The Village celebrates International Women’s Day 2024 showcasing some of the amazing businesswomen whom you meet when visiting our Village and service our community with wonderful shops, products and services.
We have so many amazing women, delivering the very best in customer care to our shoppers so we thought we’d put a few of them in the picture.
Meet some of the amazing women of the Village North Balwyn. This is what they have to say about being women in business and what they love about what they do. We hope some of what inspires them may inspire other women to live their best life.
Dianne Kairouz – Kruz Kids – Shop 1, 70 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – Being a woman in business empowers me and gives me a sense of purpose to be a role model for my children who come and work with me. When my children come to work I give them a passion to make this into a job. Being a woman in business allows me to develop my creative outlet and be expressive.
Ana Salzano – Salzano’s Delicatessen – 73 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – My dad was a chef and he inspired me to be a business woman with a love of food. I am one of seven children, the second youngest of Italian immigrant parents.My love of cooking all things Italian is passion I love to share with the community.
Helen Bastounas – Iikos Design – 89 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – I love exploring the creative side of life. I love creating beautiful spaces and creating lovely homes. I’ve been an owner of Iikos Design for 10 years.
Melissa McSweeney – Amanda’s Boutique – 91 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – I’ve been in the fashion industry for 25 years. Fashion is every-changing and I love trying to inspire women to do something different. I love making women feel confident in trying things they normally wouldn’t.
Ainsley Sinicco – Stanley & Stone – 68B and 72A Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – I love being in business because it gives me my independence and create my own things. I’ve been in business a long time but had Stanley & Stone for 3 ½ years. I had an epiphany a while back and wanted to accomplish more than what I was doing. I love chatting to customers, having people around and providing fun things for people to enjoy.
Simone Wellington – Fella Hamilton – 71 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – I love making ladies feel good. I love being that friendly face people can come and talk to, especially if they are lonely. Everyone has a story to share and I love listening to the stories of the wonderful people who come to our shop.
Melissa Muratore – Fusion Pilates – Shop 3, 72A Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – I just love The Village feel. Fusion Pilates & PT ensures each client receives the support they need to achieve their fitness goals. Melissa has 20 years pilates teaching experience bringing reformer pilates to the Village.
With a maximum of five people per class, allowing for personalized modifications around niggles, injuries. Melisaa also offers private 1:1 and 2:1 sessions. The studio is fit out with speciality equipment. Each reformer has a trapeze tower attached allowing more diverse full body workouts. Follow @fusionalpilates.pt
Leah McLeod – Better Bodies Contouring – Level 1, 72 Doncaster Road, North Balwyn – Beautiful bodies is not the domain of the rich and famous and Leah McLeod of Better Bodies Contouring sure knows how to dispel the myths and help you create your beautiful body. Leah brings sunshine to your day with a personality brighter, bigger and boasting beauty with each pearly white she displays. “My service delivery and approach is to look after people and some of them are at very vulnerable times in their lives. My Better Bodies Contouring Clinic is not about vanity, but how best to live in the skin you’re given.”
North Balwyn Village shops and business owners celebrate all women in our community this International Womens Day and every day for every contribution you make to a better world – from our amazing mothers who nurture the children who will be tomorrow’s adults and leaders, to working women everywhere, grandmothers, aunts and sisters, you are much celebrated for you.
As we mark International Women’s Day, North Balwyn Village extends our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing women in our community. We celebrate all your strength, wisdom, and inspiring presence.