Interview: Jac & Jessie DiBlasi, recipe book publishers
By Tess McCabe As I well know, self-publishing a book is no easy task, so I'm always interested in how other creative people, who may not have a background in traditional publishing, work through all the steps to get their book to market. Jac and Jessie DiBlasi are sisters, and CWC members, who conceived of a unique idea for a recipe book and pooled their creative skills to produce the beautiful 'Nonna to Nana' (in stores now). Here, they share their individual career paths and how they collaborated to produce this heartfelt legacy item honouring the special women in their lives.
Tell us about your individual creative paths to this point. Jac: I studied Communication Design at Swinburne University. In that time I did a 12-month work placement in New York as part of my degree. I’m pretty sure this is where I realised that publication design was for me! After returning from there, I finished up with an Honours Degree and have continued working for various design organisations ever since.
Currently, I’m the senior Designer at Destination Melbourne, the regional tourism organisation for Melbourne, which is my 9-5. However, in my spare time I’ve been working on Nonna to Nana, with the hope to continue working on interesting book projects!
Jess: Street and documentary photography is something I began exploring in my early 20’s while working/traveling overseas. It starts out as a hobby and I questioned, for a number of years, if I could have a career as a photographer. I know that working in a creative field will be challenging, and there are no shortage of fantastic photographers already out there! In 2009, I’m working in the corporate world and lose my job as a result of the global financial crisis. It’s at this point that I realise if I don’t give photography a chance now, I might never get the opportunity again to change my career. As a result, I apply for courses and end up being accepted into the Diploma of Photo Imaging at RMIT (TAFE), graduating in 2011. As part of the course, we have to produce a final folio of work and Nonna to Nana becomes the project I start, with the hope to continue working on it/ complete it as a graduate.
How did you conceive of Nonna to Nana and when did you begin working on the book?
Nonna to Nana started out as a (joking) conversation Jac and I have at our grandparent’s house, about three years ago, sitting around the extendable table at their house. Our dad is eating something delicious that our Nonna has made that day and he turns to Jac and I and asks ‘who’s going to cook like this, once she’s gone?’. Dad’s one of eight boys, so it’s no surprise that they all loved eating the food she would make, but none of them really knew how to cook any of it! Jac and I, on the other hand had spent lots of time with Nonna in the kitchen cooking and learning over the years. It’s at that point that we think it might be a great thing to do, to document Nonna cooking some of her signature dishes. It doesn’t take long before we realise that there are so many amazing women that have wonderful stories and recipes to offer and Nonna to Nana is born.
Jessie begins working on the project as part of her final folio for RMIT, while she is a photography student in 2011 and Nonna Giovanna is her first photography shoot for the book. Nonna never really loved Jessie taking too many photos of her, so to convince her to participate in the project she decides to shoot the Ricotta Cakes recipe, on Jessie’s birthday. It is such a fun day for us and the portrait on the cover is from that very first shoot!
Have you worked together on projects of this kind or scale before, or was working together in this way a new experience?
Nonna to Nana is the first project of this kind we have worked on together, but something we’ve talked about doing for a long time. Jessie and I have been working in our respective creative fields for a number of years now, and so it was no surprise in what might be involved in publishing a book, but once you actually got into the project, it was a real eye opener into the world of self publishing and what comes with it! Not only are we a photographer and designer, but also now that the book is out in the market place, we’ve found ourselves learning about publishing, marketing, accounting, social media, sales and distribution.
What challenges did you face conceptualising and self-publishing your own book, and how did you overcome them?
Keeping to a schedule that no one is setting for you is really sometimes a tough thing to do. Especially when family commitments and other important matters come up and the book was sometimes the first thing to go on hold. As it was a project that was an extra commitment on top of our regular 9-to-5 jobs, we really had to be dedicated in putting the time in after hours, even if sometimes it was exhausting.
Self funding this entire project has also been pretty huge for us. We were always determined to create this book and do it to the highest quality level we could. Being the first of this type of project, even when we thought we had our budget all planned out, sometimes expenses we hadn’t anticipated crop up.
This is our first book project together and while we have the skills to produce the content and make the book, there are so many things we need to learn and do along the way. The best way we’ve discovered to overcome some of the big obstacles, are to use professionals in the field to help us. Everything from copy editing and pre-press, right through to public relations. One of things we realise pretty early on is that we won’t ever be able to produce and distribute the highest quality product without collaboration. We have been so lucky to work with an amazing crew of industry partners and mentors. Some of the highest compliments we’ve received from industry, are based around the fact that the book doesn’t look like it was self-published. That’s a real buzz for us!
What are some of the things you learned throughout this process, either from working together or from the women you worked with to compile the recipes?
