The Rising Conquer Podcast acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land which this episode is being recorded, the Yugen Bear region. We further acknowledge country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and terrest Raid Islander peoples today. Hello and welcome back to the Rise and Conquer Podcasts.
This is the podcast for ordinary.
People who want to do extraordinary things. Hello and a welcome back to the Rising Conker Podcast. It is your host, Georgie Stephenson, lawyer turned entrepreneur, wife mum all the things guys.
Today, I have a goodie for you.
I am joined in the RNC studio by the founder and owner of LSKD, Jason Daniel. So you may have already seen on Instagram it is pasted everywhere, but I am bringing out my own collection, the Rise Collection, with LSKD.
This has been in the.
Making for roughly a year and we've also been working together since twenty nineteen, so it is such a beautiful evolution of our relationship. And when LSKD asked me if I wanted to do a collection.
Oh, guys, dreams come.
True because you guys know, I wear active where every single day, and so to be able to create activewear that ticks all the boxes, exact colors and prints that I adore and love, and then to work with LSKD and really bring it to life incredible. It's been such experience and I'm so proud of this collection. I if you haven't seen go check it out on Instagram. So it launches this Thursday, the eleventh of August at six pm Australian needs to standard time.
But I'm so bloody excited at tear. What do you want from the collection? Guys?
Are tears getting the Mocker color to match her Fendy's lives.
Honestly, my list has just been getting longer and longer.
And then I listened to this episode and I was like, it's fine, Jason can take all my money.
He's the nicest person, is he not?
The sweetest human and so humble, so down to earth, and you can tell like he just does it for the community, absolutely, like loves it for offs it. No, guys, you're going to love this episode. We chat about how Jason started LSKD literally as a teenager, how the brand grew and pivoted. Something I love about LSKD it is.
I don't want to say the only brand, but one of the only brands.
I've known that has literally done a one eighty and acet it completely different brand, not completely, but yeah, incredible. Anyway, I'm going to stop chatting because we get into so much juiciness in this episode and Jason tells it all and just has so much knowledge and inspiration.
After the chat, I was like pumped.
I was like, oh my god, there's so many exciting things I want to implement, a naked harvest and like so cool. Yeah, I felt really pumped. So I'm so excited to bring.
This to you. So without further ado, let's get into the episode. Jason, Welcome to the Rise and Conker Podcast.
Thank you, tears in the making. I know, as I said before, like this has actually been a goal to get on this podcast for a very long time, so I'm very privileged, So thank you for having me.
No, I appreciate that, and I'm really excited to have you on this podcast. Because I was chatting to Jason off air and just explaining that, you know, this podcast, my mission is a out empowering women to live their best life and really challenge the status quo and go after what they want, and you encompass that in everything you do.
Thank you.
So, I think the girl's going to love this one. I think they're going to feel so inspired. But for those who may not know who you are, do you want to just give us a little intro, a bit of glimpse into who Jason is.
And what he does?
Oh how long have you got?
Guys?
Jason can talk underwater and you know I can, So you're probably in for a long one here.
I didn't. Yeah, I get told a lot. I talk too much, But my story is crazy. I mean I grew up wanting to be a professional motocross athlete, you know, from a young age. I suppose the name loose kid actually started out as a high school nickname. So when I grew up riding BMX, that's how it started. You could sell the little loose on a bike and it was just a nickname that started from riding VMX at school.
And when the name started, it was that kind of word of the month everyone has when you're growing out, you have this word, and the word loose kid was a word we used, and you know, we actually ended up turning it into a brand. My mum helped me a lot back then. She was a huge help, got me the trademark papers. Someone told me to turn to a brand and to be honest, I didn't. Yeah, and it was I was like, you know, I was in high school.
I did have to say, how old were you at this point?
I was I would have been fourteen or like fourteen, maybe three or fourteen when the name started. Yeah, And I always didn't really understand what a brand was, to be honest, and I knew that I could turn it into something, but I hadn't committed myself to be honest. And so through that we got the trademark papers and we trademarked it loose Kid Industries. And for about from around two thousand and two to two thousand and seven,
we made T shirts. We you know, we sold at the motocross tracks, and we set up at events, really grassroots marketing to what they talk about as community today and brand building. And you know, I was going and racing on weekends all over Queensland and even New South Wales and we'd set up and we'd create a community and I didn't really understand what I was even building back then, but it was just a bunch of fun and you know, to me, it was about racing moto
and being a professional athlete. And I actually then started a carpentry apprenticeship, so I did too.
Oh I didn't know that.
Yeah, so I tried to be a sparky and couldn't do that. Lasted three months after school, but then I did a year out of that into another job, which was working in a brick laying yard actually like looking after trucks and managing trucks and you know where the bricks were going, et cetera. And I really kind of was like what am I doing? And then went, actually, I need to trade, like I need to get a ticket, and actually this is a year out of school. It was about a year out of school, and I thought,
you know what, I've got to get a ticket. And I actually had a day off a week to go riding where I was working for a family friend. And instead of going riding, I went and worked for this carpenter a day a week for free for about three months because no one was giving apprenticeships back then, and I thought, you know what, very hard, Yeah, and even obviously the same today as it was back then. So I was like, I'll work for you for free, you know, one day a week, and I was probably doing ten
hour days and honestly, I was loving it. And then he gave me an apprenticeship for you know, seven dollars an hour first year, and I had to sell a bunch of stuff. So I sold my jet ski. You know, I was making pretty good money as a seventeen year old kid, and so I sold my jet ski and so I got you know, the main thing is I can afford to go racing moto, and you know, I had some amazing sponsors when I raced. And then yeah,
I started my apprenticeship. And then it was about two thousand and seven and I'd already been with my you know, my wife but girlfriend then for a couple quite a few I think three years then, and I went, you know what, I'm going to do something with this brand, Like I can do something with this, I can create, this could be my job. So I think I was second year into my apprenticeship and I was like this is it, Like I'm going to I'm going to turn this into my career. And I was like, okay, how
do I even make a shirt? Like how do I make like, you know, not just a shirt like one shirt? How do I make that? And it was really interesting because I went through times where I was wearing the shirt I was wearing on a job site and I'm like, this shirt's pretty good, and I looked at the label. I'm like, oh, I think this is guilding. Okay, I lot google Guilden and then I'm like, oh, well, they'll
make our shirts. Because I liked wearing and working, they lasted, so it was just like just finding things and niches and I was getting up in the morning, it's you know, five in the morning, working till six, starting working six thirty, you know, my lunch break. I was making phone calls to retailers and I didn't even have a catalog. I was just trying to sell T shirts. You know, it
might have been a sheet of paper. So from two thousand and seven twenty ten, it was kind of this period of just you know, I'd work a week and on a Saturday when I was going racing, I would stop at a retail store and try and sell to them on a Saturday, when you typically don't sell to stores on a Saturday, that's the busiest day of trade. And yeah, and it was just it was literally just hustling to kind of turn this into my career. And I didn't know what it meant then, but I just
wanted it to be a job. It wasn't about you know, social media wasn't a thing then. You know, I was working with magazines, so I really got this experience of what it was like before social media. And I was in my early twenties. I think I was like twenty one, twenty two, And in twenty ten, I finished my apprenticeship and then went full time to another apprenticeship, which was
you know LKI. When we transitioned in two thousand and seven, twenty ten, I went full time and we moved into this little warehouse which we've only just recently moved out of.
