Full Transcript for The Buzz | Orianna Edmonds from Naturally Goat Skincare

everything that I really wanted to do 00:05:10 Speaker 1: and the people dealing with people. 00:05:13 Speaker 2: And so I kind of was like, OK, let's just drop veterinary for now and I'll run with the business And I sort of studied agriculture and business, and 00:05:21 Speaker 2: I just loved everything sort of fell into place. So 00:05:23 Speaker 1: when you when you say, study agriculture and business, was that part of your homeschooling with your mom? Or was this further studies that you 00:05:30 Speaker 2: did after? Yeah, so, um, while I was finishing up high school at home, I then studied online through different universities across the world, like different short courses. And, um, yeah, basically, just I loved learning, and that's the great thing about homeschooling was I 00:05:44 Speaker 2: sort of just loved learning different things. And so I did. Yeah, like, um, agriculture at Massey University. And, yeah, business at RMIT and all that kind of stuff. Just online. So 00:05:55 Speaker 1: great. Oh, and what a huge you know, variety and even doing them in the in the different countries. You know, what a wonderful cross section and range of information and skills and knowledge that you would have gathered. 00:06:10 Speaker 1: Amazing. So, yeah, when you started the business going back to age 15, did you think it was going to be what it is today? Was that what you were planning on, or were you just playing around sort of hobby, crafting your own soaps? 00:06:27 Speaker 2: It certainly started. We were just playing around Hobby crafting soaps. Um, it certainly worked. Originally, I did it for my mom. She had really sensitive skin. So that was that. That is why I did it. And then, yeah, I was sort of like, oh, friends and family started wanting it, and I was like, Oh, well, a bit of pocket money as a 15 year old, you know, this is cool. And then it was probably, I don't know, maybe six months in I was like, Hey, I wonder if there's actually something in this. I wonder if this is actually a need out there, and I started sort of exploring, and then it sort of became a bit of a 00:06:57 Speaker 2: like a business that I was really enjoying. And it was something that I I dreamed of taking somewhere, but really didn't think would be possible. So I said, What did the 00:07:05 Speaker 1: dreams look like when you say you dreamed of it? What were the dreams? What did they 00:07:09 Speaker 2: look like? Pretty much where we're headed now, which is awesome. So it was to expand the farm. It was to start doing farm tours and educating people about, you know, the different sort of way of doing it. 00:07:20 Speaker 2: Um, and it was to have Yeah, not mass production, but much more than just a few soaps a week. Um, and starting to sell across the world and helping people. And so we've Yeah, we've pretty much reached that. So you're 00:07:31 Speaker 1: stepping right into that dream now as a reality. It gives me goose bumps as far as the soap

goes. I read it took two years perfecting the recipe until it was perfect. Lots of trial and error Batch after batch. What was the driver to keep you on that path? 00:07:49 Speaker 2: Um, I think the driver was my mom. If I'm gonna just dump her in the whole order There it was her, Um 00:07:56 Speaker 1: seriously, what a great motivation when you were so close. Exactly. Makes sense. That's a 00:08:01 Speaker 2: key driver. So I think, you know, we had a product that worked, I guess, good enough for our bathroom. But once I, I sort of started taking, you know, things a little bit further and said to Mom and Dad, Look, I think there's something in it and they were like, Yeah, absolutely. And but my mom was like, Oh, I don't think people are gonna want to soap. 00:08:17 Speaker 2: It goes sludgy and water within a few days, and I was like, Yeah, true, you know. So she started saying, Well, if you're going to sell it, then maybe you need to perfect it. And so I started to realise that I had a really good formula and the texture was great, but there was just a few little things I had to iron out. And they were Yeah, sort of bigger than I really thought. were, um and so it took me two years to basically come to a a really happy, um, perfection 00:08:40 Speaker 1: with it. And how do you work through that, though? Like, do you consult? Um, 00:08:44 Speaker 1: who would you consult or like? Is it research online, or is it a certain, um, area of expertise or person that you connect with to ironize out? Get 00:08:57 Speaker 2: through it? Um, personally, from my experience, I just did a lot of research online and really sort of understanding, um, chemistry 00:09:06 Speaker 2: and science and formulations. And yeah, um, I even took a short course. Um, it wasn't a degree or anything, but it was a short course. Um, that was being run through a university here in Melbourne. And that was yeah, just on chemistry and formula and all that kind of stuff. And so once I understood, I say it's a bit like cooking. If you know how to make a quiche like the base of it, you can 00:09:27 Speaker 2: add all the different stuff to it. If you know how to make a stir fry, you can do sweet and sour. You can do you know, honey, soy chicken, all that stuff. Um and so ones that understood how things worked and reacted with each other. It was in a case of putting those formulas through a few calculators that are online, and it's a little bit like an online lab. And you just put all the ingredients you want to use and how you want to use it. And, um, eventually you can get somewhere and lots of trial and error. 