Speaker 1: You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garth. Hey, everyone,
Speaker 1: welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
Speaker 1: the choices we make and where they lead us. Today
Speaker 1: is a special day. We are coming to you live
Speaker 1: from New York City. We're going to dive into a
Speaker 1: huge I Choose Me moment in my life in this episode,
Speaker 1: and I can't wait to talk to you about it.
Speaker 1: My guest today is someone I have known her whole life.
Speaker 1: She is smart and beautiful and I am so lucky
Speaker 1: to call her my daughter. We have been working on
Speaker 1: something really, really special for many months and it's finally out.
Speaker 1: Now it's so crazy. Please welcome my daughter Lola to
Speaker 1: the I Choose Me Podcast. Wow, roundup, applause.
Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. You are
Speaker 2: a This is the first time for you, It is
Speaker 2: my first time.
Speaker 1: First time podcasts. Nervous, don't be nervous. They love you.
Speaker 1: They already love you. It's built in. Okay, Okay, let's
Speaker 1: tell them. So let's start by telling everybody what we're
Speaker 1: doing here in New York City is you can see
Speaker 1: the backdrop here, beautiful, beautiful, this building. I keep expecting
Speaker 1: to see the ugly what is it? Ugly angry naked man?
Speaker 2: I have no idea what you're talking about? The guy
Speaker 2: from friends, Oh, the ugly or the naked neighbor.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, but he had a name, what was it,
Speaker 1: ugly naked guy.
Speaker 2: I hope we don't find him?
Speaker 1: Well, whoever does? Ugly naked guy definitely saw me naked earlier.
Speaker 2: So even, Well, today we're here to celebrate our launch
Speaker 2: of our clothing brand with QVC. To me, oh my,
Speaker 2: so exciting.
Speaker 1: Well, you just broke the news.
Speaker 2: I broke the news officially.
Speaker 1: Yeah, today is well on this podcast, to day is
Speaker 1: the day. I've been talking about it with you, guys.
Speaker 1: I've been telling you about my moments of imposter syndrome
Speaker 1: leading up to this big event. And this is the
Speaker 1: big event, the fashion line that you and I created
Speaker 1: together with our wonderful supportive design team at QVC. And
Speaker 1: we are so excited. This is our launch of Me
Speaker 1: by Jenny Garth.
Speaker 2: So exciting. How are you feeling?
Speaker 1: How am I feeling? That's a loaded question. I am
Speaker 1: feeling so excited. I'm not even nervous. Isn't that weird?
Speaker 1: Like I'm nervous about other things but I'm not nervous
Speaker 1: about our launch.
Speaker 2: Well, I feel like we've been really supported throughout this
Speaker 2: whole process, So I feel so grateful for Clarina and
Speaker 2: Randy and the design team. They're just so supportive, and
Speaker 2: so I feel the same way. I feel just really excited.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we have so many team members, don't we that
Speaker 1: new friends that we depend on so much, Randy, Clarina, Colton, Sophia,
Speaker 1: Honor the people, and then everybody at QVC. Oh my god, Yeah,
Speaker 1: how are you you feeling nervous? Though?
Speaker 2: I am not feeling nervous. I'm feeling really excited and
Speaker 2: really proud, and I feel like it hasn't really set
Speaker 2: an yet. I think once we get to QVC it'll
Speaker 2: really kick in. But I am so excited to have
Speaker 2: this launch party and have people be able to see it.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. We're having a big party today on
Speaker 1: the roof in the Penthouse suite, very fancy, very fancy,
Speaker 1: and we have a bunch of our friends coming, and
Speaker 1: a bunch of editors and all kinds of fashionistas coming,
Speaker 1: and they are going to see our collection for the
Speaker 1: very first time, and they're going to get to touch
Speaker 1: it and look at it up close and personal, and
Speaker 1: I hope they like it. You know me too, So
Speaker 1: we're going to have a great party. I am very
Speaker 1: much looking forward to celebrating all of our hard work. Okay,
Speaker 1: let's just go back to the beginning. Help me, because
Speaker 1: you know my memory. How was it in the beginning?
Speaker 1: How did this fashion line come about at all? Do
Speaker 1: you remember?
Speaker 2: I have no recollection. I feel like I just recently
Speaker 2: moved back to LA. I was living in New York,
Speaker 2: and I moved back to LA and I started going
Speaker 2: to design school in LA and then all of a
Speaker 2: sudden this started happening, and it worked so beautifully with
Speaker 2: what I was learning in school that I just kind
Speaker 2: of ended up being this beautiful thing.
Speaker 1: Did you do you remember when I said, hey, babe,
Speaker 1: I got something and I kind of need your help
Speaker 1: with I would love to for you to be a
Speaker 1: part of it. Do you remember that conversation.
Speaker 2: You did say you said, no pressure, but I would
Speaker 2: love to do this together. And I thought about it,
Speaker 2: and I obviously chose that it was the right thing
Speaker 2: for me to do, and I'm just really happy that
Speaker 2: I made that decision.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I remember, I was like, no pressure, you can
Speaker 1: take your time.