In terms of the project, again, being our first book and also the first time we’ve worked together as a creative pair, that means, the learning curve has been incredibly steep. I think we’ve learnt a ton about the steps you need to go through to produce a book like Nonna to Nana! Collecting the recipes and photographing them was definitely our first hurdle, because it was just so time consuming. Coordinating with each of the nans and photographing mostly on weekends, or when they were available. We also travelled interstate a few times, so all of the logistics involved go well beyond just photographing. Throughout production of the book, there was ongoing contact with many of the women to confirm recipes and then all of the testing and production, to make sure everything worked perfectly. However, having the book completed is really just the first step along the way. We are now learning a great deal about the process involved in marketing a book and while it’s so lovely to have it completed, now our aim is to get it out into the world!
From the perspective of the nans, what they’ve taught us is limitless. If we consider our own Nonna (Giovanna) and Mum (Nonna Nina) encourage our love of food and cooking and teach us so much, but spending time with each of the women, hearing about their families and working in their kitchens with each of them has been an experience we will never forget. Without a doubt, it’s like we’ve inherited an additional 14 nans for ourselves - which makes us incredibly spoilt!
What we have learnt from each other is endless. The main thing we have learnt is that we can work together and have a great finished product at the end. We’ve learnt a lot about each other and ourselves and just how important communication and compromise are to help bring together our separate creative fields into one final product, which is really amazing.
Any tips to share for working on a creative project with a sibling or family member?
Stick to it! The creative collaboration and how great that can be far outweighs the few disagreements you might have with your sister/ brother/family member. Sometimes it’s almost better to work with a sibling, because you can be totally honest with each other, the way only families know how. Working as a sister team, a lot of times we would argue through our issues and then move on, getting on with the job, instead of holding onto grudges. But the flip side of that is the laughter. Even when the pressure was on, we could sometimes get a bit silly and just laugh.
We would also suggest trying to keep work and your personal life separate. We were great friends before we started this project. My neighbour, at one stage, thought Jessie lived with me because we spent so much time together! Half way through the project we realised that we hadn’t really been just hanging out, because almost all the time we were spending with each other was about the book! It was only a few weeks ago that we went out and spent the day together, and the book wasn’t the main focus. And although it hasn’t been horrible by any means, we’ve loved working on this project, it’s just something to be mindful of. There is no point producing something, and then realising you’ve lost your friend in the process. We’re glad to say in this case it hasn’t happened, and really it’s proven just the opposite. Jessie and I are great friends and now great collaborators too!
What's next for both of you?
We are still enjoying the exciting developments that launching Nonna to Nana is bringing us. We’ve had our Melbourne and regional launches and Jessie is now focusing her attention on a solo exhibition she’ll be having in Sydney, as part of the Head On photo festival in May (May 19th-June 1st, 2014).
After Nonna to Nana has been promoted and in market for a little while and we have learnt everything we can from this big project, we might take a little holiday… we probably need one! Jessie and I have talked about taking our Nonna to Nana concept into other countries. Just as learning and investigating multicultural Australia has given us so much, we are considering producing a USA version. We have both lived in New York and even just that one city is a fantastic melting pot of amazing food. We can only imagine it's also full of amazing stories! When you have so many cultures and cuisines working together in one place, we think the concept of documenting recipes from the older generations is something that could work anywhere. Also having women tell us their stories from across the globe and documenting food, which may not be so familiar to us, could be very interesting and take us on a journey that we can’t even imagine.
Nonna to Nana is available online and through bookstores Australia-wide.
(All photos by Jessie DiBlasi).
Interview – Kylie Lewis, Of Kin
By Andrea McArthur
Kylie Lewis is a Social Media Guru who guides businesses through the waters of online media and content. Her daily mission is to move and inspire people to think more about the things that truly matter to them. Kylie is a woman with a passion for what she does and has a passion for life.
Where did your passion for communication come from?
In primary school I wanted to be a nurse. Then a teacher. In high school I wanted to be journalist, then a youth counsellor. So way back in the day I did a double degree in psychology and sociology. While I was studying I also became a Fitness Instructor and taught group fitness classes. Graduating in a recession, the social sector didn’t seem so lucrative, so I tumbled my way into the business admin and then deliberately pursued ‘internet’ opportunities in the late 90s.
I landed in the first Melbourne Fairfax rollout team for US startup CitySearch, hitting the road selling template websites to small business. I loved how the web offered these little, local businesses a level playing field with the big guys, and that they had a new and powerful way to communicate their messages to the world (I still love this today). This was before most people even knew what a web address was. We were converting email messages to faxes, and Zuckerberg was in kindergarten (*sigh*).
Throughout the years I worked in startups in both the business-to-business and consumer sector, did a stint in a traditional marketing role and then came back to another startup, just as social media was starting to take off. I then jumped to head a small digital agency for a while before grabbing a dream role as Head of Digital for one of my all time favourite brands, kikki.K.
Somewhere in the midst of that I did a Masters in Business (eBusiness & Communication) and started a family. I went back to Fitness Instructing after I had my first child, and started freelance blog writing about 3 years after my second was born.
While I loved my time at kikki.K, I’d reached a point in my life when I needed more flexibility than the job would allow, and I craved the time and space to design a working life that could work around me. Deciding to leave was really tough, but I’d crafted myself a motivating Pinterest board (pinterest.com/kylielewis/wisely) to help push me in the right direction, and already had a few freelance gigs under my belt to help get me over the line. After that it was holding tight, taking a breath and making the jump.
