Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, board responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you’re off the clock?
Fortune’s series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.
Today, we meet Malik Ducard, the 52-year-old chief content officer of Pinterest: the go-to social media platform for 578 million creatives.
Long before Ducard became executive at the website curating aesthetic feeds, platforming DIY how-to’s, and cultivating niche communities, he was already all-in on his passion for blending technology with content. As an elementary school kid raised in the Bronx, Ducard discovered his love for creating documentaries, dramas, and comedies with his VHS video camera. The leader was determined to merge his creativity with the medium of the time, whether that be storytelling through paper flipbooks or learning to program on his Commodore 64 computer.
And Ducard would later pour his imaginative zeal into his many stints across MGM, Lionsgate, Paramount, Google, and YouTube, where he held senior roles. He tells Fortune he’s proud to be one of the leaders who launched and grew YouTube Kids: an app in which his own child was able to trial.
Pinterest’s revenue hit 17% growth year-over-year with its net income reaching $38.76 million
Over his three decades in the business world, the Pinterest executive made his mark on marketing, big-screen entertainment, and educational content. Now, his focus is set on making Pinterest the very best social media platform for its 578 million users.
Last quarter, Pinterest’s revenue hit 17% growth year-over-year with its net income reaching $38.76 million. Ducard says more than half of the website’s users are Gen Z—and surprisingly, around 80% of its members live outside the United States. There’s a secret ingredient that makes the business so special, Ducard reveals; it’s battling an “authenticity deficit” in a social media landscape full of clout-chasers and covert ads, as Pinterest has differentiated itself as a “place for fulfillment and ideas, not followers.”
“The bottom line: our model of positivity is working—and setting us apart in an online world that too often incentivises toxicity and rage-baiting,” Ducard says. “We’re proud that we’re a place young people, especially, come to as an oasis of calm and inspiration.”
By platforming industry experts and passionate entrepreneurs, Ducard is helping Pinterest expand into new arenas. The business just launched its first co-branded product as a platform: it created a Pinterest trend-inspired coffee blend with entrepreneur and creator Emma Chamberlain. It also worked with Colman Domingo’s stylist duo Wayman and Micah for curated content boards that inspired his Met Gala red carpet looks. When he’s off the clock, Ducard still pursues his love for creativity and tech—whether that be 3D printing in his downtime, or pushing the boundaries of his dresswear.
The finances
Fortune: If you have children, what do your childcare arrangements look like?
I have three Gen Z kids—23, 20, and 17. We aren’t empty nesters just yet, but getting closer to it, and childcare arrangements are less of a thing now. And as they get older, I really am appreciating that I feel like we’re moving from a phase where Dad and Mom know close to nothing in their eyes to—they are proactively seeking advice and counsel.
What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling?
I live in Los Angeles, pretty much in the middle of the city. We’re in a little pocket that sometimes feels like it’s hidden in plain sight. It’s not swanky, not sprawling, it’s just right. We’ve been here in the same place for over 17 years.
I carry a wallet. In it, I’ve been carrying the business card of a boutique toy store owner. One of my hobbies is 3D printing and I design little games and toys…The business card is a reminder to close the loop with her when it’s ready.
How do you commute to work?
I work remotely and travel to our office in San Francisco, as well as visit our temporary office in Los Angeles. I drive my electric car to work.
Do you carry a wallet?
I carry a wallet. In it, I’ve been carrying the business card of a boutique toy store owner. One of my hobbies is 3D printing and I design little games and toys. A toy store owner said she wanted to sell one of my designs—I had shown her a prototype of a mechanical tic-tac-toe game I invented. The business card is a reminder to close the loop with her when it’s ready.
The necessities
What’s the one subscription you can’t live without?
Guitar Tab app; I get notation for songs I play on my guitar. Also, ChatGPT, Shapr3D CAD design, and the Sunday New York Times paper.
Where’s your go-to wristwatch from?
Garmin Health GPS watch.
How do you get your daily coffee fix? If you have it at home, what coffee machine do you own?
Jura.
What’s your go-to coffee capsule?
I use different coffee beans—I have no one favorite, I like to try different ones.
If you grab it out, where? And what’s your typical order? Do you grab breakfast with it?
Blue Bottle, cappuccino with oat milk. I’ve recently found a cafe when I was traveling in San Francisco: Nirvana Soul. My new travel favorite where the barista hipped me to cappuccino with macadamia milk—spot on good. I typically make my breakfast; Fried egg and toast; periodically with avocado. A little pepper, dash of salt, sometimes mixed with chopped red and green peppers. Very satisfying and a good protein punch for the day.
How many coffees do you have a week?
15 to 20.
How often do you eat lunch out during the week?
1 to 2 times a week, I do more coffees throughout town.
Where are your go-to places to grab food on the go?
Hilltop Cafe in Los Angeles. It’s the cafe of producer and actress Issa Rae.
Where would you go, and what do you order if it’s a sit-down meal with a client or peer?
Akasha in Culver City in Los Angeles: burger or branzino.
Where do you buy groceries?
Whole Foods.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
About half and half; half-cook, half-order or eat out.
Where do you shop for your work wardrobe?
Coming to work at Pinterest, I had to raise my game—because, Pinterest. More colorful, more surprises, but not trying to be something I’m not. It’s actually brought out the ‘me’ more: more self-expression, less of ‘That will never work on me,’ and more of ‘Let me see how that will work on me.’ And I’m wearing brands based on how they look and feel, not just on the label.
What would be a typical work outfit for you?
Jeans, soft collared shirt like a polo, maybe a light sweater. Sometimes button down shirts, sometimes t-shirts.
The treats
Are you the proud owner of any futuristic gadgets?
3D Printer Bambu X1-Carbon, and VR Quest 3. I’m mainly my son’s game tester and advisor. There’s also the Muse, a headband that I use for meditation. It tracks brainwaves and gives audio feedback that reflects and helps to deepen your state of calm during meditation. Another is the reMarkable digital ink tablet.
How do you unwind from the top job?
Run on my Peloton treadmill, meditate and write, and use 3D printing. I also play guitar—something I picked up during the pandemic, and I love it. In college, I was a jazz radio DJ (in addition to my public access TV show) and have always loved jazz. Now I’m playing some.
Take us on holiday with you, what’s next on your vacation list?
I enjoy going back to visit family and friends in New York and New Jersey. Also, one side of my family is from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. I go back to visit family every few years. When I was little, I was sent there for stretches of time during the summer and I’d complain. Now I wish someone would send me there for stretches.
What’s next: Possibly Greece!
How many days of annual leave do you take a year?
One of the many incredible benefits we offer at Pinterest is our unlimited PTO.
Fortune wants to hear from leaders on what their “Good Life” looks like. Get in touch: emma.burleigh@fortune.com for the U.S., or orianna.royle@fortune.com for the U.K. and Europe.