00:09:53 Speaker 1: So you and so you're all self 00:09:54 Speaker 2: taught. Yeah, pretty 00:09:55 Speaker 1: much good on you. That's that's amazing. Good on you. So when? OK, so then how long into the business when you thought, OK, this has really got legs. This is a legitimate business. 00:10:09 Speaker 2: Yeah, it would have been 2019 that we changed the name. We rebranded the labels and the design and everything. And yeah, I just I basically quit any part time jobs that I was doing at the time 00:10:22 Speaker 2: and went full time into it, and it was a 00:10:25 Speaker 1: 100%. Well, that's it. And you hear, you know often, you know, we have different chats with different business owners and they so there's only so long that you can do the 1 ft in 1 ft out. There's got to come a time where you just get stuck in. I mean, you obviously had your, you know, parents farm and and your support, which I think probably makes it easier. Um, but were there any sort of big investment pieces that you needed, you know, 00:10:51 Speaker 1: to get together in order to take 00:10:54 Speaker 2: it to the next level? Yeah. Um, yeah. Absolutely. So one of them was all the labels. So before then, we'd sort of just been using sort of, like small companies to print stickers, or we'd been sort of printing it out ourselves on labels and cutting it out. Um, so then the next stage was to actually get boxes and labels printed. Um, so there was a graphic designer that we bought on on with us, Um, and actually getting it printed through? Yeah. Um, big printing company. 00:11:19 Speaker 2: So we did a first print run of 200,000 labels, and, um, yeah, I'm very blessed to have had my parents put in a little bit of capital for that so that I could pay them. So we've never borrowed money from the bank. We've done it all from, as I say, like you know, 50 bucks that Mom gave me originally, um and then after that, if there's ever been capital, outweigh it's either savings that I've put aside from the business and just putting every dollar back in or it's been, yeah, Mom and Dad that have been great help in that regard, but that was pretty much it. The labels, 00:11:48 Speaker 2: the website. 00:11:49 Speaker 1: OK, so no, um, equipment to make the soap 00:11:53 Speaker 2: and the Yeah, look, we pretty much already by that stage had some more little equipment. And after that it's just been sort of Yeah, as I said, putting every dollar back into the business. So there's no been sort of like, you know, we need 20,000 Suddenly, um, it's been like we don't have 20,000, so it's like put in 1000 here, 500 next month kind of thing. So, yeah, it's been a slow, a slow growth. Yeah, 00:12:17 Speaker 1: and and young in the business world. You know who What what resources did you lean on to sort of, you know dot those i's and cross those TS in the early years of business. 00:12:28 Speaker 2: Um, I was very privileged to get a scholarship with a really amazing company. Um, business blueprint. Who? 00:12:34 Speaker 1: I know business blueprint. 00:12:35 Speaker 2: So Dale and the team were amazing, and, um, I went over as an intern, um, up to Sydney and basically helped them out running their events. But in return, I got all the information and got to talk to the people, and so that was fantastic. 00:12:50 Speaker 2: How did you get

on to that? My dad took me to one of Dale's, like, one day, kind of, um, on his tour, um, back in those days and took me to one in Melbourne. And, um, I think it was just afterwards Dad and I were like, the last one sitting in the chairs and Dad was like, Oh, I'd love to sign you up, but we just can't afford it. And so, um, be at the time he came up and he was like, Oh, you know, 00:13:13 Speaker 2: um, we've got this young person's programme. Did your daughter want to join? And Dad was like, Oh, yeah. So I went through the interview process and and got in, and it was absolutely amazing. I loved 00:13:22 Speaker 1: it. I was like, Good on you. That's fantastic. So, you know, that's a really good. Um, thing to flack for, you know, maybe a listener who is looking at that because I think having that business blueprint 00:13:33 Speaker 1: background, um, really does set you up for success from the business planning and execution perspective, doesn't it? Um, so, yeah, there are intern opportunities. There are scholarship opportunities, 00:13:46 Speaker 2: So, yeah, and whether it's them or somebody else, there's, Yeah, all my sort of a little advice on that is just ask questions. And if you know anybody in the industry or anything, just yeah, don't be afraid to ask and sort of find out and hang around the people 00:13:59 Speaker 1: and get along to those free seminars. Yeah, absolutely. 00:14:03 Speaker 1: So, what do you think was your biggest lesson in business in those early days? 00:14:10 Speaker 2: That's a good question. Um, I think one is Don't rush things. There are a couple of things that, you know, Mom and Dad were like, Oh, I just don't know yet. And I was sort of like, Oh, no, no, it'll be fine. So take risks. Um, but be careful how you take them, and yeah, if that makes sense. So there was, um, one. I remember that we sort of created a bit of a contract or a deal with another company. We did sort of like a white label, kind of. 00:14:34 Speaker 2: So I made the soaps, but it was his label, Um, and that didn't turn out as well as we expected. Um, so, yeah, we lost money on that. And obviously the contract. Um, but yeah, I think if I'd thought about it beforehand or if I'd sort of talked to the person a little bit more to find out exactly what they were wanting or where they were sort of wanting to go with this idea that would have helped a little bit more and sort of 00:14:57 Speaker 2: the knowing beforehand. So, yeah, just don't rush into everything super excited, Um, but definitely take risks. Because if I hadn't have, we wouldn't be here today, 100%. 00:15:06 Speaker 1: And coming back to your earlier piece of advice, Ask questions. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. What about all your sort of legalities of it, like your you know, copywriting and all of that. Were you pretty much across that 00:15:20 Speaker 1: from the get go? Was that a bit of a tough lesson? 00:15:23 Speaker 2: No, that was pretty good. Um, yeah. As I said,

