• Charles Sturt University business student features in Vogue Business
• The current student started her business in 2022 while studying at Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga, now online
• Studying at Charles Sturt gave the student tools to make business an international success

A business student has experienced the power of social media as she watched her business catapult to international success with tools she has learned at Charles Sturt University.

Ms Brianna Nance is a current Bachelor of Business (Marketing) student in the Charles Sturt School of Business, formerly studying at Charles Sturt in Albury-Wodonga before becoming an online student.

In her time as a student at Charles Sturt, Ms Nance has been included on the Faculty Dean’s List, which she said was a significant personal achievement.

She currently lives in her hometown in the Southern Highlands, where she runs her business Strawberry and Bumble, which was inspired by a 1960s sewing book passed on from her late great-grandmother.

The brand combines Ms Nance’s love of design and creativity, focusing on lifestyle accessories. Since its inception in 2022, it’s grown into an international business, shipping sales to more than 30 countries, including South Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Her interest in design and business started in high school, when she had her major HSC Textiles and Design work featured in the TexStyle Exhibition 2022 as one of the top works in the state.

“This experience helped fuel my passion for entrepreneurship and design,” she said.

Ms Nance said studying at Charles Sturt has provided her with a strong foundation in marketing, consumer behaviour and data-driven decision making.

She said by applying what she has learned through her studies so far, she has been able to think strategically and creatively to understand the essential strategies to building a brand and consumer relationships.

This includes using social media, including TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram, as marketing tools to gain more than 43,000 followers.

Strawberry and Bumble also featured in Vogue Business in late 2024 alongside some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Alo and Lululemon.

“Growing a business while studying at university has allowed me to implement what I’ve learnt in lectures and apply them to a real-life context,” she said.

“This has been instrumental to enriching my course understanding and provides a unique edge to classroom theory.

“It’s been challenging to balance entrepreneurship with university studies, but extremely rewarding.”

Ms Nance’s long-term goal is to keep growing her business’s international presence and expand into new ecommerce ventures.

“I want to inspire and empower other young entrepreneurs, particularly women, to pursue their passions and succeed in business,” she said.