Michelle Feeney: Founder and CEO of Floral Street

Speaker A: Welcome to the Jazz Shapers podcast from Mishkondaraya. What you're about to hear was originally broadcast on Jazz fm. However, the music has been cut due to rights issues.

Speaker B: The world's greatest jazz soul and blues from the world's greatest artists. This is Jazz FM Jazz Shapers with Elliot Moss in partnership with Mish Kondareya. It's business, but it's personal.

Speaker A: Welcome to Jazz Shapers with me, Elliot Moss, bringing the shapers of the business world together with the musicians shaping jazz soul and blues. My guest today for this final Jazz Shapers of the season is none other than. Drumroll. Michelle Feeney, founder and CEO of Floral Street, a British fragrance brand. Starting her career in pr, then launching her own PR agency in New York, Michelle was headhunted by none other than Estee Lauder Companies and led Mac Cosmetics to become the world's biggest makeup brand, where, working with the United nations, she also spearheaded the Mac AIDS Fund, helping children living with HIV around the globe. As CEO of San Tropez, she helped turn a niche brand into a mainstream global success. There's a theme developing here. And in 2017, while in her 50s, Michelle launched floral street, challenging the perfume industry's damaging environmental impact. As Michelle says, Floral street is an upstart brand aiming to do everything differently from making recyclability and sustainability the core of our brand. And, and I love this, by the way, challenging the use of sexuality to self sense. Michelle Feeney is my business shaper, as I said, she's the CEO and founder of Floral Street. They make lovely perfumes and do a lot more. But before we get into that, um, that was Diana Ross and Michelle. You know, Diana Ross or you worked with Diana Ross many years ago.

Speaker C: Yes, I did. Um, we had a series of famous, more mature women that we decided to make Mac icons. And Diana Ross is one of those. And, you know, I was, wow. I'd grown up, you know, listening to her music and dancing. And, um, I was responsible for taking her to Paris Fashion Week. And she's the only person I work with as a famous person that's actually made me cry. Um, and I took her to Paris Fashion Week. There was.

Speaker A: When was this? What year?

Speaker C: It must be about 20 years ago now, I must say. I.

Speaker A: Somewhere between 1997 and 2004.

Speaker C: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. No, it was the early 2000s, actually, to be honest. And, um, I took her to the John Galliano show they requested. We had a huge event for her the following night, which a lot of Paris was coming to, um, and we went backstage and they attempted to take a photograph of her, uh, with John Galliano and the head of lmvh. And I stood in front of her and said, no, you can't take photographs. And we went back to the hotel and she just shouted at me in front of everyone and said, what are you doing? And I said, I'm protecting you. You know, we're pay us still order companies. It's our night tomorrow night. Um, and I didn't want that photograph to get out before it's your very big night tomorrow night. And she left the room and I just burst into tears cause I was so stressed. Um, but she came back and she said, I'm really, really sorry. And I didn't mean to do that to you. And um, in front of everyone, which I thought was so honorable and fantastic. And then I went on to work with her for the rest of that year and we had a great relationship. But I think it's, you know, you realize the vulnerability of some celebrities and the life they've lived. Uh, and you have to really understand that when you're working with them.

Speaker A: I think I've heard people asking you why were you a success in pr? And I think you've just answered the question and I think why are you a success in business? And yeah, founder of this great business, the woman behind Mac and various other successes as well. There's in your eyes as you're telling me that story, there's huge empathy.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: Is that the key to why you, Michelle, are so successful, do you think if you strip it all back?

Speaker C: I think so. I think I like, weirdly, what I don't like about now is as a founder you have to be. Sorry to be jazz hands, you know, you have to be upfront, you have to be constantly on some social media going, aren't I fabulous? And you know, I'd rather stand back and be the person behind somebody in some ways and be empathetic and working with people like Mary J. Blige when she was very young and she'd never left the hood almost, you know, And I've then got journalists from all around the world, um, speaking to her and I had to build trust, you know, that I was there for her. Not for me and not for my. Not to be her friend, to be her business friend. Um, and I think I, maybe that is my success. You know, I'm always thinking of the whole situation, not just that moment in time.

