Haley Ann '11 has always been a risk taker. She abandoned her corporate job and now manages her own lifestyle company, Authentique Design Collective, and the podcast "Blow Your Skirt Up." When Ann took the leap to pursue her entrepreneurship dreams, she never could have predicted the challenges and rewards that would come her way.
Finding her calling
Part of Ann's drive was instilled during her childhood. As a kid, she underwent heart surgery, with doctors not knowing if she would make it. After surviving, she embraced the philosophy that life was too short not to fulfill her purpose of spreading joy. As Ann grew up, she developed the tenacious, no-formula, mindset to confront and overcome obstacles, regardless of their difficulty.
When Ann first stepped on Lynn University's sunny campus, she knew it would be special. Lynn offered her the perfect opportunity to study practical business skills, be creative, and make connections from all around the world.
"I credit Lynn for giving me the tools and experiences needed to prepare for life after college," said Ann. "I am grateful to have been so involved during my time there. It allowed me to apply myself and learn everything I could."
As a student-athlete, she learned as much outside the classroom as she did inside of it. Ann was heavily involved in clubs and extracurricular activities. She served as a community advisor for Lynn's Housing and Residence Life team, and on the court, Ann played volleyball for all four years for the Fighting Knights. She became Lynn's Commencement speaker for the class of 2011 and won the Trustee's Medal Award, awarded to a student who has "exhibited outstanding scholarship, leadership, loyalty and service to Lynn."
But to Ann, her biggest accolade came in the form of a friendship:
"The best gift Lynn ever gave me is my best friend Sydney," said Ann. "She's the Marilyn Monroe to my Audrey Hepburn." Ann met Sydney Taylor '08 as a Fighting Knight on the volleyball team, where they relied on each other on and off the court. Taylor was a fashion major and introduced Ann to Lynn's fashion and retail program, where she nurtured her fascination with art and design.
"Seeing those students helped me realize that design is all about not being one-dimensional and highlighting what's unique to you," said Ann. Now she works hard to create environments that are authentic to herself and her clients that will evolve with them. "I have a mood board now where I'm always putting up different pictures to express what I'm feeling in the moment."
As she entered corporate America after graduation, Ann realized the environment would not accommodate her artistic ideas and expressive personality. She took the nine years of experience she had in her previous role and leveraged it to help her balance her next undertaking. In 2019, with a Bachelor of Science in business administration under her belt and using the practical experiences she gained as a well-rounded student-athlete at Lynn, Ann began her entrepreneurial journey when she opened her own lifestyle design business, Homes by Haley LLC. She then rebranded the company as Authentique Design Collective.
Authentique Design Collective directly reflects her artistic ability and business mindset. Ann's day-to-day artistic perspective combines an aesthetic with a utilitarian balance. The company assists clients by catering to their needs, desires and ideas to achieve their dream spaces. It also combines a client's existing space with their one-of-a-kind vision that will create cherished memories for family and friends. Ann not only fulfilled her purpose of creating art and lifestyle experiences by redesigning bedrooms, homes and small businesses, but she also made her mark in the Midwest by designing murals that fostered experiences and brought joy to the community.
The following year, the unimaginable happened when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. As a new business owner, Ann knew she was up for another challenge.
Working through setbacks
The world was filled with chaos and uncertainty. Ann faced moments of doubt and had to work even harder to make her brand successful. During the quarantine, Taylor visited her and was there to help problem-solve through struggles.
"It was really a challenge, but it allowed me to sit down and think. Being in my house was a canvas for many things and helped me grow as a designer and develop a new aesthetic," said Ann. "It forced me to see the vision for myself ten years down the road. I wanted to create magic, especially during such a dark time."
That magic manifested itself when Ann and Taylor co-founded their podcast, "Blow Your Skirt Up." The name is a phrase that inspires the best friends and their monthly listeners to pursue things in life that excite them. They wanted to create a podcast that addressed a wide range of topics, including leadership, friendship and ownership.
"We try to keep it real, and we don't edit anything," said Ann. "We don't want it to be staged. Nothing is perfect, and if we mess up or lose our train of thought, it's okay."
The next challenge was summoning the courage to post their first episode …
Putting herself out there
When Ann went live with the podcast, she had to be vulnerable.
"I put in the work to improve myself and be more confident and open," said Ann. "I was finally at a place where I was comfortable putting myself out there."
Just like Ann spreads joy through her art and lifestyle design, she was on a mission to establish positivity on social media. Her mission as a content creator was to develop a platform that was a safe space to have various types of conversations.
"The fact that the podcast is actually out there is a big deal because it's a lot of hard work, and it's exciting to see the downloads go up," said Ann. "We have full-time jobs and are pursuing it outside of that, which makes me feel very proud." Ann isn't stopping her creative ambitions there either, as she is opening a new lifestyle studio called A Skosh of Indy.
Taking on the challenge of being her own boss was a risk, and looking back, she would not change a thing. "I think being authentic makes life exciting and allows everyone to truly be who they are. If you live your life authentically, we can all win together. Not everything will be perfect—you have to embrace the mess before the masterpiece."
