I’ve been working in the music & entertainment industry for 13 years. I started my career in Montreal and New York and came back to Europe seven years ago. I’m from Paris and I’m now living in Brussels with my family. When Netflix approached me, we discussed a visual communications position dedicated to the French Netflix originals. Meaning, producing, editing, curating photo and video assets for the French title campaigns.
The position was linked to publicity. I’m a former video journalist. However being on the other side, the publicity side, I was unsure. I was not really looking for a new job, but I went with the flow and did all the interviews with curiosity and honesty. I wanted to know more about Netflix, which has been on my dreamboard for a few years. And the more we discussed, the more it grew: yes, I wanted that job! Visual communications is actually a pretty unique role and I had never heard of such a job anywhere else. It is a mix of all the experiences I had, from journalist, to video producer, content creator, editor, asset curator, and being a great communicator. It requires someone with a creative mind, yet organised. A perfect match!
The tricky part was when the topic of relocation came on the table. My husband, my daughter and I have an amazing quality of life in Brussels - a beautiful home, garden, parks around, daycare, easy commute, etc. Life is simple and we chose to make it that way. So I was a bit skeptical regarding the relocation process, especially since Netflix asked me to temporarily move to Amsterdam for a few months, until moving permanently to Paris as we’re opening the French office this summer. The thing is: Amsterdam is really close to Brussels, and my husband and I are fans of this city. Spending spring season in Amsterdam? Why not. We had to make a couple of adjustments in our schedule and Netflix handled everything with a lot of flexibility to match our needs. And the Paris move makes a lot of sense from a personal and business perspective: I’m French, it’s my market, Paris is home, my friends and family are around, my husband works in music and tons of opportunities are in the city. I’m not even worried about the move part as I know it’s going to be handled with care while I can focus on being successful and not pack a thing nor look for an apartment or a daycare as yes, a team is dedicated to this. So…homecoming I guess!
I’ve started three and a half months ago. Life in Amsterdam is as good as I thought it would be. Very peaceful and family friendly. The job is challenging, obviously, because it's Netflix we are talking about. Forget about your comfort zone, forget about anything you experienced before - Netflix doesn't work like any company I’ve worked with. The culture is very strong, yet, it is for the better. It makes you feel welcome, heard, understood. The content I’m working on is amazing -I mean, my next project is The Eddy, the new Damien Chazelle series, hello-. And the French team I joined is simply the best. Like really. We’re killing it. One of the first impressions I had is: I belong. I belong in this multicultural environment. In this multicultural French team. In this multicultural EMEA headquarters. Diversity is a bold choice and it is not an easy one. It’s for the long run. It’s having everyone’s voice in the room. And I was often the only diverse voice in the room. It is now over. I’ve never seen so many talents from so many different backgrounds and from so many countries. And visually, I mean, this makes me smile everyday. People of every color, every shape, every age, every religion, every orientation, every style. And the cherry on the cake. Women. So. Many. Women. More than men. Many of us have a family - one, two, three, four kids! I mean, having my daughter clearly changed the course of my career. So arriving in a company where women are all the way up, in every layer of leadership, well, clearly, my happiness value is at its top level.
Looking back on the last few months it has been intense, but intense in a good way. Our life on paper might be a bit complicated at the moment, but I’ve heard so many stories at the office from other employees that have been also traveling, relocating - that I feel it is pretty common. Netflix requires a lot, yes, but working here is also very rewarding and giving. I would never have imagined a company with so much freedom and flexibility. Being heard and understood as a mother was a priority for me. And Netflix did everything to make my family comfortable. This definitely set me up for success. So now, let me go get it!