"Pivoting to adapt to our fast-changing world is one of the most important lessons I've learned, it's essential to be flexible and adaptable."
Belinda Jane Keehn Tweet
Meet Belinda Jane Keehn, founder of BJ’s PJ’s and Baby Origami Double Wrap™. BJ’s PJ’s multi-award winning loungewear and pyjama range is an Australian-owned brand founded on organic cotton, comfort, and confidence. Using premium Australian organic 4-way stretch cotton, with wire-free breast support, you can be your most confident comfy with the versatility to wear just about anywhere!
Modern flattering styles that move and breathe with your body without any nasty chemicals, made ethically and sustainably in Australia. Void of uncomfortable and unflattering bulky waistbands, collars, cuffs, buttons, bows, zips etc,. Their simple yet stylish designs are not only about supporting your best assets and making us all look and feel sexier, they are fast becoming the leisurewear of choice in the slow fashion uprising in Australia.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Belinda Jane Keehn: I’m Belinda Jane, and my friends call me BJ, I am blessed to live on the beautiful NSW east coast and I want this beauty to remain for my nephews and the many generations to come. I believe we should all play a part in helping preserve Mother Earth, so my garments are sustainable and eco-ethically manufactured.
BJ’s PJ’s are made with love and care, for you to look and feel good. I’m all about empowering women and increasing confidence by helping ladies feel fabulous about themselves while looking good and still being comfortable – minus the bounce! When you purchase our products you can rest assured you are buying a quality brand that has a sustainable conscience. I support all local businesses for all our extras like swing tags, printing, trims etc… Supporting Australian small business is very important to me #bettertogether
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Yes, curve ball after curve ball, they just keep on coming!
Pivoting to adapt to our fast-changing world is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned, it’s essential to be flexible and adaptable.
It’s been challenging for many so I believe if we all work together, with other brands, industries, and those with common goals we can be a stronger and better force to improve our world, educate and make positive change for our planet and all of its inhabitants. It’s a global issue and we can connect so much easier with today’s modern technologies, we just need to put them to good use!
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Belinda Jane Keehn: YES! For 2022 I believe we need to focus on reducing our ‘want’ for more and choose quality over quantity, the throwaway society is very sad to me and the toll it takes on our people and planet is horrendous.
As far as I’m concerned in most cases less is more. I see so many people struggling financially, emotionally and now physically with the floods in NSW and Queensland, my heart breaks to know they have lost everything. There needs to be change, and fast!
We need to focus on improving the quality of our planet, the livelihoods of our garment makers, and the migrants that have been displaced from war-torn countries can offer so much to our lack of skilled labour – we can turn that into a win-win if we could only just adapt to change more fluidly.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Belinda Jane Keehn: I think the pandemic has changed every industry in some way, we have all been affected.
Our marketing strategy has changed to focus more on ‘working from home’ wear – which of course our garments are perfect for but when I started out it wasn’t ‘a thing’, now it’s the new normal.
I’ve always been conscious of our delicate planet but even more so now than ever it is a huge focus and I am passionate about educating the many who live unaware or choose to ignore what is going on…. ignore and ignorant are very closely related!
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Oh, so much, hindsight is a wonderful thing right!!!
Our focus is on slow fashion and ethical fashion education. Although it might not be directly related to the pandemic it is all about a ‘healthier’ planet with a mission to make positive changes for a healthier attitude and more gratitude, with less greed and minimal destruction!
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Sadly, I expect it to be very similar. I miss the personal interaction and social gatherings. I have felt down, flat, sad, and even depressed at times, unfortunately, I am not the only one and this too seems to be the new normal.
Humans are social beings and to have that taken away is challenging to say the least.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Too many! I REALLY feel for the younger generation who have been forced to learn from a computer screen at home, becoming accustomed to video games and not enough outdoor time with family and friends. I think we ALL spend too much time in front of a screen these days.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Ensuring we get out and about in the sunshine and fresh air, doing some fun activities like bike riding, hula-hooping, beach walks, or Friday afternoon drinks to wind down is how I like to get our team to communicate openly and honestly – we have a transparent business and policy to create a fun yet productive workplace.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Belinda Jane Keehn: Finances! Quite simply I believe the majority of small businesses are really feeling the pinch with the Pandemic, floods, fires and now the war in Ukraine so it is about being really smart with what we have and adapting. I also believe we are #better together and need to collaborate rather than compete.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Belinda Jane Keehn: Anything and everything. We are forever changing and learning, especially in today’s fast-paced technology and living.
My motivations will never alter from trying to improve and better our planet and educate others on how to do the same.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Belinda Jane Keehn: I agree with the above, I resigned for the same reasons and started my own business. I believe business owners can be very blinded to the reality of what is going on outside of their ‘world’. When all they focus on is profit it is easy to lose the reality of human needs and what is going on around them. It is easy to see when you are on the outside, but when you are clouded and overwhelmed with all the pressures of running a business it can take over and priorities get blurred.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Belinda Jane Keehn: I’d love for all business practices to have authenticity, honesty, transparency and reality at their core. Greenwashing, fake news, false advertising etc are rife!
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Belinda Jane Keehn: Success is a happy customer, growth in improving education about a better planet, people and collaborating with like-minded value-driven businesses that desire the same outcomes.
Of course, we need to make a living from our business but we can all do that AND improve the ways we do it to benefit all.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Belinda Jane Keehn for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Belinda Jane Keehn or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.