In episode six of the latest series of our Sisterhood Works podcast, we spoke with Editor-In-Chief of ELLE UK, Farrah Storr, on finding power in vulnerability, looking to the future and why good things come from entering your discomfort zone.

Farrah Storr is a force to be reckoned with. As an acclaimed author and prolific editor with 20 years of experience, she is a powerhouse in the world of publishing. The proud recipient of a PPA award and a BSME Award for her time as Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan, Farrah was one of seven BAME women to make it onto the list of the UK’s 1,000 most powerful people back in 2017.

As the author of her book, The Discomfort Zone, Farrah explores why pushing through uncomfortable situations can provide the necessary stepping stones to progression, and how we can use discomfort and failure as a pivotal turning point in our lives. Here’s just some of what we took away from her conversation with AllBright co-founder, Anna Jones.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

1. Look To The Past, But Spend More Time Looking Ahead

With a back catalogue of bylines that most journalists would dream of, and a CV including Editor-in-Chief at Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and, of course, ELLE, you would think Farrah would enjoy a lot of time reflecting on her achievements, but we found that this wasn't the case. “I’m not very good at looking back, or enjoying the moments of success. I’ve always been very forward-looking,” she told us.

Acknowledging that she’s “really lucky” to have had a long and successful career in the industry, Farrah told us that spending less time concentrating on reflection isn’t due to a lack of pride, but more so due to a zest for what’s ahead. “I’m proud, of course, but I tend to always be looking at the next thing. And thinking - what’s the next thing that can keep me challenged and excited?” she added.

2. Good Things Come From Pushing Yourself Outside Of Your Comfort Zone

It’s something that can fill even the most confident among us with crippling anxiety – and whether it’s meeting new clients or networking in a room of complete strangers – stepping outside of your comfort zone is hard to do. But we learnt that it's necessary to unleashing your full potential. “If you do approach that thing which you’re scared of, you might actually be amazed at what you can achieve if you push through and get to the other side," Farrah told us. "It's actually the only way that you can discover your true potential.”

Touching on the message behind her book, Farrah taught us that a lot of our challenges boil down to mindset and approach. “When I say ‘brief moments of discomfort’, what I really mean is that it comes down to what we tell ourselves. Most people don’t do the things they’re most afraid of, because we tell ourselves that the whole experience is terrifying, and we can’t do it. But when you break a situation down, anything that you’re scared of doing is not uncomfortable from beginning to end,” she added.  

Our learning? If you push through those brief moments of discomfort, you can achieve incredible things.

3. There’s Power In Exploring An Alternative Narrative

Throughout her career, Farrah has been hailed for taking risks with her writing, and never shying away from the topics she feels deserve to be discussed. “For me, that’s the point of journalism,” she told us. “To speak the truth. Particularly the kind of journalism I like and can relate to, and I think stays with people. The world is full of content and noise, so the thing I think gets cut-through is memoir, and people talking about their lives.”

Sharing why this is the reason that under her leadership, ELLE is now made up of a lot of women sharing their experiences, Farrah told us: “it’s not just people talking about their lives, it's those people who are prepared to put their soul on the line, and be aware that they will be judged for it. Every piece I write gets a lot of push back, and people say I’m controversial, but I don’t think I am particularly. I’m just not so afraid of what people think.”

Happy to take on the role of championing the ‘other’ side of the conversation, Farrah shared why it’s important to the industry as a whole to open up: “I think that’s the role of some journalists; that if the world is having a certain dialogue, to say - 'have you thought about the other side of the story?' That’s my biggest interest, it’s offering a different narrative."

4. Feedback Is Essential To The Learning Process

When talking about feedback – both positive and negative – Farrah is a big believer in it’s importance to growth, telling us, “you have to have it, and you have to take it”. But we all know accepting, and learning from, critique can be tricky, so what are Farrah’s top tips for getting the most out of your feedback?

“One of the things I remember someone saying to me is, if you ask for feedback, what you usually want is praise. The best thing you can do is tape it and then listen back, because usually, most of it goes over your head. I think you have to capture it in the moment, so you’ll remember what it feels like,” she told us.

5. Life Isn’t Supposed To Be Easy, Use Your Failures To Thrive

Although as an outsider looking in, you may think Farrah’s career has been nothing but a timeline of successful endeavors, she shared that - like all of us – she’s experienced failures, but she’s learnt from them. She told us about one particularly negative workplace experience, and how she knew it was time for a change, sharing: “it was changing the colour of my whole life. Every single day felt more like snorkeling through treacle than the day before, and that’s when you know you have to get out.”

But we learnt that experiences like this can help you recognise the difference between ‘a bad job’ and a hard role that involves challenges that push you to do better. “For a long time, I put it to the back of my mind," she told us. "A: because I was ashamed, but secondly, I didn’t want to remember it. Then when I went to Women’s Health, which was the hardest job of my life, I recognised that it was an enjoyable challenge.”

So how can we use failure to catapult us into future success, all the while ensuring that we stay on the path that’s meant for us? “Look back on what you’ve failed at, and remember what it felt like, as it really guides you through challenging situations. I don’t think a lot of people know the difference,” Farrah told us. “Life isn’t supposed to be easy – life isn’t very exciting when it’s easy!”