She’s a woman who has a dream
Tracy Stone, 49, is managing director of
Gant. She lives in London with her second husband and has two grown-up sons
from her first marriage.
“I never intended to work in retail, but I
was a hard-up young mum, so I went and got a Saturday job. I had been studying
law, but didn’t complete my training. My then-husband and my parents would look
after the boys while I worked in the Bhs homes department. I loved it, and
ended up on its management training scheme. By the time I left eight years
later, I was the first woman manager of a top-20 store.
“I started with a high-street Saturday
job and, now, I’ve doubled the size of Gant UK”
Every time I take a step forward in my
career, my goals stretch. Thirty years ago, my ambition was to be a shop
manager. However, in the past five years at Gant, I’ve doubled the size of the
business, set up its first e-commerce site, and opened an 8,000 square foot
flagship store on Regent Street.
My career has been all about growing and
developing brands, I also love fashion and, at Gant, I’ve been able to marry
the two. These days, women of my age don’t have to look like our mothers.
Quality of fabric, cut and the way things are put together are so important.
Luckily, no, you can look good at any age.
I’m 50 this year and have no intention of
slowing down. I’d love to volunteer, perhaps working with local children, I
also want to mentor. My mentor, Mair Barners, was on the board of Gant, and she
taught me so much. I’d like to do the same for other young women.*
She’s a successful entrepreneur
Laura Tenison MBE, 45, is the founder
and managing director of Jojo Maman Bébé. She is married and has two sons.
“Jojo Maman Bébé is now an international
brand worth £30m, but I still sell on trade-fair stands”
“Jojo Maman Bébé is now 19 years old and,
in the current economic climate, we’re doing well, but we can’t rest on our
laurels. I was at a trade fair in New York in January and sold my heart out.
You’ll not find many MDs of £30m companies on trade stands, but it’s too
important to delegate.
My parents told me I had to get a job as a
secretary, but I wanted to launch my own fashion company, so went to work for
Aquascutum to learn about the industry. After a few months, I decided I’d
learnt everything I needed to know, but the banks wouldn’t lend me a penny. So
I spotted a gap in the market as a property agent in France, then 18 months
later sold my business as a going concern, and that gave me my start-up
capital.
I’m lucky to have both a business brain and
an eye for design. I love monitoring the cash flow forecast and analysing where
we are, but I also love the brand. We now employ a wonderful team of designers,
but every now and then, I get involved with the process and they produce one of
my ideas.
If you’re a workaholic, the great thing
about children is that you have to down tools and concentrate on them. Family
meals together, talking about things that don’t include work or homework, are
special. The boys are very sporty, and I spend my weekends standing on various
touchlines. As my children get older, I love them more and more. They are
incredibly supportive of the fact that I need to work. My greatest sense of
achievement is that my children are proud of me – now that’s more important
than any award or MBE”
We don’t have set ideas about life
“Generation Y Not” women are healthier. A
survey found that three out of five women who visit a gym or health club are
over 40, while another showed we’re 80 per cent more likely than the under 40s
to feel healthy. We’re also happier. Sure, our lives aren’t problem free, but
we have more freedom, more choice, and we both feel and look good. Plus our
experience and self-belief mean we don’t need to impress or seek approval.
