hello
Twenty-five years in marketing, advertising and communications, and five businesses of my own across two continents, all of them bootstrapped, which is a polite way of saying I paid for every lesson myself.
Well, hello there!
I'm Fee
Two decades in corporate marketing. Unsupervised at last.
1500
years in marketing
25
software subscriptions (honestly, it could be more)
websites built
150+
In a world that defaults to sameness, choosing to create something original is the boldest move you can make.
Everything in this haus exists to back that choice – so your boldest ideas have the foundations, structure and kerb appeal to hold them up.
I've had ideas that worked, and ideas that completely emptied my bank account. And I've bootstrapped every one.
I have failed at more businesses than most people ever start
Turns out, failure is the best training for success
Next came an activewear label – bright Brazilian leggings landing here while everyone else was still in navy. They sold as fast as we could get them in, right up until the supply chain broke.
In between there were contracts and websites built for friends on the side. When one contract fell over mid-COVID, I offered websites on Facebook and had six clients inside a week. I went back into corporate after that, but the seed was planted. In 2023 I was made redundant, and I've worked for myself ever since.
None of it was wasted. Every pivot bought a lesson, and you get those for free.
The long way round
My first business shipped hammocks out of China, into the States, and sold them on Amazon. Every unit, every ad, every freight bill came out of my own pocket. No investor, no partner, no safety net. I ran it for two years, and when the cash flow would not stretch any further I made the call and moved on.
From ecommerce to web design
Our haus rules
After more than 150 websites, I kept seeing the same two stories. Some people went straight to a full brand – logo, colours, the lot – before they'd defined their offer or checked that anyone would buy it. Others invested in a beautiful website, launched it and then did no marketing at all. A few paid for the whole thing and never launched.
A good website couldn't fix either of those on its own, so the work grew around what my clients needed. The offer came first, because you can't design around something vague. Then the systems, so enquiries turn into bookings and payments without anyone chasing them. Then the marketing, so the right people find their way to the door.
That's how the Haus Rules came to be.
Where the haus came from
A room full of founders at exactly the same stage as you. → Community & Accountability
Marketing that puts you in front of the people who are ready to buy, and accountability to keep you there → Marketing & Momentum
The systems that book, bill and onboard your clients while you do the actual work. → Systems & Infrastructure
A brand and human-made website that match your reputation and convince your visitors to buy → Brand & Web Design
our haus rules
We build the haus. You bring the human.
The haus is your complete digital ecosystem – your brand, your website, the funnels, the automations and the marketing that grows it. You bring the authority. We build the engine that gets you paid.
There are five haus rules, and everything we do sits under one of them. Start at the bottom, start in the middle, or take the lift straight to the top.
Your offer, your buyer and your price, sales page built and ready to test. → Offer & Foundations
what i believe
01
Prove it, then polish it
An offer somebody has already paid for beats a brand everybody admires. Sell first, decorate later. I learned that the expensive way, which is why the workshop is called Logo Comes Last.
02
Momentum is the whole game
Businesses rarely stall on bad decisions. They stall on eleven months of nearly. So we make the calls while they are still warm and get you live before you talk yourself out of it.
03
You have to be in control of your business
I have had clients locked out of their own websites with no clue who owns the domain. With me, you get the logins, the files and the walkthrough videos, so you can change an image on a Sunday without asking a soul.
Gen X child of the eighties, so there'll be a big ballad on somewhere while your site is being built.
I meditate (nearly) every day, which is the only reason I'm this calm about deadlines.
There's a dog. George arrived as a foster puppy and simply never left.
Meet Geroge
I'm in Manly, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and most of my best thinking happens on a walk.
A few things about me
Kriya kundalini yoga. After trying many types of yoga over the years, I finally found my jam.
Always there for me
Friendships. As I get older, my friends have become my family. I love my tribe.
Coffee. I know, I know, whilst everyone's switching it out for cacao or tea, I love my morning brew.
My Favourite Things
DYLAN ROWLAND
“Fiona is like a Marketing Unicorn, I couldn't recommend her any more highly. There needed to be a 6 star option!”
★★★★★
“A strategy and design that fit me like a glove.”
She took the time to really get to know me, my wishes and dreams, some of which I was not even aware. Then she was able to translate all this into a strategy and design that fit me like a glove.
Jasmijn de smit - jasm coaching
★★★★★
“She is the perfect crossover for older luddites like me!”
Fiona has a strong practical marketing pedigree. I found her input was very helpful both strategically and in helping me translate my concept into a website.
mike lewis
★★★★★
"I came to her feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what I wanted."
The end result is a beautiful website that is true to who I am as a person and practitioner that I couldn't be more proud of.
dora ferreira, wellness with dora
★★★★★
“She's creative, responsive and genuinely cares about the work she does.”
Fiona has been a pleasure to work with and has really helped strengthen the Astus Financial brand.
monir hossan, astus financial