UK entrepreneur Laura Ward is the founder of EXEAT, the world's best-selling luxury British court wear brand for women. Since the brand's inception in 2021, Laura has revolutionised the global tennis apparel market, leading the way as part of an exciting new breed of 'post-Brexit' UK brands with powerful global trading strategies, that fly the flag for Great Britain on the world stage.

This unparalleled success hasn't gone unnoticed. With her string of accolades that include 'Global Start-Up of The Year' and 'Start-Up Entrepreneur of The Year', the UK Government has appointed Laura 'UK Export Champion'. This esteemed role sees her working with the Government to share trade insights with ministers and other British businesses on the secrets to building a successful export brand.  Through her success with EXEAT, Laura offers valuable expertise into markets that have a thirst for brands 'made in Britain'. This notably includes the USA where EXEAT is the number one luxury UK court wear brand. 

There's always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?

My lightbulb moment came on a tennis court in Paris during 2017. I had the opportunity to move to the city with my work, which of course I leapt at but the hitch was that I didn't know anyone, so I decided to join a tennis club. Unsurprisingly, there was something about playing tennis in the fashion capital of the world, facing impossibly chic opponents across the net which made me want to up my style game on court. So, I went shopping for some fancy new kit - the creme de la creme of tennis apparel, but all I found was rail upon rail of the same old boring, unflattering mass-produced sportswear.

I was gobsmacked that the top end of the court wear market didn't seem to exist, not least because tennis is so famous for its rich sartorial heritage. That was my lightbulb moment to create the high quality, deeply luxurious tennis apparel that female players deserve, because tennis historically is a fundamental sport for women's empowerment. It was the first sport women were 'legally' allowed to play in the 1800s and the first sport women were permitted to compete in at the 1900 Paris Olympics. It's also consistently the sport in which female athletes command the highest fees in the world. Now that's worth celebrating!

Tell us about your experience prior to launching your business?

My background is advertising and prior to EXEAT I had no experience in the fashion industry so it's been a significant pivot. My career began in 2002 working with brands like Audi, Unilever and British Airways creating their advertising campaigns and getting a masterclass in global brand building along the way. In 2011 I founded my own company TLA - one of the first Influencer Marketing agencies in Europe with clients including Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, Jaguar Land Rover and several major European governments. We pioneered the creator economy (Instagram had launched just a year before) and today the industry as a whole is worth $15bn. It's a great source of pride that TLA played a role in that, because initially people just didn't believe it would work.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?

'I wake up naturally between 5am-6am and gulp down a litre of room temperature water (which I fill the night before so there are no excuses), a cup of PG tips and a slice of rye bread with Vegemite (a habit picked up from my Aussie father). Then I get outside and move my body for an hour or so - whether that's a few sets of tennis, a bike ride, or a hike into the Wiltshire countryside. When I'm in London I row on the Thames in a one-woman skull. It takes discipline, especially when it's dark and raining but exercise first thing is an essential part of my routine and leaves me feeling fortified and optimistic for the day ahead.

What does your business offer its target audience?

We create cult high fashion tennis apparel for the world’s most stylish players who are looking for far more than just ‘four-way-stretch’ and ‘breathability’ from their sportswear.  EXEAT’s unique design ethos is a celebration of tennis’ rich sartorial heritage and is rooted in the principle that great court wear shouldn’t simply perform well, it should also have an exceptionally flattering fit, be breath-takingly chic and exquisitely crafted in cutting-edge sustainable fabric.  By fusing those elements we create forward thinking, forever court wear that’s designed to last a lifetime.

What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?

• No is just a starting place. As an entrepreneur you need to become the master of alchemising 'no' into 'yes'.

• Cash is king and therefore it is crucial to have a decent working knowledge of your accounts. P&L, balance sheet, accruals etc... do not just leave the numbers up to your bookkeeper and accountant. Do not say to yourself 'I'm just not a spreadsheets person'. As an entrepreneur the buck stops with you, spend the time educating yourself.

• And on that note, educate yourself in business. Read the books, listen to the podcasts, immerse yourself in wisdom of other great founders and commercial brains.  Some recommended reading: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, Ride Of A Lifetime by Bob Iger, The Dip by Seth Godin and Originals by Adam Grant.

• And finally, be in the business of making something great. Not something that's OK. Or Good. Or better than the competition. But something really, really great that leaves a legacy.

What are your thoughts on failure?

You’re not doing it right if you’re not failing regularly at the start of your venture.  The valuable lessons learnt from failure are essential to growth and the most effective way to future-proof your business. Bouncing back from a failure, stronger, smarter and more resilient is one of the best feelings in the world – I highly recommend it!

What’s the most important question entrepreneurs should be asking themselves?

What’s your North Star? If you know where you’re going it makes decision making and staying focused when the going gets tough an awful lot easier. Our North Star at EXEAT is securing 2% of tennis’ $6bn apparel industry by 2030 and that’s what we measure every single opportunity against. We say no more than we say yes.

What would be your top marketing tip, to grow a business that is niche?

Focus your approach by seeking out social media influencers who are active in your niche – working with them will be one of the most effective ways for your brand to gain powerful credibility and awareness within your target audience and grow your social media community online. You can then use this new follower data to create really accurate look-a-like audiences within your meta ads which is another brilliant and essential marketing channel for niche brands.

What do you think gives a brand longevity?

A deep understanding and respect for your customer, high quality products, superlative customer service, a tenacious marketing department and a vanguard sustainability practice.

How did you fund the launch of your business and what creative strategies did you use to execute a minimal cash flow?

The business was bootstrapped by me at launch which meant we had to work smart with a tiny budget. Spending on best-in-class product development and effective marketing was essential but we made a huge saving by shooting all of our own photography in-house despite having no photography experience.  We brought an ancient Canon 5D on ebay for £300 and taught ourselves how to use it from YouTube tutorials.  This approach saved us around £50k and it always makes us smile when we see our ‘DIY’ pictures next to Chanel adverts in Vogue.