Elle Australia — May 2017

ELLE.COM.AU / @ELLEAUS 123

tiny moment, but at the same time... I don’t think
it’s just working mums who struggle with time
management, I think it’s anyone who has a personal
•’ŽŠ—’œ›¢’—˜ęž›Ž˜ž‘˜ –žŒ‘˜¢˜ž›œŽ•
¢˜ž  Š— ˜ ’ŸŽ ˜ ˜‘Ž› ™Ž˜™•Žǰȱ‘˜ ȱ–žŒ‘ȱ¢˜ž
need for your own sanity.
JUSTINE: AT THE HONEST COMPANY, YOU EMPLOY
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO
THEMORESOLOJOBOFACTING?
JESSICA:˜ž ”—˜ ǰ Ž—Ž›Š’—–Ž— ’œ ’—Œ›Ž’‹•¢
Œ˜••Š‹˜›Š’ŸŽǯ‘Ž›ŽȂœŠ•˜˜™›Ž™Š›Š’˜—‘Š˜Žœ
’—˜¢˜ž› ˜›”‹Ž˜›Ž¢˜žŽ—ž™ę•–’—Š—¢‘’—ǰ
and all the preparation is to set yourself up so you
ŒŠ— Š”Ž ›’œ”œ Š— ‹Ž ŽŠ›•Žœœǰ ›¢ ‘’—œ ˜žǰ ‘ŠŸŽ
ž—Š—ǰ’ŽŠ••¢ǰ—˜‹Žœ’슗—˜‘ŠŸŽŠ Š›Ž—Žœœ
˜ŸŽ›‘Ž™Ž›˜›–Š—ŒŽ‹ž“žœ‹ŽŒ˜–™•ŽŽ•¢™›ŽœŽ—
Š— ’— ‘Ž –˜–Ž—ǯ ‘ŠȂœ Š ˜Š••¢ ’쎛Ž—
Œ›ŽŠ’ŸŽœ’Ž˜–¢œŽ•ǯž——’—Š‹žœ’—Žœœ’œŸŽ›¢
’쎛Ž— ‹ŽŒŠžœŽ ’Ȃœ Š‹˜žǰ –˜›Ž ‘Š— Š—¢‘’—ǰ
the people – who your employees are and their
ŒŠ›ŽŽ› ›Š“ŽŒ˜›’Žœ Š— ‘Ž’› ‘˜™Žœ Š— ›ŽŠ–œǰ
keeping them happy and motivated, and being able
to lead them in a thoughtful way so they have
a North Star to look to but also have their feet on
the ground to get the day-to-day done. It’s been
œžŒ‘ Š •Žœœ˜— ˜› –Ž ‹ŽŒŠžœŽ —˜›–Š••¢ “ž–™ ›˜– ˜—Ž Ž—Ÿ’›˜—–Ž— ˜ ‘Ž —Ž¡
Šœ Š— ŠŒ›Žœœǰ ‹ž ‘Ž›Žǰ ¢˜ž ”—˜ ǰȱȂ–ȱ ’‘ȱ‘ŽȱœŠ–Žȱ™Ž˜™•ŽȱŽŸŽ›¢ȱŠ¢ȱ˜› ꟎ȱ
years, a lot of the same people.
JUSTINE:DIDYOUFEELCOMFORTABLESTEPPINGINTOALEADERSHIPROLE?
JESSICA:Ȃœ Š”Ž— ’–Ž ˜› –Ž ˜ ꐞ›Ž ˜ž ‘Ž ¢™Ž ˜ •ŽŠŽ› Š–ǰ Š— ŽŸŽ— ‹Ž’—
Œ˜–˜›Š‹•Ž  ’‘ ‘Š —˜’˜— ˜ ‹Ž’— Š •ŽŠŽ›ǰ Š— ˜ —’— –¢ ™˜ Ž› Šœ Š  ˜–Š—
Š—ŠœŠ•ŽŠŽ›ǯȂœŽę—’Ž•¢œ˜–Ž‘’—‘Š˜•ŽŠ›—ǯ Šœ—ȂŒ˜–˜›Š‹•Ž ’‘’
˜› Š Ž  ¢ŽŠ›œǰ Š— ŽŽ• •’”Ž •Šœ ¢ŽŠ›  Šœ Š ‹’ •Žœœ˜— ˜› –Ž ’— Ž–‹›ŠŒ’— ’ Š—
˜ —’— ’ ’— Š ’쎛Ž—  Š¢ ‹¢ “žœ œ™Ž—’— ’–Ž  ’‘ –¢ ›’Ž—œ  ‘˜ ‘ŠŸŽ Š••
œŠ›ŽȱŒ˜–™Š—’ŽœȱŠ—ȱŠ›ŽȱŽ—›Ž™›Ž—Žž›œǰȱŠ—ȱŠ•œ˜ȱ‹Ž’—ȱŠ‹•Žȱ˜ȱ’—Ž›ŠŒȱ ’‘ȱ ˜–Ž—ȱ

like Sheryl Sandberg and Mary Dillon [CEO of Ulta Beauty,

one of the fastest-growing retailers in the US]. Spending

time with those types of women made me feel like I deserved

to have a seat at the table.