Speaker 2: Do you still say that all the time, You're like,
Speaker 2: if you are feeling overwhelmed, you don't have to do
Speaker 2: this anymore. And I love every step of the way
Speaker 2: working on.
Speaker 1: This, all the panic moments we had and the deadlines.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I remember getting the call to do it,
Speaker 1: and I was like, say what I mean? I never, ever,
Speaker 1: in my wildest dreams, thought of a fashion line. Honestly,
Speaker 1: it was always like a dream. What person doesn't dream
Speaker 1: of having their own fashion line? But it seemed like
Speaker 1: at first I was like, why me, Like, I don't know,
Speaker 1: I don't think I'm qualified for this. I talked about
Speaker 1: this in the last episode, and like I felt like
Speaker 1: they had made the wrong dial, the wrong number or something.
Speaker 1: And then I started to like sit with it, and
Speaker 1: I realized, why not me? You know, like I love
Speaker 1: my style, Like I'm very comfortable in my look that
Speaker 1: I wear around. I love your style. And I thought,
Speaker 1: you're welcome. And I thought I've been dressed by so
Speaker 1: many like costume designers and wardrobe stylists like over the
Speaker 1: many many years, and I've just stood there and let
Speaker 1: them do their work. And I've learned so much along
Speaker 1: the way from every alteration that I've stood in, and
Speaker 1: you guys, there have been hours and hours of my
Speaker 1: life trying on clothes, being fitted for outfits. So then
Speaker 1: I sort of tried to change that story in my
Speaker 1: mind of like why not me. If someone else did it,
Speaker 1: you can do it too, because it was for me
Speaker 1: at the beginning of very like it felt like a
Speaker 1: big bite, like a big thing to take on, and
Speaker 1: I was very nervous about it. But luckily at QVC,
Speaker 1: they just throw you in, like they were like, here's
Speaker 1: your design team, here's their email, here's the phone numbers.
Speaker 1: Get to work, and they called us and they really
Speaker 1: had some great ideas out of the gate, and we
Speaker 1: brought them like our whole for the brand, which, by
Speaker 1: the way, I have to go back to that because
Speaker 1: when I asked you to do it, and when you
Speaker 1: said that you wanted to do it, I was like,
Speaker 1: oh my gosh. So I gave you all of my
Speaker 1: material that I've been working on, all my crazy lady
Speaker 1: notes that I write down everywhere, and I compiled them
Speaker 1: and I gave them all to you, and I was like,
Speaker 1: here you go, this is what we're doing. And you
Speaker 1: took every word on the paper and somehow made it
Speaker 1: come to life in these beautiful, gorgeous decks that we
Speaker 1: presented to them, and we give them amazing visual ideas
Speaker 1: of what we want and themes for every drop. So
Speaker 1: I think you've done an amazing job already.
Speaker 2: I think that's part of my favorite part working with
Speaker 2: you is that I get to take whatever you're thinking,
Speaker 2: and you're so creative and you have so many beautiful ideas.
Speaker 2: I get to take whatever you're thinking and make it
Speaker 2: a tangible thing and make it a visual presentation for
Speaker 2: people to understand, so that you can really get something
Speaker 2: that you're really proud of. And I think that that's
Speaker 2: exactly what this brand is. It's every single thought you've
Speaker 2: ever had, and somehow we've been able to make it
Speaker 2: happen and it's turned out so beautifully. It really has.
Speaker 1: But I really do appreciate that work you put in
Speaker 1: initially and you still do every day. But it's like
Speaker 1: you could read my mind. It's like you know me
Speaker 1: so well. Hey, I wonder why you are like you've
Speaker 1: always been. The people call you my mini me.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like we're the same in a lot
Speaker 2: of ways. And so it hasn't been as hard as
Speaker 2: you think, figuring out what you're thinking and then trying
Speaker 2: to get it made.
Speaker 1: Oh my god, that's good to know. The next time,
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna look into your eyes and I'll.
Speaker 2: Probably get it.
Speaker 1: You probably will. So yeah, that's how we started working together, basically,
Speaker 1: and that's how the whole thing came about. But I'm
Speaker 1: actually going back to the time a couple of years
Speaker 1: ago when you came to me and said, Hey, Mom,
Speaker 1: why don't we make my prom dress? And I knew
Speaker 1: as you were saying it, you were saying, why don't
Speaker 1: we make my palm dress? And you were really thinking,
Speaker 1: why don't you make my palm dress?
Speaker 2: Well, I don't like sewing. I love you don't really
Speaker 2: like sewing either. Sewing is not in our blood. We
Speaker 2: wanted to be so badly and to try, but it's
Speaker 2: really hard.
Speaker 1: So it's you know what, it's like, tedious way. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and I don't think either of us are quite that patient.
Speaker 1: You're way more patient than me.
Speaker 2: It's really hard for me.
