Catherine Langman:
Well, hello there, it’s Catherine Langman here, back with another episode of the Productpreneur Success Podcast. And today on the show, I am welcoming a guest Antonette Golikidis, and Antonette’s brand is probably one that any of you listeners who are parents in Australia might recognize, it’s a skincare brand called Little Innoscents. And Antonette actually began, she founded her business and started creating her products the same year that I did with my first business, 2007. And so I have actually known Antonette for a really long time. So we met each other when we were both exhibiting at expos and trade shows. We used to tour around Australia and New Zealand as well, attending all of the baby expos and trade shows and things like that.
Catherine Langman:
And because both of our products were quite … we sold to the same customer base. We weren’t competitors, very different products, but we were often opposite each other or next door to each other at these shows, so we would have a chat. And I think many of you would probably resonate with the origin story for Little Innoscents. I think Antonette, she describes it in her interview, talking about how she had a particular need for her son who was a baby and had eczema skin condition. And she really didn’t … back in 2007, there just weren’t the variety of products that there are now. Having an organic and natural product was not common at the time and so she decided that she would fill that gap in the market and she started to create her own products. And it really did take off in a pretty amazing way.
Catherine Langman:
But the thing that is … I don’t know whether this is unique to Antonette. It’s certainly not a story that I hear commonly, but really right from the start of her business journey she always had in the back of her mind that she would build it into a really big business. Really build up the brand, distributing nationally and internationally, but ultimately she wanted to sell the business. She wanted to build an asset and she wanted to capitalize on that effort and sell the business. And she did achieve that.
Catherine Langman:
So she actually sold the business to a public company. She sold the business in 2018 and then completely exited the business in 2019. And the brand is still thriving. It’s still growing and thriving on the international stage as well as all around Australia. And she’s really been able to create that legacy. So that’s what we’re talking about on the show today. We’re going to hear the story all from Antonette’s version and it’s a fantastic interview. Highly recommend pulling up a chair, grab a cup of tea and a pen and paper. You’ll probably want to take a few notes as well. And so without further ado, let us welcome Antonette to the show.
Catherine:
Welcome to the show, Antonette. It’s really fantastic to have you here.
Antonette:
Thanks, Catherine. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Catherine:
I’ve been trying to remember when we first actually met because you and I started our first businesses kind of at a fairly similar time, I think.
Antonette:
I think it would be the…
Catherine:
Maybe in 2008 that we might’ve met each other at a show.
Antonette:
Yeah, well, yeah, I started in 2007, so it could possibly have been the year after, so yeah, it’s been a long time.
Catherine:
Yeah. But I’m super excited to have you on the show here and we’re going to have a nice big chat about Little Innoscents, which was the brand that you started all those years ago.
Antonette:
Yeah, well look, [inaudible 00:00:48] Little Innoscents has been around since 2007, and a lot has happened in that time. But I guess just to give you a bit of a background about where it all started, I’d fallen pregnant with my first child, Alex. And at the time I was searching for baby products that were chemical free. And I was just so disappointed to find a limited range of products that were available on the market. And they were overly expensive or a lot of them actually I found offered misleading information. Once I started reading through looking at the ingredients and the back of the labels, I thought these are products I don’t really want to use on my children. So, I wanted to create something that was organic and natural. There’s no hidden nasties and something that had some beautiful sense because I think people kind of have this perception of baby products having to smell very much the same scented products, very neutral.
Catherine:
[crosstalk 00:01:52].
Antonette:
Yeah. I want it to smell beautiful. I want it to mask those terrible smells that we get when our children go to the toilet and they, sometimes there’ll be grubby, and I wanted something that was beautiful. So basically, I thought that there was a gap in the market for that natural, the organic space.
Catherine:
It was very different than 2007 compared to now because there’s options now.
Antonette:
Definitely. Oh my God, Catherine. I can’t tell you how different and how things have evolved over those years, because it’s a big change now. People are more demanding of wanting natural and organic products, but back then, no one really quite understood what it was all about.
