Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Nicole Richie
“Lean into the fear of believing in yourself and your work.”
Over the past two decades, Nicole Richie has cemented her status not only as an influential style icon but as a forward-thinking entrepreneur in the fashion industry.
As the founder and creative director of House of Harlow 1960, Richie has expanded the brand beyond its original jewelry offering to include apparel, shoes, handbags, and more, positioning it as a prolific lifestyle brand. In an interview with Second Life, Richie revealed that the brand has maintained a 30% year-over-year growth increase since 2016 and is one of the top 10 best-selling brands at mega online retailer Revolve.
Of course, before Richie launched House of Harlow 1960, she was best known for her role on the 2003 reality television show “The Simple Life.” Ahead, Richie reveals how she successfully made the career transition from reality television star to serious fashion designer, including the #1 piece of advice she has for anyone hoping to break into Hollywood, and the biggest lessons she’s learned from building her brand.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: You launched your company House of Harlow 1960 over 10 years ago, and it has since grown from a jewelry company to encompass apparel, accessories, and lifestyle products. What’s the biggest lesson you've learned by expanding your business?
NICOLE RICHIE: This isn’t a lesson per se, but every challenge I have come across while building my business has been valuable.
You've successfully made the pivot from reality star to creative director of a fashion label to an actor (and more). What advice do you have for people reading this who want to make a similar pivot in their career but don't know where to start or fear the leap?
When you love something, you find time and space to honor that part of you.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
Take the time to step back. Listen to your intuition. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
“Invest in anything that you feel helps define you and your brand.”
You're a modern multi-hyphenate. What advice do you have for others reading this who don't have their eyes on one set career path? How do they go about it?
It’s not only enjoyable but it’s necessary for us to honor all sides of ourselves. Do it for yourself first because you love it, and then see if you want to make a career out of it.
You've been very smart and savvy with your business and it's been incredibly profitable. Which is the most important area for business owners to focus their financial energy? Why?
There are endless options for where to focus your financial energy. Invest in anything that you feel helps define you and your brand.
You always seem so bold and self-assured—where do you think this confidence stems from? What advice do you have for people who are feeling self-doubt and want to have more courage?
I do not always feel confident, and that’s okay. Lean into the fear of believing in yourself and your work.
You've achieved phenomenal success but that didn't come without hard work and determination. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced and how did you turn it into an opportunity?
Our challenges can be the best gifts. Lean into them!
Even though you’re a pro, sometimes things don’t always go as planned. How do you work around the worst-case-scenario when it comes true? Can you recall a mistake you made in your career? How did you handle it and turn it into an opportunity?
I’m the most confident in the areas I have made mistakes in. I’m the type of person who has to do things a few times and realize it’s not working in order to be confident in the way I want to do it. It’s a process. Like I said, challenges are here for us.
You have an incredibly busy schedule juggling multiple businesses, acting, and raising a family. What are your productivity hacks for getting it all done?
My key to getting it all done is accepting that I cannot get it all done. I do what I can. Balance is a priority for me. I can procrastinate and get behind on work with the best of them. I love working and spending time with my family is just as important, so I do what I can within those boundaries.
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 in building your brand?
Hold on to your DNA. Your signature. It’s not easy. It’s a constant challenge. You have to almost be aggressive about it.
“My key to getting it all done is accepting that I cannot get it all done. I do what I can.”
What traits do you need to succeed as an entrepreneur or a founder in the competitive start-up environment of today? Why? What do you think set you apart from the competition? Why?
You need to be knowledgeable in all areas of your business. Having help is necessary, of course, but no one will be able to shape your brand like you.
What advice would you give to young actors who are hoping to break into Hollywood but are feeling overwhelmed by the competition?
Have confidence in your individuality. You are an original. Don’t forget it.
Success is such a broad term and it means something different to everyone. How do you define success? What does being successful mean to you?
Success to me is living in creativity and balance.
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTERTAINMENT LIST HERE.
