In short
Janae Naylor’s “second life” journey from retail management to full-time fashion creator, then launching her own eyewear brand, 12PM Studios.
Guest background
Janae Naylor (also behind luxury fashion blog Hilo Lux). Studied fashion merchandising (aimed at fashion buying). Worked retail at Aldo and Nordstrom, then joined Target after being recruited by a Target store manager. At Target she led “Hard Lines,” later became operations manager, opened an East Coast smaller-format store, and trained/recruited (including Howard University). She later moved into visual merchandising.
Key claims
Telling the truth builds loyalty; don’t be desperate—plan for cashflow (net 30/60/90); pivot when a path doesn’t fit; gut instinct matters with brand partnerships; sunglasses were a “gap” in accessible luxury.
Notable examples
Sold out 12PM Studios’ first eyewear drop within days, generating about $400,000; interviewed Law Roach; Target Future Collective Partnership clothing line; fashion week attempts (Milan/Paris) led to a Today Show opportunity.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOFrom Hobby to Career: Janae's Early Journey
0:45 to 2:16
Janae shares her transition from a corporate job at Target to full-time content creation.
“At Target, she discovered just how much she loved working with people, training them, recruiting them, and promoting them.”
Education and Ambitions: A Fashion Foundation
2:16 to 2:59
Janae discusses her educational background and aspirations in fashion.
“And then I think I did marketing and advertising and I thought I want to do commercials.”
Retail Experience: Learning the Ropes
2:59 to 4:36
Janae recounts her early retail jobs and the lessons learned in customer service.
“It really blends the fashion and retail aspect and then just like business and marketing.”
Target: The Beginning of a New Chapter
4:36 to 7:29
Janae describes her recruitment and experiences at Target, including roles and responsibilities.
“And one of my best customers was a store manager at Target.”
Leadership at Target: Gaining Experience
7:29 to 10:15
Janae discusses her rise to leadership roles and the skills she developed at Target.
“So walk me through that time and then sort of the next step and how that work changed.”
Deciding to Leave Target: A New Direction
10:15 to 12:23
Janae explains the factors that led her to leave Target and start her own ventures.
“What are some of the most important skills you think you were honing then?”
Building a Personal Brand: The Influencer Journey
12:23 to 14:00
Janae shares her experience with building a personal brand and transitioning to full-time content creation.
“And at this point, on top of those things I was doing, Instagram became a thing.”
Preparing for the Leap
14:00 to 16:14
Learn how Jenee evaluated her finances and set herself up for success before leaving her job.
“and I'm like I can't sit in this embarrassment I can't stay here so what am I gonna do then I'm like okay maybe I'll just try this for the summer I get a bonus in May I paid off all my debt.”
Creative Freedom After Leaving Corporate
16:14 to 18:08
Discover how leaving her job opened up Jenee's creativity and changed her content approach.
“So I can only imagine that the cadence and the frequency of what you were posting when you had a day job versus betting on yourself full time would be rather significantly different.”
Building a Sustainable Income
18:08 to 19:59
Explore the learning curve Jenee faced in managing inconsistent income as a freelancer.
“So from very early on, I was like, what if, you know, I'm on the Today Show one day?”
Show all 21 chapters
Engaging with a Loyal Community
19:59 to 21:59
Understand how honesty and connection helped Jenee build her audience and brand loyalty.
“So it was a lot of self-awareness, which has become one of my best traits.”
Finding Balance in Content Creation
21:59 to 24:12
Learn how Jenee manages her time and workload across different content platforms while staying creative.
“Yeah, there has to be a conversation and it goes both ways, right?”
Navigating the Fashion Industry
24:12 to 27:56
Discover the challenges Jenee faced in establishing herself in the fashion industry and how she overcame them.
“brings me the most income as far as like how I show up consistently, because I understand they always all need to be there in some form or fashion.”
Navigating Career Changes and Intentions
28:00 to 31:20
Learn how Jenee navigated her transition into fashion and set clear goals.
“You know, so much of it is we can do anything, which is a very overwhelming and daunting feeling, right?”
Becoming a Partner with Target
31:20 to 32:58
Discover the surprising journey that led Jenee to partner with Target.
“And I literally was like, OK, I need to figure out a different way.”
Launching 12PM Studios: Jenee's Sunglasses Brand
32:58 to 36:22
Explore Jenee's motivations and planning behind her new sunglasses brand.
“OK, so you decided to start something of your own.”
Responding to Market Demand and Sales Success
36:22 to 41:20
Understand how Jenee responded to overwhelming sales and customer feedback.
“manufacturing, distributing, marketing products, like that is a whole additional skill set, lots of pieces of which you already had.”
Learning from Mistakes in Entrepreneurship
41:20 to 42:00
Jenee reflects on her career mistakes and the lessons learned.
“That is incredibly exciting and also really just shows like you have been true to yourself through this whole process.”
Learning from Mistakes in Business
42:00 to 43:35
Janae reflects on her experiences with brands and the importance of trusting instincts.
“There's several little ones I want to mention.”
Advice for Career Pivots
43:35 to 45:59
Janae offers practical advice for those considering a career change and emphasizes the importance of intentionality.
“What advice would you give someone who's thinking about the next thing but just hasn't done it quite yet?”
Reflecting on Personal Growth
45:59 to 48:12
Janae shares insights on her journey and the realizations she had about her career potential.
“It can turn into other things and that's okay.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:05Jenee Naylor:Hi, everyone. I'm Hilary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who What Where, and this is Second Life, a podcast spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers. We're talking about their work journeys, what they've learned from the process of setting aside their doubts or fears, and what happens when they embark on their second life. Today on the show, I'm speaking with Janae Naylor, founder of 12PM Studios and the personality behind the luxury fashion blog, Hilo Lux. Like many professional content creators, Janae started Hilo Lux as a hobby. It was a creative outlet she clung to while working in her high-pressure day job at Target as an operations manager.
