In this episode of The Checkout, we’re joined by Lauren French, the powerhouse behind Motto Fashions, who’s turned a family-run business into an ecommerce success story. After taking the reins from her parents, Lauren’s innovative mindset and bold strategies have helped the brand skyrocket—making over $5 million in revenue and earning a spot in the Smart50 Awards 2023. Known for her fearless approach to influencer collaborations, paid advertising, and daily live-stream fashion shows, Lauren’s story is full of lessons for anyone looking to grow their brand. From her most bizarre auction win to the secret weapon that saved Motto from a major cyberattack, Lauren shares the highs, challenges, and laughs of running a booming fashion business.
The Car with No Key: Lauren’s Strangest Online Buy
When it comes to weird online purchases, Lauren wins the prize with her out-of-the-box choice during the pandemic—a car from an auction, bought with no key or service history. “It came with no key, no log book, no service history. I was just like, ‘It’s cheap, let’s go for it,’” she laughed. Her husband, a car enthusiast, was all for it, but Lauren admitted: “I didn’t even know if it would start”. Luckily, the gamble paid off, and to this day the car is still running smoothly. Lauren’s story highlights how a spontaneous decision can lead to unexpected outcomes, a philosophy she often carries over into her work.
The Power of UX: Bon Maxie as a Source of Inspiration
Even as a business leader, Lauren still finds inspiration from other brands. One that recently caught her eye is Bon Maxie, an Australian bag brand known for clever user experience (UX) design. “I was on their website, and I just kept taking screenshots to send to our team,” she said.
They’ve got some really clever UX, and it’s inspired us to do better.
This speaks to Lauren’s commitment to continuous improvement, a key element of Motto’s ongoing success. Rather than staying solely within the fashion industry for inspiration, Lauren looks beyond, seeking out innovations in other sectors that can help elevate Motto’s online experience. “I think I need to stay away from fashion for inspiration and look at other industries to see how they’re doing things,” she explained. It’s a reminder that no matter how established your brand is, there’s always room to grow by studying what others do well.
Dashlane: The Tech that Keeps Lauren Secure
When it comes to managing Motto, one piece of tech Lauren can’t live without is her password manager, Dashlane. After a terrifying experience where Motto’s server was compromised by Russian hackers, Lauren became meticulous about online security.
They hacked into our server, shut everything down, and demanded bitcoin. It was an absolute nightmare.
Since then, she’s relied on Dashlane to create secure, complex passwords and keep her business safe. “No more ‘Lauren1986!’” she joked, highlighting how essential the app has become for her daily operations. Her experience serves as a wakeup call for all ecom leaders that online security should never be taken lightly.
The One Book That Transformed Lauren’s Business Strategy
The book that made the biggest impact on Lauren’s business is ‘How Brands Grow’ by Byron Sharp, a classic in the marketing world. “That book completely changed my life,” she said, describing how it flipped her entire approach to growth. “I realised everything we were doing was wrong,” she added. The book taught her the critical importance of customer acquisition over retention, which became a driving force behind Motto’s success.
Lauren found Sharp’s focus on acquisition particularly relevant. “I used to think we needed to spend all this time and money on customer loyalty,” she said. “But really, we should have been putting that effort into acquiring new customers.” This shift in strategy led to Motto’s rapid growth and serves as a key lesson for other ecommerce brands looking to scale.
Lauren’s Biggest Challenge? Structure!
Despite her massive success, Lauren admits her biggest personal challenge is bringing structure into her business. “I’m very creative, and I lack structure. I think for my business to keep growing, I need to put in some real systems and accountabilities,” she reflected. While Motto Fashions has experienced tremendous growth, Lauren recognises the need for more formal processes as they expand.
Looking ahead, she sees this as a crucial step for the future. “Right now, it works for where we are, but if we double our revenue, I know we’ll need more structure to keep up,” she said. It’s a reminder that while creativity and flexibility have taken her far, there comes a time when scaling requires discipline and strategic planning.
Balancing Bold Moves and Smart Strategies
From her impromptu car purchase to focusing on customer acquisition, Lauren’s approach is all about taking smart risks and learning from others. As she continues to grow Motto, she acknowledges the need for more structure while keeping her innovative spirit alive. Her journey is a testament to the importance of balancing creativity and organisation for long-term success.
The Checkout is a short snippet of our conversations.