Speaker 1: So I think that the whole like seed was planted
Speaker 1: with that black strapless column dress that we went downtown.
Speaker 1: We bought the fabric for it. Yeah, and the elast
Speaker 1: stick for the top and all the things, and you
Speaker 1: knew you had it planned out. You knew exactly what
Speaker 1: we needed to buy, and we bought it and we
Speaker 1: brought it home and it just sat on the kitchen
Speaker 1: counter for a long time until it was like last minute,
Speaker 1: and then I was like, oh, crap, I gotta make
Speaker 1: the dress. And so we made it and it turned
Speaker 1: out so.
Speaker 2: Beautiful, beautiful, and I still have and I love it
Speaker 2: so much.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, you got to keep that for your kids.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I just also want to instill this and people. It's
Speaker 1: not just like I attach my name on something and
Speaker 1: you started trying to help me with something that other
Speaker 1: people were doing. This is every single fabric and item
Speaker 1: and thread and button is from our heads and.
Speaker 2: Our heartust and yep, figured out together.
Speaker 1: So when you guys get your hands on these clothes,
Speaker 1: just know that they came from our hearts. Why don't
Speaker 1: we now tell the friends about the line? What does
Speaker 1: it include? Who's it for? Wow? What should we start with?
Speaker 2: Let's start with our dunhim because I feel as if
Speaker 2: the dunim plays a really big role in the line.
Speaker 1: Wait, hold on, should we go back to like the
Speaker 1: or of the concept or not, Let's do it, Okay,
Speaker 1: The origin of the concept came back. It came all
Speaker 1: the way from the nineties from Kelly Taylor's infamous I
Speaker 1: Choose Me line, and I started to embrace that as
Speaker 1: I turned fifty, and I wanted to use that as
Speaker 1: sort of mantra moving forward in my life, and I
Speaker 1: kind of wanted everything that I did to fall under
Speaker 1: those sort of ideas, trying to spread people's awareness and
Speaker 1: empower women and make them feel beautiful and just encourage
Speaker 1: people to love themselves.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's where the whole.
Speaker 1: I Choose Me came of it, and then we made
Speaker 1: it me. It shortened that to just me because you know,
Speaker 1: the podcast is called I Dress Me, so we can
Speaker 1: use that. But that's where it started. And then where
Speaker 1: has it ended up? Where are we?
Speaker 2: It's ended up in like a completely different universe somehow,
Speaker 2: I feel like it's really it started with that, and
Speaker 2: then we kind of fit in a whole other level
Speaker 2: of how much you love to travel and each collection
Speaker 2: is inspired by your different location because you love well,
Speaker 2: really your big teacher. You say this all the time,
Speaker 2: but you love teaching, so you're teaching people about how
Speaker 2: to choose themselves and really inspiring that whole movement. And
Speaker 2: you also want to teach people about traveling and how
Speaker 2: important it is to expand your little circle. And so
Speaker 2: I feel like that is only natural that those two things,
Speaker 2: which are the most important things to have come together
Speaker 2: in this brand. So yeah, I think that now each
Speaker 2: collection is themed after different location, and the underlying theme
Speaker 2: is definitely inspiring women to choose themselves, giving them an
Speaker 2: opportunity to choose themselves first thing when they wake up,
Speaker 2: which is choosing their outfit choice of the day. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 2: it's so true.
Speaker 1: I mean that was something that was really important to
Speaker 1: your dad and I. Raising you three girls was exposing
Speaker 1: you to the rest of the world and really opening
Speaker 1: your eyes eyes to it's not all about you, and
Speaker 1: it's not all about all the blessings that we have
Speaker 1: in our life. Let's go explore. Let's see other lifestyles,
Speaker 1: Let's feel other feelings and smell other smells and see
Speaker 1: other sites. So that was a huge part of your upbringing,
Speaker 1: which travel, and I'm so happy to have been able
Speaker 1: to provide you guys with that because yeah, I love
Speaker 1: to travel, and that you know, we thought about like, oh,
Speaker 1: we're going to do monthly drops right with the brand
Speaker 1: on QVC. And I thought ahead, like, how am I
Speaker 1: going to be inspired every month? What's going to be
Speaker 1: the motivation? Because I needed some like why behind it
Speaker 1: every month, not just the initial one, you know. And
Speaker 1: so I thought, what if we do it with our
Speaker 1: love to travel, our love for travel. What if we
Speaker 1: do it inspired by the places that we love the most?
Speaker 1: So we started our collection. Our first, our debut collection,
Speaker 1: is inspired by Big Sir, California, on the central coast
Speaker 1: of gorgeous California. It's so beautiful our home state. We
Speaker 1: love California, you guys, I really do. I'm not from California,
Speaker 1: but you are born and bred La girl.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I love it.
Speaker 1: Mm hmmm, true California girl. And I wanted people to
Speaker 1: feel the way I felt when I visit Big Sir.
Speaker 1: It is such a magical place. It's so inspirational, and
Speaker 1: there's something that's so introspective about it.
