Maria Coole
Maria Coole is a contributing editor on Marie Claire.
Hello Marie Claire readers – you have reached your daily destination. I really hope you’re enjoying our reads and I'm very interested to know what you shared, liked and didn’t like (gah, it happens) by emailing me at: maria.coole@freelance.ti-media.com
But if you fancy finding out who you’re venting to then let me tell you I’m the one on the team that remembers the Spice Girls the first time round. I confidently predicted they’d be a one-hit wonder in the pages of Bliss magazine where I was deputy editor through the second half of the 90s. Having soundly killed any career ambitions in music journalism I’ve managed to keep myself in glow-boosting moisturisers and theatre tickets with a centuries-spanning career in journalism.
Yes, predating t’internet, when 'I’ll fax you' was grunted down a phone with a cord attached to it; when Glastonbury was still accessible by casually going under or over a flimsy fence; when gatecrashing a Foo Fighters aftershow party was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy and tapping Dave Grohl on the shoulder was... oh sorry I like to ramble.
Originally born and bred in that there Welsh seaside town kindly given a new lease of life by Gavin & Stacey, I started out as a junior writer for the Girl Guides and eventually earned enough Brownie points to move on and have a blast as deputy editor of Bliss, New Woman and editor of People newspaper magazine. I was on the launch team of Look in 2007 - where I stuck around as deputy editor and acting editor for almost ten years - shaping a magazine and website at the forefront of body positivity, mental wellbeing and empowering features. More recently, I’ve been Closer executive editor, assistant editor at the Financial Times’s How To Spend It (yes thanks, no probs with that life skill) and now I’m making my inner fangirl’s dream come true by working on this agenda-setting brand, the one that inspired me to become a journalist when Marie Claire launched back in 1988.
I’m a theatre addict, lover of Marvel franchises, most hard cheeses, all types of trees, half-price Itsu, cats, Dr Who, cherry tomatoes, Curly-Wurly, cats, blueberries, cats, boiled eggs, cats, maxi dresses, cats, Adidas shelltops, cats and their kittens. I’ve never knowingly operated any household white goods and once served Ripples as a main course. And finally, always remember what the late great Nora Ephron said, ‘Everything is copy.’
Latest articles by Maria Coole
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Why 10 years on the Equality Act is as relevant as ever
With reports that female employees are being advised to dress provocatively for video meetings to impress clients, lawyer Alex Christen explains why this is an act of discrimination and why we need to know our rights
By Maria Coole
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Six relationship red flags you should never ignore
Drawing on her own messy dating history author Charlotte Levin reveals her top six relationship red flags to set alarm bells ringing
By Maria Coole
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‘Two kids and a mortgage but the longer we're together, the less likely we'll ever get married’
Are you living in un-wedded bliss? For best-selling author Caroline Corcoran the non-conventional path feels like the right one
By Maria Coole
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Lectures online and strictly no partying. One graduate argues why university is still the best of times
It's not so easy making new friends when you're social distancing and stuck watching lectures in student digs. Well, we're here to talk silver linings
By Maria Coole
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Join #butnotmaternity and stop the trauma of women giving birth alone
Maternity care during a pandemic = confusion and inequality. That's what midwife Lesley Gilchrist believes and why #butnotmaternity is demanding the government relax hospital restrictions
By Maria Coole
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How to be your best self by embracing your flaws
Rita Clifton is one of the most successful businesswomen of her generation (FYI Hillary Clinton loves her), and she's sharing her take on the 'faking it 'til you make it' myth with practical advice on dealing with imposter syndrome
By Maria Coole
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Sex injuries! These are officially the most dangerous rooms to have sex in
Yes, there are some rooms that are seriously out to get you
By Maria Coole
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6 high-paying jobs that don't require a degree
No degree? No problem. Turns out you don’t have to go to university to score a great job - these are the highest paying roles out there…
By Maria Coole
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Facing-away sex positions: the 9 most-popular ways for doing it in a pandemic
No kissing and no face-to-face sex is so totally 2021. So what are your favourite positions for having safe sex in a pandemic? Time to find out
By Maria Coole
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Want some Instagram business advice? Meet the women using it successfully through the pandemic
Life in those little squares has never been better. Don't take our word for it. Let these women and Instagram's brand development expert share their secrets
By Maria Coole
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The one piece of school kit experts say can make children perform better
Some potentially amazing news after months of homeschooling
By Maria Coole
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Beirut Blast One Month On: 'A crime against humanity'
A month on from a blast that shocked the world, what next for Beirut? In a world exclusive, legendary Lebanese actress, director and activist Nadine Labaki reveals her heartbreak for her shattered nation.
By Maria Coole
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Favourite short reads handpicked by top writers
Now sit down, chill out and take your pick from seven of the best bite-sized stories by female authors. Isn't that better already..
By Maria Coole
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A speech coach's top tips on what to do when you're a nervous mess
If you dread Zoom meetings and struggle in job interviews, speech and language therapist Shermeena Rabbi’s expert advice is exactly what you need
By Maria Coole
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Money-saving tips to help you cope with redundancy
Top accountant and business coach Faye Watts shares ten practical ways to cope with a rubbish situation and help you bounce back quickly
By Maria Coole
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'Why I'm living a double life' reveals author Luan Goldie
Luan Goldie is living in two worlds, one where she is a critically-acclaimed author and another where she is a primary school teacher in one of England’s most-deprived boroughs
By Maria Coole
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What to really say to a friend who’s been furloughed or made redundant
If a friend’s job is under threat does a chat have to be awkward? Not if you can become a good listener
By Maria Coole
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Life’s tearing you a new one? I literally wrote the book on that
Author and comedian Emma Markezic is alarmingly good at being optimistic. Something she discovered almost by accident in her early 30s when she found herself bald, broke and living alone in the middle of cancer treatment. If anyone can help you achieve COVID-era resilience, Emma can...
By Maria Coole
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How to be a great team player when you’re WFH
Love it or hate it, our work environment may well be the four walls of home for the foreseeable. Leadership and mindset coach Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour shares her top advice on being a team when you’re miles apart
By Maria Coole
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How to work with your sibling... and still love each other
Faith and Hannah Russell have totally nailed the 'spending 24/7 with your family' and still actually liking each other. As co-founders of Mags Creative, a leading podcast production studio, Faith reveals five reasons for their success
By Maria Coole
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Launching a start-up? 4 things you can’t afford to get wrong
There are many businesses thriving post-lockdown but to be a successful entrepreneur you need to do some serious prep. Brand expert Aarti Parmar knows how to avoid the classic pre-launch mistakes many startups make
By Maria Coole
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Dreaming of writing a TV hit? Tips to make it happen by a woman who has
Sarah Alderson didn't start writing until she hit 30, now she's a CBS writer/producer in Hollywood. The mum of one has also penned 20 novels, so grab your notebook for her career-transforming tips
By Maria Coole