From 30 boardshorts at Bondi markets to The Iconic
Liliana Rubiano is the director of Tolu Australia, a brand that began with 30 pairs of Colombian boardshorts sold at Bondi markets. Tolu now sells through major marketplaces including The Iconic, Myer and David Jones, but the story worth reading is how early face-to-face selling shaped the business and still informs what works today.
The first customers came from direct conversations, not campaigns. That early market stall work taught the business to listen closely, and that same principle now guides a shift toward SEO, clearer product storytelling and a stronger direct relationship with customers.
What’s the quick origin story of your business, and what makes what you do genuinely different from the other options your customers are looking at?
I started Tolu Australia in 2013 after my uncle in Colombia offered me the opportunity to import some Colombian boardshorts. I took a leap, brought 30 pairs to Australia and started selling them at Bondi markets.
What makes Tolu different is the story behind the products. Our boardshorts are made in Medellín, Colombia—a textile hub I know well and feel proud to represent. I combine my Colombian roots with the Australian coastal lifestyle to create colourful, distinctive products that bring people together.
As a mum, the brand has also evolved with my family. I now create products that make family adventures easier and more memorable, while keeping the same focus on quality, colour, and connection.
Where does most of your new business come from today, and where do you wish it came from?
Most of my sales today come through major online marketplaces such as The Iconic, Myer and David Jones. While I’m proud to have Tolu Australia represented on these platforms, one of my biggest goals is to grow our own website and build a stronger direct relationship with our customers.
I want more customers to discover Tolu, connect with our story and become part of our community directly through our brand, rather than only through marketplaces.
Where did your very first customers actually come from, and what did you do to get them that wouldn’t scale today?
My very first customers came from Bondi markets. I started Tolu Australia in 2013 with just 30 pairs of Colombian boardshorts, so I literally took them to markets and spoke to customers face-to-face.
What worked back then was very hands-on: setting up my stall, talking to people, letting them touch the fabrics, telling them the story behind the Colombian designs and building relationships one customer at a time.
It wouldn’t scale today, but those early face-to-face conversations taught me something I still value: **listen to your customers, understand what they like and build a genuine relationship with them.**
Today, most of my sales come through online marketplaces such as The Iconic, Myer and David Jones, and I’m working towards bringing more of those customers directly to my own website.
What’s one channel or tactic you kept betting on that never paid off, and what did you do instead?
I spent quite a bit of time and money on Meta Ads, but unfortunately it never really paid off for me. Maybe I didn’t have enough knowledge or budget to let it run for long enough, but as a small business, I also had to be careful with cash flow.
Instead, I started investing more time in SEO—improving my product descriptions, blogging and building backlinks. I also started writing more about my own experiences, thoughts and lessons as a business owner.
That has worked better for me because the content feels genuine and helps people connect with me and the story behind Tolu, rather than just seeing another advertisement.
If you were starting again tomorrow with no audience and no budget, what are the first three things you’d do to get customers?
If I was starting again tomorrow with no audience and no budget, my first three things would be:
1. Attend local markets. I’d get in front of real customers, talk to them, understand what they like and build relationships face-to-face. It’s one of the best ways to learn what people actually want.
2. Go to networking events. I’d attend events through different Chambers of Commerce and local business networks to meet other business owners, build connections and learn from people who have already been through the journey.
3. Attend small-business workshops and meetups. I’d look for free or low-cost workshops, especially around marketing, SEO, e-commerce and AI. You can learn a lot and meet potential customers, collaborators and mentors without spending much money.
I’d focus on relationships before advertising. When you have no audience and no budget, your time, curiosity and willingness to talk to people are your biggest assets.
Thank you to Liliana Rubiano and the team at Tolu Australia for telling the story of how it actually started, not how it looks in hindsight.
Have you got a first hundred worth writing down?
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