Speaker 2: It really has you.
Speaker 1: You go into yourself and you think big thoughts there,
Speaker 1: and you ask yourself big questions there For some of
Speaker 1: there's some mystic that's such a good way to put it.
Speaker 1: Something in the air there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, so our first.
Speaker 1: Collection is kind of inspired by that, like the color.
Speaker 2: To color palettes. All the prints are inspired by the ocean.
Speaker 2: The myst played a big component and a lot of
Speaker 2: our inspiration, and just the history and our family history
Speaker 2: up going up and down the coast over there played
Speaker 2: a really big role. And my upbringing and our lives together.
Speaker 1: I know that the woods, the trees that are on
Speaker 1: the beaches there, with the sand, everything, we tried to
Speaker 1: work it in. All of our color ways are inspired
Speaker 1: by the sea, moss, the seagrass, the sand, the coral,
Speaker 1: the shells, the ocean, all of it. We brought it
Speaker 1: all in because we really want people to feel like
Speaker 1: they went on a trip with us in our clothes
Speaker 1: somehow or just like in the collection as a whole.
Speaker 2: Definitely, and it's kind of clothes.
Speaker 1: That you would want to wear in that kind of world.
Speaker 1: For me, one of the biggest things was I wanted
Speaker 1: to create a world for our customers like when they
Speaker 1: see each collection, each drop, I wanted them to feel
Speaker 1: like that is a gorgeous place I want to go.
Speaker 1: I want to be there in those clothes and I
Speaker 1: want to feel that way that the Jenny feels there,
Speaker 1: and I think that we are really doing a good job.
Speaker 1: I'm trying to get that message through. Okay, So we
Speaker 1: have big sir as our first our debut drop and
Speaker 1: coming up next month's.
Speaker 2: Should we say it?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 2: I should? I don't know. Should we keep it a surprise?
Speaker 1: You're right, we have You have to wait.
Speaker 2: Sorry, guys, only about a month until you find out.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but you're.
Speaker 1: Gonna love our next destination.
Speaker 2: It's so special to you.
Speaker 1: Yes, it's it's special to the whole family. Okay, sorry,
Speaker 1: I won't spill the beans about that. Then. I think
Speaker 1: it's kind of cool. And I didn't go into it
Speaker 1: with this intention, But what has developed from our working
Speaker 1: together and our style of working is that I have
Speaker 1: my point of view and my perspective for a person
Speaker 1: of my age, and you have your perspective for a
Speaker 1: person of your age. So it's really a mix of
Speaker 1: It's a multi generational kind of vibe that a lot
Speaker 1: of different people can wear, right mm hmm.
Speaker 2: I think that we always share clothes, we share everything,
Speaker 2: but I always come in your closet and steel clothes,
Speaker 2: and you come in my closet and steel clothes and
Speaker 2: somehow it works, even though we're different in age and
Speaker 2: have different styles, it works. So I feel like we
Speaker 2: really really inspired by that, and we want to provide
Speaker 2: that because it's so special to see how you want
Speaker 2: to style the clothes that I have, and how I
Speaker 2: style the clothes that you have, and even with my sisters,
Speaker 2: it is really special. And so I think that that
Speaker 2: was a big element to the brand, was figuring out
Speaker 2: ways that we can design stuff for maybe grandma's and
Speaker 2: moms and daughters and granddaughters to all share somehow with
Speaker 2: different styling, and it's just a way to kind of
Speaker 2: connect everybody and solidify this big support unit of really
Speaker 2: I choose me movement.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, And yeah it's true. I can walk into my
Speaker 1: house any given day and see somebody in my clothes,
Speaker 1: or if I can't see it, I know one of
Speaker 1: these is probably wearing my underwear.
Speaker 2: So there's I mean, my older sist, it takes clothes
Speaker 2: from my grandma.
Speaker 1: Oh my god. Every time Luca visits Mimi, she wears
Speaker 1: she borrows her underwear. I know that freaks people out,
Speaker 1: but this is true. You can take it up with
Speaker 1: Luca and I don't even think Mimi knows what's happening.
Speaker 2: I don't either.
Speaker 1: Why don't you describe to our friends, like what our
Speaker 1: goal was and how we want her to feel when
Speaker 1: she wears one of our pieces.
Speaker 2: So a lot of the pieces in this collection are interchangeable,
Speaker 2: so you can style our tops with different genes, and
Speaker 2: our genes with our skirts or whatever. You can kind
Speaker 2: of mix and match everything. And I feel like, for me,
Speaker 2: the most important thing is self expression and being comfortable.
Speaker 2: And I think that if you're those two things, I
Speaker 2: think that inherently you have a sense of confidence. If
Speaker 2: you're able to really feel authentically yourself and also feel comfortable,
Speaker 2: then you've won the lottery. So I feel like our
Speaker 2: genes are so so comfortable.
