I want to go back to the very beginning. So before you started Breeze Balm where you grew up, what you were doing, what your spirit was like, I guess who you were as a kid, that Kind of thing. Yes. So when I was seven I started dancing so I started ballet and jazz and that kind of sparked a whole lot of creativity within me and I just, it was just absolutely loved it. I would dance around the house, I would dance from like the bedroom to get something from the kitchen. I'm always dancing and everyone knew me as Sammy the dancer and so as I like went through other years and I did all my exams, I really, really, really thought I want to be a backup dancer and so I started watching like all these, you know, the Dvds that you could buy off the stage shows?

00:02:24Edit I would have like every single of it, All of it, Justin timberlake Janet, Jackson, Michael Jackson, like all of the top Spice Girls. Oh my God, that's so cool. That's such a cool dream to have as well. Like I feel like I wouldn't have thought of having that as a dream. I would see them on tv and be like, that's so freaking cool. But I wouldn't actually think that could be me, you know, so cool to have that vision as a kid. Yeah, I definitely feel from the very get go deciding what I want to do, I can be really headstrong and nothing will get in my way. Why do you think you like that? Um your parents like that? Mhm My parents are very driven. Um My family, my dad is a pharmacist and he owns a mom and dad owned a pharmacy in New Zealand but my mom is also um when she was young she was into a lot of fitness and she would love going to the gym and that would make me feel good. She also danced and also she's a lawyer, so she's super intelligent as well.

00:03:27Edit So I feel like to do those types of degrees, you have to be really driven, so maybe I got it from them, I don't know, maybe I don't know where it came from, but also my grandma as a singer or my great grandma, so that kind of creativity is already in the family. Yeah. Um Performing family. Yeah, totally, and I'm really animated. I just, I don't know, I just loved it really broke my soul. So I kind of grew up like that was what I wanted to do and no one's gonna stop me and I remember watching this one um DVD it was all for you, Janet Jackson tour And it's so crazy because I was like 12 something when it first came out and there was a guy dancer on there and I think I spoke to you about this. Yeah. So yeah, we spoke about this the other day. Yeah. So he was like, amazing. And he really caught my eye and I was like, oh my God, I want to be like him. And I became really obsessed because with of him because he was so good. And then I started to follow him like what he did and read articles and you'd be with him Justin timberlake and he'll be with like, all these top top A list singers.

00:04:38Edit Yeah, he was there. He was there like, in the bubble, he was hanging out with him and then instagram, like, I went to a performing arts school in Sydney moved to Australia when I was 18 and I actually wanted to move when I was 16, but my parents would let me, they were like, you have to finish school first. Not yet. Not yet. I was like, but I'm kind of glad that they did because I don't think mentally I would have been able to handle it. Um So when I moved, I've never been to Australia before. I didn't know anybody. I was moving into a house with people that I didn't know. Like, I've never lived at home. I had no clue of what I was going to, but the thing was good. It was good because I was so naive. Whereas you could dive in. Yeah, like, I was like, I'll be fine. Like, what's the big deal? I'm moving to Australia, whatever you can always move home. Yeah. And I was kind of in that like untempered bulletproof type of like cocky Vibe as you do as a teenager.

00:05:42Edit Like I was 17, 18 and then I definitely couldn't have done it. It would be a lot harder to do it right now then back then. So I'm glad I did it when I did yeah. And I did a year of performing arts with one of the top schools in Australia called Friend Street. And in that time I ended up doing a workshop with the guy, the guy. So the guy's name is Eddie Morales okay. And he is absolutely amazing if you google him, he's like all over everything. Yeah. And I did a workshop with him and I was like, oh my God, this guy is so cool and it's so ironic because eventually down the track, we ended up instagram came along and I started following him and then I sent him a photo and I was like, oh my God, this is like the last workshop that we had done together, He was like, I remember you And we just kind of chatted and we became friends. And then when he came to Australia for the Mariah Carey Tour, I met him. Yeah. I met up with him then and we just became friends and it's so crazy because I never would have thought at 12 that this guy that I was looking, at I would be so close to like connecting with and that connection has kind of made me realize that the world is not as big as you think it is.

00:07:00Edit Especially with social media, it's so much easier to make connections, how good it is. Social media, it's amazing. It's ridiculous. And I feel like people always say, um you know, these people are like untouchable, you can't get in touch with these people so many times. I've just sent people a message who are massive. They were black. Yeah. There's no big deal. Yeah. And I'm like, yeah, you're just respectful and yourself and all that kind of thing and it's not some weird creepy message. People like, yeah, hey, happy to chat. Yeah, whatever. It's kind of like of the draw to, you know, if you message them at the right time and if they are massive and they open their phone and you're there, you know, like it's really social media is amazing definitely for me because I feel like it's given me so many opportunities. I do think it's a double edge sword. But I think that because um, I think people don't understand recognizing their emotions and insecurities and understanding kind of the concept of social media, if you see it for what it is rather than getting so into it and something Yeah.

00:08:17Edit And letting it and letting it versus you being like this is a tool I have at my fingertips. Yeah, I mean everything is perspective. Even in life, I feel like you can give to people an opportunity and one person could absolutely hated the other person would drive. Yeah. So yeah, it's, I feel like that's the same my opinion of social media and I think it's absolutely amazing. Yeah, I'm with you. I think it's so good and it's especially for if you have like an e commerce product or a business that thrives in the social media landscape, it's like holy gosh, it opens all of these crazy doors. And I also just find it. So I just love finding, you know, for kinks my jewelry brand. I find like I just love getting deep in a hole of like new pockets of people I've never seen before who were like amazing. So on brand quirky out there and I'm like, funk, this is so cool, you girls are so cool. And I've never known about this corner of the internet before and like these. Whereas I think some people can get overwhelmed by that.

00:09:18Edit Yeah, totally. But I love it. I think it's so great. Yeah. And I love when I'm like scrolling through and I feel like sometimes I can see the same people over. Yeah. And then when you do find like a new hole and of all these people and then they're huge and I'm like, wait, how did I not know about? Someone will have 20 million followers. Yeah. That's extreme. That's only after napoleon's followers and I'm like, huh? Never heard Of beautiful. Yeah. Like what do they do? And then it's really interesting to go back backwards and being like, what do they do? Like their friends with? Like how have they gotten 20 million followers? Yeah. I'm not going to like all the K pop girls at the moment. I just so on brand for what I'm doing and I'm just fascinated. And I also love just their style choice and how bold they are with color and glitter and weird stuff that I've never seen before. And I'm like, yeah, I resonate with you. Okay, what's huge is huge and it's crazy. But I feel like in Australia, we don't get touched with a lot of the marketing.

