September 2, 2024 • 33 mins
Learn how to boss from the Kiwi Queen of Content! You’ve already ventured deep into Lisa’s tongue-and-cheek, relatable TikTok videos, but did you know that building her personal brand was a strategy to launch her business?
Lisa is the creator and founder of Harper James, a brand who is dedicated to pushing the boundaries in intimates. The most admirable part of her brand is making EVERYONE feel comfortable and supported.
Whether it is in business or content, Lisa has a relatable presence that we are all enticed by. Join Georgia and Lisa, in Episode 7, for a friendly chat about appealing to audiences, merging personal brands with your business and managing stock numbers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From ZM and iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's Board to Boss.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Real stories of how to navigate starting your own business
with me Georgia Patton. Welcome to today's episode of Bored
to Boss. I am sitting here today with Lisa Perici Cullen.
Some of you will definitely recognize that name from social media,
as she's I would say, one of New Zealand's biggest
(00:25):
TikTokers and Instagram content creators. I can see you smoking
over there. She has over five hundred and seventy one
thousand followers on TikTok and four hundred and forty thousand
followers on Instagram, which I think is pretty impressive. But
while she is doing this, she also has another achievement
of starting her own underwear brand, Half of James, which
is designed to push their boundaries. So welcome Lisa.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Thanks for having mell. That wasn't That wasn't intro. I
never take well to compliments.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I's gonna blow smoke up to it. How's your week been?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It's been good.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I actually totally forgot that we're on school holidays, so
my kids are downstairs having coffee with dead waiting while
I work.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Nice. Hey, you've got to do these things exactly. I'm
going to start you off with a scenario, as I
do with all of the guests. Okay, and this is
just to get our little overview of what you do.
So are you ready for the scenario? Go for it.
We're both on holiday, we don't know each other. M where.
I just swim up bar having a cocktail yep, and
I ask you, what do you do for work? How
are you going to pitch me?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Oh, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I always bear along the lines that I own a
brand with Harper James and that essentially we just made
really really comfortable underwear for woman. And then I always
kind of like the second bit to that is like,
obviously I'm a content creator, and so that's always like.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh do I weave that in Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
But actually, to be honest, if I'm talking to an
absolute stranger, I'm usually like, oh, I'm a business owner, yeah,
and I usually leave it at bit fair.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I feel like sometimes people can be a judgement too
about content creation. It's a bit of a yury space
and you don't know how people are going to react.
But I say, own it, yeah, co creator, Yeah, pretty
big deal.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I wish I had that confidence now. To be honest,
I think if I was at a cocktail bar, I
probably would.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Because Yeah, so once you said to me that the
plan was always to launch Harper James and building your
personal profile was all part of that strategy, which I
absolutely loved. Can you tell me more about that and
how your personal profile kind of took off unexpectedly?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah, well, I actually started planning Harper James probably like
a year before I even touched social media, because I
think obviously when you're building a brand, especially a product
from absolute scratch, you know, it's designing, it's sampling, it's fun.
So that took me about a good year. And then
when I came a bit closer to launch, I was
probably like maybe five months out, I was like, oh, okay,
(02:52):
I knew from a brand perspective, you have to be
on social media like you just you.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Have to.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
And a new tiktoksted I knew there were a lot
of people on there, and this must have been two
years ago. This was in twenty twenty two. Yeap, So
I posted like my first tektok in March twenty twenty two,
and it was basically just to figure out how to
use the platform, like I honestly did not know how
to use the buttons. I was very much when it
came to social media. I had an Instagram page where
(03:19):
I just like posted pictures of like my kids, my dog,
like nothing too over the top, and so yeah, I
jumped on TikTok and I did a couple of logs
because I just saw other people kind of doing blogs,
and it was just to get used to the app
and figure out the functions. But then I also just
really quite enjoyed it after a little while. And then yeah,
(03:41):
I think it took maybe four, maybe like two months.
I think I had hit like one hundred thousand.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Followers, which is wild, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
And like I just saw the numbers kind of rise.
But then I kind of also really fell into my
niche in terms of like how to create content. And
the year I think within like six months it was
like two hundred thousand. Another month later another hundred thousand,
and it just like went on from there.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And the content you create, for those who don't know,
it's kind of like everyday real what you deal with
at home, but you deal it with a sense of
humor that I don't think i've seen anyone else do
on TikTok. I actually remember the first time I found you.
My cousin sent me one of your tiktoks. Yeah, this
one were you chasing a chicken and I think you
said you were going to make it into a chicken NuGet.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I love the humor is my humor.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Because I think when I started again just jumping on content,
like I wasn't a makeup person, I wasn't a dancer,
Like I literally couldn't do anything else. So I was like,
I'll drive vlogging. And when I first started, I did
blog like everyone else's well, like hey, guys, come with me.
I think I was actually in Queenstown getting married and
that was quite interesting, like it was an interesting thing
(04:53):
to vlog about. And then people love weddings, people love Queenstown,
and then it was like back to every day, boring life.
And I think at that point, again, I didn't have
that many followers, so I really didn't have anything to
lose when it came.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
To the voiceovers.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, so I was honestly like, oh, no one's going
to see this, so I just started talking, like just
saying all the things that I was thinking at the time,
but also just having a laugh at like the everyday things,
and that really hit a niche.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It was the relatability of it all.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, I guess so, which because I think you see
a lot of loggers and they're like traveling and they're
like they're doing really really pretty stuff, extravagant things, and
then there's like me, who's just a mum who's just
cleaning the house, doing the kids and doing the everyday thing.
But then I kind of clicked that there is just
such an audience for that, Like people like escapism, people
(05:45):
like to watch blogs to escape. But then also there's
like ninety percent of the population that like to watch
stuff that is relatable. Yeah, and that's a that was
like a huge like ah moment.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, I think I mean, correct me if I'm wrong.
But after you started growing, I get a report right
with you on the news. I think you are like
all over the media for your fast growth.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, and that's pretty much what happened. Like I ended
up on seven sharp and then just had like news
outlets like reaching.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Out to me.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And it is insane because I was, honestly and still
like the majority of my life is just being a mum.
But I was just like a stay at home, mum.
I live in the country. I live in the middle
of nowhere with my dogs and my chickens and my family.
And then I just yeah, I had all these outlets
just like reaching out to me as if I was
some foreign object.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, who was this person who comes in?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And with that, you obviously grew this massive personal brand
than you are today. I want to know, how do
you select what brands to work with?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It was very hard, I think at first, because they
just came flying at you like left, right and center,
and like if I also take it from the perspective
where like I had started my business already, so you know, financially,
it was like you were having all these numbers throwing
it you and I was like wow, And obviously I
didn't have an income at the time. But I think,
(07:05):
and you know, you kind of you learn as you
go like anything else. But for me, my core is
always like if I'm already using the brand or I'm
already a fan of the brand, then it's used like
that's how I usually that's how I make my decision
because that's I can't create like an authentical content, so
(07:25):
it has to be authentic to my audience. Plus I'm
also bearing in mind, like I know my audience really
really well, and they know me really really well. So
if I suddenly introduce a product that they've never seen before,
they'll be the first to say, that's so fake, like
you've never used that before, we've never seen you. But
for me, yeah, as long as I stick with the
brands that I know use, they fall in my like
(07:48):
my niche of things too, Like you know, like I'm
not going to get a phone call from Gucci anytime soon,
you know what I mean, or Nikey running or anything
like so far out of my niche. So it's usually
just understanding my audience. I'm also incredibly like protective of
my audience as well, because I know, like there's a
lot of mums in there, a lot of young mums,
a lot of multi Pacific Islanders. So I'm not gonna
(08:11):
take like I guess brand dows that I know are
specifically targeted to those demographics in a detrimental way. So
that's always very important to remember.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, of course, And with that, can I just ask
a real chicky question of my own personal interest incouse
of his brand you've work.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
With honestly, I I like working with New World because
it just fits me so well, Like I shop at
New World. Some brands are really like they'll approach to
work with you, but they'll they'll almost tell you what
to say, what to do, how to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And if they do that with me, then I already
know like it's not going to work for my audience.