A few of my biggest strengths are a love of learning and curiosity. These have definitely helped me work in the digital space, given how fast it changes, and the scope of knowledge there is to digest. And I love a good chat, a nice cup of tea and have a severe stationery addiction. So it wasn’t a stretch to become a consultant!
I realise now that my work as a digital strategist and fitness instructor, my childhood aspirations of becoming a nurse, teacher, journalist and counsellor have all actually come to be!
Can you describe the function of a Digital Strategist for us?
I help people come to grips with social media, content marketing and digital strategy in a way that makes sense for them. I’m driven to move people’s thinking and build their confidence, so that they’re empowered to help themselves. I do this by sharing what I know with people through one on one coaching, consulting with small business teams, and public workshops.
As a digital strategist, my favourite question to ask is ‘why do you do what you do?’ My next favourite question is ‘where do you want to be?’ And then ‘what are your biggest challenges right now?’ When we can get those three things sorted, we can start building a strategy and crafting solutions. This could be facilitating a team discussion to define their content marketing mission statement, to identifying their buyer personas, to category sorting their proposed blog content, to running customised masterclasses on Pinterest and Instagram, to planning out a content calendar. I’ve worked in digital for over 15 years, so you can throw pretty much anything ‘webby’ at me, and I’ll help you find your way through it.
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
At the moment I’m writing a book, so I’m trying to be an early riser and get a few hours writing in before the rest of my house wakes up. Then its making breakfasts, school lunches and going for a run while the kids get taken to school. I’m loving listening to podcasts while I’m running at the moment – NPR TED Radio Hour, and HBR Idea Cast and Dan Pink are my favourites at the moment. I bypass my local on the way home and while I’m waiting for my takeaway chai latte to steep, I get a bit of stretching in.
Home to shower where I do a LOT of thinking! I’ll reconfirm my priorities I set the night before (a great tip from Lyndall Mitchell, my life coach, is ‘tomorrow starts today’) and get started.
Sometimes I’m onsite with client doing a coaching session or a team workshop, sometimes I’m at my studio planning, researching and writing, and sometimes I’ll squeeze in a lunch with a friends or a nana nap (because those 5am starts catch up on you!). I’m constantly surprised with how much planning goes into managing my week – I spend a good portion of Mondays planning out the weeks ahead and setting myself up to be productive (well, that’s what I tell myself!).
I’m trying to get better at checking my emails only at set points during the day (another tip from Lyndall – only check your email when you’re ready to handle it), so that I find flow with my writing and thinking. I’m also drawing on the Pomodoro Technique (of working in 25 minute spurts) and using Focus at Will for music designed to help keep focus when writing.
School pick up zooms around pretty quickly, and then it’s the usual kids activities and food prep shenanigans. After the kids go to bed, I might do a few more hours work, teach a fitness class, read or actually have a meaningful conversation with my husband!
What was the experience like, to go from being full time employed to becoming a self employed Communications Consultant?
Terrifying. I woke up every day for three weeks in a heart pounding panic saying ‘what have I done?’ I loved my job, but was worn out and needed more flexibility than the position could offer. We spoke to our bank manager before I left my job and knew I could afford to take the risk for a decent length of time. I was still freelancing on the side which helped. I kept saying ‘worse case, I’ll get another job.’ So far, I haven’t needed Plan B.
My biggest challenge in working for myself is boundaries – trying to pace the amount of work I take on at a given time, and carefully choosing who I want to work with and the type of work I want to be doing. I’m a work in progress.
Who have been your business inspirations and how have they inspired yourself or your business practices?
Tony Schwartz and his Energy Project movement. I read ‘The Power of Full Engagement’ three summers ago and it changed my life. I knew in my heart of hearts I could not sustain the pace of full time work, running a family, a house and doing freelance, but it took me a while to work out how to find a way through it. I now try to honour my needs for rest and renewal and be mindful about managing my energy across my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. I don’t always get it right, but I’m chipping away at it.
Then along came Brené Brown and her work on vulnerability, perfectionism and scarcity – the ‘scarcity’ of never being/doing/having enough. This woman has decoded what it is to be human. I’m sure if her research was around when I was back studying sociology and psychology I would have run away and formed a cult in her hometown in Texas (I still might…!). Given the anxiety many business people feel about trying to do it all perfectly, particularly about participating online and in social media, I draw on her work a lot to build people’s confidence, and help give themselves a break.
In your CWC bio you write that you are a blogger. Is your blog a mirror of who you are as a person?
My personal blog/journal on my website is something new for me, which I’m still developing and exploring. For the last eight years I’ve blogged for the businesses I’ve worked for and rarely had the time to blog for myself. I still blog for businesses (over at Life Instyle and Reed Gift Fairs), but I’m loving curating my own stories in my own space. And yes, it’s very much a journal of the things, people and words that personally move me (and I hope you too!)