Was it the same warehouse?
Yeah, yeah, So we moved fulfilm it like warehouse for filming centers. A couple of times. We kept the original office where we still have it now. We still got it at the moment. But yeah, and it was cool. I mean we then you know, went full time and it was just go tell us.
About what was kind of the first you know, big break. So for example, when I think of Loose Kids, I think of it being in City Beach and me being fourteen being in City Beach and like seeing the brand and knowing the brand started, so me and Jason have both come from the same area growing up and knowing the brand started that and being like, oh yeah, that's like that's cool sort of thing.
My apprenticeship, right, I think in the Redlands.
So yeah, you know, represent yeah, I mean the first it was a couple of things.
I mean, we sponsored a lot of athletes, so that was some big things where we got to sign one of the best in Australia and I really realized that we actually, you know, we had no money and I ended up having this really top athlete who was winning championships where the brand and I was like, wow, he loves the brand. This is crazy and which really learned to foster it's about a relationship and a connection first when you're working with anyone as opposed to just a
monetary thing. And he loved the brand. That was a big break because I was like, you know, see this guy at the tracks and this athlete loved it, and I was like, this is really cool. And then the next probably big break was getting into say a City Beach then, you know, I think it was around twenty eleven. You know, we got into City Beach and they placed their first order and it took time. You know. I remember getting stood up by the buyer my first meeting.
I was up there and he forgot about me and I was there sitting in the office waiting for a meeting, and they just did he'd forgotten he was out at lunch. I actually know that person, and I was telling the other day, give them shit, but yeah, you know, and I was like, you know what, like that's just what happens. You know, it's going to take time, and yeah, like
you got stood up. I could have said, no, don't worry about it, but I just kept going back and you know, posting catalogs and then you ended up building a great relationship with them, and they were amazing over the years we were in there. And that was a huge break because it really helped us to elevate to get into you know, think it was sixty plus stores then.
Yeah, it almost maybe made the brand more mainstream.
Yeah, I think it did. I think it did. And we were still doing a lot of magazine ads and you know, I was shooting in magazine ads as well, and I'd put stickers all over the helmet. I mean, we don't even make stickers today with LSKD, but we were making stickers. And yeah, there was just this that, and then we started to get in some other stores. I mean we're in a lot of independence. We're probably
in around two hundred around Australia. Ye. Well, and then we were designing, you know, the way we developed product, and you know, I got to take my first trip to China in twenty eleven, so I started learning manufacturing and building relationships with manufacturers all over the world and just got to learn through that journey. And from about twenty ten to twenty seventeen, we were kind of just making everything for everyone. You know, we made life jackets,
motocross gloves, and we just because we used them. You know, we love wakesurfing, we love mountain biking. We just made it all. And then we had sportswear and streetwear and we didn't and we were selling to so many different retailers and I didn't really realize it was taking a lot of energy away from actually focusing on one thing and what we were passionate.
About so like spreading yourself thin.
Correct, like we were everywhere, and I didn't realize I was just putting too much time into everything but not into one thing. And I really kind of was kind of like, what's the why, Like what's my wife? So I kind of went through this period of just pushing, pushing, pushing, and then going realizing. And I think by then we're about a team of twelve by around twenty eighteen, and
we stayed around that for a while. I was twenty seventeen twenty eighteen and at that time I'm trying to remember the date, but I actually my wife fell pregnant. Ali felt pregnant and you know, with our first child, Hendrix, and it actually woke me up, like it was the best thing ever, Like it actually made me go, wow, like okay, I'm going to be dad now, this is amazing.
I'm so excited. But I actually, you know, it's not just like I've actually got a family now, so you know, I'm on the other side of it with as parents, and so it really woke me up. And I just went through this period of I tried to go to like I suppose that those events earlier on and I was probably a little bit stubborn, and you know these events he's kind of whether it's an entrepreneur event or
these different events. I was like, I didn't need to go to that stuff, where really I did and I needed to learn, and I can remember the dates, but I started listening. I went to a course called Landmark in around twenty fifteen, and I took my wife and my mom and that was a huge transformation. That went to Toast Masters and learned how to public speak because I hate speaking in front of people, as everyone does,
even if it was ten people. So I went to with Toast Marses for two years because I'm like, I have a huge.
Fear, like, wow, I didn't know that I wouldn't like I wouldn't think that.
Yeah one on one, I'm okay as soon as you put me, probably shit myself. So I was like, I've got to get better. So I went to them, and you've learned how to do you know, like meeting structure. So I just kind of slowly started thinking I've got to get out of my comfort zone and start learning more.
Yeah, well and almost like thinking having that shift of I guess, you know, personal development and wondering, wanting to better yourself and being like, oh, actually I do need a little bit of help, rather than kind of feeling like you were coasting it before.
Yeah, correct, Like I kind of was like, oh, I'm in these stores, I'm doing great. It's all good, and you know, things started to shift and you know it didn't know.
What's really interesting is obviously everyone knows I just had a child.
