She’s a “mogul in the making.” Elaine Welteroth is truly everything we want to be when we grow up (and now, TBH). She was the youngest-ever editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, then published a bestselling memoir, then joined Project Runway as a judge and producer all before age 35. Since everyone kept asking, “How does she do it?” she’s answering all our questions in a new MasterClass about designing your dream career. (Oh, and she just announced she’s having a baby, so there’s that.)

We talked to the soon-to-be mommy-hyphenate about how she makes “hell yes” career moves, how to find our “zone of genius,” and what advice Oprah gave her on the red carpet.

True or False: We all have the potential to be moguls?
True, if you want it and have a vision. I think motivation is the difference.

How did you find the motivation to become Teen Vogue’s EIC when you were so young?
I was working at Teen Vogue for about 5 years as the beauty director before becoming the editor-in-chief. In those 5 years, it started to become clear that young people cared about more than fashion. They saw themselves as change-makers and wanted to be in conversations that went into politics and feminism and social justice. In terms of finding the confidence, it all comes down to conviction—not just in your capabilities, but in your vision. For me, it was, who can we center that we’ve never centered before? When you ground yourself in a purpose bigger than you and your career, that’s when you find fulfillment and momentum.

Editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue is definitely a dream job. Why did you decide to leave?
If you asked 12-year-old me if I’d be editor-in-chief of a major magazine, I would have said, “Absolutely no way!” But when I looked [at] my bucket list in this magazine space, I’d accomplished so much of what I dreamed. I realized I had more dreams outside of that space. I also had a mentor [Harriette Cole] who was a multi-hyphenate before that was a term. She started out [in] magazines, then moved into television and writing best-selling books. I remember being so inspired by that, so I entered my magazine career right out of college thinking, “This is just a first step. I will reach a point where I’ll need to build my own editor afterlife.”

So you already expected to leave that job when you started?
I went into [Teen Vogue] with a pivot in mind, and that’s really important. The more prepared you are for a pivot, the better equipped you will be to pivot successfully. With every job move, I was always keeping an eye on, “Is this the time to take that leap of faith, or is there more for me to learn here?” If the answer was there’s more to learn, I stayed and worked towards goals I still had for myself. I reached a point at Teen Vogue where it was like, “I know I’ve reached a point of diminishing returns. This is my time to take a bet on [myself],” and I never looked back once. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do next, which is really important whenever you’re looking at a career transition. Not to say it’s not super, super scary, but it’s worth it.

In your MasterClass series, you talk about finding our “zone of genius.” What is that?
I think of your zone of genius as that sweet spot at the intersection of your values, your skills, [and] your passions. A lot of us are motivated by what is going to get on a resume, what is going to pay the bills, what is going to impress parents—a lot of external factors that aren’t going to provide a sustainable sense of fulfillment. The people who are the most successful spend most of their days operating from [their] zone of genius. The best leaders spend time thinking about how to reorient their teams to make sure they’re doing the same… It takes excavation; it is also going to change over time [because] we change over time. Just keep an eye on what’s driving you and what’s not.

You must get tons of career opportunities. How do you decide to say yes or no?
I try to operate on a “hell yes or no” basis. That’s been hard for me to master because I am a person who will consistently bite off more than I can chew. I think a lot of ambitious women relate to that. You just get what you’re given, and you make the best of it, right? But that’s also how we end up burning out, and I’ve had to reorient my mindset to think of success as more of a marathon than a sprint. So, how can I spend more of my days operating from my zone of genius versus just going through the motions? Even Project Runway, I put it through that filter, [and] it wasn’t a hell yes at first. But I was able to get to the hell yes by making a couple of adjustments.

What did you ask for?
One of the things on my bucket list was to learn how to be a producer of television. I asked if I could be a producer on the show, and I had no leverage. But when they allowed me to be a producer, it helped me get to the hell yes. You might not be enthusiastic about every opportunity that comes your way, but look at every opportunity as the beginning of a negotiation and something you can shape into something [else] that makes you feel more enthusiastic. You don’t have to say yes to what you’re presented; you can create the opportunity you want.

You do so much, and soon you’ll be a mom, too. How are you going to make it work?
Girl, I am taking it one day at a time! I really thought I had more time, to be honest. I always saw myself being an older mom. Now I’m like, “Okay, this is happening.” Whatever this is going to look like is what’s meant to be, so I just have to embrace the transition… One thing I’ve learned about myself in the pandemic is that sis is good with change. I got married on my stoop even though I had this big wedding planned. I made the move back to Brooklyn to shoot a show I love. This is just another pivot in my life. I know nothing about it, but I’m super excited about the journey and what this little life is here to teach me.

Who’s been your favorite celebrity to interview?
Ooh!… The most obvious answer would be Oprah, even though that was the quickest interview ever. I interviewed her on the red carpet [for] A Wrinkle in Time, and just having that fleeting moment with my hero was indescribable. She left me with some advice that I’ll always carry—listening for the inner voice and trusting it, knowing that our only job is to listen for that whisper, and to quiet the noise in order to really hear it and follow it. I feel that so much. I think there’s so much intelligence in our bodies that we’ve been disconnected from as women, so being able to tap back in is really important. She dropped that Oprah gem on me, and I’m carrying it. [Laughing.]