Anna Lecat, Bay Area Francophile Clothing Manufacturer, and Believer in “Slow Fashion” Ethics  

I met Anna Lecat as I do so many people these days – via social media. Anna reached out to me through Linkedin introducing me as much to her as to her brand and company, Les Lunes, a unique Bay-area based clothing company that combines “Parisian flair” with soft fabrics made from — amazingly —  bamboo. As her bio on the Les Lunes’ website notes, she is a curious and compassionate soul who inspires with her enthusiasm as much as she is inspired by the enthusiasm of others.  She also, by the way, speaks English, Chinese, French and Russian.

So it was not surprising that when I asked her “what do you love?” she responded: “When passionate people share their passion for life.” Anna has many years of experience in building businesses from the ground up, but feels her true talent lies in creating the right team of like-minded passionate individuals to move a venture forward. To have that ability to build the right team to scale a company? Now that is an extraordinary talent — and why I’m keeping my eye on Anna.

Define “entrepreneur.”
An entrepreneur is someone who sees a need in the world, and is compelled to fulfill it. They are driven by passion and refuse to take no for an answer. They are dogged in their determination for success and are not deterred from their goal by minor setbacks. Entrepreneurs create the future, and move society forward by way of their innovative thinking.

Who are your heroes?
I am inspired by the strong passionate woman who is gracious and loving in support of her husband and her family, while remaining true to herself and her dreams.

What is your current challenge?
How I can be more supportive of the people around me: my kids, my husband, my co-workers and other strong women — and balance all of that with my own work.

Your greatest achievement?
It is also my daily challenge of balancing family, the business, and supporting my husband in his vision.

What is your motto?
Always learn, always question, and surround yourself with passion.

Why are you an entrepreneur?
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I can’t imagine doing anything else; I have very strong ideas about how things should be done. I see a need in the world and I have a strong desire to fulfill it.

What problem are you solving?
How can we be the strong women that we are, follow our passions and support people around us, while staying soft and true to ourselves?

Biggest regret?
I knew my husband was the one on our first date — I wish I had trusted myself sooner instead of waiting two years to marry him!

What mobile device do you presently use?
iPhone.

Essential app(s)?
Open Table [restaurant reservation service].

Which productivity tools (app/software/office supplies) do you use most often?
iCal [personal calendar app].

Best discovery?
Bamboo as a raw material for cloth.

Which talent would you like to have?
I would love to be able to sing.

Best pat on the back you’ve ever received?
My husband, Jerome Lecat, is my biggest supporter and mentor.

Advice you wish you’d had (or had followed)?
My first mentor told me that I need to “become proficient at every task that I ask someone else to do.” In order to manage effectively, I need to know their job. I haven’t done this all the time, however!

Your pitch in 140 characters?
Les Lunes is inspired to craft soft essentials with Parisian flair, focused on “slow fashion” ethics, and building a community of strong women.

Your bio in 6 words?
Feisty. Bold. Adventurous. Passionate. Curious. Stubborn.

Are you on Twitter?
Yes — @leslunes.

What’s your hashtag?
#parisianflair, #softessentials, #strongwomen, #slowfashion, #leslunes.

Your nails on a chalkboard moment?
Whining!

The J.O.B. you’d actually like?
I’m living it!

Inc. or Rolling Stone or…..? Which magazine cover?
Inc.

What are you reading?
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

What is your must-read?
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There are No Easy Answers, by Ben Horowitz

If I wanted to do what you’re doing…what’s your advice?
There is no reward without risk. If it is what you desire to do, then do it with all your heart.

What conference would you like to keynote?
TED.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures!

Short cut, long route, or road less traveled? What’s your roadmap?
This depends on the destination. All of them serve their purpose. I do not take shortcuts in quality, whether it’s the quality of life, people or product. But I will take a shortcut to the store!

Podium you’d like to stand on?
The one I build.

The memories of a chef are tastes and smells; what would you say are the memories of an entrepreneur?
We will be remembered by how fair and supportive we are to people along the way.

What makes you LOL?
I don’t take myself too seriously; much of life amuses me.

Who or what inspires you?
Authenticity. Passion. Integrity. Artisanship. These are the qualities I look for in everyone I meet. When I recognize this spark in someone, I want to know the ‘how’ of who they are. I am inspired by their stories.

What’s the most important startup/entrepreneurship lesson you’ve learned?
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz is my bible for entrepreneurship.

What would be the title of your biography?
Tango into the Night

Favorite gadget?
MacBook Air.

Your Ferris Bueller moment: if you could goof-off/skip out for a day, what would you do?
I would go Tango dancing, and then find a quiet spot to work.

One place in time you’d like to visit?
I would love to travel to the future and see what the world is like in a hundred years.

Part of the trick to staying focused?
I love being present in the moment. I feel it is respectful to give my full attention to the people I am with, and to the passions I am creating. I don’t multi-task. I give my everything to what I am doing.

You take a three-hour ocean tour and get stranded …what three items do you have with you?
My husband, my kids, and my Les Lunes.

Where can readers of “In Conversation With” connect with you online?
On Facebook/Twitter @leslunes or on our website at leslunes.com.

One last thing: what’s the question I should be asking you?
What is the future of Les Lunes? Les Lunes’ future lies with the strong, passionate women of the world, and their eagerness to share the luxuriously soft bamboo clothing we provide with their husbands and their children: we have already begun crafting the L.L. line for men, and a children’s line isn’t far behind. With this exciting future laid out before us, the possibilities are endless.