Shahna Smith, a proud Ngarrindjeri woman, always knew she wanted to run an empire one day.
When she was 16 years-old, she asked her mum, who was terminally ill, to name her business that she would start one day, and so, Amplified Beauty was born.
Shahna’s mum sadly passed away two weeks later, leaving Shahna to navigate her way to her dreams on her own. Thanks to an inner strength and determination to make something of Amplified Beauty, Shahna moved from Broken Hill to Melbourne and then to Adelaide, hustling and building up her skills and industry knowledge over the next few years.
After signing with Indigenous Business Australia in 2021, Shahna launched Amplified Beauty in February 2022, at just 22 years old.
“We launched three years ago and were the first Indigenous-owned beauty brand in Australia. While to a lot that was exciting, to me that was a lot of pressure, and it was actually quite heavy,” Ms Smith said.
Fuelled by her deep understanding of the industry’s gaps and driven by a passion for diversity and inclusion, Shahna’s Indigenous heritage and determination played an important role in shaping her entrepreneurial path.
Shahna is passionate about amplifying more than beauty. She’s focused on inclusion and greater representation in the beauty industry, with a wide range of products and colours that fill long over-looked gaps in the market.
“Culture is not a trend. I really want to affirm that. It is an identity,” Ms Smith said.
Shahna recognises the importance of representation and female empowerment.
“For me, representation in media (and in beauty products) shapes our belief system. Who we should be, what we should wear, and how should we look, especially with social media everywhere.”
“As women, and First Nations women, we absorb media campaigns and images around us without even realising it. And they’re shaping our belief system.
“The difference is when leaders and brands step up and think about representation so we can do better as a nation for future generations.
“I want everyone (people and companies) to think ‘how is my messaging going to shape someone’s belief system?” Ms Smith said.
NAB Business Banker Jakob Oosterbroek is proud to be supporting business owners like Shahna.
“I want to be able to give Shahna the right tools to succeed. Whether that be access to working capital to scale her production, or introducing her to the South Australian Foreign Exchange and Markets Team to assist with her overseas sales,” Mr Oosterbroek said.
“But, working with Shahna and being part of Amplified Beauty’s growth is more than a financial partnership. It is honestly one of the most meaningful parts of my role.
“Supporting indigenous business owners like Shana goes beyond my core role, it’s about helping empower voices that have historically been underrepresented in business (both aboriginal and women).”
NAB is deeply committed to supporting Indigenous business owners like Shahna. We are delivering on this commitment by more than doubling our lending to First Nations businesses and community organisations to at least $1 billion to the end of 2026.
For more information, visit nab.com.au/indigenousbanking.
