“The most beautiful girl in the room not only gets the guy, she lands the job, gets better service at a restaurant, rises through the social ranks before her friends. Doors open for the beautiful woman that may not for a female who is twice as smart but half as beautiful.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Freedom is… not to be bound by my wounds. And to be able to eat cake every day.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“When you’ve worked as hard as I have to form your identity, the last thing you want is to blur where you end and someone else begins.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I think that the friendship that women share is so powerful. In fact, there’s nothing quite like it. People talk about mother-child bonds, but I would argue that female friendship bond is also in a league unto its own.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“My daughter gave me a whole new perspective.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Only when we are sick and tired of being sick and tired do any of us do something different.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“With the combination of spending a fair amount of time on planes, having twins that go to elementary school, and generally living a lifestyle that is pretty high-stress, I have been known to run myself down quite easily, so I am pretty much a petri dish for germs, colds, and flus.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Understanding money is part of being independent. You can’t be self-sufficient if you’re relying on someone else.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Portia de Rossi is a gorgeous woman, and I found it incredibly refreshing to discover that she puts very little stock in her appearance, instead preferring to concentrate on what goodness she can put into the world around her – a choice we can all learn from.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“From 12-year-old girls to 70-year-old matriarchs, I know hundreds of women who have some sort of body image issue. This is sad and seriously worrying, but it’s true, and it’s why I feel some kind of social responsibility to do what I can to show a variety of body types in fashion magazines.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“If I could wave a magic wand, I would be a size 6 and still be able to eat cake every day.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Learning how to be persuasive has been really crucial to my life both professionally and personally.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“You can lose who you are so easily when you’re being so many things to so many different people.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“As a photographer, there are times when I have to decide if it’s appropriate to invade a moment with my camera.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’d personally like to see more ‘real bodies’ in magazines.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Spirituality is an anchor for me and guides me through life.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Despite the gender stereotypes in the ’80s, my race-car-driving dad taught me that I could do whatever my brother could.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“You never know how your kids are going to turn out. You can raise them with all the best intentions, and then they’re own people, and they have their own inner conflicts. You just hope you’ve given them some good stuff to navigate with.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“If we remove all judgment and preconceived ideas of who a person is, the truth is, we are all blessed with the same emotions and desires.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’m really interested in older women, to be honest, because they have lived a life that I’ve not yet lived. So I really want to learn from them, and I think culturally we tend to dispose of women once they get to a certain age and they don’t look a certain way.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“The power that you have as a young woman, unless you have great self-esteem, is largely based on how the rest of the world reacts to you. And so it’s kind of a superficial confidence that you have, you know?”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“People reacted to how I looked, and that was certainly a power to have as a young girl, but not one that you really understand.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I am interested in people. I’m interested in telling stories, whether that is behind the camera or in front of the camera.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“There are women who are just extraordinary, who are smart and brilliant, sensual women in their 70s and even 80s!”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I went from being able to walk down the street and be ignored to having men whistle at me. I was an insecure young girl, and it felt good to have attention, even though it was inappropriate.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“When I was interviewing Hillary Clinton, I knew when I’d ask her something that she wasn’t going to give me the complete truth because she would break eye contact with me.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve been privileged to be able to be a part of some of my girlfriends’ lives at their breaking points.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I hate small talk! I can’t do it.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I share personal things about myself in the context of my interviews and in ‘It’s Messy’ – but that’s 20 percent of my life.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I love all Goop products, but I’ll always have the Revitalizing Day Moisturizer on my desk at work or in my handbag.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“When I look at a woman through my camera, I see her with complete admiration and appreciation of her beauty, strength, and power – and that’s how I do my best to represent her.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“You have a different experience as a woman walking through life; you just do.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve always known if anything killed me, it would be boys. From the time I was a teenager into my thirties, I loved only the ones who were bad news.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“By age 19, I was married to a high-profile, much older musician and was mother to a baby girl. Since then, I’ve been divorced, been a cheater, been cheated on, gotten happily remarried, and raised a couple of great kids.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“In marriage, you sacrifice the adrenaline rush of seeing someone new for the comfort of being with someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Learning how to have ‘healthy’ attachments sounds easy, but in fact, for someone like me who had damaged early relationships, it’s like learning to be fluent in Chinese.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“It doesn’t matter how many people adore you or how skinny, successful, smart, talented, funny, kind, or compassionate you are. None of it matters if you don’t see your wonderful self.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I believe I was a codependent out of the womb and have been struggling to free myself from its vice-like grip for many, many years.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I had lived with abuse for many years, but the worst abuse has been at my own hands and the appalling situations I have tolerated.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“While Jane Fonda has no shortage of knowledge to share, I was particularly moved and fascinated by her recovery from bulimia, which she battled with for over 25 years.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Being a young woman is difficult enough, but add to that the pressures of Hollywood’s spotlight, and you have a lot to navigate.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Sitting down with the insightful Gabourey Sidibe was a wonderful experience.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Pregnancy is a time for women to feel more connected with their bodies, and yet often the opposite occurs.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Glenda Bailey is a woman after my own heart who believes that climbing the career ladder can be overrated, to say the least. After all, why not just go for what you want now?”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I believe women need to hear stories and see images that they can identify with, not media-fabricated ideals that even the ‘role models’ themselves can’t live up to.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Jane Fonda was at the top of my list of women to meet and the only time I felt nervous about interviewing someone. She is one of the most dynamic women I have ever had the honor of talking to.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I am one of the last photographers to convert to digital.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve often contemplated some kind of tummy tuck surgery, but I know this is not the answer.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I don’t marry myself to one belief system.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“If I’m looking at life without a spiritual perspective, it’s a lot more painful, a lot more confusing, and there’s so much that I don’t understand.