>> NOW WE TURN FROM ONE
IMPRESSIVE FAMILY TO ANOTHER
A MOM WHO LAUNCHED A GLOBAL
BRAND WITH HELP FROM HER SONS,
AND SHE HAS A GREAT MESSAGE TO
START THE NEW YEAR
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO TAKE A
CHANCE
>> I JOKE ABOUT HOW MY MOM HAS A
MILLENNIAL MIND IN A BABY BOOMER
BODY
>> HELEN LOWE HAS BEEN
REINVENTING HERSELF HER ENTIRE
LIFE
>> CALL IT A SECOND ACT, BUT FOR
YOU, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE
YOU'RE IN YOUR FIFTH OR SIXTH.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> AND MAYBE MY LAST
>> MARRIED TO AN ASTRONOMER,
HELEN AND THEIR TWO SONS JAN AND
DERRICK TRAVELED THE WORLD AND
WITH EACH NEW HOME CAME A NEW
JOB.
>> MY FIRST JOB WAS DOING SOME
COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN CHINATOWN.
THEN I WENT INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL
AND I ACTUALLY DIRECTED THE
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER.
I WAS ABLE TO DO SOME CONSULTING
WORK FOR A PRETTY BIG COMPANY IN
TAIWAN
>> WHEN THE LOWES FINALLY
RETURNED HOME TO THE STATES,
HELEN RETIRED.
BUT HER TRAVELS INSPIRED A NEW
DIRECTION.
>> YOU WERE ON THE HUNT FOR
SOMETHING.
WHAT WAS IT?
>> I WAS LOOKING FOR A BAG THAT
WAS LIGHT BUT ALSO GOOD LOOKING.
I COULDN'T REALLY FIND THAT.
>> WHEN SHE TOLD HER SONS HER
DILEMMA, THEY ENCOURAGED HER TO
PURSUE A NEW PATH.
>> HE SAID WHY DON'T YOU MAKE
YOUR OWN BAG
I SAID, HOW CAN I DO IT AT MY
AGE?
>> SHE WAS 65.
>> BUT HELEN DIDN'T LET THAT
STOP HER
INSTEAD, SHE RECRUITED JAN AND
DERRICK TO JOIN HER VENTURE.
TOGETHER, THEY LAUNCHED HEAD
FIRST INTO RESEARCH AND DESIGN
>> YOU ACTUALLY WOULD GO TO THE
AIRPORT AND LOOK AT BAGS
>> JUST TO SEE HOW WOMEN WERE
CARRYING THEIR CARRY-ON.
IT DIDN'T HAVE A SLEEVE THAT
GOES OVER THE HANDLE
AND YOU SEE PEOPLE WALKING
AROUND WITH A BAG.
>> IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009, THEY
OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED LOWE AND
SONS, BUT THEIR FIRST PROTOTYPE
DIDN'T QUITE GO AS PLANNED
>> WE WERE SO EXCITED TO GET THE
FIRST BAG, AND WE GOT IT, LIKE
OH, MY GOSH.
SHOULD WE JUST STOP?
THIS LOOKS SO BAD.
YEAH, SHE ENDED UP DOING SEVEN
ROUNDS OF PROTOTYPES TO GET TO
THE BAG THAT YOU HAVE, THE OG.
>> DESPITE HAVING A BAG THEY
BELIEVED IN, LOWE AND SONS IS
ENTIRELY SELF-FUNDED, AND
INITIAL SALES WERE STAGNANT.
>> OUR MODEL WAS GOING TO BE
DOING TRUNK SHOWS, SO MY BROTHER
AND I LITERALLY WENT TO THREE
DIFFERENT CITIES IN THE U.S.,
AND WE DID NOT SELL ONE SINGLE
BAG.
REALLY THE TURNING POINT WAS WE
HOSTED A GIVEAWAY WITH A REALLY
WELL KNOWN LIFESTYLE BLOGGER
AND SOLD OUT OF OUR PRODUCT
WITHIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH
>> TEN YEARS LATER, LOWE AND
SONS HAS LAUNCHED MORE THAN 30
DIFFERENT STYLES FORRAKED IN MO5
MILLION IN REVENUE
ARE THERE TIMES WHERE YOU LOOK
AT EACH OTHER, WOW, WE DID THIS?
>> YEAH.
WE HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES, YOU
KNOW, CONSTANTLY
IT'S A MIRACLE THAT WE HAVE
GOTTEN AS FAR AS WE HAVE
>> WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE
WORKING FOR YOUR MOM
>> I WOULD CALL IT INVOLUNTARY
FAMILY THERAPY
OUR PARENTS DEDICATED SO MUCH OF
THEIR LIVES TO US.
THIS IS COOL
A COOL OPPORTUNITY
MOM CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING
THAT SHE REALLY WANTS TO DO
AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF THINKING
ABOUT MY DAD, MY BROTHERS, ME.
>> IT'S BEEN PRETTY AMAZING TO
SEE MY MOM ON A PROFESSIONAL
LEVEL.
MY RESPECT FOR HER HAS INCREASED
BECAUSE OF THAT.
>> PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING A
CAREER CHANGE, WHAT'S YOUR
ADVICE TO THEM
>> IF THEY ARE UNHAPPY DOING
WHAT THEY'RE DOING, I THINK THEY
SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE.
BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS DONE
DIFFICULT THINGS, I HAD THE
COLONE
COURAGE TO DO SOMETHING NEW AT
65
>> A SUCCESSFUL NEW BUSINESS AT
65
THERE YOU GO, 2021, START
SOMETHING NEW.
DESPITE BEING HIT HARD BY THE
PANDEMIC, LOWE AND SONS DONATED
MORE THAN 3,500 OF THEIR
CATALINA BAGS TO FRONTLINE
WORKERS WITH A SPECIAL
COMPARTMENT SO THEY CAN KEEP
THEIR CLOTHING AND