Business
In this episode, how a high-achieving accounting graduate resigned from her high-flying career at Ernst & Young during the Global Financial Crisis, much to her parent’s disgust, with the dream of becoming one of Australia’s leading entrepreneurs. Well, that dream eventually came true, but not without getting in to some serious personal debt and a failed business along the way. In 2010, Jane Lu founded the online fashion label Showpo from her parents’ garage, having previously worked in accounting and corporate finance. What started off with a laptop and two shelves of clothing, is now an online global fashion empire, shipping to over 100 countries. Through her highly disruptive approach to online retailing, and capitalising on the use of social media, Showpo now boasts a cult social following of over 3.3 million engaged followers, a team of over 150 millennials across their central-Sydney HQ and distribution centre, and an annual turnover this year that will hit $30 million. I caught up with Jane in an upstairs wardrobe of her Sydney office. Sitting on a couple of hard old stools, it was hot, we were surrounded by clothes (as you’d expect), and there was an Instagram photo shoot happening next door showcasing the upcoming week’s new range of Showpo originals. But none of that stopped this quick-talking, fast-thinking fashion entrepreneur from verygenerously sharing some powerful business insights. “One of the most difficult things (in business) is when you grow really fast and you have people that don’t grow with you. Letting people go is hard ..but keeping the wrong people can lead you in the wrong direction … then you’re left with a huge mess to clean up. ” - Jane Lu, ShowpoSupport the show.