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I was about 15 years old, and I needed a job, and somebody I know – I don’t even know who it was – said that there was a television show that needed a presenter and that I should go and audition for it, so I did. That was a show called ‘The Word,’ and I got that job.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I love photography – I fell in love with photography, I think, because it was my own thing, it wasn’t something I needed other people’s permission to do. So, it was really freeing for me actually to be able to not be a famous person and just to take pictures.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve grown up around people who love photography, and I think from being photographed for so long, I always wanted to understand how it worked, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be photographed by some really wonderful photographers, and so I learnt a lot from them, and I always ask them questions.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“No one understood why I would wanna be behind the camera, not in front of the camera, and so no one took me seriously, and people said, ‘Oh, well, this is just a hobby isn’t it?’ and I said, ‘No, I really love this. I wanna make this my career,’ and I did not have a lot of support at all for many years. People just kind of thought it was a joke.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Persuasiveness is really just about getting your ideas across without being forceful. It’s a skill that can be learned and is useful for anyone who works in a team environment.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Persuasiveness takes finesse; it takes an understanding of human psychology. And intention is everything.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve never interviewed anyone where I set out to try to persuade them to reveal something. Instead, it’s about creating a space that allows someone to be authentic without judgment on my part.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“My kids see feminism in action every day, and leading by imperfect example is how I’m raising them.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“If there was anyone primed to raise their kids feminist, it was me. My parents treated me no differently from my brother. I was raised to believe I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I don’t raise my daughter differently than her twin brother, to the point where she only wanted to wear his clothes – sweatpants, baggy T-shirts, and high-tops – for a year straight. She claims it’s because she needs to be ‘comfortable and functional,’ and who can blame her? I would wear a tracksuit seven out of seven days if I could.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“The fact is external feminine beauty is highly valued, and we are constantly given the message that a slamming body is the most valuable thing a woman can possess.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“From the ages of 12 to 35 my body, not my mind, was my primary currency. My ideas, my humor, my curiosity – none of those were valued as much as my body, which preceded me into almost every room.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“As a kid, I trained to be an Olympic gymnast. My schedule was rigorous. Four hours a day, Monday through Saturday, I was at the gym. My body was like a boy’s, narrow hips, flat-chested, wide shoulders. When I was 12, I badly injured my ankle and was forced to stop training immediately.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“We all want love and to feel safe, wanted, cared for, to like our selves, our bodies, to have families and feel okay in the world.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“At age 14, you are just beginning to work out who you think you are, and being famous is a huge distortion of reality, and it’s not healthy for a young person to be considered more special than their peers. So, I would say it hindered my self-esteem but in later years gave me a great perspective that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t experienced that.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve wanted to interview Hillary Clinton since I was 15 years old.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I was a workaholic, I had food issues, and I had body issues. I was in a lot of pain. My parents didn’t recognise what was going on.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I got sick of being famous. It is not a desirable ‘job.’”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I grew up in front of the camera from an early age. It distorts your perception of who you are. Having a lot of attention at a young age is not healthy.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’m passionate about women’s issues, and there are no outlets for that on TV, so I wanted to create one.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Men are hugely significant to me and to many of the women I interview.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“No one wants to be lectured at.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I could do a show with men; I’d love to do that, but it’s women that I know and understand.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’d like to interview Rita Ora – I think she’s really cool.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I go to the Korean spa when the kids go to bed. It’s like I turn my brain off.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I have autoimmune disease, thyroid problems, and I’ve been diagnosed pre-diabetic.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve built ‘The Conversation’ from the ground up with no business training.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Stay away from other people’s partners.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Life is going to happen to you no matter what weight you are, no matter how famous you are, no matter how much money you have in the bank. No one gets a free pass.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve photographed a lot of my good girlfriends, and it’s given me a lot of anxiety because I don’t want to let them down.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“As women, we’re trying to be the best mothers and partners and have careers. We’re trying to do so much. It’s okay to say to other women, ‘How do you do this?’ Because I honestly don’t know. The more we are honest, the more you realize we’re all just trying to figure this out.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“When young people implode, we judge them rather than saying they need help.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I was in so much emotional pain as a young girl that whatever distracted me from how I felt about myself was fine by me.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I was put in White City children’s home when I was 15.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve worked very hard on my self-esteem, and I know my value.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Being present with a person and just seeing them for who they are is something that is so rarely given to us, and I try to do that with everyone I meet.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I have met people on the subway who have told me the most profound stories, and I am convinced we all have something to teach each other if we just slow down long enough to hear the message.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“People know what authentic communication feels like, so having someone else handle your social media/commenting doesn’t feel honest to me.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Some people would say having a feminist perspective is political, but I don’t think it is. I think it’s just having a female perspective.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Whitney Cummings is a very dear friend of mine, and she is a huge advocate for women.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Every episode of ‘The Conversation’ was created to be a platform for women, to connect women, and to allow women’s voices to be heard as much as possible. That’s why I launched that show on a television network and online simultaneously.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I try to make things that are not elitist.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Things are only as important as you make them out to be.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I’ve learnt that if you can’t get rid of something, you have to find a way to live with it.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I will not sell anything ever again that I do not believe in. I’m not willing to do a job for pure financial gain. I’ve done that, and it wasn’t worth it.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“I tend to side with people who are considered the underdog. I have empathy.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Female friendships have sustained me from my earliest days as a child.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“You are the most important thing in your life. Put yourself at the center of your life.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
“Retouching is an incredible tool but can also create unrealistic expectations for women who don’t understand that an image is not how the subject really looks. Even the subjects themselves can’t live up to their retouched images.”
― Amanda de Cadenet
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