Leading with Heart: Lois Robbins of WATSKIN On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

Trust your instincts and inner voice. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone believe in you. One of the reasons I was able to assemble the great team I have is because they saw and felt my passion.

In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lois Robbins.

Lois Robbins is a native new Yorker and an accomplished actress. Ms. Robbins is an executive producer on the upcoming comedy drama film Ezra, starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert Deniro, directed by Tony Goldwyn and written by Tony Spiridakis. Lois also plays the role of Susan in the film, a woman who has her sights set on Cannavale’s character max. The film is set to premiere this September at the Toronto film festival. Ms. Robbins also launched a sunwear line, Watskin, last year. Watskin is dedicated to creating elevated protective sun wear and empowering sophisticated women of all ages to love the sun, safely, comfortably, and confidently. The sunwear company donates a portion of their sales to the melanoma research alliance.

Ms. Robbins can be seen starring in the independent film the virgin of highland park, opposite Penelope Ann Miller and Dermot Mulrony. Ms. Robbins was also seen in the aspern papers, alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as well as the film shepherd, directed by Lynn Roth. She has also starred in the feature one nation under god with Casper van Dien, Kevin Sorbo and Antonio Sabato Jr, as well as in the ya adventure film kingfish alongside Molly Ringwald. She can also be seen starring in blowtorch, opposite Billy Baldwin, Kathy Najimy and Armand Assante, Juvie alongside Eric Roberts and in Ithaca, Meg Ryan’s directorial debut with Sam shepherd, Melanie Griffith, and Meg Ryan. Additional film credits include town and country, the screamaker, Hudson river blues and motherhood.

In august 2019, ms. Robbins starred in her self-penned off-broadway play titled l.o.v.e.r, at the pershing square signature center. Directed by Karen Carpenter, the play is a riff on childhood, adolescents and finally adulthood from a grown-up woman’s point of view. In 2018, l.o.v.e.r. had its Los Angeles stage premiere at the zephyr theatre and was also accepted into the united solo festival in NYC, playing to sold out audiences. On the stage, ms. Robbins has starred in two world premiere musical comedies: my history of marriage, by academy award and two- time Grammy winner David Shire, Lee Kalcheim, and Samuel Kalcheim presented by the 2011 New York music theatre festival; and a time for love by David Shire and Richard Maltby, jr. At the Rubicon theater company at the roundabout theater’s black box. She also starred as Stephanie Dickinson in cactus flower at the west side arts theater produced by Daryl Roth.

Best known for her roles on daytime television including one life to live, loving, Ryan’s hope and all my children, ms. Robbins recently played the recurring role of art collector Penelope in the fifth season of the hit tv land series younger. Notable television credits also include guest roles in sex and the city, law & order, kingpin, once and again, law & order svu and blue bloods.

Ms. Robbins places a high importance on philanthropic work; she is actively involved with Evelyn h. Lauder’s breast cancer center, the dubin breast center, alzheimer’s drug foundation, and the lung cancer research foundation.

About Watskin:

WATSKIN is the only sunwear brand that cares as much about protection as style. The pieces are unique and can be worn in and out of the water, for every season and any activity- from the beach, to skiing, to lunch by the pool, pickleball and tennis, and surfing etc. They are very versatile and can make every woman feel confident no matter the destination or occasion. They empower all women to live their best, active lives. Lois gets stopped on the street constantly asking where the pieces are from and how you can purchase them. She created this brand after her own scare with a squamous cell as a solution for women to not worry about enjoying the sun at any age while looking chic and fashionable while doing it. As skin cancer stats in women rise each year, UPF becomes of bigger importance. A portion of the sales are donated to Melanoma Research Alliance since the inception of the brand. WATSKIN has been seen on figures like Melissa Wood Tepperberg, Joy Corrigan, Brooke Burke, Zooey Deschanel, Model Karolina Kurkova, Alex Bennett, Candice Miller, and many more.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about authentic, feminine leadership, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path, now being in the fashion space?

They say, “necessity is the mother of invention”. I have always been interested in fashion, but a squamous cell diagnosis and being told that I needed to stay out of the sun led me to designing some pieces for myself to protect me from the sun. It started as a catsuit and matching skirt: 6 of them actually, that I found myself wearing almost everywhere and for everything. From swimming to exercising to dinner. I got so many compliments and after 2 years I realized I had designed something that people wanted. That’s how WATSKIN was born.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

It’s been a journey, that’s for sure. I think the most interesting thing that’s happened is that I’ve discovered I’m a good business woman. I’ve been a professional actor my whole life. Finding out that I can run a business and be a good leader and delegator has been a great new chapter in my ongoing story.

Entrepreneur in business given me a drive to succeed

What do you think makes WATSKIN stand out? Can you share a story?

Someone said to me yesterday that when they first saw me wearing one of my catsuits, they were inspired by my confidence. I think what makes WATSKIN stand out is that our pieces truly empower all people to look and feel their best, and they are multi-functional. They allow everyone to enjoy an active life outside, without compromising on sophistication or having to change for each adventure. I literally go from morning pickleball, to meetings, lunch and wherever else I need to be. The versatility is what makes WATSKIN so unique. That’s what everyone wearing them is sharing with me.

