15 8:11 PM
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MOVER AND SHAKER
Will the real
Lorna Jane please stand up? Lorna Jane Clarkson went from crocheting bikinis for her mates to running a business with an estimated $150 million annual turnover. But who’s the real woman behind the Lycra? Lucy Cheek finds out.
L
orna Jane Clarkson is fit. Okay, that probably comes as no shock – you wouldn’t expect the woman at the helm of a global fitness empire to sit on the couch all day scoffing bags of Twisties, after all – but when she visited Business Chicks HQ in Sydney recently, it quickly became apparent that this a woman who practises what she preaches. The petite blonde was clad in her activewear for a business meeting, and immediately accepted a challenge from our CEO, Emma Isaacs, to a ‘squat-off’ in the middle of the office. It’s hard to believe Lorna Jane Clarkson is 50 and has been in business for 26 years.
“If there’s one thing I could change about my career, it would be that I’d be at this stage of the brand’s growth when I was 30, not 50,” Lorna tells me. But she’s hardly complaining. Today, an item of Lorna Jane’s activewear is sold roughly every 23 seconds. Since being founded in 1990, the brand has more than 210 stores globally and is stocked in 54 countries. And Lorna Jane transcends way beyond the gym walls: she’s written four books (her latest, Inspired, is a beautiful page turner on dreaming big); and created an Active Living philosophy to encourage women to live a more authentic life. The principles behind its mantra – Move, Nourish, Believe – have amassed a cult following all over the globe, both online and through social media. It’s clever marketing, but it’s something Lorna Jane passionately embodies herself. She’s rarely out of her gym gear – she’s even been known to wear her trainers JUN/JUL | 13
Untitled-17 13
6/2/15 7:50 PM
FOOD REVOLUTION
to professional speaking engagements. “It’s actually been proven that if you wear activewear you’ll burn more calories,” she laughs. So, exactly how did a girl growing up in rainy England single-handedly revolutionise women’s activewear in Australia? THE WARM-UP Lorna Jane was born in the sleepy town of Orrell in northern England. When she was six, her parents separated, and a few years later her mum packed Lorna Jane and her sister Julie up (her brother David and her father stayed in the UK) and made for sunnier shores, settling in Brisbane. It was here that she started to embrace a healthier lifestyle. “The way of life was so different in Australia – I was so inspired by the amazing weather; I just wanted to get outside.” She says health and fitness became an important part of her life after that, although she never really liked competitive sports. “For me it was more about the way being active made me feel, rather than competing with other girls or trying to be ‘the best’ at something.” Did she have lofty dreams of being an entrepreneur from a young age? “No – I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world, but I wasn’t sure how. I never really considered myself to be particularly talented but I was determined, believed in myself and was willing to work hard. I still find it hard to believe that many millions of women around the world now wear my designs,” she says. Lorna Jane was creative from a young age, crocheting bikinis for her friends when she was a teenager. After high school, she began working 14 | BUSINESS CHICKS LATTE
as a dental therapist, but quickly got caught up in the ’80s aerobics craze and trained as an aerobics instructor, teaching classes after work. It was a decision that changed the course of her life – and it was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with Active Living. It didn’t take Lorna Jane long to realise that she couldn’t find activewear that she liked – it was all dull and, well, uninspiring. So she took matters into her own hands. “My very first piece was a leotard made by unpicking one of my favourite swimsuits and tracing it onto some Lycra fabric,” she says. She started wearing her own designs, and soon the women from her class started asking her to make leotards for them as well. “The orders started flooding in; I struggled to keep up with the demand,” she says. Eventually, she quit her day job to focus her attention on growing her business. “I wasn’t sure how successful I would be, but I couldn’t have lived with myself if I didn’t at least give it a go! I knew that I was doing something different, something that women hadn’t seen before. I was certain it was the right decision to make because I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.” She opened her first Lorna Jane store aged 28 in Brisbane in 1993 – with husband Bill Clarkson by her side. It didn’t take long for Lorna Jane to realise she’d tapped into something big. “A couple of years in, someone walked into our store and bought every single item we had! It really clicked for me then that this could grow exponentially.” Other big moments she’s had include winning three fashion awards in one year and being made BRW’s outstanding Retailer of the Year in 2011. “Opening our first
MOVER AND SHAKER
Lorna Jane’s life lessons Here, she shares her thoughts on everything from money to the yoga mat …
On moving your body “I make exercise a nonnegotiable part of my day – whether it’s a yoga class before work, a tough session with my trainer or a brisk walk with my dog Roger and Bill.” On nourishing “I am a strong believer that you are what you eat and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could not maintain my busy life if I didn’t feed my body the nutrition it needs to think and perform at its best. That being said, my weakness is chocolate – I have some almost every day!”
