A Frugal Girl at Cannes Lions

Frugal Chic® 61: Cannes Lions: The Inside Scoop

Why are there so many creators in the South of France right now?

Cannes Lions, The Festival of Creativity, has been called “Corporate Coachella” because it’s where marketers, agencies, founders and brands all come together.

I am a Cannes newbie. A few months ago, I am ashamed to say I didn’t even know what it was.

But this trip was my first time on a yacht, my first time on a business class flight, and my first time in the South of France.

Which is really crazy to me, because two years ago I started posting from my childhood bedroom with my phone taped to a window. Now I am rubbing shoulders with CEOs, CMOs and executives in Cannes.

Here’s how I got there, and how I maintained my Frugal Chic philosophy in a place that is anything but frugal.

In this issue:

• The real reason so many creators are in Cannes right now

• Why being “seen” can be a business strategy

• How I did Cannes the Frugal Chic way, without a £700 dress, a fresh manicure or a rosé hangover

• What I’m taking away from it, and how I’m already planning 2027

@lacapturevisuals Whalar x The Ankler Lunch at LVMH Villa

So, how did I end up going to Cannes?

For a lot of people in this space, it’s the dream. I had an acquaintance message me and say it had been their goal for the last six years to go.

Not only that, but it is incredibly expensive, with some flats near the Croisette setting you back £6,000 for a few nights. Honestly, anyone who owns property in Cannes must be killing it.

I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to have gone because of this.

I’d say it all happened because of the months that led up to it.

• Having particularly high-earning months as a business, which made it feel justified to take on the expense.

• Having an insanely hard-working talent manager who put me in all the right places: Grace Beverley’s podcast recently and speaking at SXSW

• Having a clear plan for what I wanted to get out of it: a week’s worth of content, networking with the right people, and raising my profile.

Number three is key. My manager literally told me, “It’s about being seen there.”

I’ll admit, at first I was on the fence. I turned to her on the flight and explained that some huge creators in the finance space, who I look to as the blueprint, told me they don’t go to things like this. They said they would rather spend the time working on their business.

I heard this and thought, “Maybe they’re right.”

I am prone to spreading myself thin by trying to go to every event I am invited to, and perhaps I would have got more done for my business if I had just stayed in my living room and made content.

But then it dawned on me. I had spent months trying to boost my credibility and image as a founder and CEO, not just a content creator. It therefore made so much sense for me to be there.

Because Cannes is shifting, a decade ago, it was stuffy suits, mostly C-Suite level staff going out there. Now creators play a much bigger role because the advertising industry has changed. We have voices, we’ve democratised attention. Lots of people feel threatened by that, but I see it as positive.

I predict next year there will be even more creators there and brands will see the value in sponsoring them.

How I did Cannes the Frugal Chic way

Of course, I wanted to stay true to who I am and what my brand stands for.

My first instinct was to think, “I need a whole new wardrobe. I need to prep. I need to get my nails done.”

But then I realised this was an old voice. The shopaholic, insecure version of me that needed other people’s approval to feel complete.

So instead, I thought, let’s do this in a way that actually aligns with me.

I rented a dress from By Rotation. It was a Zimmermann dress. I have always aspired to own one, but they are over £700.

I’ve always hated spending money on occasion wear because it often has a high cost per use. For example, if I bought it for £700 and wore it twice in a year, it would cost me £350 each time I wore it.

Lunch with LinkedIn CEO, Dan Shapero

Secondly, I utilised the fact that it was a business trip to expense genuine business costs: travel, food while travelling, and anything I needed to spend in order to work there.

A lot of the flashy lifestyle you see in places like Cannes and Monaco is actually businesses spending money.

For example, we went for dinner at a place where a bit of salad was €45, but practically everyone there was there on business - and restaurants know this.

So while it did seem like I was living the high life, a lot of it was “work”, and so this didn’t make a huge dent in my personal spending.

Finally, I didn’t go all out and get my nails, hair or anything else “done”.

There was definitely more pressure to. For example, at one dinner I was the only person without my nails done. I had a momentary feeling of inadequacy, like, “why didn’t I just get them done? This is a special occasion”.

But actually, I’ve come home, put some cuticle oil on, trimmed them down, and I feel fine with that. I am able to type easily on my laptop, and I get more done by not having that time taken up by nail appointments.

And let’s be clear, you can most definitely be Frugal Chic® and get your nails done, because it’s all about what you value. But for my fellow bare-nailed queens who sometimes have moments like this, bare nails are actually incredibly chic.

Sadly, mine weren’t so chic and my cuticles did look crazy, but I probably made more money that week through connections and image than I would spend on nail appointments in a whole year.

Another boundary I put in place was not drinking. I wouldn’t say that I have stopped forever, but for the time being I’ve realised I don’t miss it.

In Cannes, I definitely felt more pressure to drink, with people asking me presumptuous questions like, “What wine are you having?” or “What is your favourite drink?” Waiters started pouring rosé before I had even said no.

But I felt so much better for not drinking. I didn’t have any hangovers, headaches or Asian flush. I just felt regulated and more like myself.

Again, I’m not saying people shouldn’t drink, but for me lately, I haven’t been valuing it.

Frugal Chic is about realising that there are perhaps things we spend money on unconsciously. Things we might not be spending on because they truly bring joy and value to our lives, but because they have become the default.

Cannes was truly a fever dream. I need the whole weekend to lie down and do nothing.

Here’s what I am taking away from it, because you don’t need to be in the South of France in June to be in the ‘right places’.

1. The follow up is just as important as the chat. Not only do you need to remember people’s names, you need to send a personalised follow up to everyone you’ve met.

2. Save your linkedin, website or socials as a QR code on your phone. This isn’t just for Cannes. I know see this as the best wallpaper I could have. A vision board also works, but this is actually how you’re going to make that vision board happen IRL. Maybe save it as an alternative background.

3. Be present on all platforms (without burning out): I am speaking to a broad range of people from a lot of different industries. If you aren’t a content creator it may be less relevant. The best thing I did though, was to ensure I was everywhere. Not to become famous, but to become inescapable - to become easier to find by the right people. That’s how I ended up going to the Substack Fête and LinkedIn lunch with the CEO, because I give those platforms love when most short-form creators would ignore them

4. Focus on the highest leverage task first, the one that has the highest impact. I wrote about a similar idea here, which is funnily enough my highest read newsletter. I have always structured my day for the task that requires the most concentration and is a long term play. (For the few people reading this, it’s my book - it hasn’t been announced yet but I am dying to tell someone eek)

I already plan on going next year, whether it’s being sponsored by a brand, on my own dime or with my agency.

Here’s my gameplan:

1. I am using all the content from this year, some with over 50k views per video, as a portfolio to pitch myself next year.

2. I am following up with all contacts, not in a desperate way, but ensuring they know I found the interaction meaningful. I don’t tend to ask things of people, but it’s great to know I could theoretically.

3. I’m keeping my content ‘brand friendly’ going to Cannes I feel requires even more professionalism, that means being extremely careful with ragebait anything like that. Again, I maintain that I don’t swear in my content as a commercail move.

4. I plan to announce my going far before May, this time, it was a bit last minute and I had no idea what to expect. Next year, I’ll have content pre-Cannes using this year’s footage to give context.

5. Making US connections. A big goal is to go to the US to go on podcasts and make connections there. I met a HUGE creator there who I may go on their podcast while their in London but this could mean more international strategy off the back of Cannes.

That’s all this week,

Mia