Speaker 1: Should we tell them about the genes? Yeah, let's do
Speaker 1: all of our cordenum for our launch and beyond is
Speaker 1: reprieve Our Oceans. We're working with a company called reprieve
Speaker 1: Our Oceans. And do you want to tell them?
Speaker 2: I don't really know how it works. It spins polyester
Speaker 2: with plastic bottles or how does it work?
Speaker 1: Okay, they take bottles, plastic bottles that are inevitably their
Speaker 1: ocean bound. That means they're inevitably going to end up
Speaker 1: in our ocean. As I mean, I think like upwards
Speaker 1: of seventy percent of the trash ends up in the oceans,
Speaker 1: and so we're doing what we can to eliminate plastic
Speaker 1: bottles from going in the ocean. And they take the
Speaker 1: plastic and they do something magical to it and spin
Speaker 1: it into a polyester, which, interestingly enough, polyester used to
Speaker 1: be like a bad word in the fashion industry. Nobody
Speaker 1: wanted polyester, nobody wants to wear it, nobody wants to
Speaker 1: sell it. Now everybody sells it, and it's so versatile
Speaker 1: because you can do a lot of ecoconscious m designs
Speaker 1: with it now and one of them is this plastic bottle.
Speaker 1: How many bottles I'm gonna quiz her right now, how
Speaker 1: many bottles is in a pair of our Jennifer Denim.
Speaker 2: I think it's something like eight bottles.
Speaker 1: You are incorrect, No, it is six. No more, it's
Speaker 1: sixteen bottles.
Speaker 2: In one pair of genes. Yes, I missed that fact.
Speaker 2: That's amazing.
Speaker 1: Okay, next question, how many plastic bottles were used in
Speaker 1: the making of the roxy jumper?
Speaker 2: That one, I have to say eighteen higher, higher, twenty two.
Speaker 1: Twenty three, Ding Ding Ding Ding.
Speaker 2: Isn't that amazing though, I'm really proud of you for remembering.
Speaker 1: I know it's numbers too, which don't work with me.
Speaker 1: I'm really excited about that. That's like one of the
Speaker 1: most motivating things for me is being given the opportunity
Speaker 1: by QBC to put some eco consciousness into the brand.
Speaker 1: And really that has been on the forefront for you
Speaker 1: and I really pushing, pushing, pushing, where is it. How
Speaker 1: can we incorporate this into the brand? How can we
Speaker 1: decrease the footprint a little bit. Let's all work together
Speaker 1: on this, and they have been so responsive to that
Speaker 1: and seeking out different fabrics for us and different manufacturers
Speaker 1: that are all doing good, good work out there. So
Speaker 1: it's I'm really excited about all the bottles.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 1: And it gives the denim this like little touch of.
Speaker 2: Stretch, yeah, and compression almost.
Speaker 1: Like it makes your butt look good, you guys, okay AnyWho.
Speaker 1: That's one of the most things we're most excited about
Speaker 1: is our denim collection. We have two pairs of Genes.
Speaker 2: Jans, a jumper, the denim jacket, oh yes, jacket, and
Speaker 2: that's just in month one.
Speaker 1: That's just a month one. God, what would you say
Speaker 1: your favorite pieces from the first draw.
Speaker 2: Let's see. I really love oh it's and it's in
Speaker 2: the skirt too, our denim skirt. The denim skirt's one
Speaker 2: of my favorites. And I also really love our bay
Speaker 2: woven blouse. I feel like it makes me feel like
Speaker 2: such a girly girl. Makes me feel so elegant and pretty.
Speaker 1: I love that it is so it's like sophisticated but
Speaker 1: delicate and feminine at the same time.
Speaker 2: You can dress it up and dress it down. It's
Speaker 2: very versatile.
Speaker 1: And the colors, all the colors, we have so many
Speaker 1: colors in that shirt available. We put that shirt on
Speaker 1: Aunt Wendy.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, which is a big deal. I don't think
Speaker 2: I've ever seen Aunt Wendy wear something that nice.
Speaker 1: No, like that girly.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: And she looked radiant and.
Speaker 2: Beautiful, and she felt so confident, like she I've never
Speaker 2: seen her smiles like it came from such a deep
Speaker 2: part down inside her.
Speaker 1: You know what she said, She said, if you ever
Speaker 1: need me to model it, I have to know. I mean,
Speaker 1: I don't know how to be a model, but I try.
Speaker 2: She would be so good.
Speaker 1: Oh my god, it would be genius. My favorite favorite
Speaker 1: piece from our first drop is the Sailor Satin. Oh yeah,
Speaker 1: slip dress. Okay, when I say slip dress, people might
Speaker 1: get nervous and think, oh, I can't wear a slip dress.
Speaker 1: That's too provocative, that's too revealing and too whatever. But
Speaker 1: the slip dress is like none I've ever worn before
Speaker 1: because of the quality. I mean, the fabric is like
Speaker 1: the most forgiving satin you'll ever wear, so durable, so soft.