Catherine:
Yeah. And am I remembering correctly that you had a background that was quite relevant to creating these products like a natural path or something?
Antonette:
[crosstalk 00:02:50]. Yes. I started out my career in health science, so I was remedial massage therapist and I was also an aroma therapist. So, I did have that natural background that did help me. And I was lucky to be able to learn to make simple skincare in my learnings. And that’s where it started to evolve from there.
Catherine:
Yeah. So it’s such a cool origin story. And of course the brand is still standing now and what’s that 15 years or something, so.
Antonette:
It is. Yeah, it’s been longer than 15 years now.
Catherine:
Gosh. I suppose our kids are teenagers now.
Antonette:
They are.
Catherine:
Yes. So what do you think might’ve been some of those factors that behind the brand remaining such a well loved brand over such a long period of time?
Antonette:
Well, Catherine, I feel like I was a bit of a disruptor in a very saturated market in a sense that it wasn’t… People weren’t looking for natural and organic products as such, but they were certainly starting to change their behavior and thinking of what they wanted to use on their children. So, I think for me, what really helped the brand was that a lot of mothers could relate to my own story and they were looking for solutions that were simple, that wasn’t tied to multinational companies. And my story really spoke about how I developed the brand because of my own son who had quite bad eczema, and wanting to find a natural alternative for him. So I think that really had helped to identify with a lot of consumers out there looking for products at the time.
Catherine:
Well, yeah. I mean, definitely, that story, there’s so many parents out there who do have to deal with things like eczema and asthma and all of that sort of allergy staff as well.
Antonette:
Yeah, definitely. And I think people are understanding that it’s a lot of factors that contribute to someone having eczema. It’s not that they just have dry skin or the chemical that they get in a product. It’s an overall lifestyle sometimes that needs to be adapted the way what you ate, what you put on your skin, what you’re using to wash your clothing and the surroundings in your home. They’re all factors that do really impact on how the skin deals with its climate and the conditions that it’s in. So, it’s the educational process as well for a lot of people as well.
Catherine:
Yeah, totally. And so, obviously, you started creating products to solve this need for yourself. And I think when you started off, you always intended this to be a brand that you would build and sell, right? You weren’t just making it for your own son.
Antonette:
Certainly, no, no. The concept was there and originally, I had been making some lotions and potions to family, friends, and it wasn’t until I had passed on some cream to a lovely lady up in Queensland who I didn’t know, that was a friend of a friend. And they called me and she was in tears and she said, “Look, I’ve used your cream and it’s worked. It’s magic. It’s worked really well on my daughter’s eczema. And she’s three years old and I’ve used so many different products and nothing has helped her, where can I buy it?”
Antonette:
And that was my light bulb moment where I thought, “You know what? I know how to do something that I can help others.” And from that moment I thought I woke up, I said to my husband, “I’m going to create a skincare range.” It wasn’t, “I’m going to make some products and go to the market and sell them to a couple of people.” It was always, always at the back of my mind that I would build Little Innoscents into its own little empire and I would sell it or it would grow to bigger and better things. So I’ve always had that in the back of my mind. I mustered me.
Catherine:
Yeah. You always, I think wanted to have a pretty big impact rather than a small impact on the lives of these sorts of people. Yeah. So, I guess when you had that light bulb moment, obviously, figuring out how you’re going to make the products is one of the first decisions that you really need to make in a product business.
Antonette:
It is. It is, and it did take a lot of planning. As well as having the health science background, I also did have a business background prior to that where I was in corporate. So I think that itself gave me the mindset that I wanted to run this as a proper business. So, it was really important for me to put a business plan into play, gather as much information as I could, and to actually really make sure that I was very focused. Studied marketing on it. I took 12 months to formulate and develop the actual range. Yeah. And I was fortunate that I could make it myself. And I think that was a big help whereas, it’s really hard when you start a business and you’re needing to outsource everything from the very first moment.