Your journal is an inspiring read, especially your journey of 2013. What a big year... how can you top that in 2014?
You know, I didn’t set out planning to have such a big year in 2013. In fact, my plan was to take a sabbatical for a few months! What I found was, when I started giving myself permission and space to go towards the people and places that I was drawn to, and honour my true interests, doors opened up. And then there was the serendipitous universe… a guy I hadn’t spoken to in 17 years contacted me on LinkedIn out of the blue with a job opportunity (and I hadn’t even changed my position title from kikki.K at that stage). That kind of thing happened a lot last year.
Stuff just happened when I learned to breathe. So for 2014, I really want to keep doing more of that.
Have there been any social media brand strategy's that have inspired or engaged you lately?
Most recently it would have be Target USA teaming with top pinners to create party products to sell in store. The first collection is with Joy Cho from Oh Joy who has over 13million Pinterest followers (while Target themselves have 150k). The collection is beautiful and my feeds are full of pretty party set ups. Well played, Target.
Who Give’s a Crap is a social enterprise selling toilet paper, with 50% of profits going to improving sanitation in developing countries. They crowdfunded their initial seed fun with a great campaign on IndieGoGo - they live streamed the founder sitting on a loo until the initial $50,000 was raised. You can watch the video and read all about it on their website. Their product is beautifully designed, surprising and delighting. You can’t help but Instagram when your order has arrived. I know. I never thought I’d 'gram TeePee either.
Wittner’s savvy collaboration with Australian fashion bloggers is brilliant. They cleverly use the content from the collaborations across all their platforms from their own blog content, to email marketing, to social media feeds. (Did I mention I have a shoe buying problem?)
I love, love, love Black Milk Clothing for their story, their nylon loving community and their furry friends. Read their About Us page on their website and see photos of their customers of all sizes and shapes wearing their R2D2 and C3PO leggings and getting the love. My Hans Solo and Chewbacca legging are in the post.
West Elm’s inclusion of Etsy sellers instore and doing events with high profile bloggers is awesome. Great excuse to party!
The Holistic Ingredient enticed her 50K Instagram followers to sign up to her subscriber database on her website with a free snack recipe book. Hooked me!
From your past experiences is there a consistent mistake that most small businesses make with their social media plan?
Firstly it’s about actually making a plan! Making a plan built on understanding your customers dilemmas and desires and then bringing your own expertise and passion to them isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. It requires some space and quiet time to be challenged and think. And many businesses get so caught up in the ‘doing’ of their businesses, they work against themselves by not stopping to plan, and make their load easier to carry.
Discipline to stick to the plan is the next thing. Setting up weekly rhythms, support systems and automated tool to help with that is key.
The other thing would be relying only on social media for communicating with customers, and forgetting to always be building their list of email addresses on their own database. I’ve read stories about Facebook and Instagram closing down business accounts to the horror of those businesses – businesses need to remember that they don’t ‘own’ spaces on social media, but they do own their database.
And lastly, in the online space ‘you are what you publish’. Publish regularly from your heart, to the heart of your customers.
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Thank you Kylie for your time and sharing your webby insights with us!
Kylie, alongside Belinda Langler of The Inkling Effect, recently held a Social Media and Content Marketing Class in Melbourne called "Content Kin" in early April. It was an extremely successful and informative event where the attendees made creative spaces, by utilising hands on tools and making actionable plans. The key tools used throughout the day were mindmaps, sharpies, post-its and big sheets of kraft paper, the end of the workshop concluded with each attendee walking away with their own content marketing mission, buyer personas, social media stats and a plan that they can implement over the next six months. If you missed this session contact Kylie kylie@ofkin.com for information on how she can help you develop your own content.
Follow Kylie's Of Kin blog at ofkin.com/blog, or find her @ofkin on Twitter and Instagram.
Andrea McArthur has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer at a branding agency in Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You'll find her sharing design related musings via Twitter and Instagram
Podcast interview: Abbe Holmes, voiceover artist
There's a new podcast for Members to access up on the site today, and in this episode we chat with CWC Member Abbe Holmes.
Abbe is the voice behind many well known commercial brands, advertisements, and television characters. In this audio interview we talk through her career, from 'falling into' voiceover work, to riding the wave of the industry, to training Australia's up and coming voice actors as a voiceover coach. It's an inspiring look into the career of a woman who has taken opportunities as they have arisen, and let her natural talent and zest for her industry guide her.
Have a listen over here!
Interview: Sarah Thornton & Brooke Johnston, founders of The Finders Keepers market
By Tess McCabe Today we interview two ladies whose business I'm sure many of you will be aware of, as either a visitor or stall holder. But how did The Finders Keepers market begin and what have been some of the highs and lows founders Brooke Johnston and Sarah Thornton have encountered along the way? Let's find out...
How did you two meet and what prompted the decision to launch a business together? Brooke and I met in the Summer of 2002 when she moved to Sydney from Lennox Head and started dating my cousin (who she has since then married). She was pursuing a creative career in jewellery design. We hit it off instantly, sharing an equal love of all things creative. At the time I was studying and working in the fashion industry.