my dad's from IT background, so he sort of had all the technology and the legalities and all of that under his belt. So he was sort of teaching me that, and we went through that with Blueprint as well. Um, so yeah, in terms of all of that, it was fairly straightforward and knowing what we sort of had to do to set up and start. Yeah, 00:15:44 Speaker 1: yeah, yeah. 00:15:45 Speaker 1: And then, you know, and and I don't know if this is part of that, obviously, it's quite a niche market. Did you have a formal sort of marketing plan to get the word out, or was it more organic than that? 00:15:56 Speaker 2: It just happened. It was very accidental. Yeah. Um, 00:16:00 Speaker 2: yeah. Look, I guess in some ways it was we still sort of run on word of mouth, so yeah, even back then it was just like, Oh, you know, if you like the soap, tell your friend kind of thing. Um And then I jumped on social media and and that was our very wacky start. 00:16:16 Speaker 1: And then I also read that you presented at, um, Biz vs and the young entrepreneur 00:16:22 Speaker 1: show, which was viewed globally by millions of business owners. How did that opportunity come 00:16:28 Speaker 2: about? That was with, um, business blueprint. That was amazing. So, yeah, Dale was running that at the time. Um and that was very similar to this. We just sort of sat on a panel, and I was interviewed by the the host, and she basically yeah, just sort of asked questions. And we had a chat. 00:16:43 Speaker 2: Um, about I think it was labelled like, uh, starting a business from a bottle of milk or something like that. And it was sort of like, I guess that was our early days, Um, of how I started and where we were headed. And that went out to a whole lot of business owners that were sort of still in the start up stage. Yeah, I 00:16:59 Speaker 1: love that. And what would you say was your biggest takeaway from that opportunity? 00:17:04 Speaker 2: Um, that was probably a confidence, actually, that really boosted my confidence of like, hey, you know, like I'm actually doing this and really being able to talk about it and actually share sort of where I was, what we'd done and where we were headed. Um, yeah, that was really cool. And I think 00:17:17 Speaker 1: sometimes, yeah, it it doesn't come until you actually have to repeat it back to someone 00:17:21 Speaker 1: Tell the story. Right. We often get that from our entrepreneurs, and they finish the interview, and they're like, Oh, I actually did a whole lot more than I ever thought I did, you know? Absolutely. Yeah, it really is. I can see how that first presentation will really have boosted things along. 00:17:38 Speaker 1: What would your advice be for the listener who is looking at setting up a similar operation from the residential or rural location? 00:17:48 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, Don't be crazy as me. But no. Go for it. Um, look, I guess just 00:17:53 Speaker 2: as long as you're doing what you love and you've got confidence that you've got a product that can help people. Um, And if you are going to be as crazy as us and do the farm side and the manufacturing and everything, Um, yeah, just legalities. Just make sure that you know your property is set up for it. That you've got everything in place. Um, and that financially, you're able to sort of keep it going, I guess. Um how does 00:18:15 Speaker 1: that work? You would have to have some sort of council and business person. 00:18:20 Speaker 1: Yeah, 00:18:21 Speaker 2: so that's 00:18:21 Speaker 1: all. Did that take a while to come through or was that pretty 00:18:26 Speaker 2: has been pretty easy for us. Um, I think because yeah, mom and Dad had the property and we had animals. And then the goats kind of just slowly grew. And then by the time we sort of realised, you know, hey, we actually need to do stuff about this. It sort of just fell into place. So yeah, that's the 00:18:40 Speaker 1: best way. And what about your global expansion? You know, 00:18:45 Speaker 1: again, it sounds like that was more organic or, you know, were there sort of specific targets or international campaigners such that you put 00:18:55 Speaker 2: out there. Yeah, so 00:18:57 Speaker 2: obviously we by the time we sort of decided that we actually wanted to go globally. We started with a very small stepping stone, and we opened up our website to include worldwide shipping. And so we add a different country so that we could literally just pack orders and ship it to the other side of the country. And then I was privileged to be included in an exporting incubator course on which I did down, um, in Ballarat, and that was really amazing. Kind of got us started thinking about how to actually 00:19:25 Speaker 2: to export more than and further just past our website, if that makes sense. So, um, I was like, Oh, that would be really cool. But where do I start? So they sort of went through, like, you know, 1 to 10 of how on earth do you start, And how do you finish? Um And so then we sort of the end towards the end of the course that, um, they took us over to Singapore for like, sort of, like a practical theory. Um, and so my dad and I went over, and we sort of yeah, checked out the market, 00:19:53 Speaker 2: Um, and, yeah, talked with, like, three P logistic companies and distributors and all of that kind of stuff. So so, 00:19:59 Speaker 1: again, a really great way of, you know, expanding your, you know, knowledge and and keeping all of those tasks in your house. How did you come across thinking about a course in 00:20:09 Speaker 2: Ballarat? My dad. My dad. I know. What a leg. Yeah, he happened to be on LinkedIn with the right person. He was 00:20:17 Speaker 2: advertising it. And then he was like, Oh, he was like, Arian, I think you'd like this. So, yeah, 00:20:21 Speaker 1: all meant to be. And everything just falls into place. Yeah. So, yeah, I guess thinking of the listener who's keen to break into that

