Since winning The Block in 2013, life has never been the same for twins, Alisa & Lysandra Fraser.
We spend 5 minutes with the former police officers talking about how the show changed their lives and get the scoop on their latest venture, a personal care range that feels and looks the part.
1. You were both working as police officers before competing on The Block in 2013. What made you want to try out for the show?
We enjoyed our times as police officers, but we both had always had a creative side from when we were young. We had both done some renovations to our homes, so thought this was a great way to combine the two.
We also both like doing things that are out of the ordinary and pushing ourselves, so what better way to do this than on national TV and working to the gruelling The Block schedules.
2. After winning the series and taking home an incredible amount of prize money, you decided to walk away from the force and start your own business.
Was this a difficult decision?
Yes and no. Yes, it was easy as we have always had an entrepreneurial side from watching our mum start her businesses when we were younger. The Block really gave us the confidence to back ourselves and make a career change.
No, because starting any business can be daunting all the company set up, websites, polices and hiring staff the list goes on. You really pour yourself into the business and as a start-up you’re trying to manage everything plus looking after young boys.
3. Have you been watching this year's season of the show? Who do you have your money on to win?
Unfortunately, this season we have not had the chance to watch it regularly! From the bits and
pieces we have seen, the contestants look like they are doing an amazing job!
4. You've recently launched a personal care product range, a.live body. What was the inspiration behind the venture?
A couple of years ago we did a huge renovation in Albert Park called The Design Duo. We spent a lot of time designing the property from top to bottom. When it came to styling the bathrooms, we just couldn’t find the perfect complimentary pieces, so the idea was born from there.
Having set up Alisa and Lysandra Interiors, we also wanted to have a new challenge, and intertwine this with giving back which is where our partnership with One Tree Planted was born- for every product sold, one tree is planted in Australia.
5. What was the hardest part of developing the products?
There are so many challenges when we were developing the product, we really wanted it to be different.
We spent countless hours working on the bottle shape and trays, we started using play- doh and worked our way to 3D printing so that we could really cast our eye over the final product. This is just one element though, from here we also spent hours on the packaging, website, promotional material- everything was designed by us.
6. Looking into the future, what are some of the goals for Alisa & Lysandra?
We have some huge goals for both Alisa & Lysandra Interiors and al.ive body. We can’t give too much away, but we've recently started work on a huge design project – our biggest yet.
Al.ive body has had massive growth, we launched in the heart of Covid-19, and six months down the track we have over 100 stockists and have exceeded all expectations.
We have some very exciting things coming, but you’ll have to stay tuned!
Personally, we are very driven and always strive to do our best but we also want to take time for ourselves to really smell the roses, and strive for that elusive work/life balance.