But then you get brands like New World's really good.
I've loved working with a few travel brands who are
just like they know my style, they know how I
do it, and they're just like, this your brief, do
whatever you.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Want perfect, that's that you want.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
That's what I want, so like, and that's how I know.
And again that's a brain that's like authentic to me
because I'm a mum. I'm always grocery shopping. I'm literally
the supermarket three times a week.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know. Yeah, definitely before we jump into the business,
I wanted to ask you one more thing. When you
come up with your voiceovers for your daily vlogs, you
just come up with what you're doing on the spot,
but some of it is so cheek and tongue and
it's so like smart and witty. Do you actually just
sit there and voice record and come up with things
on the spot or throughout the day. Do you write
it down? Like do you actually plan.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
This nine times out ten? I just come up with
it on the spot, Like I'll watch the vlog back
and I'll but then sometimes I know that I'm vlogging
for the day, I'll be doing something and then like
a thought will just pop into my head, so I'll
just quickly whip out my phone and I'll just write
it down in my notes app so that like I can.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Refer back to it later.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
But like all the thoughts are literally just thoughts that
I've just come to my head.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Genius.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
So with Harper James, what was the reason behind law
and choosing underwear as your product?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
So I think I'd probably had the idea in the
back of my pocket for like four years. So I
breastfeed both my kids, and I've always been like I've
always had double D boobs since I was like in
high school, and so like I've always just had like
bras have always been a thing in my life. And
(10:24):
so when I had my daughters and I breastfeed for
a very long time with my second daughter, it was
like pretty much going back into the corporate space, I
went back to like bras, and I hated them, and
I always hated them anyway. But and then after a
little while, like I literally trialed so many brands, like
overseas in New Zealand, and what I found was that
(10:46):
bras were either like if they were wireless for example,
they were either really pretty but they weren't supportive. They
were either supportive but they weren't comfortable, so like a
sports bra, or they were super comfortable but they were ugly.
They were just very nannerous. And I was like, you know,
I like pretty stuff. I still like really nice things.
(11:06):
Then I also kept in mind that I had daughters, right,
They've got my genetics, so you know that's going to
kick off. And then I have nieces who are also
in that realm where they're buying bras. And I told
my niece shopping and all she could fit were like
push up bras, and she didn't want push up bras.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
That was my issue. I remember going shopping and even
to this day, I can walk into a brash shop
and they won't have my size, yeah, because I'm too small.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah, but it's all different reasons why. But it's not
that like, even if you are small, like you still
want to feel comfortable, something.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
That can cater to every woman's body when it is
half of the world's market.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Exactly, it's it's nuts, yeah and sore.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So when I kind of just I guess, came across
all these different scenarios where I was like, oh man,
there's a real gap in the market for something like this,
that's when I was like, okay, I'll just I'll just
sketch something. To be honest, though, this is my fourth
attempt at business. Is it very little nugget?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I always knew I was going to end up in business.
That's so interesting. Yeah, this is like my fourth attempt. Okay,
came my biggest.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Him jump back to the start, and then we're going
to jump back to that. Okay, of course, Yeah, run
me through your other three attempts.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I wouldn't well, I would say maybe the first who
didn't really count, but they kind of did. Like when
I was in high school, I tried to start like
this website. It was going to be like a different
YouTube where because I really loved music and writing, and
so I kind of came up with like this blog
to blog about like new artists and stuff like that,
and that died off very quickly. And then when I
(12:48):
was like in my early twenties, I was like, oh,
I'll start a clothing brand with my friend ordered like
more like fifty T shirts, sold like three, so I
had forty seven T shirts literally sitting in a box
in my like, and their box actually came with us
every time we moved because I just did not have
the heart to I've failed at that in the family uniform.
(13:12):
And then my third attempt, that was our third one
that actually went quite well. My husband was a sneakerhead,
and so we started importing and selling these like sneaker
containers storage containers, and that actually went really well. That
actually probably was our first success. And the only reason
we closed that up is because we moved into the
middle of nowhere, Like we built her house and it
(13:33):
wasn't logistically possible, but it actually helped us kind of
get to where we are. So yeah, we closed that
up because we moved rural, lived in the middle of nowhere.
So that was fine. That was a really good learning chapter. Yeah,
happy we did it. But yeah, and then Harpy James
is my fourth attempts.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, Oh my gosh. So I think I've literally.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Been trying different things since I was like a teenager.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
I think I went the different way. Boored George was
my first, and then two years in I tried to
do a second one, yeah, with a friend, and we
got mirrors made, like big frameless mirrors, and I think
we lasted a year and then it kind of went
under because the cost of a mirror is so expensive
and we were transporting it in the back of my
Toyota Fielder and one little scratch on a mirror and
(14:20):
you're done. And so I kind of failed in my
second attempt. First attempt still running. But I don't think
I ever thought I wanted to start a business growing up.
That was never the goal. So it's cool to hear
that you always had that in the back of your mind.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I think I've always wanted to be in business, and like,
don't get me wrong, Like I actually worked in a
corporate job for ten years and that was that was great.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
That was great for that point, So corporate while you
were doing these other things, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
So I always kind of had like these side hustles
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
But Yeah, so we're going to jump back forward to
Harper James at the moment, because you're one of the
few clothing brands or even underwear brands that stocks from
extra small all the way up to for XL, which
is incredible. Why was that so important to you?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I just knew out the gate because I mean how
Harper James eventuated was based on all the women around me,
the different sizes, the different sizes, and like also it
maybe plays into a little bit of my background, Like
I'm Salmon Maori and so like the woman in my family,
they're not small. And like I said, I've had big
booths since I was in high school, and so where
do you think I got them?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
From?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
My mom my aunties? And so when I built the brand,
I basically just I just knew that it had to
be able to be on everyone around me. So it
had to be able to fit my best friend, fit me,
fit my niece's, fit my mom, fit my aunties.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
And that was it.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Like there's no negotiating that.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I love that. There's no negotiating that because there is
such a common response from bigger retailers when they get
asked this question and they say, oh, it's the bottom line,
it's too expensive. I can think of one company that
has just done a rebrand in Australia and they are
getting absolutely slammed for dropping their bigger sizes. And they're
one of the biggest clothing companies New Zealand and Australia
and their excuse is money. Yeah, So what do you
(16:04):
have to say to those bigger companies is say their
excuses money because you're doing it and there are brands
out there doing it. And you know what, it's the
smaller brands out there they're doing it, not the bigger guys.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
The audiences have changed, people have changed, and people are
demanding change. And so I think if you're starting a
business now, let's say you are going into clothing, I
think you were like you listen to what everyone wants.
