A Little Chat with Bianca Gregg

With a passion for connection and relationships as well as the fundamental belief that everything holds an energy, Bianca Gregg created DEL RAINBOW - a global sales, consultancy and brand development agency - to connect energetically with fashion and lifestyle brands and retailers across a global network. “Our expertise goes beyond storytelling, we work with fashion and lifestyle brands to understand their ‘why’, allowing us to deliver their message with authenticity. At DEL RAINBOW, we offer a holistic service; imparting well-informed and strategic advice to maintain clients long-term partnerships within our global network of retailers.”

Bianca’s ethos and commitment to creating a harmonious energetic flow with partners, buyers and customers, also extends to DEL RAINBOW as a business and its dedication to sustainable and ethical practices. DEL RAINBOW is a 100% Carbon Neutral business and donates a percentage of revenue to environmental nonprofits through 1% for the Planet. “Acting as eco-pioneers in a luxury market, we are proud to take these necessary actions to protect the future of our planet, and our industry.”

As neighbours to Little Company Byron Bay, we recently sat down with Bianca to have a little chat about her daily rituals, how she supports and maintains her own personal energy and what are her hopes for the fashion and lifestyle industry moving forward.

With over 10 years of key industry experience, tell us about your journey into creating DEL RAINBOW. What experiences or self realisations led you to want to make a change in the fashion and lifestyle industries?

My journey to creating Del Rainbow was certainly guided by my higher self, as all paths truly did lead me here. I am a huge believer in the universe guiding our path when we trust the process. I am truly grateful for my journey, watching Del Rainbow grow, but also for my personal growth, which continues to be remarkable. I believe that when you personally grow alongside something, and the people involved, it becomes a part of your essence and all that you are.

I hold a connection with all brands under our arc, truly understanding every inch of who they are and why they do what they do: connecting with their purpose. Everything comes from purpose and when you understand this and connect to this truth, it allows you to be an extension of this.

I began working in fashion over a decade ago, working as a stylist for magazines, where I quickly realized I wanted to get more involved ‘behind the scenes’ with the brands I was working with, and stepped into the showroom world. Almost immediately, I was involved in many facets of the industry; global sales, brand management, PR, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, brand development, all alongside creating our own in-house product. This transparency allowed me to develop my own unique vision for the changes that I felt the industry needed, and how to best support brands through making them. It’s that age old saying, ‘learn what not to do’; merged with my number one life motto; ‘be exactly who you are and let your own beliefs and passion shine in all that you do’. Having insight into the mass production arena and being in a role that is based on selling more of something, I wanted to ensure I was also doing this with purpose and connecting others with brands who are doing better in the world across the three pillars of social, environmental, and economic.  

Essentially this business was born from a passion to create change and stand behind others, championing them and their ability to be and do great things; alongside doing this myself. I love to live an expansive life with the concept of limitless opportunity to manifest, so that is where Del Rainbow grew into its own. A space to challenge, nurture, grow and love. A space that allows every individual to be exactly who they are, unapologetically and foster change in all that we do.

 

Founded by you and husband Arlen Macpherson, DEL RAINBOW was built on strong foundational pillars to support and encourage harmonious relationships with everyone involved. Can you tell us more about why energy flow is so important to DEL RAINBOW but also for yourself and Arlen?

We believe that everything holds an energy, so it is important to be conscious of who we are, our values, and the space we hold when working, developing, and creating; that energetic transference goes through each stage of the process. We need to be responsible for who we are, owning ourselves wholeheartedly for all counterparts (our loves, fears, triggers, context), and work on ourselves so that we are conscious of the energy we are outputting.

We also believe in the power of vulnerability. It is our number one priority that we support all our clients with love, care, compassion and believe in them so that we can help them be the best versions of themselves, encouraging them to be exactly who they are. This also results in the harmonious flow of the experience and the solidarity of the relationships. People feel into this, no matter how close or far away they are from the journey. I want to ensure that we can experience joy along the way and everyone who encounters us, our team, our clients all experience this feeling.

No-one is you and that is your power, is our key manifesto. Arlen and I are both very loving and supportive humans, and the environment within Del Rainbow stems from this. It also makes our team, space, clients, colleagues, and partners all feel so connected and like a family - there is no better feeling than being connected authentically and know that you will all be there for each other through life’s journey.