It wasn't until a conversation in 2006 about how Brooke was frustrated at trying to launch her contemporary jewellery labe. At the time there was generally a lack of support and good places to sell for small labels. An idea sparked in us! We came up with our 'dream event' that would combine all the things we loved - design, art, music & wine in a friendly market atmosphere. We wanted to create a social atmosphere that supported creativity, community and inspired others. We launched The Finders Keepers just that with only 20 curated stalls, live music and a full bar. We had no idea how to run an event, or curate anything, we just learnt along the way.
We've always worked so well together, both sharing the same passions for creativity and community and we seem to have the perfect blend of patience, kindness and encouragement with each other that has made our partnership truly flourish.
How long has The Finders Keepers market been going now, and how has it changed over the years ? We're six years old now, and we've had our fair share of struggles and hurdles along the way! Finders Keepers we believe has organically grown, from just having a small offering of stalls in Sydney, to expanding interstate to Brisbane & Melbourne, and then improving and growing as the years go by. We've really learnt everything along the way and can credit our strength to learning from mistakes too and never giving up. We also have such an amazing community of supporters that really keep us going, when times have been tough we know how important our role has become for designers and shoppers alike!
It just started with the two of us, running Sydney markets, then when we took on Brisbane and Melbourne, we recruited two more event assistants and now we have a great little team of six part-time workers and a casual team who just do our events. Everyone in the Finders Keepers family has other jobs and creative roles. We love that.
What have been some of the challenges of keeping FK running for this long? Many challenges! Gosh too many to name... I think the biggest one was when we outgrew ourselves. Our markets were getting too big, and too popular (not necessarily a bad thing!), but it just meant the logistics of managing it all was increasing and then came the massive increase of expenses and demands.
Every event we got bigger and had to upgrade, and one point we were just scraping through financially and we couldn't get ahead. We had absolutely no money to invest in our next events. It was at this time we were facing major decisions and at a cross roads of being burnt out and ready to pull the pin. Sometimes those moments have to happen, we re-evaluated, re-worked our planning and asked for help to get us out of a rut.
It was a hard time, but it was also the best time for us to come out of it, and realise how strong we were at the end of it all.
What roles do each of you take on in the running of the business, and do you both work on FK full-time? Our roles have changed over time. Originally Brooke and I did most of all the event work, but we now have the amazing Alischa who helps us with the national event management and logistics (a life saver). This has given us a bit more of a directors role, which lets us oversee all the curation of the markets (which includes us going through all the applications and final approvals), new event concepts, vendors, seasonal artwork, decor, signage and marketing of the event. We still work very closely with Alischa on all the event decisions and direction.
I also work with our little web team and oversee all our website's blog content and social media. Brooke and I also have a retail venture, Follow, that Brooke mainly manages. Between being creative and everything else we do (I'm also a mum to a toddler), we would probably work on Finders Keepers around 3-4 days out of the week, and more in peak times.
What advice do you have for makers and designers who might be considering showcasing their work at a market this year? Give it a go! We always love seeing new designers and makers at the markets and if they are just starting out we have an excellent opportunity called 'debut' for the little guys to give the markets a go for the first time at a discounted rate. For more seasoned designers who are interested we also have a pretty thorough criteria and FAQ section on our website. We encourage people to learn more about what we do at Finders Keepers and what kind of talent we're looking for. We even have our tips and market guides that might help too.
Thank you Sarah and Brooke for sharing your story with us! If you're keen to apply to be a Finders Keepers stall holder, applications for the Spring/Summer markets in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are open now. And if you'd like to visit and see all the beautiful maker's products Sarah and Brooke curate for you, check out the market dates here!
Interview – Anna Ross of Kester Black
By Andrea McArthur
Recently you may have noticed that there has been an unprecedented rise in the level of interest in nail art and nail polish. You'll find that there’s even a strong nail art blogging community on the rise (take a look on Kester Blacks Pinterest to see a few Bloggers work). If you were asked to describe nail polish in just one word, I would use – fun. Nails are no longer just manicures, they can truly be coordinated to any look and have become the finishing accessory to an outfit.
Launched in August 2012, Kester Black nail polish was borne out of a passion to run a creative business and create an ethical, all-Australian product. In this interview, Anna Ross – CWC member, founder and director of the fabulous Kester Black – tells us about her background and her personal passion for her product.
What led you to starting Kester Black? Kester Black began 4 years ago as a clothing label while I was studying a Bachelor of design, majoring in fashion in the South of New Zealand. When I graduated, my wise mother dearest suggested I broaden my horizons overseas which would bring more opportunities than staying at home and working on my label. I packed my bags and began searching for a job in Melbourne. The experience didn’t quite work out the way I was expecting it to.
