Write This Down with Maddy Birdcage

How to Build Authentic Brands and Balancing Motherhood with Rebecca Klodinksy

• Maddy Birdcage & Caroline Moss • Season 4 • Episode 8

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In this episode of the Not So Kind Regards Podcast, hosts Maddy Birdcage discuss brand building, digital marketing, and personal growth with special guest Rebecca Klodinsky. Rebecca, a self-made millionaire and co-founder of The Prestwick Place, a luxury fine jewellery brand specializing in lab-grown diamonds and bespoke craftsmanship, shares her journey of starting a business with minimal resources and becoming a favourite among celebrities. As the founder of the globally successful swimwear brand IIXIIST, Rebecca offers insights into building two thriving brands while disrupting industries with her commitment to sustainability and innovation. The conversation explores the power of authenticity, personal branding, and staying true to oneself in business. Rebecca also opens up about balancing family life with two children and her partner Lachie while running multiple companies. Listeners can expect to gain valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the ever-evolving world of digital marketing. 

  • Rebecca’s Entrepreneurial Journey
  • Marketing Strategies and Personal Branding
  • Launching  The Prestwick Place 
  • Challenges and Successes
  • Embracing Authenticity in Marketing
  • The Role of AI in Marketing
  • Navigating Algorithms and Authenticity
  • Starting a Business: Realistic Expectations
  • The Importance of Organic Social Media
  • Balancing Business and Personal Life
  • Final Thoughts and Reflections

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Speaker 1

Welcome to the Not so Kind Regards podcast. I'm Maddie Birdcage.

Speaker 2

I'm Caroline Moss. We are done with the digital fluff and pleasantries and we're here to talk straight about brand building, digital marketing and personal growth. This episode is, of course, brought to you by Birdcage Marketing, the forward-thinking digital marketing brand that started this all. We have a special birthday offer running now until the end of the year to celebrate Maddie Birdcage's birthday. Our no BS birthday blowout special is for the action takers who don't need more advice and want actual, practical steps to take your business forward fast.

Speaker 2

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Speaker 2

You can stop stressing over content creation. We'll handle it so you don't have to. And then, finally, we will throw in one 40 minute coaching session with a coach of your choosing from the birdcage team. That is valued at $1,250, so you can get laser-focused advice on your most pressing business challenges. You get all of this at a value of $11,250, and you only pay $6,000. We only have six available until the end of the year. So to get started, book your discovery, call at birdcagemarketingcomau and let's do this. Now back to the episode.

Speaker 1

Welcome to another episode of the Not so Kind Regards podcast, where we dive deep into the strategies and the mindsets behind the success stories that you see today. Today, I'm thrilled to be speaking with Beck Kladinski. She is a self-made millionaire, the brilliant mind behind globally successful swim web brand Exist, and the co-founder of the Preswick Place, a luxury, fine jewelry brand that focuses on sustainability and ethical sourcing. So, bec, do you want to give me a little intro as to who you are and what you do?

Speaker 3

Really an introduction. I'm Bec and I'm just trying to stay alive. Really, that's what I'm trying to do every single day. But yeah, running two businesses, two kids, full household, full like it's a lot. It is Staying alive If we're keeping it real. That's what I'm doing, because it's not easy. Wonderful.

Speaker 1

Well, something that is obviously exciting for you. But you started Exist with just $2,000 and it grew into a celeb favorite. So names like Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber were wearing your designs. But now you are obviously diving into the world of high-end, sustainable jewelry with the Preswick Place. So not only is Bec a powerhouse entrepreneur, but she's also balancing being a mom while running multiple businesses. So today Bec is going to share her journey with us how she built these incredible brands, how she's nailing her marketing and the mindset shifts that help her get here. So if you've ever wondered what it takes to turn a vision into a multi-million dollar business, stay tuned, because we are going to be sharing all the insights. So first I'd like to, just for our listeners, where are you based? Gold Coast, gold Coast amazing. We are in Mackay up in Queensland. Okay, I'm born and bred in Sydney, but I like to say Mackay is a really grounding, quiet base because we do a lot of travel and the Gold Coast is one of our favorite places. Yeah.

Speaker 3

Okay, good, so you're up North. You're like in, yeah, in the North.

Speaker 1

Yeah. So what's the first thing that you do when you wake up in the morning?

Speaker 3

It depends if the kids are still sleeping, but I'll try and meditate.

Speaker 1

Very good. Do you listen to anything while you meditate, or do you just-?

Speaker 3

It depends, like sometimes I might use the calm app if it's a bit too noisy in my head, or I'll just try and be still nice.

Speaker 1

Yeah, that's an excellent practice. And if you could describe your entrepreneurial journey to date in one word, what would it be?

Speaker 3

oh my, god, one word, one word fun fun yeah, that great.

Speaker 1

That's exactly what I'm all about. Yeah, fun. And so, based on that, what is your version of success? Because I think people, see, think success is just about making money, or that working two hours a month or something like that. How do you know? Well, have you reached success number one? And then, what is that version for you?

Speaker 3

Okay. So yes, I think I have reached it, because it's not a financial drive for me, it's the business itself, or it's any business that I'm involved in and seeing that become successful, or having the wheels on that turn, that tick the boxes for me. So it's never been a dollar figure that I chase, ever, ever, ever. Someone said to me the other day they're like when is enough? And I said what?

Speaker 2

does that mean?

