Anna Ross has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence.
The New Zealand-born entrepreneur has overseen the development of an ethical brand of nail polish, Kester Black, which is now sold in countries all around the world.
And she has been recognised as a rising star of the business world. In 2016, she was named the Telstra Young Businesswoman of the Year.
We sat down with Anna to discuss her business journey and, ahead of her panelling at the upcoming Fare on the Field event, presented by Ford, which will take place at GHMBA Stadium this Friday 23 February.
“But I haven’t taken the usual path to success, no doubt about that,” Ross said.
“I was expelled from school. I think half the reason for that was I asked too many questions. I kept asking, ‘Why?’.
“Since then, I have used people’s lack of belief in me as a driver.
“My careers advisor told me I would never be successful, so I thought I’d better prove her wrong.”
Still, Ross didn’t make her mark right away.
She created a fashion label and a line of jewellery, but neither of them really took off.
Then she hit on the idea of creating nail polish free of nasty chemicals and animal-derived or tested ingredients.
She put an ad on Gumtree seeking the help of a chemist to work with her.
They developed a small range of colours and began marketing the nail polish as a fashion accessory rather than as a cosmetic product.
The bottles were stored in Ross’s bedroom, then mailed to customers.
The product was a hit right away. Three years down the track, Kester Black has seven staff working out of an office in Collingwood and its nail polish is being sold in places like Italy, Germany and Belgium.
Given all this, Ross was an obvious choice to be involved in Fare on the Field, which is celebrating the theme of pioneering women.
“My key message is, ‘Just do it!’ There are so many people with incredible ideas, but it’s the ones who get out there and do something that
“That’s how I found my success. Even early on, when I launched some products that were not very successful, I would say to myself, ‘At least I’ve done something’.
“I would learn something from each setback and that would help me take another step forward.
“I think it’s important for women to show other women that you can do big things.
“I see a lot of women who stop themselves from being able to move forward.
“So I think that putting women up in the limelight when they have achieved great things is very important.”
To hear more from Anna and other pioneering women, it’s your final chance to book your tickets for Fare on the Field. Book via the link below or click here.
