>>> ALL MONTH LONG WE'RE
CELEBRATING EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN.
AND TODAY YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET
ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE IN FASHION.
>> JENNA LYONS IS THE CREATIVE
FORCE BEHIND ONE OF AMERICA'S
BIGGEST FASHION BRANDS, BUT SHE
WASN'T ALWAYS THE STYLE
SUPERSTAR.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HER STORY.
>> FEELING GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF,
WHETHER IT BE VISUALLY AND/OR
INTERNALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN THE WAY YOU MOVE THROUGH THE
WORLD.
THAT CAN HELP YOUR CONFIDENCE.
>> JENNA LYONS UNDERSTANDS THE
TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF LOOKING
GOOD AND FEELING GOOD.
WHILE GROWING UP IN PALLOSE
VERDES, CALIFORNIA, SHE OFTEN
FELT ON THE OUTSIDE.
>> I WAS UNUSUALLY AWKWARD AS A
LITTLE GIRL.
I HAD A GENETIC DISORDER.
I WAS NOT VERY COMFORTABLE IN MY
OWN SKIN.
>> AS A YOUNG TEEN, JENNA
LEARNED HOW TO SEW.
THANKS TO A SKIRT SHE DESIGNED
HERSELF, SHE UNLOCKED HER
SUPERPOWER.
>> DARLENE PATTERSON IN MY
SEVENTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES
SAID, I LOVE YOUR SKIRT.
IT WAS THE 50 POSITIVE FEEDBACK
I HAD ABOUT THE WAY I LOOKED.
AND THAT WAS LIFE CHANGING FOR
ME.
AND THAT CHRISTMAS I GOT A
SEWING MACHINE AND A
SUBSCRIPTION TO "VOGUE" AND OFF
TO THE RACES.
>> THAT AWKWARD GIRL WHO LOVED
TO MAKE CLOTHES GREW UP TO BE
THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT J. CREW.
IN THESE ROLES SHE LED A
TRANSITION FROM A MAIL-ORDER
CATALOG COMPANY TO A FASHION
POWERHOUSE.
>> I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I
SAW THE WORK THAT THE TEAM I HAD
WORKED ON IN PERSON IN A GRAND
SCALE.
AND THAT WAS REALLY IN THE
AIRPORT.
AND I LOOKED AROUND AND COULD
NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY WERE
WEARING A COAT.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
AND I THINK TO SEE PEOPLE MAKE
THE DECISION TO SPEND THEIR
HARD-EARNED MONEY ON SOMETHING
THAT I HAD BEEN A PART OF WAS SO
REWARDING.
>> EVEN FORMER FIRST LADY
MICHELLE OBAMA WAS WEARING J.
CREW.
>> THIS IS A J. CREW ENSEMBLE.
>> MICHELLE OBAMA WENT ON "THE
TONIGHT SHOW" AND TALKED
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE FACT SHE
WAS NOT ONLY WEARING J. CREW BUT
SHE BOUGHT IT HERSELF.
I THINK THAT REALLY TOUCHED
PEOPLE.
IT MADE THEM FEEL CONNECTED TO
HER.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO PUT INTO
WORDS THE LEVEL OF PRIDE AND
EXCITEMENT MYSELF AND THE ENTIRE
TEAM HAS AT THAT MOMENT.
>> JENNA STAYED WITH J. CREW FOR
27 YEARS.
DEPARTING IN 2017.
>> I THINK I GOT TO A POINT
WHERE IT WASN'T SURE HOW MUCH
MORE I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO
DO.
SO IT WAS DEFINITELY A PERIOD
AFTER THAT WHERE I FELT MORE
THAN LOSS.
I HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS.
WAS I INTERESTING?
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO
ACTUALLY COME OUT OF IT TO THE
POINT I WAS READY AND WILLING TO
DO SOMETHING.
>> NOW IN THIS NEW CHAPT EJENNA
IS BRANCHING OUT, STARRING IN
HER OWN HBO SERIES "STYLISH WITH
JENNA LYONS."
WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM FIGURE
OT THEIR OWN STYLE.
>> SHE'S ALSO PARTNERING WITH
ROLL & HILLS, A FURNITURE
COMPANY AND SHE LAUNCHED HER OWN
BEAUTY LINE.
>> THEY'VE BEEN REALLY INFORMED
BY MY PREVIOUS JOB.
JUST ALL MY STUFF NOW.
>> THAT'S SO SWEET!
