Alexandra 
Lewis

At the age of twenty-four, Alexandra Lewis left her temporary home of Ballarat and travelled to the United States. In Seattle, she took a fateful step inside Babeland – the sex toy boutique run by women, for women. What she describes as a mind-blowing experience, here Alexandra engaged in a mature, open conversation about female sexuality that would forever change and continuously shape her own approach to intimacy. This sense of empowerment would later inspire the entrepreneur-in-the-making to start her very own business.

After ten years of making decisions for other people as an Executive Assistant, Alexandra was ready to start making her own. Itching to turn this dream into a reality, she enrolled as a mature aged student at Swinburne University. In 2014, Alexandra graduated with a BComm in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, yet even before graduating, she started to feel disconnected from the graduate pathways. That same yearning to do her own thing took hold and so the online sensuality boutique Andracova was born.

Dedicated to creating a safe, elegant space to explore female sexuality, Andracova specialises in curated parcels offering adult and personal lifestyle accessories. With each hand-wrapped parcel, Andracova aims to promote greater self acceptance, heightened intimacy and more authentic connections for the curious recipient. 

Alexandra tells us how she structures her day in order to grow the business, while simultaneously making room for life's little pleasures. From morning cuddles with her adorable pooch Poppet and weekly trips to the cinema, to the transition to teetotaller, Alexandra shares the secret to making room for the finer things in life while relentlessly pursuing your passion. 

PART II:  WEEKEND ROUTINE

Friday:

We usually visit a friend or head out. Our friendship groups are quite sprawling, so there is always something going on. 

Saturday:

Same slow start but we will go out to brunch near south Melbourne markets. We will head out around ten and meet a group of friends. Go to the markets, have a wander, and get fresh coffee beans – that’s one of my little luxuries now.

Weekends are about friends, good food, and markets. There are a lot of times where I think, “Should we go out, or should we have pizza and stay home with Poppet?” Pizza and Poppet usually win.

Sunday:

Sunday  is all about Insiders and seeing what’s going on politically and getting outraged. We tend to either work or head to a family function.

PART III: BEHIND THE SCENES

On how how it all began…

Visiting Babeland was the most mind blowing experience of my mid-twenties. 

Without a hint of embarrassment, the staff spoke about my vagina like it mattered. It does matter. Why doesn’t everyone know their vagina matters?

It was this moment where I realised I’ve got to be doing something in this area and talking about how important it is for women to really know themselves and know their bodies. There are so many interesting ways we can express  ourselves and there are so many ways to experience pleasure – by yourself or with a partner – but there are still so many stigmas attached to those who are a little more open. 

On the support of family and friends…

Everyone has been really encouraging, but that doesn’t mean that things don’t seem way too complicated or insurmountable at times.

Rebecca Starkins of Little Makes Big has been a massive support to me in terms of sharing information and advice on starting a business. Even if it was just sharing experiences, it really changed the game and made it all possible – I feel very lucky.

On giving up alcohol…

I think it’s common for people to use alcohol as a crutch during a stressful time. When working for a company or someone else, the stress levels tend to undulate. But with working for yourself , they don’t – they kind of maintain at a high. 

You kind of operate on a constant, “Oh my god, oh my god, I don’t know what I’m doing “ all the damn time!

I found that alcohol wasn’t helping me be a better person or business woman. It wasn’t relieving stress, it was just masking it. If being stress free means I need to do a little work at night because I’ve suddenly had the inspiration to do something, I should.

I thought to myself: Don’t have that glass of wine so you can’t do it the best you can. Be ready and clear all the time and ready to take action on those moments when you have some clarity or a really important thought.

On working with sex toys…

Being in the industry, I find I go through cycles of being really open to intimate connections followed by periods where it tends to get a little repetitive and I think, “I’m always around this stuff.” [Laughs]

But I am a big supporter of masturbation and sex toys, and I really believe that women need to be in charge of their own bodies and their own orgasm. If you don’t know about your body, how it works and how to experience pleasure, then you can’t rely on someone else to fulfil you.

On turning an idea into a career…

It took a long time. It was in development much longer than anticipated which was really frustrating. There was a constant re-evaluation about what the exact idea was. It started out as a parcel, plus a subscription option, plus an online store – but I was trying to do too much.

Every time I found a hurdle, I reassessed the concept to find the part of it I truly believed in – the non-negotiable. 

On the financial risk of starting a business…

I have been really lucky as Brad and I have this relationship where I’ve supported him when he has wanted to pursue study or a business, and viceversa. We worked really hard when we lived abroad in England and saved seed money to invest in our businesses. 

On the challenges of working from home…

An author friend of mine opened up to me about the misconceptions that come with working from home. Close friends would call throughout the day, expecting her to be available as if she was just writing as a hobby on the side. But people are expecting her manuscript, she has advances, she has a deadline... She isn’t just hanging out at home! She has been a great support in teaching me to say “No, this is my job.”

On a creating a routine around intimacy...

Mornings are the best time for sex. You’re not tired… you’re refreshed. We shower together a lot!

We are very tactile, we really like being with each other and talking about ideas and opportunities. 

When you’ve been with someone for nearly 10 years, there isn’t that much you haven’t seen before. The thought of launching something together is quite stimulating as it’s all about new, exciting opportunity.