If you don't know, I have a girl. And I've felt this big.
Internal shift where I think this like huge transition where I don't know, like I said it the other day, where it's like I feel like I had when I birthed Ivy.
It was like a death of my.
Old self and it's like this new self, this new chapter. But I feel very unclear about what that is and like who I am and what this means. But I just feel like this you know, shift coming and it's making me, like you're saying, like for the first time, being like.
Like I know what my purpose is, but you know what is what is that?
Yeah? It just.
Yes, yeah, and like create a legacy and all these different things that I just never thought about before. So that that's very interesting that you said that, because I didn't know, Like, obviously I'm on the side of being the mother, but it's so interesting that you said that, of being a father and kind of going through this peak shift. Tell us about so loose kids, we're now pivoting, we're changing and you changed into LSKD. Tell us about the why, what happened? What was involved in this move?
It was Yeah, it was crazy. I mean what year was this? Sorry, so September twenty eighteen, twenty eighteen, September twenty eighteen, so it's not that long ago. Really four years in coming up in September when we actually changed the brand and we kind of rebuilt everything from the ground so I kind of treat as a whole new brand.
Yeah, I would say it's a whole new brand.
Yeah. And the years of LKI which were amazing, and the amazing thing was the community really came along for the journey and it was kind of like it was almost like on the job NBA, you know, university and I never went to university. It was like I got
to learn so much from that. But the transition started where I actually got started listening to books, and to be honest, the first book I listened to was the founder of Lulu Lemon, and I actually just I just really resignated with his story and what he went through, and I just kind of resonated. And then I just started listening to all these other books and then you know, there's good to.
Books change your life.
Yeah, as cliche as it sounds. And then I just started. And I actually my CFO he started a month before that. He started day a week, and you know, we we had a government grant that paid for him. Like, I couldn't afford to take a CFO on a day week, so I had a government grant that helped pay for that. Like we weren't doing that great. And he started teaching me. You know, everyone has a like, I'm so passionate about our brand and our mission and values, but you know,
I wasn't. I wanted to understand it, but I'm not an accountant, and I didn't understand that. But I've realized the importance of understanding the art and the science together. So I started really learning, you know, where to focus on. But he joined and I just when I started listening to his books, I started sharing books with other people, and then they started giving me feedback, and it was about twenty seventeen, I was listening to these books, going, okay,
what is my wife? You know, there's good to great and all these different books from Jim Collins and Simon Sinek, and I was like hanging on. Like I grew up wanting to be a pro athlete. I grew up doing every sport like surf, life saving soccer. You know. I loved being a part of stuff. And I didn't realize. You know, I think my twenty first birthday, we ad Ministry, a sound player and DJ play at my house. You know, it was like one hundred and twenty people, but it
wasn't really about the party. It was about the community of all different athletes together. And I was like, hang on, this is a I really looked at my childhood growing up and what I loved, and you know, it was very like have a great childhood, and I was like, what am I doing here? And then I realized the brand actually was kind of created from that of what
Chase the Vibe is. And when I started to look at it, we had this word Chase the Vibe and then the word LSKD was actually created around twenty fifteen as a mock up to lose kid abbreviated, and we started putting it on clothing around twenty sixteen with our Okai logo, but we found that the community liked LSKD more than Oki. So as I'm listening to this book, so I'm like, hang on, we've kind of confusing again
because we've got two logos. And by that time around twenty eighteen, around okay, we're stopping making life jackets gloves, and then when okay, well, I never really thought I could build a sportswear brand because it was so many sportswear brands. But then I thought, well, hang on, if I love fitness and I love sports and adventure, why can't we do something in our own way. And we had some active wear, and you know, we redeveloped it with our raw materials and fabrics, with the red fabric
that we created. So it was kind of this like slow evolution of like looking at you know, why we did things. And Dylan out head of design, he grew up into racing motor and he was there from the start of the brand and he designed the LSKD logo. So we would chat about it and I would get the whole team involved, and I would just say to the whole team. And when we kind of when we transitioned, I had both logos and I would show our team and I would show our community and athletes and everyone
just said they loved lskdy Moore. And I was like, you know what, like this isn't about me, Like this is about listening to the community and what they wanted. And so we just changed the brand overnight. I was like, you know what, let's do it. Then if everyone wants to do it, let's rebuild this and then let's you know, use all these learnings to rebuild from the ground up. And then and then I was kind of like, well, why do I come to work every day? Like why
am I coming to work every day? Like I've you know, and I felt like I'd be doing it for a long time. I was like, man, I've been doing this for a while and it really hasn't popped. And so I'm questioning my internal dialogue going man like if I'm not made, like I can't make it, like it's not working. And then I'm like, hang on a minute, I think I want it too much. I think I need to focus on the mission and values and be really focused on that or the mission first, that's more important than
anything else. And then we had this word chase the vibe, and I was like, you know what, our missions to inspire people to chase the vibe. And I got the whole team a part of that and said, what do you guys think And everyone's like yeah, And I'm like, let's stick at that, Like, let's focus on that and then let's not get distracted and really focus on the mission. And every decision we make in our brand is all about that and how we can inspire people for long term.
And let's take it slow, like let's rebuild this thing slowly and just really take our time and then develop product for the community and develop best in the world leggings for our female athletes and community, and really slowly build it. And we developed our Reptite, which took about a year and a half to develop, so and we released it in twenty nineteen. In July when we first I started working with you, actually, which was super exciting day.
And I don't think you're allowed to wear the tides at the time, so it was like a goal long term of you to finally be able to wear the leggings. But yeah, so we just everything. We just took our time and listened to the community and took it slow and really went Okay, well, what are we building? And when we made decisions, why are we making this decision instead of just you know, what did the retailers want and let's make product to just sell, Like, let's make
product for long term. So yeah, it was it was a very long journey of asking why and really going deep into like, you know, myself growing up in the community around this, and yeah, it's very very thankful to go through that journey. I don't think if with the growth we're going through now, I don't think if I had that journey of the brand with Olki and loose Kid, we'd be in the position we are. I think I don't think I could handle it. I don't think i'd
understand why we're growing. And I always try to understand why we're growing at the speed we are and the amazing team we've developed and you know where they're heading in their careers, and yeah, it's been Yeah, it's been very special.