0:51Jenee Naylor:At Target, she discovered just how much she loved working with people, training them, recruiting them, and promoting them. But after years of going above and beyond for the corporation while simultaneously growing her own audience online, Janae decided to bet on herself and left Target to pursue content creation full-time. And it paid off. As her own manager, she began drawing in hundreds of thousands of followers across platforms, making appearances at major fashion weeks, and interviewing industry legends like Law Roach. She even crossed paths with Target again later on, launching a clothing line through the chain's Future Collective Partnership.
1:34Jenee Naylor:Now, after years of growing a loyal fan base and building relationships with brands, Janae started one of her own, an eyewear brand called 12PM Studios. She launched the company this year and sold out within days of her first drop, generating$400 ,000 in sales. Janae's journey is so fascinating, and I can't wait for you to hear from her. Now, on Second Light, it's Janae Naylor. Okay, so we like to start this podcast at the beginning. So, what did you study in school, and much more importantly, what did you want to be when you grew up? I started with a dance major. I got a scholarship in that. and then that dream faded.
2:21And then I think I did marketing and advertising and I thought I want to do commercials. That's cool. That seems fun. And I was still trying to figure out how to put fashion in there. So then I was like, oh, I should be an editor. So then I tried to change it to journalism. And then my counselor was like, hey,
2:36Jenee Naylor:do you want to start over? Would you like to be here for four more years? And I was like, oh no, nevermind. Let's go back. But then we settled on fashion merchandising. So talk to me a little bit about that fashion merchandising degree? Like what are the classes like? And for our audience who might not know exactly what that means, what is the sort of natural trajectory of that degree? The goal is kind of to work in fashion and be a buyer along those lines. So it's a business degree. It really blends the fashion and retail aspect and then just like business and marketing. Okay. So I read that when you were in school, you were also working in retail, correct?
3:16Jenee Naylor:Yes. Same. Tell me a little bit about those early jobs you worked at Aldo and Nordstrom. What were those experiences teaching you? Oh, so much about just the customer experience, customer service. I always say I worked in every store in the mall. Yes. In college, my first store was the Buckle. I think that was the first time I worked on commission. And that taught me a lot about just service, styling, just how do you go above and beyond to help people outside of just getting them the size or, you know, whatever they're looking for. kind of like, where are you going this weekend? What are you buying jeans for?
3:48Oh, let me toss you some stuff in the fitting room. So that's where I really learned like what styling was. And then when I got to Nordstrom, you know, then I was like really with the big dogs. And that's where I really took it up notch. And I just fell in love with the idea of like styling and fashion. And that like is where I really learned how to sell, how to help people, how to have my own Rolodex of clients. I was always a top seller. I loved it.
4:12Jenee Naylor:I am unsurprised to hear that. So So talk to me about getting recruited by Target and what that initial role was like. Yes, it's so funny because at that point, I had just graduated and I was an assistant manager at Aldo. And then my manager left. So then I was kind of like an interim manager. And it was kind of like, oh, you know, do we give her our own store, give her more practice? And one of my best customers was a store manager at Target. And she would always come in. And all I knew about this woman is that she was just fabulous and very busy. And one day she came in and I was talking about how I just graduated.
4:48And she was like, oh, you should come work at Target. Like you have a really good work ethic. And she was just telling me about Target. My first instinct was like, no, I don't want to wear khakis every day. I was like, are you crazy? And she was like, girl, grow up. You know, she was telling me about all the benefits and, you know, the trajectory and what it could look like. And I was just kind of like, no, no. I like my cute outfit.
5:11Jenee Naylor:Thank you. Yeah. And it was crazy because the money was so much better and just like the growth potential. And like there was a lot of opportunity. So finally, I was like, I'll just interview and see. And then I interviewed and it went really well. It was a lot of rounds of interviews at the time. And then finally, they offered me the position. And I had a friend that was like, listen, I know you want to look cute every day, but like, don't be stupid because the money was so much more. I accepted the position. I went and actually got to work at her store. But it was hard. I ran the Department of Hard Lines.
5:43That's what we called it. So I had like the seasonal section, which is one of the hardest sections in the story. And I think at that time when I started, it was like going into back to school.
5:51Jenee Naylor:Oh, God. So I remember like my first week, I was like filling notebooks and pens. And I was like, I hate this because it's so hard and just like much more like labor intensive. And I was trying to get to know the team. And it was very overwhelming. It was a lot of hard work. But eventually I got it. So did you feel like your education was directly applicable to that job? Yes and no. I think my people skills at that point were coming to support. I learned how to like lead people in that role. I think that was probably the biggest part of that job. And I had done that on a very small scale. But now this was a very big store.
6:29And I think, you know, I probably had like 30 or 40 team members going from, you know, a very small box store where I had seven or 10 team members.
6:36Jenee Naylor:I mean, that is an enormous amount of people to lead, especially when you did not have a great deal of experience of managing humans. Exactly. It's like you're coming in and most of these people have been there a really long time. Like I had a very tenured team, which was helpful, right, because they knew what to do for back to school and they knew what to do in the background. But that's also very hard to lead those types of people who are telling you how we do it. you know, you kind of got to like fit in, but then also assert yourself sometimes. So it was lots of learnings of how to lead different types of people at different levels.
7:12You know, there were some new people, but a lot of people that had been there a long time.
7:15Jenee Naylor:So you ended up staying at Target for eight years, which is incredible. Talk to me a little bit about your trajectory there. Because I know you spent three years as an assistant manager, And then you started to get even more autonomy and even more responsibility. So walk me through that time and then sort of the next step and how that work changed. Yes. So probably I would say like four or five months into that role, I actually decided to move to D.C. So I was in Missouri at the time. I was like, oh, well, there's targets everywhere. So I transferred here and kind of took on the same role. But I was in a much bigger store.
