For Larissa, the founder of CoTheory, the definition of her happiness has changed over time. Before CoTheory, Larissa hadn’t worked for a few years and her sole focus was raising her beautiful family alongside her husband, George – and she rarely wanted much else.

Now, however, she acknowledges that people and times change, life moves in unforeseen directions, and that she learnt a lot after watching her husband make the move from employee to employer.

“Motherhood is a beautiful journey and the best gift of all, however several years of lockdown left me keen to channel my energy into a new project. I’d like to think I’ve always been quite ambitious, and watching George embrace challenges in his career made me want the same for myself. We’d had three children in three and a half years, and I was keen to contribute more purposefully to the life that George and I are building together. One thing I’ve learnt these past few years is that happiness looks different for everyone, and it often changes with the seasons – and that’s ok, you just must be honest with yourself and aware of it. ”

After months of watching George trying to work from the dining room table in 2020 amidst the chaos of their home, she began to consider the importance of how an environment impacts productivity.

“This is where CoTheory was born. I spent months researching things I was passionate about while trying to figure out what could actually be a serious business idea. With a passion for design, I set about searching for aesthetic officeware when setting up the workspace at home and really struggled to find what I was looking for – so instead of getting too frustrated, I decided to create it myself.”

Along the way, Larissa has learnt so much about herself and what inspires and motivates her. Her biggest surprise is how strong and resilient she has become, after an abundance of “no’s” and setbacks along the way. 

“At times it has been crushing. I think back to when I was younger and had plenty of goals and ideas of what I wanted to achieve. Every new year would ring in resolutions, plans and goals, very few of which came to fruition. Building a business has taught me to follow through – and has shown me how rewarding it can be to spend time building something special that simply started out as a solution to a problem.”

On the flip side, Larissa acknowledges that managing a product-based business end-to-end is also far more complex than expected.

“Navigating through this took a lot of time, hard work and patience – I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve learned from all of them. I’ve realised that the journey I am on is invaluable, and I’m working with and learning from others who are great at what they do along the way. Ultimately, it’s not just about the business or the product – it’s about building something of value, as well as the relationships that come with that.”

As CoTheory grows, Larissa is excited for what’s next. “I’m looking forward to watching the brand evolve, and for people and businesses to understand who we are, what we stand for and what we offer. Over time, that offering will grow, and we’re excited to also sell our products in markets abroad.”

To shop the launch range, you can view the current CoTheory collections here.

Photography by @the.cwolf / Words by Jacqueline O'Neill, Inneka Agency.