OKAY.
>> DESPITE ALL HER EXPERIENCE,
SHE CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR WAYS
TO BE A BETTER LEADER.
>> OPEN COMMUNICATION AND
UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON IN
YOUR TEAM IS CRITICAL.
AND, LISTEN, I'M SAYING THIS
LIKE I HAVE IT DOWN.
I DO NOT.
NOT EASY, BUT IT'S THE KEY TO A
GROUP.
I USED TO MEASURE SUCCESS BY,
YOU KNOW, CORNER OFFICE, BONUS,
SALARY AND WHILE THOSE THINGS
ARE IMPORTANT, I FEEL A LOT
HAPPIER NOW.
I REALIZE I ACTUALLY STOP AND
BREATHE NOW.
I WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING I TOUCH
IS CRAZY.
AND THAT FEELS GREAT.
>> AND WE ARE SO, SO THRILLED
BECAUSE JENNA LYONS IS HERE WITH
US NOW.
I LOVE HOW YOU SAID THAT
TRANSITION, KIND OF SCARY FOR
YOU.
>> SCARY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
DOWNRIGHT TERRIFYING.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH I'D
CONNECTED MYSELF AND MY ENTIRE
BEING TO MY JOB.
AND WHEN I LEFT, I DIDN'T REALLY
KNOW WHO I WAS.
IT WAS A VERY DARK TIME.
>> YOU TURNED THE BEAT AROUND.
I'M LOOKING AT YOU.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE LOOKED FOR
THEIR JOB TITLE OR THE OFFICE OR
LIKE YOU SAID THE PAYCHECK.
BUT IF YOU ASK YOURSELF, WHEN
WAS I MY HAPPIEST?
IS THIS -- HOW DOES THIS RANK,
WHERE YOU ARE NOW, IN TERMS OF
YOUR HAPPINESS QUOTIENT?
>> I THINK I'M AT A TEN.
BY THE TIME I LEFT, MY ENTIRE
ROLE WAS REALLY MANAGING PEOPLE.
WHILE THAT IS IMPORTANT, A, I
WAS NEVER TRAINED FOR IT AND
IT'S NOT THAT CREATIVE.
YOU GET A REALLY BIG TEAM.
I LOST CONNECTION TO ALL THE
STUFF I LOVED.
NOW I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND
I'M LOOKING AT SWATCHES, MODELS,
LASHES.
AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
>> WE'RE WEARING YOUR LASHES, BY
THE WAY.
THEY'RE QUITE COMFORTABLE.
SHE NEVER WEARS LASHES.
>> NEVER.
>> I DIDN'T EITHER, BUT I WANTED
TO CREATE LOVE THEME FOR THAT
VERY REASON.
I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT
LOOKED GOOD ON ME.
>> A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
>> A LITTLE TOO MUCH AND FINE IN
A PICTURE AND THEN YOU WALK
OUTSIDE AND IT WAS LIKE --
>> JUST BRIEFLY, I GOT TO MEET
YOU.
I WAS SUCH A FAN OF YOURS, I
STILL AM.
YOU CHANGED WHAT LEADERSHIP
LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT, FOR ANY PERSON OUT THERE,
THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN
THEIR OWN HOME, WHAT'S YOUR
ADVICE?
>> I THINK THE THING THAT I
QUICKLY AND PARTICULARLY DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
>> THERE'S A BOOK CALLED "THE
HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE."
YOUR PRESENCE HAS AN IMPACT ON
EVERYONE AROUND YOU.
IF YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD, TAKE
YOURSELF OUT.
JUST OUT FOR A SECOND.
IT REALLY DOES HAVE AN IMPACT,
AND I THINK I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW
MUCH MY MOOD, MY SITUATION, WHAT
I WAS GOING THROUGH IMPACTED
EVERYONE AROUND ME.
AND I DO THINK BEING REALLY
CONNECTED TO THAT, YOU KNOW,
LAUNCHING IT DURING A PANDEMIC,
NIGHTMARE.
>> BUT YOU DID IT.
JENNA IS GOING TO STICK AROUND.
I THINK EVERY WOMAN NEEDS THREE
STAPLES IN THEIR CLOSET FOR THE
SPRINGTIME.
YOU'LL TELL US WHAT THOSE ARE.
>> WE FOLLOW YOU.
WE DO WHAT YOU DO, RIGHT AFTER
THIS. >> BEAUTIFUL!