Cou Cou, Heidi: Meet Our Founder

Sydney-based Heidi Albertiri is a natural creative in every sense of the word. After carving a successful career in styling, she is the founder and dreamer behind multi-faceted digital agency The Life Style Edit. The forward-thinking styling veteran began styling flowers for homes, events and weddings before becoming Senior Stylist for Home Beautiful Magazine.

The DNA of TLSE is anchored in Heidi’s own values for creative imagery, travel, food, interiors, connection and collaboration, translated from her impressive 20 years of styling experience. "Sometimes I wish I could take a photo with the blink of an eye and create a book of how I see the world.”

We chatted with Heidi in between her whirlwind of meetings, shoots and styling to ask a few questions...

I get my best work done when…

Styling wise it's when I am left to my own devices, when I am free to interpret a brand's visual output by coming up with concepts and shooting to create.

A philosophy I live and work by is…

Short term pain for long term gain. This is how I approach most things I work on in the business and have enrolled the team to use the same approach. Sometimes when things feel difficult I will use this to push myself through. It seems more achievable to put in the hard yards in the beginning and get it right and reap the long term rewards of the effort.

Favourite part of what I do is...

Working with the team to make things happen. Being surrounded by capable, smart strong, supportive women day in and day out makes it all worth while. We collaborate and create and we are all over what needs to be done for the brands we are working with. I love our clients and the trust they put in us to manage their businesses, there really needs to be an element of trust to allow us in and the clients we work with are doing such great things day to day its a gift to be a part of.

Best business tip for someone starting out or stuck in a rut…

Trust your instincts and be original. Obviously we all get inspiration from places but be original in what you are creating and run with it. There is no harm in thinking outside the box, but these days, its important to be original. It’s hard when you think everything has already been done but there is definitely still room for original ideas and products.

Something I’ve learned the hard way is…

It’s not personal it’s business. This is a statement that I use to remind myself often, occasionally I need to make a call that is in the best interest of my team and my business. 'It’s not personal is business' helps you take a deep breath, put your big girl pants on and deal with what needs attention without making something too personal.

Describe TLSE in 3 words...

Fun, Aesthetic and Solid!

Between our beachside office space in Coogee, and Mediterranean style homestay and shoot location Stay Casita in Jervis Bay, Heidi finds beauty in her surroundings. With a purposeful eye for interiors, lifestyle and homewares, Heidi’s vision is brought to life across TLSE content, styling and collaborations. “I am very visually focused. I love colour, texture, design and beautiful things,I thrive in places that look beautiful, feel beautiful and are practical. I am simple when it comes to what I need day to day but I perform better surrounded by aesthetically pleasing things.”

Heidi has established herself as a thought leader and mentor across areas of business, styling, social media marketing and more. She was also an ambassador for the Life In Style Sydney 2023 trade show, as well as being a key speaker at the event.

Enjoying lunch-break swims with her team in the summer and transitioning into a hybrid style workflow, Heidi has transformed the dynamic of the business Post-covid, choosing to be selective and intuitive with the businesses and brands she aligns with.

Heidi is available for speaking or interviewing on all things business, womanhood, styling, motherhood and more, as well as workshops, podcasts, mentoring and collaborations and is looking to continue elevating and growing alongside clients in 2023.