“I still find it hard to believe that many millions of women around the world now wear my designs.” store in the US was a huge milestone, as was opening in Paris, Sweden and the UK,” she adds. You might think she makes her meteoric rise in activewear look easy. But it wasn’t all a walk (or run) in the park. She didn’t put herself on the payroll for two years, and the sheer amount of work to make it profitable made it hard for Lorna Jane to believe in her dream. While her designs were flying off the shelves, the financial management of the business took its toll. Her husband stepped in to become her business partner, taking on the role of CEO. “I know where my strengths lie now, and leave some aspects of the business to Bill. I’d never try to manage operations or finance – just like he’d never try to design activewear!” Today, Lorna Jane is creative director and works at the Brisbane head office. “I still have the same passion for the brand as I did when I started 26 years ago and love being involved in just about every aspect of the company,” she says. “Whether it’s planning our monthly collections or working with the team on creative concepts for campaigns or even devising a marketing strategy, I’m across it all.” It’s clear Lorna Jane won’t be hanging up her trainers for a long, long time. LORNA JANE IS TOURING AROUND AUSTRALIA EXCLUSIVELY WITH BUSINESS CHICKS IN JULY TO LAUNCH INSPIRED WHICH IS ON SALE NATIONALLY AND AT LORNAJANE COM AU ON JULY FOR FOR MORE INFO ON HER NATIONAL TOUR HEAD TO BUSINESSCHICKS COM AU/EVENTS.
On believing in yourself “My personal philosophy is about being the best I can be, rather than worrying about what anyone else is doing. I’m an eternal optimist.” On being an entrepreneur “I don’t think people are born with an entrepreneurial spirit. To me, determination, passion and life experience is really what creates entrepreneurial thinking. Technical skills can always be learnt, but passion is what drives you forward and separates you from everyone else. There are no magic tricks or shortcuts when it comes to business. Dream big, the bigger and crazier the be er – and never give up!” On moving forward “Keep moving is my numberone rule in life and in business. Your customers will move on if you don’t evolve with them and their lives. Whether it’s innovation in our clothing range, writing books or opening Active Living Rooms, there is never a dull moment. Speak to your customers, jump on social media and listen to them. You’ll be amazed at the feedback and how much they love knowing their opinions ma er.” On global expansion “You have to know the market you are entering into and understand how your business will fit into the landscape.
Ensure you understand who your customer will be in different countries. The biggest challenge for me was finding the right people to recreate my vision and business success on the opposite side of the world. Having the right team allows you to focus on biggerpicture strategies.” On money “I’ve always been a believer in earning the money first and then spending it. That being said, there have been times when we have needed a li le funding to get us through periods of growth, and I’m OK with that – as long as it’s back to business as usual as soon as possible.” On weaknesses “Not celebrating enough – it’s in my DNA to want to do and be be er than before, which is great, but I need to appreciate and celebrate a li le more along the way. I’m also a selfconfessed control freak which could be a weakness when it comes to delegating – but it works for me!” On motherhood “I made a choice not to have children to focus on my career. Last year, when I was 49, my mum told me it wasn’t too late to have a baby. She never gives up!” On downtime “I think I’m pre y relaxed most of the time and that’s because I make time to sit and do yoga or meditate. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m stretched out on my yoga mat.” On her new book, Inspired “I started designing activewear because I wanted to inspire women to be more active. With Inspired, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences to inspire others to follow their dreams and do the same. Readers will find advice on everything from being happy and creating your own brand, to exercise tips and yummy recipes.”