international market. What would be your top three tips for 00:20:32 Speaker 2: success? Yeah. So, one, if you can afford to go over to the country you're looking at, I highly recommend it because my thoughts and opinions on exporting to Singapore were 00:20:42 Speaker 2: totally different to what they are now having gone over. So we don't have a market in Singapore, and we thought we did, so we'll be using it very differently. It'll probably be a logistics hub versus actually selling to G over there. Um, they they don't want go to M so they don't know what it is. Um, and they've got a completely different sort of desire when it comes to skin care. And, um yeah, so we discovered 00:21:07 Speaker 2: that there was nothing bad, but that's not our customer. So who is 00:21:10 Speaker 1: your customer internationally? Yeah. 00:21:12 Speaker 2: So it's people that are after, um, organic skincare, um, and goat milk. So it's good for eczema. and all of that kind of stuff. Um, the problem with Singapore is that they haven't got to actually wanting organic skincare yet. They just want an expensive brand. So they will pay, like, 10 times the amount than what we're charging. But it's because it's like one of their five top brands that, 00:21:32 Speaker 2: you know, $1000 million models of model for them. And, yeah, it was brand focused. Um, and they just didn't see the reason for goat milk and what that could do and all of that. So without spending a whole lot of money in a very risky situation, um, and doing that consumer education, it just wasn't worth 00:21:50 Speaker 2: for us. Yeah, 00:21:51 Speaker 1: right. So who is your number one international market? 00:21:54 Speaker 2: Yeah. So, actually, at the moment, it's US and New Zealand and a little bit of Europe. We've just started to hit to what part of Europe? Belgium has been sort of a big hit at the moment. So 00:22:05 Speaker 1: congratulations. That's so good. Yeah, 00:22:09 Speaker 1: I'm a New Zealander. I can imagine how it would be quite how it would be well received in the New Zealand market. Yeah, Yeah, yeah. Can you tell us what your operation looks like. Now, obviously, with this kind of demand, I expect it looks, you know, a little bit different to when you were starting out. What would you say has been your biggest challenge, if you like with 00:22:31 Speaker 1: the with the 00:22:32 Speaker 2: expansion? Yeah, I'm actually going to say capital. So whilst we have put in every single dollar which has made it get to where we are, it's been hard not having that million dollars, if that makes sense. Not that you know, you need that much upfront, but 00:22:44 Speaker 1: But just that peace of mind to just go as hard as 00:22:48 Speaker 2: you want. Yeah, exactly. So it's been, you know, stepping stones versus just all in. Um, 00:22:54 Speaker 2: yeah, I'd say that's probably been one of the main things, but we've come a long way. Yeah. 00:22:58 Speaker 1: Absolutely. And in what way is that? More Just your own personal. Oh, my God. I want to get there. Or is that actually causing sort of hold ups and issues within the business? The 00:23:09 Speaker 2: capital part? Yeah, Um, look, probably a little bit of both, but if I look back and think Oh, you know, if we had a million dollars would we have spent it the right way, Whereas the organic growth has been really good and we've actually sort of invested 00:23:23 Speaker 2: carefully and in the right sort of ways. Um, so 00:23:27 Speaker 1: it's it it 00:23:28 Speaker 2: has, but yeah. No, look, certainly I guess there's a hold up, because maybe we'd be five years more advanced if we could just, you know, put up a bigger shed and better equipment. But on the other hand, it's it's cool. 00:23:39 Speaker 2: It is what it is. And we love what we've got, 00:23:41 Speaker 1: so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So you're really just sort of appreciating where you're at at the moment, we know where you want to go. So it's just a matter of, you know, 00:23:51 Speaker 2: just building the plane and yeah, yeah. 00:23:54 Speaker 1: Got it. Got it. 00:23:56 Speaker 1: Now you've got quite the awards hall, 00:24:00 Speaker 1: as I mentioned in the intro Young Business Leader of the Year, Northern Business Achievement Award and the Excellence of Sustainable and Environmental Practises Award. What was your motivation for entering these? 