00:10:21Edit Well, if anything at all, really, it's only if you seek it out and you know, to kind of go down that path. Yeah, we've diverged. Tell me about your message, that guy. Yeah. So I messaged him and we ended up catching up and um it was so great because we became friends and we would talk about things and I just kind of realized I was feeling a little bit down or frustrated with myself because after my performing arts course, I felt like I had been given so many opportunities and maybe I had missed some, or it just really didn't go the way that I had planned in my head. And for the first time ever in my life, it had not gone the way that I wanted and I couldn't control it and I was like, but I'm so good, like, why did they do it? Why did they put me in this class and like, I know I can do this, you know? So I had a lot of pressure on myself and so it was really nice um in that moment where I was feeling lost and like, what am I doing with my life and like, why have I failed and kind of feeling like a failure talking to someone who is doing exactly what I want to do and realizing in that moment, oh my gosh, like he's still hustling, he's still working um Yeah, like job to job, Yeah, he's traveling all the time, he doesn't have time for a relationship, like that's a lot for someone and I was like, I don't know if I want to live that life, how old is he at the time?

00:11:57Edit Um he would be probably late thirties for late thirties. Yeah, so, and especially in the dancing world, like when you're getting to that age, um there's your body's a bit tired, your body's tired, your, your little news, like, you know, like a lot of these young kids are coming in, they've got next level talent, social media is another thing. So if you haven't jumped on the social media bandwagon then you may be like lagging a little bit in that area because I know a lot of like, dancers, especially a huge on social media and that's people that are getting booked. Like, there's a lot that kind of comes into what the industry is changing and this was like, maybe five or six years ago that I met him, Yeah, and we had, I had that feeling and like, he's absolutely amazing, he's the nicest guy, and I think what he does is amazing. That's his life, good on him, but it's definitely not something I want. It's so funny when you're like, yeah, I have this idol, I have this dream, and then you're like, you're like, okay, it's actually in reach now, and I just realized, I don't want to be like you, I find that's also something that I've experienced a lot going through different jobs when you look at the person that's your senior and you look up the line and you're like, oh, I don't want to be you actually don't want your job, I don't want that life.

00:13:19Edit It's a weird feeling. It's a weird feeling. And then you're like, okay, ship I need to get out of this. Yeah, I need to do something different. Yeah, did you? At that point think, oh, I want to start a business or have you had any inkling or you were still more just like, okay, I've realized, and now I don't know what, yeah, I was like, I don't know what I want to do. Yeah. And then I started, I started a fitness journey. I met Ashley fine, okay, so we um I went away to europe and I knew that there was a position that they were looking for and I was working in like I've done so many jobs, I've been embarrassed to have been a housekeeper, like reception, hotel manager on like front office, I've done so many things, have been a dance teacher, I've been, I've worked in a bright skill set. Yeah, but majority of it was kind of sales or people skills, okay, so I think was really good for me because of where I am now. Um but I met ASCII and then yeah, I knew that there was a position coming also another amazing like Australian success story for someone who started when social media was.

00:14:26Edit Yeah, she was kind of coming around and then next thing she's got this huge thing and you're like, holy heck, the power of social media again. Yeah, totally. And so yeah, we ended up getting on really well and I asked for the job and we ended up, I ended up working for her in sales for five years. And so along that time I I was in a really, I feel like I was really, yeah, I wasn't in a really great place um coming out of the performing arts school, like I got depression I've gone medication, like it was quite bad and then um coming out of that, you know I met I moved up here and meet some friends, I changed my lifestyle and I met ASCII met all my girlfriends and being by the beach as well. Something that I feel even when you are struggling just to see the ocean every day, it gives you a different sense of calm like. Yeah, being in a big city. Yeah. I'm a girl. I'm not really uh I didn't love Sydney, sorry Sydney people.

00:15:32Edit It's hard though. Yeah, Sydney's heart and I'm not really like you're a city girl. I don't think so, it's good being by the beach. Um But what was that? So you moved to the Gold Coast, you started finding your tribe of people, you started getting yourself kind of like. Yeah my confidence was building back up. Yeah my confidence was building and I was feeling like pretty good and then um 2,014 uh my family sold the pharmacy and I didn't really know what was going on. Did you ever have anything to do with the business? Just more like my data and pharmacy. My parents, my parents and pharmacy there sometimes in the holidays, that's what they do. Like they sold so many different products. I used to get all the testers and playful makeup testers and everything like I was like this is a sweet gig because I get all the free stuff. Yeah like this is what I'm interested in? Yeah, so they sold the pharmacy and the number one thing that came to my head was cool you sold the pharmacy? But can I get the lip balm?

00:16:36Edit And so why did you want to look like, how did you know about the lip balm? So let's talk more about that. Okay so I had a brand called grease bomb and the breeze bomb formula is made by my granddad. So my granddad in the 1950s was with owned a pharmacy. Oh my gosh! And he was like I need to make a lip balm for people that actually works because my customers coming in asking for the lip balm and I can't give them something that I feel works. And so he created this formula and then that was passed down to my mom and dad when they bought the pharmacy and wow, my dad is a pharmacist so he was taught how to make up and then when they sold the pharmacy um he kept the recipe because it was really special because it's a family thing and I've used a brief one formula for my whole life. So I don't know if you Yeah but did you ever think or anything about it or you're more just like this is just something that you've always used that you love but you hadn't thought this could be a business by yourself and it was called something else.

00:17:43Edit Yeah it was called like um Wilkinson's ointment or something, right? Pharmacy. Yeah, the label was so ugly. It was like a white hot with the stick on label that was printed from the computer. Like not cute at all. Like black, black and white text was so boring and it just kept like flying out the shells. It was a little secret in the area kind of thing. Yeah. And like people would call a cruise ships and stock up. I remember um, lots of japanese people on a cruise ship would come in and because it's got Landel in in it, I would literally see them getting baskets and like shoveling them off the shelves into their basket. Oh my God. And I was like, this is so weird. Like why are you buying so much? That's so weird. And you're like, I know it's good but I didn't realize that it was like hot commodity. And so then I started to like look at other lip balms and I was trying all different ones and definitely throughout my teens I would try other brands just because they were called at the time.

