Power Women: Elle Leonard of Level Active On How To Successfully Navigate Work, Love and Life As A Powerful Woman

An Interview With Ming Zhao

… Be relentless and patient. — This might seem like an oxymoron, but both pieces are really important together. The truth is that good things take time. And sometimes, that good thing takes more time than you wanted it to. Know that this is okay. Be patient with the process. BUT, don’t lose your fire. Continue on your relentless pursuit of more because there is so much you can learn in meantime.

How does a successful, strong, and powerful woman navigate work, employee relationships, love, and life in a world that still feels uncomfortable with strong women? In this interview series, called “Power Women” we are talking to accomplished women leaders who share their stories and experiences navigating work, love and life as a powerful woman.

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Elle Leonard.

Elle Leonard is an entrepreneur, rising social media star, health activist and CEO/Founder of Level Active, where she turned a passion for elevating individual voices and story telling into an activewear company that pivots traditional practices of brand building and engagement.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

As a child, I was a total dreamer. I believed that hearing the words “You can’t” was just someone’s way of saying, “Nice try.. But, you need a different angle.” You might call this persistent or naïve. But for some reason, I always believed that just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t make it impossible.

I’ve often wondered why I was this way. Maybe it’s thanks to my extremely creative mother who embodied the woman that can do it all. Maybe it was because of my stalky, meat and potatoes figure as a young girl that made me feel more comfortable as a tom-boy than a girly-girl. Or maybe it’s thanks to my oldest-child, Capricorn personality that innately made me this way.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t change it because in a way, it gave me horse blinders to women’s natural hesitancy to lean in because I was already trying to stand up.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

As I’m sure you can already tell, I was naturally a very “do it myself”, independent person. I’d always believed in this track of getting my degree, move to the big city, work my way up the corporate latter with the goal of running the business or my own business someday.

Needless to say, that my life was thrown for a pretty big loop when I met my 7ft soulmate during college. It was the first time that I had to reassess MY path and look at it as OUR path.

And to make matters even more tricky, due to his professional basketball career, my career couldn’t be tied to a location or typical 9–5 work schedule in order to make the relationship work.

It’s important to note that 10 years ago, the concept of “remote work” was not one that was looked well upon. The social media and e-commerce age were NOWHERE near what they are today. So to have a career that couldn’t be 9–5 or committed to a location felt like a nearly impossible endeavor.

Nonetheless, from the moment I graduated and moved out with my husband, I always worked. Honestly, I had to work. For me.

So, you ask what led me down this particular career path. Well, it was from years of feeling like I’m meant for something more and the words of one woman.

Allow me to explain. Many people assume that when your husband is an NBA player that you’ve got “the life.” But the fact of the matter is that the NBA schedule is bonkers. These guys work 7 days a week. They are away from their home and family for at least half of the season. And, they play almost every other night.

To survive as a partner to one of these men, you need to be extremely independent and have a purpose other than waiting for them to come home. Because the reality is that retiring in your young 20’s, on the coattails of someone else’s success will make you feel worthless.

For 9 years, I saw this battle. Savvy and educated woman felt trapped. And while I, personally, knew that there was nothing I could do from society’s point of view that would “live up” to my husband’s career. I recognized that if I didn’t have my own voice and build my own thing, it would haunt me forever.

Now recognizing this and taking action on it are two different things. And this is where the words of one phenomenal woman comes in. She was my boss at my previous job and together we were building development programs for the newer employees. We had been working on this for months and seeing great progress. Then, one day she looked at me and said, “There are a lot of people with ideas out there. But, you are one of the few people I know that’s an actual do’er.”

It was as if something right then clicked in my brain. I’d been “doing” for other businesses and people but I haven’t been “doing” for myself. I had these ideas that I wanted to build and create but I’d been feeling too small to put value in them.

So, it was that very moment when I began building Level and my own voice on social media simultaneously.

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

Do you know the saying, “When you make plans, God laughs?” Well that pretty much summarizes what happened to me almost a year ago now.

I had spent the first three years building Level as a food company. Our product was all based around a diet that changed my husband’s life and NBA career. So after 3 years of building the Level brand and community, I decided to release merch. At first it was unisex merch and it did well. But, nothing to rave about.

Then about two months later, I released female activewear. Designing leggings and sports bras was something I was doing on the side. I had always been passionate about it but never really took it too seriously. To be honest, I always thought leaning into a female only audience would be bad for business. I mean my husband played in the NBA for heaven sakes.

Only ordering a few hundred pairs, we launched with leggings and they sold out in a few hours. I just figured it was beginner’s luck. So, I ordered slightly more and relaunched the leggings. Boom, sold out again.

By this time, I was thinking, “Woah. We might have something here.” So, I placed a huge order of leggings. It was so big that if this amount could sell out, we would surpass what we were doing in a quarter of sales on the food side. So again, I relaunched the leggings and they sold out in a few days. Now, it was evidently clear that the community and brand we had built was actually stronger with a completely different business.

