If you’ve never tuned into lady-brains, the podcast is the brainchild of Melbourne-based duo Anna Mackenzie and Caitlin Judd; business partners, friends of 20 years and best known as the co-hosts of one of Australia’s top entrepreneurship podcasts by the same name.
Having burst onto the scene in 2017, the duo first started running supper-clubs for their entrepreneurial friends. They’d bring women together in wine cellars across Melbourne, to discuss their businesses, aspirations, and life. Like any great underground movement, during that first year Lady-brains grew exclusively by word of mouth. Each month, the supper-clubs grew as members brought along their other entrepreneurial mates. Soon, Anna and Caitlin were booking out entire restaurants for their community, and it was at this point that they realised that lady-brains was a bigger business opportunity than they’d previously thought.
Since then, they’ve launched a podcast interviewing some of the world’s most exciting founders, have landed a big contract with Australia’s largest media network, were the official podcast partner of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in 2021, and have evolved their business to include mentorship, online courses, and a sweet range of merch. Pretty cool stuff, hey?
That said, we decided to pick their brains and find out the dos and dont’s of starting your own business.
Do Focus On Your Health
Starting a business requires a lot of hard work, dedication and resilience. In our interview with Adore Beauty’s founder Kate Morris, we learned that she was rejected by Estee Lauder for a decade before they agreed to be stocked in her online store. In our experience building lady-brains, we’ve encountered countless challenges and setbacks too. One thing to remember throughout it all is that you must focus on your health, above all else. Maintain the basics of eating right, moving regularly, and sleeping soundly. Your mental, emotional, and spiritual health has to come before the business, always. Without health, you have doughnuts.
Don’t Work 24/7 Without Any Time Off
It’s easy to get sucked into ticking items off the never-ending to-do list or striving to get to inbox zero. The earlier you realise that feeling ‘done’ and ‘on top of things’ is an illusion, the better off you’ll be. Taking time out from your business is so important, not only for your own sanity but because when you take time and space, your creativity bubbles to the surface. Some of our best ideas for lady-brains have come while sitting on the beach on vacay, feeling as relaxed as can be. It’s hard to be creative when you’re stressed.
Do Connect With Others
The reason we started lady-brains by bringing women together over good wine and great food, was because we recognised the power of a strong network. If you think about the best opportunities that have come your way in life – whether that be personal, business, career, or relationships – we bet they’ve come to you through a person. We landed our big-name guests through an introduction or personal connection: Jo Horgan from MECCA was Anna’s boss in a former life, artist CJ Hendry was introduced to us through a mutual friend, and we were connected with Silicon Valley exec Sarah Friar through our podcast network. You can do more with others than you can do alone, so invest time in building your network as soon as you can.
Don’t Avoid Hard Conversations
Having hard chats is part and parcel of the business-building journey. At lady-brains, we’ve had to negotiate difficult deals with lawyers, break up with suppliers, and let team members go. As best mates, business partners and former housemates (during Melbourne’s long COVID lockdown), we’ve also had to have some pretty difficult heart to hearts with each other. While in the short term it’s easy avoiding the hard conversations, in the long run, it only makes things worse. Lean into the discomfort, and you’ll find you grow as a person along the way.
Do Systemise And Organise Anything You Can
When you’re running a business, you have to be across a million things. One moment, you’re chatting to suppliers about a new product, the next you’re on the phone dealing with a customer complaint, the next you’re off to a photoshoot or being interviewed by a journalist about your brand. Being organised helps you keep on top of things and remain focused on what really matters. To be as effective and efficient as possible, you need the right tools and equipment on your side.
Don’t Agonise Over A Decision
You’ll be confronted with lots of big decisions along your journey. You may have to answer questions like: should I hire this person? Should I spend this money? Should I say yes to this opportunity? While it may be tempting to ‘sleep on it’ until you’re 100 per cent sure of the right call, indecision often drains your energy and only leads to stress. A wrong decision is a great opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Make a decision and move on.
Do Enjoy The Ride!
Starting and growing a business is damn hard, but it’s also an opportunity for you to create something from scratch, express your authentic self, explore your passions and live on purpose. There will be tough times, but it’s important to remember to have fun along the way. Enjoy the ride!
Now here’s how to write an epic resume.
Image credit: Urban List
