The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
There are too many to name! Most recently, the dominance of Aussie giant Chemist Warehouse in Aotearoa has been a big one. A key to our continued success in the face of such competitive challenges is our values-based approach. We haven’t compromised our commitments to our customers, team, community and environment, demonstrated by things like our Ethical by Nature Promise, our Sugar Policy and our Marine Sustainability Policy. Our high-quality in-house brand, BioBalance, has helped us hold our own in a challenging retail environment. I love this ethical range, and daily staples in our household include Magnesium Glycinate for sleep and Spirulina Powder for the kids’ daily nutrition and energy – they’re huge fans! As a business, we don’t see things like elevating product standards and transparency, or regenerating biodiversity, as optional extras. They are core to who we are and why we do what we do.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
We love that we’re a family-owned business because it enables us to consistently prioritise the things that are important to us as a whānau. That said, we’ve had to set some guidelines around such things as making family gatherings ‘work talk free’ zones. As in so many things, Mum led the way with this, understanding from her own experience as a working mother just how important these boundaries are. Running a business together as a family has certainly put pressure on relationships at times, but we also get to celebrate our successes together, which is pretty special, and we’ve created something that we are all proud of.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We have a lot of things in the pipeline right now that we’re excited about. We have two ethical Australian sister brands – Flora & Fauna and Nourished Life – and I’m excited about the cross pollination that can occur here with so many beautiful natural products on both sides of the Tasman. We’re looking forward to introducing more Aussie offerings to Aotearoa, and vice versa. Our conservation work is also hotting up with the HealthPost Nature Trust vastly expanding its partnership mahi to regenerate biodiversity at Onetahua Farewell Spit. My dream is to see thousands of seabirds returning to the Wharariki Ecosanctuary at dusk as they would have once, while Takahē graze the grasslands at the base of Farewell Spit.
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