7:51And that's what I really I'd tell people, like, I really started drinking the Kool-Aid. I was like, okay, this is the job for me. I became good at leading people and I love a challenge and I am very competitive. So I just like to be the best. So from there, I was an assistant manager, but kind of you just have departments. There's usually like, I think at my store, we had like nine leaders that had departments. And then from there, I became an operations manager, which was really exciting because it was basically like the back room and all of that process, the overnight process. And then the store I went to had an offsite warehouse.
8:25So that's just a separate building because that store has grown so much that we have another warehouse with the whole team that brings things to the store. So that was really good learnings. And it was, again, really challenging. But it was great. And then that prepared me because at that point, then I'm like, hey, what do I need to do in this role to get to the next role? And then, of course, having my own store would be the next role. And that's when they started rolling out like the smaller format targets. So that was coming to the East Coast. So I opened the first one on the East Coast. That was super exciting because it was like doing something no one ever did before.
8:59Jenee Naylor:It's like a startup within a larger organization. It is. And it was so interesting because everyone needed my insight. So that was great. How would you know in terms of the assortment what you were missing or what you should bring in? If you don't have something in the store and you decide to bring it in, Like, how do you make that decision? Because you don't have data saying, oh, if I brought in X, it'll do well. So how would you come to that decision? Yeah, everything was such quick turnarounds to just say like, okay, they had homecoming this week. And, you know, everyone came in between this time and this time and they were looking for this.
9:33It was that kind of thing, but it was very quick turnarounds where we would just test a lot of things. And so that really built my discernment and like acumen around being flexible, being able to pivot, but also like just asking, like, these are the people. Hey, what do you want to see more? What are you missing? At the beginning, we had like little boxes where people could like drop notes and requests and that stuff worked really well. So I ran that store for, I think, like a year and a half. And then I went to a big dog, back to like more of the city. And that was where I kind of like wrapped up working at Target.
10:03But I worked at that store for two and a half years. I think at that store I had on regular time, 250 team members. And then like during peak times, like 300 team members. So that's where all the learnings came from.
10:15Jenee Naylor:That is a massive undertaking. What are some of the most important skills you think you were honing then? Oh, that's really where I found my love of teaching and training even more because it was at the highest scale I had ever experienced. That's where I became like a district trainer. So I would train my peers. That's where I started leading campus recruiting. So I was the recruiter that went to Howard University to recruit new people, like just how I was recruited. But that's where I really learned, like, I loved promoting people. Even when I had to like let someone go, I was really good at supporting you all the way through the process where like by the end, you're kind of letting yourself go because you're like, Janae, you really did everything for me.
10:55I just think this isn't the place for me. We're like, oh, I'm glad you decided that. That's where I really was like, I love the people piece the most. Got it.
11:05Jenee Naylor:You sort of hinted that's where you wrapped up your time at Target. after eight years and continued success and continued learning and continued growth, what made you decide, OK, I think this is the end of my time here? Honestly, several things. But at that point, they created a position around visual merchandising. And that's also when, like, there started to be a lot of clothing partnerships and that kind of thing and started getting mannequins in stores. And that's a specialty, right? Like a lot of people don't know how to work with that. And that became my thing. So then when that role became something, I was like, that's the next role for me.
11:41Like, that's perfect. My boss at the time was like, you're absolutely perfect. I'm like, that's my degree. Whenever that role opens up for my district, that's what I want to do. And then finally it opened up. And the person that was, I think, was being promoted, they recommended me. And, you know, they were like, you're going to be perfect for this. So then I interviewed for that position. And I went through another long interview process. And then they took it away. So it was December. I found out. I passed, I think like right after Black Friday. They were like, okay, like it's yours. We're going to work on this person as your replacement.
12:14My peers were told, hey, Janae's going to be the VMD. And then a few weeks later, it was like, oh, we just don't know if you're ready yet.
12:23Jenee Naylor:Whoa. And at this point, on top of those things I was doing, Instagram became a thing. I started really posting on Instagram in 2017. But then in 2018, that's when I really started to like notice bloggers. So I kind of got like a, okay, I'll take my pictures like this. So then I just started taking pictures in the mirror. Then someone recommended I start a blog. So I Googled how to do that and made a website. But that was just like a little outlet for fashion. Because you had so much extra time. Yeah. Ma 'am. But I was like, oh, this is so cool. I never knew this was a thing. So I was doing those simultaneously.
13:01In my mind, I was still going to be the CEO of Target. And so the summer of 2018, the first brand reached out to me and I was like, oh, my God, they want to pay me some money. This is crazy. So December is when I get the promotion. I lose the promotion. And at this point, I'm embarrassed. And I feel like, OK, I've always been able to get the gold. And you did. You literally did. Right. So I'm like, okay, this is the first time this has happened where like I do what I'm supposed to do and it's not in my control. So that opened my mind to other possibilities of just like, okay, is it another company?
13:42And maybe this other little, you know, me taking pictures and working with brands that can sustain me or hold me over. then I met an influencer who this was her full-time job that really opened my mind right because then I'm seeing someone who this is their job so then we're in like January and I'm like I can't sit in this embarrassment I can't stay here so what am I gonna do then I'm like okay maybe I'll just try this for the summer I get a bonus in May I paid off all my debt. And I just started thinking of all the things to like set myself up for success. And then I came to the realization of like, okay, we're just going to give it the summer.
14:26You've gotten everything you've ever wanted. If you can work this hard, why do you think you won't work that hard for yourself? Why do you think you will somehow disappoint yourself? I was like, yes, yes, me. You're right. Yeah, I can. I will. But still in my mind, you know, month by month, I'm doing all the things I need to do, saving. I'm also starting to like keep track of the money coming in from Instagram.
