11; full of “frills and pretty colours”, according to Williamson. “I thought [it had] to be a scam. Who would invite me to this showcase in New York Fashion Week after one week of being in business? All the other brands in the showcase were huge Australian brands,” Perth-based Williamson told Inside Retail.   There was only one possible response.  “I had to say ‘yes’.” “There were a lot of costs involved, flights, money on marketing and models … I was also working full-time so I couldn’t just pick up and leave. But I said to myself, ‘I’m going to say yes and then I’ll figure out how to do it later’.”  Despite not even having a new collection to show, or the funds to create one, Williamson signed the contract and spent the next six months preparing for the show. She described the experience as “amazing”, and her business benefited from the strong connections she forged through meetings with influencers and buyers while she was there.  ‘Money in, money out’ Despite having no experience in manufacturing, in the first year of business, Ete Swimwear turned over more than six figures, and today has customers in over 46 countries.  “We launched within seven months, and pretty much went global from day one, because I’d spent the time building up the audience on Instagram before them.” But it wasn’t an easy ride self-funding and managing the development of the business solo. “I was working full-time for the whole first year. It was money in, money out.” Williamson was working on Ete Swimwear every spare minute she had, squeezing it in around her day job, lunchtime, morning and night. Both her physical and mental health took a major hit. “I definitely did not have time. My health suffered and I ended up with adrenal fatigue … I wasn’t really eating right … Plus, going to work every day on a two-hour commute to a job you’re not really passionate about really does take a toll on your mental health. It wasn’t the best time, but my priority was getting my business up and making that happen.” Williamson used all her life savings to set up the business – a fact she didn’t even realise until she tried to pay for parking one day and her card got declined. “I’ve always been someone who’s been big on saving every year since I was 15 or 16. When I started working, I always had at least a few thousand in the bank. So that was a huge low point for me. I was on the edge of a breakdown and that was the last straw,” recalled Williamson. As the business progressed, with manufacturing in China and wholesalers in the US, Williamson felt the need to be constantly on the move. But with restrictions on international travel due to the pandemic last year, like so many others, she was forced to slow things down. “Before Covid, between all of my businesses, I was on a plane every three weeks. “Covid forced everyone to realise that they don’t actually have to go physically somewhere and [working through video and online] can save weeks on travelling and lots of money as well.” Lessons learned  The strain of the first year taught Williamson the importance of prioritising herself. At 25, having put in the hard yards early on, Williamson can now take a step back from the business to focus on other things. “Everything is automated on the backend, and I have a team to handle all of the things that can’t be automated so that I’m working on the overarching strategy and just continuing to grow it. “I have gotten it to a point where I’m quite happy with it, so I get to have more flexibility and actually do things that really fill up my cup, rather than being on my computer everyday, which is pretty awesome.” Williamson has since trained as a business coach and is now helping people overcome their struggles around setting up and running a business.  “I’m able to combine my training, experiences and my background in digital marketing to help my clients. “I’m really passionate about that and have realised that there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping others.”