Speaker 3

They're like, like, when is enough? Okay to stop working, and I'm like, well, it's not about the money, it's just about having it go. So I think I've reached that and like success for me is just the freedom to be able to wake up and live how I want to live, like, and not have that structure. We can go away and I can be with the kids and I can take them to school and I can pick them up, and I don't have that like pressure on me to be doing something at a certain time. So we're're free, like that like unrestrained Freedom.

Speaker 1

100% I feel you on all of those things.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Okay, so what I first want to dive into, I want to explore if we can think back to the very beginning, when you started with just two grand, a dream in your pocket. Yeah, what were the first exact steps that you took to make this into a thing to turn exist into a real life business?

Speaker 3

I had to find the manufacturer. So this was like Instagram had just started, just no one knew what it was, we didn't even understand how it worked properly and we were all using, like the Valencia filter, yeah. So I had to find a manufacturer to develop what I saw in my head. Alibaba wasn't a thing, it was just like very unknown territory, googling and trying to find places, so I physically removed myself. I went to indonesia. I found a manufacturer, like walking the streets, and I did it that way, and I got my samples approved physically there while I was there in my early 20s, and that's how the relationship was formed between me and my manufacturer. And then the product was coming in, and then it was about just giving Instagram a go, I guess, or telling my 300 friends what was going on.

Speaker 1

And so that was what year was that? Back in 2012. 12.

Speaker 2

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1

Okay, as much as the algos and everything has changed and our platforms have changed so much. I and everything we do at Birdcage here, it's all about understanding your audience and we believe that, regardless of what happens on these platforms or what marketing is going to look like in the future, if you know what your audience wants, you can create products and services that speak to them well, that help them, and then you can connect with them. You'll have a winning brand regardless. So you were creating your brand initially. Did you know that you were creating these designs for a particular audience or were you just creating them for yourself?

Speaker 3

Well, yeah, a bit of both, Because at that time in 2012, like this is, when Layby still existed and we didn't have, like, you had your high-end brands for swimwear or you had Kmart and Target and there was nothing in between. And if there was in between, it wasn't very flattering because it was a sort of uncomfortable sort of market that hadn't been explored yet by any Aussie designer. So it was that audience that I didn't know at the time I was going to speak to. I just felt something's missing. I can't find it for myself. I suppose I'm not alone. Let's give it a go For sure. I wasn't alone, and here we are.

Speaker 1

Exactly, and so what I generally see is that brands that have this success and that may not have come in with a really strict business plan or marketing strategy but then have grown successfully, it's generally because they have a really clear innate understanding of audiences. And do you think that's because you were your audience?

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, I was serving the same kind of role I was trying to give to myself, not knowing the masses were just like me. It could have just been a handful of people, but it was the masses but it was about taking that first step and and just trying it, right.

Authentic Marketing for Brand Growth

Speaker 1

Yeah. So then, what was the first thing you started doing? So you mentioned, you mentioned you, you know, spoke to your 300 instagram friends that this is what you're doing. What were the first steps with your marketing that you feel like started to work and you started to get attention?

Speaker 3

Well, marketing had never been done like it was done on Instagram before. So no one had seen, you know, a girl in a bikini top selling something to you. It was all just selfies or puppy dogs. It wasn't a sales pitch and it wasn't an ad. So I was indirectly selling and I didn't know. Like I didn't really have a marketing plan, I just thought this is what it is. I'm the only body that I can use, so I'll just put the bikini on and post a photo. So I just was marketing my own body in a way that we do now, but no one was used to it then and, yeah, it's a very authentic, organic approach.

Speaker 1

For sure. So you're definitely just figuring it out as you went, yeah.

Speaker 3

Yeah, but we also hadn't seen photos like that because we had buy-in markets and then you had targeting Kmart and you hadn't seen anything on your Instagram that was point of sale, essentially.

Speaker 1

Yeah it, it's like it was the first. I guess you discovered the power of a personal brand, right? Yeah, yeah. And so what then happened? So you'd post these photos to Instagram and kind of like, share your personal brand whilst promoting the products inadvertently. Did that then lead directly to sales instantly, or were there steps that you then had to take to actually guide them through the sales journey?

Speaker 3

It led to sales immediately through Shopify. So it started it was very slow, like at the price point was very low, so it wasn't generating an income, but it was generating sales Small, but it was. And then, as it grew, grew like I would do markets and I would do that sort of stuff. But then, as it grew, maybe a year or two later, I needed to do a professional photo shoot and then enlist a photographer or a model that has a few thousand followers and then they're posting to you know 5 000 followers that you didn't have. And it worked like that. And because I was one of the first brands and these models were one of the first, like it was one of the first campaigns that they had shot in a bikini and everyone's, you know, feeling good about themselves, yeah, the vibe, yeah, yeah they, and not paid posts, everyone's just having a good time. The photographers are getting good following, like we're all winning.

Speaker 1

It was new and I guess what I'm hearing from you is like fuck, what normal business should look like, Like in 2012,. I remember starting like little businesses as well and I was doing markets as well, but for me, I remember back then it was like I had to get into a store in order to sell right? Was that like a priority for you, or were you just kind of like I'm just doing it my way?

Speaker 3

Yeah, I didn't really want to get into a store because it was the feedback that I was receiving was good, the money coming in was fine, I was still working part-time and I was at uni. It wasn't really like I had this thought to take over or have all these retail stores. No, it wasn't like that at all. It was very organic sort of growth. Yeah.