Speaker 1: I'm really selling this hard right now, you guys. I'm sorry,
Speaker 1: but we're just so proud of everything. And it has
Speaker 1: this beautiful lace detail on it.
Speaker 2: And it has good movement. It's just such a pretty dress.
Speaker 1: And the design mode feels and the straps yea designed
Speaker 1: to be just wide enough to hide your brass straps
Speaker 1: if you can still want to wear a brath, if
Speaker 1: you want to go brawls, Yeah, go for it, you
Speaker 1: do you.
Speaker 2: The design team's really excited about that one too, which
Speaker 2: is good.
Speaker 1: I think everybody that's sees that one loves it. Yeah.
Speaker 2: So I was wondering what it was like for you
Speaker 2: to decide to do this brand after acting for so long.
Speaker 2: What kind of inspired you to make this shift?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good question, I think. You know, as
Speaker 1: you get older, you learn so much about yourself, you
Speaker 1: learn what you like you don't like, and you reach
Speaker 1: a point at a certain age in your life where
Speaker 1: inevitably we all start to ask ourselves those questions, like
Speaker 1: what do I want for this next chapter in my life?
Speaker 1: Because you know, I've spent the last part of my
Speaker 1: life raising you girls and giving everything I could to
Speaker 1: you and to my work and to my husband's and sorry,
Speaker 1: and I I just kind of had to kind of
Speaker 1: stop thinking about other people for just a minute and
Speaker 1: get clear on what I wanted. And that was a
Speaker 1: question I think all of us ask at some point.
Speaker 1: Maybe you haven't asked that yet, but like what's my purpose?
Speaker 1: There are a million books written on it, there's a
Speaker 1: million self help podcasts about it. But I was asking
Speaker 1: those questions, and I really came to a place of
Speaker 1: just listening to the rumblings, like you know, the signs,
Speaker 1: the energy that I was getting back. Because there is
Speaker 1: nobody that's going to come in and answer that question
Speaker 1: for you. You have to find the answer within yourself. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and I sought for a good while and then I
Speaker 1: just it came to me one day, like literally a
Speaker 1: light switch where I thought, oh my god, it's I
Speaker 1: choose me, It's I choose me. Let's take it forward,
Speaker 1: Let's pay that forward and keep on going with that
Speaker 1: because it's been so important to so many people, and
Speaker 1: it's meant so much, and it means so much and
Speaker 1: it has there's so much meaning behind it in so
Speaker 1: many different ways for whoever, you know, how are they're
Speaker 1: applying into their lives. And I was in that moment
Speaker 1: for myself, like like I said, like ready to take
Speaker 1: care of myself a little bit more and spend a
Speaker 1: little bit more time thinking about what I wanted to
Speaker 1: make me happy. And that's when I decided to just
Speaker 1: go all in and pivot my direction. Stop waiting for
Speaker 1: the phone to ring with somebody to give me my
Speaker 1: next job, stop pushing on put my own, you know,
Speaker 1: pushing us hard on my own like producing projects, and
Speaker 1: just really give all my energy to the brand and
Speaker 1: seeing where it could go. And I knew from the
Speaker 1: very beginning when that light switch happened, where big picture,
Speaker 1: where I wanted it to go. And I haven't written
Speaker 1: on my vision or like all the different places I
Speaker 1: want to take the brand, and it's we're just knocking
Speaker 1: them off left and right, and it's just all falling
Speaker 1: into place in the most beautiful, synergistic way. And I
Speaker 1: had never thought that that would be so clear, because
Speaker 1: I've always wondered, am I on the right path? It's
Speaker 1: this right, Am I doing enough? And I feel like
Speaker 1: this is fulfilling those needs inside of me and those
Speaker 1: wants to do more and help people in some way.
Speaker 1: So that was like a big I Choose me moment
Speaker 1: for me, was making that shift just even mentally.
Speaker 2: What a cool feeling for that purpose to kind of
Speaker 2: click for you so almost easily.
Speaker 1: Really, yeah, it felt like a struggle. I don't think
Speaker 1: I really shared it that much with you girls, but
Speaker 1: I was really struggling internally.
Speaker 2: I remember seeing a switch in how your energy really
Speaker 2: like once you came to us with this big concept.
Speaker 2: You had a different type of flame to you, really,
Speaker 2: and you had such passion and such drive and I
Speaker 2: hadn't seen you like that in a while. So I'm
Speaker 2: happy to see it paying off. I know, just this
Speaker 2: is just the beginning.
Speaker 1: I know. I'm so happy to be you know, Modeling
Speaker 1: it for you guys, and you know, hopefully, I just
Speaker 1: I know you guys are all gonna sore in life.
Speaker 1: But it makes me feel so honored to be able
Speaker 1: to give you that message. I remember our first design
Speaker 1: meeting at Studio Park at QBC headquarters in Westchester, Pennsylvania,
Speaker 1: and we walked into this giant boardroom table. I mean
Speaker 1: like maybe fifteen people around the table, and I just
Speaker 1: walked in there, and you walked in behind me, and
Speaker 1: you sat down and you were quiet as a little mouse,
Speaker 1: and I think you were really overwhelmed, probably and afraid
Speaker 1: to like speak up. You didn't really know what to
Speaker 1: say or what what was it? You know, you were overwhelmed.
