Lvly’s chief operating officer, Jasmine Russell, was part of the key leadership team that expanded the e-commerce florist domestically and internationally.

Russell’s career path has taken her from online pick-packer all the way to chief operating officer.

Inside Retail caught up with Russell to discuss the evolution of Lvly, why no two days are ever the same, what’s top of mind as a COO and her career journey thus far.

She explains why her biggest piece of advice to aspiring retail executives is to take every learning opportunity you’re offered and upskill outside of your current department.

Inside Retail: What key roles and experiences have shaped your career path to becoming Lvly’s COO?

Jasmine Russell: I started my career in e-commerce, not that I knew that at the time, when I was selected to be part of the Cotton On Group’s first intake of online pick-packers at their Lara distribution centre. Online shopping was a relatively new idea at this time, and it’s not until I look back years later and reflect how lucky I was to be a part of this industry right from the start.

I worked my way up from ground level as a pick-packer to operations manager across a number of fashion retailers including the General Pants Group. During my time there, I had some amazing mentors from multiple departments across the business and was given the opportunity to regularly attend industry events to expand my network and knowledge base. 

Aside from my different positions, and as cliche as it sounds, I think anyone working in e-commerce during the Covid pandemic would agree that this was an experience like no other in our careers. I joined the Lvly team halfway through the pandemic so I definitely had to hit the ground running, and I think the impact I had on the team and the operations in this time is what led to being offered the role of COO for the company.

IR: What does your current role include that might surprise people?

JR: I have actually travelled quite a bit in my role over the past couple of years flying back and forth to visit our five warehouses across Australia. The team likes to joke that they never know which state I’ll be dialling in from for the next meeting, but I enjoy spending time in person with each of our teams as seeing someone on a screen just isn’t quite the same. I use my time on the ground to chat with team members across all levels of the business to better understand their operational pain points and take this information back to build out better processes and ways of working. 

Because of the travel, the span of my role at Lvly, and how hands-on I still like to be, no two days are ever the same which seems to surprise most people. Some days I could be working on the overall business strategy, conducting interviews for a new role, planning out a warehouse move, working with the head of floristry to update our floral range, or occasionally jumping in a photoshoot!

IR: How would you describe your leadership style and how has it evolved over time?

JR: To me, leadership is about knowing what is important to each team member, what drives them to do their best, and taking the steps to build a level of trust and mutual respect, so a one-size-fits-all approach never really works. I think it’s also about being able to connect on a human level; life happens, and remembering to lead with kindness and empathy will always go a long way in building a great team.

IR: What are your biggest professional achievements to date?

JR: 2024 has already been a big year for Lvly and myself with the team taking home the Inside Retail Online Retailer of the Year award, and myself being named in the Top 50 People in E-commerce for 2024. I’ve spent my entire working career in e-commerce, so to be recognised alongside some of the great names in the industry was truly a proud moment for me to reflect on how far I’ve come since my days starting out as a casual pick-packer on the warehouse floor. 

Operationally, one of my biggest achievements has been our geographical expansion. In 2022, we expanded Lvly to the West Coast for the first time, opening our own warehouse in Perth. It was a steep learning curve navigating a different climate, biosecurity regulations, new flower suppliers and labour shortages compared to our East Coast operations. In addition to entering WA, we commenced our global expansion of Lvly into Malaysia in 2023, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. It’s still a ‘pinch-me’ moment for me to see how far we have come in such a short period of time. 

IR: What’s top of mind for you as LVLY’s COO at the moment? 

JR: After two years of immense change since the sale of Lvly, which brought with it a combination of uncertainty and excitement, it’s important to bed down the fundamentals, make sure our people are happy, and optimise our systems and processes. In operations, it’s about doing lots of small things consistently that often bring about the best results. As a wider business, it’s about continuing to add value, and staying relatable, relevant and front of mind of our customers when they are shopping for their next gift.

Our marketing and merchandise teams continue to surprise me with the amazing brand collaborations that they have in the works to keep our product offering fresh and relatable for our customers. This October as part of Mental Health Awareness month, for what is probably my favourite collaboration to date, Lvly is partnering with one of the world’s most beloved nostalgic brands, Care Bears, to encourage people to send “bear hugs” at a time when disconnection, depression, and anxiety are on the rise.

This collaboration is close to my heart for many reasons, as it is for many team members at Lvly, but I think our customers will feel this way too, and they are going to love spreading a little bit more cheer to people’s lives across Australia with these cute bears.

IR: What advice would you give to emerging retail leaders who aspire to reach the COO level in their careers?

JR: For someone wanting to reach the COO level, my advice would be to take every learning opportunity that is offered to you to upskill even if it isn’t within your current department. Having a solid understanding of business operations across all departments will always be beneficial to building your career. 

If you are struggling to find those opportunities within your current organisation I would encourage people to lean on the e-commerce community; attend industry events and conferences or reach out to people you admire for advice on LinkedIn. Most people would be surprised how willing leaders in this industry are to give advice or even be a mentor to those wanting to progress in their careers, usually all you have to do is ask!

This article is part of Inside Retail’s #IRWD365 campaign, in partnership with Airwallex, to shine a spotlight on inspiring women in Australia’s retail industry and drive tangible change towards gender equality.