Speaker 1

And you just kind of like, I guess following your gut, right, yeah, yeah the whole time. And so getting big names like Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber to wear your pieces is huge and something that I guess every startup brand would dream of. How did that actually happen?

Speaker 3

Well, I was dying when it first happened because I got an email from their stylists. It happened the same way for all of the girls Emails from their stylists with screenshots that at the time, kylie had taken or Kim had taken. And I remember seeing the attachment of the screenshot and I was like, oh my God, this is from Kylie's phone. She's been on my Instagram and they've attached it back and she circled the picture and she's screenshot the picture that I've posted and I'm like, oh, and they just said, hey, we'd love this. Kylie's seen this. This is the address. This is her best size. If you've got any available, feel free to send it over.

Speaker 1

Incredible. And so what year did that happen?

Speaker 3

in. That was, I think it was, from 2013 all the way through to 2015, before paid partnerships were like really coming in and then so how did you leverage that exposure then?

Speaker 1

Because I see sometimes people posting in Facebook groups saying, oh my God, this celeb's just worn a piece of mine. What do I do next?

Speaker 3

Yeah, just posting it to Instagram at that time my following has always been very good and then posting it, reposting it, waiting for it to come out, taking photos of magazines, just doing it in a really normal human way.

Speaker 1

No, no publicist, nothing like that, it was just Just sharing your excitement, yeah yeah, for sure, okay, so let's talk about your latest brand, so the preswick place. You know, it's like having a second baby. You feel like, okay, I kind of have some idea of what is about to happen next. In saying that, though, times were obviously different. So when exactly exactly did the latest brand drop?

Speaker 3

I think 2020. We were in COVID yeah, maybe launch, because it all started through that weird lockdown period where we were Zooming with everyone. Yes, okay, that happened.

Speaker 1

Yeah, yeah, 2020. When you launched the Preswick Place, you obviously had all of these learnings from your first business and you'd seen the power of social media and being authentic and following your gut and doing all of these things. Did you take any more intentional steps with this second brand based on your learnings that you feel like that was key to the success of this second brand growing?

Speaker 3

that you feel like that was key to the success of this second brand growing. The key that I carried through all of the businesses is that something is missing for me, and I'm probably not the only one that is feeling this way which was the same for this journey. Yeah.

Speaker 1

And so did you have a marketing strategy this time around.

Speaker 3

Yes and no, and the only reason I say yes is I wanted to post completely authentically, no fluffy photos, nothing dressed up on Photoshop. This is the product. We're in COVID. We're doing everything like we're socially distancing, we're Zooming each other. This is why you should invest in this product being a lab grown diamond. This is why you should invest in Pressworkplace, because we're human beings. We're telling you why this is bad, we're telling you why this is wrong and we're telling you why this is better. So it was really about putting a human in line with and like client facing. For the first time in the fine jewelry industry, you have these beautiful fluffy brands online, but there's a person that's missing or there's a voice that's missing. So it was with that intention. It wasn't crystal clear, but I just knew that I didn't want to buy into or be like what was already there.

Speaker 1

I 100% agree with you. Again, we're talking about the power of a personal brand and just being authentic and not having it all figured out before you start, but just sharing the passion and the joy that you feel for what you're creating, right.

Speaker 3

Yeah. So it was never about sitting down in a boardroom and saying, hey, I've got this business idea, let's do it like this. It's never what drives me or how I operate.

Speaker 1

So obviously, with lab-grown diamonds they are more sustainable because we're not buying into the. You know everything the ethical issues with the diamond trade and all that comes with that. But back in 2020, lab diamonds still and I guess today they still have this stigma about them. So how did you shape your messaging or how did you communicate to your audiences why they should be purchasing lab grown diamonds over engaging in potentially an unethical trade practice?

Personal Branding and Resilience in Business

Speaker 3

I don't think the stigma is there so much now I do. I will say maybe in early 2020, yes, because it was so unknown. But then you had Europe and you had USA, who had already embraced the concept, and then Australia were just falling behind. So back then the messaging was direct and it was very clear. It still is Like this is why you shouldn't and this is why you should. And now the messaging is slightly like it's not as direct, because people know what lab diamonds are now. It's more education, like I'm giving more education now. This is why the diamonds are this clarity. This is why we only choose this color, because our standard is this. And it's more about saying why press workplace is better than the person to the right who has just started doing lab diamonds. Because now everyone, yeah, lab diamonds, but there is a standard that you should be hitting, which is what we do and so how do you communicate why people should choose you?

Speaker 3

it's just constant instagram tiktok, instagram newsletters, podcasts. If I'm speaking to clients on the phone, if I'm speaking to clients on the phone, if I'm speaking to them in person, I want to say, 90% of the time when people come in to see us, they're like oh, I feel so connected to you because I see you on Instagram all the time and you're like a friend that I never knew I had. But I give a lot of myself because it's a very tender industry and I want to be very clear in what's right and what's wrong and what should happen and what shouldn't happen. And so the only way that's going to happen is if I say it, because I'm not going to give the job to anybody else to be my puppeteer, like I'm here trying to tell you something and, yeah, that's it, I'm the spokesperson.