After landing myself a job in retail, I thought I’d better get something creative happening to keep my portfolio growing. I began making jewellery and selling it back to New Zealand where that seemed to be quite successful for a few years. After a year in retail, I finally landed my dream job: design assistant for a well known Australian fashion label. I worked in that role for just over a year until I was offered a production manager role for another large company in the industry. The pay they were offering was more than double what I was on, but the catch was that I would have to give up my own little business. I felt like I had worked so hard for the last two and a half years to just give it all up. So I turned down the job, and worked on building my business.
In the mean time, I had decided I was bored of merely working with sterling silver and began researching enamel paints to use on the jewellery I was making. It led me to looking into nail polish, and I really saw a gap in the market. I decided to manufacture and sell my own nail polish line to complement my jewellery. It was a major turning point in my career when, as the jewellery market had become really saturated and my nail polish sales were going through the roof, that I decided to focus solely on the nail polish side of things and lay the jewellery to rest.
How did you go from an idea, to tracking down a manufacturer, to launching your own range of nail polish? It was pretty challenging to begin with. It took me eight months just to do the research, and in the mean time I had to save my pennies to get enough money to invest in the business. It was also a massive risk. I didn’t know how my product would be received, and I’m just lucky people have really supported me and my business. I couldn’t have done it without the constant advice from my friends and family. When I finally found a manufacturer who took me seriously, it was such a relief and things just naturally began flowing. I had my website redesigned, and engaged an amazing photographer (Eve Wilson) whose photographs really brought the presentation of my brand to the next level. I still feel like I have a really long way to go but I am excited about what the next phase is going to bring to my ever growing little business.
How have you managed the carcinogenic-free side of the production process? Did you come across any manufacturers who weren’t flexible enough to develop your ethical product with you? I have actually been working closely along side a chemist who helps me with that side of things. I wanted my product stand out and meet all of my ethical values while still maintaining a durable quality without sacrificing the fun colours. I researched the industry and manufacturing processes in depth and was a little afraid I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I wanted my final product to be. I wasn’t impressed with what some of the bigger corporate companies manage to get away with these days.
It’s just so silly that consumers should even have to think about it, so I did a lot of research on how to make my formula non toxic. Before choosing a manufacturer I asked every one to supply me with their core company values. It was really easy to narrow the field down when I asked to create a non toxic nail polish base. There were definitely some manufacturers who we not willing to change the way in which they do things.
It appears that you surround yourself with like minded business women. Can you explain how the co-written and self-published book “The Hand Book, A guide to nail art” with Chelsea Bagan come about? When I received the first of my six colours of nail polish from the manufacturer, I was interested to see if my product was as high quality as other brands. So I sent out some sample packs to nail artists I found online. Chelsea happened to be one of them. We were in touch over email for a month or so before I decided I would like to create a book on nail art. I asked her on a bit of a 'blind date' to propose my book idea. After the classic ‘I’ll be wearing light blue jeans and I have dark hair’ line we met up and I pitched my idea to her. From that initial first meeting, it only took us 6 weeks to write, shoot and print the book. Chelsea and I have very similar aesthetics and that made working together on such a big project really easy. We have since become great friends and are in touch almost every day.
Originally described as the “Hipster Mani”, how would you describe the new style of nail art seen in your book? After seeing so many awful manicures trending while I was researching, I was excited when I stumbled across Chelsea’s slick work online. I don’t know if I can give you an exact phrase, but the style of nail art that featured in our book seems to be a little more simple, refined and fun. I love the colour combinations we use. I like the cartoon-style nail art much better than the really realistic palm trees and sunsets you see elsewhere. I also believe the nail art in Melbourne is reflective of our creative and artistic culture.
What does a typical day at work involve for you? Well I’m usually awoken at the first sign of light by my little brown Burmese cat George Von Whiskers, nudging me to let him get under the blankets for a morning cuddle. This is the point in which I grab my laptop from beside my bed and set up shop for the morning. I check my emails, do my accounting and try to clear my inbox before it gets swamped again later in the day. I’m always surprised at how many emails I get overnight. After breakfast and a shower I pop into my home office and pack up all the orders I need to send out for the day. Then depending on what time of year it is, I could be mixing up colours for a new collection, researching photo shoot ideas, updating the website and all the while trying not to move too much as to upset the cat sleeping in my lap.
Being a creative I find that my personal and professional life seems to blur. Do you find that Kester Black is a reflection of who you are as a person? Absolutely. Kester Black’s aesthetic is just a combination of all the things I love. My Pinterest and Instagram accounts are a bit of a reflection of that. I am also a very efficient and fast-working person and I think that reflects in my work. I can often be too hasty in evolving my business and I think that shows sometimes. I’m working on improving that!
The people I surround myself with are often other creatives or professionals. I find myself going out for a glass of wine with friends and instead of talking about holiday plans or what has been happening at home, we are devising ideas for an upcoming photo shoot or a list of people who I can approach for collaborations. I’m constantly picking the brains of my ‘not so creative’ friends about investments, accounting software or website coding, all things which I would love to know more about to better my business. In my experience as a business owner, there is no ‘off switch’ at the end of the day, although I do think it’s important to have balance and I have been working on that a lot over the past year.
