It’s Day 1 of Global Entrepreneurs Week, a week dedicated to recognising those who are paving the way for a better future with innovative business ideas.
Women in Australia are running some of the country’s best businesses and changing the game for the industry.
This week, Women’s Agenda will be recognising the incredible talent of the sector with profiles throughout the week.
Suzie Betts
Suzie Betts is the founder of Boob Armour, a business that has revolutionised breast health in various aspects of everyday life – from sport, to frontline work, to trades.
Suzie was the winner of the 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards at the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards, demonstrating exceptional leadership in the sector. Here’s her story.
Can you give us a brief description of your business?
Boob Armour is a groundbreaking business venture founded by Suzie Betts, aimed at revolutionising female breast protection. This innovative enterprise is the brainchild of Suzie’s own life-altering experience, which transformed her into a passionate advocate for breast health and safety. Boob Armour’s flagship product, designed by women for women, is a game-changer in the realm of breast protection. These breast encapsulation impact-absorbing inserts provide a unique solution that empowers female athletes and active individuals, instilling the confidence to engage in contact sports and physical activities. Beyond the realm of sports, Boob Armour extends its protective reach into various industries where breast protection is paramount. From trades and mining to frontline work, defence, and military roles, the product ensures that women are safeguarded from potential risks and injuries. The core of Boob Armour’s mission lies in promoting breast health and safety by preventing immediate and long-term breast trauma. This innovative approach has not only impacted the world of sports but has transcended into numerous professional sectors, providing women with the protection they deserve.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired to start Boob Armour by a deeply personal experience. In my late 40s, I faced a sports-related breast trauma that prompted me to take action. As a mother of two active daughters, I was determined to prevent them and other young female athletes from enduring similar injuries. This life-changing event ignited my passion for breast health and safety. I saw an opportunity to create a new market in breast protection, addressing a critical need for women in sports and various professions where breast safety is essential. My unwavering commitment to promoting breast health and empowering women served as the driving force behind the creation of Boob Armour.
What are some challenges you have faced, and how have you overcome them?
We have encountered several challenges on our journey to redefine breast protection. Initially, gaining recognition for a new product in a niche market proved daunting. Overcoming scepticism and convincing sports organisations and potential users was a hurdle. Additionally, securing funding presented financial constraints. Our solution was relentless perseverance, partnering with leading universities to validate the product, and securing endorsements from reputable sports associations and other non-sport related organisations where breast injury was possible. This strategic approach not only enhanced product credibility but also opened doors to new markets. Overcoming these challenges paved the way for Boob Armour to gain acceptance and recognition in the realm of female breast protection.
Do you have a vision for the future of your business?
The future vision for Boob Armour is to establish itself as a globally recognised essential for female breast protection, extending its reach beyond sports into industries where breast safety is crucial. We aim to foster innovation through research collaborations, continuously enhancing product effectiveness and comfort. Exploring local manufacturing options is on the horizon, with the additional goal of increasing employment opportunities in the region. In essence, Boob Armour’s future is about empowering and safeguarding women, ensuring they can pursue their passions and professions with confidence while maintaining a strong commitment to long-term breast health.
Do you have any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs?
For aspiring female entrepreneurs, my advice is to embrace your uniqueness and never underestimate the value of your perspective and ideas. Stay resilient in the face of challenges, as obstacles are often part of the journey. Surround yourself with a supportive network of mentors and fellow entrepreneurs who can offer guidance and encouragement. Continuously educate yourself and be open to learning from both successes and failures. Most importantly, believe in your vision and have the confidence to pursue it with determination. Your passion and commitment can drive meaningful change and inspire others, so don’t shy away from pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams.
Katrina Van de Ven
Katrina Van de Ven is another outstanding entrepreneur in Australia with her female-focused business, LükBook.
With limited options for women’s clothing sized 14+, Katrina took matters into her own hands and has created a ground-breaking online site, championing inclusivity in fashion.
As a finalist in this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards, Katrina’s entrepreneurship is one to be recognised. Here’s her story.
Can you give us a brief description of your business?
LükBook is a one-stop, online shopping destination for the 66% of Australian women who wear a size 14. We partner with Australia’s best plus-size designers to create an inclusive. However, LükBook is about so much more than clothes – we are a community and a source of empowerment. Our mantra is simple: come as you are. We invite all plus size women to show up in the world, just as they are. For this reason, we run regular, in-house photo shoots featuring models of a range of sizes, ages, ethnicities and body shapes. The best part? We use everyday women, instead of models, in our campaigns, refuse to use any airbrushing or retouching, and vocally oppose the idea that clothes should be ‘flattering’ – chipping away at the toxic and outdated narrative of what it means to be fashionable.
What inspired you to start your business?
Personally, I love shopping – but one day while I was scrolling through Instagram, I was hit by the realisation that I was following hundreds of fashion accounts to get my sartorial fix. This led me to ask a simple question: ‘why’? It turns out there are over 400, predominantly independent brands designing for the plus size market in Australia alone, but due to their size and limited advertising budgets, most customers have never heard of them. As a result, 85% of plus size women feel underserved by existing shopping options. It became clear that the best way to address this disconnect was to create a one-stop shopping destination, and in early 2022 LükBook launched as Australia’s only dedicated plus size fashion marketplace, offering easy access to the best small, plus size brands in Australia.
What are some challenges you have faced, and how have you overcome them?
Something I come up against time and time again is misinformation and limited understanding of the plus-size market. For instance, I’m often told by prospective investors that plus fashion is a niche market – which is patently untrue considering it’s worth $300 billion per annum globally ($8 billion in Australia) and is growing at twice the rate of the straight-size fashion market. In addition, early stages businesses such as LükBook are susceptible to broader economic conditions, such as the current cost of living crisis in Australia, which has drastically cut consumer spending. This has led us to rework our financial projections and operating model to best weather the uncertainty. While it is certainly not the trajectory I anticipated for LükBook in 2023, I am confident we will come out the other side stronger than ever.
Do you have a vision for the future of your business?
Ultimately, I aspire to create a world-leading shopping destination for plus size customers, that is the envy of the straight size market! In addition, we are currently diversifying our offering through development of proprietary fit technology, and are designing a higher-margin, made-to-order House Line, based on everything we have learned about our customers over the past 18 months.
Do you have any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs?
If you’ve not yet read Angela Duckworth’s book ‘Grit’ consider it required reading! In a world where business news headlines focus on ‘unicorn’ companies and multi-million-dollar funding rounds, it can feel like success in entrepreneurship has one, narrow definition and that rapid, linear growth is the norm. This could not be further from the truth. The reality is the perseverance and weathering challenging times are critically important to your venture’s long-term success, which is where grit comes in. My other piece of advice is that entrepreneurship is incredibly hard – I’ve never worked longer or harder in my life! So, if the idea or industry you’re pursuing don’t ‘set you soul on fire’, it’s not the right opportunity for you and you’ll likely grow to resent it.