00:24:12 Speaker 2: Um, 00:24:14 Speaker 2: it was through council. So, um, I was nominated for pretty much all of them. Um, but yeah, I had people that were sort of inspired by what we were doing and just sort of Yeah, wanted to be like, Hey, do you mind if we put you up? We just love what you're doing. We'd like you to, you know, sort of get some encouragement for it. Um, and I think I went in with Yeah, a very humble sort of thing of like, Oh, we're not gonna get that, you know, But thank you. Um and so like, well, we're gonna nominate you. And so they did. And then we 00:24:38 Speaker 2: went through the process and, yeah, we won them 00:24:41 Speaker 1: on top. What would you say, you know, has been a major contributing factor to your success in that 00:24:48 Speaker 2: space. Um, certainly the first one. So the young Achiever Award. I guess that wasn't one. Was very council sort of based. And so they just yeah, were really sort of impressed with how much it helped out in the community and what we'd achieved within the business at a young age. So, yeah, I think that one was, 00:25:03 Speaker 2: um, the other ones. I think the sustainable, um, practises one environmental. That was the way we do things. And that's sort of our ethical and sustainable approach to farming and business and the way we sort of include, like, a circular economy in the way we we do things. Um, so that one I wasn't too surprised about because we sort of basically, we had to do a write up on what we do. 00:25:25 Speaker 2: Um, and they were really excited when they

were sort of reading that, and that was nice. 00:25:29 Speaker 1: Um, and even again. Similar to when you're having those kind of presentations or, you know, interviews. When you're reading back your award submission, that must 00:25:39 Speaker 2: feel pretty good. Yeah, it does, actually. It's pretty cool. It's like, Oh, we actually 00:25:42 Speaker 2: that I forgot. We do that like, yeah, you know, you sort of sometimes you just live life, and it's like, Oh, we do do that. That is a big thing. Yeah, 00:25:48 Speaker 1: 100%. Yeah. So what have those wins done for your 00:25:52 Speaker 2: business? Um, certainly a massive amount of Sort of, I guess. Advertisement. Um and 00:25:59 Speaker 2: yeah, publicity, promotion, all of that kind of stuff. So that's been great. If nothing else for myself and and the family and our staff, it's just been encouragement. It's been like, Yeah, we're on the right track. We're doing something we're making good in the world. Um, yeah. It's been a massive encouragement. I'm just, like, keep going. We got this. Yeah, absolutely. 00:26:18 Speaker 1: And, 00:26:18 Speaker 1: you know, for for another young business start up who might be listening. Would you recommend that Awards process? Yeah, 00:26:25 Speaker 2: absolutely. 00:26:26 Speaker 1: And And why, Like what? What satisfaction does it give you? 00:26:30 Speaker 2: Yeah, again, Just the 00:26:33 Speaker 2: It's sort of like the push to, like, keep going. It's like, Yeah, you've come this far. You've won the award. Like I remember. Actually, it was like about a week before the awards were announced. Um, and we know we were We knew we were a finalist and we were kind of going to the awards night. And I said to Mom, I was like, Oh, you know, 00:26:48 Speaker 2: I don't know, like business. It was just a bad week. And I was like, I'm just gonna quit. And she's like, No, no, you can't. She's like you're a finalist in the awards. And then I was like, Oh, fine. So I keep going to the awards night and I was like, Well, if we win, then I'll keep going if you know, And so then we won I was like, Well, I have to keep going now, you know, like everybody knows this. So it was It was a great sort of push to be like, No, no matter the bad days, you just got to do it because we 00:27:11 Speaker 1: all have that. And we do, right? And, you know, 00:27:14 Speaker 1: without potentially that awards night, how else would you get up from those days where you just feel like you want to quit? 00:27:22 Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't know. I guess for us, like we've got the goats that we milk every morning and we've got the business, and 00:27:28 Speaker 2: yeah, you know, the orders keep coming in, So you do end up just getting out of bed and doing it. But sometimes you just kind of lose your spark on your mojo and be like, Why am I doing this? Yeah, 00:27:37 Speaker 1: but it's yeah. Yeah. And I think you know what? What you were saying earlier as well, you know, talking

to your mom and you have you, you, your mom and your dad being, you know, quite tight. And I 00:27:48 Speaker 1: that would potentially be a recommendation for someone else if they're feeling like they're losing their business. Mojo. is to 00:27:55 Speaker 2: have someone you can talk to. Absolutely. And sometimes it's even a friend. If you've got a close friend, sometimes it's just staff members. So, you know, even like people that, like the lady, is our graphic designer and the people that does our website. And sometimes I'll just be reaching out to them like, Can you just deal with this because it's not my day and I don't know what I'm doing, so and they're great. They'll be like, Yeah, no, we'll we'll fix the website. I'm like, Thank you. So you love 00:28:16 Speaker 1: that. 00:28:16 Speaker 1: I think it's quite unique for someone of your age to, um, want to be involved in local council, to be quite honest. Um, and but you're on the nilly board and you're the NBE Shire Deputy Youth mayor. What was the motivation to be involved with community in this 00:28:30 Speaker 2: way? 00:28:31 Speaker 2: I loved community, and that probably goes back to when I was younger and our family went through black Saturday bushfires. So we lost everything. Um, but yeah, and I just remember like being in that space of community, and in some ways they're the only people around you that kind of get you through. Um, I remember, you know, going with mom and Dad to the community dinners and all that kind of stuff and just thinking, like, 00:28:54 Speaker 2: would love one day to, you know, when I'm older, to give back and just be part of a community and make sure that that community never gets torn apart or lost. And so when the opportunity with council came up, I was like, OK, I've been through so much and I've done the business and I just want to, like, tell other young people that it's possible. And if they've got a dream like chase it, 00:29:15 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. 