14:48Jenee Naylor:Did you have a plan in your head of like, I want to match my salary or be on track to match my salary so that then I can switch over? I like this. I'm a Virgo. I like this planning. That was the next three months of like, OK, I've never even paid attention to this money because it was also very infrequent and I wasn't pitching or anything. Right. It would just be a random brand that would email me and it'd be like, you know,$1 ,500 here,$2 ,000 there. And I was like, oh my God, I can go shopping. That's what that money was. So I was like, okay, now I need to start paying attention and adding up.
15:18Dedicate myself. Yeah, and I also didn't want my life and my partner's life to be shifted in any way, right? We have our own responsibilities. I have things I help with, with my family, like you have your things. So I'm like, what do I need every month? And I also had to be honest with myself of like what would be nice to have and what do I need? Which is a very different life decision because I'm in a comfortable place in life. So nice to have money is very different than like what I need every month to survive money. Like I don't need to go shopping every weekend. I can't go to every trip that someone invites me to.
15:52So when I got those numbers and I said, okay, even if I just do, you know, two campaigns a month, that would be all I need to survive. And things just have to look a little different for a little bit.
16:04Jenee Naylor:Yep. So I did that and I was like, okay, we're going to go through the summer. And if I have to go into my savings, That is going to tell me if this is going to work. So I can only imagine that the cadence and the frequency of what you were posting when you had a day job versus betting on yourself full time would be rather significantly different. So talk to me about that transition. Once you left Target and decided to bet on yourself full time, how did your content change? How did your schedule change? because I love that you were applying strict and entrepreneurial and business-minded parameters to success and obviously high achieving.
16:43Jenee Naylor:So no one's concerned about that, but I'm curious about how that actually resulted in like the day-to-day content versus what you had been doing before. Yeah, it really opened up the creativity, right? Because I was very disciplined. I was always posting content. On my off day, which was Wednesdays, I would plan out seven outfits and take seven outfit pictures. So I would always be posting. Content batching. I love it. And then on the weekends, that's when I started to take pictures outside. And my husband, we bought a camera and he learned how to take my picture. So it was always content. But then once, right, this whole world opens up to me, I started YouTube.
17:19And financially, that helps. That's another revenue stream. And then just, yeah, being able to be creative and also like learning how to do this better and being able to think about how to be different, but also always thinking about like what this could be. I would always say I don't want to ever be embarrassed by a partnership now or in a year. Right. So being able to like be mindful of those things while also relying on this money. That was like very important to me because we can't be desperate. And that was the thing. If I get there, then I need to get a job because we can't just be selling anything because the rent is due.
17:59And then I'm going to be embarrassed later. So that's probably the biggest shift was just like how I had to be really intentional and think like, OK, if this is going to be a thing, then it's going to be a thing. So from very early on, I was like, what if, you know, I'm on the Today Show one day? Like, what do I want them to say about me? What do I want them to talk about, like the brands I've worked with? What do I want them to call me? All of these things was starting to go through my mind.
18:23Jenee Naylor:so were you thinking about like oh i should have a list of clients i want to reach out to or brands that i want to work with or examining your metrics and realizing like oh when i do x this happens to y because i feel like a lot of those skills from the target days would be very applicable here content is different from in-store products but at the same time it's merchandising to some extent right yeah i always kept a list of brands that i wanted to work with and this was kind of when like all of the, I guess, agencies that work on the brand side really started to pop up. So making sure like I'm signed up to all of those.
19:02And that was a great way to kind of like keep things steady. That's when I had to learn about net 30 and net 60 and net 90. All right. So that summer, while I was making money, I wasn't getting money. Right. And that was eye opening because it's one day later and I'm like, I need my money, which was an unlearning of having a steady income.
19:27Jenee Naylor:Right. The difference between a steady paycheck and, oh, the work I'm doing today, I will actually receive the money for next quarter if I'm lucky, depending on terms. Lots of unlearning I had to do because I also wasn't great with money. I just always had it coming in so I didn't have to worry about it. Right. So this taught me this literally taught me like, OK, we have to have a cushion. We have to say we can't get to an uncomfortable place, even if we have a savings. Sometimes I would say, hey, I have a couple more hundred dollars. I'll just go shopping because I get paid in two days. Like, it's fine.
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19:59We can't do that anymore. So it was a lot of self-awareness, which has become one of my best traits.
20:06Jenee Naylor:Got it. So talk to me about your community because you have an incredibly loyal one. And I'd love to hear a little bit more about the people who engage with you and who love your content and how you built your audience. My favorite thing to say is it's so easy to tell the truth. And I feel like that is the foundation. Like, I feel like they are me. I am my target audience. We are the same type of woman. We have similarities. but it's so easy in this job to tell the truth and it's more work to lie. And I always tell people, I don't have time to lie. I don't have time to keep up with a lie. I don't have time to be fraudulent in any way.
20:44And I'm always thinking of long-term. All I have is my word. And once I lose that, then I have nothing. If I don't love something, there's other ways to talk about things.
20:54Jenee Naylor:Yes, ma 'am. I don't love every fragrance, right? But then you could just describe it and it's gonna be right for someone. Yeah, or if I wanna talk about A mop. I don't know. I may not mop every day, but someone does. Sometimes you just share the facts. So I'm very honest. I go live a lot. Like they know me. They know my personality. And I always tell people I'm one of those people that like how I feel is all over my face. Unfortunately, you know, if I am tired, if I am stressed, if I am overthinking, if I am anxious, it's just easier to be honest. And it's more fun for all of us. And that's my favorite thing.
21:29I was just thinking about this the other day of like the social part of social media. So if I want to post something and I don't have a great caption, that's because I have nothing to say. So we don't need to post that day because I'm always like, but what are we talking about?
