girl crush: kimberly pirtle gabriel
the mom of 2 and sotheby's auctioneer is goals
I’m so excited for you to meet this week’s girl crush who has been a crush of mine for quite some time as we actually went to high school together in Metro Detroit. We didn’t know each other well, but everyone in high school knew Kimberly. Full of charisma and with an electric smile, Kimberly’s aura brightened up any room. She was fun and smart and caring — someone everyone wanted to be around.
Fast forward 15+ years, and thanks to Instagram, I’ve had the pleasure of keeping up with Kimberly Pirtle Gabriel’s fascinating life and career — from starting out in finance, to pursuing an MBA at Harvard Business School, to settling down in NYC with her husband and two sons to pursue a career at Sotheby’s. Trust me, Kimberly is one to know.
Meet Kimberly Pirtle Gabriel:
Where are you based?
I live in Manhattan, New York.
Who (&/or what) lives with you?
I live with my husband, Malte, sons Wolfgang and Maximilian, and dog Fritz.
How do you spend your days? (ie. “What do you do?”)
I currently work at Sotheby’s where I am both an Auctioneer and in Business Development.
You have such a cool career that I personally love to follow. Could you share a bit about how you got to where you are now and what advice you might have for someone looking to break into your industry?
I actually started out in Finance and have been making small pivots in each role I’ve had, in order to get me closer to where I am now. Private Wealth Management led me to Marketing in the Finance world, which led me to Marketing in the Retail/E-commerce world, which led me to Client Development in the Luxury Fashion world, which led me to Business Development in the Art world. The auctioneer piece was random and serendipitous, but probably a result of my comfort with public speaking I developed as a young child interested in the performing arts and an MBA graduate who is comfortable with numbers.
Relationships become more and more important as you progress throughout your career, so having warm introductions to each company I eventually worked at was key and an important tip for those looking to which companies or industries.
What has been one of your favorite auctions to auctioneer?
My favorite auction has to be an auction entitled Holy Grails where Sotheby’s partnered with Fanatics and Michael Rubin. The auction was focused on trading cards and I auctioned off a Pokémon card for over $300,000. It really show the dynamism of what collecting can be. It was also fun to have Tom Brady and Meek Mill in the audience bidding on their favorite sports trading cards.
Who do you look up to?
My Parents. As I get older, I become more astounded by what they were able to do with their lives professionally, personally, socially, spiritually, etc. Goals really.
What do you love about motherhood right now?
Watching my sons’ personalities develop. They are SO different and at the age of 4 and 18 months already have such strong personalities, traits, and interests. I love watching them grow.
What feels hard about motherhood right now?
Doing it all and finding the time. I am currently going through a phase where I want to be the mom that prepares a fresh organic lunch for my son everyday for school, but I haven’t been able to find the time with a full time job.
What does your parenting “village” or support system look like?
Living in New York away from both my husband’s and my family is tough (and expensive). We are lucky to have a great nanny who has developed a strong bond with both our children. We also rely on our friends in the city for support as well. Shoutout to all our friends who are willing to accept payment in the form of free dinner and an Uber ride home to babysit our children so that my husband and I can have date night without a huge babysitter bill.
How do you carve out YOU time and what do you spend it doing?
It is very hard to do so, given my job duties extend into after work hours. With that being said, long showers are my sacred time. I try to take an extended one on Friday mornings to pamper myself a bit, as well as fully process everything that has happened that week. My candles set the vibe.
Currently reading?
The Bible.
Currently watching?
Handmaids tale. Final Season!
Three Substacks to recommend?
I admittedly don't really read Substacks! I’m a newspaper girl and limit my weekly intake to the Financial Times weekend edition so that I can catch up on recent news and curl up with a fresh edition of How To Spend It.
With that being said, for some reason I subscribed to the founder of Ghia, Melanie Masarin’s Substack [Night Shade] about a year ago and love it because it has candid updates on her life as an entrepreneur and very good fashion inspo.
One thing in your closet you come back to time and time again?
White button up shirts. I have 7 of them that I keep on rotation and if they are all dirty, I just steal one of my husband’s. They make any outfit look more put together but also give a “I just threw this on” vibe which I love.
One thing you’re lusting over?
Agua by Agua Bendita linen dresses. I bought one of these dresses 5 years ago and it is my favorite summer girly dress. The dresses are handmade with organic linen in Brazil and I just adore how I feel and look in them. The price tag is very steep (over $1k) so I’ve been closely monitoring The Real Real for a deal.
A favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Lamu, Kenya. I lived in Kigali, Rwanda for 6 months prior to starting business school at Harvard. When I was there, I did solo trips to neighboring countries and fell in love with the magic of Lamu, the architecture and most importantly the people. I’ve been trying to get back but it’s a far trip for a mom of 2!
One thing you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to a summer trip to Mallorca with my family and my in-laws. My husband’s family lives in Germany so we don’t get to see them that often. This will be my father in law’s first time meeting our youngest son, Maxi, so I’m much so looking forward to that memory being made in additions to others under the Mallorcan sun.
What’s your superpower?
Empathy. I really love people and human connection and I’ve always been really good and connecting with friends and people I’ve met in an authentic way, as well as understand [them].
Where can people find you? (plug yourself!)
People can find me on Instagram @kimberlypirtle ! My page half documents work and auctioneer things but also highlights my family as being a mom is my favorite title
Thank you for reading just a splash! If you enjoy my work, there are a few ways to support:
The easiest way is to like, comment &/or share this post! Truly so grateful — each ping makes my day.
Subscribe! (Currently, nothing is behind a paywall, but if you feel so inclined to sign up for a paid subscription, trust you will be my new favorite person.)
Love!
Original Kimberly fan club member for sure ✨ her Frame campaign is 🔥