EXISTING IN ISO Like many before her mum Rebecca Klodinsky started a business after finding a gap in the market. When she saw her sister trying on expensive swimwear she’d saved up for she she thought surely there must have been thousands of other girls who were faced with the struggle of a hefty price tag when shopping for quality. So she started her own swimwear brand. seven years later this little business has grown into a $7M bikini empire called IIXIIST, and to top it all off she’s been running it from the AFL lockdown hub on the Gold Coast as she supports her partner, Geelong’s Lachie Henderson. First of all you’re a mum, that’s why you’re here! Tell us about your little son. My son is my world; he’s two-and-half years old and my sidekick in life, we’re a team. I made the deision when he was born that I wanted to keep him as private and as close to me as possible as opposed to over-sharing on social media, particulary when I have a business that requires myself to be an open book and transparent with my own life – professionally and personally. There’s no secrets in my work or day-to-day life, but when it comes to him, that’s where I draw the line. Every mother is different, there’s no right or wrong. What works for me, works for me and that’s all that matters at the end of the day! I couldn’t imagine going through life without feeling the spectrum of emotion motherhood brings. How has it been managing a toddler and a multi-million dollar business all within the confines of the AFL hub? It has been an interesting addition to the rollercoaster of 2020, that’s for sure. If one thing’s certain, there’s no be all and end all of how-to-manage-the-juggle handbook you can read to navigate a situation like this. It has been a matter of sink or swim, adjusting to a “new normal”, creating a new routine and finding a new happy middle ground.
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My days start well before sunrise in order to have some “me time”. I have always been a big believer in regular exercise; it’s so imperative for a healthy mind and body. They have a great gym inside the hub thankfully!! Then throughout the day I’m in back-to-back zoom meetings, overseeing celebrity and stylist requests, managing photoshoots, people and expectations, all while taking regular breaks to spend time with my son. What was hub-life like? Surely it wasn’t all WAGS and smiles around the pool. Definitely not!! I am head down and working throughtout the day, which is just what needs to happen at the moment. From rebranding my label from Frankii Swim to IIXIIST, and then the bittersweet timing of launching as COVID-19 hit, navigating the crippling economy as businesses around me collapse, transitioning to working remotely and raising my toddler as a single mum with a partner whoes AFL schedule is in a league of its own… it’s safe to say life is insanity. So unfortunately I can’t report it being glamorous!! Unless you find daily health checks and a strict no-entry-no-exit policy appealing. Everyone kind of sticks to their own inside the hub – we all have lives we’re trying to manage from the confines of a hotel. When you’re not stuck in AFL lockdown, what your typical day look like? I’ve worked hard to build my brand to the point where I don’t have to be in an office 9-5 and can work remotely, which is my saving grace being a mum. My days always begin early, working out and setting my agenda for the day. I’m extremely hands-on in every part of my business: photoshoots and content, website analytics and financials. But my son comes first so if he needs me then what I’m doing will pause. No one will ever remember the business meetings I missed, but my son will remember the precious moments I was there for.