Catherine:
Yeah. If I can get started at least initially with that minimum viable product and get moving.
Antonette:
That’s right, because it helps you test the market. It helps you to understand what changes need to be made. And it also, I found was very beneficial when I did go off to get contractors to contract pack and feel that I understood what I needed and I understood the formulations. I understood the difficulty of upscaling a product as well, because it’s not as simple as making 10 jars of cream and then going up to 10,000 jars there. A lot of things can go wrong in that upscale process. So, once I was able to identify that this product was going well, I could increase my volume. And then that’s when I decided, yeah, I need to go out and find a contractor who can make some minimum order quantities that worked for me.
Catherine:
Yeah. And so when you did that, did you put like a number of products into production with that company, or did you retain making some of them yourself, or how did you make that decision?
Antonette:
Look, I thought that’s just go the whole hog because when you’re out working with manufacturers, they don’t really want to play with little tiny players. I want someone who they think that they can grow with and so forth. So, it was a commercial decision to invest to say, “Okay, that’s just take the whole lot and get it manufactured rather than making bits and pieces.” And also, what people don’t realize is it’s so time consuming to actually do the creative side and the manufacturing yourself. And it leaves you with a lot less time to actually work on the other aspects of the business, which the marketing, the sales, all those things that are going to get you money coming through the door and protocols.
Catherine:
The [crosstalk 00:10:28].
Antonette:
So, yeah. And it’s funny because I deal with a lot of… I do some consulting work with… Do some mentoring and work with clients, and all they want to do is sit there and make products. But I tell them, you can’t do that because you’re wasting your precious time where you can hand that over to someone who just does that type of work. And you can focus on other aspects of the business. So, it was something that was a very commercial decision to, if the brand was to build, it needed to go off and get manufactured.
Catherine:
Yeah. And so, reading between the lines there, I guess that means you chose a manufacturer that would scale with your business.
Antonette:
Yes. And that’s difficult in itself because a lot of people don’t realize that these manufacturers, they need to be making quite high volumes. So, I think some people, when they start off get a little bit deterred when they see that you need to go in and begin with quite large numbers, but you have to be confident in your brand, in your products and just make that decision and say, “Okay, I can do this.” And yes, they are large numbers, but without pushing yourself to that next level, you’re just going to stay at a very low playing field.
Catherine:
Yeah, absolutely. So, when you reflect, I guess back on that time, or even, I guess once you’d moved to the manufacturing, you did start to focus on growing and scaling. What were some the challenges that you faced with the manufacturing side? I mean, this could be an episode on all on its own, I guess.
Antonette:
Yeah. Look, I’ll try and keep it brief, but I think the most important thing is finding the right blenders and fillers that you feel that you can work with. Because trust me, they’re not all the same and there are so many out there that it can be a little bit overwhelming. So I think it’s really important to screen them all and to spend a lot of time just getting the filters out there, speaking to people. And I found one that I felt that I could work with them as a company and still continue to be quite hands on with my product development and with my range. And for me, that was the most appealing aspect of it.
Antonette:
And it’s quite funny because I still have great relationships with these companies today. And one in particular, they always laugh and say, “We weren’t quite sure whether you would have been a one hit wonder and just made one manufacturing, random. Here you are years later. We’re still working with you closely.” So, I think it needs to be a bit of a trust thing between the manufacturers themselves to take that risk and challenge on smaller companies, as well as you thinking, “I think I can work and grow with the manufacturer.”
Catherine:
Yeah. That’s so cool. And I think you always made in Australia. So, was that also a conscious part of your plan [crosstalk 00:13:40]?