21:43Jenee Naylor:And that makes sense because you have been very intentional. So creating content to feed the algo doesn't feel on brand for you at all. And so if you are showing up in someone's feed, it's because you have something to say and something to do. And again, that ultimately builds more brand loyalty, I would imagine. Yeah, there has to be a conversation and it goes both ways, right? That's the best part is like being in the comments. I love that. I mean, that's real community, right? So we talked about in this phase about having social, about having YouTube and about having the blog. How did you figure out like where your best content strategy or the right amount of time to devote to each platform or area because I agree with you, diversified revenue streams are it.
22:32Jenee Naylor:We are not the first people to say that, but we will certainly celebrate that. And you obviously were doing that from the beginning. So walk me through how you started thinking of like, oh, I need to do this because it feeds this, but this is where the money actually comes in. But if I'm not doing X, then it ends up affecting Y. I love this question because I'm very particular and this is going to like surprise people because I'm so, you know, routine and diligent. But how I show up and where I show up is a very creative led feeling. So I always say I like to be everywhere, right? If a brand comes in and says, hey, we need a blog post, I can give you a blog post.
23:08You need a Pinterest post, I have a Pinterest. You need YouTube, I have YouTube, we can do a short, we can do a TikTok, we can do anything. But how I show up routinely is like this, because I'm led by the creative. I always say I have to enjoy the creation enough to create. So there are months where I'm like loving YouTube right now. Like I have all these ideas. This is super fun. This is what I'm doing. Now I have a base, right? Where like, I want to post once a week here. I want to post three times a week over here. But then there's times where that will ramp up because I'm super passionate.
23:41I have all these ideas and that's just what's filling me up. And then in two months, it's going to be TikTok, right? Where it's like, there's certain trends and like, I'm just really feeling that algorithm or there's something new or there's a new feature. And that's getting the majority of my time, right? But I'm still posting because I've done enough of all of them to be able to still post three times a week on TikTok and still post in my stories or go live on Mondays and post a short every day. But it always fluctuates based on just where my creative spirit is and what I feel like my business needs.
24:11But it's never about which one brings me the most income as far as like how I show up consistently, because I understand they always all need to be there in some form or fashion. But right now, I posted on my blog lately. Absolutely not. But do I know I need to have representation and a place to collect emails? Yes. So that's why that thing is still alive, because for me, that's a place where things can live. And when I have something to say over there and say, yeah, and that makes sense.
24:38Jenee Naylor:It's like your billboard and you can advertise what you want when you want. It doesn't necessarily need to be every day, right? Yeah. It always goes like this. And that was something I had to come to terms with. Like the entrepreneur journey was just so interesting. And also like, I started out so lonely, right? Coming from a team of, you know, you walk in a building and 300 people are like, oh my God, sitting in your office and, you know, you walk the floor and you're helping people. Like it's just a very different lonely experience at first. Then you slowly build a team and then you, you know, you meet other people that do what you do and you have people to FaceTime or, you know have a call with but it was such an interesting journey to like when your routine to figure out how to like have a routine but also not overwork yourself I was very used to filling up every minute of every day and if I wasn't filling it up I'm like oh my god you're so lazy like what are you doing you're just gonna sit here you could be making a tiktok you could be making a youtube video you could be writing a concept you could be planning some outfits so that was like the biggest journey and then figuring out, OK, so it's OK to just dive into what is filling you up right now.
25:43I can't lie. Right. If I'm not feeling it, I can't get on video and make a YouTube video and just so then we just need to not do a YouTube video today. We can do something else.
25:53Jenee Naylor:It's interesting hearing you talk about this because so I started Who What Wear with my business partner almost 20 years ago. And I remember those early days of feeling like Like I was burning myself out because it felt like if you're working for yourself, there's always something that can be done. Yes. Even when I took time off, I mean, by time off, I mean like Saturday, I would feel guilty about it. How did you learn to hit your right stride and balance? Or is it something you still struggle with? I feel like I have learned probably in the last year and it's still a struggle. And people always think I'm a Virgo because I'm so thoughtful and planful.
26:31And I'm like, this is learned behavior, which means it's hard to unlearn. These are things I had to implement to be successful in previous jobs, which have done wonders for this career.
26:42Jenee Naylor:We love a second life. We take the skills from the first life. We apply them. I would never have been this successful if I didn't have a full career being able to do all of these things. And like I always tell people when I was in my last role, there was no one in my building that was above me. Right. Which means I set the precedent for how this building runs, how I walk through the door, how I show up to the team. My work ethic determines everyone's work ethic, which helps when I'm doing this thing. Right. Because there's no one to tell me to get up and make something or get up and do this or stay over.
27:14That has to come from me. But then also there's a lot of negative self-talk. Literally, if I'm like, oh, like taking a nap, I'm like, I would lay down thinking you are so lazy. I even went through a phase of like, well, if I do my makeup, I have to do some work. I can't just get ready and just go do something I want to do. I could be making a TikTok, which then makes it more stressful to just get ready for the day.
27:37Jenee Naylor:Ms. Jenae, I still believe that you have some earth in your chart somewhere, even if you're not a Virgo. There's some astrological something or other going on. So you've also been transparent about the difficulties of breaking into certain areas of the fashion industry over the course of the second life, including invites to fashion week shows, etc. Talk to me about some of those challenges that you have come across while creating your space in this industry. You know, so much of it is we can do anything, which is a very overwhelming and daunting feeling, right? Like this is your career to guide.
28:10But unlike my previous career where there was a clear ladder of like, well, this is the next role and that's the next role. And then after that, you go there. This was like, okay, so what's important to me? What are the overall goals? You know, what's the big picture? And then what are the things you can do to help you get there? and for me it was like I know I want to be seen as a fashion expert that's what I'm passionate about and I'm not in a like let me show you I look cute but in a I like to have the information to disperse to my audience that's the whole point right I always saw myself as an in-between right like there's the runway and there's the professional aspect of how you look at clothes and then there is the lay person who is just like hey I just want to like sit through a magazine and get a little inspiration or get on Pinterest.