What was the best piece of business advice given to you over your journey that you can share? I was once told to begin your business the way you intend to run it. I was lucky enough to get it right the third time round. While my business was in it’s clothing and jewellery stages, I was doing everything myself. When I made the switch to nail polish I really made the effort to refine my procedures. For starters, I upgraded to Xero for accounting which has actually made accounting pretty enjoyable. I created a marketing plan and began thinking long term. Kester Black was officially an after school job no more.
What is your personal favourite Kester Black nail colour?
I’d love to quote my mother and give the democratic answer “I love all of my children equally” but I won’t. Lilac is my current fave, the new winter colour just released this week.
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Thank you Anna! Fall in love with Kester Black at www.kesterblack.com and keep up to date with what Anna is up to by following her adventures on Instagram.
Andrea McArthur has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer at a branding agency in Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You'll find her sharing design related musings via Twitter and Instagram
Interview: Magdalena Franco of Unleash Creative
In March, CWC Member Magdalena Franco is putting on an exciting event in Melbourne (soon to be followed by events in Brisbane and Sydney). It's called Unleash Creative, and in essence it's about getting the time, space, materials and hands-on expert help to take your creativity to a new place (or even just coax it out of its shell!). Magdalena has gathered a bunch of different skills working in various facets of creative industries, and this new venture brings them all together, with an added dose of passion and determination. Let's meet Mags!
Tell us about your background. What creative industries have you worked in and what are you passionate about?
I always find it interesting to hear about people’s journeys and where life has taken them. Where people start out is not generally where they finish up and I love that; knowing that there’s an adventure to be had is all part of the excitement. My career started out in administration. A dry and monotonous career path full of numbers, schedules, word processing, paper-pushing and spreadsheets. Don’t get me wrong, I adore all of those things in an odd way, but they’re not exactly the kind of things that dreams are made of.
A couple of years into working admin I landed a fantastic and gruelling job at a busy PR agency in Brisbane where I worked my way up the ranks and scored major brownie points on my CV. Those brownie points helped me secure some exciting marketing gigs when I relocated to Melbourne in my early twenties. Over the course of 12-odd years I built up my PR, marketing and event skills, knowing that one day they would be of great benefit to something more fulfilling I wanted to do. But I never really knew what I wanted to do, other than I wanted to focus on my creative passions.
Ever since I can remember, I have drawn, scrapbooked, painted, collaged, collected, stitched and made all sorts of things. But I never dreamed that I could turn my passion for making things into money. In 2010 I started sewing and selling my wares at markets. Something that gave me immense pleasure for a short amount of time. I realised that having a day job, a family and an under-paid hobby on the side was taking its toll on my passion, mojo and life. So I stopped. Not the making, just the robotic making-to-sell process. I don’t think I will ever give up making. Albeit for very different reasons than monetary.
What is for the format of Unleash Creative and prompted you to launch it? Unleash Creative is a full day of creative, crafty, colourful madness full to the brim with absorbing new skills in an intimate workshop environment.
I realised that with the popularity of Instagram and Pinterest, many people were and still are admiring things that others have made, hoping to one day make or learn the skills to make similar beautiful things. But those pins seemed to turn into boards full of forgotten projects that “I’ll make one day” and some didn’t even know where to start or didn’t want to commit to a 6 week course to learn sewing if they weren’t sure whether it was really for them.
Then there’s the other side of the creative pool, the people like me who have been making for years either to sell or for family and friends who have lost their creative mojo, have gotten stuck in a creative rut or would like to expand their craft skills, but don’t know what to try or where to start.
Unleash Creative was created as a result. It’s a roundup of four talented creative mentors who will inspire, pass on their skills and give attendees a taste of something they may not have tried before. It’s essentially a day of creative taste testing. I want people to walk away feeling refreshed, inspired and excited with a hunger for making and embracing handmade. And maybe a passion to further one of the new skills they’ve learned.
Who runs the Unleash workshops and what can people expect to learn? Each attendee at Unleash will get to experience all four workshops run throughout the day. The workshops are run by awesome crafter types who are passionate about sharing what they know and helping people to find their own creative groove.
At the Melbourne event, for example, we have Allira of Freckles and Ginger who’ll be showing people how to go crazy with pom poms to create something wearable. Emma van Leest will be helping everyone make their very own layered silhouette paper cutting which can be framed at home. Gemma Patford’s paint and rope-coiled-baskets will be influencing what she shares on the day and Kitiya Palaskas will be throwing a whole bucket of her colourful paper skills at everyone.
I just can’t wait to see what everyone walks away with at the end of the day!
What have been some of the challenges of pulling together an event like this, especially as you will be holding it in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney over the course of 2014? My biggest challenges will definitely be the interstate events. I’ve been lucky so far as 90% of the organisation has been done via email and Skype, but I know that closer to the event dates for Sydney and Brisbane I’m going to be relying on the expertise and assistance of local people to help me out on the ground before I arrive. That in itself is a little daunting for me as I like to be involved in every aspect of managing and setting up events. But I will just have to put those fears aside and have faith that my helpers will do me proud.
