LADY-BRAINS: Recent Episodes
iHeartRadio Australia & LADY-BRAINS
Welcome to the LADY-BRAINS podcast. Join your hosts and LADY-BRAINS co-founders Caitlin Judd and Anna Mackenzie, as they chat to the world’s most exciting entrepreneurs to tap into their knowledge and world class insights. If you're a curious founder or founder-to-be then you're in the right place! ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse
The year was 2022 and by now, Margot and Maria had been working on bringing The OneTwo to life for over two whole years. COVID had played havoc with their timeline, their product taking years longer to develop than they originally planned and their cash reserves slowly but surely running out.
Thing were heating up and the duo decided to run a Kickstarter pre-sale campaign. Not only did they need to raise money to keep the wheels turning, but they also were out to prove to their investors that despite the delays, the fire in The OneTwo’s belly was still burning brightly.
Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After the world and supply chains ground to a halt and the world became locked down, Margot and Maria’s factory pulled out of the partnership and left them high and dry, without a manufacturer to make their bra. After searching high and low, they finally found a factory in Sri Lanka who were amazed by their innovative approach, and believed in what they were trying to create.
A bra that is engineered for women’s breasts of ALL shapes and sizes.
But with the world turned upside down and unable to leave the country to visit their factory in person, will they be able to finalise samples in time to meet their production deadlines?
Will their rapidly decreasing cash runway last long enough for them to pull through?
Created in partnership with lady-brains.
Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fundraising is one of the most crucial parts of getting a startup off the ground and it’s no secret that doing this as a woman is hard. It’s even harder for two women who are pitching their bra product to a table of men, most of whom struggle to understand the product or problem.
So, how did Margot and Maria pitch their revolutionary bra in order to raise six figures to turn their dreams into a reality? How did they manage to get a breast surgeon on their cap table? And why did we (lady-brains) decide to invest? 👀
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to this special lady-brains podcast series documenting the incredible story of Margot and Maria, the co-founders behind new bra tech startup The OneTwo.
Over the next five episodes we’re diving deep to hear about the trials and tribulations they’ve encountered in the lead up to launching. From meeting during an accelerator program in 2020, to challenges fundraising while pitching a product for to a room full of men, to dealing with the fallout of COVID and its impact on their supply chain, to Margot finding out she was pregnant just as things were heating up...this story has it all!
We’re proud to present this story of two women, creating a product for women in a category that has largely been neglected, and forging their own way in a male-dominated business world. Strap in!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to this special lady-brains podcast series documenting the incredible story of Margot and Maria, the co-founders behind new bra tech startup The OneTwo.
Over the next five episodes we’re diving deep to hear about the trials and tribulations they’ve encountered in the lead up to launching. From meeting during an accelerator program in 2020, to challenges fundraising while pitching a product for to a room full of men, to dealing with the fallout of COVID and its impact on their supply chain, to Margot finding out she was pregnant just as things were heating up...this story has it all!
We’re proud to present this story of two women, creating a product for women in a category that has largely been neglected, and forging their own way in a male-dominated business world. Strap in!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode was produced in partnership with Who Is Elijah.
Raquel Bouris is the founder of Who Is Elijah, a beautiful fragrance brand that absolutely took off during the pandemic. She was inspired to create a perfume after a trip to Coachella, and what started as a little side project to a scent just for her, has now taken on a life of its own and grown into a multimillion-dollar brand.
In this ep, you’ll learn:
- How she generated traction early on and secured DJs as a retailer with a slick marketing deck
- Her ambitions to scale into the US, and what Sephora US asked her to do before they ranged her brand
- In 2021, why her accountant told her she’d have to radically cut costs or she wouldn’t have a business in a few months
- Why she hired two of her best mates into the business, and what it was like to fire them
- How she’s built confidence in her own skills along the way
~ Connect with us ~
Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au
Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains
Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse
Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What’s it like to completely pivot your business three times, before you even launch? Katherine Clayton, co-founder of Peachii Insurance shares how she's pivoted the business three whole times before they've gone to market, why a change in regulation almost meant their idea was dead in the water, and how she's leveraged her sales skills to raise a bunch of cash. You’ll learn:
How they’re making insurance sexy and accessible to the younger generation
That their original fundraising aspiration was a $2M pre-seed round, and how they had to adjust their expectations and raise smaller cheques from angels instead
How they responded when government regulations changed meaning their original product was almost dead in the water (but how it’s actually worked out well in the end!)
How they approached the equity split with a three person co-founding team
The art of doing a deal, and how Katherine approaches selling
How she deals with investors who ghost her
What they’re doing in the lead up to launch!
~ Connect with us ~ Learn more about Peachii Insurance at www.peachii.com Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode was produced in partnership with Twisted Healthy Treats. Today’s guest, Cass Spies, is the founder of ice cream brand Twisted Healthy Treats. In this chat she shares why her dream was to be ‘the next Janine Ellis’ and create a frozen yoghurt retail franchise (and how this didn’t pan out) how she went about building her own manufacturing facility, how she landed retailers like Woolworths, Coles and Costco in the US, and how she managed to get into 5000 school canteens across Australia. You’ll learn:
How Cass phased the transition of her business away from retail and into wholesale when her stores weren’t making money
Why opening her own manufacturing facility was one of the scariest things she’s done thus far
Why getting her products into school canteens pretty much saved her business
Why she listens to the signs the universe puts in front of her
When to know when to continue pushing forward vs. giving up and letting go of the plan
How landing a deal with Costco saw her increase sales by 70%
The process of exporting her product to China
Why Cass has chosen to finance her business via loans instead of seeking external investment
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is proudly sponsored by Carlisle Homes, Australia’s number 1 builder for 2021. Tune into their new podcast show Home Files (hosted by us!) to uncover all the truths about what knocking down and building your dream home. Listen here. Is it possible to build a profitable, fulfilling business, working 3 days a week? If you're asking Jen Bishop, former newspaper journalist and magazine editor, the answer is a resounding YES. She's built The Interiors Addict, Australia's largest interior design, styling and renovation blog, doing just that. In this chat Jen shares how she’s designed her business around the lifestyle she wants and how she’s intentionally kept her operation lean, employing contractors to create the majority of her content while focusing her time on bringing in the cash. You'll learn:
Birthing her business after being made redundant
Being a commentator not an expert
Monetising her platform through sponsored content, partnerships and brand ambassadorship gigs
Getting through COVID despite losing most of her cash flow
Her preference for working with contractors over agencies
Why being kind is her guiding principle
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here Sign up for our Black Friday Marketing Crash Course here and have your best sales weekend ever Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is proudly brought to you by Eugene, Australia’s first end to end genetic counselling and testing service. To receive $50 off your first genetic test, use the code LADYBRAINS50 at checkout. Just head to eugenelabs.com to shop now. How do the most successful people in the world manage their time, energy and relationships? Today’s guest is Dr Amantha Imber; organisational psychologist and the founder of behavioural science consultancy Inventium, host of the How I Work podcast and author of Time Wise, a guide to how the world’s most successful people dominate their day. You'll learn:
What ‘work smarter, not harder’ actually means
How to stop being a slave to your inbox
The importance of understanding your chronotype in designing the most effective structure to your day (and your team’s too!)
How knowing your values can help you identify the right times to say no
How to overcome the planning fallacy
How to be aware of, and avoid, the Iceberg Yes
The difference between synchronous work and asynchronous work
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here Sign up for our Black Friday Marketing Crash Course here and have your best sales weekend ever Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Black Friday and Cyber Monday, 1 in 3 Aussies are ready and willing to open their wallets, and as a founder, we want you to be prepped and ready to earn your slice of the pie. If you want to maximise this sales opportunity for your business, then listen up! In this episode we chat to Beth Wilson, who participated in our Black Friday Marketing Crash Course last year, to learn EXACTLY how she grew her sales by 445% across the sales period. We also get Digital Marketing Expert, Gabriella Singh, back on the line to give us her top tips for BF/CM 2022. You’ll learn:
How Beth from Saint Jack 5x’d her sales during Black Friday 2021 (and how you could too)
Why consumer mentality around Black Friday is even stronger this year, despite the fact we're facing inflation and cost of living pressures
Why planning your activity early (6-8 weeks out) is KEY to your campaign performance
How to engage your existing audience through teasing your offer in advance via emails and social
How to find new, high-quality leads to add to your marketing funnel
How to re-engage your disengaged segment through creating a new, personalised nurture sequence
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up for our Black Friday Marketing Crash Course here and have your best sales weekend ever Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To celebrate lady-brains' 100th episode, we're listening back to some of our favourite chats of all time. In this episode, you'll hear:
Author and activist, Cleo Wade, chatting about her version of imposter syndrome; feeling random (ep 1)
Jo Horgan, founder of MECCA, sharing how she thinks about business as a game, and one that's she's determined to win (ep 31)
Hannah Spilva, founder of LVLY, sharing how she figured out how to send fresh flowers through the Aussie postal system (ep 47)
Jodie Fox, founder of Shoes of Prey, telling us what it was like to experience failure (the liquidation of her business) in a very public way (ep 42)
Kate Morris, founder of Adore Beauty, sharing a story of crying in the carpark because she couldn't make payroll the following week (ep 32)
Maeva Heim, founder of Bread Beauty Supply, telling us how she landed a deal with Sephora before she launched her brand (ep 54)
Jenna Holmes, aka. Plant Mama / Pasta Mama, on the funny moment she decided she'd only deal with customers who valued her time (ep 53)
Bianca Spender, recorded live at Australian Fashion Week, on the decision to split her business from her mum's, Carla Zampatti (ep 92)
Sarah Friar, CEO of Next Door, on how startups look polished on the outside but are full of holes on the inside (ep 26)
Jane Martino, serial entrepreneur, on the power of letting go of a product, project or business when it's no longer serving you (ep 37)
Artist CJ Hendry, on the fact her art exhibitions have almost bankrupted her (ep 25)
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To celebrate our 5th birthday, we've curated our top 5 pieces of advice for any founder starting out in business.