Speaker A: And how do you see it all? Where does that come from? Because you obviously, this is a lot to do with human understanding and dynamics in real time. Because PR is live and then running a business is live.

Speaker C: Live. Yes.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's all happening, literally is panning out in front of you. Where's that super skill come from?

Speaker C: I think I was kind of born somewhat with a gift of that and then growing up in, you know, in the middle of Birmingham with my fantastic parents who had about four jobs. But I sort of grew up in shops and I grew up in Irish community. And you're almost translate watching people and translating people without even understanding what you're doing, you know. And I think the Irish side of me has always been open. Nobody's better than you. Everybody, you know, be good to everyone. So I think it's. That's what's helped me, um, and have faith in myself, you know, self esteem that you build during your childhood with families is so important for you to step in the room, you know, Michelle

Speaker A: Feeney, my business shaper, founder and CEO of a beautiful business called Floral street, named after, of course, Covent Garden. Floral Street. One of my favorite streets, by the way. Young memories of going to Paul Smith.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Which was right on the iconic shop. Uh, iconic man, of course, as well, from Nottingham, not far from Birmingham. Sort of that way, if you're a Londoner, you just don't. You close your eyes and go up there. Um, we were talking about, uh, well, you were talking about your super skills and these things that have happened. And there is a recipe which I will probably repeat towards the end of the program around what being Irish means. I think I read somewhere that you really. You got a feel for that when you landed in New York. And this is. Young woman in her 20s decides to go up sticks. No real plans, you said? I've never had a plan. I've never had to, you know, I've never had to do a job interview or go for a job. You turn up in New York and then within a while you're going, hold on a sec. Being Irish means something. Were there moments in your very little life where now you look back and you go, okay, that's the root of some of this stuff. Was it stuff you saw or things you felt?

Speaker C: I just think when you're in a huge community of any kind, you know, in a foreign country, really? Because if you think, you know, I'm. I was born in 1963, so I'm quite old. And growing up in the middle of Birmingham in the 60s was, you know, we were with such amazing communities of Jamaicans And Indians and Irish, you know, and it was. A lot of people had left home and come over and were lonely and were. They got together on a Saturday night after a very, very hard week of working. And I think that community, that openness, that love of. And dance, you know, I did Irish dancing and I played the piano accordion. Uh, but it brings people together and people had to believe in each other. If you're in an immigrant community, you have to believe in each other.

Speaker A: Yeah, well, often you're under attack, unfortunately, or you're othered and it's different. And, uh, as a Jewish person, you'll feel, I am Jewish. And you feel it. And at the first time, m. In my lifetime, uh, this difficult time for many communities, one is definitely feeling that. Just tell me though, the way you created the communities at Mac and the communities at Saint Tropez and now this community at Floral street, do you think. Not that you're replicating that, but that you've understood the importance of people feeling like they're part of something bigger?

Speaker C: Absolutely. So I call it cult branding. And that's what I think I've learned throughout my life, is how you cult brand, so how you speak to a certain community. And the biggest lesson I had was from Tommy Hilfiger himself, because I. I

Speaker A: love all these names, by the way. I know, sorry, you m. Can take the woman out of pr. But I. This Michelle feels.

Speaker C: No, but they're genuine as well. He wrote me a letter for my green card and everything.

Speaker A: But, um, as you would get, obviously. I mean.

Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.

Speaker A: It was Tommy. It was Tommy Michelle here. And I need a bit of help. Tommy says, of course, Michelle.

Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. But he. The way his company branded at the time in the 90s was to go to the communities of Rapid, which were new and hip hop, and start to work with them. And he understood that America was made up, you know, which I had to learn very quickly of many different communities. Even in music, you know, the stations were separate. You know, you only listen to country or you only listen to music.

Speaker A: MTV did not play. R and B did not play. Did not have Michael Jackson on their station.

