The Secret To Building A Nation?

Her latest collection – Bring It Home – fuses fitness with fashion (“It’s fit fashion!” Edwards tells us), mixing pop-hued primaries with ultra-femme salmon tones. It’s the skate sessions in the pools abandoned to the Californian drought of the 70s. Old school, real and raw, it’s about owning new ground, making new rules. Tennis, motocross and more get a mention in the 90s graphics tees with elevated outerwear. This collection, it’s made to move. It’s bold and it’s brave, made for the tomboy who is coming into her own.

“She is finally showing up for herself," she smiles, "as herself.”

We caught up with Edwards to find out a little more about the woman behind the Nation.

Who, for you right now, is the P.E. Nation woman?
P.E. Nation is not just one woman, she is an army of women. She is the active mum, the fashion girl, the fitness enthusiast and the street-spot girl. She’s fun, bold, confident and strong. We want all women to join the Nation.

You are next level BUSY. What's your secret (or even a vague recommendation) as to how to fit it all in?
The secret is that you actually can’t fit it all in, all the time and you need to be able to accept that and prioritise.

Personally, I try to make sure that I only commit to things that will serve me, my son or the business authentically – there has to be a purpose, it has to serve the why.

Is there such a thing – really – as balance?
When you love what you do, you do it all the time and when that’s your own business it can be all consuming. So I try to infuse my business and demands that work with my lifestyle, so that sometimes, work doesn’t seem like work … it all just becomes part of my routine.

We are also so accessible these days that the balance and boundaries are a struggle.

I believe in flexibility and there are a few things that are a non-negotiable for me – exercise and seeing my son play basketball every Friday night and downtime with him on the weekends is what refills my cup and allows me to breathe.

What's the hardest thing about doing what you do?
The hustle is constant, day-to-day versus long-term strategy, this is always at a tug of war but at the same time, it’s exciting and what I love – being in the now and planning for the brand’s future. I actually thrive on the hustle and thrive on finding solutions. In fact, I think I work at too fast a pace sometimes, I need to slow it down as I always love to overachieve, and achieve more!

The brand has also grown so fast, so what comes with that is always having to evaluate structure and process to accommodate the changing needs of the business and brand. It's paramount that structure of the business supports the growth and the team, so that we all can flourish.

Personally, the juggle between work and home life is always a struggle – there is always a push and pull, it’s always a work in progress.

And the best?
Connecting with our customers face-to-face at an event or on the street or across my social channels – it fills me with gratitude. I love that intimacy I get with our customers. I love learning about them, hearing about their story and in turn reflect on mine. The customer is everything, it’s why we do what we do and their connection to me, to the brand, means everything.

How do you spend your downtime?
On the beach in Bondi with my family and friends – I am 100 percent completely and utterly solar powered and need a healthy dose of Vitamin D to recharge.

How do you stay motivated?
By staying inspired! Every single day I am motivated to by Claire (the other half of P.E. Nation), by my family, by my staff, by my friends, especially by my son.

Exercise keeps me on track, especially Pilates – it makes me feel strong inside and out, and I know if I feel and look good and strong, the rest flows from that, it grounds me and gives me a subtle confidence I need. It has taken me a while to realise that my health is everything, I need it for my son and my family and I need it to meet the demands of the business. It grounds me and keeps me sane during challenging moments. I need my health for work, as clarity, purpose and focus is a non-negotiable now.

If you could offer any advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Believe in yourself, know your worth, know you are good enough and trust your gut. To connect with how you feel is just as important to learn and experience.