapichler.ch/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/raphaela-pichler-793997195/Instagram: www.instagram.com/raphaelapichler/To follow her ProjectsCurrency Instagram: www.instagram.com/currencymag/Website: www.raphaelapichler.ch/currencyHouse of Change by BurnPichler: Website: https://www.burnpichler.com/Instagram: www.instagram.com/houseofchangeby/References in the episodes  Inspiring podcasts and episodesPodcast Astropod Alexander von Schlieffen Brillantes Podcast - Zineb Hattab, (Kle Restaurant) Episode 2 Brillantes Podcast - Wies Bratby (Women in Negociation) Episode 3People she is talking about Her twin sister Marisa Burn: marisaburn.comHer inspiring friend Kathrin Eckhardt: www.kathrineckhardt.com/Help me grow up Brillantes! If you liked the episode, please share it with as many people as possible, rate it with 5 stars and subscribe to the podcast on your listening platform. This help will be extremely precious to me Find all the links to listen to the episodes here: www.flow.page/brillantesFollow Brillantes on social networks:Instagram: www.instagram.com/brillantes.media/Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/brillantesFacebook : www.facebook.com/brillantes.mediaAnd her host and founder, Jeanne du Sartel:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeannedusartel/Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeannedusartel/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneduSartel  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.