JUN/JUL | 15
Untitled-17 15
6/2/15 8:15 PM
6/2/15 8:11 PM
MOVER AND SHAKER
Will the real
Lorna Jane please stand up? Lorna Jane Clarkson went from crocheting bikinis for her mates to running a business with an estimated $150 million annual turnover. But who’s the real woman behind the Lycra? Lucy Cheek finds out.
L
orna Jane Clarkson is fit. Okay, that probably comes as no shock – you wouldn’t expect the woman at the helm of a global fitness empire to sit on the couch all day scoffing bags of Twisties, after all – but when she visited Business Chicks HQ in Sydney recently, it quickly became apparent that this a woman who practises what she preaches. The petite blonde was clad in her activewear for a business meeting, and immediately accepted a challenge from our CEO, Emma Isaacs, to a ‘squat-off’ in the middle of the office. It’s hard to believe Lorna Jane Clarkson is 50 and has been in business for 26 years.
“If there’s one thing I could change about my career, it would be that I’d be at this stage of the brand’s growth when I was 30, not 50,” Lorna tells me. But she’s hardly complaining. Today, an item of Lorna Jane’s activewear is sold roughly every 23 seconds. Since being founded in 1990, the brand has more than 210 stores globally and is stocked in 54 countries. And Lorna Jane transcends way beyond the gym walls: she’s written four books (her latest, Inspired, is a beautiful page turner on dreaming big); and created an Active Living philosophy to encourage women to live a more authentic life. The principles behind its mantra – Move, Nourish, Believe – have amassed a cult following all over the globe, both online and through social media. It’s clever marketing, but it’s something Lorna Jane passionately embodies herself. She’s rarely out of her gym gear – she’s even been known to wear her trainers JUN/JUL | 13
Untitled-17 13
6/2/15 7:50 PM
FOOD REVOLUTION
to professional speaking engagements. “It’s actually been proven that if you wear activewear you’ll burn more calories,” she laughs. So, exactly how did a girl growing up in rainy England single-handedly revolutionise women’s activewear in Australia? THE WARM-UP Lorna Jane was born in the sleepy town of Orrell in northern England. When she was six, her parents separated, and a few years later her mum packed Lorna Jane and her sister Julie up (her brother David and her father stayed in the UK) and made for sunnier shores, settling in Brisbane. It was here that she started to embrace a healthier lifestyle. “The way of life was so different in Australia – I was so inspired by the amazing weather; I just wanted to get outside.” She says health and fitness became an important part of her life after that, although she never really liked competitive sports. “For me it was more about the way being active made me feel, rather than competing with other girls or trying to be ‘the best’ at something.” Did she have lofty dreams of being an entrepreneur from a young age? “No – I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world, but I wasn’t sure how. I never really considered myself to be particularly talented but I was determined, believed in myself and was willing to work hard. I still find it hard to believe that many millions of women around the world now wear my designs,” she says. Lorna Jane was creative from a young age, crocheting bikinis for her friends when she was a teenager. After high school, she began working 14 | BUSINESS CHICKS LATTE
as a dental therapist, but quickly got caught up in the ’80s aerobics craze and trained as an aerobics instructor, teaching classes after work. It was a decision that changed the course of her life – and it was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with Active Living. It didn’t take Lorna Jane long to realise that she couldn’t find activewear that she liked – it was all dull and, well, uninspiring. So she took matters into her own hands. “My very first piece was a leotard made by unpicking one of my favourite swimsuits and tracing it onto some Lycra fabric,” she says. She started wearing her own designs, and soon the women from her class started asking her to make leotards for them as well. “The orders started flooding in; I struggled to keep up with the demand,” she says. Eventually, she quit her day job to focus her attention on growing her business. “I wasn’t sure how successful I would be, but I couldn’t have lived with myself if I didn’t at least give it a go! I knew that I was doing something different, something that women hadn’t seen before. I was certain it was the right decision to make because I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.” She opened her first Lorna Jane store aged 28 in Brisbane in 1993 – with husband Bill Clarkson by her side. It didn’t take long for Lorna Jane to realise she’d tapped into something big. “A couple of years in, someone walked into our store and bought every single item we had! It really clicked for me then that this could grow exponentially.” Other big moments she’s had include winning three fashion awards in one year and being made BRW’s outstanding Retailer of the Year in 2011. “Opening our first
MOVER AND SHAKER
Lorna Jane’s life lessons Here, she shares her thoughts on everything from money to the yoga mat …
On moving your body “I make exercise a nonnegotiable part of my day – whether it’s a yoga class before work, a tough session with my trainer or a brisk walk with my dog Roger and Bill.” On nourishing “I am a strong believer that you are what you eat and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could not maintain my busy life if I didn’t feed my body the nutrition it needs to think and perform at its best. That being said, my weakness is chocolate – I have some almost every day!”
