Meet Lucy Kebbell, founder of The Vendeur

I’m Lucy Kebbell, stylist, journalist and founder of ethical publication The Vendeur and soon to launch, The WIP.

I originally began in luxury fashion editorial, working very hard for very little money. I loved my job working at glossy magazines however I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t happy with what I was achieving. When I learnt more about the negative impact that fashion is having on our planet, I decided to pivot and instead launch my website The Vendeur. I now feel so much more purpose through my work, knowing that every time I write an article or support a sustainable brand, I am helping, not hindering our planet. 

Any new product launches we should know about?

Yes, I am excited to be working on a new wing of The Vendeur, a digital membership platform to support small sustainable businesses called The WIP. We’ll be doing a Kickstarter campaign to raise awareness and pre-sell memberships before launching the platform in October. 

What was my lightbulb moment?

It came during the pandemic after offering additional support to my founder community. I also began leading a monthly meet-up for entrepreneurs in my area, which I find to be a really rewarding way to spend my extra time stuck at home. I was hearing the same issues time and again: people were time poor and cash poor. Many had pivoted from a different career like me and lacked an address book of people who could effectively support them. I thought - why not create a platform where people can meet each other and gain business knowledge within their sustainable and ethical niche?

How do I set myself apart from other businesses?

By being me. It sounds corny but once I embraced the fact that I am a passionate person, with opinions and ideas, everything clicked into place. My background working in fashion has also really helped me create a brand and a voice that is all my own. The Vendeur, and soon The WIP come from a practical place, but I have added my own attention to detail. People often remark that we are unique. 

What plans do I have for my business over the next two years?

I am so excited to launch The WIP and really make a difference to people's businesses. I want the community to grow and for the space to be known in the industry as ‘the only place to be’ if you want to grow your ethical business. I also want The Vendeur to grow alongside The WIP, providing editorial and advertising support. I hope to bring on board a permanent team soon, so that I don’t have to do the things I hate like my taxes or all my own website uploading and maintenance.

What’s the biggest lesson I’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

I feel like the biggest lessons are yet to come as I prepare to pre-sell memberships for The WIP via a Kickstarter campaign. However, through everything, I am learning that I am far more capable than I initially realised. Plus, having a good team is crucial. Employing people who are good at their jobs, frees me up to do other things, and means that what they deliver for me is probably better than I could have done myself. I’m learning how to be a good middle woman!

Do you prioritise self-care as an entrepreneur?

This is still very much a work in progress for me. I have always thrown myself 120% into any task I set for myself. However, running a business during lockdown, as well as having a baby, have taught me that self-care has to be a more intrinsic part of my life. Spending what little time I have during the day to work doing a course, going for a walk by myself or reading a book before bedtime are still hard for me to get my head round. However, I am trying to set a better example for my baby as to what a work life balance looks like.

Is it possible to build a strong and successful business without social media?

I have a love hate relationship with social media. I don’t really want to use it, but it’s drummed into us how crucial it is as a small business to utilise a free tool for publicity. And whilst I recognise the benefits, I am working to build something that won’t rely on social media in the future. Having had a Myspace page (without telling you my age!), I know how important but fleeting these things can be. Plus, I often feel uncomfortable with the power and lack of accountability many of these silicone valley companies have. It simply doesn’t align with my values as a business owner. However, if you can see it for what it is, a tool to aid you in building a strong business, but not one hinged on the existence of social media, then I think a balance can be struck.

What Social media channel has worked the best for me?

As much as I prefer working with Instagram, I’ve really struggled to be heard there. However, when I hired a Pinterest consultant last year, the results were really exciting. Through learning how to create pins, how to properly write copy that earned good ranking and when to post, I saw a huge increase in traffic to the website. I stepped away from Facebook, somewhere I spent a lot of time but saw little return, and instead put more energy into Pinterest and now LinkedIn too. I feel that, as opposed to Facebook, LinkedIn naturally reaches more people that are important to my business. It’s about quality not quantity for me. 

What are my thoughts of failure?

Failure seems to be an ever-present threat for so many entrepreneurs. It holds so much power until we stop and really think about what failure looks like and how it would make us feel. Of course, everyone's situation is different, but meditating on failure has led me to believe that it’s more a state of mind, than a state of certainty. Am I worried all my hard work may amount to less or nothing? Of course, but by shifting my mindset, I am reevaluating what my goals are and why failure isn’t always a bad thing. A previous career ‘failure’ led me down the path I am currently on so I try not to regret them. This has taught me to fear possible future failures a bit less.

Which 4 entrepreneurs would I be in a room with and why?

• The first has to be Sharmadean Reid, founder of Beauty Stack and previous founder of Wah nails. Her journey from fashion stylist to nail salon chain owner and now the founder of an incredible tech platform (which she created after realising that no one was revolutionising beauty booking systems) is quite close to my own. However, her thirst for knowledge and unending enthusiasm is more inspiring to me. 

• Genia Mineeva, founder of BEEN London would be the second. She founded her handbag company by thinking of a way to use waste materials, then figured out how to make great bags. I just love how ‘out of the box’ her thinking is, and how unwavering she is in her quest to make the fashion industry greener.

• Lisa Sexton is the founder of Bolt Beauty and a wonderful friend of mine. Her warmth and support are never ending, and she has a real generosity of spirit I admire. Formerly a lawyer, she started her beauty company to help make women's lives easier and eliminate plastic waste. We currently host a ClubHouse chat together to bring other women in the industry together and lift them up. Something that is important to us both.

• I so admire Samata Pattinson, CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress, and founder of The Tribe. Simply because she’s the most knowledgeable person about sustainability in fashion, intersectional environmentalism and she has a toddler about the same age as my son. Her determination and beautiful heart are so inspiring. She’s a joy to listen to, I could all day!