When Billy J Founder and CEO Leanne Hancey launched the business, success wasn't measured in millions of dollars or hundreds of thousands of customers.

It was much simpler than that. 

"In the early days, if I could get 20 orders a week, I was happy," Leanne recalls. 
More than a decade later, what began as a small Sunshine Coast startup has evolved into one of Australia's leading online fashion retailers. Today, Billy J generates more than $100 million in annual revenue, employs over 150 people, and ships more than 800,000 orders each year to customers across Australia and around the world. 
For Leanne, however, the numbers tell only part of the story. 

Building a Business Around Family 
Billy J was born during one of life's biggest transitions. 
When Leanne became a mother, she found herself questioning how she could balance raising a family while continuing to pursue a career that had always been a defining part of her identity. 

"I was terrified of leaving the workforce because my career had always been such a big part of who I was," she says. 

What started as selling clothing on eBay soon evolved into something far greater. Drawing on years of retail experience and a lifelong passion for fashion, Leanne recognised an opportunity to create an online shopping experience women could genuinely trust. 

When her son, William Jack, was just four months old, she launched her own online store, naming the business Billy J in his honour. 
Within six months, she decided to leave eBay behind and dedicate herself to building the business full-time. 

Proudly Built on the Sunshine Coast 
While Billy J now serves customers around the world, its heart has never left the Sunshine Coast. 

Despite its significant growth, Billy J has remained proudly headquartered on the Sunshine Coast. While many fast-growing businesses choose to relocate to larger cities, Billy J has continued to invest in the region that helped shape its success—creating local jobs, developing local talent and proving that a regional business can compete on the global stage.

Today, Billy J operates from its Sunshine Coast headquarters in Kunda Park and Birtinya, where teams across buying, ecommerce, marketing, customer experience, finance, operations and creative work together to serve hundreds of thousands of customers each year. From a one-woman business, Billy J has grown into one of the Sunshine Coast's largest employers, with a team of more than 150 people. 
Equally significant is the fact that this growth has been achieved without external investors or private equity backing. Billy J remains 100% founder-owned, with Leanne continuing to lead the business. Remaining independently owned has enabled the company to take a long-term approach—prioritising its customers, its people and the community while staying true to the vision on which it was founded. 

Supporting that community has remained a core part of Billy J's journey. 

Since 2021, the business has proudly partnered with Wishlist, helping raise funds for local healthcare through the Wishlist Spring Carnival and as the matching partner for Wishlist Giving Day.

Billy J also proudly supports Baby Give Back, providing essential items to vulnerable families, and is a major sponsor of Bloomed, supporting Bloomhill Cancer Care.

Through Loanright Financial Services, the business also supports Destiny Rescue, helping fund the rescue and restoration of women and children impacted by human trafficking and exploitation. 

Whether through fundraising, sponsorships, product donations or volunteering, giving back remains central to the company's values. 

More than building a successful business, Billy J has always believed success is measured by the opportunities it creates—for its team, its customers and the community it calls home. 

Women Leading Women 
As a business founded by a woman, Billy J has always been committed to creating opportunities for women - not only through the customers it serves, but within the organisation itself. 

Today, Billy J's executive leadership team is made up entirely of women, with female leaders across buying, marketing, ecommerce, finance, operations and creative. Many have built their careers alongside the business, reflecting Billy J's commitment to developing talent from within and creating meaningful opportunities for women to grow into leadership. 

That commitment extends beyond the business itself. Billy J is proud to support the Sunshine Coast Business Women's Network Awards Gala Night, celebrating the leadership, innovation and achievements of women across our region. It is a partnership that reflects the company's belief in backing ambitious women, celebrating local success stories and helping inspire the next generation of female leaders.