00:29:18 Speaker 1: So what do you think has been your most rewarding experience so far? Working with council in this way? 00:29:24 Speaker 2: Um, I think some of the events that we've done, um and just yeah, sort of seeing young people come alive and really sort of blossom like I've seen some of the the kids that you know we've worked with and all of that. One of the ones that we did like a big thing. It was a big event where, like, it was called the Youth Summit, and, um yeah, all these sort of young people from high schools and everything came and I was sitting on the table and yeah, they were just throwing ideas out and you could just see in their eyes 00:29:48 Speaker 2: in their face like they just kind of lit up. And it was like they suddenly sort of felt like they could find themselves and work out. You know, there was, like, a possibility to their dreams, and I was like, Oh, this is awesome. So that was 00:29:59 Speaker 1: so good, I guess. Yeah, for other young listeners, or maybe even not so young. What are the benefits as an individual being involved in community public service? 00:30:10 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think one of them is. 00:30:13 Speaker 2: You help them, and they help you. If that makes sense, it's connection. Um, and it it really is just community and, you know, knowing people. And it's sometimes knowing people that you get ahead and you help them get ahead. Um, and it's being able to sort of give back and just support those that need it. Um, I think, yeah. Connection. If I could put it in a one word, it's connection. That would be Yeah, 00:30:36 Speaker 1: absolutely. 00:30:37 Speaker 1: So now I know you're very passionate about regenerative agriculture. It's called dairy farming. Holistic living. Um, you You know, I've read that you're on this mission to make a change in the world of dairy farming. In your opinion, what is the most pressing 00:30:55 Speaker 2: issue? Yeah, so this is just sort of my my little thing, but I really struggle with a lot of the big commercial dairy farms where they, um 00:31:06 Speaker 2: it's all about money and production versus the actual welfare of the animals. And so one of the the big things that they do is when the, um, calves or the lambs or the the kids, um, are born. The babies get separated from their moms immediately, and the moms go back into production, and the kids get stuck in a whole lot of pens like sardines. And the boys are killed either immediately or five weeks. They go to the butchers. Um, so, yeah, for me, I really struggle with that, um, and so for me, I 00:31:34 Speaker 2: sort of wanted to set out. Um, it's called like calf sharing or kids sharing. So where the kids and the moms stay in the paddy together, and then we just take the extra milk that the moms have got rather than stripping them out and taking their kids off. OK, 00:31:46 Speaker 1: so this is an initiative that you're actively participating in now with your 00:31:50 Speaker 2: farm? Yeah, absolutely. We've done it the whole way along. And there is another dairy farm who's actually doing the same thing with their their cows and their calves. 00:32:00 Speaker 1: How did this initiative come about? 00:32:02 Speaker 2: Certainly sort of been something that a lot of the big commercials have been like. You know, no way, but sort of little farms have been trying to do it. So I know of one other that is doing it. Um, yeah, I don't think we started it, and we certainly haven't copied anyone. It was just something that we felt was right, Um, and natural and fair. Um, and something that we wanted to do. And then slowly but surely, Yeah, there's sort of been a little bit of yeah, other people go. Oh, maybe we should be doing that. So I know this other farm that is doing it, but 00:32:30 Speaker 2: yeah, I'm not I don't shy away from telling people that, like, oh, keep your babies with the MUS. It just It's nice. 00:32:36 Speaker 1: Beautiful. 00:32:37 Speaker 1: And can

you share a couple of things that everyday consumers can do to to contribute to this change? 00:32:44 Speaker 2: Yeah, um, one is Know your brand support local support, small business. Um, And when I say, know your brands? Yeah. Find out if they do things organically, or if they do things ethically. How are their animals treated and looked after? Um, And what are some unique things about that business that they're doing differently out there? 00:33:03 Speaker 2: Um and how? Yeah, how you can support them in that way. But yeah, I just say, like, you know, if it's produce or whatever. Know your farmer, um know your local business owner support local? Um, yeah, yeah, absolutely. 00:33:16 Speaker 1: Great advice. Now I read you travelled through Thailand. 