Keep reading to be inspired by one of the REAL classy and ambitious ladies who are driving change, inspiring others and making the world a better place. The more we know that other women are making the impossible possible, the more empowered we will be that we can do the same.

We were ecstatic to see how excited you all were to read about our top 20 Classy Career Girls of 2015 so we wanted to dive even deeper into even more working women making a difference in 2016.

In this interview, we meet Sara Pirok, a classy woman dedicated to developing and implementing new and innovative marketing strategies in her position as chief marketing officer of Fromm International, a leading marketer of beauty essentials in the professional beauty industry, with an emphasis on cutlery, salon apparel, combs, brushes, and other salon tools. Sara is responsible for leading product and brand management, product marketing, creative direction, and design, as well as future vision and strategy.

Name: Sara Pirok

Titles: Chief Marketing Officer

Who inspires you?

My team at Fromm inspires me every day. I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by a group of smart women and men who are passionate and creative in their careers. Seeing their drive and hard work motivates and inspires me to be my best self at the office and beyond!

What’s your typical day like?

Like many, my “typical” day at work is usually far from typical! From conceptualizing creative launches for new products to partnering with like-minded brands to increase buzz and visibility for Fromm, my daily tasks always revolve around one main goal: bringing fresh and new ideas to the table to take our brand to the next level of success. Though my “desk” may differ, as I’m often on a plane, traveling to a trade show or beauty-related event, I am thankful that I am able to express my creativity by building and executing strategies for a brand that I truly believe in.

What advice would you give to your 20-25-year-old self?

I would tell myself to stop being so self-critical. I was very hard on myself at that time in my life. From criticizing myself for my physical appearance to being hard on myself for making mistakes here and there. I look back at pictures now and I wonder why I wasted any time worrying – I would literally pay anything to have my 25-year-old body back! I also realize that the mistakes I made in my 20s led me to where I am today.

I’d also tell myself, “You are on the right path.” Throughout my life, I’ve always had a passion for beauty, working in salons and cosmetics counters when I was younger. When my first corporate job wasn’t beauty related (I was in sales and marketing in proprietary education), I was a bit discouraged. Looking back, this position launched my career, taught me the importance of process and procedure in business, and ultimately helped me to land my first beauty industry position. It was the perfect place for me at that time in my life.

 How do you balance work with your everyday life?

I’m very lucky to have a job that I am extremely passionate about, and to remain driven, I make it a point to approach each day as rested and refreshed as possible. I try to keep procrastination and distractions to a minimum and get as much done during the work day as possible in order to leave at a reasonable hour. I believe in leading a healthy lifestyle and look forward to Pilates or yoga at the end of the day. However, family will always come first and helps to put everything in perspective. When I come home at the end of a long day, I really try to put my phone away and soak in all of the time that I can with my little one and my husband. Since becoming a mom, I don’t know that I believe there is such a thing as finding a perfect balance; I just do the best I can and let the little things go.

 What are your goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Fromm is an amazing company and is very well known in the world of beauty professionals. Recently, I led the company through a full rebrand consolidating the brand’s portfolio of 13 brands to three and focusing efforts on the consumer market as well. In five years, I’d love to see myself continuing to make Fromm an even stronger brand and seeing our newest line, 1907 by Fromm, as one of the top beauty brands for consumers.

 What was your first job?

My first job as a teen was working at a cosmetics counter. This truly sparked my love affair with beauty. I was surrounded by products that inspired and intrigued me, and I knew that I wanted to continue working in the industry.

 What is your favorite vacation spot?

It’s a toss-up! I love Antigua for a relaxing beach vacation when I need to just turn off, but Paris is hands down my favorite city, especially when I want to explore. The people are amazing, the shopping is incredible and inspiration is everywhere! My favorite place to visit is a bit outside of Paris: Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny. When you walk the property you literally see his paintings come to life – it’s more beautiful than words can describe and provides tons of inspiration to bring back home.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

Weekends are dedicated to my family. My favorite weekends are those where we have no plans. Some weekends (especially during the frigid Chicago winters) we prefer to be homebodies, relax and spend time together. We hardly ever watch TV during the week, but lately, once my little one is in bed, my husband and I will pick a new series and binge watch it – the beauty of Netflix, Amazon, and on-demand shows. I also love interior design and try to refresh a room or two in our home every year. I love the thrill of finding unique items at consignment stores or even at Home Goods (who isn’t obsessed with Home Goods?). My husband is a good sport and my son is too young to complain, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts!