MIRANDA KERR: GIRL MOST LIKELY
From model to mogul in the making, Kerr is on the trajectory to global business success - by Adriana Donnola
Leading the charge for efficacy in certified organic skincare is the one-woman powerhouse, Miranda Kerr. With modelling taking more of a back seat these days, the 35-year-old is clearly enjoying her recent career move—a strategic shift into the role of global beauty entrepreneur. As her dog, Teddy, barks in the background, Kerr calls in from the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel, their 10-month-old baby Hart and eight-year-old Flynn (Kerr’s son with actor Orlando Bloom) on a late and cold Friday afternoon. It’s been a hectic week in LA for the Kora Organics founder: her global team has been on the ground for its biannual conference, and a business dinner beckons. Before moving back into planning mode, though, Kerr takes a moment to reflect on how much her world has changed since introducing her third baby, Kora Organics, to the international stage.
INSTYLE: It seems like modelling has stepped to the side in favour of business these days…
MIRANDA KERR: [Starting my company] has been a labour of love, that’s for sure. I’m so grateful for my modelling career and [all] those experiences…if I didn’t have [that] I wouldn’t have been able to self-fund my business. I still do modelling jobs, but it has been almost two decades [now]. I’ve always been interested in the core business of my clients, not just being the “face” but really understanding their demographic, what they stand for and what their goals are. I wanted to know so I could represent their brand in the best and most authentic way possible and I learnt a lot that way. I knew I wanted to have my own company and so I invested my own money into Kora Organics. It’s not like I’m just the face of it— I own the company and I’m across every aspect, from research and development to marketing, retail, managing the P and L [profit and loss] and cash flow.
You’ve been at the forefront of promoting a holistic approach to beauty, so you must be thrilled that organic skincare is finally having its moment in the spotlight…
I’m incredibly excited about people becoming more aware of the ingredients in skincare and I think the next step is for people [to] realise the importance of being actually certified organic. What’s interesting now is that there is so much scientific research available comparing non-organic versus organic [ingredients], so when you are buying Kora Organics, you’re getting much more than just clean beauty—you’re getting a brand that’s certified through Ecocert Cosmos [the international organic certification body].
Are there significant women in business who have inspired you?
I have to say that [Belgian fashion designer] Diane von Furstenberg is an incredible woman who inspires other women. I very much believe in that same philosophy of uplifting and empowering other.
You named your baby Hart after your husband’s grandfather, and you’re very close to your family, too. How do you make sure family is at the forefront when life gets hectic?
My team understands that my family comes first—I’m going to come into the office after I drop my son to school, [or] do a conference call when my little baby is napping. When people know what to expect, you can manage those expectations. It’s also important that my kids see that I’m a working mum and I have my own business and that their dad has his own business and we both work hard and money doesn’t grow on trees! I’ve told Flynn already that he needs to start saving for his first car, so he started a lemonade stand. He gets lemons from the backyard and makes the lemonade himself with a little friend—they go outside on our driveway and sell lemonade, so he’s already saving for his first car! I told him I’m not going to buy him everything, he’s got to work for it. Of course you want to spoil them, [but] that’s how my parents raised me and that’s why I have the work ethic [that I do].
For more with Miranda Kerr pick-up the April issue of InStyle Australia from March 14th.
Source: instylemag.com.au