For many founders, scaling a business to $35 million in revenue means chasing investors, prioritising speed over quality, and leaning into trends to stay ahead. But for Anesley Clarke, the path looked different.
As the founder of B2C Furniture, a sustainable, direct-to-consumer furniture brand, Anesley built his business the old-fashioned way: with patience, clear values, and a strong belief in doing things differently. He didn’t rush. He didn’t raise capital. And he didn’t try to be everything to everyone.
In this episode of Beyond the Fold, he joins StudioHawk’s GM, Lawrence Hitches, for an open, thoughtful conversation about his unconventional path from aerospace engineering to building one of Australia’s most values-driven furniture brands.
We cover:
Humble Beginnings, Big Vision
Anesley Clarke didn’t set out to build a $35 million brand. In fact, when he first arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka as a child, he struggled just to keep up. English wasn’t his first language, and school was tough. “I was a dumbass,” he jokes in this episode of Beyond the Fold. “At least, that’s how they made me feel.”
But underneath the uncertainty was quiet determination — a drive to prove he could create something meaningful. He found friendship and early inspiration in a fellow student named Tien, and together, they set their sights on business from a young age. They didn’t know what kind — only that they’d one day build something of their own.
The First Startup: Great Idea, Bad Timing
After high school, Anesley pursued aerospace engineering — a pragmatic choice that gave him stability, but not passion. In his mid-twenties, he finally launched a business with Tien: a touchscreen ordering system for restaurants, long before WiFi and iPads existed.
The tech was ahead of its time — but not in a good way. Restaurants weren’t ready, the hardware was expensive, and the venture flopped. Still, it taught him his first major lesson: always validate demand before you build.
They pivoted to fast food kiosks and found more success. But as the business grew, so did the pressure. Anesley burned out. His long-term relationship ended. He took time off, travelled through Europe, and began to reflect on what kind of business he wanted to build next.
Why Furniture?
After years in tech, Anesley found himself drawn to something more grounded: furniture. Unlike software, it was tangible, predictable, and — if done right — scalable.
“A chair is a chair. A table is a table,” he says. “If you do it properly, it's scalable and predictable.”
But the industry had its own challenges. The cost of entry was high. Warehousing and logistics were complex. Still, he felt something click. It wasn’t flashy, but it was solid — and it had room for values to matter.
Starting Again with Sustainability in Mind
Anesley launched B2C Furniture, first as a wholesaler. But relying on a handful of big retailers quickly proved unsustainable. “They put a gun to your head,” he explains. “If they don’t buy, you’re stuck with the inventory.”
So he pivoted again — this time to direct-to-consumer ecomm.
But he didn’t just want to sell furniture. He wanted to change how people thought about it. Inspired by the birth of his daughter, he committed to sustainability: real hardwood, timeless design, and an ethos that stood in direct opposition to fast furniture.
Mistakes, Experiments, and Patience
The early days of B2C were filled with trial and error. Anesley made plenty of mistakes — in warehousing, marketing, even the website’s image quality (which looked great but slowed conversions).
But over time, things began to compound. His niece, Stacey, joined the business and brought a strong visual and design eye to balance his data-driven mindset. Together, they refined their online presence, tightened their operations, and created a brand that customers could trust.
Their marketing was lean — focused almost entirely on performance and SEO (with help from StudioHawk). They didn’t spend big on brand awareness or splashy campaigns. Instead, they doubled down on what worked: product quality, trust, and consistency.
Why Simplicity Wins
Anesley’s approach is anything but trendy. No investors. No overnight hype. Just a long game — focused on simplicity, sustainability, and staying in your lane.
“We knew we didn’t want to do 70 showrooms. We wanted one in Melbourne, one in Sydney — and to do those really well,” he explains.
Even now, B2C is still privately owned. That independence gives Anesley freedom to experiment, learn, and build on his own terms. He credits much of the brand’s success to its values — humility, respect, excellence — and to the ability to stay focused when it would be easier to chase shortcuts.
Advice for Founders: Play the Long Game
Anesley doesn’t glamorise entrepreneurship. “Most people think you start a business to make money,” he says. “But in reality, it's a money pit for a long time. You need grit. You need to care.”
His advice for other founders? Get your values right before anything else. And stop expecting results overnight.
“You overestimate what you can do in a year and underestimate what you can do in ten,” he says. “But if you stick with it — and build something simple, something real — the success will come.”
Listen to the full episode on Beyond The Fold on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or the StudioHawk website.