If you’re taking the leap into the business full time, do your due diligence
Say yes a lot in the early days. Say no more than yes, the further down the road you go.
Stay aligned to your values.
Set a short deadline to solve every problem.
Be bold, be brave.
Resources mentioned: VIA Character Assessment: www.viacharacter.org
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's lady-brains' 5th birthday 🎉 In this episode, Anna & Caitlin reflect on the last five years in business, and share their favourite moments, biggest lessons and most memorable guests. You'll hear:
How Anna & Caitlin were given a huge scoop (that they kept to themselves for 3 years) before the information became public
How they were two degrees of separation away from Beyonce on their 2019 NYC recording trip
The moment they broke their Base Camp sales page the night before the program was due to launch
The moment they were threatened to be sued by a podcast guest
The common characteristics and attributes that their podcast guests have possessed
How they've monetised the podcast and leveraged it for other opportunities
The ups and downs of managing small business cashflow
Why it took 2 years to create Base Camp
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode was brought to you by Vitable, Australia's first personalised vitamin subscription service. For 40% off your first order with Vitable, use the code LADY40 at www.vitable.com.au (T&Cs apply). Today’s guest is Kirsten Tibballs, founder of Savour; the world’s first online chocolate and patisserie school. You may have seen her as a judge on Masterchef, or know her by her official title The Chocolate Queen. Kirsten started out 20 years ago by teaching classes to pastry chefs, and since then she’s expanded into a retail store and online school with over 400 tutorials and thousands of subscribers, amassed over 750k followers on Instagram, hosted 3 series of her TV show on SBS, authored multiple books, and worked with brands from Bulla to Bvlgari. You’ll learn:
How she expanded her offering over the years, from in-person classes, into retail and online
Why she hasn’t updated her online school pricing in 10 years
How she’s able to produce a new online class every single week
Why she credits being fluid and embracing change as being pivotal to her success
How she maintains a strong relationship with her husband, who also happens to be her business advisor
The impact that Masterchef had on her broader business
Why she’s structured her business so that all personal and talent gigs are separate from the online school
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode was produced in partnership with Eugene. Zoe Milgrom is the co-founder of Eugene, a health tech start-up whose ambition is to make genetic testing available to everyone. Zoe began her career as a genetic counsellor; she decoded complex information for patients about their genetic conditions, and provided emotional and psychosocial support for a genetic diagnosis. In 2017 while on mat leave, she started thinking about how there had to be a simpler and more affordable way to offer genetic tests to the broader community. It was at this exact moment the stars aligned and she met her co-founder Kunal, and after 6 months of co-founder dating, they set out to change the genetic testing landscape, providing an end-to-end online experience for patients. You’ll learn:
Why it took Zoe and her co-founders almost two years to build their MVP
The challenges around scaling a health tech company where the margin of error is zero
How Eugene secured millions of dollars in venture funding to scale the business, and how they’re deploying that capital
How the current economic climate has forced them to rethink their fundraising strategy
How overcoming fear has been a central theme of Zoe’s start-up story
How Zoe approaches the never-ending juggle of founder-life and parenthood
Use the code LADYBRAINS50 at the Eugene checkout to receive $50 off any test! Head to eugenelabs.com ~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode was produced in partnership with Vitable. How do you build a fully personalised business, to scale? Larah Loutati is the founder of Vitable, Australia's first personalised vitamin and supplements subscription service. Vitable works like this; consumers jump onto the website and take a quiz, and from your unique answers, an AI-powered algorithm recommends a unique vitamin and supplements pack for you out of 1.2 million possible combinations. These daily, personalised vitamin packs are then delivered straight to your door each month in plastic-free, home compostable sachets. Since launching in 2019, Vitable has delivered over half a million recommendations to consumers, grown to a team of over 20 people, and has expanded internationally into New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. You’ll learn:
How she fell in love with subscription-based businesses during her time at meal delivery start-up Hello Fresh
Why Larah has remained committed to her decision to develop her own products rather than purchasing white label vitamins, despite the fact it’s way more expensive to do it this way!
How she manages her investors’ expectations
How the current economic climate is changing conversations with investors, and how it’s brought in new challenges for start-ups in managing their pathway to profitability
The unique operational challenges she’s facing while scaling a business that sends out fully personalised deliveries to customers each month
For 40% off your first order with Vitable, use the code LADY40 at www.vitable.com.au (T&Cs apply). ~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is proudly brought to you by our favourite printer, Dymo. To check out Dymo’s new Label Writer 5 series, head to dymoonline.com.au. In this episode, we’re chatting with Brooke & Sarah, the two best mates behind Australia’s biggest design market, The Finders Keepers. Like all great relationships, they met each other on the dance floor, but it was their shared loved of fashion and design that saw them come together to work on a creative project; a market slash festival where they, and other creatives, could sell their own wares. The first five years of their business was a financial struggle, until they decided they needed to build not only for love, but also for money. We covered how they stayed motivated in those first five years, how the business model has evolved over time, why Partnerships has become a core part of their strategy, and what being a ‘courageous creative’ means to them and how it can help YOU overcome your creative blocks. You’ll learn:
Why the duo had a fear of success, and how this played out as they hired their first employees and signed big contracts
Why Brooke calls herself the ‘hands’ of the business, and Sarah the ‘brains’
Their top tips for building mutually fulfilling Brand Partnerships
The huge impact COVID had on their business, and how they managed to stay afloat
What Brooke advises you MUST have with you as a first-time stallholder
Why thinking of themselves as being ‘courageous creatives’ has encouraged them to overcome fear and give everything a go
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here.
This episode is proudly brought to you by Tribe Skincare, Australia's leading skincare for sensitive skin. For 10% off the entire range, plus free shipping, use LADYBRAINS at the checkout. Head to www.tribeskincare.com.au In this episode, we're chatting with Puno Dostres, the founder of I Love Creatives; a digital platform for creatives who want to learn new skills, find new pathways, and be part of a good vibes community. Puno started I Love Creatives in 2014, and it began as a simple weekly email, which curated all the creative things that were happening in Downtown LA. Over the years this newsletter grew by word of mouth, and with it, so did the community who rallied around the brand. Since then, I Love Creatives has grown to offer a whole range of products and services; including really cool online courses, a design studio (which, by the way, was responsible for the recent Girlboss rebrand), a creative directory, an online store full of digital and physical products, an ad directory...and so much more. You'll learn:
How she's built out multiple revenue streams and grown her team
Why as a founder, doing the math on your personal finances is absolutely key to your business’s success
About her strengths in project management, operations, systems and processes
Why tracking your time and knowing exactly where you spend it is the precursor to scaling
How her online courses make up the majority of her revenue
How she won the Girlboss rebrand, and how it's changed her business since
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here.
Bianca Spender is one of Australia’s most iconic fashion designers. In this special episode of the lady-brains podcast, recorded live from Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022, Bianca shares why this season’s collection was inspired by the ‘liberation of women’, and how creating this year’s runway actually liberated her in the process. You'll learn:
How Bianca balances her Excel spreadsheets and business brain, with her intense creative flair and vision
Why she’s thrown out the rulebook and has decided to embrace disruption in every area of her business
Why 50% of her collection is created with dead stock, and how her creative process adapts when she’s designing garments with the remnants in front of her
How Bianca was diagnosed with dyslexia in recent years and how this impacts the way she works
Why Bianca bought the brand off her mother, Carla Zampatti
How Bianca learnt the difference between P&L and cash flow the hard way
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here.
We’re thrilled to have Kayla from Tribe Skincare back on the podcast! We first chatted in February 2021 at a time when she was embarking on a complete redesign of Tribe Skincare’s visual brand identity. In this follow-up chat, we learn how the branding project went $100k over budget, how Tribe had its first six figure sales day ever during the relaunch, how, after many conversations and negotiations, her dream retailer Mecca decided not to pick up the brand, and how Kayla took this rejection and used it to build out an entirely new arm to the business instead. You'll learn:
The impact of going $100k over budget on cash flow, and where Kayla pulled back on spend across the rest of the business
Kayla’s new approach to influencer marketing, and why she’s investing more in content creation than paid posts
Why Kayla had to change the messaging and marketing around the rebrand after her customers responded differently than expected
How she cold emailed Jo Horgan, the founder of MECCA, which led to a series of meetings with buyers about being ranged in store
How Kayla pivoted the business into wholesale, and her successful sales strategies for getting brands on board
Getting the 5 year business itch
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do you make a name for yourself, as a young, ambitious creative? Today's guest is Paris Thomson, founder of video production studio SIRAP. SIRAP exists to solve creative and communication challenges for their clients through the power of moving imagery. Their client list is impressive; they work with brands like Lexus, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Design Files, David Jones, and many more. Paris started the business at the ripe old age of 24, quickly learning that hassling and hustling was a successful way to open doors. She is an example of someone who has taken a creative passion, videography, and turned it into a commercially successful business. In this chat you'll learn:
How Paris has built structure and process within a creatively-led business
Why Paris believe hassling and hustling is the way to open doors
How brands can integrate video content into their overall marketing plan
Paris's approach to business development and sales (and why she loves doing deals over a wine)
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Sign up for our online business course BASE CAMP here. Check out Melbourne Innovation Centre's 'Digital Solutions' Program here.
