Lovely to see Tim Nicholls & Julia Dixon.

 October 2024 marks 20 years since Debra took ownership of the Spirit of Life Boutique, a milestone we are proud to celebrate. Today, we were honored to welcome our local state member Tim Nicholls and our councillor, Julia Dixon, who stopped by to congratulate Debra on this achievement and discuss her ongoing campaign to promote small businesses in the area. Julia is a strong advocate for local enterprises, especially small businesses, and we always appreciate her support.

Supporting local businesses is one of the best ways to ensure they thrive and continue to enhance our community. Whether it’s your favorite café, the local hardware store, or a boutique like ours, your patronage makes a difference in keeping our neighborhood vibrant and a great place to live. So, let's show our support and help our local businesses flourish!

And so, October 1 arrives...

Last night over dinner, Mark noted that it was October 1. 

This date holds special meaning for me—October 1, 2024, marks 20 years since I took over the Spirit of Life Boutique. Prior to that, I spent two years managing the shop. The Danish company Coloplast, which owned both the Boutique and the Amoena brand, had recruited me to manage it when it was struggling financially. At the time, I was in a senior position with Simone Perele lingerie, and I saw this as an exciting step in the right direction.

Just two years later, Mark and I purchased the business, and what an incredible journey it has been. Helping women regain their confidence and shape after breast surgery, and seeing the joy it brings them, has been truly rewarding. As I look back over these past 20 years, I can’t help but smile. Like all small businesses, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve persevered. We still believe in Amoena as the gold standard for prostheses, and our customers seem to agree—we’ve sold nearly $10 million worth of their products over the years.

About 12 years ago, we made the decision to focus exclusively on mastectomy and post-surgical garments, discontinuing fashion lingerie. Today, we’re proud to be the only mastectomy lingerie store of our size in Australia. I’m incredibly proud of our staff, who share a genuine passion for making every customer feel special when they visit. That’s the "Spirit of Life" experience.

If you haven’t yet visited Spirit of Life Boutique, I invite you to drop in and say hello. No pressure to buy—just come for a chat and see what we offer. We’d love to meet you! 

Back to our road trips.

For the first time since pre-COVID times, the Boutique hit the road again! Last month, we loaded up a Carnival with breast forms and bras and made our way north to the tropics for a few days of fittings. Our rural ladies were absolutely thrilled with the variety we brought, making the trip a resounding success. A special thank you to our wonderful helpers on the day, especially for their delicious biscuits and coffee. Don’t worry, girls—we’ll be back before you know it!

We've had visitors at home....

 Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting a young German couple, Helmut and Bea, who have spent the last 12+ years traveling the world by motorcycle—putting even Charlie and Ewan to shame. We first met them back in 2013 when they stayed with us while preparing their motorcycles for transport to New Zealand. Helmut, an engineer, handles all the repairs and modifications himself and is also a talented landscape photographer, capturing breathtaking images along their journey.

Now, they’ve returned to Australia to embark on a new adventure, riding across the country on their motorcycles, both over 50 years old and meticulously rebuilt by Helmut. They spent the last two weeks with Mark and me, uncrating and prepping their bikes for the trip.

It’s been refreshing to have some younger folks around the house for a bit. Before they set off on the first leg of their journey today, Bea needed a new buff, so we made sure she was outfitted with an Anita one from the Boutique.

It was 20 years ago...

 It was 20 years ago, in 2004, that I bought the Spirit of Life Boutique from its Danish owners. At the time, they were planning to close the shop, which I had been managing for two years.

The day I found out, I went home and told Mark that the shop would close in October 2004. I asked him, "Where will the ladies go for their prostheses, mastectomy bras, and swimsuits?"

Without hesitation, he replied, "Let's buy the place. Then you can stock it with what you believe it needs."

After extensive negotiations in a boardroom in Melbourne, the shop officially became ours in October 2004.

One of the first things I did was travel to Europe to meet with manufacturers. I wanted to convey that women desire more color choices than just white, off-white, ivory, and beige in their bras. Now, we proudly offer a vibrant selection.

Like all small businesses, we've faced challenges. The floods in 2011, when we were located in Milton, were particularly tough. But we've persevered. It has been incredibly rewarding to see women come in for their first visit, often feeling sad and unsure, and leave filled with happiness and confidence. They regain their shape and love it.

Every day, we receive cards, letters, and emails from our happy customers. These messages mean so much to Helen, Anne, and me. Keep them coming! 😊

Closer to October, we will  have some more on our wonderful anniversary.

I met Mr Buttons.

Recently, we visited our good friends at Eatons Hill Veterinary Surgery to drop off some old towels and had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Buttons. Mr. Buttons is a stunning 13-year-old Macaw. Considering that Macaws can live up to 70 years, he's just a youngster. Mr. Buttons has a fondness for women and is a bit wary of men. As soon as I walked in, he spotted me, flew over, and landed on my shoulder. His presence is truly magnificent, and I was amazed by the calming effect he has on everyone he interacts with.

Of course, Mark was there with his camera to capture the moment, resulting in this delightful photo. Dr. Allen, who has been taking care of our pets for 40 years, is not only a highly skilled veterinarian but also a fantastic kindly person.

Debra with Mr Buttons

Please tell me you will never retire Debra!

A few weeks ago, a customer was leaving the boutique and turned to me, saying, "Please tell me you will never retire, Debra! What would we do without you?"

After 22 years with Spirit of Life, and now 20 years since I purchased the boutique from its Danish owners, this was incredibly humbling. It's been a rewarding journey, transforming frowns into smiles as women leave with newfound confidence.

One of my commitments to you, our valued customer, is to always stock the best products available. We are not tied to any franchise or brand, allowing us to select only the finest items from various manufacturers. We fit you with only the best – no "try this for size" method here. My team and I always measure first, a practice ingrained in me over 35 years as a factory-trained fitter, and shared by Helen and Ann.

At Spirit of Life Boutique, you always come first because it's all about YOU, the customer. Every time.

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Now, about swimsuits...

As the cruise season picks up post-COVID, we are providing many mastectomy swimsuits to our customers. Although swimwear is seasonal, we stock it year-round. So, if you’re heading to warmer climates, drop in and explore our range of colorful mastectomy swimsuits. Check out some of them in this short video I made, just here.

This is me at radio 4BC being interviewed by Sofie Formica.