Words by Megan Smith
Photography by Brittan Goetz & Suzanne Kantak
Each morning she sinks her toes into the cool pink sands of the tropical sanctuary she calls home. The warmth of the island sun kisses her strong cheekbones and daily its rays brighten the blonde strands framing her face.
If all starts out quiet, it won’t be for long. Soon enough, the stately, pristine white house she shares with her partner, David, on Harbour Island, will come to life with the sounds of children. Five of them. Ranging in age from 5 to 16. They are jewels in her crown.
Actually, the topic of crowns isn’t one that India Hicks finds unfamiliar. She is, in fact, a British aristocrat (spend 20 minutes researching her lineage and you’ll get some fascinating global schooling), often summoned by the media to talk about royal weddings, proper English etiquette, and most recently, the newborn prince, George Alexander Louis.
But during an early Monday morning conversation in her upstairs office, these topics of aristocracy and nobility don’t surface; for there is much more than meets the eye with India Hicks.
She’s a marathoner (three currently under her belt) and a former hotelier. She was once a model for Emelio Pucci and Ralph Lauren and host of Britain’s Top Design. She holds a degree in photography, once taking the Christmas portrait of Prince Charles, Princess Diana and their boys. She’s a regular blogger (Indiahicks.com) and an avid blog reader, counting Dooce and Habitually Chic as two of her favorites right now.
Without a doubt, she leads a charmed life by most standards. David first crossed her path when she was just 17 in what she describes as a “fleeting, innocent flirtation in the Bahamas.” Fast forward 12 years, that fleeting moment sank roots and flourished. Fast forward another 17 years and this modern day Swiss Family Robinson of seven are leading the idyllic life of adventure and tranquility they’ve dreamed of. And one they work hard for.
A woman from an affluent family working hard for what she wants from life? You bet. India runs circles around most and yet has perspective that only comes from someone who’s tried to do it all, all at once, at some point in life. “I used to always look ahead, thinking, ‘What’s next?’ But now I just take a deep breath and ask myself if what I am doing now am I doing well. Because that’s what matters.”
And the work that matters most to her right now is her designs featured on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and her new line of island-inspired jewelry–all pieces she’s created and developed with her team. India’s lasting collection of all-natural body-and-home fragrances, Island Living, created for Crabtree & Evelyn validates her bent for product development and marketing. “I design for myself first and then for the consumer. That way I can always stand behind my work.” India speaks to such lessons with a mentoring spirit. “It’s important to never do something just for the purpose of selling it. Because when you get the negative feedback (and you will), it can really throw you off your game and cause you to lose confidence.”
And with all the success India has encountered in business, she’s realistic about its growth. “Things in life take a – looong – time. It’s incredibly impressive when someone can build a brand quickly, but it’s not normal.” Nor has it been the case for India. And that seems to sit perfectly fine with her. In fact, there’s energy in her voice when she speaks to the practice of hard work, grit and grime, disappointment, failure and re-discovery. “It’s important as women to be careful about striving for things and yet not overdoing. We have so much to prove and we take on so much in a day, but the balance of time must always be correct.”
That nugget of wisdom is spoken from someone who truly has found that compromise. After an hour-long conversation from her sunny studio, the first of the children begin clattering up the steps, in search of their mum for a morning hello. The words she has just spoken are immediately fulfilled as she openly welcomes their chipper conversation and smiles.
And with that, the interview is concluded.
A representative moment from a woman who has truly found the art of harmonizing family and work.