Do you have a cracking business idea but no clue where to start? Have you downloaded a business plan template, before getting totally overwhelmed as to how to fill it out? If so, we’re here to help 😃 In this episode, we share all the ins and outs of our new online course BASE CAMP. It's an online course designed to help almost founders create a business plan and launch a business. We chat about:
Who the course is designed for.
How each module of the course covers an area of a business that traditionally make it into the business plan template – like the customer, offer, finance, brand and marketing.
Why we mined 90+ podcast interviews for the best lessons, insights and examples from our guests, and peppered these throughout the course content.
What you'll walk away with once you're done.
If you’re serious about turning that idea in your head into a real-life business, OR if you're an early stage founder and feel like you need help to lay solid foundations for growth, sign up for Base Camp at www.ladybrains.com.au/basecamp
This episode, we’re chatting to Rebekah Campbell, founder of Hey You, a payment and booking app designed for restaurants and cafes. Throughout her 20s and 30s, Rebekah’s sole focus was on building her business. She’d raised money in Silicon Valley, the app was rapidly on-boarding new restaurants, her team was growing, and she’d established a strong profile in the start-up world. By all external measures, she was a success. But there was something missing. 10 years into building her business she realised she hadn’t been on a single date. She’d neglected her personal life, and at 34 and single, decided to apply what she’d learned in business to finding a partner. She even designed a dating sales funnel and then wrote a book about it. This book is 138 dates – a tale about finding a life-long partner, and finding herself. We’ve read it, loved it and highly recommend it to anyone that wants to redefine the role their business plays in their personal life. You’ll learn:
How Rebekah struggled to monetise her business despite having thousands of restaurants on board
The impact building start-ups has had on her personal life
How Rebekah approaches goal setting in a methodical, structured way
How Rebekah designed a sales funnel for her dating life, including tactics that helped her fill the top of the funnel and filter through the prospects
How she optimised her dating process over the course of 2 years
How she makes decisions from her head and the heart
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Find Rebekah at https://rebekahcampbell.com Get your hands on 138 Dates here.
As millennial women, many of us have been told that the only way to 'succeed’ in business is to strive for the big bucks, for followers, and for growth. Sure, this is the end game for lots of founders, but it’s definitely not the end game for us all. At lady-brains, we know that pouring every waking second of your life into work doesn’t result in a healthy business. We know that if you don’t invest time in yourself and grow as a founder, then nothing (not your bottom line, customer base, team, nor your fulfilment) will grow at all. In this episode, Anna & Caitlin share their new manifesto: a set of beliefs that are going to drive the lady-brains business and brand from here on out. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Read the lady-brains manifesto
THE GIRLBOSS ERA IS DEAD. The narrative that's been written for us about what a successful female entrepreneur looks like, is changing. In this ep, Anna & Caitlin discuss why a new narrative for female founders is long overdue, their thoughts about alternative ideals we can aspire to, and why the hustle culture no longer serves us. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Read the lady-brains manifesto
Today’s guest is Sarah Neill; she’s the founder of Mys Tyler, an online shopping and body positivity app which helps women find clothing for their unique shape and size, by connecting them with others who look like them. Sarah came up with the idea after realising that she and her friends were returning most of the clothes they bought online because they simply didn’t fit, and over the last 5 years, Sarah has refined the concept, raised a $1M in pre-seed, and the app’s been downloaded over 80 thousand times across 100 countries. You’ll learn:
Why Sarah’s first entrepreneurial venture failed, despite the fact she had funding, traction and revenue
How Sarah managed to personally recover from this big business failure, and the lessons she’s applied to Mys Tyler
The impact that being an entrepreneur has taken on her personal and financial life
The marketing tactics that have played into her success, including using a simple ‘quiz’ lead magnet, and affiliate marketing.
During the fundraising and sales process, how to answer prevention-based questions with promotion-based answers
Why she thinks Mys Tyler will either be a billion-dollar business, or go bust
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Download the FREE Idea Mini Course here. Watch the TED Talk on gender bias during the fundraising process Sarah mentioned in our chat here. Download the Mys Tyler app here.
This episode was produced in partnership with Thermomix Australia. Grace and Bianca are the mother daughter duo behind the Australian & New Zealand arm of Thermomix. In this episode, Grace shares the story of discovering Thermomix in Poland, before lugging one all the way back to Perth, before spending the following year trying to secure its exclusive distribution rights for Australia. You’ll learn:
How Grace spent 12 months securing the Aus & NZ licensing deal from German parent company, Vorwerk
How they started the brand from their family home; holding all cooking demos in the kitchen, and meetings in the lounge room
How the word spread rapidly throughout Perth in the early days, and the team’s top tips for generating word of mouth
How Grace and Bianca use DISC profiling to understand their strengths, as well as their blind spots
What it’s like to work together as a mother-daughter duo
How they’ve been able to create over 70,000 recipes
Why they’ve recently expanded their sales model from consultant-driven to e-commerce
How they’ve built the brand into a household name, employing over 200 staff and 3000 contractors across Australia and NZ
Thermomix have generously offered our audience the chance to win a Classic White Thermomix TM6, valued at $2359. Enter here: www.thermomix.com.au/ladybrains (Competition closes March 31, 11:59PM AEST)
Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Discover your strengths at www.viacharacter.org
Sarah Munro is one half of the iconic Aussie label Sarah & Sebastian, best known for its beautiful, fine jewellery designs. In this chat Sarah tells the story of being picked up by the French high fashion boutique, Colette, and how, over a decade later, Sarah and her co-founder Robert have built the business to a team of 100 people, have stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and have expanded the brand into a whole range of services. You’ll learn:
How Sarah approached the decision to quit her fulltime job to go all in on the business
How Sarah’s naivety in the early days contributed to taking bigger risks
Why Sarah & Sebastian actually started out as a wholesale brand, rather than retail
How they operate with a made-to-order business model, at scale
Why Sarah prefers to remain behind the scenes, rather than being the face of the brand
How Sarah learnt to hand over control and trust her team
Why Sarah prioritises her personal life (even though switching off from the business can be hard)
This episode is made possible by ShipStation. To get a 30 day free trial PLUS 2 months free, use the code ladybrains at https://hubs.la/Q014rkPG0
~ Connect with us ~ Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Welp, it's been a year! In this chat, Anna & Caitlin reflect on 2021 and share their biggest struggles, successes and learnings. You'll hear:
Why Anna & Caitlin started seeing a therapist together and how this practice has radically transformed their business partnership
How they learnt that ruthless prioritisation is the key to getting sh*t done
Why their focus has shifted from being a content-led business to a product-led business
Why they've been a little absent from the podcast over the last few months
What's in store for 2022, including the exciting launch of an online course that has been in the works for almost 2 years!
Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Hannah and Pippa are the charismatic co-founders of Merch Girls; a product design agency that creates beautiful, custom merch for some of the biggest brands in Australia including MECCA, the Australian Open, and lady-brains! In this chat, the duo share how they landed their first major client – the Australian Ballet, how they survived COVID despite their entire pipeline drying up, and why they credit their success to building strong, meaningful relationships. You’ll learn:
How they finally landed the Australian Open as a client after being knocked back countless times
How and why the duo put Merch Girls before their friendship
How gifting an ‘e-merch-ancy' box to clients when COVID hit helped them generate new business
Why the team is now focused on building out their sustainable range
Why their philosophy is happy staff, happy clients, happy suppliers
Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Grace and TJ are the brains behind First Nations Fashion and Design, a not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the fashion industry. They made history at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in 2021 as the first ever indigenous show to be part of the fashion week program. You’ll learn:
How their runway show generated 65% of all Fashion Week media coverage, reaching over 77 million people.
