Nancy Green: On What Fuels the Core of Athleta

Paradigm Shifters is a series of interviews with a select group of women and men from eclectic walks of life. It will highlight unspoken, real-life insights on how they have been able to turn weakness into strength. A naked soul point of view of how their breakdowns were really a preparation for breakthroughs. They are your quintessential paradigm shifters; internal shifts converted into genuine change.

Everything I have ever done has been focused on this underlying theme of shifting the paradigm because, “What we think determines what we feel and what we feel determines what we do.” Hence, why Empowered by You takes lingerie, which has traditionally been seen merely as a tool of seduction and redirected that energy as a tool of empowerment.

I hope from these stories you will look at your own situations, struggles and accomplishments through a different lens. At the very least you will be more equipped with real life tools to change your own paradigm. At the end of the day, we are our own Alchemist turning the silver we were born with into the gold we are destined to become.

Nancy Green — President of Athleta (Photo: Athleta)

There has been a lot of buzz about “performance lifestyle” or “athleisure” wear, a sort of fitness-fashion hybrid. How does Athleta embrace this?

What’s really important is understanding that today’s woman is living her life on the move. Her clothes need to feel great, look great and perform for her. So Athleta is at this intersection of offering premium performance wear for working out and also for her whole active lifestyle and her life on the go. Clothes have to be highly versatile, she doesn’t have time to be living with a closet full of clothes that have one end use. The more versatile your clothes can be, the simpler your life can be. That’s fundamentally important to what we call ‘performance lifestyle’ or what other people call ‘athleisure.’ Styling is just as important as the function, versatility and performance.

Athleta recently collaborated with Derek Lam. Tell me a little about the power of collaboration and a bit about this experience.

We were interested in doing something different and unique because I believe very strongly in this co-creation model. The power of collaboration is that you each bring your own strength, and together you create something new and different. That was what was really exciting when I met with Derek, and his head designer Liz, who ran the 10 Crosby collection, and we all really connected. They were very inspired by our technical fabrics and expertise and we learned a lot about their design approach; they really pushed us on some of the silhouettes. Together we created something that was very unique to the market, and that to me is what collaboration is all about. In whatever form it takes it’s always about trying new things and learning from them.

Do you feel that collaboration fulfilled ultimately what you wanted to achieve?

Yes, it brought significant interest in terms of the coverage it got in the market. We’re a growing brand, and building our brand awareness is very important. It brought new customers in and built an awareness of the brand that people might not have known about. It’s very limited edition so it’s special.

You took over as President of Athleta at a time when GAP sales were starting to slump. What motivated you to take the position and what were your goals?

I’ve always been interested in the activewear sector because I love lifestyle brands and I’m very passionate about the health and wellness space. I’m also passionate about helping people live better, fuller lives through a strong foundation of fitness and wellness. That is core to who I am. I live this lifestyle; I am very active, I practice yoga, I run, I ski, I hike, I paddle board, I’ve grown up that way all my life. What I loved about Athleta was that I knew the brand, and I had actually met the founder many years ago, and I thought, wow, this brand has potential, it could become something very big, it could evolve and transition to reach so many more women. We wanted to broaden the brand so that it would appeal to multi-generations of women. Mothers and daughters are sharing this active lifestyle. Women of all ages need the same kind of versatility in their clothes. Even if they’re not wearing the exact same thing, they share common values and needs as part of this healthy active lifestyle. We realized there’s a business opportunity to better serve this range of customers and we’re on the forefront of this major lifestyle trend that is not only emerging, but building and growing. That was really fundamental to why I joined.

How is the cultural landscape changing for the modern day woman?

There is a whole new notion of feminism which is about taking control of your own life. That starts with being really healthy and taking care of your well-being, the physical, spiritual, and your mind. That is the foundation for being able to live a full and rich life, take on whatever life throws at us, and reach the potential we all have. And that is our mission at Athleta, to ignite a community of healthy, confident women who empower each other to realize their limitless potential. We understand this is about helping women reach their potential through a strong foundation of health and wellness, and if you have that, then you’re open to new experiences, and that brings so much more to your life.

What do you feel is the biggest paradigm shift you’ve experienced when seeing something differently changed your life?

