What inspired you to start Aromababy?
Aromababy was developed after a fruitless search for natural mother and baby care 25 years ago. The more I began to research the baby skincare category, the more I found pretty much all the products available at the time had similar ingredients. These included petro chemicals, parrafin/mineral oil, added colour, artificial fragrance/perfume, sulphates and other detergents/foaming agents, propylene glycol and so on. I read about the potential dangers of talc all those years ago so formulated our baby powder with edible cornstarch for example. Through my study of the category I also found that up to 1 in 3 babies experienced eczema or sensitivities within the first 6 months of life. I figured if there was little choice in skincare ingredients being used and many babies were having skin allergies and irritations, I should do something about it. My aim was to offer parents and health professionals access to ‘choice’ so that if the commercial/mass market products did not suit a baby’s skin, there was a different type of product to try.
Tell us about your career and background.
My career began early – I left school in my teens and always had a passion for natural products. If I wasn’t cooking, I was mixing face masks and body scrubs at home as a teenager. I was the kind of person who read anything I could get my hands on about natural products and vitamins. One of my earliest memories is reading a book by nutritionist Earl Mindell called The Vitamin Bible. I had been a beauty editor for a luxury lifestyle publication in my twenties and then moved onto an accessory company where I had been working in a product development role – creating products for the likes of Sportsgirl, Myer and a heap of other retailers. It was during this time I found my fascination with body products and skincare grew. During those days I could visit a soap factory and tell the manufacturer exactly how much lavender flowers to add to my soap, for example, simply by watching the process. I found myself retrenched from this role before their eventual closure just before Christmas in 1993.. At the same time I was expecting our first baby so began to research what products were available. This is where it all began.
Describe a typical work day for you.
I generally check emails over coffee at home and see my sons off to work before heading to my office in Melbourne’s north. Several days per week I will take a big walk along our local river which I find really therapeutic and it’s my ‘creative’ thinking time – sometimes I walk alone, sometimes with a friend but either way, I love it. Lately I have been heading in to our warehouse mid morning and finishing late because there is just so much going on. Learning to navigating a changing retail environment has been an interesting experience – traditionally a manufacturer/wholesaler, we work mostly with retailers and other businesses. Our own direct online sales to consumers were never a focus, instead, we would direct customers to resellers/retailers to support their businesses so we could work on growing ours. Over the past month or two, reliant heavily on export and retail in particular, we have had to rethink our strategy. I have been doing various media pieces and working to keep Aromababy relevant by offering an improved experience to our customers – both online and wholesale. We have produced some fun, fabric face masks and have added natural hand sanitiser to our range too. When I do eventually finish up for the day I’m home in time to prepare dinner – which I love, and have some quality time around the dinner table with my sons. I have a little night time ritual where I use some essential oil – usually organic lavender, and add it to some of our Barrier Balm. I massage this onto the back of my neck and then breathe deeply, inhaling the remaining aroma from my hands. It’s my gratitude time.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Business takes determination, persistence, passion and a whole lot of work there’s no question. Anyone can start a business these days which is so wonderful. My tips for starting any venture however small, would be to first research the market and be sure there is a demand for your product or service. Figure out how your offering will be different to what is already available, how you will reach your target customer and then, decide on the name. Check the relevant platforms for availability of your name and protect all of the IP (intellectual property) from the outset. This means you will need your website name to be available, domain name, business name, trademark(s) and so on. To set up a serious business long term, securing the IP is critical in my view. At the heart of it all, you need, well – you need heart. You need your values. You need to feel joy. When times are tough and you feel like throwing it all away, and there will be plenty of those times – it’s the joy and passion that keeps you going.
What’s next for you, and Aromababy?
Aromababy is celebrating 25 years – I can’t believe I have had the brand for this long. The recent COVID-19 challenges have brought with them new opportunities and a need for business to refresh and re-evaluate. There is a focus on health – on established, trusted baby brands which has seen an increase in new Aromababy stockists and even export. I am still very passionate about natural and organic, about my products and the industry in general. I have always had a desire to have my products certified organic with ACO, with up to 99% certified content in a number of our products since day one so this is definitely a priority now. I do some external consulting – I brought a beautiful, superfood skincare brand to market in 2019 which was a lovely project, and I have a few side hustles. I’m currently working on a beauty and wellness show which will be a great way to showcase not only my 25+ years of experience but also that of fellow entrepreneurs – I can’t wait!
For more on Aromababy, please click here.
