Meet Lisa Rose Byrne, who runs “Sisters on Sandhills” retail boutique based in Blacksmiths, NSW
Meet Lisa Bryne, her mother and daughter who work together as a team to run her retail boutique business based in Blacksmiths, NSW, just south of Newcastle. Lisa is a proud Aboriginal woman and operates her business as “Sisters on the Sandhills Boutique” where she offers a huge variety of clothing and accessories such as skirts, tops, dresses, swimwear, artwork, homewares and so on.
“I got a lot of support from my business coach, Tod. He taught me how to do a business plan, cashflow and helped me understand the financial and accounting side of things as well. He has just been an amazing support system throughout my business journey, and he continues to be around at all times whenever I get stuck, I can ring him anytime and ask my questions. I have learned so much from him that can help me in running my business successfully.”
Read more about Lisa’s business journey so far:
Lisa’s Business
We are three generations of proud Wiradjuri women originating from the Narrandera Sandhills in the Riverina Southwest of New South Wales, Australia. We started with our love for art creating unique and stunning art pieces with our grandmothers, mothers and aunties sharing stories of identity, connection, bond and strong relationships with family, community, and Mother Earth.
The name ‘Sisters on the Sandhills’ tells a story of four beautiful sisters Lucy Lyons, Bonita Byrne, Sheril Stephens and Vivian Stephens being raised on the Sandhills, an Aboriginal community on the outskirts of Narrandera. Sadly sisters Lucy and Sheril passed away over 2 years ago within five months of each other after long battles with cancer. We dedicate our business to them.
My boutique ‘Sisters on the Sandhills’ was born in April this year from a desire, nurtured by our deep connection with country and the demonstration of restoration, strength and resilience of Indigenous women and women in general – healing hearts, restoring minds, and empowering spirits.
Through my business, I aim to reach the height of femininity for all women of any age
and body shape. You’ll find yourself transported in time with our bohemian vibes, boho feels and classic contemporary and modern designs. My boutique offers a unique assortment of stunning fashionable clothing and accessories whilst delivering exceptional quality at affordable prices.
I was a police officer for 22 years working for the NSW Police. After my long-serving career in the police service, I took a short break and then decided to start my own business.
Working with Many Rivers
“I got a lot of support from my business coach, Tod. He taught me how to do a business plan, cashflow and helped me so much in understanding the financial and accounting side of things as well. He has just been an amazing support system throughout my business journey, and he continues to be around at all times whenever I get stuck with something. I can ring him anytime and ask my questions. I have learned so much from him that can help me in running my business successfully.”
To be honest, Many Rivers assistance has been so useful for me especially Tod’s knowledge and business coaching expertise to set up my business.
Did you get a loan from MR?
Yes, I did get a loan from Many Rivers, and I used it to build my website and to buy some more stock for my business.
Do you have any current employees?
It’s just me, my mum and my daughter managing the business at the moment.
Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge I would say has been learning how to run a business in the first place. Secondly, learning how to invest money, finding stockers and reliable people along the journey.
Biggest Success
For me, the biggest success is the fact that I have officially started my business despite my fears and hesitance. Moreover, I take pride in the fact that my business is inspired from a lifetime of generational stories passed down about our cultural history, our heritage, survival, power, strength and of unconditional love, shared by our Elders.
Biggest Change
I guess learning how to run a business through teamwork has been the biggest and most positive change for us. I feel blessed that with a long love of fashion and art, I decided to follow my dream of owning a boutique which is 100% Aboriginal-owned. I have sourced many of my labels from Indigenous designers and continue to find more, we also stock many other Australian and international labels.
Future Goals
In the future when I have the money and resources, I would like to consider expansion by opening more boutiques across different locations in Australia. I would also like to design my own clothes in the future.
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours and business success.
If you would like to stay updated with Lisa and her small business, follow Sisters on the Sandhills on social media:
Website: www.sistersonthesandhills.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sistersonthesandhillsboutique
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sistersonthesandhills_boutique/
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