00:33:20 Speaker 1: I think we rode 500 kilometres in five days and 50 degrees plus and raised $5000 so there was a lot of fives there for an orphanage. Now, you know, a few years later, this life changing experience, you're committed more than ever to empowering 00:33:37 Speaker 1: young people, particularly young girls, to follow their dreams. What does that commitment look like 00:33:43 Speaker 2: for you right now? Yeah. Yeah. Um, that's continuing what I do through council and supporting the young people. Um, this week I was I was in benalla doing stuff with agriculture, Victoria, because I'm on the young farmers council for that. 00:33:57 Speaker 2: And, um, yeah, that was going up and talking to uni students and even just a lot of the girls and just being like, Hey, you know, what are you wanting and planning to do? And they'd be telling me and I'd just be like, Yeah, that's cool. And helping them find different ways that they could do it or where they could do it or how they could start. Um, so I think out of that sort of experience in Thailand, it was, yeah, working with youth in general, but especially young girls and 00:34:16 Speaker 2: and trying to help them get into leadership and and how they can make a difference. Yeah. What 00:34:20 Speaker 1: are some big ideas that you've heard when you've recently heard in vanilla? Yeah. Do we need to stay tuned and listen now? Oh, 00:34:28 Speaker 2: look, mostly those were, um, students going through ag, um, studies and everything, and yeah, it was amazing. Just the difference. Like, you know, some wanted to be on the farm. Some wanted to stay on the family farm. Um, some wanted to go off and do sort of study and lab work 00:34:42 Speaker 2: behind it. All in in ag science and all of that. So, yeah, it was just incredible things that all the different pathways that they were gonna take and what they were gonna do with it. Yeah, 00:34:50 Speaker 1: I bet they were all pretty much blown away by what you had done. You would have been really inspiring. 00:34:56 Speaker 2: It's different, but it's it's great to tell them a different way. 00:34:58 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. So what would you say has been your proudest moment in the business so far? 00:35:04 Speaker 2: I'm gonna say it was the award last year for the NBA A awards? 00:35:09 Speaker 2: Um, yeah, that was a shock because I didn't really expect to win the big overall, um, Business of the Year award. And when they announced it, I was just like, no, and then to get up on stage and make a speech that I had no idea I was doing, Um, that was Yeah. I just felt like we'd made it. That was That was awesome. 00:35:25 Speaker 1: The pinnacle. Well, not No, you're still going, but Yeah, yeah, a really good point moment. And what about your toughest moment in business so far? 00:35:35 Speaker 2: Oh, there's been a few of them. Um, 00:35:38 Speaker 1: tell me about most recent 00:35:39 Speaker 2: one, I think because we got the farm. So we see a lot sort of on the farm. It's not just making products. Um, 00:35:46 Speaker 2: yeah, probably One of the hardest moments was when we had, um, like a worm and parasite issue go through. A lot of farmers were screaming about it, and we sort of we really enjoy, like, a hot summer because it dries out the paddocks and we can sort of, you know, like then grow fresh grass after that. But we were just getting so much damp weather, um, and yeah, to to lose goats that you absolutely love because there's nothing you can do. All the vets don't know or stuff like that. That's been one of the hardest moments of really 00:36:12 Speaker 2: trying to sort of find out all the nitty gritty bits of of small farming. Um, so it really has this been 00:36:19 Speaker 1: this summer? Just 00:36:20 Speaker 2: recently? No, it was a couple of years ago. 00:36:22 Speaker 1: OK, so then just lo the goats, not having the feed, not knowing the answers. Yeah, Look, 00:36:28 Speaker 2: we had the feed, but it was just, um the there. It's kind of a farming term, but when it comes to sort of like you got to drench them. So you get rid of the worms and parasites 00:36:38 Speaker 2: and, um, a lot of those drenches now on the market. Uh, and all the farmers are screaming, um, are resistant. So there's a particular worm that runs around like sheep and cows and goats and everything, and you can worm them and it doesn't do anything. And so then you end up losing livestock and stuff like that, and, yeah, just the heartbreak of feeling like you're sort of powerless trying to deal with it. Um, but yeah, eventually, we sort of got over the other side. That was awesome. And how did you get over the other side? 00:37:05 Speaker 2: Um, we started really sort of working on our pastures and just redoing the land. Um, changing the way we sort of rotated and did things and where we had them in different seasons. Um, I did a lot of sort of study on How do you actually deal with this and get rid of it, Um, in a in another way, compared to the chemicals out there that aren't working, Um and yeah, that was kind of basically how we did it. And now, looking at actually breeding goats and genetics that are 00:37:30 Speaker

2: actually resi resistant and resilient to the actual so Yeah, lot of different things. 00:37:36 Speaker 1: Where do you start with that? Good on you. What do you consider are your measures of success in the business right now? So we've all got different measures of success. Every business, every stage. What would be yours right now, 00:37:49 Speaker 2: Right now for us. I think the success is that we've got a business that's viable. That's heading in the right direction. 00:37:57 Speaker 2: Um, and the allows us to have the lifestyle that we love to work together as a family, have other people work with us. We have a programme where people from overseas come and stay and work on the farm and learn. I met someone 00:38:10 Speaker 1: from with, um a a young lady at the event that we meet each other. 00:38:16 Speaker 1: Was she from Netherlands? 00:38:17 Speaker 2: Germany? Yeah. Yeah, 00:38:19 Speaker 1: that's fantastic. So an incredible collection of, you know, life changing experiences, but what's next for naturally 00:38:28 Speaker 2: go. Yeah, I think it's to continue expanding with what we've got. 00:38:33 Speaker 1: So what have you got at the moment? What's your current range? 