Speaker 1

You are. And so what do you say? Because I am a big believer that having a personal brand is the best way that you can grow a successful business, regardless of what it is. Now, what would you say to the people that tell me I don't want to be the face of my company because I eventually want to step away from it, or I don't want to be constantly forced to create content? What do you say to those people?

Speaker 3

Well then, what is the other option? What's the alternate then? What are you designing, or how is it going to look? If you don't want to do it, tell me how it's going to succeed without you.

Speaker 1

A hundred million trillion percent, Tell me, because I'd love to know it's like yeah, I'd love to know.

Speaker 3

I just don't think without that human injection or without that personality there, that it's going to get very far. It might get you a couple hundred followers and a few likes, but the longevity I don't think if you're not dedicating yourself and giving it your all like, are we going to have you watched Superstore on Netflix? I haven't watched it. No, so they think seven seasons. And then COVID happened and they did the eighth season, but they were all wearing masks and I found myself my husband found himself completely disengaged from watching the series because you can't even see their face and it was like you can't see the emotion, you can't see as you get back, can't see as we get back to what you said. If you're not willing to give yourself, where's it going to?

Speaker 1

go? Exactly that's. That's something that's always bewildered me. It's like why are you starting this business If you're not willing to put yourself out there and to you know? Getting on camera yes, it can be scary. I think for people like us who have been getting on camera for such a long time, it's kind of hard to relate to people's fear of being on camera.

Speaker 3

yeah, I get it, I do, yeah, like yeah, it's scary, but that stays for an instant just do it.

Speaker 1

I believe that you can build a brand online without having a personal face of the brand, but it takes so much longer. You need such bigger budgets for agencies, freelancers, talent for paid ads, all of that. I'm just like I don't understand why people don't just put themselves on camera, put themselves out there, share what they're passionate about. It's literally short cutting.

Speaker 3

I think it takes the right personality because if everyone had it then everyone will be doing it. You can take I don't want to name names because podcasts could go anywhere, but you could take a couple of Australian cosmetic brands that have just started. I'm sure we know what they are. And then you look at Kylie and Kim. Their face is all over it. I get that they're Kylie and Kim and Kim. Their face is all over it. I get that they're Kylie and Kim, but their face is all over it and the prettier they look and the angles that they use, it just sells the product because they're selling a dream, they're selling a story, whereas if it's just branding with metallic things or flowers, whatever your branding is it's not going to hit the spot.

Speaker 1

Just right, and let's also remember the Kardashians, for example. I look at them as an example of the ultimate marketing geniuses. Their entire series that they've created, that is all what I call top of funnel content. It's that non-selling, it's just that educational or entertaining content. And how long have they been doing that for? They've been building their personal brands for years and years and years, and now they could literally sell us anything, anything which sucks. But yeah, you know, in a way, that's exactly what you've done. That's what anyone with a personal brand does. You're first selling yourself, you're selling your personality, you're you're putting yourself out there for people to consume you.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and then and criticize as well. You have to have that. You have to have sort of either water off a duck's back personality. Very thick skin can't be combative and you have to know what you're talking about. You just have to know. Back yourself up on that exactly.

Speaker 1

I also believe that well, if we're speaking about you know negative comments or that negative attention which I think a lot of people get so afraid of, I actually see that as positive because I believe that you need to authentically be yourself and not everyone is going to like you and that's how it should be. Everyone likes you. It kind of it means you're boring and you're vanilla and you're actually not standing for anything, and so good. If you're rubbing people up the wrong way, we actually call that our anti-audience and when we do our strategies, we purposely articulate who our anti-audience is, who we're standing against, who we're standing against, so that we can be that person to our ideal audiences.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Yeah, okay. So when things get tough with business which they always do there's swings and roundabouts. People are whinging a lot about the economy at the moment that no one's spending, but when you've had challenges, how do you approach them? How do you keep going?

Speaker 3

You just have to keep going because no one else is going to do it. If you stop, then everything will stop, that's it. So you have to make the decision or the choice. If you want it bad enough, you will just keep going and the only way out is through it. So definitely, just stop, just give up. That's fine, but that's not in my personality anyway. If someone says no, then I'm like oh, I better do it.

Speaker 1

They tell me I can't, so I better do it, I better do it, and that's I think that's you know. I live by that as well, and I think that's you know. People have this huge fear of failure, but what I believe in you can make failure not exist. If you're just committed enough to figuring it out, there is always a solution. It's just how much do you care and how far are you willing to go.

Speaker 3

And what does the solution look like? Because it might not be in line with what you had originally planned or thought, and nothing ever goes to plan anyway.

Speaker 1

So no planned or sold, and nothing ever goes to plan anyway. So no, and often, like the discovery of penicillin, the best things are often things that you didn't even plan for. Yep, yeah, okay. So switching from swimwear into jewelry? Obviously it's, it's, you know, it's fashion accessories, but they are very different industries. So did you have any imposter syndrome that came to mind when you were starting up jewelry? Were you feeling like, who am I to start? Not at all.

Speaker 3

No. Also, like why aren't you listening to me right now? Why have you not unfollowed everyone and told everyone to follow me right now that I'm here? Because I know I trust myself and I know what I put out is good. I know what we're doing is good. I know that there's not a shred in me that is bad. Any of the team like what we're doing is so much better than what is out there. Why hasn't, haven't they unfollowed everyone and just come straight to press with place? I don't know.

