Businesswoman Lisa McGowan has opened up about the inspiration behind Lisa’s Lust List — and how it led to a special “full circle” moment.
The Co Offaly native, who is also known as Lisa’s Lust List, found herself in the public eye after winning the best dressed lady at the 2016 Galway Races — and has since set up a number of successful companies, including her recent cosmetics company.
And Lisa told Chic how she had always had “a keen interest in fashion” while she was growing up.
Read more: Lisa McGowan plans to move into her dream home with partner Chris and her son Daragh this November
Read more: Lisa Jordan shares romantic pictures with her rarely seen husband as they mark 10 years of marriage
She said, “I was in the insurance profession. That was what I did for 30 years. It was a family business, working alongside dad.
“I always had a keen interest in fashion, with my mother; I always loved putting outfits together and I always loved to bargain.”
Lisa explained that she started out Lisa’s Lust List on Facebook, and she was based on the platform “for a long time”.
She said, “I started entering Ladies Day, and I won the first one. I knew what the judges wanted, and I ended up winning five or six Ladies Days. Any one I entered, I won it, was runner up or was in the top five or top ten or whatever.
“Businesses started to kind of go, ‘who is this girl? She’s winning all of these Best Dressed’.
They’d contact me going, ‘will you wear this suit?’, ‘will you wear this dress?’, ‘can I make a hat for you?’
“And I was like, OK, hold on — if businesses are getting in contact with me, they’re obviously not doing it for the good of their health. They want a bit of promotion where I say on the TV, with the media or on my Facebook page that I got x from so-and-so.
“There were people selling out of dresses that I was wearing and winning Ladies Day with, through social media. Every Ladies Day that I won, my social media would organically grow and grow and grow.”
Lisa added that winning Best Dressed at the Galway Races in 2016 was when Lisa’s Lust List “started to get an awful lot of traction”.
She continued, “I started off with one or two brands, and said no to an awful lot. I was still working as an insurance broker at that stage, it was only a hobby that seemed to start exploding.
“I was getting busier and busier, working with brands and shops. The two ran side-by-side for years and years and years. There’s now 28 brands on Lisa’s Lust List.
“I couldn’t do it all. I said, ‘dad, I can’t actually do all of this; I can’t do one thing well’. Half of me was doing insurance, half of me was working with brands — and half of me, which didn’t even exist, wanted to start her own company.
"So I said, something has to go.
“I didn’t want to have that conversation with dad, because I was 30 years working with him and it was the understanding that I was going to take over the business.
"I knew it was coming, I didn't want to say it to dad because I didn’t want to upset him. But I said, ‘dad, we need to talk’. And he said, ‘I think I know why’.
“He said, ‘I knew this conversation was coming, but you needed to say it to me’.
“We sat down and we talked, the business was sold last year. I have three companies now, and dad is working alongside me. He’s doing a bit of financials here and there for me, and advising me on stuff.
“We’ve turned full circle.
“I used to say that I didn’t work for dad, I worked with him. So he says to me, I don’t work for Lisa, I work with Lisa.
“That’s how it all happened. It all grew very organically.
“I think the big one for me was winning those Ladies Days, and the big, big one was the Galway Races.”
Lisa told how “brilliant” it is that they have been able to continue to work alongside each other.
She said, “I am absolutely 100 per cent — and I would always say it — as a daddy's girl. I have always been a daddy’s girl.
“My parents are very good to me, we’ve been a very, very, very tight family.”
The entrepreneur told how she would be “lost without my parents, that’s the truth” — and opened up about taking the leap to focus on her own company.
Lisa’s Lust List has expanded, with her fashion and lifestyle brand Lisa & Co and more recently, Lisa & Co. Cosmetics.
She said, “Lisa’s Lust List was running while I was working in the office. It was probably running for two years. I was earning money in the insurance industry and I was earning money through my Lisa’s Lust List company.
“Lisa’s Lust List eventually was earning two or three or four or five times what I was earning with the insurance profession. It was a no-brainer to concentrate on my own company, Lisa’s Lust List.”
Lisa added that once the brand began to take off, “the second company started earning more than the first company” — and now the recent cosmetics company is “earning more than the second company”.
