Rhubarb December 2025

An interview with EMILY AUSTEN (AVENUE, 2006-2008)

O ver the Summer, we spoke to Emily Austen, Founder and CEO of EMERGE, her own PR Agency, Strategic Advisor for UN Women UK, podcast host and the author of recent bestseller Smarter. Looking back at your time at Teddies, what are some of your fondest memories? There was something very special about sharing that time in my life with the people I did.As a result, my friends from school are some of my closest today. I loved playing hockey and sneaking out.There was a camaraderie that is very bonding.Although it feels like a long time ago (it is!), I do recall a lot of laughter and I distinctly remember skiving off the Steeplechase with success. What are some of the key lessons you learnt from your time at School, and how do you think these have informed your career journey so far? I learned that confidence and humility can (and should) co-exist.That showing up with conviction is more powerful than having all the answers and that resilience is often forged in quiet, unglamorous moments.At Teddies, I saw that leadership wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room – it was about listening, observing, and knowing when to step forward.That’s been vital in running a business and mentoring teams. I also learned the value of storytelling – something that’s threaded through every part of my work, whether I’m pitching a brand to press, writing a book, or hosting a podcast. School gave me a framework, but more importantly it gave me the self-belief to dismantle and rebuild it as needed.

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INTERVIEW

In a post-#Girlboss world, Emily Austen

manages to cut through clichés to offer women a sharp, fresh and engaging guide to having it all.Without condescension, she speaks to women in

a way that feels simultaneously motivational and reassuring. GRAZIA ”

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