Everyone wants inclusivity. So I think it would be like
so dumb if you started a clothing brand now and
(16:35):
you only did like smaller.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
And just because you're ordering from extra small to four excel,
it doesn't mean that you have to order the same
quantities and every single one like order less in the
size twenty. If it means you can still have it
on your website and just order more of the more common,
more bought that side.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
It's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yeah, so is that how you manage your stock.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's how we manage our stock.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
So we for the first maybe year we kind of
like did everything eat it, like everything even across the
board well, because we didn't know what was going.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
To sell, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And did you have emocus you have to hit?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, we had emcus we had to hit. Luckily we
found a really good supplier that obviously would that we
still have to this day. But then as time goes on,
we kind of, you know, we notice the trends, we
notice what size, what size sales less of. But then
it also comes down to how how are we marketing
the product? Because if I'm like, if I'm selling like
a whole bunch of like two three four excels and
(17:30):
I'm getting like extra small sitting on my shelves, it
means that I'm not marketing my extra small well enough,
you know understanding that as well. So your marketing plays
a big role in how many units you sell.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Your marketing is so good. I went on your website
the other day, and the diversity you have when you're
scrolling through your products is incredible. And to see people
who are my shape on there, which I don't think
I could scroll through any other clothing brand and see
somebody with a size fourteen sixteen bum and a size
six eight top. Yeah, honestly. And to have that differentiation
of body types, yeah, it's such a like, like, kudos
(18:03):
to you, it's amazing. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
It was one of those things where again because we
obviously want to be size inclusive, but also understanding the
niche that we're in. We're in underwearing brass and so it.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Must be hard to find models.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Actually, no, do you know how many women put their
hand up? So I'm never short of models. How do
you find them? Instagram callouts? Yeah, one hundred percent, or
I just pull in my free I've had my mom,
I've had my auntie and these are woman And actually
touching on that, that was a really interesting point because
I had on my mom and my auntie who are
(18:37):
almost sixty, they're like fifty. Campaign was so fun, it
was my favorite one, but that they actually represented a
whole generation of women who have never had their photos
taken before really really, and I found that so interesting.
So like they'd taken photos before, but never where they
were front and center, never where they were like the model,
(19:00):
and so it was.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
It was.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I think it was very quite confronting, especially for my
mom and Auntie seeing the photos come out.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Afterwards, they were very much like where is it.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Going to go?
Speaker 3 (19:09):
And like asking me all these questions.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
All over the internet. Very much.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Mom, I was like, that's what he signed up for.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I loved watching it. And you show the hole behind
the scenes of your photoshoots like I do, which is
one of the funnest parts I think of running a business.
Do you agree a photo shoot days?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I think it's so funny as well,
because again looking back on it, when we first started,
our first photo shoot was in my living room with
like a sheet is the background. I just got my
in laws.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
In the first year of business, I think, have you
done one year now or one and a half?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Almost two too?
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Maybe a month?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Shy of two?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Give me a summary of how you're feeling after the two. Oh,
that's a great summary.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
No, it's been really really good. I think like the
first year of business was just finding my feet, like
finding my processes. I think year two was definitely like growing,
and then year three will have a massive focus on scaling. Yeah,
what does scaling look like to you?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
So scaling looks like.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
To me getting into a warehouse because we've got so
much stock, Like I currently have our stock in my
mum's massive farm garage. And even that's kind of spelling
over the edges, getting like our processes in place, like
because I remember I was talking to you about bar coding,
which is such a boring part of business but like essential, right,
(20:32):
So just little things like that to implement bitter systems,
and then growth would kind of look like for me,
it's all about growing brand awareness. We're still like we're
still playing with the idea of getting stopped in stores.
Like at the moment, our online presence is.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Just so good, you know how I feel about this.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Like our online presence is just so good. And I
think we've been really fortunate that we've had a lot
of stores constantly like reach out, Like I do have
a list of stores that you know, should I ever
kind of go down the avenue say that people are
knocking on my door. But then again, I quite like
the direct to consumer model.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I think your model is brilliant when I look at
what you've got and what you've created in two years. Oh,
I don't know if I'm qualified to say that, but
I think, yeah, the way that you're going is the
way that you should. The margins are good, You've got
full creative control. That is the other aspect of it,
really really good returns policy in place, Yeah, smoothly. That's
the only thing when you have a fully online business.
(21:32):
I think.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah, because like it's such a personal item that women like.
It's almost like and it can be in a bit
of an investment for some people term as well. But again,
like I raally back my product. Like I remember when
I first launched, I was actually quite scared, like what
if people hate it? What if it's shit? What if
it's there? But like we're two years in now and
(21:54):
I can confidently say, like thousands of orders, hundreds of reviews,
emails from women that I've received like that, like they
just love it. It's kind of given me their confidence
to be like, Okay, I'm on the right track.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Both with them and my mom. I should say, not
your mom. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I always catch my mom in my stock room what
are you doing?
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Because it's kind of a rite of passage. I couldn't
even say how many pairs of sunglasses my mom has.
I know. So, Okay, what are your top tips for
building an online community, both for personal brand and for
half of James. We can start with one and then
move on to the other unless they both kind of intertwine.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
They both kind of intertwined, but like, I think the
core values like are exactly the same. So I know
everyone harps up about it, but authenticity is so important
creating content and creating an audience that is authentic to you,
because there's no point like jumping online and creating this
whole different persona, like you can't keep up with it
(22:56):
if you do that, and understanding your why like and
that's such a that's a huge part in creating an audience.
It's like, okay, why are you building an audience? Who
are you trying to appeal to? So, Like, for example,
whenever I'm sending treading content for Harper James, I like
bear in mind that I'm creating content that I want
(23:18):
to see, my best friend wants to see, like for
my mom and things like that. But I would definitely say, yeah,
authenticity number.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
One, number one.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Oh what else?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
What was the question again, how like, what are your
top tips on creating a community?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I spoke about this actually at a recent talk, because
when you're building like an online audience, it's also there's
this kind of a little bit of a science behind it,
like understanding like how social media.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Ticks, how it works.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So what you'll find does a lot of people want
to go to social media and they want to do
one of three things. They either want to be entertained.
They either want to be educated, or they either want
to fight. And I'm going to assume is like business owners,
we're going to take number three off the table. So
fighting is like when people try and start controversy and
they try and start drama. We all know those people.
(24:19):
And look, that kind of content is like it's a
little flash in the pan and gets you a little
bit of engagement, but like it's not long term longevity.
So it's the other two options that leaves us is
whether or not you're going to educate your audience or
you're going to entertain your audience. And that can work
both ways. Like I've done that on my personal brand
and and my business brand. So when I'm creating content,
(24:41):
I'm actually deciding am I entertaining my audience or am
I educating them? And going between the two is like
a really good recipe for success. Because some people like
to jump on social media and they just want to
have a laugh or they just want to see something funny.
