About
Hilary Rowland: The Woman Behind Urbanette®
In a two-dimensional digital world, I’ll do my best to give you an idea of who I am.
Hi! I’m Hilary Rowland, the person behind all of this feminist fabulousness (jk).
As an equal rights activist, my purpose is to help educate and inspire women on the critical issues of self-esteem and female leadership. In keeping with these goals, I decided to use Urbanette® profits to help women in developing countries become entrepreneurs.
In a two-dimensional digital world, I’ll do my best to give you an idea of who I am.
- I launched the first ever online “magazine” back in 1995. Yup, you’re looking at it 😉 Here’s a bit of the magazine’s (and my) history. Around the same time I also launched the first ever online portfolio website, which is still going strong, but I no longer run.
- I’ve been writing since I was little, and I also contribute to a other publications, like Huff Post.
- I’m a country girl at heart, living a city girl’s life. I grew up in farm country Ontario, Canada.
- I move a lot because I want to explore the world, and have been an expat most of my adult life.
- When I was 18 I moved to Toronto.
- A few years later I decided I wanted more adventure in my life, so I moved to Manhattan. Over the 10 years I spent in NYC, I went from knowing nobody to feeling like a genuine New Yorker…
- After a decade in NYC, my NYC-born husband and I decided to try out life in Europe.
- In 2018, we moved to Monte Carlo, Monaco.
- My mother is a whip-smart and highly opinionated artist, businesswoman, and advice-giver. My father is an author, journalist, and professor of business ethics and philosophical thinking. They both passed along their activist and artistic strengths (obsessions) to me.
- I hate wasting time in salons, so I cut and color my own hair. It’s much easier than it looks!
In Provence, summer 2017, photo taken by Michael Rowland
- Richard Branson is my mentor and a constant source of inspiration. He’s an incredibly thoughtful man and I wish I got to hang with him more often. Follow his blog here.
- I was a geek in high school (kinda still), and had a hard time fitting in.
- I’m very happily married to my soul mate (they exist!) He’s a contributor to Forbes, Conscious Magazine, and others (including Urbanette!)
- Yes, I’m friends with a lot of Hollywood movie stars and heartthrobs… I don’t really have much in the way of advice to give on that front, other than move to NYC, where you can’t spit without hitting a celeb.
- I wish that the world were like Shallow Hal, and that people’s outer representations reflected how much love and empathy they have in them.
- I have green eyes with a ring of amber, and I’d love to use that eyelash enhancing stuff, but I’m afraid it’ll turn my eyes completely brown (and I recently realized that castor oil does the same thing without the side-effects!).
- I love animals (which is why I’m vegan) and know that my life wouldn’t have been the same without my super lovable cats. (Rescue, don’t buy!)
- I have way too much clothing, though I bought it almost all on eBay (my strategy let me score designer duds for about 90% off!) I love a bargain!
- I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a teenager, and so I’ve never had a ‘real’ job.
- My brain is always running and if I wasn’t super busy I’d probably be bored silly.
In Greece, summer 2017, photo taken by my hubby, Michael Rowland
Check out the most recent articles I’ve written, comment below with your thoughts, or skip back to the homepage to see the latest.
A few personal articles to start with:
- Advice For My 20-Something Self
- 5 Things I Learned From Having Cancer
- How I Fell in Love in Mexico
- Hilary’s Tips: 10 Ways I Made My Wedding Easier
- 5 Reasons I Love Being a Vegan
- My International Life: From NYC to France
- My Big Fat International Move
- Why We’re Not Having Kids
In Provence, with my hubby, summer 2017
Check out hashtag #HilaryRowland for pics and videos on all the social media sites. xo
Marcus Phil Don
Congrats with all your success, i was a new faces affilate but now see the site is down, what happened to it
Marcus
Myron Stephens
I dig your style so you got a follow out of me. “Soul Mate” is it a real thing? Jury still out for me on that one. You’re a vegan? I love animals too but think a lot of our life experience comes from the foods we eat, then again I’m Italian so it’s in my blood to feel that way. Anyways… I fell into your trap for better or worse 😋
Honestly, while reading several of your articles what caught my attention wasn’t your writing style, trendy topics or even your subject matter. For me, I appreciated the way you approach life and the way you see things. For instance with subjects such as feminism or the empowerment of women. Many times writers take important subjects like these to the extreme. When someone is trying to prove a point, they tend to overindulge their readers in hopes to provoke a response whether be good or bad. You seem to approach things differently by choosing to put out a positive message while still holding true to the values underneath that message. I guess one could say you stay down to earth while still being provocative enough to make people think. To pull that off you need not only life experience but that life experience must be coupled with true humility. Sadly for many those two things rarely go hand in hand. When these two qualities exist in a person it allows them to see the bigger picture and that’s a refreshing quality.
I realize your content is geared towards women but it may be good to pepper in a male point of view on occasion. Not in a controversial way but maybe from one or two men that have a balanced and realistic view of these types of topics.
So that’s my two cents.. take it for what it’s worth after all I’m just some guy that eats meat. 😬
Ron D
I agree about the male point of view. Hilary, I realize you’ve built your brand around a strong commitment to women. Showing women they can be self-sufficient, self-confident whether in business or in life is a great message It may be true that women can do anything a man can do, but they can’t have a man’s perspective without having a man available to give it. The last industry I was involved in, they fell in love with me. The reason they loved me wasn’t because of my charming personality 😆 but was because I came from outside of that industry. The industry had gotten stale because every idea, every new thought and every new change came from the same industry people. I brought a new perspective forcing many of them to go outside of their comfort zone and look at things differently than once used to. It made them re-think what they thought they already knew.
I do think it would be interesting if women could ask a man for his honest point of view about particular current hot topics for women. Getting a completely honest and candid male perspective on these matters. Of course it would have to be the right “guy”. Someone that women could respect his opinion even if they disagreed. I would imagine just the right topics /questions, just the right guy, (probably hard to find) could definitely make for some interesting reading. Just thinking out loud……
Frederica Pellman
Beautiful inside and out. Or as the Romans used to say, mens sana in corpore sano!! Keep on trucking beautiful lady..
Fumi Rita Ariba
Wow quite inspiring. Am encouraged.
Hilary Rowland
Thanks so much! I’m really happy to hear that. ❤
Micki Allen
“I wish that the world were like Shallow Hal, and that people’s outer representations reflected how much love and empathy they have in them.” Holy cow! I’ve found my soul sister. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so happy to have found you and your amazing ‘zine!
Hilary Rowland
❤❤❤❤❤
Anila William
If you’re not busy, you’re bored? OMG! I like the way you think. It’s very competitive, and passionate. No wonder you’re so successful!!
Hilary Rowland
Thank you! ❤
Jurik Smith
My father is a writer too, but his talent never passed on to me. I love writing, but writing doesn’t like me. Ha!
Hilary Rowland
Everyone has their thing… I hope you’ve found something you’re passionate about too!
Cristina Joseff
I always wait for your articles weekly. My friends introduced your magazine to me, and after reading a few articles, I got hooked on it 🙂
Hilary Rowland
Great to hear!
Paul Daiz
Your life is very inspiring. You worked hard for your dreams, and you deserve all your achievements today.
Hilary Rowland
Thank you! I certainly do work really hard, but it’s enjoyable work, so I don’t mind!
Angela
Wow! Is your husband a contributor at Forbes too? Cmon! You’re such a lucky woman here. Your life is almost perfect!
Hilary Rowland
Ha! Nobody’s life is perfect… I’ve had a lot to deal with (like cancer, for one), but I think a positive outlook makes all the difference. ❤