I think it was while I was living in LA when I got into yoga and saw this emergence of this health and wellness lifestyle. People were making such conscious choices in buying products that reflected that lifestyle. That’s when it hit me over the head that this was more than just clothes to work out in, this was representing who they were as a person.

There was a shift from saying, “Look at me for this $1,000 handbag I’m carrying,” to people now putting their health and wellness first. The clothes they were choosing to represent who they were as a person were eclipsing luxury brands and spending lots of money on things that might be more superficial. This was a true reflection of what was becoming more important to their inner being and being exposed through their outer being.

What advice do you wish you could’ve given to yourself when you were just starting out?

To me it’s about protecting your vitality and energy and that starts with taking care of your physical and emotional well being very early in life. I was traveling like crazy when I started out in my career. I had four kids and volunteered a lot, and I didn’t put myself first in those crazy years. I was a weekend fitness warrior and I wanted to do it all. I wish I had discovered yoga 35 years ago, as for me it’s such a powerful practice. It helps me strengthen and balance my body and mind, while keeping me grounded in a very demanding career and active family life. There is so much that women take on in life, we want to have our careers, many of us want children, we want to volunteer; we tend to take on a lot. But I think to do it well, you also have to preserve your vitality and energy so that you can contribute for many many years and you don’t burn out. I think you have to protect your health and wellness first, take care of others, and then take on the world.

What kind of legacy do you wish to leave behind?

What I’ve always been passionate about is helping people realize what they are capable of and reaching their full potential. I’ve always enjoyed mentoring people and helping them in their careers throughout my professional life as well as my volunteer and personal life. I think about my legacy as transforming from my mentoring others, to how we do this at Athleta on a much bigger scale. It then becomes our legacy, our whole team’s legacy, in helping women feel confident and find their potential.

When speaking with Nancy, you realize that behind the major Athleta company there is a vivacious powerful woman who genuinely loves wellness. She wants to lift those around her and inspire the people who she touches with her products. Her work is aligned with her passion for life and it shows.

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Gift Guide: 12 Valentine’s Day Gifts from DC Businesses

Framebridge’s “Heartstagram” via Framebridge blog

February 14 is fast approaching and in true romantic style, you are probably leaving Valentine’s Day shopping and planning to the last minute. In Washington, D.C., we can’t help but be crunched for time, as Metro delays and presidential motorcades test our patience. Meanwhile, we are reminded of the upcoming Hallmark holiday with not-so-subtle details around us, like the hearts on the side of Starbucks cups and pink displays in every storefront. But if you’re looking to local merchants instead of big-box retailers to pick up a gift for your sweetheart, here are some local stores where you can score special Valentine’s Day products.

The “Double Marilyn” via UrbanStems

UrbanStems: This flower delivery startup, originating in D.C. two years ago, is now a go-to flower provider in the District and multiple locations in New York City. The Valentine’s Day lineup of special bouquets is inspired by famous leading ladies. There’s the “Ava” for the “red carpet stunner” made of lavender spider mums, pink and green roses and green dianthus for $35. The “Jackie”, for the “style icon” filled with roses, calla lilies, mums, veronica and succulents for $45. And if you’re all in, there’s the “Marilyn” for the “true romantic”, comprised of two-dozen red roses and a green succulent for $90. They deliver at a moment’s notice, so you really can’t go wrong here.

Related

Here’s What UrbanStems Is Doing to Prepare for Valentine’s Day

GW Succulents Sale: Happening Thursday, Feb. 11, the GW Green sustainability organization at GWU is running a succulent sale at Kogan Plaza, located on 2121 I St, NW. The Facebook event page says, “Succulents will be potted with care and Valentine-themed, (puns included), and are guaranteed to outlive your bouquet of roses. $5 recommended donation.” The succulents are free, but the suggested donations go toward GW Green’s organization to make GW more eco-friendly.

Undone Chocolate: This local, vegan and certified organic dark chocolate company sells its bean-to-bar products at locations around D.C., including Glen’s Garden Market, Pleasant Pops, Compass Coffee, Yes! Organic Market, Union Kitchen Grocery, Little Red Fox and more. Their Valentine’s Day lineup includes a spicy dark chocolate and a spicy drinking chocolate in red packaging, as well as a salted bar with pink packaging. They are going to be featured in a gift pack that make for a perfect Valentines Day gift.

