Samantha Wills’ story demonstrates the absolute tenacity required to not only start a small business, but to make it astronomically successful.
It is a story that all prospective business owners should learn from – something Optus shares the same view on, given they’ve brought Wills on board as their new face for Optus’ Small and Medium Business #BelieveBig campaign.
It’s a fitting collaboration as Wills’ own jewellery and accessories brand, aptly named ‘Samantha Wills’, has grown into a global powerhouse. She now requires digital communication like never before and believes “connectivity is absolutely critical for growing a small business,” and that “the beauty of business at the moment is the digital world.”
But twelve years ago, when Wills started her brand, the business game was very different, a story she shared over lunch in Sydney on Thursday. Wills’ fortune started as a small stall at Bondi Markets. Waking up at 4am every Sunday to set up the jewellery that was hand-produced on the dining room table of her share house, her big moment came when she spent her $500 savings on a stand at Australian Fashion Week.
Hoping simply to cover the cost of her stand, she brought in $17,000 worth of orders the following day. It was enough to give her the confidence and momentum to forge ahead.
When all her friends moved away to pursue life and careers interstate and abroad, Wills’ determination to make her business a success kept her in Sydney. Up to her eyeballs in debt—$80,000 to be exact—she worked full days with blistering hands in a studio she rented. She admits that she “definitely had big dreams”, but that naivety was also on her side.
Indeed, Wills’ concedes that had she known what she was getting herself into back then, she may not have carried on.
But carry on she did. Teaming up with business partner Geoff Bainbridge, they grew the Samantha Wills brand into an Australian household name. They “focused online early”, launching an e-commerce site in 2008 ahead of many Australian retailers, who were yet to catch on to online selling.
From there, Wills’ mantra to “keep moving the goal posts” helped her expand into the global market. The US was a game-changer and life changed immeasurably when her jewellery was featured on Sex and the City, and worn by the likes of Rhianna and Katy Perry. Today, what started as a hobby, has grown into a business that expands across Australia, New York, LA, Japan and Paris and shows no signs of slowing down. Wills says that her next vision is to broaden the range, and cater to a wider market.
However, Wills does not take success for granted, and knows that it’s hinged upon her capacity and willingness to give back. It was heartening to see her passion and advocacy for women in business as she addressed a packed restaurant of enthralled, predominantly female influencers. “There is a responsibility on women of influence, to share our knowledge and open our networks” she claims. A refreshing viewpoint, and one without a hint of insincerity.
After such an inspiring and motivating story, there’s likely to be thousands of prospective female business owners lining up quickly to take her up on that offer.