You know those rare people that light up a room immediately upon entering it? Michelle Davies is the human equivalent of a golden-hour sunbeam, radiating joy and warmth to everyone around her.
As the Vice President of Global Events & Ambassador and Influencer Programs for a little yoga wear company called lululemon, Michelle oversees the teams responsible for lululemon’s community-based initiatives — think marathons and large-scale yoga events to brand activations across the globe. In addition, Michelle’s teams are responsible for lululemon’s groundbreaking Ambassador Program which includes projects with incredible brands and influencers.
Michelle is a babe because of her unrelentingly positive attitude, her ability to create authentic relationships, and her dedication to the people around her. Welcome Michelle!
What new trends are you noticing in your industry?
The rise of “micro-influencers”. It’s not about having a million followers anymore, or posting generic content that will appeal to the masses — instead, we have been experiencing a ton of success working with smaller influencers who authentically connect with their audience and are truly passionate about what they’re up to. Consumers are savvy now — they want to genuinely connect with the people they follow and are very savvy to manufactured moments and contrived content.
If you could fly anywhere in the world tomorrow for 24 hours, where would you go? No jet lag, obvs!
Wanaka in New Zealand. It’s the most I’ve ever felt like home outside of British Columbia. If you ever find yourself in Wanaka, make sure to go to Cinema Paradiso — in the middle of each movie, they have an intermission where they serve homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven!
What motivates you on a Monday morning?
My team. I am surrounded by incredibly talented people that I would genuinely want to hang out with in my life if I didn’t get to do so already at work.
When do you feel your best?
When I can problem solve. I love to get into the nitty-gritty and take on the problem projects that scare other people.
Who are your mentors? What have they taught you?
My mom. She is the most selfless person I know — she is genuinely the happiest when she’s helping other people. She works with people in stroke recovery, and she also volunteers at a hospice with people at the end of their lives. Her ability to hold space for people and allow for a beautiful transition into the afterlife is something I admire so much.
Also, Eric Petersen, one of the original employees at lululemon who created the Community and Ambassador Programs. He has always led by example, and he stands for what is right, regardless of who is the room. He falls on the sword for his people and his team would follow him anywhere because of it.
What is your karaoke song?
Don’t Speak by No Doubt.
What is the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
This is going to sound a bit cliché, but after reading The Alchemist in my twenties, I quit my job the next day and moved to Vancouver. I ended up getting a job with Live Nation, which then led to me getting a job working with VANOC on the 2010 Olympic Games. After that, I landed my dream job at lululemon.
At the time, I had never even driven in Vancouver. I was just a small-town girl from the Okanagan chasing big-city dreams. I’m going to date myself with this fact…I even used a map to get around town when I first moved here!
Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
Kate Hudson as Penny Lane.
What would you consider your “superpower”, aka the thing you can do better than anyone else?
My ability to connect with people in a real way. I am truly fascinated by people.
What book do you think everyone should read?
The authorized biography of Joni Mitchell, Reckless Daughter. She came from a town in the Prairies and blazed a trail all the way to the top of the music industry, which is even more remarkable when you consider that women were not exactly recognized for their songwriting ability in the ‘60s. I am in awe of her originality and once-in-a-lifetime talent, and she has lived a truly fascinating life.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“When did you know, and when did you do something about it.” My gut has never been wrong — my mistake is only when I don’t listen to it the minute I know something is up.
What activities fill you up most?
Going to live music shows. Running in the trees. Drinking wine with my girlfriends. Road trips.
What characteristics do you most admire in the people you work with?
I love working with people who are curious and believe that anything is possible. I also really appreciate people who take a stand for the people in their lives — whether it’s simply listening, or supporting them in hard times. The world could use a little more love and loyalty.
If you could see any live act in the world right now, who would it be and what venue?
Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry .
What is your most-trusted news source?
Twitter. I love how immediate it is — whether it’s an earthquake or a breaking news article, Twitter is always the place I go when I need to know what is happening quickly.
If you could leave your career with one legacy, what would you hope it is?
I hope that my legacy is that I’ve had a positive impact on people. I also hope that I leave when people still want “one more encore”, so to speak…I want to leave the party when I am still at the top of my game. Think Michael Jordan, minus that one weird season of baseball.
What is your version of a “power suit”?
Nike Air Force One hightops, my favourite pants from lululemon Lab, and my Aritzia denim jacket complete with my lucky wolf pin, obviously.
Who is your favourite supermodel?
Cindy Crawford. She is iconic. And Freedom! ’90 is the best music video of all time.
What public figure do you admire the most?
Jane Goodall. I am so inspired by her commitment to giving a voice to those who don’t have one. At 85 years young her quest to educate and make change hasn’t slowed down one bit.
What personal characteristic do you have to work on the most?
Delegation and letting go — I tend to hang on to everything really closely. I’m hyper responsible by nature…my friends may even say that I can be a bit of a control freak! (Editor’s Note: Michelle is what we call “Type A”, and we love her for it).
Another characteristic I’m working on is negative self-talk — I tend to be really hard on myself. Recently, I started putting Post-It Notes up in my house with positive affirmations about myself — and it led to one of the most challenging epiphanies I’ve ever had, which was that at my core I didn’t believe what I had written. It made me realize that I was speaking to myself in ways I would never speak to another human. Since this realization, I’ve been working hard to change my core beliefs about myself, and to treat myself the same way I treat other people
Favourite classic movie and why?
Star Wars. All day long.
Keep up with Michelle on Instagram @michd10
Learn more about lululemon
Introduction written by Alexis Sheridan
Photography by Ryan Pugsley