00:18:49Edit But I always kept going back to my lip balm and then I got my friends on to it. My friends at school, like everyone would ask me for it. So my dad's like handing out the, yeah, the dealer of the, yeah, he's like coming to my drug still. Yeah, let me give you some bombing. Yeah. Let me give you some bomb. So that was really interesting. And then I knew it was good. I just, I didn't know any different. And yeah, like I got to Australia to have that moment of realization, whoa moment. And a couple of my other friends are starting brands at the time we were on holiday and I was like, I kind of want to start something, but I don't really know what I want to do. And as I'm like applying lip balm and oh my God, So who had the light bulb moment? Um, I feel like it wasn't really any moment that happened. I feel like the moment was when I sold everything that I was like doing this is like we're sitting on a goldmine here.

00:19:50Edit So um, I was having a conversation with my friends and I was like, oh, I want to do something. And my friend will actually was one of them that said like, why don't you sell the lip? And I guess it's interesting because you have been watching her at this point like build this empire and being inspired by another female, a young female who's like killing it and being like, okay, I want to do something to, I can see the possibility for like an opportunity that exists for us and then having her be like, you have something, yeah, why don't you do it? And like, and then like I talked to a couple of other people and they're like, oh my God, yeah, I love that bomb. And then, um, I was like, okay. And at that time, social media was very new. And uh, we were gaining followers really quickly. And so I was like, I'm just going to reach out to everyone on social media and ask. And I was like, hey guys, do you think this is my lip balm? It's a family recipe, showed them the pot that came in, would you guys be interested?

00:20:56Edit And like within minutes I had this influx of like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, of course I can say that and not. And I can still be a huge risks. So I was like, okay, I'm just gonna try it. And so I put it on, made a website. What did you make the website, Shopify? Shopify? And it's really good. I love Shopify because it comes out with all the templates. So I just had like a basic template. I can't even remember if you had to pay for the month. I think it was like, I think it was a trial. Yeah, it was on trial and I just did like basic, it looks so embarrassing, but it is what it is. Uh, it's like, do we, so I actually looked back because in Shopify could have a whole lot of themes different. So a theme is like a style of your website. So I had all of these different things from way back in the day and it was like, sorry, you've got too many things for like you need to delete some. And I was like, so I went back right down to the bottom and I actually opened our first ever website and I was like, oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing.

00:22:03Edit But it was really cool to see how far I'd come. Yeah, I feel the same way like when, when we started the, when I started the jewelry brand that day, I built in like, well actually my partner did the website and like half a day or whatever, but I took the photos on my bedroom floor with my phone and they're the worst photos you've ever seen in your life. I was really proud of it. It's really, it's really good. I see them and I'm like, oh God, it's so funny how you Yeah, so funny. And my girlfriend jess is a graphics designer. So I was really lucky in that respect. She, she helped me a lot with like the website and yeah, um, the design of the stickers that we put on the pot. So when you sent it out to people first, it was in the original branding, it wasn't in the new branding, the way it looks now, it was just like the pot. So it came in a pot, but instead of having an ugly white and black label, I made it really cute and I put a palm tree on the top and then I put, breathe around the bottom and the way I cannot breathe bomb the name is because I love the beach, I love bay K's and a love of Ak and I love palm trees.

00:23:16Edit So we wanted to put a palm tree in there and I was just like, it's like a breezy bomb, like easy, breezy, easy breezy. Oh my God, so I just called a breeze bomb and I was like, yeah, that'll do. I just really didn't put much thought into it and this is the same kind of thought process of me moving to Australia. Yeah, it's like, yep, doing it, done. No, I don't think about the consequences, just do it. And so yeah, I put stickers on and I was like sitting in front of the tv sticking, sticking sticking and so when you did that, so to begin with, did you have a lot of capital to start? Like did you have to buy ingredients or did you have to by like the, I mean obviously you have to but was it a lot to buy the ingredients and the, so packaging packaging. So for me, I'm really, I was really lucky because my dad had the ingredients, he made it for me, so it's not like I had to go to a manufacturer and out like you could do all of that stuff. Yeah, he didn't have the pharmacy anymore. So he had, because he was making the bombs for like other pharmacies as a wholesaler.

00:24:20Edit And so I was really lucky. I was like, hey, can you make me like 1000? And these white spots are super easy and cheap to get um from like a packaging company. And then I just literally printed out some stickers and I put them on myself, so there was no costing in that sense. Um and I said to dad, I was like, I'll pay you for making them and what they cost after I sold them. And he was like, yeah, yeah, we're gonna loan basis. Exactly. So I'm really lucky. I mean, I know it's not that easy for everybody. Um but that's the beauty of having your own formula. Yeah. And it's such a cool story. Yeah. Such a cool story. And so when you, when you were feeling those stickers out on the 1st 1000 was about to send as gifting to influences or this many influences, influences sort of thing. Okay, right. So I think, yeah, so that's why I feel like it was a lot, it was really strong. I feel like nowadays if someone wants to do this, it would be a lot harder.

00:25:22Edit You have to spend a lot more. You'd have to send out to people, you would have to like the reach is just not the same anymore. So I definitely jumped in at the right time, but I literally just like Put on my Instagram. I was like, these are up for sale, this is the website. Um they were 1495 plus they had to pay shipping and oh my God the shipping is what killed me. I went to the post office and I was like hi yeah I'd like to buy 200 postal bag because I thought like I'll probably sell definitely not 200 like maybe 100 of that. And they were like yeah that's like $6,000, I was like Oh Oh my God, oh my gosh and that's because you pay like $8 something per parcel. Yeah so what did you do? So I thank goodness had a credit card and I put a credit card okay and I was like this is this has to work, has to work now like I need that money back.

00:26:25Edit I wish I had taken a photo of my face because I was so shocked. The lady across from me was like yeah that's how much it is. Oh my gosh and this is why shipping is such a thing like people don't understand. Yeah you have to pay for shipping. Yeah, they always want free shipping but its like someone's gonna pay for it and it's not that cheap and especially in the beginning like you know as you're when you start sending mass orders and you can start having an account and you can build it in the cost and bubble a lot but when you're just starting out like it's tough even at the moment, as you can see behind me, I'm sending out gifting and In Australia, just because of the number psychology, like in the UK, if I send something overseas, it's £14 and I'm like, yeah, cool, whatever, £14. But when I get to Australia and they're like, it's $28 and I'm like, Damn, it's the same amount. But just hearing those numbers, the psychology behind it, I'm like, Goddamn Australia. Yeah, it's so expensive. It blows my mind is really expensive. Can someone work on that as a new idea? Seriously? Like $2 shipping would be great.

