Episode 107: Betsey Johnson

5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

My guest today is fashion designer, Betsey Johnson. Betsey has been rocking the fashion industry with her unique designs since the 1960s. She became known for her over-the-top fashion and doing cartwheels ending in a split at the end of fashion shows. Her journey from dancing in her childhood to filing for bankruptcy is captured in her new memoir titled “Betsey”, which we discuss in this podcast episode.

The 5 questions I ask in this episode:

1. In your book, you talk about fearing death as a child. How does your fear of death impact your decision making throughout your life?
2. You admit that you inherited your father’s work ethic and your mom’s energy. How did both of these qualities help you as you build your career and brand?
3. You’ve encountered many hardships in your life like cancer, divorce, and bankruptcy. How were you able to overcome these challenges and what life and business changes did you have to make?
4. In a previous episode of this podcast, I spoke to Stuart Weitzman about how he’s kept his brand fresh and relevant for so long. How have you been able to sustain your brand and diverse customer base for multiple decades?
5. What is your best piece of career advice?

Follow Matthew’s journey:

• Book