View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sundays. FEM Boutique Markets (@sundays.femboutiquemarkets)

You dropped out of school at 16. How did that come about and how did you get to where you are today?

I knew I’d become a designer but I didn’t know which type. So I had to do work experience for a certificate at school. I applied to do unpaid work experience at Seafolly. I was the little go-girl. Cutting out patterns and making coffee.

After leaving I sent the boss my card and told him to let me know if he was planning to employ someone. Three days later I was offered informed by the head teacher at my school hat he’d offered me a job. So I started working there the next Monday morning.

I worked throughout the business. From making to designing, learning as I went on the job. I worked as a sales rep too. So I knew the ins and outs of the business. I was very very lucky.

I had always had these ideas of making things. I used to clear out the scrap fabrics (I’d ask first of course). Then I’d go home and make gym wear.

When I worked out at the gym, women would come over to me asking me where I bought them from. I’d tell them that they were my own design and people started buying them from me. From there I also worked in nightclubs to bring in more money to fund myself going forwards.

It got to the point where I started competing in bodybuilding shows and competitions. I would make my own bikinis. My ideas started to snowball at that point as no one was making bodybuilding swimwear. Remember this was back in the days when there was no social media or websites. 

Back then we had to read magazines to get into it all and find out what was going on, or what product to buy.

Why did you move to Malta and what do you love about the island?

Opportunity. If you meet the right people and they believe in you, they will back you. I love how there’s the motivation behind that. I love the sun and the sea. The history of Malta is very touching because my grandparents are Maltese.

But now it’s home for me. 

What do you think could be improved about Malta?

It’s such a small little island and it could be one of the most sustainable islands in the world. Doing things that are more sustainable would be my main topic for improvement. The amount of traffic is just crazy at times too.

The island has built up so much over the last five years. I see a lot of different things going on too. Traffic accidents each day, people dying from other people’s stupidity. The list could go on.

Can you speak any Maltese?

I speak very basic Maltese – my Maltese mum spoke Maltese but my Kiwi dad didn’t like us speaking in the language when we were younger. Mum never spoke Maltese to us ever, but she’s still completely fluent.

Do you have any advice for young businesswomen?

If you have a dream, just go for it. If you have the support and motivation then you can invest in yourself and make sure to always have that thinking cap on: for what dream you want to move forward with. 

And if you want to, join our network of supportive, positive businesswomen – we’re here to help each other and act as a sounding board.

What’s the vision going forward for the community that you’ve built for female entrepreneurs and women facing tough times…?

Next year we’d like to open up our own Female Entrepreneur base – a sort of cultural educational centre with an accountant on-site to support people with financial aspects of running a business. Studios on site for women looking to produce their own products.

We’d also like to have a pre-loved clothing store below. Possibly aiming to open around February 2023. The money we raise from the store and studios and offices will all towards the NGO we’ve finally had registered.

We’d like it to be something quite funky, studio space to do jewellery building, workshops on social media too! 

And going back a little, what actually made you move to Malta?

Well, I’m Aussie and my mother is Maltese. My husband and I moved here five years ago. We’d previously lived in Bali and Singapore. 

My mother retired 16 years ago. I came here to visit 16 years ago, coming from Sydney to Malta and at that point there wasn’t even a salad in sight! 

I then came to visit again with the hubby and we noticed that there were some great opportunities here. We opened up a wine and cheese bar and moved very quickly – to Malta – within three months.

We had rented a premises before moving over. We call the place “Wasp” and it was very popular until Covid – that was in Ħamrun. It was located on a little side street and everyone said it wouldn’t work. It was a Bali haven, think vintage vespas adorned on the walls.

So how did you get involved with setting up a female business network?

Having the bar, we met lots of people. I noticed there was a lack of a female entrepreneurial community. So I started it as an expats women first network, then the Maltese women got involved too. It’s a ‘fem community’ which then turned into a social club for women in business who love being a part of a very positive, grateful group where we help each other. The Maltese women didn’t have the platform previously. It was always the men that did business here.

So I thought this is how I can share my knowledge and tips and also learn from the Maltese how to do business here. 

The Hub now does Sunday markets. And we’ve launched several campaigns. I’m a big believer of giving back. Whether it’s to single mums or women that have been stuck in abusive relationships.

Tell us about some campaigns you’ve launched?

For example we set up a campaign to give used and unused bras to different shelters across Malta. This is the third year we’ve done it now. We also donated FEM recycled handbags that were filled with tampons, sanitary pads and moisturisers. Things that are costly for anyone women – let alone if you’re finding it difficult to get by. We racked up 326 handbags in total. And we have other volunteer shop fronts that let people donate at their premises – all across the country.

It keeps growing and there is a need for it. There’s more and more women going into shelters. Another campaign is ‘Coats for a Cause’ – where women donate coats and jackets 

On the sunnier side of the network, we do brunches for women, and have created various events over the years. We just learn about how women can be independent and everyone supports each other. Positive women helping each other. That’s the idea.

So what’s the NGO you’ve set up? It’s called Female Entrepreneurs Network right?

Female Entrepreneurs Malta is an NGO we’ve set up. We became a certified NGO six months ago – it took a while – as many things do here in Malta. empower women in business. We noticed that schemes to help women or young entrepreneurs took quite a long time to actually pay out any grants or funds awarded to projects. And sometimes by the time they get the funding, the window of opportunity has been missed.

So the NGO will look to support female entrepreneurs. From marketing, finance, to small biz ideas for women here in Malta, we want to help people turn their passions into sustainable income sources. So this would be our quicker version to help kickstart small businesses.

If you’d like to get involved with Dana’s projects or need support – please visit the various links below:

https://www.facebook.com/femaleentrepreneursmalta/

https://www.facebook.com/prelovedclothingandswapmarkets

https://www.facebook.com/sundaysboutiquemarkets

https://www.facebook.com/femcommunity

https://www.facebook.com/alterationsstudiomt/