PART TWO

We've got friends in high places. Jane Lu, CEO of Showpo, shares some of her essentials and a few insights #goalsaf. She even admits to getting trapped in YouTube holes: CEOs – they’re just like us!

This convo had so much gold in it, we broke it into two parts. Click here to learn about Jane’s journey from fast food service to retail big cheese.

Jane needs…

• My phone: I’m glued to it and my job depends on it. It’s both how I start and end my day (I know, it’s terrible!). But this helps me keep up with the always-connected online space and ensures I can capture random moments for the startup community through @thelazyCEO.

• Coffee: For fuel! Either over a meeting or on my way into the office (sometimes both!).

• Music (and headphones): For when I need to get in the zone. We have Music Hour at the end of the day in the Showpo office – it gets the vibe happening and keeps us motivated.

Cheese, please

I’m more of a savoury girl. I always opt for cheese over chocolate!

App time

I’d break down my app usage as: 30% on Insta, 30% on Facebook, and 40% YouTube. I spend so much time on YouTube. In the morning, I put on a TED talk as I’m applying makeup; before going to bed, I watch Family Guy. And so much of my weekend is spent down YouTube holes.

Sweet streams

Watching TV is my fave activity! I love Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix and Who Is America? and Younger on Stan. My fave docos are Cosmos and Hitler’s Circle of Evil.

Just Lu it

If an intern asked me the secret to success, I’d say: You just need to start. People always talk about risk. I think you need to think about the opportunity cost of not taking that ‘risk’. That’s a risk in itself: you’re risking hating your career and always thinking about what could’ve been.

#tb to my big break

My first big break came one year after I started Showpo. We had the online store and one bricks-and-mortar store at the time. Both were going OK, but nothing that suggested to me I’d made the right decision to quit my job to start my own business. I got a last minute opportunity to open a pop-up stall on the bottom level of the Sydney CBD Westfield. It was only three racks of clothes, but it was a cash cow. We were raking in $10K a week and the costs were minimal. More than anything, it finally gave me the validation and confirmation that I was onto something that could potentially be great!

Thanks fam :’)

Once I’d ‘made it’, I paid off my parents' mortgage. They sacrificed so much for me when we immigrated to Australia and I was so proud to be able to give this to them.

What’s next?

We’re currently growing Showpo through product diversity and geographical expansion. We want to be the best-in-industry for customer service, technology, and workplace happiness.

Our goal is to be her go-to place to shop – for all sizes and for all occasions.

And ultimately, I want to make sure Showpo is a workplace I look forward to coming into every day.

Want to hear more? Check out part one.