28:55And then I'm in between to bring this information and make it available to you, but also easily digestible and like make it fun and it's not too serious and let's gatekeepy and all those things. So this is why I wanna be in this space because I'm intentional. I don't wanna just be somewhere or do something just to do it or just to say I was there. So then that's what made me like set my intentions on fashion weeks and fashion months for probably two years. And that was eyeopening. And it was such a struggle for me because I'm competitive. But it was one of the hardest experiences because one, this isn't my job, right?
29:33I still have my campaigns and my job. This is me pouring money into this thing to build up a career that hasn't happened yet. And then people telling me, I just don't see it. Or maybe if you change this. So I went down a rabbit hole of like random insecurities and like being unsure of myself when I still have to do my job over here and be very sure of myself. It was such a, this is a terrible headspace to be in. And in the last conversation I remember was in Milan and it was literally like looking at someone's feed and comparing me to them and being like, you know, we just need more of this. you know you just really come off as like a client and like we have to make the brand see you as a friend you know just like a cool friend of the house and not someone who just buys things
30:26Jenee Naylor:and I know that's what your people like but that's not what the brands like and it literally was like a light bulb of like you're right it is what my people like that's all that matters so what am I doing besides spending a ridiculous amount of money for you to tell me this plus all the money to be in this hotel and to fly all the way here. So that gave me the reality check to say, okay, we'll take a break from this for a while because I'm going to have to get my foot in the door a different way. Sometimes those are the things that we have to do to come out the other side, more certain about who we are, what we're offering and what we're building.
31:07Jenee Naylor:And sometimes that's just the price of the side quest. It really is. Because now I feel almost unshakable because I had to then pull myself back to like reality and actual goals. And I literally was like, OK, I need to figure out a different way. I need to figure out a way to do what I want to do, serve my community the way I want to serve them. And if it's meant for me to be in those spaces, it's going to be through another avenue. But it's interesting because then on the flip side, you just had a major full circle moment in your creator career when you became a future collective partner with Target in 2024.
31:47Jenee Naylor:That is bonkers. Talk to me about how that opportunity came about and what that meant to you. I think there was someone just on the team that followed me and just recommended me. And I was honestly on the call shocked. And they were like, you know, what do you think? You know, are you interested? And I was like, I'm trying not to cry. Congratulations. Like what a huge deal that is. It was really, really wonderful. And honestly, a good test run of how I can serve my community, what they're looking for, what it looks like to like see a process from start to finish. You know, that was probably the best part of the process was the learning of here's what we envision.
32:33You know, I think we just started with a concept or like a few words of like, this is the vibe. Right. But then going through like what that means for me and then what I think I can, you know, fill the market with and what I think people are missing in their closet. Then how do we narrow that down to colors and patterns? And it was just like a little school lesson.
32:52Jenee Naylor:I love this. So on that note, can we also talk about your newest venture? Yes. 12 p.m. Studios. OK, so you decided to start something of your own. How did you get the itch to start a brand and why sunglasses? So throughout my career, there's partnerships, there's big things like the Target thing. I did like a few things with Amazon at one point. So there's always opportunities. You know, my manager is like, you know, you should have a brand. And I'm just like, there's nothing I care enough about. Like a brand is a big deal. I don't see that as just like a quick money thing. Again, my reputation is everything.
33:28I'm like, I have a brand. Like it needs to be a moment and a thing. And I'm like, there's just nothing I can think of. I always knew it wouldn't be clothing. As much as I love clothing, I'm also kind of a simple person when it comes to clothes. I like accessories and I like the extras. And then going to Fashion Week, sunglasses really became my thing. I cut my hair short. I felt like I, you know, just needed something extra because now I don't have hair. I don't have that extra thing. And then it became like almost like an obsessive thing where like my agency would be like, can you take some pictures without sunglasses?
34:02Because like we're trying to pitch you to brands and they can't even see your face. But it really became almost like a crutch kind of, right? Like I'm sleepy, you know, I'm on the road. I can just put glasses on. I know I always look good. Doesn't matter who captures me, street style, I always look good. So then it just became my thing of like recommending sunglasses and like people asking me the best sunglasses. And I was always hunting for the coolest and the new sunglasses. And then that was what I would start to convert the most. So anytime on my, you know, different platforms, if I shared sunglasses, it was like thousands of pairs would sell.
34:32Jenee Naylor:So I was like, I could make sunglasses. I would like that. So then it was just, you know, finding the people to help. I also started realizing like, man, sunglasses are getting really expensive. You know, when I've started getting into them, I'm like, ooh, you know,$200. Okay. $250. Like, oh, that's a slurge. But you know, they're cool. They're designers. In the realm of possibility. Right. In the realm of possibilities. And then probably my last time in Milan, I picked up some sunglasses and I was like,$500. I'm like, what is going on? And then as I, you know, they became the thing that I convert the most.
35:06I also started getting really uncomfortable sharing certain price points. I feel like an hole. Yeah. Because I'm like, hey, guys, I know you love these sunglasses. I found them on sale. They're only three fifty. You're welcome. Like, are you OK? So all of these things where I'm like, not only do I love it enough, but I also see where the gap is. I also feel super passionate about like people are getting priced out of this thing that brings me comfort and makes me feel like a little security blanket. Now people can't get that feeling because you need to save two paychecks to buy this thing that was supposed to be entry level, right?
35:44This was supposed to be a like, oh, you can't get the bag yet, but you could get the sunglasses. And now we're like, well, the sunglasses cost as much as a bag. So all those things combined, we're kind of like, okay, this is the thing. This is the only thing I care enough about. I'm passionate enough about. I have a point of view on, I know there is a gap to fill.
