Anch Thukral moved to Melbourne in 2019 with a clear goal: she wanted to become a teacher and leave the uncertainty of her past behind. She enrolled in a Master of Teaching at Australian Catholic University and worked multiple jobs in retail and hospitality to cover her fees and living costs. After years of survival mode, she achieved what she had fought for by landing a full-time secondary science teaching role.
A job that didn’t fit
However, reaching the goal did not provide the stability Anch had expected. As the youngest teacher in her workplace, she faced bullying from senior staff. She also felt a growing disconnect from a conventional nine-to-five life. The routine of teaching did not match the ambitions she had buried while studying.
“I felt like a robot,” Anch recalls. “My dream wasn’t becoming an entrepreneur. I actually wanted the opposite.” She wanted to graduate, work a normal job, and finally have stability. Yet, despite the achievement, she kept feeling that something else was missing.
Reclaiming rituals
The shift toward entrepreneurship began when she stopped viewing herself as a priority. Under constant pressure, rest disappears, and taking care of one’s appearance can feel unnecessary. Anch realized that she had lost the small rituals that made her feel like herself. She wanted to rebuild that connection.
Read Also: Most websites have critical safety flaw
Her frustration with the intimate care category led to the creation of her first company. The products address external intimate care, positioning them alongside skincare and body care. She built KASSANOVA from scratch, handling product development, packaging, and marketing while working her teaching job. The brand launched on 26 May and secured listings on Big W’s online marketplace within days.
From there, the company expanded into Woolworths Everyday Market and MedCart, and now skin and laser clinics carry the line. The brand’s rapid growth came from a simple realization: women take care of their faces and bodies, yet they often neglect the intimate area because the category feels clinical or disconnected from the rest of beauty.
“I didn’t understand why intimate care had to feel embarrassing, or something you only looked for when there was a problem,” she says. “I take care of myself in every other area. Why couldn’t external intimate care simply sit alongside skincare, haircare or body care as another optional part of looking after yourself?”
Two brands, one philosophy
Having cast off the yoke of doubt, Anch determined to realise the lingerie concept that had been sitting quietly inside her imagination since 2023. She launched Kassandra The Label on 10 August 2026, introducing lingerie to her portfolio. The two businesses operate separately, but they share a common approach to femininity.
Leave a Reply