JUSTINE: WHAT ELSE HAS HELPED YOU DEVELOP THAT SENSE OF

WORTHASAWOMANINBUSINESS?

JESSICA:žœ‹Ž’—Œ˜–˜›Š‹•Ž’—–¢˜ —œ”’—ǰŠ—”—˜ ’—

’ Šœ–Ž™žĴ’—’—‘Ž‘˜ž›œǰ‘Ž‘Š› ˜›”ǰ•ŽŠ›—’—Š‹˜ž

 ‘Š ’ Š— ’—Ȃ ”—˜ ǰ ˜’— ŽŽ™ ’ŸŽœ ’— ›ŽœŽŠ›Œ‘

Š— œž››˜ž—’— –¢œŽ•  ’‘ Ž¡™Ž›œǰ ™Ž˜™•Ž  ‘˜  Ž›Ž

smarter than me, and not being afraid to ask questions or for

‘Ž•™ǰ ‹ž Š ‘Ž œŠ–Ž ’–Ž ˜ —’— ‘Ž ŠŒ ‘Š ’  Šœ –¢

’ŽŠǰ ž•’–ŠŽ•¢ǯ ’—Ȃ ‘ŠŸŽ Š ¢™’ŒŠ• ŒŠ›ŽŽ› ›Š“ŽŒ˜›¢ ’—

‹žœ’—Žœœǰ ŒŠ–Ž ›˜– Š Œ˜–™•ŽŽ•¢ ˜‘Ž› ‹žœ’—Žœœǰ Š—

‘Š˜•ŽŠ›—˜Ž–‹›ŠŒŽ‘Š’—œŽŠ˜‹Ž’—Ž–‹Š››ŠœœŽ

Š‹˜ž ’ǰ ‹ŽŒŠžœŽ ’Ȃœ ™˜ Ž›ž• ˜ ‘ŠŸŽ ‘Ž ‹ŠŒ”›˜ž— ˜

 ˜›”’—•˜—‘˜ž›œ’—Š™›˜Žœœ’˜—Š•œŽĴ’—œ’—ŒŽ ŠœŗŘǰ

 ’‘ Š•• Šž•œ Š— Š•• ‘Ž ’쎛Ž— ¢—Š–’Œœ ‘Š ˜

Š•˜— ’‘‘Šǯ“žœ›¢˜‹Ž™›˜žŒ’ŸŽŠ—Š• Š¢œȱœŠ¢ȱ

˜™Ž—Š—Œž›’˜žœǰŠ—Š• Š¢œ›¢˜‹ŽĴŽ›–¢œŽ•ǯ

JUSTINE: HOW MUCH OF IT WAS COMPLETELY NEW TO YOU?

READING SPREADSHEETS, DOING BUSINESS PLANS – IS THAT

SOMETHINGYOUJUSTLEARNEDASYOUWENT?

JESSICA:Yeah, I learned all of it as I went, and I partnered

with someone who is a serial entrepreneur, so by being in

business, I got to learn a lot about business. It’s like if you

 Š—˜‹ŽŠ—ŠŒ˜›˜›Š’›ŽŒ˜›˜›Š™›˜žŒŽ›˜›Š ›’Ž›ǰ@

“IT’S TAKEN TIME FOR ME TO

own my powerAS A WOMAN

AND AS A LEADER. IT’S

SOMETHING I had to learn”

›ŽœœǰǞŗŘǰŖŖŖǰValentino,

ǻŖřǼşśŜŞŝśśşDzŽŠ››’—œǰǞŗǰşŖŖǰ

’슗¢ǭ˜ǰ’슗¢ǯŒ˜–ǯŠž

ǻ ˜›—‘›˜ž‘˜žǼDz˜—Žœœ’ŒŠȂœ

›’‘‘Š—DZ‹›ŠŒŽ•ŽǰǞŚǰŜśŖǰ

’슗¢ǭ˜ǰȱ’슗¢ǯŒ˜–ǯŠž