36:02Jenee Naylor:And you know, you have a market because they're in your DMs, right? And then once I started the process, I'm like, what I envision is doable. So now I'm really on it, right? Because now you're starting to like give ideas and get samples. And I'm like, so it doesn't need to be$500. Now I have the facts to back up my thoughts. So you obviously at this point already had experience as an entrepreneur, but designing, manufacturing, distributing, marketing products, like that is a whole additional skill set, lots of pieces of which you already had. I've gotten very clear on what meticulous planner you are.
36:38Jenee Naylor:So I'm curious about what it looked like this time around in terms of educating yourself, in terms of planning, in terms of finding the right price point, how you determined what styles to produce, all of it. What was important to start was knowing what I have the capacity for and what I don't have the capacity for and things that are just non-negotiables to me. So I'm like, okay, so we need to find the warehouse. We need to find the person that can do the website. I know I don't have the capacity to do all the things. Let me find the people that are already doing it. So that was the first thing.
37:12And I don't mind picking up the slack with things I'm passionate about, right? I don't mind managing the socials. Obviously, I want a design that it's my brain child. I don't mind planning the photo shoot and being the creative director. I don't mind picking out all the clothes for the photo shoot and styling it. Those are things that are less of a lift for me because it's more of my wheelhouse of expertise. But then making sure like, hey, we need someone that's really good at marketing. Yeah, I got a little marketing background, but not in this current landscape and not outside of the things that I know.
37:38So that's going to be our first hire. That's where we need to invest things. So that really helped a lot. Just, again, relying on people that this is their expertise and trusting them to do what they know how to do. And then the price point was pretty easy because I knew almost like going back to like me when I worked at the mall. It's a wide range of like who our target audience is, but it's the same type of woman. It's me in different phases of life. We're also unisex. So it's also that man in different phases of life. I would love and prefer to buy a great pair of sunglasses for$125. Can I buy them at$500?
38:10Yes. But I prefer to buy them at$125. So let's give that person something because this person will buy it and that person will buy it. But if we start up here, that person will never buy it. Price yourself out. Yeah. And the design was less strategy than I would like because it was really about just like, what do we get right first? Yeah. So I started with probably 20 ideas, right? And this is going back and forth with samples for two years, where it's finally like, we got to launch what's ready. And then how do we make that a collection? So we started with a collection called The Essentials, which I was perfectly fine with because as someone who wears sunglasses, I'm like, these are, one, they were the easiest to just get right, right?
38:52Because they were less intricate. But I'm also like, this is what, if I didn't have any sunglasses, what you should be starting with, right? Like, you know, we have a pair called Milan that is a little more retro and elegant. We have a pair called NYC, which is very cool, edgy. I would say those are like, you know, your airport sunglasses when you just don't want to be seen. We have a more glam, bold pair called Lagos. So it was like something for everyone. We have like an indoor-outdoor pair. We have these. Toronto. This is more for the quirky, fun, artsy. I'm like, this is when I'm getting dressed.
39:24These are all the sunglasses that I would like to pull from. Not the like fashion we get, not the like crazy, but these are like the everyday. So that was pretty easy, but also it was a little forced.
39:35Jenee Naylor:But the good news is, I mean, lots of good news. I read that after launching, you reached$400 ,000 in sales in a couple of weeks and sold out almost immediately. Yes. That is a really incredible response. You placed a bet, you sold out, great. Then that gives you a sense of like where to go from here. what are the next big milestones for you? What did you learn from this like ravenous response and how are you going to carry that information forward? That was exciting, but it was also like, okay, this isn't a, you know, I can just go to the basement and make some more. It's a very long, tedious process.
40:14I think the day after launch, we immediately placed a reorder. So yeah, super exciting. And then we have, again, still another collection to come. These are kind of the styles that just weren't ready yet. That, you know, we're still trying to perfect and perfect. And then we finally got them right. And we're able to manufacture those. Those are the fun ones. Those are your like, you're into sunglasses. Like you're going to love these styles. And just figuring out ways to like make that exciting. We're planning that shoot right now. We are probably going to have some type of activation at Art Basel.
40:46And just making sure we keep the momentum, but do things intentionally. Again, we don't need to be everywhere and we're not for everyone, but I do want people to know where we are and if we're the right fit for them. It's very important to me that we show up as a unisex brand. Those are the kind of like marketing things we're focused on, making sure like people know the quality, the craftsmanship, the style, but also like there's literally something for everyone. I love it. Good sunglasses for all.
41:15Jenee Naylor:Everyone deserves to feel how I feel when I put sunglasses on. That's amazing. I love that you have really taken this as an organic brand extension and that your audience is showing up for it and beyond. That is incredibly exciting and also really just shows like you have been true to yourself through this whole process. I love it. OK, so on this podcast, we like to talk about mistakes because everyone makes them through the course of their career. Yeah. But we don't always talk about we tend to give highlight reels. And I think it's important to talk about the mistakes, one, because it demonstrates resiliency, and two, we all make them.
41:53Jenee Naylor:So let's normalize the fact that you can make a mistake and come back from it. So can you tell me about a mistake that you've made at any point in your career and what you've learned from it? There's several little ones I want to mention. I think one is very few times in the beginning working with brands that I didn't absolutely love. And I always say my gut, my instinct is the best thing. And I regret every time I don't listen to it or follow it. And like, I know I'm like, I don't know about this. And then I do it anyway. And I'm like, you didn't know about you were right. You said you didn't know about that.
42:29But those things are always like end up being harder. Right. There ends up being more contention. At this point, I will say, hey, you know what? Maybe we should just not do this. It seems like we're already at an impasse and we haven't even gotten into it. And that's okay. Because before I would just want to make things as easy as possible. I would say building a team, not firing quicker was a very, very hard one. It's so funny because, right, that was like my superpower, my previous role. But then when it became like my thing, I was like, I can't believe you trust me to work with me. Wow. I'm so grateful that you're here working for Janae Naylor or, you know, like brand.
