Inside Gritty Pretty’s Women With GRITT International Women’s Day Lunch
It’s time to #BreakTheBias.
March 8, 2022 marked International Women’s Day–a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all over the world. But beyond being a celebration of the incredible work women are doing every single day, the day is also a reminder that there is still progress to be made. It’s a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
This year’s theme, Break The Bias, was a reminder of just that. Whether on an overt or subconscious level, every single woman has experienced bias to some degree in their everyday lives. Be it in the workplace, at school, when lining up for the bus or even just simply doing the grocery shopping, it can, at times, seem like an uphill battle to challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination against women. As such, the 2022 celebration of International Women’s Day served as a reminder to us all that simply acknowledging that bias exists is not enough. We must all take the time to educate ourselves and those around us about how we can better level the playing field to forge positive change for women.
To mark the occasion in 2022, Gritty Pretty hosted a celebratory Women With GRITT lunch to honour and champion the women we admire, respect and look up to. Hosted by our founder and editor-in-chief, Eleanor Pendleton (who is the epitome of tenacity, determination and kindness in her own right), the event saw keynote speakers including Gritty Pretty Magazine cover star Turia Pitt, The Jojoba Company founder Vicki Engsall, Bangn Body founder Priscilla Hajiantoni, Naked Sundays founder Samantha Brett and Bread Beauty Supply founder Maeva Heim discuss their incredible entrepreneurial successes.
Sponsored by Bangn Body, The Jojoba Company and Naked Sundays, the event took place at the dreamy Reign at the QVB in Sydney and was an afternoon filled with laughter, inspirational stories and raw, unfiltered appreciation for what it means to be a woman. Here is just a glimpse of what the incredible founders shared…
The Jojoba Company’s Vicki Engsall On Authenticity
“There is nothing more important than sticking to your mantra and your story,” Engsall shared with the panel. “Your brand story is everything and being true to your story and who you are is vital to your success as a business.”
Naked Sunday’s Samantha Brett On Navigating Challenges
“Whenever I come up against a challenge, and it happens multiple times a day, I just have to remind myself that I wanted to start this business. I’m here, I’m running it and I’m the only one that’s going to solve this problem,” said Brett. “My team is relying on me and so you just have to find the positive in the situation and keep on moving forward.”
Bangn Body’s Priscilla Hajiantoni On Knowing Your Why
“It is so vital to remember your ‘why’ and the intent behind what you’re doing and making sure you never waver from it,” Hajiantoni told the audience. “It’s like an elastic band. Sure, you can go and explore other avenues but you’ve always got to come back to why you started your brand in the first place and why it resonated with your customers so well.”
L-R: Jesinta Franklin, Natalie Roser, Jules Sebastian, Sara Crampton, Alison Rice, Eleanor Pendleton, Talisa Sutton, Sally Obermeder
Above (L-R): Turia Pitt, Vicki Engsall, Eleanor Pendleton, Priscilla Hajiantoni, Samantha Brett, Maeva Heim
L-R: Eleanor Pendleton & Turia Pitt, Samantha Brett, Naked Sundays Collagen Glow Mineral Sunsreen SPF50+
Photography: Caroline McCredie
L-R: Priscilla Hajiantoni, Bangn Body Firming Lotion, Vicki Engsall, The Jojoba Company Ultimate Serum, Maeva Heim
Bread Beauty Supply’s Maeva Heim On Being The Change
“The reality was that 90 per cent of the beauty market was female, as a customer, and Women of Colour were driving a lot of that,” said Heim. “So I thought, why is it that this market is dominated by women and by Women of Colour but all the economic benefit is going to big corporations? That’s why I started Bread Beauty Supply–so I could speak directly to these women and give them what they wanted and needed.”
Turia Pitt On The Next Generation
“I am so hopeful for the next generation of women. I think the future is bright. We’ve come such a long way and yes, it’s not perfect, but I think if you reflect on what our mother’s did or what our grandmother’s did, they never had the opportunities we have,” said Pitt. “I really hope we never forget that they paved the way for us and it’s our job to continue to pave the way.”
To mark the occasion in 2022, Gritty Pretty hosted a celebratory Women With GRITT lunch to honour and champion the women we admire, respect and look up to. Hosted by our founder and editor-in-chief, Eleanor Pendleton (who is the epitome of tenacity, determination and kindness in her own right), the event saw keynote speakers including Gritty Pretty Magazine cover star Turia Pitt, The Jojoba Company founder Vicki Engsall, Bangn Body founder Priscilla Hajiantoni, Naked Sundays founder Samantha Brett and Bread Beauty Supply founder Maeva Heim discuss their incredible entrepreneurial successes.
Sponsored by Bangn Body, The Jojoba Company and Naked Sundays, the event took place at the dreamy Reign at the QVB in Sydney and was an afternoon filled with laughter, inspirational stories and raw, unfiltered appreciation for what it means to be a woman. Here is just a glimpse of what the incredible founders shared…
Above (L-R): Turia Pitt, Vicki Engsall, Eleanor Pendleton, Priscilla Hajiantoni, Samantha Brett, Maeva Heim
L-R: Eleanor Pendleton & Turia Pitt, Samantha Brett, Naked Sundays Collagen Glow Mineral Sunsreen SPF50+
Photography: Caroline McCredie
The Jojoba Company’s Vicki Engsall On Authenticity
“There is nothing more important than sticking to your mantra and your story,” Engsall shared with the panel. “Your brand story is everything and being true to your story and who you are is vital to your success as a business.”
Naked Sunday’s Samantha Brett On Navigating Challenges
“Whenever I come up against a challenge, and it happens multiple times a day, I just have to remind myself that I wanted to start this business. I’m here, I’m running it and I’m the only one that’s going to solve this problem,” said Brett. “My team is relying on me and so you just have to find the positive in the situation and keep on moving forward.”
Bangn Body’s Priscilla Hajiantoni On Knowing Your Why
“It is so vital to remember your ‘why’ and the intent behind what you’re doing and making sure you never waver from it,” Hajiantoni told the audience. “It’s like an elastic band. Sure, you can go and explore other avenues but you’ve always got to come back to why you started your brand in the first place and why it resonated with your customers so well.”
L-R: Priscilla Hajiantoni, Bangn Body Firming Lotion, Vicki Engsall, The Jojoba Company Ultimate Serum, Maeva Heim
Bread Beauty Supply’s Maeva Heim On Being The Change
“The reality was that 90 per cent of the beauty market was female, as a customer, and Women of Colour were driving a lot of that,” said Heim. “So I thought, why is it that this market is dominated by women and by Women of Colour but all the economic benefit is going to big corporations? That’s why I started Bread Beauty Supply–so I could speak directly to these women and give them what they wanted and needed.”
Turia Pitt On The Next Generation
“I am so hopeful for the next generation of women. I think the future is bright. We’ve come such a long way and yes, it’s not perfect, but I think if you reflect on what our mother’s did or what our grandmother’s did, they never had the opportunities we have,” said Pitt. “I really hope we never forget that they paved the way for us and it’s our job to continue to pave the way.”
L-R: Jesinta Franklin, Natalie Roser, Jules Sebastian, Sara Crampton, Alison Rice, Eleanor Pendleton, Talisa Sutton, Sally Obermeder
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