In today’s conversation, I speak with Catherine Nation. Catherine came from the New York fashion world, where having an edge and intensity was seen as the basis of hard work and success. She made the move to the West Coast with the intention of slowing down and relaxing, only to find that her New York edge had followed her across the country. When a co-worker introduced her to the understanding, her interest was piqued and things began to shift. She made the decision to train her team in state-of-mind, which transformed the energy and workflow of the company. Catherine shares what has changed for the better, in her leadership style and approach to business.

Catherine Nation is EVP of Retail/Marketing for Johnny Was. In this role, she oversees all aspects of the retail experience from the rollout of freestanding stores nationwide, as well as overseeing marketing for the company. Since joining Johnny Was in 2009 she has launched 40 freestanding boutiques with 12 additional stores in the pipeline for 2019. Nation got her start in the 80’s at iconic NYC brand Betsey Johnson, taking the company from 3 to 45 boutiques during her role as head of retail, and eventually EVP of Retail/Marketing & PR. In true creative fashion and looking for a lifestyle that was closer to nature, she relocated with her family from NYC to idyllic Ojai, California, where she created the retail experience Bhavantu, combining edgy design with her passion for wellness and yoga. It was this pursuit of a healthy lifestyle coupled with her love of fashion that led Nation to Johnny Was, a collection anchored in a California lifestyle and thoughtful design on a global scale.