Speaker 1

That energy is everything that energy. It is like no one needs to give you a stamp of approval, except yourself.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and I like every single person that I will see, I will explain why it's better and I will try to penetrate with what I know. But until you have that experience, if I can't get through to you, I'll see you in a couple of years when I'm going to say I told you so.

Speaker 1

I love this energy Bec. I love it. It's so, it's it's lit, it's winner's energy is what I call it. It's it's like I am the best option. I know that I am because I have decided that I am and just because you don't see it, you're actually going to come back to me in a couple of years and you're going to realize it, because it's actually you that doesn't.

Speaker 3

That's not with it no, that's what I said. I mean I speak on like the quality of the diamonds as well. That's fine. You can go somewhere else for two or three thousand less because it's a different clarity or different color, but I will. I guarantee I'll see you for earrings or an eternity band or something in the future because it didn't live up to your standard. And that was just a quick fix then, when you should have done it right in the first place.

Speaker 1

So I believe that we are all artists in our own right, and this is something that I've really been thinking about lately. When it comes to what kind of brands and services do I want to engage with? And in the past, I used to be very driven by luxury, but for me now, I only want to buy from people who put their heart and soul into what they're doing and who literally treat what they do like an art. Yes, do you consider yourself an artist?

Speaker 3

yeah, in that phrase yeah, I always post like artist emojis when I post some stories, like in the studio, because we're all there creating.

Speaker 1

I do feel like it is a very artistic sort of field and I would go one step further and say you know, there's even lawyers, accountants, you know those typically boring businesses. I believe you can be an artist in that space as well, because you are creative enough to think outside.

Speaker 3

Just think laterally. You're going to get a better, a different result than someone in the box would exactly Exactly, and so what I'm picking up from you?

Speaker 1

there's a few things that you innately believe that you are or that you do, and one of them is, obviously you've given yourself that stamp of approval. You believe in your mission and what you're trying to achieve. You also, because you are creating brands for yourself, you have a very innate understanding of what your audiences are searching for, right? There's a lot of people that we come across, for example, they're very passionate at what they do. They're artists in their own right. They have an amazing product or service but, for whatever reason, they're not able to properly communicate with the people that they need to sell to. So what advice would you give to people that, where their marketing may not be clicking or their business is not clicking, even though they know that they have a really solid offer If they have?

Speaker 3

a solid offer, then I would just say keep going, keep talking like refine the message, keep on speaking, because sooner or later, if you're that down with what you're doing, if you're that in touch with who you are and you know that you can't be tripped up or faltered for the product that you're offering, it's going to work. Just going, that's all. It just takes time, and I don't know how Instagram would work now. I don't know how long it would be. I know that you can't kill authenticity and you can't shut someone up if they're too like. If they just don't stop, eventually someone's going to listen to you. So it's just about tenacity, I think.

Speaker 1

Love that. You can't kill authenticity, love that. And I especially love that when everyone's fear-mongering with AI taking everyone's jobs and it's you know, and oh, I use AI for my marketing, all this type of stuff. It's like you can use AI to maybe help you brainstorm some ideas. I would not touch AI for marketing, no, no, I use it for my ADHD brain to kind of like I just like word vomit onto the thing and then I get it to pull out clear points. But that's the extent of it, because I agree with you you can't kill authenticity, you can't compete with authenticity.

Speaker 3

I think we would come to a point where we're craving that human interaction and people are so devoid of knowing how to deliver in a human way. If you start to use AI because we've become lazy, and then by that point the brands that are totally dependent on AI can't undo what has been done and they just want to see another human saying these things or typing these things, or having typos or like just having movement absolutely.

Speaker 1

I saw a post on TikTok the other day where they were kind of talking about the death of the gatekeeper a few years ago, where. But then also, do you see that post at all? No, I didn't, but I know what you're talking about. Yeah, so it's like they're, you know. They're saying we went against all like anna winter and all of these gatekeepers that were like titans and leaders of what they know, and then we all kind of democratized everything and we relied on algorithms, everything to feed us. You know new brands, new ideas, all of this stuff. But what we're saying, what they're saying, is that those algorithms have actually worked the wrong way and now we're just being fed the same shit over and over and over.

Speaker 1

Yeah, and it's just a different colored bow yeah and so and I know I look at it with my spotify, for example, where I do like start song radio and it's just the same songs that I've been listening to, keep playing through. But then I got my husband's one and I'm like what? I want these songs, how do I? And so I think again, it's like people are freaking out about algorithms, about AI, about how to go viral and create content that appeases these technology platforms. But, like, what I see with your story is you've always just lent into authenticity, lent into being yourself, and that got you far back in 2012. It's obviously working now with COVID and beyond. What are your thoughts on it?

Speaker 3

Yeah, it is exactly that Like just staying human and giving it my all. I'm getting like I will reap the benefits from putting in the hard work. I think everyone has just become so lazy as well. You just want to step into something and have it all done and this is how it works. But it's just because everything is so at our fingertips. We can have a hairdresser come to our house, we can have a spray tan and food and like, just we're so we don't even we can have a hairdresser come to our house we can have a spray tan and food and like just we don't even have to leave the house, but like everyone's just a little bit lazy.

Overcoming Fear in Business Marketing

Speaker 1

Yeah, I agree, and that's actually something that I'd love to ask you. So you said in the beginning of your first business that sales were slow. Right, give someone who wants to start a business, who is starting a business, and maybe they're getting one sale every two weeks and they're feeling like a failure. But that's normal, right, normal, it's normal.