How has this ethos then extended into DEL RAINBOW as a business and its commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices?

Operating as advocates for transparency, together with a passion for being the best people that we can be by constantly learning and growing has organically mirrored the business practices and our commitments. Put simply, we truly care. We care about this planet, what we do, who we work with, what we create and want to ensure that this all stems from the foundation of purpose, responsible and ethical practices. We can see the impact simply by educating, encouraging, supporting, and passionately connecting people with the greater purpose. We know that we work in an industry that can make a significant change in the world – it is our choice whether that’s positive or negative.

We take this responsibility to advocate awareness surrounding sustainable practices very seriously but ensure that it is always done in an inclusive and joyful way. This was the intention behind Del Rainbow Store a place for people in Byron Bay, and around the world to shop consciously. We wanted customers to have the opportunity and education to buy better and how this makes an impact. Every purchase from our store comes with a thank you note detailing where you have made a difference; whether it be environmental (recycled fabrics, carbon neutral), social (ethical factory accreditations, tested for harmful substances), and economic (supporting charitable organisations, giving back to artisan communities).

Del Rainbow maintains these values and practices at our core in everything that we do as a business and our service, as guiders and creators on this path, but also ensure that our business gives back. We have been a carbon neutral business since 2018 and in 2020 partnered with 1% for the Planet and i=Change. We are committed to hosting community events each year - expanding our story telling and knowledge not just to those who partner with us. At the end of the day, I want to know we have made a change within this industry (and beyond) and will always work towards this purpose. One of my favourite quotes is by anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

What conversations do you wish were more talked about, and how can brands engage in these conversations in a more authentic and constructive way?

I hope and wish for brands to communicate more of the ‘behind the brand’ experiences and tell us the story. I want to see and know how things are made, I would love to see more product journeys and the people behind it all, every step of the way, the hands that touched and created this alongside the visionaries – that is what makes something special, unique, and shows it comes from purpose.

I am really calling out for brands to be transparent and go on their own discovery into their supply chain so that they have full visibility into this, where they can make changes along the way and showcase these efforts to the customer and their community. Traceability of supply chain is something that I want to know when I view a brand and the brands choices in materials and practices. That is what builds value and trust. I believe it is about really allowing your business to be vulnerable and telling us what you have achieved and what your ongoing commitments are, it is perfectly ok to be honest and be on the journey to do more. No one is perfect, nor will we ever be. When you are vulnerable and personable, it encourages your community to be and to connect with you in deeper ways, that’s how we make a change and do things of value. It also will then encourage your peers to do so, ripple effects to then customers having their eyes opened to what we should be seeing and understanding. It is a privilege to own a business and to have a platform, I believe teams should use this wisely. My advice to brands is: Do not be afraid to be real. Being real is the true luxury.

In what ways do you nurture yourself? Do you have any daily rituals?

I nurture myself by keeping my headspace aligned with who I am whilst searching for the joy in each moment. This brings me back to a gratitude space, which then fills my world with love and connection. I nurture myself by allowing myself to be exactly who I am without judgement, in each moment. I am a big fan of mediation and self-development, so I love putting on a podcast or closing-down my eyes to cleanse and check in with my aura and make sure my chakras are beaming. My number one ritual is cuddling my two dogs of a morning, it is the first thing I do when I wake up. Our infrared sauna is another great place for some uninterrupted head space. Other than this, my daily ritual is coffee.

What are your must-have bathroom essentials, and why?

Plenty of oils for both face and body! MV Body Oil (relaxing) is an essential for post shower or bath, used in harmony with MV Pure Jojoba Oil which I use every morning and evening on my face and neck. I love the ritual of applying a nourishing product; the practice of connecting in with each part of your body so mindfully. I also struggle with hydration and dryness, so I thoroughly enjoy everything that a good oil brings. An eye gel is an essential and used both morning and evening to rejuvenate this important area. I love The Mukti Rosehip eye gel, it is so hydrating and soothing, plus has such a feminine essence to it. I particularly love this brand because of their practices and ethos. I also stand by a key deep moisturizer to use twice a week as a super-rich and hydrating tool, for this I cannot go past Sodashi. A mist to seal it all and give that extra sprits of hydration with the MV Rose Hydrating Mist, again as much hydration for me as possible. Stass & Co Body Brush for stimulation and circulation, which I love to brush before a sauna or shower. Finally, for my aura and space, an activation mist by Shemana. I love the heart activation mist as this really centers me into alignment. I keep this on my desk to have on hand throughout the day, you never know when you are going to need that extra support.