That's incredible.
An I explained it all right?
Yeah, No, And I well, I would love to know what's your perspective, because I feel like I have some sort of insight, but was there kind of what do you think is like the pivotal moment or because I feel like i've you know, I've been with you guys
since twenty nineteen, isn't it? And yeah, and I've always you know, loved the company, loved the mission, always just had like I just chatting to Jason off air and kind of saying, even when we work together, it's not that it didn't make sense, but it's not like you guys were like a very target market, you know, brand for me. But there was just something about the brand that I was like, I just want to be involved in this and I almost couldn't put my finger on it.
And like obviously now I know.
Because of the community and just everything that you guys do, and I love. I think I love most is you're not just a carbon copy of everyone else.
You very much.
You can tell that you've done this like internalization of what's our why what does our community want? You're constantly asking this question, which is huge if you want to be a you know, company that grows like we're very much the same at Naked Harvests, Like we're always like, what does the NHH Gang wants. It's not about what me and coople want. It's like, what is the NHH
gang want? How are they going? And I feel like you guys encompass community just epic and but I'd love to know, Like I feel like there was just this moment like I've been with you guys for so long
and then you know, loving it. I always like always a huge company, but I feel like there was this moment where it's like LSK, you just like blew up, like like just I was like, all of a sudden, saw it all over Instagram, you know, saw different influences or athletes wearing it, and I was like, hey, that's my brand. Can you pinpoint something? I'm sure there's lots of people with businesses being like tell us, tell us.
Yeah, you know what because everyone says, like, what's the one thing, And I think it's a million things put together and as you compounding, compounding, and it's like slow and you're making a lot of mistakes and learning why you're on that journey, and I you know, I think there's a lot of things that you know, we've you know, done really right, and a lot of things we have and I mean we've got we're still on that journey and learning and you've still got a long way to go.
But I don't think I could pinpoint it to one thing. I think everything we did, you know, it was all about the product. And then you know when we you know, to the athletes, to the community, to what we did. Even when we you know, were you know, we worked hard,
and it was so stoked to work with yourself. And I remember, you know, I remember when we you know, when we first started working with you, it was like, because you're an inspiring female everyday athlete, that's you know, so influential to your community as an entrepreneur, like that inspired us. So there was this real why while we were so excited to work with yourself, and then we asked those questions. So yeah, I think it was a
number of things. And as you said, like it just takes time, like we've only it takes time and just constantly doing different things and learning, you know, and and we set our values. It's funny because we're so clear on our values as a team, but we only set our values as the start of last year. But we were kind of doing the those values. But when we set them, you know, we're about I think it's about thirty of the team filled out, and well it's about
thirty at the time, filled out an anonymous form. You know that we threw into slack and we started chatting about it and said, like, what values are to you? So I didn't come up with the values. They're not from me, they're from the team and those little things there that at the time when we did it, you know, we'd just come off the back of a really successful say, you know, Black Friday, but we've made a lot of mistakes, wet our committee down, we were late, and we're like, man,
we've got a lot to learn. And then we're like, hey, on what is our values? And you know, we'd just come off the back of listening to this book called Delivering Happiness and was like, oh wow, like we can
really improve there. And then we wrote our values and then we you know, we got the team together and we wrote them down on paper and because of what they put together and we kind of started pinpointing and we'd just be sitting on the table, like sitting at a table writing them down in a meeting, just chatting about it and just constantly refining it. And then that's how we created the six values. Yeah, and then we go back to it. It's like, well, every decision we make every.
Day and what are the six values?
Oh, you're putting me on the spot. No, create a community.
I was thinking, Should I know this?
Ah? No, I love eating from the spots right now? Create a community? Better move fast, break shit, love, there's a way to do a better find it? Oh you've put me on the stop.
Come on checks.
Oh my god, I feel like an idiot.
You know something else and something else.
Well, it's funny because we ask ourselves like what are we doing today? Like what do we learn? And like let's you know, that's like creating community or like, hey there's a way to a better find it? Do we do that? Let's move fast, let's break shit, like, let's have a go.
Like it's like me and Cooleys say, like we're literally just throwing shit at the wall. See what sticks, and like just being so scrappy and just doing what we can when we can and just trying to be I think you do need to be quite reactive, yes, because otherwise you're very much going to get left behind. And it's like I come from a corporate world, where it takes, you know, a million days for a decision to go
through and for policies to change and whatnot. And so I very much live and breathe, like, let's make a decision, let's just be reactive, let's learn from it and learn.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, and the other ones sweep the sheds. So no one's bigger than the team. Yeah, sweep the shed Yeah, sweep the sheds. So one of our values is actually called sweep the sheds.
What does that mean? Sorry?
So it's kind of like a like no one's bigger than the team. It came from it actually a book.
Oh, like, no one's beneath.
Like, no one's bigger than the team.
Yeah, that's like Cooper's downstairs packing orders.
Directing the sheds. You know, the team.
Someone's away and he's down there and there's.
Nothing exactly right. So that's like one of the you know, you get in help. No one's bigger than the team.
I love that. That's and yeah, that's incredible.
So yeah, and I think that's where it was like a million things that you could I could chat about all day that's been put together from decisions we've made.
But I love that because I think people looking for one answer. They're looking for Oh I just you know, want to do that and become you know, such a big impressive brand like Las Katie. But it isn't about the one thing, like you said, it's all the things.
It's compounding.
And I think something that I've got from what you're saying is I feel like you're someone who just constantly reflects, and you're constantly thinking it's not like said it and it's done. It's constantly refining. Yeah, yes, and you just must have like you have so much resilience. It's like if something turns to shit or goes wrong, you're like, let's just keep going.
Let's see what else.