00:27:27Edit Yeah. So yeah, so I sat at home and I put all the labels on and I put them up and I actually remember speaking with my girlfriend Renee who owns Radiology. Oh, yes, yes. She actually as well. Yeah, yeah. So then I was speaking with her and she was like, oh my God, just put your website live. And I was like, no, I'm a little bit scared. She was like, no, just do it. And I was like, oh, but what if no one buys? She's like kids and kids, like put it up. And so I was like, okay launching at this time, here's the website, blah blah blah. And I think I posted on my instagram, How many followers do you have at that time? I don't remember Maybe like 30,000, so still a really sizable um yeah, following you had, you had that you and I'm pretty sure as she posted on her, I don't remember how much she had, but she would have had a lot. And also my girlfriend gritty runs greater as a label.

00:28:28Edit She posted on her thing and it was just like, oh my God, congratulations, you want friends? Like go girl. And I had 1000 pots and I was like, this is gonna last me a while and within three minutes gone holy ship. And I was like, yeah, and merely was like, oh my God, and you can see like the money going up so fast. I've never seen that amount of money before. And I was like, what is happening, like what did you do? Did you cry? I didn't cry. I was just like, oh my gosh, that's, have you listened to that episode of um it's how I built this, or I built that with Tobias, the founder of Shopify. He's talking about why he even started building the software from Shopify after because he had a snowboarding business and aecom business and he was building his own software because he was struggling with what was available online. And then basically that led to him being like, I want to create this for other people because when he sold his first product, he talks about the profound moment that you have when you're like, okay, I was doing this thing and I had this idea and blah blah, but until you sell a product, it's not a business.

00:29:43Edit And so then you have this profound moment where you're like, I'm a business owner. Yeah, I did a thing. It's official and it's like crazy. But for you, it would have been like, I don't know, I don't even know how I would explain that. It's crazy. So I was excited with one order. Yeah. Yeah. Well I, I I did, I expected maybe like 100 and that's probably high expectations for your first ever, like, watch like this. Yeah, that's I mean if you sell one product, that's amazing. And so to actually sell 1000 and three minute? And that's when I realized I was like, okay, we're onto a good thing here, Like people want this and I'm on the right track and it was just this excitement of like, oh my gosh, yes, I finally have something that's mine that I'm proud of and I know this works like this is the best lip balm ever. And so just from there, I was like, I spoke to dad and my mom and dad like blowing away, they said this is absolutely crazy. And I was like, so how can you make some more like, what's next?

00:30:47Edit What's next and how quick can we get it? Yeah. And so were you getting lots of messages as well now being like, okay, you're sold out, but I want some stuff, yeah, I'm really, and you became the dealer? Yeah, became the bomb? And it sucks because at that point I didn't realize that you should be taking in like, email addresses to build your database. Yeah. And I mean, I never read emails, those kind of spam emails you might call them or marketing emails. I'm not one that reads it. So I was at first like, I don't find that important. I feel like that's one of the key things that you should be doing. Yeah. So that was a big learning curve. I was the same though. Yeah. I was like, I'm really going to send one email a month. Like that's going to be my promise to my community. Yeah. That's not how it works. You know, that's not how you make a lot of people and a lot of people love emails. A lot of people are, it's huge. And so when you spoke with your dad, I'm sorry, your mom and your dad to be like, this went really well. What happens next? Were they like, well, what, okay, what does happen next?

00:31:48Edit Kind of thing? Yeah. Well then Loves It. He gets really excited and he's really proud too because it does come from like, it's almost, it was 70 years old next year. So it's a huge family recipe that we can now share with so many people in the world. Like we had someone from kenya the other day by it. So that when you see, yeah, excites me. Like how like one. How did they, yeah, like who they talked to howard, who had it like you just never know. So it was really cool. And then I just said to dad, I was like, okay, like what if I buy some flavors? Can we create something fun because you have a lot of flavors now? Yeah. I was like, I'm kind of bored with this perfect power that I've been using for 30 years or actually, no, I think I was like 26 or 2025. 26. No, wait, the business only three years old. Uh huh. So I was 27. Yeah. Well, I'm really not good numbers. I couldn't jump in there.

00:32:54Edit I was like, you're anyway, I got, oh my gosh! So, um, he was like, yeah, let's do it. Like, let's try and make some flavors. So I think I chose like a caramel flavor and that was like delicious. We tried some other ones too. I tried popcorn just for a laugh. That was disgusting. They were like, let's do that. Fabled, lost top corn. Oh my God, that's such a cool idea every year to do it. Oh my gosh. I love that. Doing an april fools every year that actually exists. You can buy it, but it's the worst. Yeah. So I did that when I did a pizza like a shape. It's not like shapes like pizza one, but it smells like B. O. I was like, great, let's just sell that for a performance take like who's gonna buy that? Really? I would not put it on my lips. My mom was like, it would be kind of funny though. Gimmick gift. Imagine being like this lip balm smells like the buy it. Yeah. People really buy it there again. Let us send it to someone else. Give someone this is a serious gift. April fools.

00:33:57Edit I know we just think about it, but I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, that's a tough one. Yeah. We tried a lot. If I find it really hard to choose flavors. We try, we test and trial heaps and I usually pick the ones that I personally love. I don't usually think like I'm really um, lucky because I feel like I've made the right decisions, but not consciously. Yeah. You've trusted your instinct. Yeah. I've kind of just going with my gut. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, this smells so good. I would wear this. So let's do it. I think like it's a really nice way to start when you're kind of just relying on that versus like, oh, data tells me I should do this with the jewelry brand. When I got started. Like, I literally was what I was sourcing products in the beginning and I was just like, I love this. Maybe other people will love this and like I'm very into sparkles and bright things etcetera, etcetera.

