It was an unlikely but timely convergence of serendipity and self-belief that convinced Melbourne retailers Lena Mendez and Lauren Nicholls to take a risk and open their own business, the fashion and homewares emporium that has since blossomed into three shops: Filly & Mare, Filly’s Stable and Green Pony. Lena shared her journey from sales assistant to small business owner with TheVine.

How did you become the owner of your own business? What training and/or study did you undertake?

It kind of happened by accident as I saw a shop for lease in a fantastic little strip that I’d always loved.  As I’d worked in retail for years while studying I thought, “I can make something work here” and it just happened from there. I already had a Certificate in Retail Management from a previous employer but thought I needed some help with the business side of things so I did a Certificate in Small Business Management.  I also studied Communication and Media at RMIT which has helped a lot with promotion, press releases, and other media related tasks.

What would you say are some of the pros and cons of the profession?

The pros are endless. I have a business partner who is my best friend, have access to some of the best clothes around and get to do what I love and make a living from it.  I guess the only cons are that sometimes I can feel torn between my business and my family and spread myself a bit thin.

What qualities or attributes do you think make a good small business owner?

Guts. You definitely have to be prepared to take risks that others wouldn’t.  And also the ability to move on quickly from mistakes and learn from them.  And as for what makes a good fashion/homewares-related business owner?  Well, you obviously have to love fashion and homewares but most important is the ability to understand what your customers need and what they want to spend their money on.

What advice would you give to those interested in following in your footsteps?

Get as much experience on the shop floor as possible to understand sales and customers.  Fashion doesn’t always sell itself. You really need to know what you’re buying to be able to sell it.

What does your current job and business involve?

With three shops now, we have ten staff so I spend most of my time developing our in-house labels.  I still like to work on the floor at least one day a week and make sure I spend a bit of time in all stores, merchandising and planning.

What’s a typical workday like for you?  

After getting kids ready for the day, I usually go to our Albert Park store, Filly’s Stable, and just see what needs to be done.  I then generally head upstairs to the office and do some admin and range planning, call all stores and check-in with progress of the day. Do some more range planning, remerchandise areas of the store, and whatever else comes up on the day.  No two days are the same!


By Heidi Maier