The 10 Must Read Takeaways From Create & Cultivate ATL
Save yourself some stress and read this.
photo credit: Kelley Raye Photography
The speakers at Create & Cultivate never disappoint. They never fail with the mic and knowledge drop. Here are ten of our favorite moments from last weekend at #CreateCultivateATL.
AYESHA CURRY ON NOT GIVING YOURSELF BOUNDARIES: “The moment I gave myself a ceiling is the moment everything fell apart. The moment I removed the ceiling, things started happening. I threw that ceiling in the garbage.”
ADRIANNA ADARME OF A COZY KITCHEN ON MOTIVATION: “My motivation was I didn’t have a Plan B. And that still really motivates me. There is so much competition and so many people that are super talented, and to honor the place where I’m at I have to think that way.”
"I didn’t have a Plan B. And that still really motivates me."
Tweet this.
MANDY KELLOGG RYE OF WAITING ON MARTHA ON THE HUSTLE: “I worked two full time jobs for two years. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s beginning or end. I bet none of you followed me when I had 100 followers. This is sacrifice and struggling with finances. Just keep fighting the good fight.”
RACH MARTINO ON SPENDING THE MONEY: “Hire a professional photographer. That first hundred dollars was really hard to give up, but it changed everything for me.”
DOLLEY FREARSON CO-FOUNDER OF HIGH FASHION HOME ON HARD WORK: “Practice like you’re in second, play like you’re in first. It’s a [Steph Curry] quote that applies to the business world because it is about pounding the pavement, putting in the hours and working really hard. Know your competition, respect the competition and push yourself to the limit in any industry. In the end it ends up elevating everyone’s game.”
"The moment I removed the ceiling, things started happening. I threw that ceiling in the garbage.”
Tweet this.
SUSAN TYNAN FOUNDER OF FRAMEBRIDGE ON THE ‘TOP’: “You’re the one ultimately responsible, so you can’t throw blame anywhere else.”
IVKA ADAM ON BEING FOUNDER OF ICONERY: “If you’re not comfortable with uncertainty it’s important to bring someone in as a partner who is comfortable with it, or find ways to bolster that. Ultimately if it’s too rocky for you, it may not make sense for you to start a business. You are unsure every day; it’s so up and down. You have to know yourself and how you handle uncertainty."
IVA PAWLING CO-FOUNDER OF RICHER POORER ON ROLES AT THE TOP CHANGING: “The guy isn’t always the numbers or the brains behind the operation. And the woman is not just the creative. Don’t get hung up on it.”
ANNA LIESEMEYER OF IN HONOR OF DESIGN ON FINDING YOUR TRIBE: "Whether it’s a friend or significant other, it helps to have an outside perspective to give you a set of wings."
NICOLE RICHIE ON TAKING THE 'EASY' ROUTE: "If your want to save yourself some energy, just be yourself. There's nothing else to be. We each have something to bring to the table. I think instead of looking outward and focusing on what everyone else is doing, you have to have trust and faith enough in yourself to know that you’re going to bring something totally different.”
And honorary mic drop from our own editorial director:
"We're not here to play the game, we're here to change it."
Tweet this.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
Why Nicole Richie Would Make the Best BFF
As if you don't have reasons enough already.
Inventor. Artist. Ex-Girlfriend. Australian. These are all titles Nicole Richie took on in season 2 of her VH1 series "Candidly Nicole." But while it's universally accepted that Richie is a quick-witted comedic Queen, capable of the above and more, she also takes her businesses (multiple), her friendships (more than multiple), and her role as mother (just 2) very seriously.
Almost nine years ago Richie launched House of Harlow 1960, shortly after the birth of her first child, becoming mom and mom to her career simultaneously.
“At that time I had so many fears,” she says. “I had a newborn baby. I was twenty-six. I was starting a new business. I was one of three people that I knew with a baby that was my age. I had no idea what the future would bring. I didn’t even know if I wanted to turn it into a full-blown brand yet.”