00:34:58Edit And so it just started really organically that my friends also liked it and their friends liked it and this kind of thing. And now, even though my brand is like very quirky and very out there in terms of like all the beads and the pedals and stuff, I'm always just like, well, I'm just doing it for myself and then if other people like it amazing versus trying to be like fit in with the rest. Yeah. Yeah. And it feels better to, yeah, I was just gonna do what you love and I feel like when you do that, it's like the best. It's good for yourself, for yourself are attracted to that. Yeah. So that interested or as if you're pushing something that you don't 100% believe in. I feel like it can be a little bit like, yeah, that's like, it's when you work for a company that you're like, oh actually wouldn't buy this when you're like, well, yeah, I shouldn't be in this company, the vibe, the unspoken vibe, but just yeah, yeah, it's not there. And so now you have a whole range of crazy different products, you have everything um what has, like, it's been a pretty quick like evolution really to be only three years old and to have started with one lip balm to multiple lip balms to multiple products seems crazy.

00:36:13Edit Yeah, well we started um introducing flavors and then I realized that everyone sort of became a collectible and if they wanted, if they had two or three then they want to the next flavor, right? And it's fun because they haven't got that flavor yet. And then there was a point where I about a year and a half into business. I was like, oh, I'm so over this right on board. Like I don't like the packaging anymore. I don't feel inspired, I don't feel passionate. I just feel, I almost had like this bitter feeling and I went to my girlfriend jess who is the designer of very well and I said I'm feeling like this because I was living with her at the time and she was like, okay, let's sit down and just brainstorm like what you see your brand being and something that I've never done before is actually like write down every single thing that comes to my head and I just started like talk like saying random words like beach, blue bright, fun bubbly um, makes you feel good like stuff.

00:37:26Edit And she was writing everything down. I'm like why are you running every single thing down? And she was like, because this is you like this is your thought process and then we pick from that all of these things and it was random stuff like it was um, it could be like candy or candy cane or anything that talked to mind like gold. Yeah. And I really found that helped me, especially with trying to figure out what kind of brand look I wanted and how I wanted the brand to just kind of feel what my mission was. And it kind of really took me into a place where I felt inspired again. And we started to, we were like, let's do a rebrand because the way that the brain looks at the moment is not me anymore. And as you grow as a person, you change you like different things. And so we had a big enough database that I was like, okay, well we have the funds to do it. We have the customers like, let's give it a go.

00:38:30Edit And so we rebranded the entire web site, the logo, change the colors, change, we change from pots, tubes that look really professional. We made cute little boxes with patterns inside. Like I wanted it to look so upmarket and luxury because this is the $20 lip balm. This is not a $2 thing that you grab the supermarket. Like this is an expect a conscious choice to buy that for 100%, it lasts forever. It actually works. And it looks cute. And so, and it feels cute too because it's like I met, you should have brought some for you today and I didn't, uh, like some, uh, so when we did that, I think we got a manufacturer because I knew that it was at that point where we can't grow unless we get someone to make it right? And it was a really scary choice because we were giving our formula to someone could like ruin us.

00:39:31Edit They could do, you know, like of course we've got contracts in place. There's no way that they could share it with anybody, but it's essentially giving out the secret of the family. And dad used to say to me like if I told you, I'd have to kill you. So like, I didn't know the formula. I don't know what was in it until I was, he was making it for me. And so what was that process like to find a manufacturer? Where do you manufacturer? So awful. Oh my God. Um well these people to help you grow your business. I feel like google is great. Yeah. But also I feel like you have to really do your research and you have to talk to people in terms of like go to meetings like explore your options and find someone that you also for me, I have to be personally like connected with. Yeah, yeah. You've got to have a vibe you're gonna be working with every day and they have to believe in the product and if they don't, I'm out. So how many like manufacturers to speak to you before you found the one.

00:40:34Edit Well we email probably about 10-15 and I think only like to reply because our units were the lowest, right? So people are wanting us to do at least 10-20,000 won flavor one flavor go like for a brand new business that's just not possible possible. Yeah. So and that's so much money. Yeah it's a lot of our people when you're doing like formulations getting that, he kind of locked in first and then scaling out the different flavors and we have six hero flavors. So that's like 120,000 units that they would expect of us to get this one. There's just no way. And so when you found the place that you use now, what were their numbers like for their minimum order in the beginning, the minimum order was I think it was pretty low, I think it was only like 2000. Yeah, there's still a lot though, Still a lot a lot of that. I was like, okay well that's a risk that I can take.

00:41:37Edit It's better than 20,000. Yeah. Um And also after talking with two or three companies, I realized that this company that we went with was um probably the best only because they seem to be like a family business and they also could do smaller units and use your mind. Yeah, so we ended up going with them. I spent like all my money, I cleared out my personal savings. I cleared out the business credit card. Again I maxed out two credit cards alone. Um and this is when you're like okay yeah this is actually if this doesn't work like I'm stuffed. I'm literally stuffed. Yeah, so a lot of pressure as well. Yeah. Also we had two months of no stock and income coming in because we had sold out of everything. Yeah. And I had an office, so I still have bills coming up. So I had that plus the whole manufacturing process buying all the packaging, getting all the re marketing.

00:42:41Edit I took my whole team up to Hamilton Island and spend like $10,000 on a photo shoot, like stupid boujee. But I did it because that's what I do. I'm like so extra but it works out every time. Thank God. And I think marketing is super important. So that's why I would spend a lot of money on marketing because you want it to look good. You wanted to feel good. You want people to understand how you, I want to, you want them to see your brand. Yeah. So yeah, I had like $40 in my account the day before launch. Holy Gosh! And so what did you do for launching? So I brand. So the rebrand, I sent it out to about 50 influences. A gift box was like a cute little note note saying like why I love them and why I think that they should be, they should be gifted Bruce bomb and most of them posted, which was really nice. And I was like, so I didn't expect it. But of course, like at the end of the day, that's what gifting is.

00:43:43Edit So if they can do that, that's amazing. Yeah, but I wasn't gonna pushed on anyone. I speak a lot about how for me, when I started the brand, when I did my gifting, I still do gifting all the time and even with my friends, I just gave gifts and I didn't ask anything specific, but I was like, if you love it, just wear it and like even if you don't post about it, but you love it, you wear it, you'll tell your friends, someone will ask. There will be a trickle down effect and I cannot stand when brands particularly message me and be like, oh, we want to do um this is this is this, but, and we want these specific things from you, but like it's free, like they expect it's a weird transaction where you're like, is this a paid project or you're just expecting me to do all this stuff with like some random crappy phone case, like whatever, and it's like tacky. And I think where people succeed is when they don't ask something specific that were just like, if you love it, love it, if you don't, no worries, like yeah, it doesn't matter.