It's been a long journey, yeah, and be very lucky to be given a gift like that where I've just kind of, you know, I've made so many stactions and just keep going, you know, and keep going and even into fitness, like I recently ran a marathon and even just learning from that experience of running you know, around my last year unofficial because of COVID, but the first official on this year of the Gold Coast, Like I
got to learn so much from that. I kind of, you know, you treat it as a journey and you're constantly learning to get better every day. And you know, if you don't make mistakes, you don't you know, we wouldn't be in this position if I hadn't gone through that. Yeah, So you just and it's almost like you have to go through certain mistakes yea to understand the next part of the journey, whether it's growth or certain you know,
certain things. And I think reflecting our mistakes is a good thing because you're like, well, you know, hopefully I made that again, but also I'm going to be so much better off. So every new thing we go into and we're learning, you know, hopefully we don't mess it up, especially with product because you want to make sure it's so focused on developed the best product for our community. But yeah, definitely lucky to have that kind of trait with your resilience.
Important you need it.
I've got a question and I'm wondering, so if someone's an entrepreneur or you know, they have their own small business, or they're wanting to what's one book that you recommend they read because I know you're a books person.
Oh, it's just to pick one.
You can pick too.
I don't know. I mean there's so many. It depends on what part of the journey they're going through.
The start.
I mean, I do I do love Good to Great? And I do love Who's That by Jim Collins. So that's a great book Good to Great? And yeah, I mean now there's heaps, Legacy Delivering Happiness, lul Lemon Founder, there's Yeah, there's so many, there's you know, Rene Brown has great books.
Brown.
Yeah, Like, there's so many good ones. Like it's just so hard to pinpoint because they all everyone's in a different chapter of their life. And I always think that sometimes I even listen to a book and then six months later I'll go back and listen and I'll hear it completely.
I do the exact same thing. And my life truly.
Changed when I started listening to podcasts and books. Yeah, I remember like that that was such a pivotal moment for me. So it's just like it's not even about the one book. It's just about constantly learning and like up skilling.
And there'll be a day you don't want to listen to that book, so you just go to another book.
Like it's okay, I'm queen of switching books.
I feel you that do it a lot. Yeah, and you know, it's just that thing that I think that you know end podcasts too, that's a massive one as well. I was listening to a lot of podcasts and yeah, you're just constantly learning. You learn something from everyone.
Well, I think it's like if you think about it, books, it's like everyone's best advice in one book and podcast. It's if you wanted to be mentored by someone, but maybe they don't have the time or you don't have the funds.
It's basically free mentoring.
Yes, correct, you can learn so much for free, I know. And I don't think it's the fact of going and actioning it too true. I think that's again when you learn something, and I think that's something you know, if you learn something, go and try it that day, or if you've got a big decision you have to make and you listen to something, you're like, maybe I'll just make a decision because I learned from someone that's actually gone through that themselves. Yeah, because we're all thrown decisions
every day that we have to make that up. You know, it could be big decisions, small decisions, but it's a decision and sometimes making a decision is better than not doing one because then you're not moving forward. So I think that plays a big part in it.
Love.
So let's chat about the evolution of the brand. Yes, so you know we've changed to LSKD. I feel like you guys have very much honed in, not like completely niche or anything like that, because you obviously do such a wide variety. It's like men's, women's children, but you're very much honed in on the active where the lounge tread the streetwear was kind of like a pivotal sort of decision or was that just like something that evolved.
Yeah, it was very Yeah, it was very pivotal. I think you know, when we kind of really established ourselves, it was like, our mission is to inspire people to chase the vibe through sport, fitness and adventure, and we create functional sportswear with a street of steady. So everything we did was about that and you know, how do
we inspire someone? And then back to our product, and you know, even down to our original reptite and how we developed that and where the logo got place, had that street aesthetics.
So obsessed with the rep tite.
It's done a great job guys.
The Reptite has like, isn't it like thousands of like good reviews.
Yeah, there's over four there's over four thousand now yeah for.
Like one yeah, one product that is incredible and little sneak peak. My range is made in the REP.
Yes fabric was obviously very exciting.
So it's the REP fab fabric.
A fusion fit, the Fusion Tite, which is our first new fit, which is which is actually the Fusion Tite is actually a mixture of REP Flux Base put together. So it's the best of all the feedback we've got from the community to create that with like pockets waistband in aligning in the waistband, but it doesn't have the thick waistband at the top, so you could wear it all day with comfort, yes, you know. And the way that the paneling is as well. So it's the panelings
a little slightly different. So we developed everything put together in one no front scene because you know, some of the commun don't want front scene, so we kind of really developed this one pair of leggings from all three put together for the next one. So it's it's a homage of the REP and the REP stays REP. So Yeah, it's it is a six style. I'm so excited.
See so exciting. Well, let's talk about me.
I can about you.
Chase is like typical? Can you chat about I honestly want to know myself?
So obviously you did.
Your brand was very much about athletes and you know, chasing the vibe like I feel like it was just like so adventurous. And I remember when we're in the talks of working together, I very much was like, but I'm just so ordinary and I'm.
Just so like not that.
Can you kind of explain that marketing decision to work with someone like me?
Yeah, it's a great question. I think for us, as I said before, like you know, when Tiggan and I were working on you know, trying to get you to wear the brand, which were super excited about was you know, was the fact that you're entrepreneurial and you're inspiring and you're an inspiring female And for us that yeah, all to us, that's just is amazing as well, Like and you're into and you're into fitness, like it doesn't you don't have. For us, it's not about winning and being
a pro athlete. It's about you know, inspiring the community to get out and chase the vibe. And we have amazing pro athletes, but we want them to inspire people that you know, that they can achieve anything that they put their mind to, and it might be running, whether it's running, fitness sport, like it's it's actually you know, that whole one percent better is actually just consistency. And you're gonna have a bad day, That's okay, but you get back up and you know, you actually learn on
your bad days because you're still doing it right. So there's this real ethos behind it. So when we really did that, But to be honest, I think when we first started working together, we didn't really understand it almost either we were going through that transition. But I was like, but it really started to make sense because like the synergies just works so well. And that's what really felt
to us as we started working together. And then eventually, you know, we got you about it because I remember the sweater you first wore, our shape sweater, and then and then our leggings. You know, I think it was about a year later, and you know, then what's led to today and even that that's exciting. It's like three years in the making, off to all how we're working today. So I think it just it just things take time and relationships foster and you know, you're constantly learning and evolving.
But I think that part of why we started was, you know, has a real why behind it.