Speaker 3

I was like oh my God, $34. Someone just spent $34. My markup was shit. I knew nothing but great, yeah, that's perfect, that's fine. What do you? I just don't understand what is expected for a startup. What is what are you actually thinking? If you've spent X amount, what do you think is coming back to you, unless you've got deep pockets for marketing and you've got like an infinite marketing budget?

Speaker 1

what is good. But even if they have those big budgets because I've worked with big budgets in the past and you know what I would choose over a big budget in marketing.

Speaker 3

I would choose a charismatic brand, founder and I was just going to say invest in a CEO that gives the audience what they want, instead of a market budget, because people could sniff out a paid ad like no tomorrow.

Speaker 1

A hundred percent. And how many times do you hear actually, have you ever engaged an agency or a freelancer or outsourced any of your marketing before?

Speaker 3

No, never, I would never, never, never. No, I've been around too long, I know what to do.

Speaker 1

Because the amount of I mean the amount of I call them orphan brands that have been burnt by agencies have slapped on a 10 grand a month ad spend and said, yeah, we're going to make you a success, and it hasn't worked. Surprise, surprise, there's just too much of that. I just feel like you have a really intuitive understanding of what people want and how to best get what you want.

Speaker 3

It's just so easy to overcomplicate things and when you first said like what the success looked like to you, it's just not overcomplicating it. Just keep it nice and easy. Why do we need to have weeds attached to everything? It can be very like. Life can be very open and shut and easy to live and there's no need like there's no room for me in my life or no need for me to make it bigger or messier than what it already is. I guess Just keep it easy.

Speaker 1

That's right and that's what I say to people about their marketing as well. You know, our big thing is we are very good at marketing psychology, at making a really strategic plan and understanding audiences. And then we do believe that having a multi-channel you know, having ads, having funnels, having all of those things emails, socials it all matters, but the thing is start and I believe starting on organic socials is the best way to do that, the best way to do that if you already give your baby to someone else at six weeks old.

Speaker 3

Yeah, you can't have it like a curated page from the get-go.

Speaker 1

You just can't do that no, and it's the reason why I think organic social works so well is because you're putting it's. It's like this testing ground. You know. You're putting a post out, thinking, okay, I think this is what people want from me. I'm going to put this out. Did it resonate? No, okay, let's try something else. Oh, resonate, people are really interested in that. Okay, let's keep pursuing that. It's literally a free, free testing ground. I think people forget that you just have to pay to get any sort of advertising, or yeah, this is market research every day.

Speaker 3

Like I will ask polls, I ask questions. People will give me feedback about everything, and it's just free market research. At the same time, I'm learning about who the audience is and what do they want.

Speaker 1

I agree, I think people that resist organic socials because they're afraid of getting on camera or because they don't want to be the face of their brand, because one day, in magically 10 years time, they want to sell and then they're worried about what that means for their exit. That's all excuses and that sounds like fear to me, when it's really just just start by connecting, start by speaking to the people that you want to help the most. Yeah, yeah, that's it, it's so, it's so simple, it really is. And okay, I think, to be fair, people don't have as innate understanding of their audiences like you do. I feel like you're.

Speaker 3

You're very tapped into understanding what, what your audiences like to see from you and what they need in order to go through that customer journey, and I'm also one thing I will say is I really don't give an F what anyone thinks of me, because of course, in the beginning I was like, oh my God, my husband's neighbor's cat's dog sitter has looked at this and oh my God, I think there was food in my teeth on that story. How embarrassing. Everyone's seen it and like, yes, I had those thoughts. But at the same time I'm like fuck it, it's done. Fuck it, this is so over, it's done and just keep on going. I don't care. Whereas some people might be like, oh shit, my fly was undone, I'm never doing that again, whereas I'd probably just do it again two seconds later, okay.

Speaker 1

So let's break this down more, because I think this is a huge barrier for a lot of people. It's not so much the strangers on the internet that see them, it's, yeah, literally like the other moms at school pick up or that type of thing.

Speaker 3

Well, when this business started was in COVID and we were living in an AFL hub because Lockie played for Geelong professional athlete and one of the mornings I came downstairs I was on the front page of one of the newspapers and one of the staff or one of the AFL people were like oh, that's you. And the newspaper was being passed around. I was like, oh yeah, it is Like all of these people are talking about me, but I'm just off to the park, I have no idea and it's like just I, you can't think about it, just keep going, keep going keep going.

Speaker 1

Have you always been like that, or is that something you've learned how to handle?

Speaker 3

I think I've always been like that, but I've learned to handle it better as I've gotten older. Like things will still. I'll still think about things. If I post a reel or a story and I'm like fuck, I really my double chin or something, and I just give it 24 hours and it goes away and I'll do it again.

Speaker 1

Exactly, I think we think too much about ourselves and the reality is people are actually only only just thinking about themselves, yeah and so, yeah, I really would love if I could bottle your energy and how you think about things and how you approach things and just give it to everyone. That would be my dream to do, but obviously I can't do that. So instead, clearly, clearly I draw a vial of your blood. Um, clearly, like if you could grab someone who's like whether they're 20, whether they're 50, whatever, however old they might be, whatever stage at life there are, but they have this dream and they really want to start a brand, whatever that might be. If you could grab them and shake them and just tell them, like a few bits of advice, what would that be?

