Fashion fitness empire, Stylerunner.com has taken the fitness fashion world by storm. Capitalising on the fitness industry boom, Julie Stevanja and her twin sister Sali found a gap in the market and haven’t looked back. Rescu. chatted to Julie about staying ahead of the ever changing e commerce industry.
RESCU: Have you always been into fitness and how did the Stylerunner concept come about?
Julie Stevanja: I’ve always been very active – pilates and bikram yoga are my exercise of choice but the idea for Stylerunner was collaborative with my twin sister and Stylerunner cofounder, Sali. We were living in two of the most fashionable cities in the world – London and Sydney and couldn’t find fashion-forward activewear that was accessible. We realised that the gap in the market was a perfect start up proposition for beautifully curated activewear not just in Australia but internationally. Once we committed to creating Stylerunner, we launched it just three months later.
RESCU: With the fitness fashion industry booming in Australia, how do you make sure Stylerunner stays ahead of the game?
Julie Stevanja: It’s important to be willing to evolve. The online space is never finished and we concentrate on what’s next instead of celebrating what’s working well now. We have created a very agile and committed environment in which we can turn things around quickly to ensure we’re always innovating. Recently, we have revolutionised the ecommerce experience for our customers, shooting editorial-esque images instead of using the traditional catalogue approach. Our customers are our constant motivation and we want to deliver the very best we can.
RESCU: Have there been any tough decisions you’ve made that were integral to the success of Stylerunner?
Julie Stevanja: Starting a business with no experience in retail, buying or distribution was a huge challenge but we made the decision to learn everything we could and then launched just three months later. Sali and I have always been ambitious and determined so once we knew what we wanted to achieve, we just focused on the end result. Being younger meant that Sali and I were resilient, we weren’t necessarily afraid to fail. After all, it’s not the amount of times of you fall; it’s the amount of times you get back up that make a successful businesswoman.
RESCU: Before your site boasted names like Stella McCartney, Nike and The Upside, did you face any setbacks?
Julie Stevanja: Truth be told, we haven’t really faced any. We see every challenge as an opportunity so we just find a way to get things done.
RESCU: Has social media influenced your success in any way?
Julie Stevanja: Social media has been an integral part of our business. In less than two years we have organically attracted over 100,000 instagram followers of who influence and guide our business decisions. The Stylerunner community is an inspired group of individuals who we want to motivate and celebrate. When we receive comments, questions and praise, it confirms to us that Stylerunner is more about just selling activewear.
RESCU: Do you have any advice for those who’d like to make it big in not only online retail, but fitness retail?
Julie Stevanja: I think regardless of the space you’re working in, your focus should be the same. Once you’ve decided what you want to do, commit to it and put everything into it to ensure it happens. Don’t let the late nights and hard work deter you from fulfilling your dreams – you really can do anything you put your mind to.
RESCU: What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received and how did it change the way you work?
Julie Stevanja: Sali and I were once told: ‘If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room’ and this is integral to ensuring personal development and growth as well as the growth of the business. We constantly reach out to mentors in different spaces, whether it’s through personal connections, networking or even LinkedIn. It’s all about understanding that there will always be people who know more than you and surrounding yourself with those people allows continual growth in an ever-evolving industry.
RESCU: What does the average day for the co-founder of Stylerunner look like?
Julie Stevanja: No day is ever the same. I work across the marketing, buying and strategic side of the business so my day could include anything from planning, to ranging, trend forecasting, analysing customer behaviour, developing our next marketing initiatives with our Marketing Director or working on the overall brand vision. Stylerunner is a hive of activity and Sali and I have put enormous effort into fostering a culture of positivity, success and celebration at Stylerunner HQ so we spend time coaching staff in the mornings and end our week celebrating our wins.
RESCU: What would you be doing if you hadn’t founded Stylerunner?
Julie Stevanja: Previously, I worked in banking and marketing but I always wanted to do something big, it just came down to timing and opportunity.
RESCU: A quick glimpse on your website reveals “something exciting is coming”… What’s next for your fashion fitness empire?
Julie Stevanja: Next is a new look Stylerunner – we have created an online space that combines fashion and function, creativity and ecommerce. We’ve developed an approach that allows us to deliver a beautiful space that customers come to not only to shop but for daily inspiration.
Julie will be speaking at Online Retailer