I first came across Isabella Davis, founder of luxury lingerie brand Haus Duchess, through her story on A Current Affair. But while the headlines focused on everything that went wrong behind the scenes, I wanted to hear about everything that went into building the brand in the first place.

In this episode of Without a Brief, Bella takes us through her three-year journey of bringing Haus Duchess to life, from creating a luxury lingerie brand without a fashion background to navigating broken trust, manufacturing setbacks and launching her business without the stock she'd been promised.

But there's so much more to this story than the challenges.

We talk about why Bella believes lingerie should be about intimacy rather than attention, how her own relationship inspired the brand, and why she's so intentional about every little detail, from handwritten love letters to the entire unboxing experience.

We also get into the realities of being a founder, learning to trust your own judgement, asking the uncomfortable questions, sticking to your vision when everyone tells you to take the easier route, and finding the confidence to keep going when things don't go to plan.

It's a conversation about resilience, creative vision, building a business with real meaning and remembering why you started in the first place.

Find Bella and Haus Duchess:

Website: https://www.hausduchess.com.au/
Instagram: @hausduchess

Takeaways

• Community support is vital
• Intention drives brand experience Embrace fear and take risks
• Authenticity drives customer loyalty

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to House Dutchers
• 00:57 Facing Challenges and Building Community
• 03:09 Turning Adversity into Opportunity
• 05:57 The Vision Behind the Brand
• 09:03 Creating Meaningful Experiences
• 12:02 Learning the Fashion Industry
• 15:00 Building Trust and Customer Relationships
• 18:04 Personal Touch in Customer Experience
• 21:08 The Role of Relationships in Business
• 24:01 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
• 25:40 Innovative Fashion: Detachable Embellishments
• 26:57 Overcoming Fear: Taking the Leap
• 28:02 The Power of Manifestation
• 29:34 Staying True to Your Values
• 31:04 Navigating Industry Challenges
• 32:10 Building a Support Network
• 34:01 Transparency in Business Practices
• 35:57 The Importance of Ethical Standards
• 39:06 Sizing and Customer Experience
• 42:58 Future Collections and Customer Engagement
• 50:57 Creating Meaningful Experiences

What actually happens when you decide to start a business with your best friend?

In this episode of Without a Brief, I’m joined by Tenaya and Daria, the best friends behind Maison Àmie, a brand built around something they felt women were needing more and more of: actual connection.

We talk about how an idea born from their own friendship turned into a business, what it’s really like building something with someone you’re so close to, and how having completely different personalities can somehow be both the challenge and the thing that makes it work.

We get into the fear of putting yourself out there, social media, self-doubt, money, celebrating the little milestones and the support that can sometimes come from the people you least expect.

But we also talk about the parts of starting a business that don’t stay neatly inside the business. The impact it has on your personal life, struggling to ask for help, learning to delegate, trying to make space for yourself while building something new and, of course, the very real fear that it might not work.

And underneath all of it is friendship.

How intentional are we actually being with the women in our lives? How often are we properly present with each other? And somewhere between work, relationships, family and everything else women are carrying, have we forgotten that friendship deserves time too?

A conversation about business, friendship, connection and figuring it all out as you go.

Maison Àmie
Founders: Tenaya & Daria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_maisonamie_/
Website: https://maisonamie.com.au/
Business: Maison Àmie

Chapters

• 00:00 The Birth of Maison Ami
• 01:38 Starting a Business Together
• 03:32 Challenges and Stress Management
• 04:18 Balancing Differences and Opposites
• 05:36 Creating Meaningful Rituals for Women
• 07:01 The Impact of Women's Energy
• 08:41 Navigating Social Media and Influencer Journey
• 09:01 Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt
• 19:41 Support and Judgment from Women
• 23:53 Celebrating Milestones and Money Mindset
• 26:14 Balancing Business and Personal Life
• 27:12 The Impact of Business on Personal Life
• 29:09 The Struggle to Ask for Help and Delegate Tasks
• 30:03 The Importance of Intentionality in Relationships
• 32:04 The Fear of Failure in Business

What happens when the conversation about business stops being about how much money you make and starts being about how much you actually keep?

In this episode of Without a Brief, I’m joined by Despina Cleanthous, accountant, business advisor and founder of LC Accountants, for a very wide-ranging conversation about money, business, women, power and some of the financial realities we probably need to talk about more.

We get into Despina’s unexpected move from music into accounting, the culture of debt, financial literacy and why generating revenue doesn’t necessarily mean you have a financially healthy business. We talk about cash flow, pricing for actual profit, the role accountants should be playing beyond compliance and why so many small business owners are building businesses without really understanding what their numbers are telling them.

But, as usual, the conversation goes well beyond the numbers.

We talk about women and financial independence, who holds financial decision-making power, gender expectations in business, the Australian tall poppy problem, questionable online business advice, personal branding, becoming visible online and the strange experience of learning to put your own face and voice behind a business.

We also get into motherhood, ambition and the expectation that women somehow need to perfectly balance all of it.

It’s a conversation about making money, yes. But more than that, it’s about understanding it, keeping it, making decisions with it and building a business that actually supports the life you’re trying to create.

Despina Cleanthous
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/despinacleanthous/
Business: LC Accountants
Role: Director, Tax & Business Advisor
Based in: Darwin, Northern Territory
Website: https://lcaccountants.com.au/
Personal website: https://despinacleanthous.com.au/

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 00:47 Transition to Business and Career
• 01:40 Transition from Music to Accounting
• 02:23 Academic and Business Journey
• 03:05 Challenges of Business Success
• 04:28 Societal Attitudes and Financial Conditioning
• 05:22 The Impact of Financial Decisions
• 07:17 The Concept of Tall Poppy Syndrome
• 09:22 Financial Challenges and Societal Impact
• 11:16 Empowerment and Women in Business
• 12:14 Women's Role in Finance and Business
• 13:35 Conclusion and Insights
• 31:01 Women in Financial Decision-Making
• 32:23 Balanced Approach to Business
• 33:51 Journey of Personal Branding
• 34:25 Evolution of Content Creation
• 52:42 Development of a Tech Company
• 59:28 The Importance of Cash Flow
• 01:00:26 Pricing, Expenses, and Profitability
• 01:06:10 Mindset and Work-Life Balance
• 01:13:16 Challenges and Rewards of Entrepreneurship