Antonette:
Yeah, definitely. I think transparency in Australia is far greater than where I think you could get it anywhere else. We have a very good reputation for our manufacturing in Australia for that efficacy of suppliers and all those things. So for me, it was never even, I never put it in my mind to think that I would go overseas to create an actual range. And also I think it’s a great marketing strategy to have a product made in Australia. And it offers a great opportunity for you to sell in the overseas markets. So, it was a real win-win to just, and I couldn’t even imagine going anywhere and because you want to control. You still want to take control of what’s going on and to do that overseas sometimes can be quite difficult.
Catherine:
Unfortunately in skincare, there are manufacturers still in Australia. So you needed to have [crosstalk 00:14:41].
Antonette:
Yes. Yeah, that’s right. That’s probably one of the only big manufacturing sectors that we still have in Australia, that we still have production that happens here. So, I was really fortunate. It’s not like it’s in the textile industry where almost all of that is overseas.
Catherine:
Yeah.
Antonette:
Yeah. So, I had that in my favor.
Catherine:
Yeah. So very cool. And I guess to give listeners a little bit of a context, Little Innoscents, I’m not sure how quickly you grew to this, but I think the brand is stocked in over 300 stores around Australia?
Antonette:
It is. Yes it is stocked in quite a number of stores here in Australia as well as overseas as well. So, it has really grown up until the time that I’d sold it. Yeah. It had grown quite a lot and had grown its wings, which was really beautiful to see.
Catherine:
Yeah. Well, I mean, I remember just, even watching from the sidelines, like your ability to plan and also just execute on that plan and go for, it was just amazing to watch and see.
Antonette:
Thank you. It’s a hard one because no one sees the weekends that you pour into your business while everyone’s making social plans or the times that yet another expo road trip has come and you’re on the road game. It’s all those layers that you peel away that help you to achieve those big accounts because you’re just always striving and always working. So, it’s not giving up that really helps. And I think that where a lot of people sort of see Little Innoscents in its growth and a surprise that it wasn’t a huge team.
Antonette:
I didn’t have a whole heap of employees. A lot of it was outsourced and the majority of work, I did myself. So, I really did chip away over the years and tried to create a brand where buyers would see it for what it was and be able to get into those recognized stores like Chemist Warehouse and Priceline and so forth. So, it was a great opportunity for me to be able to work with those companies and they really helped to bring the brand alive, which was great.
Catherine:
Yeah, absolutely. And I’d like to ask you in just a second about what it takes to land those wholesale accounts. But I just want to quickly ask, what was the team makeup? So you exited the business, I think around 2019 ish, but what was the team that you had? [crosstalk 00:17:34].
Antonette:
No, no, probably at the end, we were five or six of us full time that were working in the business.
Catherine:
[crosstalk 00:17:45].
Antonette:
And the remaining side of it was all outsourced. So all the manufacturing was outsourced, but I did do a lot of the work myself. I worked seven days a week, which was quite crazy. And I think that was one contributing factor where I thought I need to let go of this now. I’ve done everything I possibly can and I need to give it wings and it needs to go. So, we weren’t a huge team, but we were a very, very good team and everyone really shared the load around, which I think made the brand so special and allowed us to be perceived as much bigger than what we were.
Catherine:
Yeah. Look, I think that your friendly personality and probably the same with your team, it definitely rubbed off on the audience. So let’s talk about wholesale because I know that a lot of brands are super keen to see their products on the shelves of well-known retail stores, whether it’s Chemist Warehouse and Priceline or something similar. But what goes into landing those sorts of accounts?
Antonette:
Well, I think they’ll give you enough help because I can tell you so many doors closed in my face. And I had people saying, “You’re never going to get anywhere. Who wants an organic brand out there.” You’ve really got to be [crosstalk 00:19:13].
Catherine:
So, they’re eating their words now? Wouldn’t they?
Antonette:
Yeah. They would, and I’m sure they know who they are if they listen to this podcast. But I think not giving up really helped and I think that people need to understand that you need to drip feed information to category buyers because they’re not going to make a decision straight away. They need to see the brand. They need to see it grow. They want to hear information on a regular basis about the brand. So it’s important, I think to just keep those channels open, to be professional, not to be too pushy, but to just, when you’ve got information to say, to pass it on and to continue to knock on those doors. Find out who the buyers are and not to be afraid to just send an email, make a phone call.