“I still find it hard to believe that many millions of women around the world now wear my designs.” store in the US was a huge milestone, as was opening in Paris, Sweden and the UK,” she adds. You might think she makes her meteoric rise in activewear look easy. But it wasn’t all a walk (or run) in the park. She didn’t put herself on the payroll for two years, and the sheer amount of work to make it profitable made it hard for Lorna Jane to believe in her dream. While her designs were flying off the shelves, the financial management of the business took its toll. Her husband stepped in to become her business partner, taking on the role of CEO. “I know where my strengths lie now, and leave some aspects of the business to Bill. I’d never try to manage operations or finance – just like he’d never try to design activewear!” Today, Lorna Jane is creative director and works at the Brisbane head office. “I still have the same passion for the brand as I did when I started 26 years ago and love being involved in just about every aspect of the company,” she says. “Whether it’s planning our monthly collections or working with the team on creative concepts for campaigns or even devising a marketing strategy, I’m across it all.” It’s clear Lorna Jane won’t be hanging up her trainers for a long, long time. LORNA JANE IS TOURING AROUND AUSTRALIA EXCLUSIVELY WITH BUSINESS CHICKS IN JULY TO LAUNCH INSPIRED WHICH IS ON SALE NATIONALLY AND AT LORNAJANE COM AU ON JULY FOR FOR MORE INFO ON HER NATIONAL TOUR HEAD TO BUSINESSCHICKS COM AU/EVENTS.
On believing in yourself “My personal philosophy is about being the best I can be, rather than worrying about what anyone else is doing. I’m an eternal optimist.” On being an entrepreneur “I don’t think people are born with an entrepreneurial spirit. To me, determination, passion and life experience is really what creates entrepreneurial thinking. Technical skills can always be learnt, but passion is what drives you forward and separates you from everyone else. There are no magic tricks or shortcuts when it comes to business. Dream big, the bigger and crazier the be er – and never give up!” On moving forward “Keep moving is my numberone rule in life and in business. Your customers will move on if you don’t evolve with them and their lives. Whether it’s innovation in our clothing range, writing books or opening Active Living Rooms, there is never a dull moment. Speak to your customers, jump on social media and listen to them. You’ll be amazed at the feedback and how much they love knowing their opinions ma er.” On global expansion “You have to know the market you are entering into and understand how your business will fit into the landscape.
Ensure you understand who your customer will be in different countries. The biggest challenge for me was finding the right people to recreate my vision and business success on the opposite side of the world. Having the right team allows you to focus on biggerpicture strategies.” On money “I’ve always been a believer in earning the money first and then spending it. That being said, there have been times when we have needed a li le funding to get us through periods of growth, and I’m OK with that – as long as it’s back to business as usual as soon as possible.” On weaknesses “Not celebrating enough – it’s in my DNA to want to do and be be er than before, which is great, but I need to appreciate and celebrate a li le more along the way. I’m also a selfconfessed control freak which could be a weakness when it comes to delegating – but it works for me!” On motherhood “I made a choice not to have children to focus on my career. Last year, when I was 49, my mum told me it wasn’t too late to have a baby. She never gives up!” On downtime “I think I’m pre y relaxed most of the time and that’s because I make time to sit and do yoga or meditate. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m stretched out on my yoga mat.” On her new book, Inspired “I started designing activewear because I wanted to inspire women to be more active. With Inspired, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences to inspire others to follow their dreams and do the same. Readers will find advice on everything from being happy and creating your own brand, to exercise tips and yummy recipes.”
JUN/JUL | 15
Untitled-17 15
6/2/15 8:15 PM
