I'm a French CEO in NYC. I say 'no' to 80% of emails, take two-hour lunches, and don't compare myself to others.
Julie Chapon, CEO of the food-rating app Yuka, shares her approach to work-life balance and leadership after moving from France to New York. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, such as ignoring most emails and prioritizing family time.
Why it matters
It provides insight into the evolving management styles of modern tech founders and the cultural differences in work-life balance between Europe and the US.
Julie Chapon, the CEO of Yuka, lives in New York City. Adélaïde Chantilly This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julie Chapon, the 39-year-old CEO and cofounder of Yuka, who is based in New York. The app rates food and cosmetics based on their ingredients and campaigns for bans and reformulations. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Some CEOs have very strict agendas, but I don't like my day to be too defined. I used to work at a consultancy firm where I had no choice in what I did. When I started Yuka in France around 10 years ago, I thought, "OK, now no one's going to tell me what I have to do." Yuka grew very quickly, and I learned to say no, in a very polite way, to 80% of the emails I receive .
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