Janessa Leoné, founder of the namesake fashion brand, shares her decade-long journey of building a successful business through "slow growth" and authenticity. Operators will learn how embracing organic expansion, prioritizing internal restructuring during challenging times, and strategically leveraging brand identity can lead to lasting success without outside investment. This episode emphasizes the power of resilience and adaptability in the face of initial inexperience and market shifts.
Key takeaways
Focus on organic growth and brand authenticity, as exemplified by Janessa Leoné's decade-long success without external investment. Her brand's birth during the Instagram era and early fashion industry fans illustrate the power of natural traction.
Utilize challenging periods, like the COVID-19 pandemic, as opportunities for internal assessment and operational restructuring. Leoné used this time to identify and fix "broken systems" and unsustainable practices within her business.
Don't shy away from bringing in external expertise to strengthen your team and structure. Leoné hired a contract COO to help problem-solve and build out an effective organizational chart with 'extraordinary subject matter experts.'
Embrace a founder's mentality that values learning on the job and adapting your approach. Leoné admits starting 'blindly' and using Google extensively, highlighting that a rigid business plan isn't always a prerequisite for success.
Understand that celebrity endorsements, while beneficial, are often a result of strong brand appeal rather than a primary growth strategy. Leoné's brand attracted Meghan Markle and Taylor Swift due to its established "cool girl" aesthetic and authenticity.
Ten years ago, despite a lack of fashion experience, Janessa Leoné launched her L.A.-based namesake fashion brand best known for “cool girl” hats. In the years since, after admittedly leaning heavily on Google to learn the ins and outs of running a fashion business, she’s grown the brand sustainably and without outside investment. It’s earned celeb fans including Meghan Markle and Taylor Swift and, as of 2021, it has a store in Los Angeles. “I started this [brand] quite blindly; I didn’t have a business plan or go out with this extraordinary intentionality,” Leoné said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “If I did, I might not have done it, because I didn't realize what was actually required.” Leoné owed the brand’s success to its authenticity and slow, organic growth. Its birth at the start of the Instagram era, as well as its early fans in the fashion industry, worked to get it off the ground. More recently, Leoné has worked out some kinks in-house to ensure the brand’s growth trajectory. “I used Covid to pause and assess and analyze what was working and what wasn’t working,” she said. “There were a lot of broken systems within the business, plus unsustainable ways that I was trying to show up in this business and that I was expecting other people to show up. And so we went through a metamorphosis… I hired a contract COO to help me problem-solve and look at the org chart, and say, 'What roles are we missing?' We now have extraordinary subject matter experts, and it feels like this massive machine that is growing.”
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Focus on organic growth and brand authenticity, as exemplified by Janessa Leoné's decade-long success without external investment. Her brand's birth during the Instagram era and early fashion industry fans illustrate the power of natural traction.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Utilize challenging periods, like the COVID-19 pandemic, as opportunities for internal assessment and operational restructuring. Leoné used this time to identify and fix "broken systems" and unsustainable practices within her business.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Don't shy away from bringing in external expertise to strengthen your team and structure. Leoné hired a contract COO to help problem-solve and build out an effective organizational chart with 'extraordinary subject matter experts.'
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Embrace a founder's mentality that values learning on the job and adapting your approach. Leoné admits starting 'blindly' and using Google extensively, highlighting that a rigid business plan isn't always a prerequisite for success.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Understand that celebrity endorsements, while beneficial, are often a result of strong brand appeal rather than a primary growth strategy. Leoné's brand attracted Meghan Markle and Taylor Swift due to its established "cool girl" aesthetic and authenticity.