00:44:45Edit Yeah, and I think to, for me, I was really lucky because I also am an influencer. So, um so I feel like it was really good for me to see both sides. Yeah, and like you say you can get brands to contact you and I would always be like I don't like that, I'm not doing that so I really learned the right way to approach something approach people and how I would want to the approach. So I was like look I want to send you a gift, no pressure like purely for you, you know? And because the package was so cute they all posted, I was like oh my god thank you so much like of course you wanna make them feel appreciated and it means the world and yeah we like it's funny how many people get it wrong when it's just common sense, this kind of thing and you're like yeah you're just doing a nice thing. Yeah people love it love whatever, whereas sometimes people get this weird approach and you're like it doesn't work like that my friend. Yeah And so yeah I had $40 in my account and I was I remember being like Oh my God this is like make or break, this is like goodbye business or hello, how busy on the role of.

00:45:54Edit Yeah. Yeah and I remember just like sweating. I think there was a fire alarm. So we were launching at 12 o'clock the next day and it like we were supposed to send an email out to our V. I. P. S. Who got first access about I think it was like 12 or 1230 and the fire alarm went off like 10 minutes before and we can all exit the building. Oh my God. I was like I just got all this stuff in here. If there is a fire, I'm going to Sprinkle some. Oh my God! Yes. Heck yes. So and of course I'm thinking the worst because I'm like that I'm so dramatic And I'm sweating like I've only got 40 dollars in my bank, I need mom if I'm taking everything with me and I'm like and I need to send an email like I promised these people, let me tell you I need to send an email. Yes, this is the most important email email of my life.

00:46:55Edit So anyway it was a false alarm, it was just a drill, we got back in, we send the email. And I kind of was like okay let's send it like go yeah let's let's do it. And of course I was like so scared but within like a couple of minutes everyone was on the website there was like sales just like flying out the door. And I just remember thinking like oh my gosh like this is another reassurance that I'm on the right track. And like I've made the right decision. Everyone basically who had bought a breeze on the past wanted the new ones and I just blew me out of what? I couldn't believe it. I was like shaking the whole day because I just thought this is insane just fine. And also I feel like it's like a great product, but also people who follow you from the very beginning to follow your journey, they're like, yeah, like I'm getting involved here. Like, love it kind of thing. And I love that like rallying of the troops kind of thing to come together for small businesses.

00:48:01Edit Such a nice feeling when you're like, I'm not some big corporate funded being, I'm just this one woman show trying to do my thing with my special recipe. Love it totally. And it's so not a great feeling. It was, it was amazing and it's, you know, the one thing that I've always wanted to do was look after my family in terms of like financials when it gets to a point where, you know, mom and dad stopped working and I really like, they've looked after me, they've put their house on the mortgage, back on the mortgage so I could go to Australia to dance. So they've really looked after me and they've never said no to me about something that I wanted to do with my dreams, You know, apart from not going early to Sydney school first, they've never seen Yeah, How unreasonable, how unreasonable. I'm so lucky. You know, I grew up with a great, great childhood, great family. I know a lot of people have that, so I definitely feel blessed, but I want to also look after my family too and if this is this is a family business, I mean I purely own it, but it is a family recipe.

00:49:02Edit So for me to be able to give back to my parents in that way and my family is really important. So it was just really nice to be like okay, like I'm gonna be able to do that and that's amazing. It's just such a nice humbling story. Just like true, true like success story from humble beginnings. Yeah, I love it. Special. Yeah, so nice. And so you just had a black friday sale, you're telling me you did amazing things, what's happening for the brand like now this year? Well, oh my gosh, it's literally a little bit next year. What's next for you? Well, we just went recently went to the States and had some really great meetings over there which was amazing retailers or with investment people um with retailers with um like influences with makeup artists and people that I can really connect with. I think we want to do some events over there just to like build the brand and people to know about it over and over in the States, but Um is the state's biggest market Australia Australia at the moment and I really want to get into the states.

00:50:15Edit Yeah, because I mean who doesn't 100 percent you need to be like in Sephora worldwide and like doing all that. So many people want to Sephora, Sephora would be perfect, literally perfect. Yeah, I really want to get into the forest if you're listening um context before Abayas. Yeah, go and ask everyone who goes to Sephora. Go and ask the breeze off such a good idea. You should literally put that on your instagram. Do you follow um Sarah glow, Sarah Anderson will blow from glow recipe. No, I don't, but I follow the brand, you follow the love the brand. Her instagram is fab. She shows a lot of behind the scenes on like being in the lab, I think she maybe does it in south Korea or something but she goes into the lab ship and she posts this stuff that I've never seen before, like I have no idea about the beauty industry. So it was really interesting seeing all of her kind of like behind the scenes stuff and she literally shows you, you know the watermelon recipe and her stories like her grandmother used to put cold watermelon on their faces when they were younger.

00:51:15Edit Like if they had, I think it was like if they got sunburn or it was the family thing, you know, not a recipe but just that, that was the like little secret to put water out. So then she developed the recipe for it and behind the scenes, she shows you like they cut up real watermelons and she shows you the whole process from start to finish and it's just amazing and I know she talks a lot on her channel about how she got into Sephora and like how that kind of all came about. So she's someone that could be useful for you to connect. So you could be like, what did you do? How did you do it? Yeah, she shares a lot, which is really, yeah, check her out like the brand. I don't know how it anyway. Yeah, that's not Yeah, I just see it and I'm like, she's amazing what she does. It's a really cool, cool instagram. Um Yeah, Gosh, America, it's just such a big market. You feel like you'd kill it over there and we've got some amazing people that wear braces mom. That just, I'm like, I don't even know what happened. Like Selena Gomez, What the holy devil. That's amazing. How did she get it?

00:52:17Edit Um one I built a relationship with her old personal assistant who's also a friend, Teresa, who owns a swimwear brand called Cross. Okay. And I've been really supportive. I've liked Teresa from the get go. I saw her on instagram and I was like, oh my God, this girl is so cool. She's really laid back. She's so my vibe and I just began like messaging back and forth and some brief farm. She launched her swimwear line across and then, um she was like, do you want to put grease bum in like a gifting box with the cross and I was like, oh my God, yes. And then, so she gifted the bikini and breeze farm to Salina which was like insane. Like I didn't expect that she didn't tell me like she was gonna, you know like that's so nice. So I feel like you just need to be nice to people and you just never know what opportunities you're gonna get through this. I have an amazing girlfriend um Jenna who is a makeup artist who I also met online and I just think she's so talented and I started messaging her.