Speaker C: No, exactly. So it was so. And I was like, oh, my God, this country is so. It's so siloed, you know, in comparison to our country, which I think is amazing in general. Um, so he sort of showed me how to market to different groups of people and speak to them with relevancy. And I think that has always, uh. Well, Lynne Frank taught me that in the 80s we were, you know, in fashion and everything. And it was about relevancy, but bringing new ideas into that and take what he did was bring that culture out to a wider audience. And I call it the Tommy Hilfiger effect because it is, you know, communities. And then you bond that community together and it becomes a bigger market. So, yeah, I think taking the time to learn, um, not bouldering in, thinking, you know, it all, um, you know, having that understanding of music played such a big part in Marketing in the 90s of fashion and beauty. Um, and Mac. I didn't do Mac alone, by the way. I was, uh, head of comms and marketing and the Mac aids fund. We were seven people who took it. Uh, and I did launch 40 countries. But again, having to go to a country, I loved that role of going to a country, being dropped in, having to do your homework, having to sit with somebody and learn about how that country worked rather than bombarding in. I think British companies at that point weren't doing that well in America. And that's because they came in and go, we're British. And actually you're British. It's great. It's got a quirk. But then how are you going to relate to those communities?

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker C: Uh, so, yeah, and I think my background from when I was a kid really has done that. How am I going to relate?

Speaker A: Yeah. You know, stay with me for much more relating from Michelle Feeney, my business shaper. She's the founder and CEO of Floral Street. She'll be back in a couple of minutes. Right now we're going to hear a taster from the Michigan Innovation series, which can be found on all the major podcast platforms. Lydia Kellett invites business founders to share their practical advice and industry insights. For those of you thinking about starting your very own thing, just like Michelle has done twice. In this clip, we hear from Bianca Rangecroft, founder and CEO of Wearing a fashion app on a mission to upend the Buy use, dispose model.

Speaker C: The Mishkon Innovation series. Inspiration from founders of cutting edge businesses in association with Jazz Shapers with Mishkon Dureya.

Speaker B: And if you had to give a piece of advice to somebody looking to break into the fashion tech world, Bianca, what would that be? I'd say two things. The first, if you're a founder and you're starting this journey, I'd say really focus on your strengths, solve for what you cannot do, and be really, really honest with what that is. Because the ROI and you focusing on your strengths and building that out as potentially the face of the brand or the face of the technology or the face of the operations of the company is so crucial because time really is money. Um, and this journey is a marathon and you really can't burn out because you are the mvp. And so solving for what you're not good at allows you to remain as much as possible in a percentage of enjoyment of the work that you do, rather than in a percentage of I've just got to get this done to get keep things moving. So really picking that team, being honest with yourself about what you can and can't do is really important to just getting there faster and in a better mental health state.

Speaker C: The Mishkon Innovation Series in association with Jazz Shapers with Mishkon Durea this is

Speaker B: Jazz Shapers with Elliot Moss in partnership with Mishkondaraya. It's business, but it's personal.

Speaker A: You can enjoy all our former business Shapers on the Jazz Shapers podcast and there's plenty of time over the summer as well, because this is the last in this series, as I said earlier, and you can hear this very program again if you pop Jazz Shapers into your favorite podcast platform. My guest today is Michelle Feeney, founder and CEO of Floral Street, a British fragrance brand. So this is not the first time you set a business up and yes, it was in your 50s and yes, that's unusual and we'll talk about that a little bit. But the DNA of Michelle in terms of being picked up by Lynne Frankson for the younger part of the audience here on Jaz Shape as, um, an absolute legend in the world of PR, like the number one person in PR essentially in the 80s and kind of defined what PR looked like, actually, I would say, um, what is it about you that said, that's great, but I'm going to do my own thing. Part one and part two, then Estee Lauder and big companies. How did that happen? This is a journey, right?

Speaker C: It's a complete journey as life is, which is really exciting. And I literally have never had a plan. I went to New York.

Speaker A: Evidently. For somebody who's not got a plan though, it's worked out pretty well.

