A day in the life of Anthony Cheylan
Photos Yves Mourtada
Words Matthieu Morge-Zucconi
Translated by Sébastien de Turenne
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The Clique TV editor-in-chief talks showering, blotting paper and pressure.
French media group and TV channel Clique TV is most commonly associated with its iconic founder and spokesperson Mouloud Achour. As is often the case though, this project requires a full team of hard-working staff to run properly. This team is led by Anthony Cheylan. The 39-year-old rap fan from Marseilles is the channel’s editor-in-chief and head of content. We met with him at his flat just outside of Paris to discuss the benefits of showers, working under pressure, and rolling paper used as blotting paper.
Hello Anthony, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Anthony, and I’m 39. I’m the editor-in-chief and head of content at Clique TV. I was brought on three years ago as editor-in-chief. Back then, we had a website and a TV show. I’m currently in charge of the website, the TV channel’s content, as well as anything we produce for brands.
What’s your background?
I’m originally from Marseilles, in the south of France. I grew up surrounded by rap and was a good student, so I tried to find a way to make both work together. I went to business school while staying very involved in the rap scene. After my studies, I started working for Sony on MP3-related questions. On the side, I’d write for rap magazines. I then joined Because Music to become a project manager for rap music. I’d kept a lot of friends in the tech industry, and when they saw the all-digital-everything revolution arrive, they brought me on to help them. That’s how I ended up working at Canon on digital and sponsoring matters. I kept on writing too, and five years ago, I launched a free newsletter called Curaterz, which is basically a list of cultural recommendations. I write this newsletter with six of my friends, and we each have our area of expertise. We send one out whenever we feel there’s something worth recommending!
After Canon, you started working for Clique, how did that come about?
It was fairly straightforward, to be honest. I knew Mouloud, and he simply offered for me to join them. Before Clique, I’d obviously written a lot, but only as a freelancer. All of a sudden, I was given a lot of responsibilities. The team at Clique really wanted to start creating quality content, stuff that made sense. For example, we were among the first in France to create long-form video content on YouTube.
It sounds like you’re pretty invested in this project.
Yes. I love being at the very beginning of a project. I loved it at Because, at Canon when the digital boom began, and obviously at Clique. There’s a real question at the centre of what we’re trying to achieve: what can be done differently on TV? We want to become a general-interest TV channel for the younger generation. We want people to learn things when they watch our shows. We strive to do TV that we’d like to watch, basically.
Walk us through one of your days.
I travel to the office by metro and get there for 10 or 10:30 am. Since we started the TV channel, a lot of things have changed. You have to keep in mind that the channel was launched by a group of guys who had no previous experience on the subject! There’s a five-person team that is fully dedicated to it. We gather around the planned programmes and go through what we have to produce, how things are moving forward, etc. Everyone is super motivated, and it was really all hands on deck this past year. I must have shaved 10 years off my life expectancy, but in terms of work experience, I must have gained 15! (laughs).
Do you get up early?
Between 8 and 8:30 am. I no longer start my day by browsing social media, as I’ve removed all the apps from my phone. I look at the Clique Slack (professional collaboration tool). This helps me stay on top of things, as the team is constantly sharing new information. Then I get up, make myself a cup of tea, have a bite to eat, and hop under the shower. It’s my favourite moment to reflect and think ahead.
Really, under the shower?
Yes. I think about my plans for the day, ongoing projects, etc. During the day, I’ve got a thousand things to handle: there’s always something to approve, someone to help, you get the picture. When you’re showering, there’s no phone, no distractions, so I can focus and actually come up with some ideas. I like the Horace cannabis shower gel, and I use the purifying face cleanser every day. I have sensitive skin, so I have to be careful.
Do you moisturise too?
Yes, in the morning and before I go to bed. I love the Horace moisturiser’s mattifying effect. Speaking of mattifying, I also use the Horace rolling blotting paper quite a lot, to avoid shinny skin. It’s super important, especially if I end up on-screen, nobody wants to see my oily face!
Other than when you’re showering, do you switch off from work easily?
I sort of stopped all activity outside of work for the past year, what with the ongoing renovation of my flat and the launch of the TV channel. My next challenge is managing to find the right work-life balance. Oh, and some holidays would be nice, too! (laughs)
