Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Taking risks in life with her career, and less so at the buffet table, have served Mireille Guiliano and her readers well. 

The longtime Veuve Clicquot champagne house executive has a wisdom about women, French and otherwise, that's made her one others turn to for advice. 

The former CEO and best-selling author of "French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women for All Seasons" is now toasting her latest book, "Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility." 

Inspired by the young women who've approached her for guidance, Guiliano, who splits her time between New York and Paris, set out to impart what she's learned through her career. 

"We have to help each other and help especially the young generation progress and not make the same mistakes we did," she said. "These very difficult times, with the recession and all of that, are actually a positive for women because it gives us a chance to make a difference and show that we are becoming the majority, and we should be treated as such." 

CNN sat down recently with Guiliano to discuss the word that hurts the careers of women most, the lessons her mother taught her and any last-minute tips she has to prevent holiday-food overindulgence. Here are excerpts from that interview: 

CNN: What exactly is this art of savoir faire you speak of? 

Guiliano: Savoir faire is a complex set, a mix I should say, of competence, experience and knowing somehow instinctively how to make a decision in a given situation. [It's] creating your own luck and your own opportunities and then making the most of them. 
what question did CNN ask her?
CNN: What exactly is this art of savoir faire you speak of? 