How they pulled off AAFW with just 4 months to prepare
How they make their business partnership work when they live on opposite sides of the country
How it’s taken over a decade of hard work and resilience to get to where they are
Why their impact drives every single decision they make
Find us at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
We first interviewed Alison Rice back in 2018. At the time, Alison was a Group Publisher of Allure Media, and at the very end of our chat she told us about the soon-to-be launch her own podcast. That podcast is Offline, and since we spoke 3 years ago, Alison quit her high-flying corporate role and has built Offline into a brand with a cult following that offers the podcast, events, online courses, coaching and more. In this chat you’ll learn:
Why Alison is bringing a business partner on board to help her take Offline to the next level
Why Alison’s business strategy is built around listening, then responding
The tensions that exist as a business owner between letting things unfold vs. pushing forward
Why Alison carves out time for her to retreat, reflect and think, as well as time to create and launch her ideas
How she deals when she gets caught in the comparison trap
Why she believes that she’s currently earning trust from her audience rather than earning money
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up for our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat with us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse
Last year, an estimated 13.8 million Aussies spent around $5 billion dollars over the 4-day Black Friday period. That’s a whopping lot of cash, and it represents a huge opportunity for product-based businesses. If you're a founder and want to get in on this sales opportunity, but are unsure how to go about it, this episode is for you. We chat with digital marketing and e-commerce expert Gabriella Singh about how to design and deliver your best Black Friday campaign ever. You'll learn:
How to design your epic Black Friday offer
How to set sales targets and allocate your marketing spend
How to design a creative campaign that lives across all stages of the marketing funnel - from awareness, to consideration, through to purchase
~ Connect with us ~ If you need a little more help, we've designed a Black Friday Crash Course to help you deliver your campaign and have your best sales weekend ever! Access the course at www.ladybrains.com.au/blackfriday-course Sign up for our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat with us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse
GREATEST HITS - recorded in 2020. Jodie Fox is the co-founder of Shoes of Prey, a brand that allowed women to design their shoes in any colour, material, shape or size. In this chat provides insights into how she achieved on-demand manufacturing and customisation at scale, how she raised over $27 million in funding, and why in 2019 it all came crashing down around her. We learn what it was really like for Jodie to fail in such a public way. You’ll learn:
Why Jodie thinks the business failed, and what she would do differently if she had her time again
How her identity was wrapped up in being an entrepreneur, and what this meant for her after Shoes of Prey closed its doors
The challenges with the mass on-demand manufacturing business model
How she raised over $27 million in funding to scale the business globally
The importance of being curious and doing your research when building a business
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
GREATEST HITS - recorded in 2020. How do you build a multi-million dollar retail empire by becoming best friends with rejection? Jo Horgan is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs – she is the founder and driving force behind multimillion-dollar beauty giant MECCA. At 27, Jo had an idea to create a new beauty concept in Australia, BUT she had no retail experience, no distribution experience and only 4 years’ in beauty, yet she succeeded in getting some of the world’s biggest brands to buy into her vision. 22 years on, MECCA has emerged as the global leader in beauty innovation, and Jo, as one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs. In this chat we covered:
How being persistent and unrelenting got brands like NARS on board in the beginning
The unique way Jo deals with rejection, and uses it to her advantage
How ‘fake it til you make it’ still applies, despite the fact she’s achieved incredible levels of success
Her top tip for bringing a deal to a close
The key drivers of MECCA’s growth over the last 10 years
How Direct-to-Consumer brands are revolutionising the beauty industry
How to build a good reputation, and keep it
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
GREATEST HITS - recorded in 2020. Alex McCabe, co-founder of Aussie lifestyle and homewares brand Kip&Co, shares insights into how swift decision-making earlier this year in response to the COVID pandemic secured the longevity of the business, as well as advice on how fashion brands should approach pricing, new product development, and securing press. In this chat we covered:
How Kip&Co secured their first 10 stockists from a trade show in Melbourne
The fine balance of where to spend your marketing dollars, and why it’s important to invest in paid advertising and PR
Why Kip&Co choses to work with an agent in India instead of directly with the manufacturers
The impact of COVID on their supply chain
The Kip&Co creative process, and why investing in brand (especially photoshoots) is so important
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
In this special episode of INSIDE LADY-BRAINS Caitlin and Anna answer all your burning questions about what it’s like running their business, from how the pair first met, to what margarita they drink when celebrating their wins. In this chat you’ll find out:
How they came up with the idea for lady-brains, and what previous business ideas didn’t quite make the cut
How they decided when to quit their day jobs and take the plunge into becoming full time business owners
The conversation that helped them understand how to bring together each other’s different work styles
and much more!
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
For Bobby Clark turning her artistic passion into a business hasn’t come easy. She’s battled with the fear of not being seen as a true artist, not having the skills to set up good business practices and valuing her time and creativity properly. Up until recently, she’s kind of been winging it. In this chat you’ll learn:
How Bobby discovered $1.5 million of lost sales due to abandoned carts, and what she plans on doing about it
Bobby’s advice for valuing your work as a creative, and why you need to do more than just price out your time
The one simple action that helped her overcome 4 years of creative block, and encouraged her to pick up the paintbrush again
Bobby’s struggle with the fear of judgement and how she has learned to overcome it
How Bobby attracted her very first customers as an artist, and how tapping into existing networks of designers and creatives in Melbourne helped her business gain early traction
How launching ecommerce on her website changed the game and gave her a steady stream of income for the first time
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Welcome to the first of many INSIDE LADY-BRAINS chat episodes, where we take you behind the scenes and share all the things we’ve learnt starting and growing our own business. In this episode, we’re sharing the process of launching our first ever range of lady-brains merch (during a lockdown nonetheless). It’s been a journey! We discuss:
Why it pays to generate FOMO and community engagement BEFORE launching a product
Why we chose to use a ‘buy first, produce second’ model and prioritise sustainability in the process
How we both kicked perfectionism to the curb and taught ourselves new skills despite huge challenges (hello, lockdowns)
~ Connect with us ~ Shop the merch at www.ladybrains.com.au/shop Sign up to our monthly newsletter at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw are the co-founders of community and content-based brand Keep It Cleaner – a platform focused on bringing fitness programs, daily workouts, healthy recipes and wellness practices to its over 250k subscribers. In this episode, we discuss:
How they lost all of their customer data (including emails) from their early KIC app, and how they were able to bounce back from the situation
Why they have recently decided to bring their tech capability in house, and how this enabled them to truly see themselves as a serious tech business
The importance of staying in touch with your customers and community, and how they’ve used customer insights to make decisions about which new programs (like KIC Bump) they’ll roll out
How Steph is trying to find her new role in the business after becoming a Mum to Harvey
How we all can be bolder and braver in tough business negotiations where we may feel out of our depth
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Indigenous mother daughter duo Lauren Jarrett & Melissa Greenwood are the creative brains behind art brand Miimi & Jiinda. In this episode, they share how the brand was built to help heal intergenerational trauma caused by Lauren’s experience being part of the stolen generation, how their indigenous heritage impacts everything they do, and why they believe it’s critical to make time for space and silence in their busy lives. You’ll learn:
How Lauren & Melissa went from artists to CEOs overnight, after their work appeared on hit TV show The Block
How they secured a dream partnership with Adairs
The challenges with scaling an art business, and how they’ve built processes to help them grow
Why they believe it’s important to give yourself time and space for creativity to flourish
Why they’re an example that anything is possible, even when there are huge personal and systemic obstacles in the way
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Renae James, founder of Papinelle Sleepwear, shares how she started out selling PJs from a stall at the Paddington Markets in Sydney, to becoming a multimillion-dollar brand with products you can find being sold on almost every corner of the USA! You’ll learn:
How she started the brand with a $9000 bank loan, and why she’s never taken on external money since then
How it took Renae 12 years to make good money in her business, and how she found the courage to never give up
How Renae manages the design and production of 12 collections each year
How Renae met her now-business-partner Nicole back in 2004, and why she brought her into the business 15 years later to help take the brand to the next level
The big mistake Renae made saying yes to a huge order that she wasn’t set up to fulfil, and what she learned about saying no to opportunities before you’re ready
This episode was produced in partnership with Papinelle Sleepwear. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Terri Vinson is a scientist, formulator and founder of beauty brand Synergie Skin. In this episode, Terri shares how she poured her life savings of $40k into the business after her then-husband lost all of their money and assets, how she’s grown her business by learning to let go and delegate, how she funded and built her own manufacturing facility and lab, and why she choses to lead with empathy and compassion. You’ll learn:
How she started the biz with $40k after her then-husband lost the family’s cash and assets in a few bad deals.
How her background as a scientist and formulator has given her a unique advantage in the cluttered skincare space.
Why she brought her manufacturing from offshore back into Australia.
How her debt averse money mindset has directly influenced the trajectory of the business.
Her four ingredients to being a successful entrepreneur – passion, ability, tenacity and hard work.
This episode was produced in partnership with Synergie Skin. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly non-spammy newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Live from Afterpay Australian Fashion Week and straight from the runway, Rebecca Vallance reflects back on the past 10 years of being in business. In this episode she shares:
Why the Rebecca Vallance brand has been so successful both locally and internationally
Why she’s chosen to expand into new categories like bridal, athleisure and swim
The impact that the late Carla Zampatti had on her and her career
Her biggest lesson learned over a decade of being in business
Why she believes that perfectionism is a critical trait for those creating a fashion label
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Live from Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, lady-brains chats with Dale, founder of Bondi Born and Mary Lou, co-founder of Bassike. In this episode they share:
How they make every business decision with sustainability front of mind
Their approach to finding ethical suppliers and makers
Advice to emerging founders on how to build a brand with purpose and profit.
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Amanda Niu, founder of furniture brand Eva, shares how the brand has stayed relevant and ahead of the competition by diversifying their product offering, why they’ve doubled down on their test and learn approach to marketing, and how she’s found a way to apply her background in neuropsychology to get into the minds of her customers. You’ll learn:
Why Amanda launched the business with just one key product – a mattress in a box (and why you could adopt this strategy too)
The three things to look for when hiring a new employee
How Amanda has found a way to apply her background in neuropsychology to get into the minds of her customers
How this background as a clinical neuropsychologist majorly influences the way she delivers feedback and manages her team
The importance of reframing negative experiences as opportunities to learn
The one mistake to avoid so you don’t become a barrier to your own business’s growth
Book mentioned: The Peter Principle by Laurence J Peter and Raymond Hull. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Rochelle Courtenay, founder of not-for-profit Share the Dignity, shares how she turned a simple idea – to end period poverty – into a national movement, how she’s raised over $51 million to help women in need, and how she’s established partnership with brands like Woolworths, Bunnings and Facebook. You’ll learn:
How she managed rapid traction in the early days, when Share the Dignity grew from an idea in her head to a national movement in just one month
Why she runs Share the Dignity like a business, and how she’s achieved profitability and sustainability
Why being vulnerable as a leader is so important for building trust within your team
How many initiatives were built out within the charity before realising the importance of staying in her lane
How she’s structured a volunteer workforce of over 5000 people and how she and her team keep them all motivated and engaged
Why it’s important to slow down and take time out of the business for yourself
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Ava Matthews and Bec Jefferd, co-founders of Ultra Violette, share the secret sauce to their strong co-founder relationship, why (and how) they’ve chosen to remain self-funded, and why they put down so much of their success to having strong operations, systems and rigour in the business back-end. You’ll learn:
How Ava and Bec designed their product and brand to solve a customer problem
How the two navigate tension and disagreements in their co-founder relationship
Why they advise any founders to budget 4x as much money and time as they think they need when creating a new product
The important things you should consider if you want to self-fund your business
Why ‘fun’ is a value that they inject into the business and brand each day
How they’ve designed Ultra Violette around their lifestyle, and not the other way around
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Carolyn Creswell, founder of Carman's Kitchen, shares how she approaches new product development in a category that is always changing, why customer research forms the backbone of all of her decision making, and how a recent revelation about her leadership style has transformed the way she works with her team. You’ll learn:
Her new product development process, and why Carman’s is now moving into the savoury aisle
What the Carman’s customer ‘flavour ranker’ is, and how she uses it to inform all her decision making
How a recent revelation about her leadership style has transformed the way she works with her team
Why Carolyn suggests that you shouldn’t grow your business more than 25% year on year
Why having an A team is one of the most important determinants of success
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Nicole Liu, founder of Kin Fertility, shares insights into how she designed her product and service offering based off a deep understanding of the customer problem, how she built an engaged community of thousands of women pre-launch by offering free educational fertility guides, and why she believes a strong brand is critical to standing out from the crowd. You’ll learn:
How to understand your customer problem at the deepest possible level
How to design your products and services to solve a customer problem, not the other way around
How Nicole built the brand with no experience in tech or healthcare, and the role that experts have played in the business journey
How to adopt a test and learn approach to marketing to ensure no dollar is unwisely spent
This episode is produced in partnership with Kin Fertility. ~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' here.