You are a successful business leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Collaborating; I have surrounded myself with talented, smart women who all bring diverse skill sets to our team.
2. Listening; You have to be willing to hear what other people have to say. We have round table discussions as a team before we sign off on any new piece, collaboration, or venture for WATSKIN.
3. Fiscal Responsibility; You have to watch your bottom line. Don’t overspend and learn from your mistakes. While big investments can often be worth it, I have been less eager to sign big checks until smaller investments prove worthy, and that has made me a responsible business leader.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.

As I stated above, you really have to listen and learn from your mistakes. I wasn’t happy with our original fabric or factory. It was an expensive and hard lesson. We went to market very quickly from concept to launch. That was a bit risky. If I had to do it all over again I probably would have waited 6 months. But we have landed in a great place and I am very excited and proud of where we are now and where we’re headed. Despite the mistakes, we’ve gained brand fans and tripled our 2023 sales goal. I know great things are to come.

Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal experience where embracing your unique leadership style, which might not align with traditional expectations, led to a significant positive impact for WATSKIN?

I think it’s important that our customer hears my voice. I know it is rare that customers speak directly with a brand founder but I am always happy to engage directly with our audience. As a small business, it’s one of the main ways in which we have found feedback and grown. Just recently, I set up time with my team to go through emails and customer service inquiries. I want to be the one responding. We are also setting up phone calls with customers who might want to hear from me directly and offering pieces in exchange for customer focus groups. I think that’s important when you’re building a new brand to make it clear that the founder and designer hears your voice.

In your journey as a leader, how have you balanced demonstrating resilience, often seen as a masculine trait, with showing vulnerability, which is equally powerful, but typically feminine? Can you give an example where this balance created a meaningful difference?

I think it’s really about being forthright in a respectful way. That’s how I’ve found balance. We all make mistakes, including me. I’ve been able to make a difference though through taking ownership during times of need and sharing my most honest thoughts, while prioritizing respect for my team. Our honest conversations from feedback whether it be about price points, fabric feedback, website verbiage are the things that have helped WATSKIN for the better.

As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?

We are a predominantly female team so I can’t say this applies within the team internally. However, our CFO is male and he has always treated our female team with great respect. We lead with communication and are detail oriented in our approach.

How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?

I think relying on the experience of people who have been doing this longer than I have has been very helpful. We are all good listeners and all have a good amount of emotional intelligence. Having said that, as we go from season to season and work on new designs, I tend to get very eager to have more skews than we should on a particular fabric and my team has to reign me in. It forces me to be less emotional and practice my active listening!

What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?

I feel like I have been mentored by my entire team who have all been working in the design and manufacturing space far longer than I have. As I said earlier, respect and listening to one another has been pivotal in getting us where we are today. I could not have done any of this without them. I think being forthright in what you don’t know is more important than pretending you do know. That’s how you authentically communicate: by listening and learning.

Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.

1) It’s not about being a woman. It’s about being a person.

2) Admit when you don’t understand something and ask for help. I had no idea what some of the lingo in my business was before WATSKIN. I wasn’t afraid to ask.

3) Knowledge is power. Read, learn, and study everything there is to know about the business you are embarking on.

4) Trust your instincts and inner voice. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone believe in you. One of the reasons I was able to assemble the great team I have is because they saw and felt my passion.

5) Be your best salesperson. I live in WATSKIN everyday. I’m my best advertising. Show people why they should want what you have to offer!

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Pirie is a TedX speaker, author and a Life Empowerment Coach. She is a co-host of Own your Throne podcast, inspiring women in the 2nd chapter of their lives. With over 20 years in front of the camera, Pirie Grossman understands the power of storytelling. After success in commercials and acting. She spent 10 years reporting for E! Entertainment Television, Entertainment Tonight, also hosted ABC’s “Every Woman”. Her work off-camera capitalizes on her strength, producing, bringing people together for unique experiences. She produced a Children’s Day of Compassion during the Dalai Lama’s visit here in 2005. 10,000 children attended, sharing ideas about compassion with His Holiness. From 2006–2009, Pirie Co-chaired the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in Idaho, welcoming 3,000 athletes from over 150 countries. She founded Destiny Productions to create Wellness Festivals and is an Advisory Board member of the Sun Valley Wellness Board.In February 2017, Pirie produced, “Love is Louder”, a Brain Health Summit, bringing in Kevin Hines, noted suicide survivor to Sun Valley who spoke to school kids about suicide. Sun Valley is in the top 5% highest suicide rate per capita in the Northwest, prompting a community initiative with St. Luke’s and other stake holders, to begin healing. She lives in Sun Valley with her two children, serves on the Board of Community School. She has her Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and is an Executive Life Empowerment Coach, where she helps people meet their dreams and goals! The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is a dream with a date on it!