00:38:36 Speaker 2: We've got 215 products, and so 00:38:40 Speaker 1: that so 00:38:42 Speaker 2: that includes everything. So you give me categories. So basically, as my dad says, from the day you're born to the day you die, we've got a product for you 00:38:52 Speaker 2: and that's that's like because we've got our main range. But then we've got our range specifically for, um, toddlers and babies and newborns. And then we've got our range for dogs and pets and all of that kind of stuff. And then we've also got, like, a cleaning range, which, um, is sort of based in sort of like, um, environmentally friendly, good for sensitive skin. All of that. So and then, aside from those ranges, which have probably at least 10 or 15 products in each, we've then got our main range, which has, like soaps, hand washes, body wash, hair care, 00:39:21 Speaker 2: moisturisers, facial cleanses, all of that, um, and different varieties within each of those. So And 00:39:28 Speaker 1: they're all available online. Yeah. Are you online only, Or do you stock into shops. 00:39:34 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're mostly online. Um, we've got a few stockers here and there. Um, but at the we've just been focusing online. Um, yeah, the stores are are great. Um, but obviously we sort of sell 00:39:44 Speaker 2: wholesale to that. So it's on our main avenue, Um, and it is hard to sort of crack into the stores that have already got their shelves full. Um, so unless we sort of Yeah, kick somebody else off, which isn't great. Um, we just online and just sort of say to people, it's on the website. Um 00:40:00 Speaker 1: amazing. What about or personal? What's next for you? 00:40:05 Speaker 2: What's next? Um, 00:40:08 Speaker 2: I think that's to get the business to a point where I know

that I can step back and whether that's step back and have a family step back and focus on a hobby or something else that I want to sort of go with, um, but still have the business and still be part of it. But knowing that I don't have to be on ground 24 7 micromanaging every little part because that's 00:40:26 Speaker 1: what it is at the moment and has 00:40:28 Speaker 2: been, it has been It's certainly much like I was able to get away for three days this week 00:40:33 Speaker 2: to do the stuff with agriculture, Victoria. And that was because we've got systems in place and because things are a little bit more streamlined, Um, and our amazing yeah, woofers that we've got over at the moment. Um that were great. Yeah. I taught them to milk from the day they came, and they were like, Yeah, you can go for three days. We got this. And they did. Yeah, all the milking from where to go. So it was a first. So how 00:40:55 Speaker 1: big is your team now? 00:40:57 Speaker 2: Depends on how many people we got, um, coming and staying with us. But obviously, there's a family of five. usually one or two people from overseas staying with us. Um, and then we've got graphic designer. Um, we had people doing our website, and we've still got her. She's an amazing lady. Um, but we have just brought on a digital marketing team. Um, so, yeah, they've sort of come in and was getting beyond us, so 00:41:20 Speaker 1: Yeah, it gets tricky, doesn't it? 00:41:22 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. Look, there are not too many 24 year olds alone. 40 year olds that have, you know, achieved what you have. What are some of the personality traits that you think you have that have been integral to such a successful career in life? So 00:41:39 Speaker 2: far? I'm a bit stubborn And don't give up. Um, yeah, I'll stick at something, and I'll just go till I got it kind of thing. 00:41:47 Speaker 2: Um, yeah, I can be a very quiet person, but I can always be a little bit bubbly and energetic and be like, OK, let's just do this. Um, yeah. I love seeing something finished. I love being able to tick something off my list, So yeah, I will go and go and go until I sort of get that done and see that achieved and see the next stage accomplished. So yeah, 00:42:04 Speaker 1: absolutely. For the young listener, you know, who might have a business idea, you know, they see an opening. They're passionate about their offering and and don't quite know where to start. What would your advice be? 00:42:18 Speaker 2: Um, 00:42:19 Speaker 2: as I said before, ask questions. Um, explore it, find out more about it, research, and sometimes just dive in like, yeah, just take the risk of like, if It's really what you wanna do, and you feel it's right. Then often things 00:42:36 Speaker 2: fall into place. Um and yeah, as I said, like for me, If I didn't know something, I'd go and learn it, or I'd find out who did know it so that I could learn it and take it back and apply it to the way we need it. Um, so, yeah, for me, it's like chase your dreams, learn and find out what you need to and just do it. I love 00:42:57 Speaker 1: that Oriana. You are unstoppable. I love your energy. Your clarity, 00:43:01 Speaker 1: your passion and commitment to your craft in this community is unparalleled. I'm so looking forward to witnessing your journey as you go into, you know, even as you expand your world of business. That's such an impressive start. Um, so thank you. Thank you for joining me. It's been an absolute pleasure 00:43:21 Speaker 2: having you here. Thanks for having me. It's awesome. Good. 00:43:24 Speaker 1: Thank you. 00:43:28 Speaker 1: If you're looking for some free resources to start creating a buzz with your digital marketing, then go to bees Knees marketing.com dot a U backslash free. That's bees knees marketing.com dot a U backslash free. Follow the prompts and take advantage of our free resource library and get your business buzzing