We are talking this week to Ashya McDonald, a mumpreneur who has made waves with her venture Full Bums Swimwear. As the name implies, the swimwear offers a unique full buttocks coverage design, giving women of all sizes the confidence to don their swimwear at the beach. It proved to be such a hit that when it was launched in September 2021, its initial stock was sold out in just 48 hours.
ISB: How did the idea for Full Bums Swimwear first come to you?
AM: We moved to the Gold Coast in 2018 and noticed a trend of a lot less coverage when it came to swimwear. At the time I had a teenage son and a preteen daughter, and I was very aware of how that made them feel when going to public beaches etc. So, it started as a joke, “One day I’m going to start a swimwear brand and I’m going to call it Full Bums.” But it became a serious train of thought as shopping for swimwear became increasingly difficult. I had a few friends tell me they thought I was onto a winner, I followed that up with a rant on my social media stories which received an amazing response, people begging me to start a business that catered to women who wanted more coverage. In Dec 2020 I decided to give it a go. It did take nearly nine months to find the right manufacturer – samples going back and forth – and, finally, a small collection that launched on 21 September.
ISB: Why is it important for your swimwear to give women the confidence to wear them?
AM: Swimwear would have to be the hardest item of clothing to purchase, it makes a woman incredibly vulnerable having their insecurities on display. I wanted to create a brand that went against the ‘current trend’ and allowed women to feel comfortable and confident in their swimwear. It’s allowing women to get back out there, enjoying the water, playing in the sand with their kids etc.
ISB: How important is it for you to showcase the works of local artists on your swimwear?
AM: Showcasing Australian artists, putting their artwork on an international platform, shows the amazing talent we have here and makes the swimwear completely original. There won’t be another pattern like it anywhere. I wanted to create unique pieces and for me this felt like a really fun way to do it, mixing an individual art piece with swimwear and sarongs.
ISB: How do you strike a balance between being both a mum and an entrepreneur?
AM: It always goes in ebbs and flows. Some weeks I’m head down in the business and other weeks it’s less hands-on and more focused on the family. I think we put too much pressure on mums, especially to balance both things. Between my husband and I we have three businesses. Our traditional roles are slightly different, for example, I hate cooking, he loves it. So, we changed the rules. He cooks 99 per cent of the time. We do what works for us. We also know at the end of the day what’s the most important. We make life, work, family balance work for us. Why have the whole world and lose your marriage and family?
ISB: How do you envision Full Bums Swimwear’s growth in the next couple of years?
AM: We are currently working on our USA/Canada strategy with plans to set up a warehouse in the US for their next Summer. Each season we are also adding a lot of new designs and size ranges. We started with sizes eight to 14 two years ago and now we have sizes six to 20 with plans to go up to 24 in the future. Our team continues to grow as well so I’m working at getting the right people in the right roles to help our growth.
ISB: If you could give one piece of advice for the mums who dream of becoming business owners, what would that be?
AM: I’m a ‘jump in and sort the details out later’ type of person. So, that would be my first piece of advice. Sometimes we sit on an idea for far too long and then talk ourselves out of it. Just start. You are the boss, so don’t let the business become all-consuming, don’t let it become your boss! Social media will paint a different picture of entrepreneurship but running a business is hard work. There is a compromise. But I decided when I started that, yes, I wanted to hustle, but not at the expense of my marriage and family. I keep reminding myself that the way I run it might look different to others, but my goal is also different.
