Lucy Johnson - Founder - Lovebrook & Green

Department stores are dead.

But not at Lovebrook & Green.

Lucy Johnson is the founder of Lovebrook and Green - an imminently launching ethical and luxury online department store.

"Come back when you have traction", "You're too early", "The market isn't big enough", "There's not enough demand this". 

When we look at what failed in department stores like Debenhams and House of Fraser, it's often blamed on the increased cost of rent, business rates, cost of staffing - in other words what was dragging the business model down.

But barely do we scrutinise what actually did fail: lack of innovation, the downfall of good customer service and a retail experience that would bring you back every time. 

We spoke about:

- Coal drop's yard! For those not familiar with King's Cross in London - the redevelop of the area is truly a work of art. One that has retained a significant portion of original buildings and architecture. Great for cities and the environment too, given how much construction contributes to our carbon footprint.

- Lucy's journey of political journalism that started in Pakistan and across the Middle East that throughout time saw her witness and report the most difficult and challenging of times - some of which have shaped many of those regions to what they are today, working with the likes of The Associated Press and ITN.

- Becoming a 'green coach' to individuals and businesses, helping with the transition into a better future for the planet. Alongside this, Lucy worked with individuals who suffer from eco-anxiety, caused by the impacts of not knowing what the state of our planet could be for our family, children and generations to come.

- Relationship building and six degrees of separation. We spoke about at length how Lucy acquired her first 100 customers and since has scaled to a customer base of 20,000. The answer isn't thousands of £££s on Google or Meta. We also touched on direct approaches like personalised mail and in-person engagements - something tech founders will avoid to prioritise building behind a screen.

- Playing the fundraising 'game'. 

"Come back when you have traction", "You're too early", "The market isn't big enough", "There's not enough demand this". 

Statements like these are too vague and too generic, but also, I understand why investors (including myself) will say them. The thing, understanding investor motivations (particularly angels) is key to successfully closing a round - especially your first.

Thank you as ever to Vestd for supporting our series!