E95: Why you should bring your kids along on the business journey with Alice Holland-Lu, founder of The Female Archetypes

What do you do when your boss tells you your pregnancy is "inconvenient"?

Start your own business.

Alice Holland-Lu used her 15 years of experience in luxury fashion to launch her own brand, based on her own experiences and struggles as her body changed throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Alice has built a hyper-local business model, a community and an emotionally-led brand, whilst carting her kids to the factory after school. What else can you do when you only have 2 days a week of childcare?

Our conversation is full of advice for women in the trenches whilst building a business during the early years of motherhood: we should all be bringing our kids on the business journey too.

Takeaways:

• Childcare costs whilst your business isn't paying you a salary

• The perks of a hyper-local business model

• Community building

• Whether fundraising is right or even possible for mums

• Alice's advice for women in the trenches

• 3 lessons she's learnt from building a business in the early years of motherhood

• And why we should be bringing our kids on our business journey too

Resources:

Muddy Stilettos

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Alice Holland-Lu and Her Journey

01:45 Transitioning from Fashion Professional to Founder

04:01 The Challenges of Motherhood and Career

06:37 The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Mental Health

09:16 The Birth of a Fashion Brand: Female Archetypes

12:21 Innovating for Real Bodies: The Design Philosophy

14:32 Navigating the Fashion Industry and Building a Brand

17:23 The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Customer Connection

22:47 Embracing Authenticity in Fashion

25:48 The Ethical Fashion Movement

30:08 Designing for Real Women

33:28 Navigating Life Changes Together

36:28 Building Community Through Connection

39:33 Challenges of Female Entrepreneurship

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Alice Holland-Lu

Alice Holland-Lu is the founder of the Female Archetypes, a fashion brand built to support women's changing bodies through every life phase, from pregnancy to menopause and beyond. After 15 years in the fashion industry, Alice launched her business following two difficult pregnancies of traumatic birth and postnatal depression, which left her feeling a stranger in her own body. Nothing fit, literally or emotionally, and the seed of a business idea was planted. Her garments adapt from size UK 8 to 18 with thoughtful design features like breathable mesh, deep pockets, and underarm ventilation, supporting both form and function for real life with kids.

Alice Holland-Lu's Links:

Website: https://thefemalearchetypes.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicehollandlu/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefemalearchetypes/

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/