What do you do before bed to feel grounded and reconnected to self?

I love winding down for the evening by watching a great show with Arlen and cuddling with our two British Bulldogs. Recently our grounding period has been heading out into our garden to collect sticks and wood for our fire and getting this started so we can all sit by the fire and connect. There is something quite special about stepping out into nature and being thankful for the elements supporting us. This helps me connect to myself with the ones that I love.

How do you create time to reflect and refocus?

This one for me doesn’t look like the usual ‘stepping away’ to look within or creating time outside the day-to-day experience, as I ensure that I reflect every single day within what I am doing and celebrate each moment. I always stop to celebrate and reflect on each amazing moment in the moment, I also love to celebrate others and when I do this it gives me joy and refocus on the greater outcome. That allows me to refocus on the purpose and my ‘why’. I am a very free flowing individual, so no matter how busy we are or how long the hours we have worked, I will always abruptly stop (usually it involves stopping the whole team to join the moment of reflection or be acknowledged for how great and wonderful they each are) and ensure that moment has been given time of love, gratitude, and acknowledgement to both the experience and the individuals who made it possible. When I acknowledge the beauty in others, I feel joy. That re-aligns me and crates gratitude.

How do you manage female leadership and what strategies do you have for our fellow leaders?

I lead with my heart and my gut instinct, always. When you work from your heart, it always brings out the best in yourself and the team. Encourage vulnerability in all that you do and for everyone to be their unique selves. There is nothing more powerful than encouraging and supporting your team to be exactly who they are as that is why they are so special, and you have chosen to create magic together. Celebrate your people, first and foremost. Your people are the most important, always. Make sure they know this. Be the best version of yourself and continually grow as an individual, it encourages everyone around you to do the same.

Honour your truth, the way you feel and the outcome of choice (the highs and the lows) your triggers and show yourself, there is such power in being exactly who you are and opening up the support space both from you to your team, but also from them to you. You can build a strong supportive environment that will stand the test of time and relationships with your team that are the closest and most meaningful, beyond the workplace. Achieving goals with relationships like this make it so much more meaningful. We are all human and we are made to love one another. This ensures that you reach achievements as a collective. As I mentioned earlier, I believe in the power of vulnerability and connection, encourage personal growth, and help others achieve their personal goals in the workplace. Be authentic, cultivate collaboration and a team vision. Work hard to build an environment that reflects you as an individual, one that is safe, supportive, loving, striving and encourages growth. Fear is ‘false evidence appearing real’, see it and do it anyway. Take the chance and leap, you have nothing to lose. Every success is your team’s success and as always, Be Kind, Be Kinder, Be the Kindest.

What is inspiring you at the moment? What are you reading, watching, and listening to? 

Honestly, the Del Rainbow team are what is really inspiring me every single day. That room has the most amazing, driven, incredible, beautiful human beings that I have ever met and the most talented in the universe at what they do. Not only our direct team, but also our brand partners who we are so blessed to work with, they are doing so many amazing things, pushing the boundaries, cultivating change and are just the most inspiring people. It is such a special team, one that I am honoured and inspired to create with every day. I am reading ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel Van Der Kolk, this was a recommended read and said that ‘anyone who has a body or mind should read post 2020’ – so, all of us!

Watching; Sex and the City from start to finish again in lead up to the next chapter, ‘Just Like That’ launching soon. It amazes me that no matter how many times I have seen this show, it just gets better. Listening to; Happy Not Perfect Podcast by Poppy Jaime, in particular I highly recommend episode 78. Poppy provides the tools to upgrade your mind and challenge your thoughts by using the FLEX method, based on connection, curiosity, choice, and commitment. After listening I came into the Del Rainbow office, and we had a personal development/ mental health week, where we focused on engaging this method into our daily lives, growing as a collective by supporting and holding one another accountable. I will leave you here with one key quote from Ram Dass: ‘I can do nothing for you but work on myself... you can do nothing for me but work on yourself.’