Earning Stripes

We are incredibly envious of Pat’s jacket, which she says she picked up for a steal at a thrift store, and which looks tailored to her frame. We think the cropped sleeves are perfect for our heat and humidity, but the jacket is still dressy enough to take her simple tank top and jeans from casual to cool. Pat takes pride in dressing up well, although she draws the line at uncomfortable shoes. “I would describe my style as functional vanity,” she says. “I can’t do the whole laid-back, bohemian thing, but I cannot wear shoes that hurt. I will die, and my people will die before me.” Pat works in social influence marketing, and says that although work is tough, it’s her love of her job that pulls her through. “I believe that you should never be in a job you don’t love,” she says. “If you’re going to work and you’re grumpy all the time, do everyone a favour and just quit. Balance comes from loving the job. I haven’t slept for more than three hours this week, but I’d rather do this than spend 14 hours in front of a computer, churning numbers. It’s just not me.” To some people this might sound crazy, but Pat speaks with a conviction that comes from experience. “I started working when I was 21. Things were quite different back then, but I learnt by making mistakes,” she says. “Patience is something that a lot of people don’t have nowadays.” We don’t quite know how she does it, but Pat is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that she gets things done, and done right. “I’m lucky in the sense that our clients are demanding, but smart,” she says. “If I think something will make the campaign better, I’ll do what it takes, even if it’s on Christmas Eve.” Pat was previously seen here.