Which, is exactly what is has become. The initial 50-piece costume jewelry line has developed into ready-to-wear, eyewear, footwear, and handbags. The most recent collection was released in partnership with Revolve.
Though entrepreneur wasn't exactly a role she imagined for herself, Richie got a taste of that business life, liked it, and last November held the inaugural Pearl xChange in Los Angeles. It is her live-event series for women who want to make connections, share knowledge, and listen to speakers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Marianne Williamson drop some.
At first glance, it’s very similar to Create & Cultivate. That’s not a problem for Richie, who was a keynote at Create & Cultivate Atlanta in conversation with HelloGiggles co-founder Sophia Rossi.
“This is a perfect example,” Richie says, “of how two people in the same business with the same interests understand that we each have strengths. Joining together only helps us spread our wings, reach even more people, build the energy and make the vibration stronger.”
“Joining together only helps us spread our wings, build the energy and make the vibration stronger.”
Tweet this.
It’s the matter of competition being able to life us higher, together, not further apart and it’s a direction she’s focussing a lot of her energy. “I am able to see other people’s strengths where I have weaknesses. That’s not putting myself down, that’s understanding who I am and wanting to build myself up and make myself stronger. I’m so excited to be a part of the Create & Cultivate conference and spend time with other like-minded people who have been in this business longer than me.”
This approach is a through-line with Richie and many of her successful friends.
“Rachel Zoe is an example of a woman where there are a lot of parallels in our careers,” says Richie. “That being said, do we look at each other as competition? Absolutely not. Rachel is Rachel and I’m me. We’re two individuals. We have different lives. I’m so happy for her and I love going out and supporting her."
“Rachel has been very open with me,” she adds, “and this is very important to say, she’s been so open about the ins and outs of her business. She's never once said, ‘You’re on your own.’”
This approach has only helped them both. You can do it by yourself, Richie explains, “but you’re really limiting yourself. I can only get so far on my own."
She brings up longtime friend Sophia Rossi, who likewise understands the sisterhood of business. “Her business is HelloGiggles," says Richie. "It’s online, it’s so different than what I do, but we have found ways to collaborate and I’m really passionate about my friendship with her. She’s somebody who is a true connector. She has no skin in the fashion game, but she loves me and she wants to see her friends succeed.” Friends like Clique Media co-founder Katherine Power. “Sophia started a few years after Katherine, but she is the first person to say, ‘I just copied everything Katherine did. I listened to everything she said and she was my mentor.’”
“Those girls are the perfect example of two friends going after kind of the same thing but who have done nothing but support each other and maintain the closeness. You’re never going to produce the same thing, it’s just not possible. We don’t have the same souls.”
With Pearl xChange Richie wants to take this notion a step further. “When I hear other girls say, ‘Oh, I don’t have a lot of girlfriends,’ or ‘I don’t trust other girls,” I, personally, don’t understand what that means,” she says. “We have to get over that. It has to be a thing of the past and it’s really important to me. To say, or ask, ‘How can I help?’ ‘What can I give?’ and ‘What is the one thing that I have that I can offer?’”
She brings up advice Marianne Williams gave the audience at the first Pearl xChange. “She spoke a lot about us understanding our own strengths and how that takes more confidence than we know. Feeling good within ourselves about what we have to offer— that’s harder than a lot of people think.”
Adding, “There is no how-to book, but the idea of ‘this is how you do it’ can be thrown out. You can create your own way.”
“The idea of ‘this is how you do it’ can be thrown out. You can create your own way.”
Tweet this.
In her thirties Nicole feels more confident and secure in her decisions, her "own way," than ever before. That means exploring and pushing herself and finding new sides of who she is. “You really have to put yourself out there, give everything that you have, and do it authentically.”
“It’s been a slow and steady process of me finding the confidence in myself to take the reigns of my own business and my own life.”
“I think the key is to find the thing that you love and figure out how to turn that into a business. And just be that. Don’t worry about being anything else. Then you’ll feel like your life has alignment and true flow.”