Yes, I think that's what I love the most, and that's what I love about the brand is so inclusive. It's not like your target market is just like one specific sort of person, like you said, even though the ethos is you know, chase, the vibe, it encompasses so much and you're not yeah, you're not kind of excluding certain sort of people because you know, they're not jumping off clips or nice.
And our product stays very you know, our product category with how we develop sport like sport and street you know there. But then the way we work with the community through fitness communities and athletes and that, but it all ties back to that mission and yeah, you don't have to be doing that side to be a part of the brand and the community. So yeah, we it's
and I think that's the thing. You know, I'm passionate about fitness, and I think when we change to LSKD, it was like, why can't we do this and why can't we have a street element to our brand but still stand for something like you know, I think we've got, you know, our goal and even for myself, has to create something bigger than usselves for long term. You know, how we keep inspiring people in thirty years time, you know, forty fifty. You know that that to me is very inspiring for long term.
So yeah, love, So before we get into chatting about my range, very exciting because it's launching very soon.
If you're listening in real time, can you.
Touch us about marketing because I feel like everyone, like the landscape is just changing so much, and like you said, like you've gone from you know, being in magazines and having to do things such a different way to now absolutely killing the social media gain, Like that's such an
evolution in itself. Could you tell us, like, if you had to pick one strategy that has really because I know what you're going to say, and you're going to say, it's it's all, it's everything compounding, But if you had to pick sort of one thing that has really helped get the most, you know, and like for the smallest amount of energy, I have the most result.
You know.
I'm just trying to think of how do I answer that? But yeah, I know exactly what you say.
Yeah, so marketing wise, what would you say that you guys, you know, do really well and has been like quite successful for you.
It's a greatquoat. It's a mixture of everything. No, I'm kidding, I mean it's it is. It is a lot of kind of I mean, we were in this amazing community when we transitioned, and I think for us, I mean, I think social media plays a huge part. And social media market with its face book ads, TikTok, like the media's buying side of things, I think is a big part of it. But that's one part of it. There's
also how do you fulfill orders for your community? The passion that goes behind an order going to your community, you know, that is also a big part in giving that experience when they get the product to feel a part of it to do you know, if you're doing events, I mean, you know, COVID's kind of the last two years put a damper on events, but we should do so many events, you know, events and things that you do there with pop ups or you know, getting out there.
I think I think, obviously, I think social media is the number one. I mean, you've done a phenomenal job on social media in the community, and I think that is probably the number one and lasering in on that, whether it's you know, whether it's advertising on social media through media buying and ads to that.
But I feel like you guys do social media different. You haven't copied or I don't know, done things the usual way. I feel like you very much. Like I come to your Instagram and I feel a different vibe, if that makes sense, Like is there sort of something around it that.
Obviously I know you have a whole team. It's not your social media.
I mean, yeah, it's it's well, I mean it was you know, it was not long ago. There was only it was me still posting a few years ago as well well, helping, right, and I'm still jump in and help when I need to. Like that's you know, sweet the sheds. But I think everything goes back to the mission and how do we inspire people? And you know, you know, the team has done a great job of like really getting behind the scenes at the moment and trying to share more about who we are as a broh.
My god, I love your reels right now.
Yeah, I got you know, They love to show that I came in late, and you know there's with their videos of like who came to work late and stuff like that that I even know they were filming that day. I had no idea they were doing it. And then they screw me under the bus. Thanks. I was actually
out the front getting a coffee, but thanks. But yeah, like, I think that's it all goes back to the mission and the values when we make those decisions and really think about like how do we know, how do we inspire the community, but also make that we're humans behind the scenes and we make mistakes. We're not perfect where you know we And it's been really cool to watch because you know, a few years ago, no one wanted to, you know, you try and pull a camera out at
the office and everyone was hiding. And now it's kind of like the same authenticity behind it. People don't mind jumping in front of them behind a camera, and the amount of times that our team are actually like, you know, they'll jump in the studio and shoot. There's so many of our team on our online store as well.
I know I've seen this.
Well, it wasn't until after I did the shoot with everyone and then I was like online, you know, making selex or something, and.
I'm like, oh my god. The team's like modeling the gear. Yeah, you wouldn't even know.
No, they get thrown in the deep end some days. But it's also like that's just part of who we are and you know, we're building a community one day at a time, and I think that's kind of that authenticity behind it is like it's it's quite special to watch. Like I'm like, wow, it's not only proud to watch, but it's like really exciting to see where it's going
as a brand and where we can take that. And yeah, the team, they've they've made some the reels of I mean I even sit there and scroll through it at night and it's like, you know, how, like how do and obviously I get to be a part of those decisions, but they also have the autonomy to make those decisions because it goes back to the mission as well. Yeah, so yeah, that it is. It's it's actually really it's very inspiring, to be honest, it inspires me. Well.
Something I was shouting to Jason off air again is just after doing the shoot for my collection, like you should just be so proud of your team because they're just they're so professional, but they're so fun and you can tell everyone's got like their zones of genius and everyone works so well together. And obviously that's such a huge reflection on you and your how you lead the team.
But you can tell also you give them a lot of vrain and from that, you know, they just make amazing decisions and beautiful content and that sort of thing. So that was like really incredible to like see it. And obviously I know because I see it from like behind the scenes on social media and whatnot, but to be actually like involved in it and like in the team's like synergy, it was like, yeah, really surreal.
Yeah, thanks they And I mean I was I mean I had I couldn't make Yeah, it was cool. I mean we had a team I think of eleven that day and it was all different departments working together, and you know, yeah, we have such an amazing team. And I think, you know, it all goes back to to you know, to the books and you know, the authenticity behind our values and you know, trying to live and
breathe that every day and make decisions on that. And you know, I think myself coming from a job site environment you know, back in twenty ten, I made so many mistakes, you know I did. I'm you know, and
not knowing how to work. I don't even know what a job description meant, you know, in twenty thirteen, even twenty fourteen, right like, and I didn't know understand any of that, and I had to go through mistakes that I made, even with team members, you know, I wasn't you know, I've done things that I've got to learn from and you know that and not bad mistakes, are just things that I got to learn and be like, Okay, that's not how you know, lead a team, and that's
not how you make decisions. And you know, part of these decisions we've made together allows them to go and foster you know, their role and create from that and it ties back to that thing. And yeah, it is cool. I mean that day was epic. I mean, yeah it was. It was super cool, even seeing because they were sharing every piece of contact back to the office and Slack
channel and yeah, it was. It was cool and it is inspiring what we created from teams that are you know, just starting their career to you know, guys are team members that have had ten plus years experience working together and collaborating it. It is special.