Speaker C: I know, but, um, I went to New York because, um, my boyfriend at the time was a. Well, Liz, a record producer and songwriter. And, you know, I was starry eyed and I gave up my big job. I was a director at Linz at age 26 and went to New York without a plan, which was a bit stupid really, but I was. I decided I wanted to try and write for some British publications from New York. Change track. So I got a bit of a deal with the Daily Mail and, um, Elle magazine and some other things. And I went to interview a founder of a hair salon in New York called Bumble and Bumble Michael Gordon. And weirdly, the next day he called me and said, I've got a really good feeling about you. Would you come and talk to me about working for you? And by this time, I'm m. Absolutely broke because, of course, writing bits and pieces for British magazine, it's not gonna pay. It's not gonna pay. So anyway, and he said, look, I've just got. We have had nobody doing marketing or pr, and I've just got a really good feeling about you and would you come? And so I went and bought a typewriter. I can't type, by the way. And I did a proposal and he said, okay. Um, and then I went and he listened to me and I said, we've got to create some products. We had created the products. I then produced a hair show in the Limelight. And the owner of the Limelight, Peter Gation, who was an empresario of the night, said, I want you to come and work for me and I want you to. I'm launching a new club, which is, um, Club usa, and I want you to do everything. And I said, no. I said, I've never, ever done nightlife. I'm not qualified. Anyway, he kept asking me and kept asking me and he put me in a room and I said, a ridiculous amount of money that I wanted as a fee. And he went, okay. And then I'm like, f. I've actually got to do this now. But, uh, that opened up this whole world of creativity. New York, celebrity, underground, poetry, fashion, lots of money. It was just the most.

Speaker A: It was life changing. It was life changing, but it sounded like you had to be dragged through that door. The confidence wasn't there at that age.

Speaker C: No, it wasn't interesting.

Speaker A: I mean, maybe you backed yourself, but you weren't saying, look at me, I'm going to set up this business. You had two people basically saying to you, we want to hire you.

Speaker C: Yeah. And that spiraled. And I built this company. Uh, Michel Feeney pr.

Speaker A: Can I just say, were you, um, not the unwilling entrepreneur, but were you the. Well, if you really think I should be entrepreneur.

Speaker C: Probably. Probably. I think. I don't kind of think like that. I think maybe I'm just entrepreneurial by nature. And that's why Lauder headhunted me in. You know, they were private companies still then. And I got a call one day and said, would you come and talk to us? You know, we know you've got your own company, but we've heard you're the best, and will you come and talk to us?

Speaker A: And it turns out, of course, they were about to acquire a whole bunch of things, entrepreneurs, and they needed someone like you. We're going to hold it there for a moment because it's time for some more music. This is Michelle Feeney, here in the hot seat for this last in the Jazz Shapers series, founder and CEO of Floral Street. When I research these programs, I hear. You know, you hear all the different stories. There seems to be a number of pivotal moments for you. And it feels like every day, if I worked with you, I'd have a pivotal moment and alert. But the birth of your first child. And I was listening to you recount the story of the hospital where he was born and how tough that was and how that Michelle at that point said, right, I need to get serious about my life. I need to be able to provide for my family, because it was a really. It was a. It was not a nice hospital. Just tell me how that moment has informed other things in your life as you look back now.

Speaker C: Well, having my son Harry, completely changed my life. Uh, I was 30. I was in a foreign country. I had my own company. I went back after one week to work, because who was going to pay the bills, you know? I mean, when you.

Speaker A: And who looked after Harry?

Speaker C: Oh, no, I. I had a nanny, and then she'd bring him in.

Speaker A: I left him on his own, and he was just fine. He was just fine. I mean, he's out. Absolutely fine.

Speaker C: No, but it was. It's America, you know, of course, that's what you do, you know, and, um, people don't realize here how, you know, how good they've got it, even if they have to wait a few hours, you know?

Speaker A: Yeah, there's a safety net here.

Speaker C: Yeah, there is. But, um, it changed my life. It made me take myself seriously. My mom and dad said, why don't you come home? Because also a little bit after that, I split from his father, became a single mom. And I'm like, no, you know, I've built this so far in the last couple of years to get here, and I love it here, and I'm not gonna just give in. So I think it was where I just thought, there's no excuses. You have to take yourself seriously with whatever comes. You can overcome that and you can step forward and you're on your own. I mean, you're always on your own, I think. And that's quite hard. I think we cling onto that. We're not alone. But we are alone.

