From Model to Founder: 4 Lessons From Monique Lester for New Entrepreneurs

Partner content: The Entrepreneurs Weekly prepared this sponsored profile together with Monique Lester.

For most of her life, Monique Lester’s work has happened in front of a camera. The Australian model is now starting a company of her own, a lingerie label named Crystal Rose Intimates, and the way she has gone about it holds useful lessons for anyone moving from one career into business.

Who Is Monique Lester?

Lester’s interest in fashion and visual expression started early and turned into international work spanning magazine appearances, fashion photography and creative collaborations.

Playboy is among the international publications to have run her work, and in 2025 she was the cover model for Magnifiqué, in pictures taken by Richard Lancaster.

Beyond fashion, she has brought up her family and held a job as a disability support worker, which she calls rewarding and meaningful.

Lesson 1: Build on What You Already Know

Lester’s industry was not a random pick. Lingerie sits right beside the work she has done as a model: she understands how clothes read on camera, how a shoot is put together and how fashion gets presented to the people who buy it.

For founders: a first company is easier to manage when the product and the customer are already familiar to you.

Lesson 2: Secure the Basics Before You Announce

Ahead of any public launch, she fixed the brand name and opened the supply side by requesting product samples from a supplier she may go on to use.

For founders: a settled name and a supply line that works count for more than an early announcement. Put the product through its paces before you make promises about it.

Lesson 3: Build Curiosity, Not Hype

Most of the details remain private, and Lester has said she wants her audience kept curious. She has not committed to a launch date that could slip.

For founders: building quietly guards your credibility. Customers trust the brands that deliver what they promised on the day they promised it.

Lesson 4: Keep a Clear Identity

Individuality, confidence and authenticity are the foundations of her modeling career. Her view is that a model should shape an identity of her own, not chase whatever happens to be in fashion.

For founders: brands are no different. A company that copies each new trend soon becomes difficult to distinguish from its rivals.

Planning a Business Around a Life

Lester is candid that Crystal Rose Intimates must fit around her family. A last child is part of her plans, and she intends to try for one before long. If that pregnancy happens, her plan is to carry on modeling while she is comfortable, take a break, and come back step by step when she feels ready.

Planning like that is itself a lesson. Founders who build around the commitments they really have tend to outlast those who act as if they have none.

Quick Summary

Founders tracking a launch like this can see it unfold on her Instagram account.

Frequently Asked Questions

What company did Monique Lester start?

She is getting ready to launch Crystal Rose Intimates, a lingerie label.

What did she do before business?

She is a model with an international career, including a 2025 Magnifiqué cover.

Can I buy Crystal Rose Intimates yet?

No. The brand is still in development, and there is no announced launch date.