That's definitely a great word to describe it, like very collaborative. And yeah, it was awesome to say, well, let's chat about my collection, like dying, dying to talk about it.
So, guys, you would already know by now.
So we're officially launching the Rise Collection by Georgie Stephenson LSKAT on the eleventh of August. So, Jason, obviously I want to talk a little bit about you know, the name behind the collection and why I pitched you know, certain styles and colors and everything. But do you want to just like why meet?
To be honest, I mean we've been having this conversation for so long with the team and I mean this is you know, this is close to twelve months in the making of working on I think we started working on this collection around October last year. Yeah, I'm pretty
sure to start with. So, you know, it was something we didn't want to rush, you know, the way we wanted to present it to yourself and the way we presented it on the wire behind it and you know how inspiring you are as a female leader, and how we really wanted to create that And it wasn't just about fitness, it was tying sport and you know, functional sport and street together and who you are and yeah, and some of the pieces we've done as stuff we've
never made before, which was really cool because a reflection of like creating newness for the brand. And yeah, yeah, and then obviously with creating Rise, it was something we you know, we wanted you to take control of it and create something that was authentic to yourself. It's not just about what we wanted, so it had to have
that synergy. So yeah, from the first I remember the first zoom call I think back in October we had with the team in yourself to now and seeing how far it's come and it's i mean, it's a twenty five plus piece collection. It's so cool, big, it's very it's so fresh, and I'm glad we've made styles unisex so we can wear some of the product. So that's good.
Jason, we're talking about the shackets. Yeah, I love that they have a name.
I didn't know they were called shagets, but their unisex and they're one of my favorite things.
But guys, I'm so excited.
To bring you the Rise collection, Like the meaning behind Rise for me, because we've got a beautiful slogan on the T shirts called Determined to Rise, and so like my mantra has been for years, it's like no one is you and that is your power. And that's obviously, you know, behind me really deciding that I get to be uniquely me and you know, create a life that
I love, and that's what it's about. And so I love that quote, but I really wanted to bring newness to this collection because, like I said previously in the episode, it's like I feel such a transition with me and myself and like my next chapter and something that just really came to me is this almost like you know, no matter what, no matter the challenge, it's all about, like you've said this whole episode, is like taking everything as a lesson and you know, keep going forward and
challenges are there to really shape us and benefit us. It's it's not a negative. It's actually this really positive, beautiful thing. So it's like, no matter what happens, just like keep getting back up, keep moving forward. So that's where Determined to Rise has come from. And obviously we've got the beautiful you know sun symbol, which with you're wearing it right now.
Put everywhere.
Yes, I and so like the colors obviously just very georgy.
Yeah, it was great. I mean it's funny when you say that because we when we first presented the collection, you hadn't even given birth.
No transition, I was pregnant.
Yeah, yeah, because we got I remember we got on the cold almost a couple of weeks. It was like very close around that time. Yeah, and it was really cool because the way we shared it and then we spoke after, because I think you were two months post pregnancy when we started really diving into it. Yeah, so I really gave that synergy like to how we developed
the colors. Yeah, it was I mean I got to sit in the meetings with the product team and be a part of it and just to see how you worked on it and see your passion for colors, the fit the product of why I was. Yeah, it was inspiring to watch we talk about all the time in the office and to what we're about to bring out us so exciting.
Like I well, I'm really excited because it very much does encompass all my favorite you know, like LSKT styles that I've been wearing for years, you know, since twenty nineteen.
So a lot of the.
Fits and styles that I love from the brand, but also then obviously bringing my twist of the colors, and we've changed some fits and we've added some things like the shackets, so I'm the vest and the vest about the ves it's very much like.
And then we brought a mini me down in that as well, yes, I.
Know like and then Tim involved in the shoot with Ivy and it's just it's worked out.
Yeah, incredible. But I'm so I'm so proud of the collection because it is such.
Me in searched in their bits, such a collaboration with a team and you know what you guys stand for and what you bring to the table and everything.
Like that too.
Yeah. Yeah, And that's been the special thing about it. It's been very organic, like it hasn't been forced. No, that's been the really amazing thing about this collection. It's like we haven't yeah this, I mean, this is the first time we've done something like this and the way we wanted it to be really authentic and to see it come to life, yeah, it's been. It's weird. It's been going on like this is almost twelve months. Yeah, to see it coming to life now and a couple
of weeks out. Literally, it's yeah, it's cool.
I remember one of our first Zoom calls when we were chatting about it, and I remember you saying something. You're like, I don't know why we haven't done this sooner.
Yeah, and then I think you told me to shut up because I talked too much.
I was like, Jason, let tigg and talk.
Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure you did go to control. I get excited.
No, you're actually one of my favorite PI people to talk to because you can just carry the conversation and we'll start with something and will end somewhere completely different. But I was thinking the other day, I was like, I bet he distracts his employees so much.
Ah. Sometimes I don't go to meetings sometimes because I'm like, all right, guys, I'm I'm getting out of your way because they laugh.
But going back to the collection, so the fabric is very similar to the REP fabric, and this is a decision I made because I am obsessed with the Reptights have.
Like we said like four thousand, like five ceadies.
They're just the feel and everything is incredible, And not only are they are performance type, but they're so comfortable and for me personally obviously postpartum. They are a material that does support you and you know, hold everything, hold everything in, which is very important to me these days. So the fabric is a very beautiful, supportive It come up very.
Soft, yeah, our REP fabric, and then we've really developed the type into our new Fusion tips, which is which is kind of like from REP Flux Bace, all put together from feedback from the community, so it's using all
the hybrid yeah, using the REP fabric. So yeah, it's yeah, it's a really good and to be honest, it's the second Like we only released the Fusion next week from in our new collection next week, so it's only like a it's a new style that we've actually chose to release for your collection, which we're super excited about as well, because it's only really we spent about twelve we we're probably spent more than that. We probably spent about fifteen months on this fit. Yeah, so we're testing.