Eleanor Pendleton, founder of digital media platform Gritty Pretty, shares insights about how she sold to advertisers in the early days despite having no sales experience, how she’s scaling the business by layering revenue streams one on top of the other, and her perspective on the role of editorial vs. sponsored content in a modern media business. You’ll learn:
What NOT to do if you’re thinking about taking the leap into business full time
Why it was important for Eleanor to write a business plan
How Eleanor landed her first paid advertiser for the Gritty Pretty magazine before she’d launched the first issue
How Gritty Pretty has diversified its revenue streams over time, and why the focus is now on building out passive streams
The best way to pitch to new brands or clients, and the importance of having a solid deck
How to strike the right balance between editorial and sponsored content
Why Eleanor decided to shut down her ecommerce store, and how she came to this difficult decision
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-course
Lil Ahenkan aka. Flex Mami shares insights into how she manages relentless content creation while also avoiding burnout, how she’s managed to create a two-way dialogue with her audience online (including what's worked and what hasn’t), and how data drives her decision making when it comes to the online Flex Factory store. You'll learn:
Why Flex decided to create an online store, and how every decision during the product development process has been informed by her community
Why she’s motivated by cash money
Her top tips for creating a two-way dialogue with audiences
How to build vibrant, engaged communities online
Why she’s changed her content strategy to ‘me first, content second’
How she manages relentless content curation in a way that avoids burnout
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
We're celebrating International Women's Day 2021, by discussing the theme #choosetochallenge. Anna & Caitlin share why tapping into your growth mindset and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone will lead to a bigger life and a better business. We want to challenge you, lady-brain, to push yourself and take action on one thing that's going to take you and your business to the next level. Share your challenge and the results with us in our Facebook Group, the lady-brains clubhouse, and you could find yourself sharing your story on our show! Join the #lbchallenge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Lizzy Pike, founder of Face Halo, talks about her mission to eradicate disposable face wipes, provides insights on sourcing overseas manufacturers, her top tips for becoming more sustainable across all areas of your business, and why her partnership with the world’s biggest beauty influencer Chloe Morello has been such a success. You'll learn:
The right questions to ask when you’re sourcing a new manufacturer
How to vet the working conditions of a factory from afar
How to move your brand towards sustainability without breaking the bank
Why partnering with Chloe Morello has been such a success (handy hint: her values are closely aligned with Lizzy’s!)
Why Face Halo didn’t launch with a sustainability message, despite sustainability being a key point of difference
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Kayla Houlihan, founder of Tribe Skincare, shares how she turned a $20k initial investment into millions of dollars of revenue in just a few short months, why after three years she’s decided to shift her attention away from building the ‘business’ towards building the ‘brand’, and how getting clear on her customer value proposition transformed her business’s growth. You’ll learn:
Why Kayla spent her initial $20k solely on product development and stock
How she launched with 4 trial products and an Instagram audience of 1k followers
How she expanded her range to over 15 products in just a few short years
How she tackled a recent project to bring down her COGS
How she used Facebook Group marketing to rapidly grow her social media following to ~60k Instagram followers and 140k Tiktok followers, as well as which of these platforms converts to sales
Why she’s decided not to pursue international expansion right now, despite there being a huge demand from customers
Why she’s now investing in her brand, to get her messaging, communication and visual identity right
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
What does success look like for you? In your personal life, and also your business? Are you building a side hustle, a lifestyle business or a startup? Do you value money, followers, fulfillment or impact? Hear Anna Mackenzie & Caitlin Judd, co-hosts of the lady-brains podcast, talk about redefining success in a pandemic world.
Are you launching a new brand? Grab your free guide to redefine success, uncover your deeper purpose, build a solid vision, and help your brand stand out from a sometimes noisy crowd. Grab your copy >> www.ladybrains.com.au/purpose-guide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Maeva Heim, founder of Bread Beauty Supply, recalls how a chance meeting with a Sephora Buyer in LA set her on the path to secure a USA distribution deal - before she had launched her brand. She shares how she raised just under $2M in capital from the same investors who backed Glossier, and why she’s driven to change the beauty industry by providing more representation for women of colour. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Jenna Holmes, the founder of plant styling studio Plant Mama, shares how she injects creativity into every single thing she does, why building trust with clients and employees has been pivotal in helping her scale, and why she aspires to be completely authentic in everything she does. You’ll learn:
The advice Zoë Foster Blake gave Jenna that was instrumental to her growth
The best way to start building your client base from day one
Why she stopped saying ‘yes’ to every job opportunity
Her 3 tips for pricing your service with confidence
Discovering how to put a dollar value on creativity
Why she decided to expand her brand and offering, with Pasta Mama
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Elle Ferguson, founder of beauty brand ELLE EFFECT, shares how she implemented systems and processes during COVID that have fully streamlined her business operations, the crucial mistake she made that cost her almost 20,000 bottles of product, and why she’s seeking external investment to fund her next wave of growth. You’ll learn:
Why Elle reviews her numbers weekly, and how this informs her decision making
Why she’s separated the Elle Effect and Elle Ferguson businesses and brands
The 3 secret ingredients she uses to create a killer campaign
Why she postponed a set of product launches multiple times
How she manages to continuously create new, exciting and inspiring content at scale
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Jess Sepel is the founder of JSHealth, a multifaceted wellness brand valued at over $200 million. In this chat, she shares why she feels uncomfortable owning the business’s success, her tips for building an engaged online community that converts, her struggles with mental health in a recent period of rapid growth, and why her ultimate goal is to live the simple life. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Lucy Feagins, founder of Australia’s most popular design blog The Design Files, shares insights into how she generates content that’s creative and commercial, how she has built a well-oiled content machine that is monetised in multiple ways, and why she’ll never sell the brand. We covered:
How to produce content that’s both creative and on-brand, and commercial
How TDF continues to innovate in the content creation space
Why Lucy believes that not being an expert in design has been important in building her own audience
The relationship between Lucy’s personal brand and TDF brand, and the tactical things she does to insert herself in a way that feels authentic to her
How TDF has diversified their income streams over time, and the new way Lucy is considering monetising her audience
How TDF operates, allowing them to push out high-quality content at scale
How Lucy built a content machine with a close-knit small team of only six staff
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Liandra Gaykamungu, founder of Liandra Swim, shares how her brand was designed to spark positive dialogue around her Aboriginal Australian heritage and change the way Indigenous Australian women are viewed and celebrated. With a love for swimming and a passion for telling stories she began to build that vessel – Liandra Swim. It’s a contemporary swimwear label that creates one-off collections to complement a variety of skin tones and body types, as well as honour the artistry of her heritage. Each print tells a unique story. We covered:
How she fuses storytelling into her brand – right down to each individual product line
How she manages to operate a business from the remote island of Milingimbi
Why creating sustainable and ethical swimwear is simply part of the brand DNA.
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Amy Iheakanwa, founder of the direct-to-consumer label, Shekudo, is a sustainable and slow fashion footwear and accessories label that has been featured in mags like Vogue and Grazia. The brand collaborates with Nigerian artisans and craftsmen that honour traditional production and manufacturing techniques... some that are over 500 years old. You'll learn:
Why Amy uprooted her Sydney life to move to Africa’s fastest growing city, Lagos
How she employs local Nigerian women to handmake every single item she sells
Why she turned down an order for 10,000 units that would have transformed her biz overnight
Getting into the pages of Vogue and Grazia mags
The deeper purpose behind the brand – to empower local women to learn skills they can actually be paid for
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Hannah Spilva, co-founder of same-day floral delivery service Lvly, shares how she’s coped with 500% business growth in the first 4 weeks of COVID lockdown, the operational challenges with scaling so quickly during a global pandemic, and how Lvly is paving a new way forward for their customers and their team. You’ll learn:
The importance of knowing your personal and brand purposes, as it’s the thing that will keep you going when times get tough
How Hannah approached her pricing strategy in the beginning, and how this has evolved over time
The challenges associated with same-day delivery, and some key pieces of advice when planning your logistics
Her three-pronged approach to customer retention – we all know that retaining customers is cheaper than acquiring new ones!