Antonette:
And for me, I found that I got a lot of success when I wouldn’t say the word demand, but I would like really push the point. I just want 15 minutes of your time. I just want to see you personally, so I can give you a rundown on the brand so you can smell and feel it, rather than just sending samples in the mail, rather than just sending an email again or justifying costs. So, I found the most success I had is when I could get those few precious moments of someone’s time where I think they can feel the passion in your brand. They can see the way that you sell it to them. And I think that really helps that decision-making with some category buyers.
Catherine:
Yeah, so-
Antonette:
So, I wouldn’t hesitate to jump on a plane and go and see someone and tell them that I’m coming up to Sydney to see a number of other buyers when I really wasn’t, and I would just do it. And all I would think, well, even if I get 10 minutes of their time, and even if they say they’re not ready yet, that’s fine. It just showed that we were a brand that we’re committed to trying to get into that, those types of businesses.
Catherine:
So, it sounds like you probably got quite a few knock backs along the way.
Antonette:
Definitely. I did many times. I did and I still just got up and I still kept on going until they finally said yes. And then, that’s almost as hard as getting in ease actually then showing your commitment to the brand, showing that you can show them that the sales are there. So, it’s really hard trying to get those meetings, but it’s equally as hard making sure that you’re do impress them as well.
Catherine:
Yeah. And then I guess when you actually do get into these stores, you need to keep those accounts, which means selling through the stock.
Antonette:
That’s right. Yeah, you do. Definitely. And that’s one of the key aspects and I was always very, very straightforward in a sense that I really wanted to, when I would speak to wholesale accounts is not over promise, but I would really try to make sure we would be able to perform once we did get in store.
Catherine:
Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, in terms of the marketing that you did throughout that time, because obviously, when you are selling into wholesale accounts, the products are going to sit on the shelf of a Chemist Warehouse or whatever retail store that you get into, but then customers need to know what this brand is. And so, I mean, I know you were doing a lot of expos and trade shows and things like that to introduce the brand.
Antonette:
Yeah. Definitely. I spent a lot of time on the road. People need to see your product everywhere. They need to be talking about it. So, at the time, exposed trade shows were a great way to get through to people those days, and social media had really begun back 10, 15 years ago. It was a very cheap way for you to build a brand. So, unlike today where I feel that social media can be a little bit saturated at the time, it was a really…
Catherine:
It’s not a free channel anymore.
Antonette:
No. That’s right. But back then, you could engage with Facebook followers and you would get… Everyone would see what’s happening. You wouldn’t necessarily have to spend so much money for your posts to be seen. So, it was a really good time to be able to stand out. I used to spend a lot of time on my website development and constantly change the website. Because again, those things are attracting people and as we become more online, more social, it’s an important channel for people to see you. So, all those things are really important as well as product sampling. I used to spend a lot of money and a lot of time with product sampling because I feel that if people get a good quality sample, then they’re more likely to then go and buy a product if they’ve been able to sample it. So, I did-
Catherine:
So, where did you distribute those to?
Antonette:
So they were distributed throughout various hospitals, maternity health centers through trade shows as well. So anyway, I basically could get them out. I’d often collaborate with other like-minded businesses that were perhaps doing something else and I would offer them samples to send out with me orders and so forth. So, as many sampling, as much as you can get your product out there to people, that’s how it will come back. So, you really need to spend money and you need to spend time on the business for it to grow. It doesn’t just grow overnight out of just hoping that a few people look at it and think, “Oh, this is great.” And they tell their friend. All those things through work, but it’s all those behind the same things that most people don’t realize that you’re doing really helped build a brand.
