JANE LU 'I did everything wrong'

THE SHOWPO FOUNDER BROKE EVERY RULE IN BUSINESS BEFORE FINDING SUCCESS. NOW SHE'S READY TO HELP OTHER WOMEN GET THEIR IDEAS OFF THE GROUND

-  Kylie Walters

If she was to sit down and read a “how to” guide on succeeding in business, Jane Lu admits that she’s “probably done the exact opposite” to all the expert advice since she started fashion boutique Showpo. Saddled with a $60,000 debt, the accountant quit her day job to start a company in an industry she knew nothing about, all while waking up each morning to catch a bus to work with her mum so her parents wouldn’t find out she’d ditched her sensible career.

But being a rule breaker hasn’t hurt the Sydney-based entrepreneur one bit. The ecommerce fashion company she launched in 2010 is now making a massive $100 million in sales each year, and her parents forgave her when she used cash to pay off what was left of their mortgage.

“Some people ‘um and ah’ for years trying to make everything perfect first and then never get [their business] off the ground,” the 37-year-old tells WHO. “The only way it’s absolutely guaranteed that you’ll fail every time is if you never start at all. But if you do, you’ll either succeed or learn some skills that’ll help you get closer to achieving your dream next time.”