Behind PP: Meet Our New Non-Executive Director

Introducing Kate Freeman: Our New Non-Executive Director

When we first met Kate, we knew we weren’t just bringing on another team member we were welcoming a perspective that had lived the evolution Pretty Privilege stands for.

It felt only right that Kate introduces herself in her own words. Honest, unfiltered, and full of heart, the way all good stories should be.

Here’s what she had to say about joining the Pretty Privilege team:

"One thing in life that never ceases to amaze is irony. Kate Freeman associated with a business called Pretty Privilege…6 years ago that would have been ironic – but merely on the surface.  It depends how one defines privilege and as life takes its twists and turns, the evolved know this changes dramatically. For some, in an instant.

For some reason this business has been difficult to write about my association with because I’m not the target audience (although I secretly am because all their brand partners are accessible and ones I shop at), but I suspect it’s because I’ve lived the journey Pretty Privilege seeks to redefine or, even better, be an intervention point or merely influential enough through its authenticity to ensure a limited number of Gen Z females go on. Me? I’m glad I’ve lived it. There are things along the way that always cause regret, but am I a better person? Yes, I am.

Whilst I loathe to generalise, I live in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney so it’s hard to say there isn’t a reasonable proportion of people who associated ‘privilege’ with ‘material wealth’.  A privileged life when I was growing up was defined by a big house in certain suburbs, a private school education, two overseas holidays a year, one trip to Noosa, the ability to ski, two European 4WDs, a holiday house…the list goes on…and I don’t know how much has changed as I don’t move in the same circles I did in school, I don’t even move in the same circles I did 6 years ago, 3 years ago and even 8 weeks ago in one instance. Some wild stories in there but they’re in the book so no #spoilers!

Privilege for me means different things now. It’s the fact I was blessed with two kids. The fact that they benefit (as do we) from organised co-parenting as they are blessed to have a great father. That I found a second chance at love. That my in-laws (‘to be’ but in our heads, we are married!) treat me like family that has been there all along. That all my family is – right now – healthy. That I have two brothers and amazing sister in laws who have blessed my kids with cousins and me with my gorgeous nephews and my dear Lu-Lu (turns out we have limited capacity to breed girl children). That I have old friends from anywhere from 33 to 15 years ago that have never left my side. That I have new friends, some with similar journeys, that have formed new, tighter circles. And I’m privileged for lady luck being on my side a few times as I hit almost 3 years of a long running court case. Also in the book so no #spoilers either.

I live an accessible life these days and Pretty Privilege offers members the opportunity to do that with perks. I care about mental health, the growing loneliness epidemic, female debt, how Gen Z are going to survive their lifetime when they are distinctly lacking the opportunity to flex up on their ‘human skills’ to navigate that. All Pretty Privilege social pillars that they have run packed out events on and have brands lining up to collaborate on. And, I have a 12-year-old daughter so disrupters like Pretty Privilege offering a me seat at the table as a Non-Executive Director is just another privilege in this chapter of my life.

Loughlan, Wes and Giorgia are the real deal. They know how to find the balance of running an authentic Gen Z business (because they know inauthenticity will send members running!) and generate shareholder returns at the same time. And the people getting around this business on a weekly business are a strong indicator of where it is going.

They run on values, integrity, kindness and have the strength to pass on commercial gain if it compromises these or their brand."

We’re lucky to have Kate’s experience, authenticity, and perspective on this journey with us. She’s already bringing depth to the conversations that matter and helping us stay focused on building something that’s thoughtful, relevant, and built to last.

Welcome to the Pretty Privilege team, Kate.

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