"Stand strong. Stand tall. Stand for what others can't or won't stand for."
Meet Charys Caldarella, founder and CEO of internationally renowned brand, Styelle Swim. Born and raised in Western Sydney, her professional career began 19 years ago, at a small store in Penrith Plaza called Mirage that was part of a boutique chain selling multiple brands.
She was offered a job there after assisting a lady in the change rooms, which she took. Helping people is a part of her DNA, after-all, she believes that: “if we can do only one thing on this planet, it is to leave it in a better position than when we arrived”.
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Table of Contents
Let’s start with a brief introduction first. Introduce yourself to our readers.
Charys Caldarella: I am 36 years old, have been in business almost all my life through my parents, and found my way into the fashion industry at 17. I worked my way up through the ranks and eventually as a stylist for Saba. I was provided so much exposure after owning my 2 stores in 2012, being the buyer and merchandiser, I managed to go from fit-out to profit in just 12 weeks.
While owning my stores, I started my design course at FBI Fashion college, with that, even more, doors opened and I was entering the world of behind the scenes in fashion attending fashion weeks working for Aussie greats like Sass and Bide and Dion Lee. My greatest accomplishment and what has made me the woman I am are my 6 crazy children.
Our audience is interested to know about how you got started in the first place. Did you always want to become a CEO or was it something you were led to? Our readers would love to know your story!
Charys Caldarella: Ohh, how I got started is quite interesting. I never saw myself as a CEO, even now, I still don’t. I always wanted to be a designer, creativity is my core and I love seeing the dreams come to life and serve others. I am big on accountability and responsibility, always taking responsibility for others, even when they are of no relevance to me.
This is how I knew I was built to be a CEO, a real leader takes the big and scary steps, learns from the mistakes they make and the mistakes of others, then applies their knowledge to make their team better. Not just in their work life but personally. What kick-started me was the disgusting fast fashion industry. Having worked in it my whole life, I knew the waste and had to find a way to change it, make it better and have strived to make a change in every aspect.
“Selfmade” is a myth. We all received help, no doubt you love to show appreciation to those who supported you when the going got tough, who has been your most important professional inspiration?
Charys Caldarella: “Selfmade” is absolute crap and is a word used by people incapable of gratitude. Number 1 without a doubt is my amazing husband and CFO, he is my rock and always has been. My incredible and selfless Mum, even though she adopted me as a teen knowing I came with a mountain of troubles and just made me a better person. She loves me equally to her own children and taught me one of the most important lessons, who is your family is not always your blood.
Trust, loyalty, honesty, and unfiltered love – I love her more than words could ever describe. Professional inspiration, definitely my teacher, Celyna Ziolkowski, she started my sustainability journey and really got me thinking at the core of design processes, reducing waste and turning that consciousness into profit.
How did your journey lead you to become a CEO? What difficulties did you face along the way and what did you learn from them?
Charys Caldarella: What led me to be a CEO was recognising the need for more people willing to stand up in the sustainable space. There are too many strong-arm fast fashion brands in the world, there needs to be more people like myself that step up and show them if an independent brand can fix their wasteful ways, then why can’t they? Launching the buy-back scheme was one of the greatest things we have ever done, keeping tonnes of waste out of landfills from conglomerates around Australia and recycling it with Upparel in Melbourne. We give $25 to customers no matter how much they send us to thank them for making a change.
It really sets Styelle apart from the rest, that along with our revolutionary biodegradable fabric, closes the loop and gives people a sense of purpose, no matter how insignificant their contribution may seem. People are hungry to make a difference, we just need to simplify how they do it and show them the way.
Tell us about your company. What does your business do and what are your responsibilities as a CEO?
Charys Caldarella: Styelle Swim makes me smile from ear to ear. The good we do in the world from giving children school basics in Brazil, to the reforestation we do through Greenfleet and the circularity we provide have an immeasurable impact. Our swimwear doesn’t just shift the norm and take sustainability to another level, it’s classic, it’s sexy, feels amazing, and is plant-based being Oeko-tex certified toxin-free. The swimwear in itself makes its wearer feel on top of the world while changing it at the same time.
My responsibilities consist of design in conjunction with the creative team, delegating tasks, overseeing the hiring of new staff, and planning the overall growth of the brand. Some days I still talk to customers, it helps me to stay connected to them and keep me grounded. People think being a CEO is giving away the more mediocre tasks, it’s not. It’s being the person that keeps everything and everyone all together, ensuring harmony and making it the company norm.
What does CEO stand for? Beyond the dictionary definition, how would you define it?
Charys Caldarella: CEO in itself is the definition to stand. Stand strong. Stand tall. Stand for what others can’t or won’t stand for. Stand for the voiceless. And most importantly stand to lift up those around you, so they too can stands for others. After all, you can either stand for something or fall for everything.
When you first became a CEO, how was it different from what you expected? What surprised you?