And well I remember, yeah, when we were testing it, and I love that there's like no front seam and the pockets on the side and just everything about it is you can tell there's just been so much time and love, you know, put into it.
Yeah, and that's and and it's cool hearing that because well you know that, you know, part of having a gym as well as the team can go train in product or athletes can come test it. And you know,
we won't release something unless it's right. Yes, We've got to get the fit right for the community, and feedback is so important to us to get that fit right for long term, you know, I think that's really important that you know, the Fusion is a name we won't have a legacy within our collection for a very long time. So yeah, yeah, it's the second style releasing.
Infusion, so exciting.
And then so obviously, guys, the colors. There's a beautiful peach pink, clearly.
Clearly we had to do that.
There's a beautiful Sage green. You know, I'm a green gal favorite color. And then also something that I have very much just been attracted to is like the Teddy Bear brown because I feel like, you know, I'm someone who does like to compliment the nudes and the pinks, which a black type can.
Sometimes just be a bit harsh.
Yes, so I very much wanted to have a dark option, but it's still be soft and complementary. To the lighter colors and the prints of set.
We did that in the bodysuit too.
Yes, I'm so excited for the bodies and then also the print, which is I'm just someone who I love to have a statement piece. Yes, so because you guys you do prints, but it's very.
Different to any prints that you guys have done.
Yes, this is really new for us with you.
Yeah, and because I know you guys aren't big on like the lighter colors.
How did you feel, you know, with that sort of style.
I think it was cool because I think being the Rise collection by yourself allowed us to push boundaries. I think that was the cool thing, like knowing that it was a collection and what you know, you want to do with your community and create product that was unique. It was it was epic. I think that was the cool thing about it. It was like, let's push boundaries here and make a lighter pattern. So yeah, like it's not
something we've normally done before. But knowing that it's your collection and you know it was really working with yourself on patterns and something that meant something to you and the community, I think was something that we were passionate about to make sure we brought to life.
And I've been testing that because a big thing about the print is we were worried about it being seen through just because.
It was so light.
But I've been testing it out, squatting all those sorts of things. I actually took a video this morning and the long tights i'll show you after us sick fit perfect, No, yeah, it's yeah.
So I'm really excited that we got.
To do that because I just I love a statement and having the nudes and the pinks and everything. And then one of my favorite pieces is obviously the slam jumper, which you guys would see me religiously wearing in other colors, but all the colors combined is.
Just yeah, it's cool. I die it's cool. And the shot of you girls that the shoot is so epic of like, yeah, slam.
Yeah, slam is just my favorite. So I just love it because you know, there's the slam is such a key, you know, style for you guys that obviously performs really well and everyone loves. So we've got the slam, but then also in the clestionion we've got stuff like the shackets, which you guys have never done before.
And the bodysuit fit we've never done before.
And also the band dou crops, which I'm so excited for, especially Bando crops in summer is just like a must because I do a lot of beach walks in the sun and tan lines.
Yeah, I mean, I don't get that. My wife knows.
Alie will get me.
But yeah, so I'm so excited, and I just want to say, like, thank you for trusting me to be involved and letting me not letting me, but just the process with you guys and the team so collaborative, and just yeah, being able to work with the team has been really incredible because, like you said, it's such a beautiful synergy of.
Like what I want or the team wants, what the community wants.
So yeah, it's been really it's been incredible, and I'm like so nervous but so excited.
I thank you. I mean and honestly like watching it come to life with the team and watching them work together and with yourself, it's been amazing. So no, thank you too, because you know we're that excited behind Like you'd obviously got to get to see it every day at the office, but we're so excited behind the scenes.
Yeah, and your team has been incredible, like they drive to me if you know, we've been testing and sampling and just like yeah, so on top of.
The show every week, just to make sure every fit in detail. She's such a legend.
Yeah, she's amazing.
No, it's going to be incredible and I'm so excited for our event and.
To also see the collection in your shop front.
Yes, I know. I've been envisioning this for a while, just.
All the colors together.
So guys, if you live Gold Coast or Brisbane, the Georgie Stephenson Rise collection will be in the LSKD shop front which you can come try on. So we are doing an event on the Saturday, the thirteenth, thirteenth of August where the whole collection will be in the shop and I'm also growing to be there for a couple of hours. So if you want to come and try the collection on, come say hi.
I would love that.
I would appreciate that and it would be incredible to you know, chat to you guys and tell you about the collection and everyone, and obviously you'll.
Get to meet all the LSKD team too, which will will be there.
Yeah there, which will be incredible. But I'm so excited anything you want to add.
To be honest, it just has been amazing to create this, and yeah, I can't wait till the event day as well, so you know, and obviously thank you. You know, it's been great. Yeah, so thank you. It's been incredible three years in the making.
I know.
I loved when we were doing the video on the shoot day when one of the questions was like, how long have you been working with LSKD, And I had to go back through my Instagram and everything, and I was like, holy crab.
Yeah, just it's been a journey, very very thankful.
Yeah, and we're pumped to have you a part of it. So thank you, thank you.
Well, guys, if you want to check out Jason, what's your personal instagram.
Jason Daniel Underscore Underscore. I couldn't get the normal one, so it had to be underscore on the scre I think that's fine.
That's fine.
Make sure you check out Jason obviously, make sure you check out min new range with LSKD. And I'm sure you all wear LSKD, But if you don't, make sure you know you get onto it because it's honestly, just the effort and the time, and the quality is just you can't beat it.
Thank you.
Jason's like sitting here just like.
No, You've been incredible and I'm surprised we've kept this under an hour.
You can do it. You can keep me accountable.
Thanks so much, Jason, Thank you, Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Rise and Conquer podcast. If you enjoyed it and want more, come connect with us on Instagram at Riseinconquer dot podcast and join our Facebook discussion group, a Rise and Concer podcast community. We're an independent podcast and we have a small team, so
we do appreciate your time and support. If you have a spare moment, a follow or subscribe on whatever platform you listen to would be so amazing, And look, if you're feeling extra kind, a review on Apple Podcasts would be great.