What it takes to lead a large team and growing business through an unprecedented crisis
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Lindy Rama-Ellis, co-founder of Milk & Co and founder of new brand Fig Femme, shares insights into how a challenging experience during the birth of her first child led her to create one of the first intimate wellness brands, the criticism she’s received launching a controversial product into a relatively conservative Australian market, and the importance of building a deeper purpose into your brand from the get-go. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
In a follow-up episode to part 1 & 2, artist CJ Hendry is back! In this episode she discusses the impact of COVID on her art business, drops the scoop on an Australian museum exhibition in 2021, as well as the low-down on a new art business she’s created with her husband, called "Andy". Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Alex McCabe, co-founder of Aussie lifestyle and homewares brand Kip&Co, shares insights into how swift decision-making earlier this year in response to the COVID pandemic secured the longevity of the business, as well as advice on how fashion brands should approach pricing, new product development, and securing press. In this chat we covered:
How Kip&Co secured their first 10 stockists from a trade show in Melbourne
The fine balance of where to spend your marketing dollars, and why it’s important to invest in paid advertising and PR
Why Kip&Co choses to work with an agent in India instead of directly with the manufacturers
The impact of COVID on their supply chain
The Kip&Co creative process, and why investing in brand (especially photoshoots) is so important
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly newsletter at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse
Kristy Chong is the founder of multimillion-dollar leak proof underwear and apparel brand, Modibodi. In this chat she discusses how she started the brand with only a $25k investment, why she recently took on external investment, how she feels about competitors copying her brand, and why financial literacy is so important for founders. You’ll learn:
Which customer segments she targeted in the beginning and how this has evolved over time
The challenges associated with inventing a whole new category of product
How to build impact into your business model from the get-go
Why you should adopt a test and learn marketing approach
How to go about building a financial model for your business
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Jodie Fox is the co-founder of Shoes of Prey, a brand that allowed women to design their shoes in any colour, material, shape or size. In this chat provides insights into how she achieved on-demand manufacturing and customisation at scale, how she raised over $27 million in funding, and why in 2019 it all came crashing down around her. We learn what it was really like for Jodie to fail in such a public way. You’ll learn:
Why Jodie thinks the business failed, and what she would do differently if she had her time again
How her identity was wrapped up in being an entrepreneur, and what this meant for her after Shoes of Prey closed its doors
The challenges with the mass on-demand manufacturing business model
How she raised over $27 million in funding to scale the business globally
The importance of being curious and doing your research when building a business
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Julie & Nicole, co-founders of the world’s first fair trade, naturally-enriched vitamin tea brand, share insights into how they spent two years developing a patent-pending manufacturing technique, the moment they landed a huge distribution deal with Woolworths, and how they were able to embed ethical practices into their business model from the beginning. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Hannah Bronfman, renowned DJ, author and founder of HBFit, shares how she was frozen out of her tech startup, on-demand beauty appointment app Beautified after raising $1.2 million in seed funding, the lessons she learned after experiencing this huge business setback, how she’s built her personal brand and Instagram following to over 600k, and how she’s strategically leveraged this audience in the creation of her new online health and wellness platform. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Jess Ruhfus, founder of Collabosaurus, shares insights into how she’s built a leading tech platform as a non-technical, female, solo founder, why collaborations have a ROI 25x greater than digital marketing, how to structure brand-to-brand collaborations correctly, and why she describes trying to fundraise in 2018 as an absolute ‘nightmare’. We covered:
Her biggest mistakes in the early days, including spending too much time and money on making version 1 of her product ‘perfect’
Why she spent a year trying to raise capital before deciding to give up
Why she decided to build her business with a subscription model
How small & medium sized businesses should approach brand collaborations, and the big mistakes to avoid
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Lisa Teh, founder of Codi Agency, beauty brand 101 Lifestyle, and digital publishing platform Couturing, shares why now is a unique opportunity for businesses to capture market share by continuing to invest in digital marketing and content creation. In this chat we covered:
How you can continue to serve your client or customer throughout this challenging time
If you’re a service based business, how you can refresh your offer to remain relevant in the market
What is support marketing, and why businesses need to lead with this approach from now on
How to be strategic when creating content, and the ways you can get the most out of each content asset
Why LinkedIn is the most important platform to be on right now, and how you can use it to your advantage to generate business leads
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How can we look after our mental health and wellbeing in these unprecedented times? Jane Martino, serial entrepreneur and founder of Australia’s number 1 meditation app Smiling Mind, shares how we can look after the wellbeing of ourselves and our business during these stressful times. As new trends and consumer behaviours start to emerge, Jane shares the importance of being considered in your business decisions rather than reactive, and to always remain true to your brand and your customer. In this chat we covered:
The routines and rituals that have a proven effect on mental health and wellbeing
How the Smiling Mind team are responding to the recent exponential growth in downloads and usage of the app
The launch of a new program within the app
Thrive Inside – and how the team were able to deliver this to market in just 10 days
The steps founders should take when pivoting to ensure the longevity of their business
How to spark word of mouth and build your customer base through referrals
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How do you create opportunity in times of hardship and struggle? Grace Brennan, creator of the Buy From the Bush campaign, provides insights into how businesses and brands can identify emerging needs out of the COVID-19 crisis and pivot their businesses accordingly. In times of challenge, social distancing and uncertainty, Grace shares the importance of tapping into online communities, supporting those in need, and finding ways to keep your spirits high. In this chat we covered:
How Grace has drawn on startup methodology to help design the Buy From the Bush campaign
How the campaign gained traction so quickly, and the content strategies she employed to get cut through
The importance of having a unique brand voice, and how to be authentic in times of crisis
Finding the opportunities by focusing on the needs that are emerging within your consumer base
How she’s planning on monetising the campaign
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Olivia Carr, founder of Shhh Silk, shares the new and unforeseen challenges being experienced by COVID-19, including the impact of the virus on the production and supply of silk, and her insights into the immediate effects for businesses reliant on Chinese manufacturing. We also did a deep dive into her infamous relationship with the Kardashian family, her views on building and maintaining meaningful and successful relationships and the importance of integrating social impact initiatives into your business model from the outset. There’s a lot of juice in this episode and we hope that no matter what’s going on in your business right now there’s something for you to take away that will help. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Did you know there’s $5 trillion of value being left on the table because women aren’t realising their full potential in business? We’re talking about the Entrepreneurial Gender Gap – the fact that fewer women start businesses than men around the world. The reasons for this are complex and in this episode we’re doing a deep dive to understand why this is the case by chatting with Scale Investors CEO Ariane Barker, and Confidence Coach Kate Richardson. We cover:
Why women struggle getting access to much-needed funding, and strategies we can employ when going into investor conversations
The reason it’s harder for us to access high-value networks of people, and tips we can use to approach others
How to overcome a lack of self-confidence to ensure we put our best foot forward every time
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
We spoke with Nicole Eckels, founder of Glasshouse, about how selling door-to-door taught her critical sales skills which she used to start and grow a multimillion-dollar brand. In 2006, with Glasshouse Fragrances, Nicole established the scented candle category in Australia and she’s continued to dominate it for the last 15 years. In this episode you’ll learn:
How doing your research is critical to whether your sales pitch will get across the line
Why feature dumping is the sure-fire way for your sales pitch to flop
How being ready to walk away from a deal will boost your credibility in the long-term
Tips to reframe the sales process so that you feel confident and excited to deliver your pitch
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How do you build a successful business before the market is truly ready? Kate Morris is the founder of Adore Beauty, the online beauty retailer she launched in 1999 at the ripe old age of 21. It took almost a decade for Adore Beauty to gain momentum and for customers to become comfortable with purchasing their beauty products online. Lucky for Kate she persisted, because 20 years on, Adore Beauty stocks over 200 brands and is forecast in 2020 to turn over $100 million in revenue. We covered a lot of ground in this chat, including:
How she built out a team in the beginning, and what tasks she outsourced first
How Adore Beauty acquires new customers through focusing on content marketing
Why she’s decided to invest heavily in AI technology
The key ingredients to a killer pitch
Why she decided to sell 60% of her stake in the business to private equity in 2019
Dealing with serious cash flow issues as recent as 2014, and the tactics she used to generate enough funds to make the following week’s payroll
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How do you build a multi-million dollar retail empire by becoming best friends with rejection? Jo Horgan is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs – she is the founder and driving force behind multimillion-dollar beauty giant MECCA. At 27, Jo had an idea to create a new beauty concept in Australia, BUT she had no retail experience, no distribution experience and only 4 years’ in beauty, yet she succeeded in getting some of the world’s biggest brands to buy into her vision. 22 years on, MECCA has emerged as the global leader in beauty innovation, and Jo, as one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs. In this chat we covered:
How being persistent and unrelenting got brands like NARS on board in the beginning
The unique way Jo deals with rejection, and uses it to her advantage
How ‘fake it til you make it’ still applies, despite the fact she’s achieved incredible levels of success
Her top tip for bringing a deal to a close
The key drivers of MECCA’s growth over the last 10 years
How Direct-to-Consumer brands are revolutionising the beauty industry
How to build a good reputation, and keep it
~ Connect with us ~ Sign up to our monthly newsletter at www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group, the lady-brains clubhouse
Have you ever had an idea but parked it because you feel like you don't have the right skills or knowledge? This conversation with Holly Cardew is a fantastic example of a non-technical founder building a multi-million dollar tech business. That business is Pixc - a platform for online retailers to edit their product shots. And...she's managed to build this with an entirely virtual team. Holly is the product of accelerator programs both in Australia and in the US, and she now splits her time between Silicon Valley and Melbourne. We covered a lot in this chat, including:
How to build a completely remote workforce
