Ashley Bradley on Building PALMA and Redefining Success on Her Own Terms

When sisters Ashley and Bree launched PALMA, it was more than a business venture. It was a creative offering rooted in life experience; of motherhood, of identity, of backing yourself even when the path is unclear. PALMA was born during a season of transformation, as Ashley transitioned into early motherhood and searched for a creative outlet that could sit alongside the chaos and joy of raising young children.

“I’d just had my daughter and was craving something that could bring me back to myself,” says Ashley, whose background in media and design gave her a discerning eye for beauty and detail. “I wanted sunglasses that felt timeless and elevated but still effortless.” When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she began to create it.

With Ashley leading the creative direction and Bree supporting the strategic foundations, PALMA took shape as a refined, independent brand focused on thoughtful design, premium materials, and an intuitive understanding of the modern woman’s lifestyle. “PALMA was about more than eyewear,” Ashley says. “It was about designing a feeling.”

Ashley’s earlier career as a style editor at House & Garden helped sharpen her eye for restraint, proportion, and timeless design. Those lessons became foundational to PALMA’s aesthetic: minimal, but with personality; classic, but with a twist. “We wanted to build something rooted in simplicity and elegance, but never boring. PALMA is for women who want to feel put-together without overthinking it,” Ashley explains. From acetate frames to polarised lenses, every detail in PALMA’s offering is considered and purposeful, reinforcing a brand built for women who value quality, subtlety and confidence in their everyday life.

Ashley is now a mother of two, navigating a life that includes school drop-offs, workdays and growing a brand from the ground up. The PALMA customer mirrors that rhythm: women doing many things, in many roles, all at once. “Motherhood taught me to trust my instincts more and second-guess less,” she says. “That same mindset shows up in how I make decisions at PALMA. I design with empathy thinking about how a woman will actually use our pieces day-to-day.”

Her sister Bree brings a complementary skillset to the business. Though her career is focused on supporting female founders as COO at F5 Collective, her involvement in PALMA has been pivotal. From the earliest days, she helped Ashley shape the business, develop operations, and ensure the brand was built on solid ground. “Supporting Ash has been a joy,” says Bree. “She has an instinct that can’t be taught. My role has been to help clear the path and let her creativity shine.”

Their sister dynamic brings a trust and openness that’s hard to replicate in business. “We don’t tiptoe around each other,” Bree adds. “There’s a healthy tension when we need it, but we’re always aligned on the vision.” That connection; familial, intuitive, and honest, is woven through every part of PALMA’s DNA.

What sets PALMA apart in a crowded market is its deep connection to real life. Ashley and Bree don’t just understand their customer – they are her. They know what it means to run a meeting, do a daycare drop-off, and still want to feel elevated in the process. “PALMA is about reclaiming that small moment of confidence when you put on a beautiful pair of sunglasses and feel like you again,” Ashley says. “And for mothers, those moments matter.”

The sisters are excited about continuing to grow PALMA slowly and intentionally. New silhouettes are in development, including a men’s frame, alongside an expanded lifestyle direction that reflects the brand’s ethos. For them, it’s about refining the experience end-to-end. As Ashley puts it, “From how it feels to unbox your sunglasses, to how the product integrates into your life, we’re thinking about every moment.”

Their message to other women thinking about starting something of their own is clear and deeply personal. “Start small, but start,” says Ashley. “You don’t need a perfect plan, just the willingness to begin. Don’t let perfection stall your progress. I began in tiny windows of time; nap times, late nights, early mornings and somehow, they added up.”

Bree adds, “You don’t have to do it all, you just need the right support around you. That might be a friend, a partner, or someone who simply believes in what you’re trying to create. So many women hold back because they think they’re not ‘ready enough.’ But some of the most brilliant ideas I’ve seen have come from women simply backing themselves, even quietly.”

Through her work at F5, Bree has seen firsthand what holds women back in business and what pushes them forward. “Too often women are told they need to reshape themselves to fit outdated structures. But the reality is, they just need access, support, and the freedom to build on their own terms. PALMA is one version of that story. But there are so many others just waiting to be written.”

Together, they want women to know that building something slowly, intentionally, and with heart is still building. That it counts. That it’s powerful. That it matters.

PALMA is proof of what can happen when women back each other, build with intention, and create with heart.

At its core, PALMA is about more than just eyewear. It’s a conversation between sisters. A quiet confidence worn with ease. A belief in building slowly and beautifully, with your values stitched into every detail. It’s a reminder that style can be simple, substance can be soft, and success doesn’t have to shout to be powerful.

Ashley and Bree’s story is a testament to creative trust, shared purpose, and the impact of thoughtful business built by women, for women. Their journey is still unfolding, but PALMA already stands as a beacon of what’s possible when motherhood, design, and sisterhood intersect with intention. And perhaps that is the ultimate luxury; creating a life and a brand that feels truly your own.

Discover more and shop PALMA now via their website and Instagram.