Jenni Kayne is the perfect embodiment of her namesake California-based brand with her effortless style (think: chunky cashmere sweaters, casual button-downs, and pointed-toe mules), natural beauty (hello, wavy locks!), and laid-back approach to life (and all her retail stores boast a neutral, airy, and comfortable environment to match).

Since launching her eponymous brand at just 19 (!), Kayne’s once fashion-focused label has grown into a thriving lifestyle brand, with seven brick-and-mortar stores (and counting) fully stocked with their covetable wardrobe staples, everyday dining wares, home décor, furniture, and more. Turns out, we all want to live that Jenni Kayne life.

Here, Kayne shares the secret to her brand’s successful brick-and-mortar retail strategy, the biggest lessons she’s learned along the way, and her #1 piece of advice for fellow female entrepreneurs striving to grow their businesses.

CREATE & CULTIVATE: You launched your brand at just 19 years old and it has evolved into an all-encompassing lifestyle brand across fashion to furniture and dining. When you started your namesake line, did you ever think it would be what it is today? What was the vision back then? What do you know now that you wish you had known at 19?

JENNI KAYNE: I launched Jenni Kayne as a traditional fashion brand at the age of 19, but I always had aspirations of building a lifestyle brand. It took time and patience to build the brand and also to assemble the right team to help me get here.

Jenni Kayne has seen tremendous growth in recent years with the expansion into furniture and you're opening five new stores next year. Why do you think brick-and-mortar stores have been such a successful retail strategy for you when we've seen other big brands decline there? What's the secret to your success?

I’ve always believed in retail, and for us, it has been more successful and impactful than wholesale ever was. I opened my first store about 12 years ago and never looked back. I think it’s really powerful to be able to walk into a space that brings the brand to life. A store should be an opportunity for the customer to see what the brand is all about, from the architecture and fixtures to the music and smell and, of course, the beautiful products. It should all make people understand the brand in a way they never could with just seeing the collection in a crowded space among other designers. As the retail landscape has changed, we have adapted by focusing on activations in stores and content to bring the digital experience to life for our customers.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?

I’ve hit many bumps along the road. To handle them, I think staying positive and secure in your vision is key. At the same time, you also have to be flexible and adaptable. Staying open and surrounding myself with people who are smarter than me in their areas of expertise has always helped me see new roads and adapt to change.

With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?

The growth we have had in the last few years is so exciting and keeps me busy and inspired. My team is incredible and their drive and motivation are infectious.

You have proven your ability to do more than just one thing—you've built a successful clothing brand, a home décor line, and you have a blog Rip & Tan—what advice do you have for other women who want to pursue their many creative interests as you have? What have you learned from taking the multi-hyphenate career path instead of "staying in your lane?"

I see all of these as elements of one thing—it’s a lifestyle. Jenni Kayne is about living well and living beautifully. I want women to come to me for everything from wellness, to what to cook, how to decorate, what to set your table with, what to wear, and everything in between. If you have a clear vision for what you want to create you don’t need to play by the rules.  

You've achieved phenomenal success, but that didn't come without hard work and determination. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way and what have they taught you?

I’ve learned that you need to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. It truly takes a village. I’m also a big believer that balance is key and I believe in the importance of patience.  

What is the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make professionally? And how did you get through it?

I’ve had so many but the one that stands out is the decision to close my kids and home store that was adjacent to my clothing store in Montecito years ago. This was my introduction to the world of home before I was making my own pieces. Unfortunately, it was losing money and draining a lot of my team’s time and effort. I was so in love with it and emotionally attached, so it was a very hard decision, but I knew it had to be done. I trusted my team and trusted that one day we would be able to make these categories ourselves successfully. We launched Jenni Kayne Home in 2017 and I’m so proud of it. It was worth the wait. 

What do you wish people knew about being an entrepreneur? What are the biggest misconceptions?

How hard it is! I feel fortunate that I dove in when I was so young and didn’t know any better. I think that sense of naivety gave me the courage to just go for it.

What is the best advice you’ve received? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

Nature is slow yet everything gets accomplished. It’s a reminder for me to slow down and just be patient.  

You recently published your book Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining as a deeper guide to the simple and elegant Jenni Kayne lifestyle, what was the writing process like for you? What can you share some advice to aspiring writers reading this who wants to be an author one day?

Making the book was so fun, but also a lot of work! We shot everything in a four-week period because of how tight timelines were. Planning all of the shoots and executing them took a lot of my time as well as a lot of help from my team. I worked with a copywriter to help me get my ideas on paper, and my little sister Saree also has a hand in editing it along with me.  It took a lot of time and revisions to get it right, but I am so proud of the result.   

What's a mistake you made and what did you learn from it? How did you turn it into an opportunity?

With the book in mind, if I could go back, I would have pushed for a later launch date so that we could have had more time. The things I am most critical about in the book could have been solved by having more time. Another reminder that patience is key!

At C&C we’re always talking about money because we want more women to have financial freedom and be the ones pulling the strings and making the big decisions. You have definitely made some smart choices when it comes to money—can you share the best piece of money advice you’ve learned in your career? What should women be doing with their money now to invest in the future?

Julia Hunter, our CEO, is really the one to credit for the brand’s financial successes and vision. I look to her for advice and insight here. Her approach to building a business is in line with my emphasis on patience. She believes in building from the ground up and also making decisions based on instinctual timing. Of course, financial decisions should be made based on data and strategy, but also by trusting your gut and taking the occasional risk. Our home launch is an example of this. We patiently built the brand and finally launched our home collection when we knew our business was ready for it, but it also felt like it was truly the right time for us to grow in that way.

What is your #1 advice for new entrepreneurs? How can they achieve the same success you've experienced? What advice do you have for women who are trying to grow their businesses? 

I think it’s most important to believe in yourself, but also to build allies by authentically advocating for other women you respect. This is important whether they’re industry peers or team members who support you and your vision.

What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?

Any of Brene Brown’s books. I could read them over and over again and still and take away something new each time.

Photographer: Jenna Peffley

Hair: Styled by OGXpert & Celebrity Hairstylist Jillian Halouska

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.