Charys Caldarella: I still don’t honestly see myself as a CEO – my staff are my equals. I am nothing without them and they represent me as a leader. Only when the times get tough and they need support, is when I put on my CEO skirt and take charge. What surprised me is how much the dynamic of ownership changed, I feel stronger as a person more than ever. I expected it to be stressful and that the growth of Styelle would shift my mindset, but it hasn’t. The only thing that changed is I am more focused, as their livelihoods rest on me and my decisions.
There are many schools of thought as to what a CEO’s core roles and responsibilities are. Based on your experience, what are the main things a CEO should focus on? Explain and please share examples or stories to illustrate your vision.
Charys Caldarella: The management of the operations team and ensuring tasks are delegated to the correct department are probably the most important. If everyone knows their role and what is expected of them, then you won’t have issues unless you have placed the wrong person in a particular role. It is important for you as a CEO to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of your team. The right person with natural strength in a role is an invaluable member.
If you have placed someone incorrectly, find their strengths and move them there. If/when things go pear-shaped, it’s up to you to be accountable and support your staff to make the better choice next time. They will be grateful for your support, and you will feel fulfilled knowing you lifted them up instead of what most CEOs do and push them down for their mistakes.
When hiring new staff, it’s important to assess their skills and ensure that you have placed them correctly. With our carefully planned launch into Germany, France, and the Netherlands on Zalando, we have hired two new staff, one with European roots that understands that market and is in charge of positioning the brand effectively there. The other is a great communicator and an engagement specialist, her job is to drive the social media growth and awareness there. Drawing on personal strengths is key to strong and consistent growth.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Charys Caldarella: There is no such thing as a difficult decision if it benefits those around you. Sacrifice is a part of learning to be a better human yourself. If you pre-empt issues and take in what others want/need, applying it to your growth strategies, you will never have to make a ‘hard decision’ in your business.
How would you define success? Does it mean generating a certain amount of wealth, gaining a certain level of popularity, or helping a certain number of people?
Charys Caldarella: Success is not something you can or should allow others to define you with. To most, success is financial, and while yes, we are financially successful, it is not what gets me out of bed each day. What gets me out of bed and makes me successful, is changing the lives of others, as many as I can. I will continue to push and change more and more each day by closing the education gap through our ethical sourcing and community growth initiatives.
Some leadership skills are innate while others can be learned. What leadership skills do you possess innately and what skills have you cultivated over the years as a CEO?
Charys Caldarella: I am an incredibly trusting person, probably too much so in the opinion of some. Trust is the most important innate skill I possess along with communication and motivation. The skill that was the hardest to learn, was how to pull someone into line when they step out. I really struggle with asserting myself dominantly and consider myself a friend to all.
However, with some people, you give them an inch and they will take a mile. Learning to recognise the red flags and correct it in the early days is essential – not just for your sanity and your business, but also for staff retention. The last thing I want are unhappy staff members, I want them to turn up bight-eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on the world with me. If they are not fulfilled in their role, most importantly they will suffer, then the company culture will suffer and so will all around them.
How did your role as a CEO help your business overcome challenges caused by the pandemic? Explain with practical examples.
Charys Caldarella: Delegating was one of the greatest things I ever did as a CEO. Finding great minds in each discipline and giving them their own ship to sail within the business. With letting go of control, comes the freedom of overworking and excessive stress while allowing others to learn and thrive so it’s a win win. In the early days, I did everything myself, and my business wasn’t getting what it needed with me placing percentages of myself everywhere. Once I hired staff and gave them the freedom I desired, it all just happened by itself. Trust is an amazing thing.
Do you have any advice for aspiring CEOs and future leaders? What advice would you give a CEO that is just starting out on their journey?
Charys Caldarella: Yes, a mountain. But to keep it short and sweet. Don’t be afraid of mistakes they are what will make you better, even when you feel like a failure, don’t give up – giving up is what makes you a failure. Take ownership, people will respect you more. Absorb the knowledge of others, my grandfather was such a wise and humble soul, he used to tell me “A smart person learns from their mistakes, a smarter one learns from the mistakes of others”.
Always trust your team, give them responsibilities and the space to exercise their creativity, you hired them for a reason and micro-managing was not it. Listen to your staff, all you need to do is listen, hear what they are saying and help them make their ideas a reality. They serve your customer and you serve them, not the other way around.
Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge with our readers! They would also like to know, what is one skill that you’ve always wanted to acquire but never really could?
Charys Caldarella: The ability to recognise when I am self-sabotaging. Coming from an abusive childhood, I have always struggled with self worth and not felt like I am worthy of my success. I know as a CEO you’re meant to paint a picture of strength and confidence, but I feel that a real human needs to show their vulnerability and show others that it’s okay to accept help. None of us are perfect, and we all have a story so we need to normalise it to make it our strength instead of living in its shadow.
Before we finish things off, we have one final question for you. If you wrote a book about your life today, what would the title be?
Charys Caldarella: “A Day in the Life of Me – A True Underdog Story.”
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Charys Caldarella for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Charys Caldarella or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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