Anna Wintour

While others would have crumbled, Anna separated her personal pain from a professional persona like removing one outfit and putting on another.

The divorce wasn't a distraction, it was rocket fuel.

Work became her outlet.

Avoid a crisis as you can, but perform through it if you can't.

The woman who emerged from this divorce would be different.

No personal crisis could derail her professional momentum.

She was done building a magazine.

It was time to build an empire.

With her personal life stabilized, Anna turned her attention to something more ambitious than just editing a magazine.

She wanted to build what she called Big Vogue, a media empire that would extend her influence across multiple platforms and demographics.

The strategy was simple.

Anna understood that power in media comes from controlling an ecosystem.

Teen Vogue launched in 2003, followed by Men's Vogue in 2005, and Vogue Living shortly thereafter.

Each publication served a different audience, but all carried the Vogue brand, and more importantly, all reported to Anna.

Her philosophy for managing this empire was characteristically direct.

She described editing multiple magazines like planning a dinner party.

You need to have the pretty girl, the controversy, and something reassuring.

By controlling the different elements of the cultural conversation, Anna ensured that the Vogue brand touched every significant demographic.

Teen Vogue was chess, though, not checkers.

Hook the readers at 15 and keep them for life.