Speaker A: But you're happily married now. And are you on. I mean, your husband may say, but. But we're together. I mean, in that sense. And I know what I mean is, it's really interesting. There is a dichotomy here. I know exactly what you mean. You're always on your own. Cause at the end of the day, you look to Michelle to make sure that what you're doing is gonna work. I get that. But you've also, I imagine, got to be vulnerable enough to let go and let people support you.

Speaker C: You'd have to ask other people that.

Speaker A: Well, I can see. Okay, so that's a really interesting point. So I think there's. For me, it looks like you are. That there's a protection there still, uh, for this point in your life, you're like. There's a level of trust where you trust yourself 1000%. And even the people you love the most, maybe you don't trust them quite the same way. And I don't mean that rudely. Is that fair? And it's part of the entrepreneurial thing, isn't it?

Speaker C: I just think I realize that life can change in a heartbeat. And you, as a mom particularly, you have to be prepared. You'll know from your culture, life can change in a heartbeat. And it made me grow up and take things seriously. But my husband and I have an amazing relationship, and we're brilliant partners, and we have a lovely life. But he knows that I'd be okay on my own because that's who I am and I trust. But totally. Sometimes too much, really. I think, in other ways, but I think as humans, you are. You know, you come in alone and you're out alone. Right. So, as Buddhists say. Um. But, you know, I think that's been a driving factor in me being successful as well. Not to let myself down.

Speaker A: I think I heard you describe. And, um. Um, we'll be hearing from Marvin Gaye and Donald Byrd in a moment. But I think I heard you describe the Estee Lauder Company, um, and being part of it as being like an Olympic athlete and actually coming into running your own business. Not everyone necessarily wants to be the Olympic athlete. And you find that hard. Which I do want to talk about as we go into our final chat, um, and how we square that circle around performance. Because it seems to be a bit of a buzzword at the moment in the context of all sorts of other cultural things happening. Anyway, stay with me for that. It's Michelle Feeney. She's my business shaper. She'll be back. And as I promised, we've also got some Marvin Gaye and Donald Bird for you, too. See you in a minute.

Speaker B: This is Jazz Shafers with Elliot Moss in partnership with Mish Kondareya. It's business, but it's personal.

Speaker A: Michelle Feeney is my business shaper. And remiss of me not to double down on this thing called Floral street, but of course, we've. We've talked around who Michelle is. Floral street, you set up, um, you called it the upstart. I talked about performance. That business was set up for. For lots of personal reasons, by the looks of it. Also, obviously, also the market opportunity. You're now. How many years aren't we? Like, nine, eight, nine years. Yeah. Where are you in that journey, and how do you ensure that the people in it are Olympic athletes are prepared to make sacrifices?

Speaker C: Well, it's been one of the hardest things, if not the hardest professional thing I've ever done, um, being on my own, starting from absolute scratch, because I'm known for taking things and amplifying them and globalizing them. Um, we've lived through lockdown, you know, so many things. And now with what's going on in the world, it's made it relatively challenging at every step. I've had to pivot like mad, and I've had to learn to inspire, I think, and I've got to that good point. I've made a lot of, you know, errors with hires and people and me trying to make people perform like I do at the level I do. And, um, instead of doing that, my mantra now is, how can I make the people that work with me the best they can be at what they're good at and not expecting them to be good at everything.

Speaker A: Is that the evolution you've taken as a leader?

Speaker C: Yes, it is, actually.

Speaker A: Is that the biggest thing?

Speaker C: It's the biggest thing, I think, in a modern era with modern people. And I realized my. When you work for somebody like Estee Lauder and you're on a billion dollar brand is what we got it to. You cannot fail. You cannot fail. There is no failure allowed. None. And I realized I'd kept that momentum in everything I did since I moved back to the uk, which is a very different society with different approach, I sort of started saying, I wish people would put as much energy into their job as they do booking their, you know, and making sure they got enough days. But um, you can't fight that. So I have to find a way through that. And also as a startup, you know, there's some failures in there and I have had to allow myself to kind of slightly fail, I was gonna say.

