FOUNDER / ETE SWIMWEAR

^Entrepreneur

On the eve of spring, it only seems fitting to introduce you to one of the most remarkable young women I have had the pleasure of interviewing.

Jessica Williamson is a 24-year-old entrepreneur with charisma, business acumen and the gift of knowing what sells. From University at Curtain in Western Australia to the Founder, Director, designer…. everything over at Ete Swimwear, Jess is a force to be reckoned with in the e-comm landscape. Her brand Ete Swimwear was designed for the feminine adventurer and encompasses high quality, unique designs with hand painted watercolour prints.

And yes, it’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful and then some.

For a brand that isn’t even a year old, it’s so exciting to be telling Jessica’s #careerstory. Personally, I couldn’t be more pumped to tell you life through Jess’s lens. Her experience at  High School, why she choose her University Degree, and the reason why she took the leap and started her very first ever business, is a tale made to be told.

Get ready to meet the babe that makes your Instagram swimwear dreams a reality.

The incredible Jessica Williamson…

Hey, Jess, so pumped to have you here. Can you start by telling us where you grew up, and how your experience shaped the person you are, and the career that you are in today?

I grew up in Perth, Australia. I have two loving parents and a younger brother. I grew up in a household where we didn’t have everything growing up, I watched my parents work super hard to get to where they are today and that’s inspired me and allowed me to be the person I am today.

Where did you go to High School and how was that experience for you?

I went to Canning Vale College in Perth. High school was an interesting experience for me, I always studied hard, I did my WACE and got a great score, I loved physics and maths… some might say I was a bit of a nerd in school. But as always being a teenage girl, there was often drama and it always seemed like the world was ending but now when I look back at it, it taught me a lot. Overall I really enjoyed school, spending time with my friends and hanging out on the weekends and after school and I was always a very hard worker and loved the challenge.

Jess, you could possibly be the first woman interviewed that has loved maths. Did your high school play an important role in helping you choose your further education and future career?

It did play some role but certainly didn’t push me to where I am now. There was never any talk about entrepreneurship in school. The only route they offered was to do exams and get a good score so you could get into uni. Now that’s great in the traditional world of getting a job, however, I certainly don’t think it’s necessary to put so much pressure on kids at that age and tell them it’s the end of the world if they don’t get into uni. Although I did take this traditional route, it taught me about hard work, but nothing about entrepreneurship and the practical skills that I would need in the workforce. Most of this is gained through experience, trailing and a lot of mistakes along the way.

Did you complete any internships or work experience placements in high school? Tell us about that experience.

No, I actually didn’t in High school, it wasn’t an opportunity that was offered or something we were told could be valuable. I did however undertake a few internships toward the end of my uni degree with varying businesses such as a hair salon, fashion designer and non-profit events. This gave me some hands on experience and something to list on my resume which was great.

Did you go to College, University, Tafe or another equivalent? Take us through the courses that you studied and why you chose them?

I went to Curtin University in Perth, I studied a bachelor’s degree in commerce, double major in Management and Marketing. I chose Management first because I always knew I wanted to be a “boss” or CEO one day, but never realised this could mean I could be the boss of my own business. I also chose marketing because it seemed interesting but I had no idea what any of these university courses would be about when choosing them. Luckily I loved marketing, more so than the management part of the degree and went on to work in digital marketing for the start of my career.

Tell us about your career journey so far. Who you have worked for, and explain any highlights.

When I graduated university, there weren’t many job prospects but I ended up getting a job at a mining company doing their marketing. After a year there I had been through a graduate program with the Comms Council which took us to many of the advertising agencies in Perth which was an amazing experience. After that I spent my time networking and figuring out what my dream job would be. I knew I wanted to get into digital marketing so I ended up applying for a digital marketing role at iiNet. This was a dream come true when I got the job at iiNet; there were so many learning opportunities and so many awesome people to work with. After just a few months working there, iiNet was acquired by another telco and as a result, a lot of people, including my managers, left for other job opportunities, so I was left to solely manage the company’s nation-wide digital marketing on my own. This was a great learning opportunity for me because I received training from all my managers and the agencies before they left. Not long after this, I decided to start Ete Swimwear in February 2016. I always knew I wanted to run my own business and work in fashion so I decided to just do it.

How did you get the job that you are in now?

I always had a love for the fashion industry plus with my digital marketing and business background, I started an e-commerce business, Ete Swimwear. I have always loved the beach and summer lifestyle plus I had noticed that there weren’t many pretty and feminine bikinis out there so I set out to design swimwear that was as comfortable to wear as it was beautiful for a community of go getters and adventure seekers. Once I decided this was what I wanted to do, there was no stopping me. I began researching into manufacturing and never looked back since! Within just 8 months after the initial idea I had launched my first collection online. For others wanting to begin their own business my one piece of advice is to be prepared for a lot of hard work and to stay determined and persevere at every stage.

What is the hardest part of your current job?

The hardest part of running my own business at the moment is manufacturing. This can be a tough challenge when dealing with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure my vision is created perfectly and to the highest standard. Another challenge is working on my own, sometimes as an entrepreneur, it can be quite lonely.