But if from a brand perspective, if you actually want
to teach your audience something like whether it's like sunglasses
(25:01):
and you know how to clean them or something like that,
Like that's educational and it takes like twenty seconds to produce.
And the third thing audience is I would say consistency.
That is the most boring answer, and I'm so sorry,
but it's true. It's consistency.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
What's consistency? What does that look like for Halper James?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So for Harper James, I mean consistency doesn't mean you
have to like post every single day, but making sure
that you like show up for your audience as frequently
as you think is possible, like for my personal page,
for example. Vlogs can be quite hard to put together,
so so so much work, I know. So I went
through a phase where I was like doing vlogs every
(25:43):
single day because I was just really in the thick
of things. But then I was like this is really
hard to keep up with because everything else is falling
by the wayside. So for me, my personal page might
be like three times a week, four times a week.
For Harper James, I usually line up all my content,
but it usually might be five times a week. And
again just intertwining whether I'm educating, whether I'm entertaining behind
(26:08):
the scenes, and things like that, but just having that
consistency so that you're always fresh on people's minds as well.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
And are you still predominantly using organic social media and
marketing or I have put your foot into Paige, I have.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I've dipped my toad into paid done it in the
last I'm gonna say, four months.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Nice. Yeah, I think the last time we had a
big catch up, you were just starting to learn about it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
So for the most part, like all Harper Gens has
been organic.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Y that's incredible. By the way you done organic is incredible.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It was very interesting because again I gave a recent
talk at a business event and I spoke about this
about how when I actually started Harper James, I went
to launch right, you know, and I'm launching into an
audience I already had like three hundred and fifty thousand
followers at that point. So to me, I was like, yep,
I'm going to launch and everything's going to be great
and it's going to take off. And day one it did.
(27:06):
I got a decent amount of orders on day one,
day two, nothing, day three, nothing, day four, nothing. And
I very quickly learned that my personal audience isn't the
same as my Harper James. Yeah, so I actually built
so once I realized that, well, because it's such a
niche product, and because of my personal brand is very broad,
(27:28):
you know, it's very much like all over the world,
it's men and it's women. It's all a different ingrade,
whereas Harper James is underwear and it's so niche. So
once I very quickly realized that, I was like, okay,
I've got to build this whole separate audience that cater's
just to women, just to Australia and New Zealand because
that's where we our primary markets. And then yeah, that
(27:49):
took me about six months to kind of build up
to where that is now. And sometimes like there's a
little bit of a crossover, but there's actually not a lot.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Do you ever use your personal and repost on Harper
James to kind of merge the two and show yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah, because I think, like I am Harper James, like
I can't separate myself from my brand, and you don't
want to and I don't want to. And I think eventually,
like with my own personal brand, I want to be
able to kind of integrate like business more and more
onto my personal page because that is becoming who I exactly.
But yeah, it's actually not I do I do cross post.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah, yeah, So I always just did all my personal
posting on board George because originally that was my page.
But the big we got I started building my own
personal page, yea, And I find that I intertwine the two, yeah,
quite a lot. But I show more of the stuff
that I don't want my business or my customers to
see as much behind the scenes, and my personal page
(28:47):
is becoming more business y as I go along.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
So because I think from like again, it's such a
like you would know as well building creating sunglasses. It's
such a personal brand, like you pour everything into it.
So when you get an email that's like I hate
it your product shit, You're like, oh, like you take
it so personally and so to heart. And there were
so many nights light. Not that I got a lot
of emails like that, but I remember I did get
one scathing review. Luckily I fixed, but it made me cry.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I had one recently and I was fuming. I don't
know if I'm supposed to talk about this, but someone
came back to me and was like, you're sung off.
I have a normal sized head and your sunglasses are
too big for my head.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Yeah, And I.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Just say, right, yeah, what's a normal sized head? Yeah, Like, plus,
our sunglasses are multiple. It's an easy facts. I'll pay
for the shipping back, we'll mold them to your face.
Like it's fine. But I remember getting so worked up
about it, being like, what is a normal sized head?
I know are made to fit everyone's yet they may
need molding. Yeah, it's what you got to do, and
(29:48):
you just like I just remember Charlie being like, George can't.
It's not a big deal.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, but it's because you love your product so much
and you work so hard, like like you super love
your product, and so you and you design it with
everyone in mine and so you'll obviously you want everyone
else to love it too. But at the end of
the day, oh, someone sees something like peaches are like
the most delicious fruit in the world, but there's still
people that are not gonna like peaches or.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
They hate peaches. I absolutely butchered there by the way.
But it's true.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Like even when I make content online, like I make
content and some people literating message me and they're like
I hate your voice, yeah, and I'm like.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
You not for you? Then yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Yeah, but it is a little bit different. I think
when you have a business and you have a personal
product and you just like you pour your everything into it, and.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Did you know one that's cut me deep that you've
just completely reminded me of as we were over in
Australia two years ago at the trade shows selling our product,
and you've got your stand and you've got all these
shop owners walking past, and I had this one lady
walk past. She gave me the side look and then
she went ugh thea to sunglasses or like costume sunglasses,
(30:54):
and I just remember going.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Cut me, did you trip her?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Like? And then she just kept walking and I just
me and while I'm steering each other, going they're not
for her. Yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
You just have to say they're not for her, and
your product is not going to be for everyone, exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
It was a big learning and that was when I
knew i'd kind of taken the step of it's not
for everybody. If you think that the costume, sunglasses, that's cool,
that's your opinion. But for me, they're bougie, they're good looking,
they make you feel good. It might not do the
same for you. That's cool, go find someone else.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yeah, And that's why I say to people, it's so
important that you build your audience because I know a
lot of business owners are like really scared to get
on social media because they think, you know, content just
goes out to the messes, which to the for the
most part, it does. But then give it time, give
it consistency, give it authenticity. You'll actually start building your
own audience. And then you know, you can actually start
(31:46):
feeding just your audience. Yes, your content every so often
is going to go somewhere else. You know, even if
you've got a nasty comment in the street about your product,
that wouldn't stop you from doing what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
So are you proud of what you've achieved overall?
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I think I am. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
I think like the more the deeper I go into it, Like,
the more it becomes my life, the more I think
there's nothing else in the world.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I'd rather be doing.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Like and even on my hardest days or like when
I get shitty negative feedback, I still am like, Nope,
I'd still wake up every day and I'd still be
doing this, Like, I still choose to be doing this.
What I love about it is that I am in
full control of everything. And it's more so I'm working
for my time with my freedom, like and my lifestyle.
(32:33):
Like I love to be able to be able to
work mostly from home, not have someone telling me what
to do all the time, bearing in mind that my
family is a priority, and that's why I do it.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, that's the same as me. It's I mean, I
would love to say do it for the money, and
sometimes I could say, yeah, I've had a really good
month and reward myself. But most of the time, the
perks of the job is the freedom, the flexibility, the networking,
the people you meet, all the other perks that a
lot of people don't think of. Yeah, exactly, thanks for
popping in. This has been Thanks for having me so fun.
(33:06):
I have learned a lot and there's actually a lot
of me to take away from this chat and go
implement a home Yeah, so thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
As for usual, we talk for bloody ages.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Our usual coffees run over time by a couple of
hours anyway, so I've had to cut this one short yep,
So thanks, thank you, thanks for listening. Boor de Boss
is a z M podcast for iHeartRadio with me Georgia Patten.
