7 minute read
interview centre stage
from Forum Summer 22
summer 22 interview centre stage
She’s taken a simple idea and turned it into an international lifestyle brand, all while raising four kids, and supporting others to realise their dreams too; Chrissie Rucker OBE has truly done it all. Ahead of her highly anticipated appearance at the Fortune Favours the Brave conference this May, Chrissie took time from her busy schedule to share her journey so far, the obstacles she’s faced along the way, and her secrets to success.
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When Chrissie Rucker left school at 16, she had no idea that she would one day be working at one of the largest media companies in the world. Working as a receptionist at Condé Nast had its perks – meeting Duran Duran being one of them – but most importantly, it opened the doors for Chrissie to pursue a career in journalism and public relations (PR) with some of the world’s most iconic fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. “I left school when I was 16 and moved to London where I studied couture design. It was at that time I really began to appreciate the detail that makes or breaks a product. I definitely thought I was going to be a very famous fashion designer, sadly that never happened! I was lucky enough to get a job at Conde Nast on reception before moving to work on their titles GQ, Brides, House & Garden and Vogue. I then moved onto a PR role at Clarins before my return to magazines as Harper’s Beauty Editor. “My time at some of the best British magazines has proved to be invaluable. I learnt so much and still draw on the experience I gained during my time in journalism and PR 27 years later.” While working as a journalist, Chrissie was tasked with transforming her then boyfriend Nick’s London flat. At that point, Nick owned a few essential (yet mismatched) items, a clear sign of his busy schedule while he focused on growing his company Charles Tyrwhitt. “Nick was very busy setting up his business and he just asked me if I would help decorate his flat. I thought 'yes, I'm a journalist, I can organise a shoot, I can create lovely images, how hard can this be?' How naive I was! “He’d bought his first flat and he basically had one bed, a few kitchen chairs, his bed linen was burgundy, his towels were green and when you opened the kitchen cupboard, there were a couple of tired-looking plates and four chipped mugs. Not good! “So off I went on my first shopping trip and it was a complete disaster. I had a confidence crisis and I was completely overwhelmed with the products on offer. “I retreated home and thought ‘OK let's tackle this like a photo shoot and let's think about creating a beautiful image’. “I loved white and so I decided just to buy white towels, white china, white linen, white sheets. So off I went again and I actually found it was incredibly difficult to do. Back then, there were two very clear ends of the scale. On the one hand, you had fabulous designer, beautiful quality, great attention to detail but expensive, on the other, you had high street which was poor quality, lacking in design, but was much more affordable. “We went and had lunch with Nick's sister and she'd just moved house and gone through the same experience and we ended up saying wouldn't it be fantastic if there was a company that just sold white things that were both gorgeous and beautifully designed but also affordable. And that's really how The White Company began.” The idea was there, the marketplace was crying out for a business like this, but how does one get such a unique company off the ground? With unbelievable amounts of hard work, a journalist's intuition and support from loved ones. “I sold some shares that my grandmother had left me and started the business with £6,000. That figure bought a limited supply of stock and paid for the first brochure. From there, it was up to me to secure sales to keep the cash flow going. I won the She & Midland Bank Small Business Award that gave me an injection of £5,000 and I also received a small Government grant. “I was 23, young, naive and bursting with excitement. I completely believed in my idea and had begun collating old designer catalogues and researching who was supplying leading designer brands. “Drawing on my journalist experience, I rather naughtily rang up a few department stores pretending I was writing an article - asking stores if they 'could tell me what percentage of their sales they sold in white bedlinen' and the answer was always consistently over 50%, so I thought OK, this feels like a good starting place! “The support of loved ones was, and continues to be, invaluable throughout. Nick was a real catalyst and he transformed my outlook on life. I never really thought about starting my own business until I saw how much Nick loved and enjoyed it. “I used to watch him everyday, get up and go to work in a tiny, tiny little office in a basement in Portobello Road. He would wake up with such passion and energy and he would be dying to find out what had gone on the day before. I found that really infectious and I just loved to see his drive. That really inspired me. “From the moment I had the idea for The White Company I was honestly just so excited about it I literally couldn't sleep. I believed so passionately that it could work so I just went off and made it happen.” The White Company has gone on to become a soaring success. From a modest mailing list totalling just 500 people, Chrissie guided the company to a £1.3m return in its first year before opening a physical presence
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on Symons Street in 2000. From there, critics and publications soon took notice of this homegrown brand taking the high street by storm. “I didn’t have any money for marketing or advertising so I really drew on my PR experience and my magazine experience. I wrote a press release and to this day, I must thank the wonderful Lucia van der Post, she wrote the most fabulous piece in the Financial Times the week before we launched and I'm constantly indebted to her because I always say she launched us. I built the first year almost entirely through PR.” Starting with white linens, over the years the range has grown enormously to include fragrances, clothing and childrenswear, but what hasn’t changed is the values which The White Company was founded upon: a passion for the colour white, great design and a fantastic quality that is still affordable. These values have driven The White Company to success and Chrissie’s ‘grow strong grow safe’ motto has seen The White Company expand to every corner of the globe, establishing over 60 stores, employing more than 1,500 people and reporting a turnover of £270m. But it hasn’t been easy becoming a global destination for stylish lifestyle products. Chrissie and her team have navigated the rise and fall of the high street, adapted their offering to the dawn of the digital marketplace and still continue to generate growth across the board. The question on everyone’s lips is how does one transform a business into a serious household name? “Having a really clear vision and having goals to work towards, is absolutely essential. In the early days, it was probably a three-year plan but now we work towards a five-year plan. “We build that plan and work with every single person in every area of the business, so it's a huge collaborative effort, with every staff member a vital cog in the machine if you like. “By having a fantastic plan that’s been communicated well with everyone involved, you can break it down into micro stages and I'm a great believer in trying every year to conquer five things brilliantly rather than trying to attempt to do 20 things badly.” Working closely with charity partners is something Chrissie and The White Company are incredibly passionate about and has led to the creation of The White Heart Foundation. Launched in 2014, the White Heart Foundation currently partners with three exceptionally worthy charities: The Prince’s Trust, St Mungo’s and Samaritans with the aim of helping vulnerable people build a brighter future. Chrissie is a gold patron of The Prince’s Trust and the founding gold patron of the #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign for Women Supporting Women at The Prince’s Trust. The Trust provides vital support to disadvantaged and vulnerable young women in the UK who have faced a complex set of barriers, The Prince’s Trust helps them rebuild lost confidence, move forward into employment, or further education, or to become self-employed. While much has changed since Chrissie launched The White Company 27 years ago, much has also remained. What started as a 12-page mail-order brochure has grown into a multi-channel international business and Chrissie’s love for impeccably stylish products (principally in white) has never wavered. Her secret? “Find something that you love doing. Find something that you're absolutely passionate about and then build the most incredible team around you and form amazing relationships with people who truly care.”
