Epilogue
Sam Ingles is a celebrity journalist who reports on the who’s who of the celebrity world. He covers the lives of people you’ve never heard of, but who you should know.
When I first meet Mia Davis, she is on a mission to find a short walk in the Swiss wilderness with her now-boyfriend, Will Sinclair. Mia is the owner and operator of Starlight Resorts, which operates six of the world’s ten largest ski resorts. Mia graciously invites me on her walk and asks me to reconsider publishing my planned story about her until her staff had had more time to mourn Craig Hillcrest. Craig Hillcrest; previous operator of Starlight Resorts, is Mia’s brother, a man Mia only met once before he tragically passed away after an accident. Mia took over the resorts after Craig passed away. The business has been in the Hillcrest family for generations, and now, as the sole surviving heir of the Hillcrests, it’s finally owned entirely by the Hillcrest family again, after a period of over fifty years of joint ownership.
Mia asked me to hold off on the story to ensure her staff were protected from media coverage while they were mourning the loss of Craig. In exchange for a delay on the initial article I was planning, Mia offered The Midnight Tribune this exclusive interview and photoshoot.
This, I have learned, is the type of person Mia is. She values relationships and history, and she is genuinely kind.
I ask Mia whether her role is lonely, and she looks at me in a way I can only describe as appraising. Her answer is slow and she considers her words extremely carefully. “I think loneliness, and feeling like you don’t measure up is a universal phenomenon. We should try to give each other grace where we can. It’s hard for people—for women especially—to try something new, especially something they’re not sure they have all the skills to do. Find people who support you to be brave and to do hard things.”
And who is that person for her? Her partner, Will Sinclair. Will doesn’t work for the resorts, but that doesn’t mean he’s not unofficially lending his expertise.
“I’m a business consultant by day, so of course we discuss the Resorts, just like any couple discusses their job. Ultimately, my role with Starlight is ‘supportive spouse’. I’d follow Mia to the end of the world. With the amount of time we’ve spent in New Zealand lately, I’d say I practically have followed her to the end of the world. It’s beautiful down there.”
And how does Mia balance the job and her relationship? Mia and Will have been together—officially—for a little over six months, but have been best friends for nearly twenty years.
“How do we do it? We’re lucky. Will is a freelancer, so where he works is flexible most of the time. We’re also obviously financially fortunate, which means Will often travels with me so we can spend time together after our workdays are done. But he's a few months into flying lessons at the moment, so sometimes, I travel by myself, or with Abigail, my manager. But it's hard work, too. Like every other couple, we wake up every day and choose each other.”
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