194: The Politics of Body Size - Katrina Van De Ven

The Politics of Everything

Katrina Van De Ven is on a mission to revolutionise fashion for nearly 70% of Australian women who wear a size 14 or above. With a background in psychology, decades of lived experience as a plus-size woman, and a burning desire to help women look and feel their best, Katrina is well-equipped to lead fashion technology company LükBook and, with it, a push for a more inclusive fashion industry.

Since launching in the Australian market in early 2022, LükBook has demonstrated rapid growth, and has to date reached around three million women, experienced 60% month on month growth in sales, and has been featured in a range of national media.

To get more details on her credentials and career to date, Katrina comes to lead LükBook following a decade in the government and non-profit sectors in which she has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead the development and execution of exciting new ideas across four continents. She also brings extensive leadership experience, having managed large (30+ people) multidisciplinary teams. She holds an MBA from the University of Sydney Business School, and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) and Master of International Relations from Griffith University. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds professional accreditations in leadership, communications, and media relations.

We in fact first crossed paths when I interviewed Women for Election CEO Licia Heath for Episode 182. So let’s dive into The Politics of Body Size.

We cover off:

1. Is body size a female obsession and how has the manifested itself in terms of role models for younger women but also our views of what looks like healthy living?

2. For decades, BMI was significantly correlated with negative body image. Overweight and obese participants reported significantly higher levels of negative body image than did normal- and underweight participants. Why is that now being picked apartas not ideal by medical experts, and how can we ‘unlearn’ that as a reliable tool to check ourselves in terms of weight and height ranges?

3. Has the fashion industry had any realisation that if most women are on average a size 14, that they need to cater for the majority and actually make more money? Lead into your experience as a consumer and now your business LükBook. Has that had challenges too?

4. How has social media transformed the way anybody of any size and shape can find a voice and a place to thrive or not? Please share with examples, good or otherwise.

5. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Body Size?

CONTACT INFO:

LükBook website: https://lukbook.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lukbook

SHORT TERM POE OFFER: Use the code POE15% to get 15% off your purchase atLukBook. This promo will run from 8am AEST on 30 August to 11:59pmAEST on 7 September 2023.

POE LISTENERS WHO WANT TO PODCAST BETTER:

Hey podcaster friends. Please note we have a new updated link for the 30% discount code for my Zencastr offer if you decide to use that platform as your recording and hosting place – even transcripts and videos included. For a 30% discount on your Zencastr platform subscription and get podcasting faster, my awesome POE show listeners should use this VIP Link: http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30
#madeonzencastr