Sharni Skene is the founder of Pioneer Brands – the Australian distributers of Silver Cross Prams, Kaboost and absorba clothing.
Tell us about Premium Brands.
Premium Brands is an independent Australian owned distributer focused on the nursery sector. We work with innovative, high quality and exciting junior products from global brands, bringing them into national and local retailers, wholesalers and independent stores. We have our own e-commerce platforms for each brand, that also allows us to sell direct to the public.
Our range currently includes:
Silver Cross Prams – the original founders of nursery transport, and formed in 1877 they are the official pram supplier to the royal family. We distribute the stunning range of prams, strollers, toys and linens.
KABOOST– a compact and portable chair booster that raises the height of dinning room chairs so that children can sit at the table just like grown ups. Also a great asset for adults with mobility challenges, it helps to move furnishings around and elevate the height of chairs to let adults sit and stand on their own with independence.
absorba: French designed, iconic and classic, the absorba clothing range is for premature babies to teens up to 14 years of age. Their newborn, babywear, mini-kids and kids ranges are made from the most quality of fabrics, in styles that won’t date and can be passed as heirlooms through generations.
What inspired you to start Premium Brands?
In 2005, my sister Lauren was pregnant. She was desperate for a Heritage Silver Cross Pram which was unavailable in Australia. I was working as a finance analyst at the time – reality hit that the long hours and the job were not going to be conducive to starting a family so I pulled together a proposal to Silver Cross, asking to become their Australian and New Zealand distributer. The proposal paid off – now with my husband Stuart, a former boat-builder, and with small and committed team we are totally focussed on our portfolio within Premium Brands. We now work with hundreds of retailers across the trans-tasman. And the best bit, we can now spend quality time with our gorgeous kids, Aspen, Alastair and Clemmie, when we want to as opposed to when we can.
Tell us about your career and background.
I graduated from a Bachelor of Commerce in 1997. I worked as a research analyst, followed by a position as an investment analyst for a number of major financial institutions. I started Premium Brands in 2007, and it has been all systems go since then. I am always on the prowl for wonderful new brands to add to our portfolio, as well as working closely with the global Silver Cross team to stay updated with the latest innovations, technologies and products.
Describe a typical work day for you.
It’s a finely balanced tightrope of work and family. With three kids, we’re up early to get them ready for school, intermittently woven with trying to get through as many emails as I can. There is quite a bit of travel, so on occasion its straight to meetings, trade shows or if I’m lucky, into the office.
Then it’s briefings with the teams, liaising with my retailers, exploring new product ranges and researching and learning about what parents want, need and think.
When I can, I try and pick the kids up from school and spend some quality time with them. It’s so important to be present in those little moments – they grow up so fast.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Trust your instincts, start something you have a passion for and a knowledge about. Don’t be scared to share your ideas and seek feedback. Also find someone who is business savvy who can mentor and advise you, as well as support you emotionally when issues arise.
Make sure you are well resourced in areas you are weak – if accounting is not your forte, have assistance ready for it, if marketing is not your thing, outsource it, if you can’t build websites, get someone who can to help you!
What’s next for you, and Premium Brands?
We have some exciting new Silver Cross products launching this year, and we are looking forward to showcasing them to the Australian market. We are also expanding our brand portfolio with some beautiful new clothing ranges for tots to tweens.
Personally, I want to continue being very present in my children’s lives, and continue to spend as much time with them as I can, whilst still growing the business, and being as supportive as a director as I can be for my team.