She laughed, “So, I think I might start a fourth company.”
Lisa told how her favourite product that she has launched so far has been the Skin Silk, which sold out within a few hours.
She said, “It was our first cosmetic product. Before I even announced what it was, I said, ‘girls, this product is going to go viral’.
“And I said, ‘I’m sure there are people out there listening to my story, throwing their eyes up and going, oh my god, the cosmetics market is saturated — there’s so many Irish brands, international brands.’
“But I said, nope, if the product is right, the market is not saturated.”
Swipe across below to see the full gallery of images for yourself
Lisa told how she knew “this product would be a winner” immediately.
She said, “I’ve always said it: there is room for any product out there. No matter how much anybody thinks that the market is saturated, if the product is good enough, there’s room for it. I knew this product would be a winner.
"I can’t wait for it to launch into the UK and start getting it out into the UK.”
And Lisa has told how the “best part” of the journey so far is when she is able to sign off on every new product — especially as the development process can sometimes take years.
She said, “When I can sit down and say, ‘right, I’m finally happy with that product; I’m happy that I can put my name to that product and stand by that product, because my name is on it’. That’s the best part for me.
“Like my leggings, which are launching in January — my first email to start them was four years ago.”
The mum told how “if my name is going on something, it has to be 100 per cent right”.
She continued, “My name is more important than any money that I’d ever earn.
“I think that’s from growing up, when my parents would say to me, ‘if you don’t have your name, you have nothing’. That stuck with me. I always say it to my son, as well: ‘remember who you are’."
Lisa told how one of the bigger challenges throughout the journey so far has been “giving away control” of some aspects as the business grows.
She said, “ As the business is growing, I can’t do everything myself — but I am an absolute perfectionist. To give away that control to grow the business has been the hardest for me.
“I have always been involved in every part of the business, and it really upsets me when things that are out of my control go wrong.
“It’s difficult for me to let go of control. That’s been the most difficult part for me.”
Lisa added that for the company to grow, she has to “delegate — I’ve got to let people do things”.
She continued, “But that’s the hardest part, just letting go of control and not doing everything myself and micromanaging everything myself — I’d end up in an early grave.
“I can’t do it. And I couldn’t expand if I was trying to do it all myself. But that’s been the most difficult part for me.”
Lisa told how “there’s never a dull moment” as she opened up about what’s next for the company.
She said, “The cosmetics company, it’s only about six months old at this stage — and there’s lots of stuff coming up with that.
“And there may be a fourth company coming. We’ll leave it at that — it won’t be this year, but keep an eye out.
“There’s never a dull moment. For that extra hour I have in every day, I’ve decided to fill it.
“I’m not saying I’m not busy enough. But I love what I do. The adrenaline rush — I’ve never experienced anything like it. I live Lisa’s Lust List. Maybe it’s an addiction, I don’t know. But I love what I do.
“ I’m very lucky to be in that situation. And I’ll continue it as long as I have that love for it — if I lose that, I won’t do it anymore. Once I start losing that, I know it’s time for me to stop.”
Lisa shared her advice for anyone who is thinking about following their dreams or pursuing their passions.
She said, “Absolutely go for it. Don’t ever, ever, ever have any regrets — what, if, and, but. Life’s too short for regrets, and it’s never too late.
“I’m 52 years of age and it’s only in the last four years that you can see how well I’m doing. I started basically at 49, 50 years of age. Look at how far one person — ie, me — has come.
“It’s never too late.
“You don’t have to be 20 to start a business. You don’t have to be 30 to start a business. Trinny Woodall, she started Trinny London when she was 53. Her business is worth €300 million. If that’s not enough of an incentive for any lady in their 50s, I don’t know what is.
“I’m so inspired by her. And I’m also inspired by Suzanne Jackson. Suzanne inspired me very, very early on — but Trinny would be around my age. I’ve so much respect for her.”
For more information about Lisa’s Lust List or Lisa & Co, visit lisaslustlist.ie or lisaandcocosmetics.com . You can also follow her on Instagram at @lisas_lust_list.
English (US) ·