This episode was produced by Pixi Copperrell, engineered by Meg
pud and Call It with production help from Sam Harvey.
(33:37):
If you liked it, hit subscribe to get notified whenever
we release a new episode. Listen every Tuesday on iHeartRadio
or wherever you get your podcasts and make your business
idea a reality
From ZM and iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's Board to Boss.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Real stories of how to navigate starting your own business
with me Georgia Patton. Welcome to today's episode of Bored
to Boss. I am sitting here today with Lisa Perici Cullen.
Some of you will definitely recognize that name from social media,
as she's I would say, one of New Zealand's biggest
(00:25):
TikTokers and Instagram content creators. I can see you smoking
over there. She has over five hundred and seventy one
thousand followers on TikTok and four hundred and forty thousand
followers on Instagram, which I think is pretty impressive. But
while she is doing this, she also has another achievement
of starting her own underwear brand, Half of James, which
is designed to push their boundaries. So welcome Lisa.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Thanks for having mell. That wasn't That wasn't intro. I
never take well to compliments.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I's gonna blow smoke up to it. How's your week been?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It's been good.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I actually totally forgot that we're on school holidays, so
my kids are downstairs having coffee with dead waiting while
I work.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Nice. Hey, you've got to do these things exactly. I'm
going to start you off with a scenario, as I
do with all of the guests. Okay, and this is
just to get our little overview of what you do.
So are you ready for the scenario? Go for it.
We're both on holiday, we don't know each other. M where.
I just swim up bar having a cocktail yep, and
I ask you, what do you do for work? How
are you going to pitch me?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Oh, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I always bear along the lines that I own a
brand with Harper James and that essentially we just made
really really comfortable underwear for woman. And then I always
kind of like the second bit to that is like,
obviously I'm a content creator, and so that's always like.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh do I weave that in Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
But actually, to be honest, if I'm talking to an
absolute stranger, I'm usually like, oh, I'm a business owner, yeah,
and I usually leave it at bit fair.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I feel like sometimes people can be a judgement too
about content creation. It's a bit of a yury space
and you don't know how people are going to react.
But I say, own it, yeah, co creator, Yeah, pretty
big deal.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I wish I had that confidence now. To be honest,
I think if I was at a cocktail bar, I
probably would.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Because Yeah, so once you said to me that the
plan was always to launch Harper James and building your
personal profile was all part of that strategy, which I
absolutely loved. Can you tell me more about that and
how your personal profile kind of took off unexpectedly?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah, well, I actually started planning Harper James probably like
a year before I even touched social media, because I
think obviously when you're building a brand, especially a product
from absolute scratch, you know, it's designing, it's sampling, it's fun.
So that took me about a good year. And then
when I came a bit closer to launch, I was
probably like maybe five months out, I was like, oh, okay,
(02:52):
I knew from a brand perspective, you have to be
on social media like you just you.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Have to.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
And a new tiktoksted I knew there were a lot
of people on there, and this must have been two
years ago. This was in twenty twenty two. Yeap, So
I posted like my first tektok in March twenty twenty two,
and it was basically just to figure out how to
use the platform, like I honestly did not know how
to use the buttons. I was very much when it
came to social media. I had an Instagram page where
(03:19):
I just like posted pictures of like my kids, my dog,
like nothing too over the top, and so yeah, I
jumped on TikTok and I did a couple of logs
because I just saw other people kind of doing blogs,
and it was just to get used to the app
and figure out the functions. But then I also just
really quite enjoyed it after a little while. And then yeah,
(03:41):
I think it took maybe four, maybe like two months.
I think I had hit like one hundred thousand.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Followers, which is wild, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
And like I just saw the numbers kind of rise.
But then I kind of also really fell into my
niche in terms of like how to create content. And
the year I think within like six months it was
like two hundred thousand. Another month later another hundred thousand,
and it just like went on from there.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And the content you create, for those who don't know,
it's kind of like everyday real what you deal with
at home, but you deal it with a sense of
humor that I don't think i've seen anyone else do
on TikTok. I actually remember the first time I found you.
My cousin sent me one of your tiktoks. Yeah, this
one were you chasing a chicken and I think you
said you were going to make it into a chicken NuGet.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I love the humor is my humor.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Because I think when I started again just jumping on content,
like I wasn't a makeup person, I wasn't a dancer,
Like I literally couldn't do anything else. So I was like,
I'll drive vlogging. And when I first started, I did
blog like everyone else's well, like hey, guys, come with me.
I think I was actually in Queenstown getting married and
that was quite interesting, like it was an interesting thing
(04:53):
to vlog about. And then people love weddings, people love Queenstown,
and then it was like back to every day, boring life.
And I think at that point, again, I didn't have
that many followers, so I really didn't have anything to
lose when it came.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
To the voiceovers.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, so I was honestly like, oh, no one's going
to see this, so I just started talking, like just
saying all the things that I was thinking at the time,
but also just having a laugh at like the everyday things,
and that really hit a niche.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It was the relatability of it all.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, I guess so, which because I think you see
a lot of loggers and they're like traveling and they're
like they're doing really really pretty stuff, extravagant things, and
then there's like me, who's just a mum who's just
cleaning the house, doing the kids and doing the everyday thing.
But then I kind of clicked that there is just
such an audience for that, Like people like escapism, people
(05:45):
like to watch blogs to escape. But then also there's
like ninety percent of the population that like to watch
stuff that is relatable. Yeah, and that's a that was
like a huge like ah moment.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, I think I mean, correct me if I'm wrong.
But after you started growing, I get a report right
with you on the news. I think you are like
all over the media for your fast growth.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, and that's pretty much what happened. Like I ended
up on seven sharp and then just had like news
outlets like reaching.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Out to me.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And it is insane because I was, honestly and still
like the majority of my life is just being a mum.
But I was just like a stay at home, mum.
I live in the country. I live in the middle
of nowhere with my dogs and my chickens and my family.
And then I just yeah, I had all these outlets
just like reaching out to me as if I was
some foreign object.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, who was this person who comes in?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And with that, you obviously grew this massive personal brand
than you are today. I want to know, how do
you select what brands to work with?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It was very hard, I think at first, because they
just came flying at you like left, right and center,
and like if I also take it from the perspective
where like I had started my business already, so you know, financially,
it was like you were having all these numbers throwing
it you and I was like wow, And obviously I
didn't have an income at the time. But I think,
(07:05):
and you know, you kind of you learn as you
go like anything else. But for me, my core is
always like if I'm already using the brand or I'm
already a fan of the brand, then it's used like
that's how I usually that's how I make my decision
because that's I can't create like an authentical content, so
(07:25):
it has to be authentic to my audience. Plus I'm
also bearing in mind, like I know my audience really
really well, and they know me really really well. So
if I suddenly introduce a product that they've never seen before,
they'll be the first to say, that's so fake, like
you've never used that before, we've never seen you. But
for me, yeah, as long as I stick with the
brands that I know use, they fall in my like
(07:48):
my niche of things too, Like you know, like I'm
not going to get a phone call from Gucci anytime soon,
you know what I mean, or Nikey running or anything
like so far out of my niche. So it's usually
just understanding my audience. I'm also incredibly like protective of
my audience as well, because I know, like there's a
lot of mums in there, a lot of young mums,
a lot of multi Pacific Islanders. So I'm not gonna
(08:11):
take like I guess brand dows that I know are
specifically targeted to those demographics in a detrimental way. So
that's always very important to remember.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, of course, And with that, can I just ask
a real chicky question of my own personal interest incouse
of his brand you've work.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
With honestly, I I like working with New World because
it just fits me so well, Like I shop at
New World. Some brands are really like they'll approach to
work with you, but they'll they'll almost tell you what
to say, what to do, how to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And if they do that with me, then I already
know like it's not going to work for my audience.
