BEST CELEBRITYS BLOGS: Blake Lively Reflects On First Year Of Preserve

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Blake Lively Reflects On First Year Of Preserve

I, at least, was surprised when Blake Lively launched Preserve, her lifestyle website. I had NO idea she was branching out from acting to get into the lifestyle business! Now that Preserve has been up for a year, Blake is reflective on where it is (which isn’t where she wanted it to be) and how she hopes to develop it.

Blake admitted the launch of Preserve ended up being too early: it was timed to coincide with a Vogue photo shoot, but she realized too late that the site needed more time to be fully developed. However, as she explained:

I couldn't call Anna Wintour and say, 'I need six more months.’"

That’s why Preserve launched when it did. I can understand that: it’s a tough position to be in!

What is it that she doesn’t like about the site currently?

Our site was designed the way it was—the Tumblr layout—to have a certain functionality that other sites don't have. It's incredibly time-consuming, but it's what I believe will be the most impactful way to connect emotionally with content, but also to shop. The site was designed for that, but we weren't able to do that. It's an e-commerce site that's a confusing experience—the UX and UI feels like a Matryoshka doll. Our site wasn't designed to be navigated the way it's being navigated now.

Her own high profile as an actress is actually more of a challenge for the site.

I always thought we'd be able to have our Petri dish of a company and after three or four years, people would notice us and we'd get press and attention. The problem is what most companies want: That level of press or demand. We have a really dedicated community. We have more than we're equipped to handle. It's a high-class problem, but quality can be compromised in the execution, whether it's the logistics of checking out of a site or getting people the packages…
Every layer of the company can and will be improved. It's hard to have it under a microscope. If I had my dream, I'd put it on hold for six months or a year and then relaunch it. But I'd want to do that every three months.

I see what Blake’s saying. They haven’t had a time to test things out with just a few customers and make adjustments as necessary because everyone heard about the company so fast because Blake is a celebrity.

So why did she launch this when her acting career is on the rise?

I don't know. [sighs] I wish I had a really good answer. I'd tell you after too many drinks, but I don't drink. It's such a passion of mine. I never knew I wanted to be an actor. I fell into it and was lucky to have incredible opportunities that shaped my life. There were things I planned for my life that I missed out on. Going to an Ivy League school was my dream. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and carve my own path. My mom is the reason I wanted to do this. She was successful but was so present as our mother.
She was successful but was so present as our mother. She knew how to sew together any pattern from a ballgown to a bias-cut dress. She was creating an environment and making things magical and she put a story behind everything. I always wanted to do that and thought I wouldn't be an actor. I love acting and love the opportunities but I dont always feel great at it. The thing I feel great at is this—what I do outside of acting.

So does she see herself as an actress or a businesswoman?

I don't see an "or" there. I see myself as a storyteller—or at least that's what I try to do. As an actress, I try to tell stories in the most honest way possible, and hope people will connect to that emotionally. With Preserve, I'm doing the same thing: meeting chefs, meeting artisans, designers, craftsmen. I'm moved by their stories and I'm sharing them with my friends. Instead of keeping that insulated as a personal pleasure, I'm sharing that in a greater way…
I still don't know how I'll bring it all together. This is my attempt at that. We're a start-up, and we're experiencing the growing pains of a start-up. It's a full-time job, and it's hard to combine with another full-time job. But they lend themselves to each other: I discover antique shops or an incredible painter when filming on location.

It’ll be interesting to see how Blake develops Preserve! I think it’s a smart move for her to plan beyond acting: acting is such a volatile and, often, short-lived career, so taking advantage of when you have a high profile to launch another business is good planning. You can read her full interview at Time.