Where can people find out more and get along to an Unleash event? There’s plenty of information on the website www.unleashcreative.com.au, people can follow along on Instagram @unleashcreative, or tickets can be purchased through www.unleashcreative.eventbrite.com.
Interview: Helen Roe of The Orange Lantern
Meet CWC Member Helen Roe: a marketing master, business strategist, mentor and mum. She helps creative people capture and plan their business so they can make a living from what they love to do. She's coming to Melbourne soon to run one of her much-loved creative business planning workshops (details of which can be found at the end of the post), but before she lands we thought we'd get some insight into how she came to do what she loves for a living.
You describe yourself a 'corporate refugee'. What is your background and what is the focus of your business now? My career has included management roles in marketing, sales and business development with global brands like Coca Cola, Colgate Palmolive and Nivea, in Europe. Whilst I enjoyed the journey and amazing experiences my corporate life offered, I felt the need for change in latter years, especially after having my second daughter.
I wanted my work to be an extension of me and the values I held important in my personal life. I wanted to change from mass market marketing to community, connection and customer care. I love being creative in my spare time. I’m a qualified interior designer, I’ve had my own home baking business and have experimented with various other creative endeavours! I also really enjoy connecting with the customer and creating something of value for others.
It wasn’t until I moved to Australia a couple of years ago from Ireland, that it came to me. I found a way to incorporate my skillset and love of all things creative, into a service that helped other creatives with their marketing and business planning. The Orange Lantern was born.
What does a typical day at work involve? A typical work day can vary greatly, which is why I love it! I work mornings and finish early afternoon for school pick-ups. I like to squeeze a morning run in there a couple of times a week, otherwise the day slips by. I’ll do a few hours on the laptop, check in with emails and social media, work on planning, creating or implementing my online programs or business planning workshops. I’ll also schedule some client sessions during the week, either in person or on Skype. Then it’s taxi service for the afternoon, out and about with my daughters for various after school activities. I try and get some work done in the evenings too, when little people are sleeping.
What are some of the challenges you encounter or have encountered in your own business, and how did you work through them? Certainly, when you’re starting out in business it can so exciting but also very overwhelming. There is so much to do and so much to learn that there never seems to be enough time. It took me a while to realize that running your own business will always be a work in progress.
The to do list is never really done. I work on long-term and short-term goals now, so I can see my progress, even the small wins, which helps me stay motivated.
I see perfectionism a lot amongst creatives in business too. Unfortunately, I know it only too well! It leads to procrastination and the ‘it’s not ready yet’ syndrome, where products or programs are never launched or marketed. This ultimately leads to little or no progress in your business. Yes, it’s important to maintain standards but it’s also important to be realistic about what you can achieve on a regular basis.
What's the one mistake you consistently see creative's making in their businesses? It has to be pricing. Getting your pricing right in the beginning can save you so much heartache down the road. I’ve had clients in my business planning workshops unable to plan for growth, expansion into wholesale or third party selling because their pricing strategy is missing key elements. Implementing an effective pricing strategy and understanding how it fits with your overall brand strategy is intrinsic to the success of your business. Yes, your pricing, like your product or designs, can evolve over time but only when it’s based on solid foundations.
In your opinion, what are some of the first steps creatives can take toward making a decent, full-time living from their work? Be fully committed to your work as a business and not just a hobby or something you enjoy doing. Ask yourself what value you have to offer and who is willing to pay for it? What solution do you solve for your customer? It can be a tangible thing or an intangible emotion or feeling. Know what makes you and your offerings unique in the marketplace. One of my favourite quotes from Maya Angelou captures this importance: "People will not remember what you said to them but they will remember how you made them feel."
Have a vision and a plan.Your plan can take any format. It doesn’t have to be a manuscript but it’s important to have something that connects you to your business vision. It may be a vision board, a yearly planner with key events, a visual of your perfect customers, your sales target in big numbers posted on your wall, whatever works for you. I demonstrate lots of tools and strategies in my planning workshops and generally, no two people plan the same way.
Be prepared to market your product and tell your story. Sales & marketing may not be your favourite activities but without them you will not have a business. Pick one or two platforms that work for you and do them consistently. Get help here if you need to. Outsource where you can. This is hard in the beginning when budgets are tight but try and spend your time doing the things you are good at and get help in the areas you’re not so good at.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever received? It would have to be this quote from Chris Brogan: “Your year is made up of days, and those days must be treated like your only hopes and chances exist within them".
I was just back to work after the holidays and in the process of pondering and planning the year ahead in my biz when my eyes fell upon these words. I love this, life is just too short for regrets. Live each day to the fullest and step outside your comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens!
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Helen is running her Right-Brain Business Planning Workshop on 1 March here in Melbourne. Early bird tickets finish on January 31! If you book via this link, Helen will generously donate a portion of the ticket price to CWC to help us continue to do the things we do here. Thanks, Helen!