But then you get brands like New World's really good.
I've loved working with a few travel brands who are
just like they know my style, they know how I
do it, and they're just like, this your brief, do
whatever you.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Want perfect, that's that you want.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
That's what I want, so like, and that's how I know.
And again that's a brain that's like authentic to me
because I'm a mum. I'm always grocery shopping. I'm literally
the supermarket three times a week.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know. Yeah, definitely before we jump into the business,
I wanted to ask you one more thing. When you
come up with your voiceovers for your daily vlogs, you
just come up with what you're doing on the spot,
but some of it is so cheek and tongue and
it's so like smart and witty. Do you actually just
sit there and voice record and come up with things
on the spot or throughout the day. Do you write
it down? Like do you actually plan.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
This nine times out ten? I just come up with
it on the spot, Like I'll watch the vlog back
and I'll but then sometimes I know that I'm vlogging
for the day, I'll be doing something and then like
a thought will just pop into my head, so I'll
just quickly whip out my phone and I'll just write
it down in my notes app so that like I can.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Refer back to it later.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
But like all the thoughts are literally just thoughts that
I've just come to my head.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Genius.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
So with Harper James, what was the reason behind law
and choosing underwear as your product?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
So I think I'd probably had the idea in the
back of my pocket for like four years. So I
breastfeed both my kids, and I've always been like I've
always had double D boobs since I was like in
high school, and so like I've always just had like
bras have always been a thing in my life. And
(10:24):
so when I had my daughters and I breastfeed for
a very long time with my second daughter, it was
like pretty much going back into the corporate space, I
went back to like bras, and I hated them, and
I always hated them anyway. But and then after a
little while, like I literally trialed so many brands, like
overseas in New Zealand, and what I found was that
(10:46):
bras were either like if they were wireless for example,
they were either really pretty but they weren't supportive. They
were either supportive but they weren't comfortable, so like a
sports bra, or they were super comfortable but they were ugly.
They were just very nannerous. And I was like, you know,
I like pretty stuff. I still like really nice things.
(11:06):
Then I also kept in mind that I had daughters, right,
They've got my genetics, so you know that's going to
kick off. And then I have nieces who are also
in that realm where they're buying bras. And I told
my niece shopping and all she could fit were like
push up bras, and she didn't want push up bras.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
That was my issue. I remember going shopping and even
to this day, I can walk into a brash shop
and they won't have my size, yeah, because I'm too small.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah, but it's all different reasons why. But it's not
that like, even if you are small, like you still
want to feel comfortable, something.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
That can cater to every woman's body when it is
half of the world's market.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Exactly, it's it's nuts, yeah and sore.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So when I kind of just I guess, came across
all these different scenarios where I was like, oh man,
there's a real gap in the market for something like this,
that's when I was like, okay, I'll just I'll just
sketch something. To be honest, though, this is my fourth
attempt at business. Is it very little nugget?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I always knew I was going to end up in business.
That's so interesting. Yeah, this is like my fourth attempt. Okay,
came my biggest.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Him jump back to the start, and then we're going
to jump back to that. Okay, of course, Yeah, run
me through your other three attempts.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I wouldn't well, I would say maybe the first who
didn't really count, but they kind of did. Like when
I was in high school, I tried to start like
this website. It was going to be like a different
YouTube where because I really loved music and writing, and
so I kind of came up with like this blog
to blog about like new artists and stuff like that,
and that died off very quickly. And then when I
(12:48):
was like in my early twenties, I was like, oh,
I'll start a clothing brand with my friend ordered like
more like fifty T shirts, sold like three, so I
had forty seven T shirts literally sitting in a box
in my like, and their box actually came with us
every time we moved because I just did not have
the heart to I've failed at that in the family uniform.
(13:12):
And then my third attempt, that was our third one
that actually went quite well. My husband was a sneakerhead,
and so we started importing and selling these like sneaker
containers storage containers, and that actually went really well. That
actually probably was our first success. And the only reason
we closed that up is because we moved into the
middle of nowhere, Like we built her house and it
(13:33):
wasn't logistically possible, but it actually helped us kind of
get to where we are. So yeah, we closed that
up because we moved rural, lived in the middle of nowhere.
So that was fine. That was a really good learning chapter. Yeah,
happy we did it. But yeah, and then Harpy James
is my fourth attempts.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, Oh my gosh. So I think I've literally.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Been trying different things since I was like a teenager.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
I think I went the different way. Boored George was
my first, and then two years in I tried to
do a second one, yeah, with a friend, and we
got mirrors made, like big frameless mirrors, and I think
we lasted a year and then it kind of went
under because the cost of a mirror is so expensive
and we were transporting it in the back of my
Toyota Fielder and one little scratch on a mirror and
(14:20):
you're done. And so I kind of failed in my
second attempt. First attempt still running. But I don't think
I ever thought I wanted to start a business growing up.
That was never the goal. So it's cool to hear
that you always had that in the back of your mind.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I think I've always wanted to be in business, and like,
don't get me wrong, Like I actually worked in a
corporate job for ten years and that was that was great.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
That was great for that point, So corporate while you
were doing these other things, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
So I always kind of had like these side hustles
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
But Yeah, so we're going to jump back forward to
Harper James at the moment, because you're one of the
few clothing brands or even underwear brands that stocks from
extra small all the way up to for XL, which
is incredible. Why was that so important to you?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I just knew out the gate because I mean how
Harper James eventuated was based on all the women around me,
the different sizes, the different sizes, and like also it
maybe plays into a little bit of my background, Like
I'm Salmon Maori and so like the woman in my family,
they're not small. And like I said, I've had big
booths since I was in high school, and so where
do you think I got them?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
From?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
My mom my aunties? And so when I built the brand,
I basically just I just knew that it had to
be able to be on everyone around me. So it
had to be able to fit my best friend, fit me,
fit my niece's, fit my mom, fit my aunties.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
And that was it.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Like there's no negotiating that.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I love that. There's no negotiating that because there is
such a common response from bigger retailers when they get
asked this question and they say, oh, it's the bottom line,
it's too expensive. I can think of one company that
has just done a rebrand in Australia and they are
getting absolutely slammed for dropping their bigger sizes. And they're
one of the biggest clothing companies New Zealand and Australia
and their excuse is money. Yeah, So what do you
(16:04):
have to say to those bigger companies is say their
excuses money because you're doing it and there are brands
out there doing it. And you know what, it's the
smaller brands out there they're doing it, not the bigger guys.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
The audiences have changed, people have changed, and people are
demanding change. And so I think if you're starting a
business now, let's say you are going into clothing, I
think you were like you listen to what everyone wants.