Speaker 3

Just to keep going, just not to give up and not to worry. Just keep going. I've run out of money. Just keep going, you'll figure it out. Just keep going, like, if you believe in the product that much, if you need it, if you like, if you need to fulfill that within you, you need to just keep on going because it's so easy. It's easier to sit down than it is to keep going yeah, agree, agree.

Speaker 1

And so I guess, based on that, like what is, what is one lesson that you had to learn in your journey which you wish you learned earlier? I don't know it's all awesome earlier.

Speaker 3

It is a lesson and managing staff is like the hardest thing ever we're the same managing staff is very hard and I don't like to be I don't my personality anyway. I don't like to be like, hey, this is what you're doing, this is what you're doing. I'm very personable, like you're my baby now and I'll breastfeed you and I love you and whatever, and I bring people into my life and it's just that's been the most, the hardest part for me, because there's a boundary and there's a line as well, and then, I get hurt or upset if people disappoint me or if people hurt me.

Speaker 3

So I think learning that? Yeah, but I'm a.

Speaker 1

Virgo, and like I'm feeling you because I would say this management of staff has been my biggest lesson as well, and it's like, I think, when you're building a passion led business and you're bringing people in and you really just want people to feel the same way about what you do and so you give them every opportunity to do that, but then you'll come across people that they're really just there for a job. I've said on a TikTok before, if you're going into a small, especially like a startup business, and you're really just there for the job, do yourself a favor and leave, because you won't be around.

Speaker 1

But she's walking out the door now, when you're an employee and I have so much respect for my team as well and for other people in startup or in really small businesses. As an employee, you are such an essential part of that brand, and if you're not willing to put a piece of your heart into that as well, it's not going to work out for anyone.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, agree, we're all here for the greater good. Exactly, it looks different because this isn't McDonald's or David Jones, like it doesn't have that corporate structure, and I think we're all coming to terms with that as the world ships and changes and you know like small business prevails, whatever that looks like to anybody else. But it's just something we're learning, I think.

Speaker 1

But I mean from an employee's perspective as well. There's a lot of advantages to being in a startup or a small business. It's that you know you're able to offer so much more flexibility. And the thing that I always like with my team is that I literally say you can shape, like build the career you want, yeah, yeah, and let's explore it and let's do it Like build this together, yeah.

Speaker 3

Yeah, agree.

Speaker 1

Okay, so let's quickly just jump into some mom advice, entrepreneur advice. I'm very I have a love-hate relationship with this whole mompreneur kind of vibe. On one hand, I feel like if we're singling ourselves out as like mompreneurs or mothers in business, it's kind of hinting at the fact we're not legit enough to go in the real pond of business, right. So on one hand, I'm like I don't like to really call out moms in business, but on the other hand, I believe that we have so many more responsibilities and we're actually not in the same game as a childless man or even a husband with a wife or a partner at home that looks after everything else.

Speaker 3

I feel like we should run the world. If I'm being honest, I said this yesterday Looking after yesterday, looking after children, god, it's a lot.

Work-Life Balance and Prioritizing Fun

Speaker 1

I said this yesterday. I literally said and I'm not hating on men at all, but I, I believe when I look around and see all the capable women doing everything and doing it in a way with love and with harmony, and people managing, you know, having kids and then still having successful careers and doing incredible things, it's like I feel like we'd salt the world's problems out in a week. How do you balance having two businesses and being present for your kids doing school drop-offs? How do you? How do you balance that?

Speaker 3

Well, I don't. I'm in the corner rocking at five o'clock every night. No, I'm just very in the way I do things. Like I don't get wound up. If I yell, it's maybe once a year and I don't hold like I'm not a very stressful kind of person. I know that where I need to be and I know that my kids will be number one. I know that I don't have that many hours in the day anymore now that there are two of them and I'm okay with that. Like I won't bust my ass or be so hard on myself for not being able to do a six, eight, 10 hour day anymore, because being mom comes first.

Speaker 3

And then I've got what I need to do. I'll do a reel, I'll do a story, I'll send some emails, I'll help the staff, but that's it. And I know that it will work because, like I've got my husband, I've got help. It'll be okay. And so the balance I don't think we ever balance. It's just about not breaking our neck, yeah. Chill the fuck out, yeah. So there's no balance. It's just about doing what I need to do and doing it well, not not just doing it half-assed.

Speaker 1

Yeah, that was something I learned early on as well, where I had to make a rule pretty early that I was not going to work when my kids were around because I kind of did nothing. Well, I was being a shitty mom because I was getting frustrated, I was doing my work half-assed.

Speaker 3

So it's no, just really clear, strict boundaries and priorities well, there was a point, maybe a year ago, and I would always say like, oh, I have to go and do stories, I've got to go and do stories. And then my son I don't know what we were talking about, but he said, oh, do you really have to go and do stories? And I looked at him and he's so young, he doesn't know what stories are, but he, it's just something that I say that I go to do. And at that moment I was like I'm not even going to talk about work, I'm not going to have my phone with me, like that's not something you should know about.

Speaker 1

So I'm clear on that as well it's incredible how much they pick up on what we're doing yeah.

