LSKD founder Jason Daniel speaks at Ray White’s ‘The One Conference’ at The Star Brisbane. Photo: Peter Wallis.
The homegrown founder of one of Australia’s most popular sportswear brands had to increase his own salary to be able to secure his first home loan and move out of his wife’s parents’ garage.
LSKD CEO Jason Daniel, who worked for five years as an apprentice carpenter and grew up on acreage in Logan, bought his first house in 2011, but it wasn’t as easy as he thought.
“Luckily, my wife had a full-time job and a secure job with the Logan City Council then,” Mr Daniel said.
Jason Daniel, the founder of sports apparel brand LSKD, at his home in Daisy Hill. Photo: Lyndon Mechielsen.
“I had to put my salary up to $50,000 to be able to get a (loan) back then. I think I was on $240 a week — I haven’t actually told many people that.”
Mr Daniel and his wife, Ally, lived in the house for 10 years before buying their current property in Daisy Hill, and also own an investment property.
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“For me, it was always about; ‘If you can get in, you can get in’,” he said. “Think long-term, not short-term gains.”
The 38-year-old, who has an estimated fortune of $221m, started the business as a teenager from his mum’s bedroom in 2022, initially selling T-shirts to fund his motocross racing.
LSKD founder Jason Daniel at his Logan headquarters. Picture: Nigel Hallett.
What was initially called Loose Kid Industries remained a side hustle as he finished school and then trained to be a carpenter apprentice.
By 2007, he was operating as a wholesaler from his mum’s bedroom with several large shipping containers full of product on their property.
Three years later, Daniel took the leap and made LSKD — the name comes from his BMX nickname, ‘Loose Kid’ — his full focus, the same year he retired from racing dirt bikes.
These days, sales of LSKD’s apparel have surged past the $150 million mark.
One of LSKD’s retail stores. Picture: LSKD.
The company has more than 500 staff, 29 stores globally, and another 12 set to open by the end of this year.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
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“I always thought it could be big… but for a five-year period, we stopped growing,” he said. “I really wanted it to grow, and I wanted it to be something, but I didn’t know why. We were trying to be everything to everyone and we didn’t really have a purpose.
“I think through those struggles though it really taught me to slow down to speed up and realise what I was doing wrong…which then led to; ‘If we can create a brand with a why, come to work with a purpose, could it make money so I can have a job and make careers for other team members.”
LSKD’s headquarters in Logan. Picture: Nigel Hallett.
Speaking in front of 1000 people at Ray White’s annual ‘The One Conference’ in Brisbane on Thursday, Mr Daniel encouraged the audience to be “1 per cent better everyday”.
“It’s our mission, it’s our purpose,” he said. “I live and breathe it everyday. From when I get up in the morning to what time I’m going to train, to listening to books, to a goal I’ll set for an event I’ve got coming up, to how can I improve in my career, how can I learn, how can I be a better father.
“You’re only as good as what you did yesterday.”
US celebrity Emily Ratajkowski wearing LSKD clothing.
With that in mind, he has the ambitious goal of leading the brand to become a $1 billion company by 2032.
“If we do it right globally, I think we could be much bigger than that,” he said.
And, he has no plans to move from the Logan region, where the brand also has its headquarters.
“My kids go to school in the area, office is in the area,” he said. We love where we live.
“I think I’m really inspired by the idea of creating a technical apparel company from Logan. Could we create a global brand from Logan and really celebrate that?”
Avi Khan, principal of Ray White Daisy Hill – AKG. Image supplied.
Ray White AKG group CEO and The One Conference founder, Avi Khan, said this year’s conference was more important than ever given the spotlight on the real estate industry.
“Public scrutiny is higher than ever,” Mr Khan said. “Standards are being questioned. Practices such as underquoting and short term, outcome at all costs behaviour are eroding trust and damaging the reputation of an industry that, at its best, plays a deeply important role in people’s lives.
“We all carry a collective responsibility to lift standards – not through noise or outrage, but through example.”
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