43:14But then you're not doing a good job. But I'm also like, but who else is going to risk working for me in this like creator economy that's brand new? That was one of my biggest mistakes. So they hurt my business for a long time. I guess.
43:27Jenee Naylor:So a lot of the folks who listen to this podcast are in their first lives and they want to make that leap or that pivot like you did. They want to try something new, but they're scared. What advice would you give someone who's thinking about the next thing but just hasn't done it quite yet? I think be as intentional as you can. I think that relieves a lot of the pressure or can relieve a lot of the pressure. If you feel like you've set yourself up as best as possible, you have to trust you. But I always say like, let me help future Janae. What can I do today to help future Janae on Friday or next month or whatever that is, right?
44:07If you can pay off that debt, if you can create a routine that's realistic, if you can find a mentor and find someone like, what are the things that you can do that will just give you a sense of goal setting? and like none of us are reinventing the wheel. There's someone that's already doing what you're doing. There's someone that's already at the place you want to be. So there's a lot of parameters you can place on yourself to not ensure it's success, but help the journey, like help the process so you don't fall off the rails. So what are those things you can do and how can you start to slowly do them?
44:45And also it's okay to pivot. The initial thing may not end up being the thing. And that's okay. Right. When I left Target, I didn't think I would have, I would ran. That was never the goal. It was never, you know, it wasn't like, well, if I don't do this, then this has been a failure and I just need to go back. Right. It was kind of like, oh, this is going here now. Or, oh, I'm not liking this fashion week. I'm not liking how that's turning out. I remember my last fashion week, I was in Milan about to go to Paris and I said, I'm done with this. Like, I'm leaving. I called my assistant. I was like, see what, you know, we can change these flights and like, let's cancel this hotel in Paris.
45:26I was like,$5 ,000. Like, I need that$5 ,000. I remember she changed everything. The next day I get a call from the Today Show and they're like, oh, do you want to be on the Today Show? And it was the same dates I was supposed to be in Paris. And I was like, yes, yes, I do. The universe was listing. And then I went on the Today Show and I was like, I'm really good at this. You know, like they were really shocked that it was my first time and I was talking about trends and it was very easy. And then that led me to like start a new YouTube series. And I was like, there's things I could be doing that will help me do what I like to do.
45:57and I can just be in charge of it. It can turn into other things and that's okay. And it doesn't take you further away from success.
46:05Jenee Naylor:It just might be another one. So my last question is my favorite question, which is if you could go back in time and speak with your younger self and give younger Janae a little advice at any point in her career, what would you say? This is easy. I would say you can literally do anything. And I feel like that took me too long to figure out or longer than I like to figure out. And it's so clear to me now, right? Just with what I was just saying about pivoting and like this career can go anywhere, but that's literally any career. And we're in such a unique space now where like the world is our oyster.
46:44All the information is accessible. I remember right before I went to college, I took a year off and I wanted to be a stylist. and I was like, I love clothes. Like maybe I can do something with that in this one year off. And then I was like, okay, maybe this isn't working out because I'm in St. Louis, Missouri and I don't have any connections and there's really hardly an internet and I don't know what to do or how to do it. I'm like, okay, maybe I could be a makeup artist. I really like makeup. So, you know, I'll try to get on some shoots, which are rarely happening in Missouri. And in that space, I remember my mom just being like, maybe you could just go to college while you figure it out because nothing's happening.
47:21and I'm just, you know, working a job, but I have all of these like creative passions, but I don't know what to do with them. And I wish I would have told myself like, you could do all these things, but also like figure out how to do them. At the time I was so limiting of myself. And, you know, then kind of as things just fell in my lap in college or things opened up to me, I was like, oh, that could be a job, that could be a job. But I never really, in my eyes, did enough due diligence of like, What does it take to, you know, get to that career? Who are the people in that career? I don't know.
47:55Can I email them? Like in this brain now, I'm like, oh, I could have done this and I could have done that. But I was just kind of like, oh, that's just, you know, I would have to move to California if I want to do that. I would have to be in New York if I want to do that. My brain couldn't conceptualize outside of my reality.
48:12Jenee Naylor:So that's what I would tell myself. Janae, this has been such a pleasure. And I thank you so much for your generosity of spirit, of sharing all of this information, of sharing your journey. Thank you so much for your time. It was phenomenal, truly. Thank you.
48:38Jenee Naylor:That was 12PM Studios founder and CEO, Janae Naylor. For more inspiring interviews with women like Janae, head on over to secondlifepod.com, where we have so many more for you to peruse. If you like today's show, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review us. We love seeing you spread the word on social. And now you can tag us in your posts. We are at secondlifepod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We always want to know who you're interested in hearing from on the show. So send in your requests to hello at secondlifepod.com or you can DM us on Instagram.
49:18Jenee Naylor:I'm at Hilary Kerr. The show is at Second Life Pod. Our DMs are always open. I'm Hilary Kerr, and you've been listening to Second Life. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammeris, and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Raven Yamamoto. Our audio engineers are at Treehouse Recording in Los Angeles, California, and our music is by Jonathan Leahy.
From the publisher
Jenee Naylor is the personality behind the beloved luxury fashion blog HighLowLuxxe and the founder of 12PM Studios. Before she became a full-time content creator, she held leadership roles at Target. She stayed at the chain for eight years as a general manager and store director, building up her people management skills, with the goal of one day becoming CEO. But she also found joy in running HighLowLuxxe on the side, posting fashion content on her days off and interacting with her growing audience. After feeling like her growth had been stunted at her day job, Naylor left Target to run her blog full-time. Her continued authenticity and dedication to her platform have made her a fashion authority and a dream partner for brands. She even had a full-circle moment being invited back to Target—only this time, she was launching her own fashion line. Now, after years of establishing herself in the luxury fashion industry, Naylor decided to launch her own luxury eyewear brand, 12PM Studios.