What to think about if you're considering to be part of an accelerator program
The dos and don'ts of operating in Silicon Valley
How she managed to find out how Mailchimp's founder built his list from 10k to 1 million
The future of software, and how Pixc is building an AI capability
How to get traction on your landing page 101
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How do you build a rolodex with high-value contacts and keep these relationships warm so they pay-off in the long run? Sasha Benz is the Aussie Born, New York-based, founder of four businesses, as well as the Creative Director of The Surf Lodge – Montauks “it destination” (no joke…when we were there, Beyoncé was in town). At 24, she moved to New York to pursue a career in fashion and styling before starting two businesses, both of which failed to get off the ground. After experiencing these setbacks, she dug deep and went on to launch fashion blog ‘All My Friends Are Models’, social networking app Cinq, and two retail stores in Montauk. In this chat we cover:
Why two of her first businesses failed, and the lessons she learned
The importance of building your rolodex, and how every opportunity has come through one of her contacts
The challenge with transitioning out of a creative industry into tech, and how she’s managed to quickly up-skill
The importance of brand partnerships and how to make sure you’re pursuing the right ones
The power of word of mouth
The process of raising money for her tech start-up
Why relationships are the most important thing and should be invested in above all else
How do you recover after losing your life savings? And what affect does this have on your business? Bec Donlan is a personal trainer and health coach, and is better known as Sweat with Bec. She’s also the founder of Go Basic, a natural healthy snack company. After years of hustling in NYC as a trainer to some of the biggest celebrities and models, Bec realised an opportunity in a rapidly expanding CBD industry and decided to infuse many of her Go Basic products with small doses of CBD (the non-intoxicating compound of the cannabis plant). This is a very frank and honest conversation with Bec, where we cover:
Her personal motivations for starting Go Basic
Money pressures and how to navigate them
How spending her life savings on back surgery led her to start Go Basic Navigating an unpredictable landscape around CBD-infused products in the USA
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
What does it take to market a product to the millennial audience? And how do you make it meaningful? In this episode of LADY-LAND we chatted with Swedish-born Babba Rivera – the brand marketing guru! At 21 she launched Uber into Sweden, making Stockholm the fastest growing launch city ever. At 25, she landed herself on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. She’s been the Head of Marketing at Away, the direct-to-consumer luggage start-up that was recently valued at over $1 billion. And as if that wasn’t enough, she founded her own brand and marketing agency ByBabba, and is the co-founder of HER Network, a global community that supports women in the workplace. Her insights are inspiring and are great food for thought. We covered a lot in this chat, including:
How she created the opportunity for herself at Uber at such a young age How she built Uber in Sweden by targeting early adopters in the tech community
How she landed a role at Uber in NYC by pitching herself a new role to her boss
Working as head of fashion partnerships at Uber in NYC Transitioning to Away at a time of insane growth, and how she coped working in such a chaotic environment The decision to quit her full-time role and start her own brand marketing agency
How to market to millennials, and how to make it meaningful
Her experience working with huge brands like Bumble & Glossier Co-founding the HER Global Network, and how she landed on the decision to introduce a paid membership model
Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
How do you raise capital and secure investment? It’s just one of the questions we were able to ask Sarah Friar, one of the most respected executives in Silicon Valley. She’s worked as CFO of Square, SVP of Finance and Strategy at Salesforce, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and her most recent role is as CEO of Nextdoor, a trusted communications platform to grow local communities, which operates in over 11 countries and connects more than 200,000 neighbourhoods. Sarah recently raised over US$170 million for Nextdoor, with the company now valued at over US$2 billion. In addition to her vast experience she has a side hustle - Ladies Who Launch. Join us in one of the rare chats where we get to hear the inspiration and straight up lessons from someone truly at the top of their game. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Artist CJ Hendry is one of Australia's most fascinating exports. You may know her as the face of hyperrealism: that's the style of art that is so damn lifelike it could be a photograph. She's caught the art world's attention by independently selling her pieces online for tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars - and she calls Kanye West one of her customers. Over this two-part interview you'll hear her journey to becoming one of the world's most disruptive young artists. She is energetic, hilarious and generous, she does not ask for permission and stops at nothing to make her next big idea a reality. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
This is part two with Australian Artist, CJ Hendry. Here we get into the business of art and how CJ has broken the traditional artist/gallery model by selling her pieces online. Her extravagant self-funded exhibitions are entirely unnecessary to sell her art - so why is she considering buying a church, in the heroin capital of the world to stage her next exhibition? Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Our next guest, Courtney Ray, began her career occupied in the fields of accounting and finance, tapping away on excel and powerpoint, until her honeymoon getaway in the US inspired a lightbulb moment in a completely unrelated industry - flowers! In fact, Courtney identified that the traditional business model of the flower industry was fundamentally flawed due to high store front costs and hard to forecast perishable inventory. So she immediately jumped into action and built a completely new model for a flower delivery business - one curated bunch of flowers, ordered online and delivered same day direct to your door. In hindsight it makes sense, Courtney grew up on a farm surrounded by gorgeous gardens and freshly cut blooms - so it seems plausible that she managed to take one of her passions and turn it into a profitable business....enjoy!
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Katia and Vera are two best friends and former housemates who built a multi-million dollar business from their kitchen table. That business is Nimble Activewear: the trendy, Bondi-based fitness label with the bold colours and prints that you would recognise from a mile away. The girls had the idea for Nimble back in 2014 when they realised there were no real activewear brands available that were high performing, fashionable and affordable. What started out as a passion project quickly became a thriving business, so much so that Katia very soon after gave up her career in fashion to work in the biz full-time. The two have a pretty remarkable friendship - when Katia went full-time, Vera continued to work as a lawyer so she could financially support the two of them until it was time for Vera to dive in fully as well. This episode is a little longer than usual, but the girls were soo generous with sharing their story that we couldn't stop asking questions! There's so much to take away from this episode, including how the girls approached their families for funding, how they use an 'open to buy' to manage stock effectively, and the importance of building a thriving community around your brand. We sure hope you've got your notebooks ready!
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So far on the lady-brains you've heard stories about women that have launched product-based businesses. We've covered everything from concept development to the manufacturing process and getting product onto the shelves of some of the biggest retailers in the world. Today's chat is slightly different to our previous one's because for the first time we sit down with a founder of a service-based business, Karla Dawes from KDPO. Karla started her own PR agency in 2016 and quickly became the go-to food and beverage agency here in Melbourne and around Australia. Boasting big-name clients like Peroni, Capi, Broadsheet and The Lucas Group, Karla is a fantastic example of a smart and savvy businesswoman that chose a profitable niche, and excelled in servicing it. Karla gives us all the tips...including how to pitch a story to journalists to get cut-through, and how you can ensure your business stays in the headlines. We kicked off by asking Karla whether her parents helped influence her journey. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Gemma Watts is the founder of Glow Journal, a brand focused on producing beautiful, educational and honest content for the beauty consumer. As a solopreneur, she wears many hats in her business. She writes content for her blog, she heads up Glow Journal Creative - an agency specialising in tone of voice development and content creation for beauty brands, and she hosts the Glow Journal Podcast, interviewing some of the best in the beauty biz about what it takes to succeed in one of the most dynamic industries today. Gemma opens up about how she got to where she is today, the risks she's taken along the way, and why, in business and in life, it's so important to know your worth. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Megan Gale is a well-known Aussie supermodel, TV presenter, brand ambassador and business owner. After being discovered by talent scouts at 18, she moved to Sydney to pursue a professional career but struggled to make the big time. After five years of grit, determination and following her gut (she knew something big was around the corner), Megan rose to international fame when she was cast in an Italian ad campaign. Since then, Megan has spent two decades working in Australia and overseas for some of the world's biggest brands. But what she's most proud of (aside from her beautiful family, of course!) is her brand new venture as the business owner of Mindful Life - a range of natural skincare products for babies and children. The name says it all - she's built a brand that teaches us to live with presence and purpose, to reconnect with ourselves and those that matter most. In this episode, Megan shares with us what it's taken to build Mindful Life as a one-woman-show, and why it's so important to clarify your why - your reason for going into business in the first place. Enjoy! Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
In this episode we chat with the co-founder of personal care and hygiene brand Moxie. You may recognise it as the brand of tampons in the cute, pink tin packaging that's on the shelves of major retailers in Australia and also around the globe. The brains behind the brand is Mia Klitsas, who was just 21 years old when she thought of repackaging tampons into a tin container so that they would finally stop getting lost in the bottom of her bag. Guys – stick with us, coz we think you’ll also get a lot from this chat too! Mia shares with us her story on transitioning from working at one of the largest tobacco companies in the world to doing her own thing, how she lost half a million dollars worth of stock in the UK, and about her passion for social entrepreneurship – driving an initiative that provides women around the world with access to clean sanitary products. There’s so much to love about her, and the thing we admired about her the most is that she’s tenacious, she’s comfortable sitting in the uncomfortable by breaking down taboos, and she sends a very clear message that you can do good business as well as do good in the world. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Today's chat is with one of the pioneers of the fashion blogging industry in Australia. Sara Crampton is the face of Harper and Harley; a fashion, lifestyle and beauty blog that has captured the attention of women all over the world. From humble beginnings, quitting her job at 21 and uprooting her life to move to Sydney, Sara has managed to grow her Instagram audience to over 560k and her CV reads like the contents of a Vogue magazine, partnering with brands like Gucci, YSL, Estee Lauder, Nike, and many more. But Sara isn't just an influencer, in 2016 she made the leap into retail, launching The Undone - an online boutique selling a carefully curated line-up of beautiful, minimalist clothing. We sat down with Sara in her stunning Surry Hills office, to chat about how she came to be at the forefront of Australia's fashion scene. