In a world where brands are constantly vying for people’s attention, how do you truly connect with those who make the crucial financial decisions in our homes? Christie Nicholas is the brains behind Mumpower – Australia’s leading agency dedicated to understanding, engaging, and empowering the most influential household spender – mums. In 2009, whil…

This episode is sponsored by Australia Post. Anna Hoang is the founder and creator of ANNA QUAN, a contemporary Australian fashion label. The brand epitomises simplicity, elegance and quiet luxury. You may know the label for its bread and butter item, the white button down shirt. Anna has managed reimagined and redefined this staple , and has peopl…

Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com, and use the code LB20 at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. The last time you heard from Margot & Maria they’d raised $100k from over 700 backers during their Kickstarter pre-sale campaign. They were on a high and excited to hard launch their brand in time for the Christmas rus…

Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com, and use the code LB20 at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. 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 the…

Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com, and use the code LB20 at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. 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 …

Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com, and use the code LB20 at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. 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 me…

Get a free fitting and find your perfect bra at theonetwo.com, and use the code LB20 at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. 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 abo…

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 an…

This episode is sponsored by Twisted Healthy Treats Australia’s first and only female-led ice cream manufacturer. Get their delicious Oat Milk Ice Cream Bars, Watermelon and Mango Fro-Yo, and Coconut Pops at twistedhealthytreats.com.au or your closest supermarket. Kim Teo is the founder of tech start-up Mr Yum. If you’ve ever been to a restaurant, …

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 …

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 manufacturin…

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 B…

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 …

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 …

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 t…

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 probl…

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 o…

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 o…

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 supp…

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 a…

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, …

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…

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 lear…

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 rela…

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 Orches…

Got 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 business course BASE CAMP. It's designed to help almost founders create a business plan and launch a…

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…

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…

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 episode, hosts 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. ~ Con…

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 becaus…

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 exclus…

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 …

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 W…

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…

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 lea…

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 followin…

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 …

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 cras…

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 sh…

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 pre…

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 qui…

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 mi…

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 …

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 earl…

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…

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 m…

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…

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 purpos…

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 impa…

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: W…