Speaker 1

I'd definitely say I'm not as strict with with that in around my kids. But I think that the way that I frame it, like the way that I kind of again, I'm like waiting for the opportunity for them to start creating personal brands when the time is right for them and I'm like I wonder what area that's going to be in, because I just believe, whatever it is they want to do down the track, if you can build a personal brand and build that audience and connect with that audience, that will give you so much freedom to follow whatever passion that you have. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's, it's tricky, mom guilt can really like wind you up, I think. And I think that advice of just like chill out, don't, don't take things serious too seriously. Have your priorities straight. Obviously, for you, your family and your kids is number one, and so it's like, as long as you have those priorities straight, that's number one. Let's focus on that Everything else.

Speaker 3

You just have to be clear on the non-negotiables for your work If you are trying to balance between the two. Like, what are your non-negotiables? You have to talk to four clients minimum. You have to send 10 emails minimum. If you can tick off your bare minimum, then at least you've done something and you can satisfy that professional part of yourself.

Speaker 1

I think getting clear about your bare minimums is a starting point if you're trying to balance 100%, and so I call them the needle-moving activities and I've made them very clear for myself. It's content, sales, self-care. That's like my needle moving activities. What would you say your three priorities are? In a week, in a day, what do you prioritize at work?

Speaker 3

Definitely content, I think, speaking with staff. What was the third one you said?

Speaker 1

I said self-care, which technically isn't business, but it's like it is.

Speaker 3

How do you filter self-care or put self-care into business?

Speaker 1

Because I believe that if my energy is right, everything else will work out. Yeah, I guess I purposely put it into business because I used to not I put it on the back. I had so many health issues for such a long time because it would never be a priority for me. But then when I realized that if I started taking care of my physical health, my mental health, emotional health, financial health, everything like that, then everything else in my life became easier. So I now schedule massages when my kids are at school during technically the workday. Yeah, things like that that?

Speaker 3

oh, I do that. That's my list.

Speaker 1

I do that every week that's a business activity in my in. I mean, it makes you better in all areas of life. But if I think it's, my business went through a really tough time a few years ago and I dug in harder and I was doing longer hours and pushing more and more because I thought that's what would get the results. But it was actually the opposite. When I started pulling back and taking going on holidays to Europe, yeah, exactly. And, beck, I feel like again, you just have this innate understanding of like. You don't even consider that as like an optional thing. That's like. No, I need, that's what I need to function. And I feel like you've got all of these insights and this understand. You understand your audience, you prioritize the content. You know that failure is not an option and you know that self-care is a non-negotiable as well. These are all things I had to learn, but the fact that like did you? How did you get here? Were you just born?

Speaker 3

No, I'm not really attached. Like I'm not attached, and I think it comes back to the financial thing. I'm not attached to making the money, so I don't really give a fuck. I just don't care. I'm only here to have fun and I'm here to get like. I'm not saying that my life revolves around getting good engagement. I'm here to have fun and like have a go and see what's coming back at me. If I don't have a go, I'm on the rides too. I'm not sitting down with a lot of the moms on the seat. Like no, I'm climbing the walls there and I think that's just part of my personality. Like I want to have a go. We're all here. We should be having a go.

Speaker 1

I agree completely. But it's funny because I had to learn that. I had to learn that playfulness is actually a superpower and it's kind of the whole point to life.

Speaker 3

We were just having this conversation yesterday. That like childlike energy is what we have. I have the childlike energy and I think I didn't know that was a superpower. But I gravitate towards children. I'm not very serious Like, I'm just a very like I all like I was saying we're just big kids because my kids will be like how do you know that you're a grownup. I'm just a very like I all like I was saying we're just big kids because my kids will be like how do you know that you're a grown up? I'm like baby. I'm not, I'm just learning every day.

Speaker 1

Just like you, childlike big kids, childlike energy. Seriously, imagine if everyone in business just approached it like that. What a better place the world would be. Yeah, I think so too.

Speaker 3

That's the answer Just yeah, I think so too. That's the answer. Just be a four-year-old, no, but just not so serious.

Childlike Fun and Business Creativity

Speaker 1

Yeah, no, I agree, I completely agree, and I think it's about having fun, and that fun becomes infectious, and that fun incites creativity, and it's even down to things like I'm scared to get on camera. Have fun, do something that makes it fun for you.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing.

Speaker 1

Okay, bec, have fun, do something that makes it fun for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, amazing. Okay, beck, is there anything else you wanted to kind of mention? Or like, obviously I'll ask you for where people can find out more and all of that, but is there anything else you kind of wanted to chat about? I?

Speaker 3

think we did it all and I think it was. It encompassed the vibe of your podcast. So yeah, yeah perfect cool.

Speaker 1

So thank you so much, beck, for joining me on the podcast today. If people want to find out more about you, explore your amazing creations, all of the. I guess we're a piece of that childlike fun, even where people go to find you At the press book place and thepressbookplacecom. Perfect and, do you like, are you using your personal channels as well, or is it just, no, just the business?

Speaker 3

I use the personal one. I post in ghost. So no, just the business, just the business.

Speaker 1

Amazing, alrighty, well, have a wonderful Thanks for having me. Thanks for that. Like calms down. Yeah, wonderful thanks for having me. Thanks for that, like calms down.

Speaker 3

Yeah, enjoy being in the gold coast and not where I am. Well, I might see you one day soon for a tennis necklace.

Speaker 1

Would love that yeah, I'll send you some links. Yes, would love that the one that you're wearing send that one. Send that link, I'll send it all right.

Speaker 3

All right, thank you for having me bye.