Catherine:
Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Gosh, I’m just remembering now some of those things, because of course I was using your products then too on my kids. The winter bomb that you sent them in winter [inaudible 00:25:50]. That was amazing.
Antonette:
Yeah. The winter blues. That was a beautiful product. They still use it until today.
Catherine:
Yeah.
Antonette:
And that was another sort of thing. I tried to bring out products that were a little bit unique and different. So that way, it wasn’t just the same traditional products on the market. Everything that I tried to create had a little bit of a spin on its own, which made it a bit unique, which also helps for a product to get a bit of cult following as well.
Catherine:
Yeah, absolutely. Now, you said earlier at the start of our chat, that when you started out, you always had in the back of your mind that you would want to sell the business and make an exit from the business. So, you were always focused on building up the business as an asset, I guess in order to realize that by selling it, and in 2018, you did that.
Antonette:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). I did.
Catherine:
Tell us more because this is something that I think a lot of people, they start a business, but they don’t really, it’s a bit of a foggy idea way down the track, and they don’t really think about the end game.
Antonette:
It’s true. And it’s really funny because whenever anyone’s [inaudible 00:27:14] to me about my business, I always thought of it as a company that would outgrow me. I wanted it to be brought out by a big company that could take it further. It’s not that I didn’t love it anymore. I didn’t want it to continue. But there was realistically, there was only so much that I felt that I could do on this. I brought someone into the business, which I felt like I couldn’t, because it was my baby. And to share it with someone else, I had a little bit of a fee to that. So to me, I felt like success for me would be that I would then on sell this business to someone else.
Antonette:
And I also wanted to have financial security for my family who had given so much to this business over so many years. Again, my husband, how many times he came and helped out [crosstalk 00:28:09]. And he was a good guy and he also, spent quite a bit of time working in the business one or two days a week. And even my children, how many shows they came to, how many samples they packed in the warehouse. I’m giving forklift lessons in the warehouse now. All these things over the years. So, I really wanted to build something that I would then on sell and have a reward for my family as well, I think was always at the back of my mind.
Catherine:
Yeah. Yeah. Well, rightly so it was a big effort for everyone to build the brand at that point.
Antonette:
Yeah. And even it’s funny because even though you always think to yourself, yeah, eventually I will sell it. I believe it or not wasn’t actually ready to sell it at the time.
Catherine:
Interesting.
Antonette:
Yeah. It was quite interesting because over the time, I’ve had a few people come to me with a discussion of looking at purchasing the brand. And I put it off a little bit. So, as I approached me, I just kept it in the back of my mind. And then, 2018 came around and I’d had gone through a little bit of phase of ill health. And I was getting really tired of the pressure of running this business literally 24/7. So, an offer came to me and I just felt it was just the right time for me to walk away. And that was my ultimate decision at that time to decide to sell.
Catherine:
And is that a time consuming discussion, I guess? Did it take a while from that approach for you to yeah?
Antonette:
It did. When the time came, it was the hardest decision I’d ever had to make. So I felt like I was letting go of a child. It’s really hard because it’s one thing to say, “Yes, I want to get rid of this company and make some money and be done with it.” But at the same time, that’s all I have known for 16, 17 years of my life. And it was-
Catherine:
Incredible. Isn’t it?
Antonette:
… such a roll the coast. It was such a hard decision to make. So, at the same time, I tried to be objective and understand that the business would grow in a way that I couldn’t take it any more. And I always sort of thought to myself, well, you know what, I’ll always be the founder of this business, and always be proud of what I had started and what I’ve been able to achieve from my kitchen to where it is today. So I kind of kept that also in balance as well when I made my decision.
Catherine:
Yeah. And was it the reason that you were attracted to that approach because you’d had other approaches before that? Was the particular company that approached you as well that attracted you?