Speaker 1: That's okay because that was a brand new experience for you,
Speaker 1: and it's a big room to sort of take command
Speaker 1: of when you're in charge.
Speaker 2: And I don't do well in those situations.
Speaker 1: No, But this is the thing I've learned about you,
Speaker 1: is you actually do do yes. I said do do Sorry,
Speaker 1: you do well in those types of situations. You just
Speaker 1: build it up in your head and think and panic
Speaker 1: beforehand and tell yourself all the wrong message. I can't
Speaker 1: I'm scared, and there's no reason for me to be here.
Speaker 1: All those things play out in your head and then
Speaker 1: you turn it around sometime when you somehow when you
Speaker 1: start talking, and then you realize, hey, look at me,
Speaker 1: I actually do have a voice, I do have a
Speaker 1: seat at this table. I am here for a reason.
Speaker 1: What was there? Was there a moment for you where
Speaker 1: that that shifted because you were so trepidacious in the
Speaker 1: very beginning.
Speaker 2: Honestly, I feel like it's a really tricky thing to
Speaker 2: navigate because I didn't necessarily earn a spot at this table.
Speaker 2: The only one that really is vouching for me is you,
Speaker 2: and you really trust what I say, so I'm very
Speaker 2: much an extension of you. So I think that was
Speaker 2: a big part of it. But I remember being so nervous,
Speaker 2: and I think that having your support and honestly, QBC
Speaker 2: the design team, when I say something, they really listen,
Speaker 2: And I think that that was really important for me
Speaker 2: because I've never really had that feeling before where I
Speaker 2: was like, maybe I what I am saying is a
Speaker 2: or this means something to somebody, and sometimes they would
Speaker 2: say that's a good idea, and it's just they're so encouraging.
Speaker 2: So that support unit is really really, I think what
Speaker 2: got me through that, but I was so nervous in
Speaker 2: the beginning, and I do think i've come quite far
Speaker 2: as I'm very grateful it's helped me in so many
Speaker 2: different way.
Speaker 1: What do you think some of the ways are that
Speaker 1: it's helped you, Like, what's the biggest What would you
Speaker 1: say the biggest takeaway that you've learned about yourself through
Speaker 1: this crazy experience? You say that is I.
Speaker 2: Think it's exactly what you were saying. I like to
Speaker 2: say that I am really shy and I don't like
Speaker 2: being in front of any cameras or having any attention
Speaker 2: on me, and that's true. But I think that when
Speaker 2: I do feel really passionate about something, which is this brand,
Speaker 2: I have a million things to say and a million ideas,
Speaker 2: and so it was really a very nurturing environment to
Speaker 2: be in where my ideas were of value to people
Speaker 2: and they were excited about them. And I really appreciate you.
Speaker 2: You've never once made me feel like I don't long
Speaker 2: at that, And those meetings are at that table and
Speaker 2: you ask me questions in front of everybody, and we're
Speaker 2: really doing this together, and I really appreciate that because
Speaker 2: it's helped me in so many ways.
Speaker 1: I've seen you blossom and.
Speaker 2: I feel it too, which is really, really, really a
Speaker 2: good feeling.
Speaker 1: I know. I'm so proudy I feel like crying out.
Speaker 1: I really am. You can't imagine how far she's come from. Yeah,
Speaker 1: being that meek shy I don't belong here to being like, hey,
Speaker 1: I'm the co designer and I have a lot of
Speaker 1: she's actually in charge of She's like the what's the
Speaker 1: se I'm the CEO. If I'm the CEO of me, which,
Speaker 1: by the way, I've always said, everybody's ever said, like,
Speaker 1: what do you do? You were accidentally manifesting it. The
Speaker 1: whole time was years and years ago. I would be jokingly,
Speaker 1: I would say, I'm the CEO of me, just like yourself.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and now you are, and now I am so funny.
Speaker 1: Well, if I'm the CEO, what would the second in
Speaker 1: command's title be? Oh wow, she's vice president of the brand.
Speaker 1: You are the vice president of a brand now at
Speaker 1: twenty one years old, and you are an intrical part
Speaker 1: of it. You're not just a little helper. You are
Speaker 1: in charge of every aspect, every organization of months and
Speaker 1: collections and samples and shipments and communications and photo shoots.
Speaker 1: Literally every part of it is better because of you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. I try to be as helpful as I can.
Speaker 2: That means a lot you are.
Speaker 1: I could not do this without you. Were there any
Speaker 1: moments when we had any kind of like you know
Speaker 1: how like when mother and daughter. We are pretty on
Speaker 1: the same page about most everything, and you know, there's
Speaker 1: times when we see things differently we choose to disagree.
