She’s seen Daft Punk without their standard-issue helmets and hawked loogies like a pro (behind closed doors, of course) with members of Wu-Tang Clan. She’s been a journalist for publications as varied as VIBE, the New York Post, National Enquirer, and BlackBook, and tapped her encyclopedic knowledge of music and style as an editor for music, fashion, and lifestyle brands and websites, as well. Now the North America editor for DJ Magazine, Sarah Polonsky has lived a pretty outsize life, traveling the world meeting artists and icons, seeing festivals, and experiencing music culture from the four corners of the globe. “I always said the quickest way to ruin a love of music was to get into the business,” she says. “Still, it must have been destiny because once I found an opportunity to combine my musical brain with my burgeoning journalistic expertise, I pounced. And I still love it.” —Jennifer Henderson
Her beauty story: “I remember trying to tweeze my own eyebrows around age 13, and they came out exorbitantly thin, but I thought they looked great. I was dead wrong and sometimes I feel like I’m still paying for it to this day.”
Her work ethic: “I’ve been told I’m ‘a beast.’ So I suppose my work ethic is beastly.”
Her turning point: “Becoming the first American (and woman!) to ever sit down with Pharrell and Daft Punk (sans helmets) in a room, just the four of us, for a cover story interview. Now, that was a moment.”
Her success secret: “Confidence. Fake it till you make it if you must. I always go with my gut and stick to my guns. It’s hard to do and sometimes it’s even gotten me into trouble. But from that trouble you get experience, thus the cycle of success continues.”
Her music history: “My love affair with dance music goes back to age 14ish, when I obtained a fake ID and discovered N.Y.C. nightlife in its heyday, the 1990s: the Limelight, Sound Factory, Vinyl, Tunnel era. I saw Danny Tenaglia spin epic sets at Vinyl every Friday night at his Be Yourself parties. I went to Concrete Jungle (a party that moved locations); it had the best drum and bass. But the club life was what got me. Before I even started listening to the music, I was into the people in their costumes, from every walk of life. I kept meeting all these fascinating characters, and I guess that’s the reason I became a journalist—I’m fascinated by people.”
Her (many) looks: “It depends on the season and the event. Going from Coachella to the GRAMMYS to a dark club basement to speaking on a panel in front of 1,000 people can be tricky. Skinny jeans and a comfortable yet gorgeous pair of shoes are a must, like my black calfskin Cavalli midi boots with gold embellishments. Also, a dress you can glam up or play down with accessories. At the moment, for me, it’s a Diane von Furstenberg yellow frock.”
Her must-haves: “My Kindle is filled with books and I bring it everywhere. My latest tomes of note were Jonathan Franzen’s Purity, The Nix by Nathan Hill, and Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. My V-MODA Forza Metallo headphones are excellent and always on me because they fit in any bag. An assortment of lip gloss ranging from NARS to Lancôme.”
Her M.O.: “‘No f*cks given!’ I suggest trying it out—it’s a great motto. I was shocked when I saw that there was a New York Times bestseller called The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck … mostly I was ticked off that I didn’t write it first. I even have business cards that say that and nothing else.”
Her influences: “The music of A Tribe Called Quest, Janis Joplin, Biggie, Bob Marley, Beastie Boys … these are not just major influences; they are my air.”
Her social circle: “I love the combo platter of high fashion meets utter depravity on . I look to for a laugh. And I’ve lately become obsessed with nail experimentation, so I go to and lose hours picking out my next artistic nail foray.”
Her moment: “When the music hits me and I know it’s special, it’s a feeling that can be quite spiritual.”
Her top five dance albums: “Got a week? It’s hard to name 10, let alone five. Also it changes depending on where I am in my life. So, with that caveat, I’ll say: Goldie, Timeless (1995); Daft Punk, Discovery (2001); The Prodigy, Music for the Jilted Generation (1994); Madonna, Confessions on a Dancefloor (2004); and Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 85–92 (1992) … that album is the safest way to get high without doing drugs, kids. So, don’t do drugs—just listen to this.”
Her best advice: “‘If I don’t understand it, I ain’t buying it.’ Diddy said that to my editor in chief at VIBE, who then passed it onto me when I was arguing an inane point. It stuck. It works in style and life, 100 percent.”
Her future: “Trying to avoid my Jewish parents nagging me to give them grandchildren. Also, I’d like to ink a novel and get a book contract. Any takers?”