PDPR Marketing and Creative

The Boosting Female Founders Initiative is a grant to help female founders of start-up businesses to launch and scale their businesses into domestic and global markets.

We spoke to business partners and sisters, Annika Launay and Briana Cicchelli from PDPR Marketing and Creative, Franc.World and Franc.Finance to chat about their journey and how the Initiative helped expand their start up.

How did you find out about the Female Founders Initiative?

It was through an initial Google search for grants that lead us to The Boosting Female Founders Initiative. We then applied for the grant and were lucky enough to receive a mentorship which was invaluable to shaping our business model.

What motivated you to start your own business?

I was a terrible employee, so I needed another solution! It’s very true what they say that you give up the ‘9-to-5 grind’ to end up working 24/7 but for us, the flexibility and ability to ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ so to speak is so worth it. Being able to go to work with your sister every day is amazing and being able to raise five children between us while growing several successful businesses is all the motivation we need.

What is the most valuable information you learned in the Female Founders Initiative?

To be bold. Our BFF mentor, Kim Veale not only gave us some great business advice but was an absolute champion for both Briana and I, as well as for the Franc.Finance concept. Having someone who has your back and cheers you on is sometimes the big boost you didn’t know you needed.

Tell us about your business. What services and/or products do you provide?

We utilised the BFF mentorship for our business Franc.Finance which is launching in January. Franc.Finance is Australia’s first truly holistic financial solution that offers a banking App, investment opportunities and a comprehensive educational platform designed to revolutionise financial literacy for every young Australian. Oh and did we mention we’re also looking to produce a Netflix series to further support our education goals?

What challenges have you had to face since starting your business? How have you overcome these challenges?

Where do we begin! Business is hard! With Covid, we, (like nearly every other business in Australia), had to really take stock, recalibrate and pivot. We slimmed down and luckily, were able to navigate our way through. Also, when your Solicitor sends you a Christmas gift for being such a loyal customer. You know you’re playing with the big boys!

What have been some of the highlights of operating your own business?

This is the flipside of owning your own business – we get to work together, set our own hours (well, sort of!), and our clients are all over the world so there’s lots of travel which we love. We have also had some amazing experiences, from riding horses through the ocean in Vanuatu to attending movie premieres, visiting celebrities in L.A., visiting Paris and Singapore for a world pastry event and more. Oh and we get to bring our children and let them share the experiences!

What is one piece of advice you can give to others thinking about starting their own business?

It is not for everyone. You have to be hardworking obviously, but also resilient, be prepared to never have your brain switch off and be prepared to have the difficult conversations and make those tough choices. In the early days, you also need to be prepared to wear many hats including accountant/marketing exec/business strategist and your own cheerleader – along with working your actual job!

Are there any additional comments you would like to include about your business, journey or experience?

Find a mentor. Having someone able to look objectively at your business is invaluable. Sometimes when you’re so busy working on your business and in your business, you can’t even see the wood for the trees. Utilising an impartial, knowledgeable mentor (like through BFF) is the best gift to yourself and your business.

With Franc.World having amassed 25,000 followers in one year, Annika and Briana have firmly set their sights on improving the financial literacy of young Australians with Franc.Finance.

Set to launch in January 2023, Franc.Finance is Australia’s first truly holistic financial solution that offers a banking App, investment opportunities and a comprehensive educational platform designed to revolutionise financial literacy for every young Australian.

You can learn more about PDPR Marketing and Creative, Franc.World and Franc.Finance through their Website, Facebook and Instagram.