Image via Olivia Macaron Facebook

Olivia Macaron: French desserts are doubly romantic, and macarons are so Instagrammable. The bakery recommends either choosing your own flavors for a personalized gift box, or nine themed ones for $30 or 20 for a $60 gift box. The Valentine’s Day-themed macarons are decorated in pink, red and shimmery white, some with conversation heart-sayings and lips. The special flavors are Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, Lychee Rose and Champagne. The three delivery options are: in-store pickup (four hours notice), local delivery and nationwide shipping. Tout de suite!

Tiny Jewel Box: Its website calls the recently-expanded store on Connecticut Avenue, NW “Washington’s premier jeweler for over 80 years.” This antique jeweler has vintage selections as well as collections from top designers including Alex Sepkus, Marco Bicego and Penny Preville. You can never go wrong with gifting something sparkly and classic.

Kramerbooks Afterwords: Looking for the perfect Shakespeare sonnet? One of DC’s most well known bookstores is a prime spot to pick up some volumes of love poetry for a romantic occasion.

Image via T-J Winery

Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay: Go local with your sparkling wines with this selection from Charlottesville, Virginia. The T-J Winery describes its Blanc de Chardonnay sparkling wine as “crisp, aromatic, bright” with “subtle notes of apple, white peach with hints of hazelnuts.” And retailing around $30 a bottle, you can feel good about shopping local and not breaking the bank.

Wax Candle Co.: These candles help create a Valentine’s Day atmosphere complete with pleasant scents and sounds. This DC-based company makes all-natural American grown soy wax candles. They are clean burning with cotton wicks and aromatic fragrance oils. In addition, the company gives customers access to discover free new music! According to its website, “Wax mixtapes are available for free download with any Wax Candle Co. purchase. You will receive the download password with your order.”  The lavender candle and mixtape pairing seems to be the most romantic bet for Valentine’s Day.

Coup de Foudre: This European lingerie store, its name meaning ‘love at first sight’ in French, takes it up a notch from your typical underwear store. Its website recommends lace chemises, silk dresses and special Valentine’s Day Hanky Panky brand items. There’s free shipping, though the store is located on 1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW, and the site offers men help in the sizing department, using a list of various fruits and sports equipment as a guide for bra sizing. Half of a grapefruit = C cup, half a tennis ball = B cup. And to make your shopping a little more stress-free this week, the store is offering champagne during the afternoons in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. They have your back.

S.O.A.P.: (Scented, Organic, Artisan, Pure) This boutique store in Maryland (180B Waterfront St, Oxon Hill) sells handmade bath and body products. It has free shipping on orders over $49 and free gift-wrapping. Oprah has even picked out her favorites from the store, which are displayed online. Some of the Valentine’s Day recommendations and best sellers are the sugar cookie bath syrup, sweet pea soap, sweet cream hand body lotion, sugar fig swirl soap and lavender vanilla whipped shea body butter.

Grey Moggie Press: This local letterpress and stationary company sells heartfelt greeting cards, prints and social stationery. From its Etsy account, it is “inspired by urban life, dusty etiquette books, letter writing, and typography.” The love and friendship section of the online store has Valentine’s Day-themed cards that say “I want to hug you all the time” and “Will you be my pen pal?” and “With you it’s forever.”

Framebridge: This custom framing company takes your photos, posters, diplomas, etc., and artfully puts them on your walls. “Heartstagram” is the perfect answer to an Instagram-obsessed millennial population, and is a Valentine’s Day gift for those wanting to give photos in (gasp) hard copy form. The website says, “Each Heartstagram includes limited edition Valentine’s Day-themed paper backing and a gift note with a personal message from you!” You upload a photo to the Framebridge website, pick one of six frames and they frame it in a heart-shaped background. Double-tap. The deadline for Valentine’s orders, with expedited shipping, is 11:59 PM PST on Tuesday 2/9, but for local orders, Frambridge is going to help you out right up through the weekend. For DMV shoppers, order at framebridge.com/heartstagram by noon on February 12th and use promo code DCLOVE at checkout. Then you can pick up your finished frame on Saturday, February 13th (between 12 and 3pm) at Union Market’s Salt Sundry.

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