Meet Brenda, she is 63 and has been through a lot in those 63 years. But she has come through it all stronger and more determined than ever to show other women what they are capable of. Starting a business at 57 in an industry she knew nothing about, she has used her resilience and never give up attitude to build a brand from scratch and an equally amazing community of curvy babes who all look and feel amazing in their activewear. Brenda aims to change the world and encourage everyone to see themselves as we see them, beautiful in their unique ways
When did you start your business?
We started in 2018 with a soft launch on Valentines day
What was the inspiration behind starting this business?
I started my business after not being able to find any good quality activewear in my size. I was trying to get healthy and move more and there was just nothing available for anyone over a size 16/18
What are you most excited about in your business?
Seeing new customers find us and then love the feel of our activewear on them and how amazing they look in bold beautiful colours. Being able to give back to the community through our charity leggings also lights me up. I love that we might be able to make a difference one pair of leggings at a time
What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?
Most challenging has been doing it on my own for a lot of the time and not always having a great amount of cashflow. Its the struggle of buying enough stock to get a good price but then having the funds up front to pay for it. We have never had a loan for the business
What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business?
I always advise anyone going into a business to make sure they are passionate about the business they are entering into as there will be really hard days where if you don’t love the business and believe in it those days could break you.
Have a great marketing and PR plan and seek out support and advice from communities around you. Together we are strong.
Why did you enter the AusMumpreneur Awards?
I believed in our products and knew they were of such a great quality, making a difference and are also eco friendly and really felt we had a good chance this year. We were finalists in 3 categories and won the Fashion award
What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards?
The best part of the awards was the temper entrants, the support for each other, the communities being built and the advice people were so generously sharing. It was really uplifting.
What surprised you most about the awards?
I think my biggest surprise was the number of categories that are available to enter. There is something for nearly every businesswoman
How did the awards help you in your business?
The awards have raised some more visibility for us and allowed us to share our brand with a wider audience. Create some collaborations and feel confident in seeking out more collaborations
I also got to co author a book through the awards.
What advice would you give to other mums thinking about entering the awards?
Please enter. The experience of writing about your achievements and taking stock of just how far you have really come is in itself enough reason. The experience in being judged and attending the conference and awards is icing on the cake and a great way to build your business
What has been the best thing about starting your own business?
Doing what I love and being my own creative director of the brand, the vision and the direction. It’s empowering and has truly opened up opportunities
What’s happening next in your business?
We are still growing into some of the States to the west and also into qld and the centre so lots of growing in Australia and then our plan has always been to go global.
I am also kicking off a podcast in the very near future so keep tuned for that
What are your big plans for the future?
My big plans are to get more speaking gigs, co author another book and then write one of my own.
I want to travel with my brand and bring leggings to the remote areas where there is little choice
What is your website and/or social media links?
Be Keane Healthy and Fit
Website: https://bekeanehealthyandfit.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bekeane_activewear/