Antonette:
Yeah. It’s very happy because when you do go to sell a brand or a company often, they put their best foot forward and they tell you about all these wonderful things that they are going to do with the brand. So, at the time I felt like I was in the best position for them to take the range to the next level. So, I think that was my end goal was to sell the company, but to make sure that it continued to run and that it continued to build on its growth of the product range that it was. So that was…
Catherine:
And keep the brand intact as well.
Antonette:
Yeah.
Catherine:
Yes. Yeah. That’s really cool. And I suppose one thing that I’ve observed and you probably the same because you mentor other startups as well. There’s a bit of a gray area for a lot of people in understanding what they actually need to focus on when they’re actually building their business in order for it to be an attractive proposition for somebody to buy.
Antonette:
Yeah, definitely. I think you’re right. And you do need to be in that mindset that your business can be successful without you. And a lot of companies, that’s what they do. Their radar is looking at other smaller businesses that they believe that they can grow or add to one of their existing businesses and leverage that brand. Because quite often, it’s the small brands that people start to fall in love with that grow to be bigger brands. And it’s the bigger companies who have got that money to then take it to the next level.
Antonette:
So, it’s certainly something that I think people need to be more aware of when they are building their businesses to think about the bigger picture. And it’s not just something that you’re doing for now, but it’s something that can lead to a financial benefit down the track when you’re not wanting to either do it anymore or you’re wanting to get into other things because you do feel a bit [inaudible 00:33:24] sometimes working in your businesses for such a long time.
Catherine:
Yeah. 15 years is a long time. I mean, most people wouldn’t stay in a job for that long.
Antonette:
That’s right. So, I think it’s a good way of approaching your business thinking, well, if I can build this business to then take it to the next level, whether it be that you have a sideline to the business and continue to have some involvement in it, or like I did, completely remove yourself, then you know, it’s an objective that you need to look at for your longterm future.
Catherine:
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I guess just before we finish up on this topic, was there any kind of particular things that the buyers were looking for in acquiring your business, just thinking for our listeners. What would they need to be preparing for if they wanted to eventually sell their business?
Antonette:
Yeah, that’s a good question. I think the things that were most appealing for the company to buy the brand was that it was an established Australian brand, that we were in some really good established Australian companies like [inaudible 00:34:42] Chemist Warehouse, because that really shows that you’ve got a penetration into the market. And that really helped with their vision for overseas and continuing to show that there was a brand out there that was doing well in the Australian market, as well as the overseas market. So I think those things were a contributing factor to their interest in the brand.
Catherine:
So good. So good. And is there you still involved in the brand? Do you still have a role at all?
Antonette:
No, I don’t actually. I’ve completely cut ties. I did try to stay on for a little while, but I’m not going to lie. And I think it’s important to explain to the listeners. It’s really hard when you sell a brand and somebody comes in and their vision, even though you may have the same vision, it’s the way you there that can be completely different. So to me, I felt like I just needed to let go. I needed to move on because what I thought the brand needed did not necessarily the same kind of…
Catherine:
It wasn’t the same.
Antonette:
Yeah, it wasn’t for them. So, in order to not be bitter and angry about it, I thought the most important thing is that the brand still continues and maybe it was time for a fresh set of eyes to look over it. So, I didn’t feel like I could be a part of it anymore. And it was just too difficult to not be the complete decision maker moving forward. So, I thought…
Catherine:
It’d be like a long time relationship like a marriage. If you divorced, and then you decided you were going to stay, living in the same house. [crosstalk 00:36:29].
Antonette:
Yes Exactly. It doesn’t work. That’s a really good analogy. And it’s quite funny because when I did leave, I was so surprised to get so many calls and emails from companies wanting me to work with them and just see what I was doing. And that itself was a big compliment as well because I felt like, what am I going to do now? I’m not going to lie. I felt very lost at the start thinking, I’ve just obsessed over this company for all these years and now it’s not there anymore. How do I envision my future? And I thought, yeah, it’s great to have some time off, but then if anyone knows my personality, I couldn’t quite stay still for too much time.
