How to Reinvent Yourself & Start Over with Jenna Lyons, Fashion Icon & Founder of LoveSeen

Dubbed by the New York Times as ‘the woman who dresses America’,
Jenna Lyons, is a fashion icon and the co-founder/CEO of the
beauty brand, LoveSeen. 


Having kicked off her career as an intern at Donna Karan, Jenna
went on to join the design team at J.Crew, eventually becoming
its President. She is recognized as the main driver behind its
incredible rise to success, and is a regular feature in print and
online media, including having been recognized as one of Time
Magazine’s 100 most influential people.


After 27 years at J.Crew, Jenna was finally ready to start her
own empire. She launched her company LoveSeen, a
direct-to-consumer beauty brand that is reinventing fake lashes,
which was largely inspired by her genetic condition that impacts
her lash growth. And she was most recently, the Executive
Director and main star of her reality competition show, Stylish
with Jenna Lyons on HBO Max.  


In this episode, you'll learn how Jenna's challenging childhood
influenced her attitude toward finances and her love of fashion
today. Living in New York in the 1980s, she discovered a new
standard of beauty that was in stark contrast to what she had
known as a child. Jenna reflects on working with Mickey Drexler,
former CEO and Chairman of J.Crew Group, managing people, and
navigating the public eye. 


You'll also hear why Jenna decided to reinvent herself later in
her career, how she coped with leaving J.Crew, and what she loves
about working in beauty over fashion.


In this episode, we’ll talk to Jenna about: 


* The impact of Jenna’s mother’s attitude towards financial
independence on how she approaches money today. [3:10]


* How knowing you can take care of yourself affects fear and
trust in relationships. [4:30]


* What it was like to grow up with a genetic disorder and how
sewing a skirt led to a popular girl in school asking Jenna to
make one for her too. [6:40]


* What it was like to live in New York in the late 1980s. [9:04]


* How Jenna didn’t meet the standard of beauty in the beach town
she grew up in. [10:30]


* The discovery of Antonio Lopez as a pivotal point in
discovering her own beauty. [11:38]


* How she came to intern at Donna Karan and study at Parsons
University in the 90s. [12:35]


* The listing that led Jenna to take a job at J.Crew without
asking about the salary. [13:35]


* The dramatic change at J.Crew that completely turned things
around [17:20]


* What it was like working with Mickey Drexler (CEO of JCrew);
his alchemy skills, attunement, and insight. [18:18]


* How she needed to develop skills to manage people she worked
with. [21:20]


* Entering the public eye starting with Domino Magazine, then
Vogue with Annie Leibovitz, and the internal struggle Jenna
experienced. [25:01]


* Find out how Jenna navigated different transition periods in
her life. [28:29]


* The nine-month period of silence that helped her regroup and
see what’s important. [29:10]


* What Jenna loves about the beauty scene: she doesn’t have to
think about size. [36:05]


* How Jenna realized the significance of eyelashes and decided to
start her business. [37:00]


* How admitting that you don’t know things can open you up to
learn new things. [42:00]


Follow Jenna:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennalyonsnyc/


* Website: https://loveseen.com/ 


* LoveSeen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveseen/


* Stylist by Jenna HBO Max:
https://www.stylishwithjennalyons.com/ 


This episode is brought to you by beeya: 


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