To put the cherry on top. About a month after, my food manufacturer emailed me completely out of the blue. He informed me that they could no longer produce our product as they were going to shut down the line we ran on.

I’m one of those people that believe that coincidences like this don’t just happen. It was part of a bigger plan and next chapter for both myself and the company.

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?

Creative Thinking: I’ve been blessed with the ability to see what isn’t yet real and figure out a way to create it. This has been particularly beneficial in finding unique ways to grow Level. For example, I noticed how confusing it is when a customer walks into an athleticwear store to understand all the different fabrics or styles. It’s truly a decision overload. I also recognized that our community likes to be involved with the process or behind the scenes of Level. So now as we grow our apparel line, we actually involve the community in the decision. Basically, any time we want to release a new fabric, style, or color, we have the community vote on what they like best through our Insider Boxes. It’s been an amazing way to highlight community voices, educate about fit and fabric and grow a deeper connection with our community.

Energizer Bunny: My husband jokes that I can be like a bee in a shoe box. But, it’s this energy that has been essential in my success as a leader. I enjoy the grind, but I also enjoy a good laugh. This balance between both comedic relief and persistence is what honestly keeps things fun no matter what we could be doing.

Problem Solving: It’s 100% guaranteed that you will need to solve problems as a leader. And most times, there’s a lot of information thrown your way when things are going wrong. Having the ability to step back, sift through the madness and treat the root of the problem has been key for both growing the business and leading my team.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. The premise of this series assumes that our society still feels uncomfortable with strong women. Why do you think this is so?

Anything that is different or new is uncomfortable. If we move to a new city, it’s uncomfortable. If we start a new relationship or job, it’s uncomfortable. So, we are working against what has been considered “comfortable” for our entire existence. Luckily, things become more normal the more they happen. Change isn’t an overnight thing. It’s a gradual process that takes tons of resilience on behalf of every woman.

Without saying any names, can you share a story from your own experience that illustrates this idea?

Oh boy… The first example I can think of happened a few years ago. I was brought into this meeting by one of my friends to advise on a product concept and listen to a brand pitch. It just so happened that I was the only female in attendance and this particular product was targeting females.

(Side note: I actually love situations like this because I find it fascinating how men would market to women.)

Once the pitch was over, I gave the guys some time to talk before asking my own questions. Because there was one glaring issue and it wasn’t just how they were marketing women. Seeing the name that they picked for this company had put them in such a niche where they couldn’t expand to alternative product lines, which was part of their bigger picture pitch.

To give you an example. Let’s use the almond milk company, Almond Breeze. Due to their name, they cannot expand their product line to other milk alternatives like coconut, soy, etc. Their name literally puts them in a corner to only have almond based products.

I explained this issue to the men and the disconnect for their longer-term goals. Where I received the response of, “Wow. So, you aren’t just a pretty face.” Now in his head, did he probably think this was a compliment? Yeah, sure. But to me, that told me how much he underestimated a woman in business .

What should a powerful woman do in a context where she feels that people are uneasy around her?

Two things. 1. Don’t stop. But, 2. Self-evaluate.

I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman. If your team, colleagues, etc. are uneasy by the way you are communicating or leading, it is your duty to see what has merit. Managing others is extremely difficult. And every person responds differently to different leadership styles. The success of you as a leader or any leader is contingent on our abilities to adapt and grow. So, don’t let others’ uneasiness stop you. But, take the time to see what is or isn’t working because ultimately that will earn their respect.

What do we need to do as a society to change the unease around powerful women?

As I said in my previous answer, everything that is new is uncomfortable. So, I think the more that we showcase other strong, women leaders, the better. This ultimately makes women in powerful positions be seen as more normal for future generations.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women leaders that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I believe it’s the whole narrative surrounding a strong woman. If a woman has a strong opinion, she is bossy. If a male has a strong opinion, he is decisive. If a woman doesn’t let things fly under the rug, she’s a bitch. If it’s a male, he is uncompromised.

Women have this unrealistic pressure to balance being strong and confident with sweet, gentle and kind that males do not.

Let’s now shift our discussion to a slightly different direction. This is a question that nearly everyone with a job has to contend with. Was it difficult to fit your personal and family life into your business and career? For the benefit of our readers, can you articulate precisely what the struggle was?

Oh my goodness. YES, YES. SO, MUCH YES. When I was starting out, I felt this immense pressure to overcompensate for the learning curve I was on that I literally drove myself into the ground. In that first year and a half, I was clocking around 80–100 hours a week and constantly getting sick. My hormones were messed up. I wasn’t sleeping. And when I did sleep, I called it “sleep working” because it somehow felt like I had never fallen asleep. The whole time, I was consciously thinking about what needed to be done, or essentially “working.”

Now, this is obviously when I took it to an extreme. But, a lot of us are so passionate about what we are building that we obsess about doing it all “perfectly.”

