Over the past two weeks, via my friend Parrish, I received a couple of emails from The Old Girls’ Network, aka the OGN. Each time one dinged into my mailbox, I thought it was a notification from my obstetrician’s office. Happily, the OGN has nothing to do with my lady parts, rather it is a group of creative women organized by my new friend (and fellow Tufts grad), Amelia Dalgaard. Feeling isolated so often in my creative bubble, I thought I’d give the OGN a whirl.

This month, the women gathered for a talk given by Susan Feldman, co-founder of One King’s Lane. Other attendees included Parrish Chilcoat of Lucas Studio and Harbinger, Hillary Thomas of Hillary Thomas Designs, Alex Mason of Ferrick Mason, and Shannon Timms of Shannon Timms Art Advisory. These were my kind of people.

With a prior career in the apparel industry working for Ralph Lauren, Ms. Feldman spoke very candidly about her success in birthing One King’s Lane. A few things stood out for me during her talk:
1. At OKL, ideas and decisions are executed quickly. Not only was OKL (one of) the first to market, they have grown exponentially in a few short years. When they started they had approximately 5,000 members. Now membership has grown to over 3,000,000. Sales are now over $100,000,000.
2. Fail fast. Try something. If it doesn’t work or it doesn’t feel right, get rid of it and move on. How true – whether it’s boyfriends or business.
3. OKL is unwaveringly committed to their brand. Keeping the aesthetic through-line of your brand is a cornerstone of success. If something does not fit aesthetically within your vision of your brand, then it’s out. Maintaining consistency and knowing your customer are key.
4. Keep it simple. (Sure can’t add anything to that notion).
5. There is no difference between Susan and me, or you. Any one of us could achieve what she has (though she does require far less sleep than most – maxing out at about 5-6 hours a night). Sure, we can point to multiple things Susan and her partner have done “right,” (a great idea, financial flexibility, tirelessness) but when you listen to her speak, you realize that they just had a vision and saw it through. They didn’t make excuses, or buy into the roadblocks along the way. They ignored some pieces of advice and embraced others. Certainly, something this Old Girl needs to be reminded of now and again.