Everyone wants inclusivity. So I think it would be like
so dumb if you started a clothing brand now and
(16:35):
you only did like smaller.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
And just because you're ordering from extra small to four excel,
it doesn't mean that you have to order the same
quantities and every single one like order less in the
size twenty. If it means you can still have it
on your website and just order more of the more common,
more bought that side.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
It's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yeah, so is that how you manage your stock.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's how we manage our stock.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
So we for the first maybe year we kind of
like did everything eat it, like everything even across the
board well, because we didn't know what was going.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
To sell, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
And did you have emocus you have to hit?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, we had emcus we had to hit. Luckily we
found a really good supplier that obviously would that we
still have to this day. But then as time goes on,
we kind of, you know, we notice the trends, we
notice what size, what size sales less of. But then
it also comes down to how how are we marketing
the product? Because if I'm like, if I'm selling like
a whole bunch of like two three four excels and
(17:30):
I'm getting like extra small sitting on my shelves, it
means that I'm not marketing my extra small well enough,
you know understanding that as well. So your marketing plays
a big role in how many units you sell.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Your marketing is so good. I went on your website
the other day, and the diversity you have when you're
scrolling through your products is incredible. And to see people
who are my shape on there, which I don't think
I could scroll through any other clothing brand and see
somebody with a size fourteen sixteen bum and a size
six eight top. Yeah, honestly. And to have that differentiation
of body types, yeah, it's such a like, like, kudos
(18:03):
to you, it's amazing. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
It was one of those things where again because we
obviously want to be size inclusive, but also understanding the
niche that we're in. We're in underwearing brass and so it.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Must be hard to find models.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Actually, no, do you know how many women put their
hand up? So I'm never short of models. How do
you find them? Instagram callouts? Yeah, one hundred percent, or
I just pull in my free I've had my mom,
I've had my auntie and these are woman And actually
touching on that, that was a really interesting point because
I had on my mom and my auntie who are
(18:37):
almost sixty, they're like fifty. Campaign was so fun, it
was my favorite one, but that they actually represented a
whole generation of women who have never had their photos
taken before really really, and I found that so interesting.
So like they'd taken photos before, but never where they
were front and center, never where they were like the model,
(19:00):
and so it was.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
It was.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I think it was very quite confronting, especially for my
mom and Auntie seeing the photos come out.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Afterwards, they were very much like where is it.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Going to go?
Speaker 3 (19:09):
And like asking me all these questions.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
All over the internet. Very much.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Mom, I was like, that's what he signed up for.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I loved watching it. And you show the hole behind
the scenes of your photoshoots like I do, which is
one of the funnest parts I think of running a business.
Do you agree a photo shoot days?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And I think it's so funny as well,
because again looking back on it, when we first started,
our first photo shoot was in my living room with
like a sheet is the background. I just got my
in laws.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
In the first year of business, I think, have you
done one year now or one and a half?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Almost two too?
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Maybe a month?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Shy of two?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Give me a summary of how you're feeling after the two. Oh,
that's a great summary.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
No, it's been really really good. I think like the
first year of business was just finding my feet, like
finding my processes. I think year two was definitely like growing,
and then year three will have a massive focus on scaling. Yeah,
what does scaling look like to you?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
So scaling looks like.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
To me getting into a warehouse because we've got so
much stock, Like I currently have our stock in my
mum's massive farm garage. And even that's kind of spelling
over the edges, getting like our processes in place, like
because I remember I was talking to you about bar coding,
which is such a boring part of business but like essential, right,
(20:32):
So just little things like that to implement bitter systems,
and then growth would kind of look like for me,
it's all about growing brand awareness. We're still like we're
still playing with the idea of getting stopped in stores.
Like at the moment, our online presence is.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Just so good, you know how I feel about this.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Like our online presence is just so good. And I
think we've been really fortunate that we've had a lot
of stores constantly like reach out, Like I do have
a list of stores that you know, should I ever
kind of go down the avenue say that people are
knocking on my door. But then again, I quite like
the direct to consumer model.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I think your model is brilliant when I look at
what you've got and what you've created in two years. Oh,
I don't know if I'm qualified to say that, but
I think, yeah, the way that you're going is the
way that you should. The margins are good, You've got
full creative control. That is the other aspect of it,
really really good returns policy in place, Yeah, smoothly. That's
the only thing when you have a fully online business.
(21:32):
I think.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah, because like it's such a personal item that women like.
It's almost like and it can be in a bit
of an investment for some people term as well. But again,
like I raally back my product. Like I remember when
I first launched, I was actually quite scared, like what
if people hate it? What if it's shit? What if
it's there? But like we're two years in now and
(21:54):
I can confidently say, like thousands of orders, hundreds of reviews,
emails from women that I've received like that, like they
just love it. It's kind of given me their confidence
to be like, Okay, I'm on the right track.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Both with them and my mom. I should say, not
your mom. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I always catch my mom in my stock room what
are you doing?
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Because it's kind of a rite of passage. I couldn't
even say how many pairs of sunglasses my mom has.
I know. So, Okay, what are your top tips for
building an online community, both for personal brand and for
half of James. We can start with one and then
move on to the other unless they both kind of intertwine.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
They both kind of intertwined, but like, I think the
core values like are exactly the same. So I know
everyone harps up about it, but authenticity is so important
creating content and creating an audience that is authentic to you,
because there's no point like jumping online and creating this
whole different persona, like you can't keep up with it
(22:56):
if you do that, and understanding your why like and
that's such a that's a huge part in creating an audience.
It's like, okay, why are you building an audience? Who
are you trying to appeal to? So, Like, for example,
whenever I'm sending treading content for Harper James, I like
bear in mind that I'm creating content that I want
(23:18):
to see, my best friend wants to see, like for
my mom and things like that. But I would definitely say, yeah,
authenticity number.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
One, number one.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Oh what else?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
What was the question again, how like, what are your
top tips on creating a community?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I spoke about this actually at a recent talk, because
when you're building like an online audience, it's also there's
this kind of a little bit of a science behind it,
like understanding like how social media.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Ticks, how it works.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So what you'll find does a lot of people want
to go to social media and they want to do
one of three things. They either want to be entertained.
They either want to be educated, or they either want
to fight. And I'm going to assume is like business owners,
we're going to take number three off the table. So
fighting is like when people try and start controversy and
they try and start drama. We all know those people.
(24:19):
And look, that kind of content is like it's a
little flash in the pan and gets you a little
bit of engagement, but like it's not long term longevity.
So it's the other two options that leaves us is
whether or not you're going to educate your audience or
you're going to entertain your audience. And that can work
both ways. Like I've done that on my personal brand
and and my business brand. So when I'm creating content,
(24:41):
I'm actually deciding am I entertaining my audience or am
I educating them? And going between the two is like
a really good recipe for success. Because some people like
to jump on social media and they just want to
have a laugh or they just want to see something funny.
But if from a brand perspective, if you actually want
to teach your audience something like whether it's like sunglasses
(25:01):
and you know how to clean them or something like that,
Like that's educational and it takes like twenty seconds to produce.
And the third thing audience is I would say consistency.