SPOILER ALERT. No matter how much preparation or knowledge you have about the industry or building a business, there will always be bumps.

I say this because you don’t have to put yourself on an IV in a hospital room to realize you need to take a break. (Believe me. I’ve been there.) Prioritizing your health and wellbeing isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. Your work and business will be better for it.

What was a tipping point that helped you achieve a greater balance or greater equilibrium between your work life and personal life? What did you do to reach this equilibrium?

There are two parts to this answer.

1. While in that first year and half I took it to an extreme. I did find more balance as my team and experience as a leader grew. The ability to delegate and trust our colleagues, employees, or contractors is so essential. It also shows how important it is to put together a strong team. When you have people you can trust, it makes life a lot easier.

2. Realizing that you can’t do it all isn’t a bad thing. Stretching ourselves or the business to be a mile wide and an inch deep puts us in a lot of places and nowhere at the same time. Recognizing what was our 80/20 was crucial in finding balance.

I work in the beauty tech industry, so I am very interested to hear your philosophy or perspective about beauty. In your role as a powerful woman and leader, how much of an emphasis do you place on your appearance? Do you see beauty as something that is superficial, or is it something that has inherent value for a leader in a public context? Can you explain what you mean?

I personally place more emphasis on my “health” than I do my “beauty.” Now it just so happens that when I feel the healthiest, I also feel the most beautiful.

When I am in a good routine with my sleep, exercise, meals, I feel like the best version of me. I show up better for my employees. I’m a better wife to my husband. That all comes together to create what I believe to be the most beautiful version of myself too.

I also believe what you are asking about is the pressure that women have to maintain a certain “appearance,” And again, I, personally, have an easier time not fitting in that mold. I’m very comfortable with being me. If you go to my social media page @elleleonardofficial on TikTok or @elleleonard on Instagram, you’ll see what I mean. I actually try hard to not have the perfect appearance, filter, or outfit on. There are times that I have wondered what my employees think of their boss acting so goofy or unfiltered. But, I come to the realization that I would way rather be relentlessly authentic than be perfect. Because let’s be real, perfection is so overrated.

How is this similar or different for men?

Women’s beauty has more liability in the workplace than men. Being attractive can be written off as unprofessional, incompetent, or distracting. Whereas men don’t have as much stigma associated with appearance.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Powerful Woman?”

1. Believe In Yourself — I honestly wish I would use this answer for all five points because it is probably the most important attribute for any successful woman. Most of your readers have probably heard of or gone through “imposter syndrome.” If they haven’t, “imposter syndrome” is basically feeling like you are a phony. When you are starting out, you won’t know it all. You can’t know it all. That’s truly the beauty in daring to go after what you want. I know I personally dealt with imposter syndrome a lot in my first year building Level. This is a huge reason why I didn’t have any work- life balance. I wanted to so badly feel like I belonged, that I was worthy. And this sometimes led me placing more trust in outside influences than my own gut. Now being years in, I can tell you that my gut was right. Women are blessed with this uncanny intuition and we need to believe in it.
2. DO IT. — At times, our brilliance blinds us and diminishes our belief that we can accomplish what we dream about. There’s no amount of preparation or education that trumps what you learn by just taking action. Stop waiting, get out there, and GO FOR IT.
3. Practice Gratitude — There will be times when you feel like you’re at the top of your game. And, there will be times that you’ll feel like everything couldn’t get worse. This is why gratitude is essential. In your best moments, it’s important to take a second to appreciate the feeling and wonders of growth. And in those not so great moments, gratitude will keep you sane. It’ll feel like the light at the end of a tunnel because it will show you everything you DO have, and not what you don’t.
4. Understand you can’t do it alone (Honestly, nor do you want to.)
   This doesn’t mean that you need to have 100s of employees. This means invest in your people both internally and externally. The community you build outside of your company can be the biggest proponents to your success. Invest in their voice, listen to their feedback and allow them to join the journey with you.
5. Be relentless and patient. — This might seem like an oxymoron, but both pieces are really important together. The truth is that good things take time. And sometimes, that good thing takes more time than you wanted it to. Know that this is okay. Be patient with the process. BUT, don’t lose your fire. Continue on your relentless pursuit of more because there is so much you can learn in meantime.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

This is an easy one. The person I would love to have breakfast, lunch, coffee, or even just 5 minutes of time with is the founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely. Not only is she a true trailblazer for women in business. But I so much admire the grace and grounding she maintained during her rise and post success. In the last year, when she sold the majority of Spanx, there was a viral video going around of how she rewarded her employees. She gave each of them a first-class trip to anywhere in the world and $10,000. What people don’t understand is that she didn’t have to do that. She could have gotten a pay day and walked away. But instead she wanted to share the good fortune with her 500 employees that built Spanx with her. The class that this woman exudes is one to be admired and idolized. So, Sara Blakely would be “one person in the world”, no doubt.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.