Speaker A: Cause a lot of entrepreneurs say failure is a big part of it for you. You've done corporate world, you've done this. It sounds like you're less comfortable with the notion of failure. Even the little ones that build and become something brilliant.

Speaker C: Yeah, I.

Speaker A: You don't like it.

Speaker C: I'm extremely hard on myself. You know, I'm the hardest taskmaster on myself.

Speaker A: Why are you so hard on yourself, Michelle? You've got nothing to prove. All the things you've done. Anyone took one slice of what you've achieved and they would say thank you very much.

Speaker C: But I don't hear that, you see. So I'm like, okay, when you work in, you know, again, high level in America, you're only as good as today, of course. And I think I've still, I all got uh, that in me.

Speaker A: But if you were managing you.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: What would you be saying to Michelle?

Speaker C: Enjoy the journey a bit more maybe.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: Step back a bit. Smell that. Literally smell the roses. As I was at the weekend in my, in my garden. Um, you know, but I don't know if you can really change your DNA. I don't know, you can work around it. But um.

Speaker A: Well, when is. And again, we're going to run out of time, unfortunately. Your happy place. Because I can see you push yourself and I can see there isn't Michelle, managing Michelle, saying, well done Michelle, you've had a great career. That isn't happening. Where are you happiest, Michelle, at what moment and what space do you really kind of relax?

Speaker C: Okay. Um, relaxing, I'm not so sure. But I um,

Speaker A: don't know what is that?

Speaker C: I do yoga every day and I love that. But where I'm absolutely happiest is when I've cooked an incredible meal and I'm sitting with my family and we're just being and discussing and I'm listening to my daughter, my son, my husband, my mom, my brother and we're all together. And that brings me ultimate happiness. And you can do that if you haven't got much or you have got a lot. And I think that for me, those are the important things for me, things

Speaker A: that don't cost, things that don't cost. And weirdly, kind of to start, end where we started, a sense of belonging.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: Brilliant. To Talk to you. Amazing. Thank you so much. What an amazing life you've led. And have fun. Keep going.

Speaker C: I'm sure you still want to.

Speaker A: I know, but I do continue. Continue to. But it says it's not. This isn't a tribute to Michelle Phoenix. This is more like, I know there's more to come, but also be nice to yourself. We don't know each other. I can say that. Be kind to yourself. Just before, um, I let you go. What's your song choice and why have you chosen?

Speaker C: Um, Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got that Swing. And this was recorded, this album, um, uh, that it's taken from when I was born and my dad was a big jazz lover. Um, and this track for me was one that I'd play in New York, and it was the spirit for me of America and New York. And, um, I just loved the musicianship

Speaker A: in Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got that Swing. The song choice of my business Shaper today, Michelle Feeney. And of course, that was Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. She talks about the importance of being Irish and why was that important? It's about being open. Nobody's better. Be good to everybody. Have faith. I loved all those things about her background as, uh, an Irish person in the Irish community. How am I going to relate a big theme for her in terms of her work, in terms of her personal life, in terms of the brands that she has created, indeed, the Floral street brand that she is creating now. Think about how that relates is going to actually happen. Building cult brands, the Tommy Hilfiger story and the Tommy Hilfiger effect. That is what relating is all about. She talked about not letting myself down. And I think that really captures why Michel Feeney is Michel Feeney and how she's now translating that as a leader. Slightly different. She's finding what people are really good at and helping them be the best that they can be. Really great stuff. That's it from me and Jess. Shapers. Have a happy and wonderful summer.

Speaker B: See you the other side Jazz Shapers on Jazz FM in partnership with Mishkondaraya. It's business, but it's personal.

Speaker A: We hope you enjoyed that edition of Jazz Shapers. You'll find hundreds more guests available for you to listen to in our archive. To find out more, just search Jazz Shapers and itunes or your favorite podcast platform or head over to mishkon.com forward/jazshapers.