Women We Admire: Katrine Lee Larsen

Interview with Katrine Lee Larsen

Founder of the Danish lifestyle brand CARTEL COPENHAGEN.

Katrine Lee Larsen founded CARTEL COPENHAGEN in 2019, and the brand has grown significantly since then. With a strong focus on quality, responsible production, sisterhood, timeless design, and functionality in feminine silhouettes, Katrine has built a dedicated community around the brand.

In addition to CARTEL COPENHAGEN's dedication to durability and ethics, Katrine also generously gives her time. As a mentor, she helps other entrepreneurs pursue their dreams and navigate the world of entrepreneurship.

Read her interview here on the page.

What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken, and what did you learn from it?

Starting Cartel in 2019. I knew nothing about the fashion industry. I’d never worked in production, knew nothing about management – and was, to say the least, inexperienced at running a business.

Before that, I had a good job, a stable income, and a daily life without major financial worries. And yet I chose to put it all on the line for a dream.

For the first many years, I was the last person in the company to get paid – if I got paid at all. It would have been so much easier not to do it.

To choose security. But I listened to my gut, followed my heart, and took the plunge.

And even though it’s been insanely hard, and the learning curve has been steeper than a mountainside in the Tour de France, I regret nothing. Not for a single second. Because sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one.

What habit or mindset shift has had the biggest positive impact on your life?

At first, I was Cartel. My face, my body, my story - it was all intertwined with the brand. I was in the media, my life was used for content, and if we got an angry comment in customer service, it felt like a personal attack. I was my brand, and that was anything but healthy.

It took me time - and a good business psychologist - to understand that I am not my company. I am much more.

When I finally learned to separate myself from Cartel, everything became easier. My mental health improved, and I found a balance that let me enjoy the journey instead of letting it define me.

Who has been your greatest inspiration, and how have they influenced your journey?

I don’t have one specific person, but I’m incredibly inspired by people who dare to pursue their dreams. Those who choose the hard road - because it’s rarely easy.

I love seeing people take the leap, push boundaries, and venture into the unknown, even when fear is shouting in their heads.

The truth is, we can all come up with a million reasons not to do something. But the people who dare to dream big and try anyway - they’re the ones who inspire me the most.

Looking back on your journey, is there any advice you wish you’d received earlier in your career or life?

That entrepreneurship isn’t about working yourself half to death, but about playing the long game. We’re fed the idea that success only comes if we give it everything—sacrificing sleep, our personal lives, our health, and maybe even ourselves.

But that’s an outdated and unhealthy myth. Because if you’re not part of the journey, if you burn out along the way, what’s the point?

I wish I’d understood earlier that the most important thing you can invest in as an entrepreneur is your mental and physical health. Sleep, breaks, and mental well-being are just as important as a sharp marketing strategy or solid cash flow.

The better you take care of yourself, the better decisions you make—and the fewer sleepless nights you have. Success isn’t about surviving. It’s about living—while you build something great.

If you could change one thing for women globally, what would it be - and why?

I would give women around the world the freedom to be everything they dream of, without limits. All too often, women are put into boxes.

You can be ambitious, but then you mustn’t be too soft. You can be a mother, but then you mustn’t take your career too seriously. You can be strong, but then you have to be careful not to scare anyone away.

I wish women everywhere - no matter where they were born, what culture they live in, or what norms surround them - could be allowed to be everything they dream of, without limits. That they could be both-and instead of either-or.