That is the most boring answer, and I'm so sorry,
but it's true. It's consistency.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
What's consistency? What does that look like for Halper James?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So for Harper James, I mean consistency doesn't mean you
have to like post every single day, but making sure
that you like show up for your audience as frequently
as you think is possible, like for my personal page,
for example. Vlogs can be quite hard to put together,
so so so much work, I know. So I went
through a phase where I was like doing vlogs every
(25:43):
single day because I was just really in the thick
of things. But then I was like this is really
hard to keep up with because everything else is falling
by the wayside. So for me, my personal page might
be like three times a week, four times a week.
For Harper James, I usually line up all my content,
but it usually might be five times a week. And
again just intertwining whether I'm educating, whether I'm entertaining behind
(26:08):
the scenes, and things like that, but just having that
consistency so that you're always fresh on people's minds as well.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
And are you still predominantly using organic social media and
marketing or I have put your foot into Paige, I have.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I've dipped my toad into paid done it in the
last I'm gonna say, four months.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Nice. Yeah, I think the last time we had a
big catch up, you were just starting to learn about it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
So for the most part, like all Harper Gens has
been organic.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Y that's incredible. By the way you done organic is incredible.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It was very interesting because again I gave a recent
talk at a business event and I spoke about this
about how when I actually started Harper James, I went
to launch right, you know, and I'm launching into an
audience I already had like three hundred and fifty thousand
followers at that point. So to me, I was like, yep,
I'm going to launch and everything's going to be great
and it's going to take off. And day one it did.
(27:06):
I got a decent amount of orders on day one,
day two, nothing, day three, nothing, day four, nothing. And
I very quickly learned that my personal audience isn't the
same as my Harper James. Yeah, so I actually built
so once I realized that, well, because it's such a
niche product, and because of my personal brand is very broad,
(27:28):
you know, it's very much like all over the world,
it's men and it's women. It's all a different ingrade,
whereas Harper James is underwear and it's so niche. So
once I very quickly realized that, I was like, okay,
I've got to build this whole separate audience that cater's
just to women, just to Australia and New Zealand because
that's where we our primary markets. And then yeah, that
(27:49):
took me about six months to kind of build up
to where that is now. And sometimes like there's a
little bit of a crossover, but there's actually not a lot.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Do you ever use your personal and repost on Harper
James to kind of merge the two and show yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Yeah, because I think, like I am Harper James, like
I can't separate myself from my brand, and you don't
want to and I don't want to. And I think eventually,
like with my own personal brand, I want to be
able to kind of integrate like business more and more
onto my personal page because that is becoming who I exactly.
But yeah, it's actually not I do I do cross post.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah, yeah, So I always just did all my personal
posting on board George because originally that was my page.
But the big we got I started building my own
personal page, yea, And I find that I intertwine the two, yeah,
quite a lot. But I show more of the stuff
that I don't want my business or my customers to
see as much behind the scenes, and my personal page
(28:47):
is becoming more business y as I go along.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
So because I think from like again, it's such a
like you would know as well building creating sunglasses. It's
such a personal brand, like you pour everything into it.
So when you get an email that's like I hate
it your product shit, You're like, oh, like you take
it so personally and so to heart. And there were
so many nights light. Not that I got a lot
of emails like that, but I remember I did get
one scathing review. Luckily I fixed, but it made me cry.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I had one recently and I was fuming. I don't
know if I'm supposed to talk about this, but someone
came back to me and was like, you're sung off.
I have a normal sized head and your sunglasses are
too big for my head.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Yeah, And I.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Just say, right, yeah, what's a normal sized head? Yeah, Like, plus,
our sunglasses are multiple. It's an easy facts. I'll pay
for the shipping back, we'll mold them to your face.
Like it's fine. But I remember getting so worked up
about it, being like, what is a normal sized head?
I know are made to fit everyone's yet they may
need molding. Yeah, it's what you got to do, and
(29:48):
you just like I just remember Charlie being like, George can't.
It's not a big deal.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, but it's because you love your product so much
and you work so hard, like like you super love
your product, and so you and you design it with
everyone in mine and so you'll obviously you want everyone
else to love it too. But at the end of
the day, oh, someone sees something like peaches are like
the most delicious fruit in the world, but there's still
people that are not gonna like peaches or.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
They hate peaches. I absolutely butchered there by the way.
But it's true.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Like even when I make content online, like I make
content and some people literating message me and they're like
I hate your voice, yeah, and I'm like.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
You not for you? Then yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Yeah, but it is a little bit different. I think
when you have a business and you have a personal
product and you just like you pour your everything into it, and.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Did you know one that's cut me deep that you've
just completely reminded me of as we were over in
Australia two years ago at the trade shows selling our product,
and you've got your stand and you've got all these
shop owners walking past, and I had this one lady
walk past. She gave me the side look and then
she went ugh thea to sunglasses or like costume sunglasses,
(30:54):
and I just remember going.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Cut me, did you trip her?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Like? And then she just kept walking and I just
me and while I'm steering each other, going they're not
for her. Yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
You just have to say they're not for her, and
your product is not going to be for everyone, exactly.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
It was a big learning and that was when I
knew i'd kind of taken the step of it's not
for everybody. If you think that the costume, sunglasses, that's cool,
that's your opinion. But for me, they're bougie, they're good looking,
they make you feel good. It might not do the
same for you. That's cool, go find someone else.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yeah, And that's why I say to people, it's so
important that you build your audience because I know a
lot of business owners are like really scared to get
on social media because they think, you know, content just
goes out to the messes, which to the for the
most part, it does. But then give it time, give
it consistency, give it authenticity. You'll actually start building your
own audience. And then you know, you can actually start
(31:46):
feeding just your audience. Yes, your content every so often
is going to go somewhere else. You know, even if
you've got a nasty comment in the street about your product,
that wouldn't stop you from doing what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
So are you proud of what you've achieved overall?
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I think I am. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
I think like the more the deeper I go into it, Like,
the more it becomes my life, the more I think
there's nothing else in the world.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I'd rather be doing.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Like and even on my hardest days or like when
I get shitty negative feedback, I still am like, Nope,
I'd still wake up every day and I'd still be
doing this, Like, I still choose to be doing this.
What I love about it is that I am in
full control of everything. And it's more so I'm working
for my time with my freedom, like and my lifestyle.
(32:33):
Like I love to be able to be able to
work mostly from home, not have someone telling me what
to do all the time, bearing in mind that my
family is a priority, and that's why I do it.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, that's the same as me. It's I mean, I
would love to say do it for the money, and
sometimes I could say, yeah, I've had a really good
month and reward myself. But most of the time, the
perks of the job is the freedom, the flexibility, the networking,
the people you meet, all the other perks that a
lot of people don't think of. Yeah, exactly, thanks for
popping in. This has been Thanks for having me so fun.
(33:06):
I have learned a lot and there's actually a lot
of me to take away from this chat and go
implement a home Yeah, so thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
As for usual, we talk for bloody ages.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Our usual coffees run over time by a couple of
hours anyway, so I've had to cut this one short yep,
So thanks, thank you, thanks for listening. Boor de Boss
is a z M podcast for iHeartRadio with me Georgia Patten.
This episode was produced by Pixi Copperrell, engineered by Meg
pud and Call It with production help from Sam Harvey.
(33:37):
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