Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I am mother of 2 gorgeous children and business owner of Tres Divin. We specialise in divine packaging including beautiful ribbons, unique gift wraps, exquisite gift tags, present toppers…..all french inspired.
Who (or what) inspires you to do what you love in your own creative business?
My dad who always had his own business inspires me to do what I love.
Where do you get your inspiration from when you design & create?
I read a lot of different magazines and visit website from all over the world to see what is current, in trend & fashion both locally and internationally. I need to be ahead of the game to assist my customers and clients to stay ahead. I create my own designs so they may come from anywhere around the world which I think people will love and enjoy.
What are the five words that people who know you would use to describe you?
Perfectionist, honest, trustworthy, creative, fun, loyal (6…I couldn’t help myself)
Tell us about your very first job and what path have you taken since then?
After my degree I went into event management for not for profit. What a great start. It taught me to be organised and creative on a shoestring budget. Loved it and really loved organising events as it got down to the heart of everyone pulling together for a worthwhile cause. I subsequently moved to larger organisations with bigger events to organise, bigger budgets and of cause more chaos. I really enjoyed the event management world however I really wanted to do my own business and work it in with my children’s lives.
Vintage Stamp Set – Describe a typical day in your studio space?
Hectic! Running your business is about being disciplined about everything you do….because you do everything! Accounting, sales, marketing, business development, packing, creative, ordering…..I could go on & on.
As a business owner, what is your biggest frustration?
Trying to do it all.
Tell us about how you prioritise work.
I am a definite list person. Everyday I make a list and mark off as I go. The list in the day unfortunately gets longer and longer. Making list and marking it off is actually satisfying once I have completed a task.
Tell us more about Life InStyle trade fair that you will be exhibiting next week?
The Life inStyle trade show runs from 2nd to 5th August at the Melbourne Showgrounds. The Life Instyle is a boutique trade event which really suits my product range. It is made up of some amazing and beautiful designer brands with a high focus on innovation and creativeness for the retail industry. It features a range of giftwares, homewares, lifestyle and kids products
Since you are working at home, can you tell us about how do you connect with other creative people, and your customers (i.e. how do you network)?
Over the years I have just connected with people, mainly small business working mums. The cross section of people and their diverse backgrounds are really amazing. I connect via social media as well as the personal relationships and friends I have made along the way. As I supply stores and have a large number of repeat customers I will often get immediate feedback on my product range…what works and what doesn’t.
Vintage Stamp Set
What advice can you offer other creative people who are just starting out and following their passions?
I think the initial business plan is essential. Go over it again and again. Is it honest, robust and realistic? Test it with a variety of people both potential customers and clients. Is there a market for your product?
Do what you do to make you happy and stay focused. Be resilient and work hard to make it work for you and your family.
What dreams do you still want to achieve or fulfil in your life?
Spend a long summer traveling around France with my family.
What is your proudest moment so far?
I was really proud of my 1st International sale. I really enjoyed shipping this particular order to Canada. I created this product and someone overseas had sourced me. They really liked what I had created…very cool!
Who do you most want to meet and why?
Oprah. I just love her. She inspires me to keep doing what I believe and be considerate of others. I have always thought she is a great person.
What is the most important lesson in life that you have learned?
Family…friends….business. In that order. Life is so important and we must truly give time to those we love the most 1st
What book are you reading right now, and do you have a book you would like to recommend?
“The Summer without men” by Siri Hustvedt. I would recommend anything by Kate Morten. She is an Australian writer of historical mysteries .
Where do we find you and your products?
My Website:
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