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10 Ultimate Rules Of Success by Net-a-Porter’s Alison Loehnis

Alison Loehnis, president of Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter, offers her 10 rules for success in celebration of the platform’s 20-year anniversary

Alison Loehnis, net-a-porter

Alison Loehnis, president of Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter. Photo: Takay

DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE
If you can find a job that you’re naturally invested in, you’ll be much happier. If you are inspired and motivated by your work, learning and evolving will happen by default. And it also might

DON’T BE A SLAVE TO YOUR CV
I think an original and diverse CV is a strength. Don’t feel every job has to be the next step in an inevitable direction. Follow your gut with opportunities. I’ve worked in advertising, publishing, and sales and marketing. There’s always been a common thread and that is selling, but my career has definitely benefited from the breadth of businesses that I’ve worked in.

BUILD AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH A GREAT
You’re best placed to do your job well if you surround yourself with experts in their field. It means you are able to trust others to do what they do best. When building a team, aside from technical expertise, of course, I look for spark, energy, positivity: people who aren’t afraid to question the status quo.

HELP OTHERS AND BE HELPED
Mentoring is something I’m passionate about. I try to be generous with my time; a little bit of help can often go a long way. I’d encourage those building their careers not to be too shy or proud to ask for help, and accept it when it’s offered. You never know where work experience or an introduction will take you. “Networking” comes more naturally to some, but establishing how you’re most comfortable making connections will help you enormously.

KNOW WHEN TO SWITCH ON AND WHEN TO TURN OFF
For me, this means getting up before the rest of my family to go for a run or clear my inbox. I never go on social media or check emails late, and I always have a book on the go, which is the best way to switch off. I also have a firm structure to my day, and I’m super punctual.

WORK OUT YOUR PRIORITIES
As your responsibility grows, chances are you can’t keep your work, family, and social lives at full throttle all the time. Something has to give. My family and my work are the top priorities during the week. It’s not to say I won’t go out, but I don’t put too much pressure on myself. Then the weekend is for unwinding and seeing friends with my family. It keeps me well balanced.

DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE
I’m a big believer in keeping things simple in all aspects of work. I like clear ideas and straightforward thinking. I’m also super decisive by nature, so this helps my own process of decision making. This year especially I’ve reflected on how I respond to different situations. For me, it’s about thinking, digesting, and then springing into action.

BE A GOOD PERSON AND RETAIN A SENSE OF HUMOR
We spend a lot of time talking to our colleagues. It goes a long way to be a good, reasonable, and kind person. There are jobs out there which are no laughing matter, but in fashion I try to keep a sense of humor, which in turn gives me a valuable sense of perspective.

BE CREATIVE
You don’t have to be a “creative” to incor-porate creativity into your job. It’s about original thinking and open-mindedness. An entrepreneurial spirit and an inclination to rethink the rules are right up there with the traits I most value in my teams, whether that’s the styling studio or cybersecurity. It also helps you see the positive in situations and treat challenges as opportunities.

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF
I have definitely learned the value of having a little bit of confidence in yourself. I was lucky that this was instilled in me from a young age by an incredible headteacher at my all-girls school, and also by my parents. Believing you deserve to be at the table and that your opinion counts is harder than it should be, but so important. We’ve all felt imposter syndrome, but chances are you’ve got to where you are through pure hard work and experience.

Read Next: 4 Saudi Londoners on Why NET-A-PORTER is Their Go-To Digital Shopping Platform

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