Speaker 1: Have there been any moments like that?
Speaker 2: I feel like we are usually on the same page. Definitely.
Speaker 2: There's been things that we don't agree on, and when
Speaker 2: I really believe in it, I'll fight you for it
Speaker 2: and we'll see what happens. But at the end of
Speaker 2: the day, it's your call. So I really do feel
Speaker 2: like we're aligned on a lot though, so it hasn't
Speaker 2: been too bad.
Speaker 1: And I do I turn to you and I say,
Speaker 1: what do you think, Lola?
Speaker 2: And you have such an open mind. I'll say something
Speaker 2: and it maybe a little out there, and you'll think
Speaker 2: about it, and sometimes you'll say, let's try it, and
Speaker 2: sometimes you'll say maybe not.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I love collaboration, and there's nothing better than being
Speaker 1: able to collaborate on something like this. With somebody I
Speaker 1: trust implicitly and I know has my same eye for
Speaker 1: design and taste for style. So you are the best
Speaker 1: VP in the world.
Speaker 2: You're the best CEO of me.
Speaker 1: We should sign you up and you could be the
Speaker 1: VP with Kamala or oh whoever.
Speaker 2: This is taking a job taking.
Speaker 1: Let's go, girl. I'm here to encourage you. Wow. I
Speaker 1: don't know if I'm ready for that, dominating you right here,
Speaker 1: right now for Vice President the United States of America.
Speaker 2: Oh wow, Okay, here's the real question.
Speaker 1: Okay, Lola, Yes, what was your last I Choose me moment?
Speaker 2: What a good question. I feel as if you have
Speaker 2: inspired us, like we always are having I Choose Me moments,
Speaker 2: me and my sisters, and maybe we don't even realize
Speaker 2: it's happening. I would say one of the biggest decisions
Speaker 2: that I've had to make, the one that was such
Speaker 2: a struggle for me, was moving back to LA during school.
Speaker 2: I was going to school in New York, moved back
Speaker 2: to LA and that felt like such a giant decision.
Speaker 2: And you, without saying, really, I choose me, and we
Speaker 2: weren't there yet in our lives, but you definitely were, like,
Speaker 2: what do you want to do what do you think
Speaker 2: is best for you, don't think about what anybody else
Speaker 2: is doing, don't think about the traditional path of college whatever.
Speaker 2: And you really supported me through that, and I think
Speaker 2: that that really helped me. And looking back, I think
Speaker 2: that is definitely the biggest I Choose Me moment because
Speaker 2: since that day, I've grown so much and I don't
Speaker 2: know if it would have been the same if I
Speaker 2: had stayed in the city that we're in today.
Speaker 1: So I love that. Yeah, that was a huge moment
Speaker 1: for you, and you made the right call you did.
Speaker 1: You chose what was right for you, and it was.
Speaker 2: Hard for me, but you really supported me through that,
Speaker 2: So I'm very grateful and lucky.
Speaker 1: I'm so glad that you live at home. I can't
Speaker 1: even tell you. It's the best when your kids leave
Speaker 1: and come back. Okay, well, we've got to go and
Speaker 1: finish getting ready for this launch party. So excited and Lola,
Speaker 1: thank you for being with me on the podcast. I
Speaker 1: know I had to twist your arm to do this,
Speaker 1: but you did such a good job.
Speaker 2: Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1: This is really exciting and I'm so happy that you're
Speaker 1: all coming on this journey with me. We started out
Speaker 1: from zero. We're you know, go and full steam ahead,
Speaker 1: and we have so much to learn and so much
Speaker 1: to grow into with this brand, and it's just really
Speaker 1: feel so fun and supportive to have all of your
Speaker 1: support behind us. So thank you everybody for listening. The
Speaker 1: fashion line is called Me by Jenny Garth and it
Speaker 1: is now available on KBC dot com, so you can
Speaker 1: go check it out and you can follow us on
Speaker 1: the insta at Me by Jenny Garth. It's really pretty.
Speaker 1: You don't want to check that out. And here's the thing.
Speaker 1: As we continue to choose ourselves each week, I want
Speaker 1: to challenge you to something new this week. I want
Speaker 1: you to think about the last time you did something
Speaker 1: that scared you, like me starting this new fashion line.
Speaker 1: It's scary, y'all, but I'm so glad I did it.
Speaker 1: I'll be able to cherish these memories with my daughter forever.
Speaker 1: Big scary things or little scary things. When is the
Speaker 1: last time you pushed yourself to try something out of
Speaker 1: your comfort zone? I want you to think about that.
Speaker 1: Sometimes the things that make us grow the most are
Speaker 1: when we step into unfamiliar places. Thanks for listening to
Speaker 1: I Choose Me You can check out all of our
Speaker 1: social links on our show notes. Make sure to follow, rate,
Speaker 1: and review the podcast, and use the hashtag I Choose me.
Speaker 1: I will be right here next week. I hope you
Speaker 1: choose to be here too,