Women of Impact: A Conversation with Jo Elvin
As Aspiga celebrates 20 years of style and soul in 2026, we are reflecting on the stories that define us. Our Women of Impact series goes beyond professional milestones to explore the clarity, confidence, and resilience that shape a woman’s voice, qualities that come to life in this conversation with a fabulous woman whose career has been built on championing women, navigating change, and speaking with purpose.
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We’re so excited to spotlight our next Woman of Impact: the brilliant Jo Elvin.
From revolutionising women’s magazines at Glamour UK and YOU magazine and now making waves in the charity world too, Jo’s career is a masterclass in bold moves and meaningful impact. Known for her wit, warmth, and unwavering editorial instincts, Jo continues to inspire through every chapter, most recently as CEO of Children with Cancer UK, where she’s using storytelling to drive awareness and change.
Q: When you were 20, what were you doing and how did that chapter shape who you are today?
"It was on my 20th birthday that I found myself interviewing that international pop sensation, Jason Donovan! And like the needy little cheeseball I was, I told him and he wished me a happy birthday. I was a few weeks into my very first magazine job as a feature writer for the Australian teenage magazine, Dolly. I had been interning there for about ten months when they offered me a job and I quit my university degree to grab it. I had already been dreaming of working in magazines for years at that point and in that job I met many influential women who would inspire me to want to travel to London. They were instrumental in shaping everything from my skills, my ambitions, and even my hairstyle. (They begged me to ditch my perm, basically.)"
Q: What was your biggest hurdle, and what helped you move through it?
"In terms of career it would be being made redundant from Glamour magazine and, at the age of 48, trying to figure out what this next chapter, what my identity, would look like. What helped has been remaining curious and being open to exploring new opportunities, even if it feels like it’s stretching my skill set in ways that might have made me nervous. I would never have called myself a TV presenter a few years ago but now talking to camera forms the bulk of what I do each week. Thirty-year-old me would never have imagined that as a possibility for 50-something me."
Q: Did you always believe in yourself?
"Ultimately yes I think I do. I’m not fearless, I don’t always feel confident and I’ve experienced a healthy amount of failures and setbacks. But I think I remember that everyone - even the most successful, most ‘together’ looking people - also have insecurities, failures and moments of self-doubt. The difference is pushing through and trying anyway. I’d always rather fail than wonder."
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Q: What do you think helped you break through the glass ceiling and become successful?
"I’m not sure I broke through the glass ceiling. I’ve had a great career and one I’ve loved and am proud of, but I’ve never been on the board of any company I worked for, there always seemed (especially in magazines) to still be a layer of predominantly men steering the ship. But in terms of how I’ve become successful, I definitely think hard work and the love of immersing myself in whatever is the task at hand. I think I am allowed to say I have some writing talent, some editing talent, good instincts on what makes entertaining content. But I'm not a genius by any stretch: a lot of the good things that have come my way are borne from nurturing those skills through hard work and dedication."
Q: How do you define success today?
"In my 50s, I want my success to be defined by - as much as possible - only doing things that I absolutely want to do. I still feel the kind of drive to do well, enjoy my work and hopefully have some recognition for it, as I did in my 20s and 30s. But I’m more mindful of the hard truth now that there’s probably more years behind me than in front of me so I’m not as willing to tolerate limitless amounts of stress in the way that the younger me did! "
Q: Looking back, what would you say to your younger self?
"I wouldn’t tell her a thing. She figured it out and I’m immensely proud of that. Mistakes and all, we got to where we are right now and that feels like exactly where we should be."
Q: What is one belief you wish every woman carried?
"That there is only one of you so let your unique, ‘weird’ traits become your strengths."
Make sure to go and follow us @Aspigalondon and @jo_elvin on Instagram and stay tuned for more Women of Impact.