00:53:20Edit Yeah and Senator breeze farm and then she started sending us all these professional photos of models that she had worked with using breeze farm. Oh my gosh, this is insane. It's amazing. And again it's another thing like just being a kind nice person. Not being, was she being like, hey I'm having a conversation like a normal person. Yeah. It's not a sales thing and I feel like that's more um that's why people want to do stuff for you when you actually just like your genuine self. Yeah. It's not the it's not the hard sell. Just like if you like it if I love to send you something. Yeah. That's how I work basically. And so you're going to spend more time in the U. S. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah in L. A. I think L. A. I missed, I go to Vegas all the time and I always want to go to Vegas I have a girlfriend in Vegas who is amazing life coach. She her name's crystal point is and she's the ladies coach, she's amazing with relationships and just like the relationship with yourself.

00:54:27Edit So anyway we became really good friends, so she lives in Vegas and I always love to catch up with her but I missed it this time. So I really want to go back to Vegas and I just like it because outside of the party scene, it's actually really cool city. I think. I love you. I don't really know it, the shopping's amazing. The shows are amazing and of course I'm a dancer, so I want to go to like every show course, of course, yeah, so, but except every time I've gone Britney is not playing oh my gosh, I went there for like three days and she wasn't there at that time and I was like damn it! And then someone else was there that I wanted to see but we couldn't get tickets. I think it was, I think it was one of the like play girl dancers who were meant to be like, I forget which one it was, but she was meant to be really good and I was like, I definitely want to go and see her do that thing. Um but I couldn't get to get. So yeah, just yeah, every time I miss her, I miss J lo, oh my God should be amazing. What did she, have you seen that new movie with her and hustlers know?

00:55:30Edit Oh my God, it's such a cool chick flick and for guys too. But it's got like Constance wu J Lo and it's like, it's just got absolutely every celebrity you can imagine. And it's so fucking cool. I mean it's cool because it's a true story, but yeah, she's just such a great actress. It was crazy. I was like, well, good work. I need to see it. Um so I'm going to wrap up this part of the podcast so we can get onto the six cues which will be filmed in a second, but I just want to ask you where everyone can find you. So if you want to let people know, yes, breathes Bomb is just, if you go to our website, it's www dot breeze bomb dot com. We're on instagram. Um Just breeze dot bomb and facebook. You can find me my personal Sammy leo and you have a really cool Youtube channel. Yes, I do still get you a little bit Oh yes. I always forget about that. Oh my gosh, I have this um series on Youtube life of leo and it's basically like behind the scenes of my life and it's also, it's a little bit of business, but it's also kind of like a get to know me.

00:56:35Edit Yeah, I am kind of, I walked into the office and I I just like pull out stuff and I leave mess everywhere and everyone's like, oh, Hurricane Sammy's coming, Like that's a thing. So I feel like that's like what my life looks like. It's a true representation of. Yeah, I like it though. Like that is behind the scenes so you can see that like, you know, I think on our instagram life, everyone's very polished and put together and blah, blah blah and then you've got this like other kind of side where it's just like the real deal, like the role kind of trying Yeah, just like me, just getting in the car, just, you know, just loving life. I like so, so good. Well, thank you so much for talking to us. Okay, thank you so much. Okay, you've been listening to us for a while now, but stick with us at the end of every episode, I asked the same six quick questions to get more tactical advice directly from the founders. If you want to see the filmed interviews, you can find them on my instagram at dune regime. What's your, why?

00:57:38Edit Why are you doing what you're doing? Well, the recipe is a family recipe. So I really want to look after my family in the end. You know, my family has already, all my parents especially have supported me, um, through all the things my dreams and what I want. So to be able to give back to them would be really special. Yeah, that's such a nice, like nice approach to have for. And we were just talking about how I have the same kind of answer. Like what, why I'm doing? What I'm doing is because I want to be able to support my mom and support her like as she gets older in life and it's such a, such a motivating way to live your life and it is around financial, for me, financial freedom and financial goals. But to have someone else in mind is just a really nice um, a nice way to be living life. Yeah. Really? And I also think that everyone needs the recipe because I think it's the best, It is the best. It's obviously the best in around 70 years. Crazy. Um, Question number two is, what's the thing that made your business pop?

00:58:39Edit Um, I feel like the rebrand, we did a rebrand about a year and a half ago and we went from a kind of average looking lip balm pot with a sticky label to a really glamorous, luxurious looking, fun, probably tube. So, and it's so fun. I will link it in the, in the thing below so you can see. Yeah, they, I mean it went crazy. Our sales went through the roof when we launched. So it was a huge like, I guess you would say. Yeah, and it's kind of fitting because you've got such color pops. Yeah. As well. Yeah, we've got all the colors of the rainbow, all the colors. Yeah, it's really cool looking product and all the packaging is just so special. Love it. Question number three is how do you win the day? And this is a question about your mindset and your rituals in the morning or in the evening. That kind of set you up to succeed both in life and and in work. I definitely like to work out. Um I love a coffee and I love a copy to, yeah, when I'm in the shower, I actually write my goals or like my daily, just whatever's on my mind on the shower wall.

00:59:45Edit Um where like goes with funky and so every day is like a fresh canvas. So it'll be like, I mean like sometimes it's just like my signature or like sometimes it will be like, it'll be like super successful, super healthy. Like what I want for the year, it's just whatever I'm thinking, it will go in the shower. What did you write today today? I wrote really successful podcast. Yeah. Our podcast. Yeah, that's what I mean. Like the one with you. Yeah, just like have fun. And I also wrote to like breathe, see breath work again. This comes up often the importance of breathing. When I spoke with greater last week, she had that as one of her things. Um Renee as well. She talked about breathing. Like when you get stressed you almost like it's important for your whole body when you breathe and relax. I feel like I guess you get more oxygen to your brain and then you can think clearer so you can become, Yeah, everything's a really interesting one because I feel like how do you have mentioned five years ago or 10 years ago?

