Questions

No. ZÉLIE does not charge for features and does not accept payment to appear.

No. ZÉLIE speaks with entrepreneurs, authors, business owners, social innovators and women making an impact in their communities, from one-person studios to large enterprises. What matters is the work and the place.

No. ZÉLIE is starting with Europe, but we are not limited to it. If you are outside Europe, you are very welcome to take part. Conversations take place online, or in person in Belgium, the Netherlands or France for now.

Many people who say this turn out to be the most interesting to talk to. We are interested in how the work is done and where, not in dramatic stories. A single, well-observed street or trade is enough.

For now, yes. ZÉLIE currently conducts its interviews in English only.

A small number each season. We cannot say yes to everyone, and we will always tell you where you stand.

Choose 30 minutes if your time is tight or you would rather start small. Choose 60 if you would like to talk in more depth, and ideally to show us your place of work. We can extend a 30-minute conversation if both of us want to continue.

We are interested in your own experience, rather than advice, a mission statement or a summary of your journey. If you would like to know more, you are very welcome to read the thinking behind our questions in our methodology.

We send a short outline of the areas we will cover. We do not send a full list, because the best conversations follow what you say. If there is something you do not want to discuss, tell us beforehand and we will leave it out.

Yes, briefly, because money is part of how any business is built. We ask about the choices you make, such as where you invest and where you hold back, and about how you started. No figures are required, and you decide how much to share. You are welcome to decline any question, and “I would prefer not to say” is always a complete answer.

No. We ask about the work. If gender is part of your account, we follow your lead. We do not assume it is the main thing about you.

Yes. A colleague, a family member or a friend is welcome, provided you are comfortable with them hearing what you say.

Please tell us, during the interview or at any time afterwards, and we will revisit it with you. You can ask us to revisit any part of what you said, and you have the right to withdraw your article or clips from our media whenever you wish (see Your Rights).

Some conversations are held in person and others online. When we meet in person, a photographer working with ZÉLIE will join us, and we will introduce you beforehand. When we can only meet online, we would be grateful if you could share a few images that you are happy for us to use. The next question explains how to prepare them. If you have no suitable images, we can arrange a short session with a local photographer.

We would welcome around eight to twelve images in an editorial style: your workplace in natural light, hands or tools at work, the street or neighbourhood outside, and, if you are comfortable, a portrait of you in the place where you work. Please avoid staged product shots, such as products arranged on a table, white-background packshots and promotional graphics. The feature is about the work and the place, not the products.

Images should be high resolution, at least 2000 pixels on the long side, and unedited or lightly edited, without heavy filters or text. For each image, please let us know who took it and how you would like them credited. If someone else took it, please check that they are happy for us to publish it with their credit, and if other people appear in it, that they are happy to be shown. Every image is credited in the feature as “Photograph: [name]”, and your participation agreement asks you to confirm that you have the right to share what you send.

Photographs made for ZÉLIE remain the property of the photographer, who is always credited. ZÉLIE is licensed to publish them in your feature, and you are warmly invited to use the approved photographs on your own website and social channels, credited to the photographer and ZÉLIE. Images you supply remain yours (or your photographer’s), and we credit them as you ask.

Yes. Tell us what you would rather leave out, such as a person, a room or documents, and we will respect it.

Yes. We send you the article before it is published so you can check the facts and your quotes. If we have not heard from you within five working days, we will go ahead and publish. You can still withdraw at any time.

You can correct facts, ask us to revisit any phrase, and ask us to remove anything about your private life or about other people that you did not expect to see. If you ask us to revisit something, we will talk it through with you.

Yes, at any time, before or after publication, without giving a reason. Write to us and we will take down your article, clips and posts from our media and remove your data.

We correct it, mark the correction at the foot of the feature with the date, and tell you.

We edit for clarity and length and we remove our own questions where they are not needed. We do not change what you meant or put words in your mouth.

No. ZÉLIE is a self-funded project with no sponsors, advertisers or investors, and nobody outside the project influences what we publish. If this ever changes, we will tell you.

No. We will not use your feature or your image in advertising, and we will not pass your details on. ZÉLIE is an independent organisation dedicated to women’s economic empowerment and women of impact worldwide, starting with Europe. Your feature is part of that work, never a sales tool.

With your permission, we use AI tools to help transcribe recordings and analyse the transcripts. A person listens to every recording, reads every transcript, and writes and edits every feature. You can read the full AI disclosure.

We use them to reply to you and to produce your feature. We do not sell or share them.

Write to adela@zeliewomen.com. We will confirm deletion within five working days.