Catherine:
You need something to do.
Antonette:
Yeah, definitely.
Catherine:
Yes.
Antonette:
So, I was quite humbled that I had a lot of people come to me and approach me on various projects, which I did fulfill a number of different projects with different partners over the last couple of years. And I’ve really enjoyed working in a space where I can change things up. And I’ve also been spending a bit of time mentoring, which has been great as well. So, I’m certainly keeping myself busy.
Catherine:
I’m not at all surprised that you would have people tapping you on the shoulder. You were definitely, I mean, it was like a decade and a half that you run this business and a lot of us saw you doing it at shows and watching you from afar online and all of that kind of stuff. So yes, not surprised at all. So where to next for you Antonette?
Antonette:
Oh God. Well, as I mentioned, I’m doing a few various different things. I’m enjoying. I’m loving mentoring actually, and offering guidance and support to other businesses is always good. And I’m always surprised to see how many business owners lack confidence to know that they can actually really succeed and that they’re doing really good. And I think people just want to hear it from someone else to say, “You know what? You are on the right track. You just got to believe in and you just got to keep on going.” So they just really need to believe in themselves. So I find that I’ve enjoyed that process as well. And I’m also working on a new skincare range for a brand that I’ve loved for many years. And that’s all I can actually say about it.
Catherine:
Yes I know. [crosstalk 00:38:54].
Antonette:
You will see it eventually, but I’m just loving this opportunity because I feel like I’m back in the kitchen where I’m putting all my ideas in place. And I’m able to work with a really strong team of marketers and sales people and build something that I think will be unique and different. That’s something right down my alley, so-
Catherine:
[crosstalk 00:39:20].
Antonette:
… I’m really enjoying that at the moment, and just having that part-time role is really healthy for me even though my boys are older now. They still need me in different ways. So, it’s a more relaxed opportunity to do something that I’m loving. So I think I couldn’t have asked for a better time after selling a business to still be doing what I love doing. Creating products in skincare, but doing it in a more relaxed environment, I think.
Catherine:
Yeah, I love it. I’m sure your family is really enjoying having you around a little bit more too, yeah.
Antonette:
Well, sometimes.
Catherine:
Sometimes.
Antonette:
Sometimes when I’m not ticking them off [inaudible 00:40:00].
Catherine:
It maybe be when you’re feeding them dinner or something.
Antonette:
Yeah. And I think they’re so used to the way I am as well. They see me really happy when I am working on projects. So, I think it’s a healthy balance for us all, I think. And also, not denying lockdown and COVID and the very unstable year that we’ve had. It’s been really great, even for me and my mental health to have some projects to work on that I couldn’t imagine not have been able to do anything at this time. So, I’m really fortunate.
Catherine:
[crosstalk 00:40:38]. So good. I can’t thank you enough for joining us on the podcast and talking about your business journey. Thank you so much for spending the time with us.
Antonette:
Thank you. No, it was great, and I always love talking to you Catherine, and sharing some time with your audience and I just want everyone to know that they’ve just got to keep going, have their goals, not give up and-
Catherine:
Seek out when you need it.
Antonette:
Yeah. They will succeed in their own ways. Just not to be too hard on yourself.
Catherine:
Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, I’m going to share the links on the podcast show for Little Innoscents, and I think your story is still on there as the founder of the brand, but where else can people find you if they would like to connect with you online?
Antonette:
Yeah. Definitely, thank you. They also can reach me on my website, which is ACXA group, and you can that link as well.
Catherine:
Awesome.
Antonette:
And on there, you’ll be able to see the various things that I’m doing at the moment and projects that I can offer help with and so forth. So, feel free to have a look there. And also there’s a little bit of information about me on that as well.
Catherine:
Wonderful. Yeah, we will absolutely share that link on the podcast as well. Well, thank you again, Antonette for joining us on the show today. It’s been a wonderful chat.
Antonette:
Wonderful. Thanks, Catherine.