01:00:52Edit That's not something that would have been in our mind, but now it's something that's really, yeah, crucial in our, in our day to make sure that we're taking the right breast and I guess this plays into like meditation and things like that as well, which I don't do, but I wish that I did. I'm really bad at that time. I, but I wish I did, I wish I did. Yeah. Um I need, I need to be better about that Question. Number four is where do you hang out to get smarter? Um I, Youtube a few things and I like what I like our Youtube make a lot of beauty stuff like um beauty tutorials, especially cause I'm in the beauty industry, I want to know what's hot, what everyone's using. Um so it's kind of like market research. Um and that kind of helps me make decisions for my business and then I also actually have some really, really intelligent friends so I like to hang out with them, just bounce ideas. I love that. I like to give people, Yeah, I'm not a big reader.

01:01:58Edit Um you, I'm not very good at sitting still very long. So I find reading really hard, like a big book um and I do listen to podcasts as well, whatever, but I don't listen a lot? I listen a lot as you know, I've listened to kerwin Rae and interviewing a whole lot of people. I don't know that one. He is a, yeah, I don't know how to describe him. He's like an entrepreneur and he starts a whole lot of businesses and helps basically, it's like a mentor and help small businesses grow and he's talked to a lot of people who have had their own business and then like being amazing. So wow cool, but I'm going to check that one out. I love the new podcast to listen to stories. Yeah, I like hearing stories to and then a little bit of like tactical advice and strategy along the way. I also love Youtube. Youtube is just like you learn anything on Youtube, literally anything. I've taught myself stuff to do with the jewelry business, I've taught myself everything myself myself, I've taught myself everything to do with performance marketing and anything in the digital space.

01:03:09Edit It's just all on there. There's so many with kids on there too. I know I've actually, yeah, look at marketing, like advertisements and stuff like Youtube stuff about it. Yeah, it's a really good place to hang out. Um, Question number five is around failure and so when something specifically has happened or when you're dealing with the crisis management situation, What's your approach, how did you deal with it or how do you deal with it and what have you learned and so this could be like specific or it could be broad general. Yeah. Well I've learned that like we have done a very small amount of pain advertising for influences for our brand and like I'm talking like a handful But one of them was an $8,000 story. Um And that's a lot, it's a lot of money. It's a lot of my ego got in the way and it was someone that had a huge following. Someone like huge.

01:04:11Edit Yeah and it was a couple of years ago and um I got no sales. I got not one like not one sale from 8000 crazy when you think like it was like right target market, it was the right everything was everything. The formula was writing paper and it just didn't work. Yeah emotion was fantastic. And what did you learn from that? Like well I learned, I knew I shouldn't have done it without my ego got in the way because I was like this would be so cool, why shouldn't you have done it? I feel like if all the formula makes sense, it's kind of like this is the risk that you should take. I wasn't in the position to To pay $8,000 right? I should have waited and tried it when I was in more of a because like financial position but I was this is what I do. I like let's do it. Let's go, like, Yeah. Yeah. I feel like I'm a bit like that too. And so you're like, the opportunities Yeah, Do it. Yeah. And so I did it and it didn't work and it taught me it had happened a couple of times before, but it wasn't a big cash assessment.

01:05:20Edit Yeah. Investment. Whereas this one was like, huge and it just, it's a really big lesson for a lot of brands that influences whether they've got 10 million followers or whether they've got 20,000 or 10,000. You just, it's a huge risk. You just don't know with influencer marketing how it's gonna go and you just have to really do your research on what's gonna work for you and your brand, because sometimes it's a smaller people than that works. And so now, what's your approach? Do you still do influence the marketing that's paid or are you more like, we've wound its way back wound up, way back. We don't do any paid uh advertisement. Yeah. You haven't done a really long time. And also, I find like when you're and we spoke about this a lot on the podcast, when you're gifting someone something and there's no pressure, it's just if they truly love it, you often yield better results than trying to force something that is sponsored and people know that it's sponsored and they know that that person probably doesn't really use the product.

01:06:22Edit Um, you know, yeah, it yields a bit better results when it's organic and it's just 100%. Yeah. It's crazy. I guess the problem is, is the fine line between when you're like a huge company, so people expect payment versus like being a startup, but essentially, I mean you're still in your growth startup phase, you're a single, um, single, you're a female founder. Um I was gonna say one woman show, but you're clearly not a one woman show, but like, you know, I'm definitely not a one woman show. You're this woman that started this thing. You're not this huge corporate. That's where I was getting at that point. And it's funny because a lot of people think that we are from an outsider perspective and that's not the case at all. Yeah. And when they hear your story, they're like, okay, hang on. There's just this amazing woman behind this thing going all guns out blazing. And I have not yeah, some big company that started a little jewel offshore brand. What am I saying bomb? Yeah, it's not, yeah, it's not a big corporation.

01:07:25Edit And it's not um, we've had no investors. Like it's, it's really just me. Yeah, it's come down to your like hustling and I have an amazing team. I'm really lucky. Yeah, Yeah. Teamwork and the people you have behind you is so important And question # six, final question is if you only had $1,000 left to spend in your business bank account, where would you spend it? It's a tough one. It's a gimmicky kind of question. Um that's so funny. The thing that keeps coming to my head is I would, I would spend it on an influence that I've used before that I know can make money. That's a good answer though. That's a good answer. Someone that you, it's like a tried and tested Yeah. Plan, plan that succeeded and yeah, of course you would follow the same, repeat the same steps that work. Yeah, I would definitely do that and then I would get more money and then I could do it again. Yeah. And, and then I guess every time you worked with that same influencer, the results would multiply because their audiences again saying like, yeah, this, this person really uses this brand and loves this brand.

01:08:32Edit Yeah, Well you can go both ways. It's really, it's really tricky, really tricky one. Well, that's the six questions and thank you so much. If you want to check out Sammy, I'm going to link her in the caption below and also her company name, which is breeze bomb, you can find her on Youtube. She has a life of leo as a series where she shows behind the scenes of her business and her life and it's really, really cool. She's very, very fun, lots of laughs, lots of tears, lots of, all of the things. It's really great. Um and yeah, you can check out her products on breeze bomb dot com and if you haven't already, you know, my final speech is to subscribe to female startup club so you can get my emails direct to your inbox once a week. We haven't started them yet, but we're starting soon. You'll also be notified of the podcast and all the stuff that I'm putting out there and yeah, yeah, thank you so much.