"Xero Beautiful Business" office makeover contest results revealed

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Jun 15, 2022, 08:30 ET

Winner Alissa Millett of Soulteria debuts inspirational, yet functional home workspace for her growing small business

DENVER, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Xero, the global small business platform, today unveiled the results of the "Xero Beautiful Business" Contest, which launched earlier this year and called for small businesses to enter to win a $15,000 office refresh designed by celebrated stylist and interior designer Estee Stanley. Xero received a multitude of entries and awarded Alissa Millett, CEO of sustainable swimwear company Soulteria, the prize. After a design consultation with Stanley and a two-month redecorating process, the highly-anticipated space has been revealed.

Before and after photos of Soulteria’s office makeover designed by Estee Stanley.

As told through her compelling submission, Millett poured her life savings into launching Soulteria, but had minimal funds left to finish out her home office space. Through a combination of thrifting and upcycling, Millett pieced together a passable workspace, but it ultimately lacked style and function.

"This gift from Xero and Estee Stanley could not have come at a better time," said Millett. "We have been working hard to expand Soulteria, and this makeover validates all of that effort and more. And to partner with a global company whose values so closely align with ours, and whose sole focus is empowering small businesses of all kinds, makes it that much sweeter."

Following a virtual design consultation to understand Millett's design aesthetic and functional needs, Stanley created a design board inspired by the work Soulteria does for young women, the community, and the planet. Stanley's design incorporated earthy and natural tones with bold, modern accents, resulting in a space that sparks both creativity and productivity.

"I was thrilled to partner with Xero on this project to transform a deserving small business owner's office. As a small business owner myself, I understand the importance of creating a workspace that is beautiful, yet practical," said Stanley. "It was a joy to work with Alissa throughout this process and hope the redesign provides inspiration to the Soulteria team for years to come."

As a global small business platform, Xero's mission is to make lives better for small businesses and their communities. "Our goal for this contest was to help a small business and inject some positivity after facing a number of challenging years," said Ben Richmond, US Country Manager at Xero. "It's been a pleasure to team up with Estee to help propel Alissa and her company's important work forward."

For more details on Souleria's stunning transformation, visit the Xero blog.

About Xero

Xero is a global small business platform with 3.3 million subscribers which includes a core accounting solution, payroll, workforce management, expenses and projects. Xero also provides access to financial services, and an ecosystem of more than 1,000 connected apps and more than 300 connections to banks and other financial institutions. Through Xero's open platform, small businesses can connect to a range of solutions that help them run their business and manage their finances. For three consecutive years (2020-2022) Xero was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. In 2021, Xero was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), powered by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Xero has been named as a FIFA Women's Football partner under FIFA's new commercial structure.

About Estee Stanley

For over 20 years as a celebrated fashion stylist, Estee Stanley created some of the most stylish looks in Hollywood and around the world, counting A-List fashion icons as her clients. In recent years, Estee has become as well known for her interiors, having designed homes for Patrick Dempsey, Chris Evans, Ellen Pompeo, Justin Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Estee's work in the commercial space includes chef Ludo Lefebvre's Petit Trois restaurant and Estee's own family-friendly restaurant Au Fudge. In 2020, Estee founded The Eye, a first-of-its-kind agency that is disrupting the traditional business model within the interior design and architecture industries. Founded in 2020, The Eye recognizes the opportunity for rising voices of interior designers and architects to build strong brands around their expanding profiles and manage them as individual talent.

SOURCE Xero