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Our next guest may not be a household name just yet, but let us tell you, after you hear this episode we don't think you'll forget her anytime soon. She's gritty, hilarious and has one of the most inquisitive minds. Christy Laurence is the brains behind PLANN - a social media management tool that is widely used by creatives, influencers and big organisations. Her business building journey is a unique one - struck by a debilitating illness that left her unable to move independently for two years, she somehow managed to not only make a full recovery, but in the process conceived of PLANN and persuaded someone to build the app for free. Three years on, Christy has achieved over 1 million downloads across 150 countries, employs 35 people in 9 countries, and now splits her time between Sydney and Silicon Valley. She's a real pocket rocket - we hope you enjoy it! Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Imagine finding yourself sitting across the board room table negotiating the deal of your life with the world's biggest sporting brand - Nike. Well, in 2012 this was the reality for Julie Stevanja, who invested her life savings into Stylerunner - a brand that just a few years later would become the world's biggest online activewear retailer, valued at over $50M. Impressive right? We can confirm that in person, she is just as amazing as she sounds! But aside from the awards, accolades, and financial success, what really blew us away was Julie's kind nature, her authenticity, and her willingness to share advice with not only us, but also with all of you. We began our chat in the Stylerunner board room, surrounded by mood boards featuring the upcoming winter collection. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Michelle Battersby is the classic definition of an intrapreneur. While she doesn't technically own her own business, she was tasked with the huge responsibility of starting and expanding US born dating and networking app, Bumble right across Australia. Headhunted by founder Whitney Wolf, Michelle backed herself and quit her job after a conversation with Whitney that she says completely sold her on the brand's mission to support and empower women. She's been on a whirlwind adventure ever since, and in just two short years has achieved 2 million app registrations with no signs of slowing down. We sat down to chat all things Bumble and to hear about Michelle's new role as Associate Marketing Director of the APAC region. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Today's chat is with two of our oldest and dearest friends Sage and Tahli who are the lady-brains behind Golden Grind - the brand that brought the turmeric golden latte to mainstream cafe culture.The business has come along way since the early days and can now be found not only in cafes around Australia but also on the shelves of some of the biggest retailers in the world...we're talking Selfridges in the UK and Urban Outfitters in the US! The girls have built this business with grit and hard work and have a no bullsh*t approach to sharing the story of their success. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Jess Thomas is the founder and brains behind Health Lab - a multi-million dollar wellness and beauty brand that was born out of a desire to create healthy snacks to cure that afternoon stress-induced sugar craving we all know too well. After testing out her all-natural protein balls on her co-workers in the early days, she quickly realised she was onto a winning formula and started selling them to cafes all over Melbourne. Fast forward three years, and Jess has managed to bootstrap her way onto the shelves of Australia's biggest retailers including Woolworths, My Chemist Warehouse, David Jones, 7-11, and the list goes on! We started the chat by asking Jess if she was an entrepreneurial kid growing up. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
A few years ago, Erika did what some might consider crazy or even unthinkable. She left the business she co-founded with her best friends at the height of its success, to go out on her own. Erika is the co-founder of Frank Body – the $20 million brand that’s referenced as one of the best Aussie start-up successes in recent years. It was courageous decision, but one that was driven by Erika’s mission to fight back against the unrealistic portrayal of women by the beauty industry, and her desire to create a positive narrative around what it means to be beautiful. After selling all of her shares in frank and raising additional seed funding on just her idea, Erika started building her next venture, Fluff. It’s a beauty brand for the Gen Z-ers and while it’s novel, it can be polarising and at times confusing for anyone over the age of 20. It’s not like any beauty brand you’ve seen before, and that’s precisely the point. Today’s episode is the story of leaving a business at its peak to build another one from the ground up. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Let's be frank, if you haven’t lathered yourself in some Frank Body or seen babes all over the internet posing in their bathroom covered in coffee scrub, then you need to go take a peek! With just a pocket full of a cash, some ground coffee and a killer brand, our next guest Bree Johnson along with her business partners Jess, Alex and Steve have managed to build a thriving multi-million dollar beauty biz off the back of just one scrub. And not only that the ladies behind Frank also run creative agency Willow and Blake which they started at just 22. Talk about serial entrepreneurs. We sat down with Bree and learnt that Frank was almost called Piccolo and got the inside scoop on how the team were able to generate an almost 100,000 person waiting list for their long-awaited shimmer scrub. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Alison Rice is a bit of a unicorn in the digital media world – she's kind, humble, and above all, real. If you're not in media-land, you may not know her by name, but we’re sure you know her work. Alison is the Group Publisher of Allure Media's Women's Lifestyle Division, and oversees the digital brands Who What Wear, Byrdie Beauty, Pop Sugar and My Domaine. Today’s conversation is not one of entrepreneurship, or of a business that was birthed in the golden age of Instagram, but it is a story of passion, dedication and hustle, and a lesson in making your dreams come true. We sat down with Alison recently to chat about how a girl from Western Sydney who failed her HSC, has become one of the most influential women in the Australian media landscape today. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
In 2014, Laura Foley quit her day job and moved to Bali with her partner in search of inspiration. Without having to look too far afield, Laura realised she was already onto a winning business idea – vegan and all-natural tanning oils that she was blending and using herself. Despite not having a business or marketing background, Laura started out by gifting her oils to influencers who fell in love with the product and soon enough, the Bali Body brand was born. With a cult following around the globe and an Instagram page that will make you want to chase the sun all year long, Bali Body is the true embodiment of what it means to take a simple idea and turn it into a beauty brand must have.
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For Beck Wadworth, what began as a simple blog turned into an international minimalistic stationary brand – An Organised Life, which is stocked in a curated selection of over 45 stores across Australia and New Zealand. We sat down with Beck to chat about her career and business-building journey to date, including a dream come true partnership with fashion brand, Karen Walker. This is Beck’s story of paving her own path, and taking the plunge from being a full-time employee to an entrepreneur. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
In case you hadn't heard, vegan beauty is in. Demand for cruelty free products is booming and the US market alone is set to be worth $3.1B by 2025. While many of the big beauty brands are only now jumping on the vegan trend, today's guest predicted it would happen quite a few years ago and she had the foresight to create a brand that filled a significant market gap - vegan, cruelty-free hair care. Today we're speaking to Jess Gerring from Hello Hair - she founded the business with two friends back in 2013 and over the past 5 years has created a thriving global business with a social following of 400K. Not bad for a trio who had no experience in hair care before they got started! Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Sarah Holloway thought she had her life planned out. She'd studied Arts/Law, graduated top of her class, secured a job at a top-tier law firm in mergers and acquisitions, and soon after had received an offer to become an associate to the Chief Justice of the High Court – a position she’d been working towards for the previous six years. At the very same time her career was taking off, Sarah was busy launching her side-biz ‘Matcha Maiden’, which was born out of her recognizing a gap in the Australian market for matcha-based products. By 2015, and after a year of selling her products locally, it all became real when she was approached by US retailer Urban Outfitters with an order of 10,000 units. Sarah was forced to make a huge life decision – accept the High Court position or quit her job and fulfil the order. Fast forward to now, Matcha Maiden is stocked globally, Sarah and her team have opened a vegan restaurant called Matcha Mylkbar in Melbourne, and the business was recently accepted into the Chobani Incubator program – the first of its kind in Australia. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Back in 2014, peer-to-peer platforms were on the rise - we were all renting our houses out on Airbnb, and jumping in strangers’ cars for a ride home. While this was happening across various sectors, at the time Lauren Silvers and Lisa Maree recognised that in beauty, there was a gap. No tech platform existed to allow people to book beauty services on-demand. So they started formulating an idea, seeking funding, and building a business…separately. Yes, the two originally started out as competitors. Lisa was creating a booking app for beauty freelancers, while Lauren was doing the same, but with a focus on salons. It wasn’t until an investor introduced them that they decided to join forces and build Glamazon – the Uber of beauty, which allows customers to book stylists, on demand, directly to their homes. Since its launch in December 2016, Lauren & Lisa have appeared on Shark Tank, secured over half a million dollars in funding, are dominating the Australian on-demand beauty market and are already looking at international expansion.
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Jane Lu calls herself the lazy CEO, but after listening to this episode, you’ll come to realise that she’s anything but lazy. Jane is the founder of Showpo - a fashion e-commerce empire that she bootstrapped from her parents garage to over 2 million social media followers and $30 million in revenue. In this episode Jane gives us the inside scoop on how she did all of that and more, in just 7 years.
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Four years ago, Alyce Tran was working as a corporate lawyer in Sydney. She didn't love her job, and spent much of her time using the office printer to make mood boards that inspired her. Her co-workers often commented on her style, and because of this she decided to start a blog called The Daily Edited - a daily edit of the things she loved. Fast forward to today, and The Daily Edited has transitioned from a blog to a globally recognised fashion brand, with annual revenue of over $30 million. On this episode of lady-land, hear how Alyce built her thriving business selling stylish, monogrammed accessories to customers all over the world. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse
Over the past five years, Gretta van Riel has been a very busy lady. In 2014, with only a few dollars in her bank account, then 22 year old Gretta launched her first start up Skinny Me Tea, which she scaled to $600,000 in revenue in just six months. Since then, she’s founded another five businesses, including the 5th Watches & Hey Influencers, and grown her social following to an audience of 16 million people. Don't miss Gretta's top tips for launching a brand and business on Instagram today.
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Cleo Wade's life story to date is a fascinating one, and she's only 28 years old. After growing up in a highly segregated and racist area of New Orleans, Cleo moved to New York, skipping college and living out of a tiny apartment which doubled as her art studio. Things changed for Cleo in 2014, when she posted to Instagram for the first time with a simple poem. This subsequently went viral, providing her with a unique platform to speak her words of wisdom to a younger generation. Fast forward four years, and Cleo is now a respected poet, artist, activist and writer, having built a personal brand and cult following around the world. Connect with us Sign up to our non-spammy monthly newsletter: www.ladybrains.com.au Follow us on Instagram: @lady.brains Chat to us in the Facebook group: the lady-brains clubhouse Have a sweet business idea but unsure if it has potential? Sign up for the free 'Idea Validation Mini Course' at www.ladybrains.com.au/idea-mini-couse