How I Learned to Be Fearless Achieving My Dreams

What advice would you give your younger self? 

I’ve been asked this question more times than I can count. There are a variety of answers: Don’t ask for permission. Break away from the pack. Trust your gut. 

I rely on these insights daily but none of them fully encapsulate the resilience I’ve needed to succeed in the fashion industry; Which is a fraction of the strength I need raising my three kids. 

I spent the last year doing two things I’d never done before: Saving our business during a global pandemic whilst writing my first book. Good timing, right? Surprisingly, yes! The late nights revisiting memories building our brand gave me the perseverance I needed to do it all over again. They also revealed the throughline that tied those hard-earned lessons together: Be fearless. 

Overcoming my fears is a constant work in progress. There’s never a moment when you sit back and think: Bring it on! We’ve launched over 60 collections and hosted over 30 fashion shows. I’m still scared before each one. I persist by reinforcing a set of values I created for myself to achieve my goals. I write about 21 of them in Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success and am grateful to share a few today.  

There is no destination 

If you told me at 18 that I’d write a book, I would have thought: Phew, I made it! I was working day and night to build my career as a designer, still I was struggling to make ends meet. We’re talking $8 in my bank account, sleeping on a mattress propped up on milk crates struggling. 

Every time we reached a big milestone I was convinced: This is it! Finally, the sweet taste of success! I can still feel the excitement of partnering with our first department store and seeing the handbags on display. Three hundred bags was our biggest wholesale order to date. I was sure it was a turning point. That is, until they sent those bags right back to my doorstep and we had to turn around $100,000 of inventory in a week. 

Achievements only get you to the next stepping stone. They don’t get you across the chasm. 

The work is the reward

Years of unmet, high expectations taught me that no press hit, activation, or product will catapult you to a new stratosphere. Nothing magically changes over night. 

We’ve reached goals beyond my wildest dreams over the last 16 years. We aren’t ‘there’ yet, though. As long as we're chasing our North star, I don’t think we ever will be. 

Today, I focus on being present. I constantly remind myself: Enjoy this Fashion Week and the experiences that come with it. Who knows what happens when your work is out in the world? That’s not when you get to enjoy it. You get to enjoy it right now.  

Success is the ability to keep going

Success isn’t about boats and fancy cars. I’ve been at this for two decades and I don’t even have a kayak! It’s the willingness to persevere when your factory mixes up your hardware with Kate Spade’s and sends hundreds of those bags to customers who deem you “Kabecca Spankoff” — not once but twice. Of course, that was less disastrous than recovering the 7,000 orders that disappeared during our holiday sale the year we switched warehouses. A four word email from my brother and co-founder takes the cake, though - “The bank is done.” - aptly received whilst I was toasting a promising day of sales meetings in Paris. Cheers! 

I’ve faced endless opportunities to give up on my journey. The most important lesson I’ve learned is: You have to keep pursuing your dream. Even when you had your worst day. Even when it feels impossible. Even when you think you have nothing left to give.

Fearlessness is the courage to keep trying. 

I wrote Fearless for everyone who has a vision for their life and the change they aim to make in the world. It’s a collection of 21 rules that help me overcome my fears and turn my dreams into reality. I’m honored to share them and hope they do the same for you. You can learn more and order it here!