The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The biggest challenge for me is to source products that both us and our customers will love! Hubby may say starting a business is a disguise to my pre-existing online shopping addiction, and I’m afraid there may be some truth to that.
There were a couple of products that I absolutely adored and thought were going to make it big but were not as well received as I would’ve imagined. So, I have learnt to listen to my customers and curate Hungry Ruru to provide them with only the best. We have such a lovely community of customers that have been showing us love and support since Day 1, so it is only fitting that they get to drive Hungry Ruru to grow bigger and better!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The beauty about entrepreneurship is that you can squeeze work into little pockets of time you find throughout the day and work at your own pace with complete independence – the long breastfeeding sessions were perfect for me!
However, that also means you can never ‘clock out’ or switch off from work. I may not be doing actual work all the time, but my mind is constantly thinking about what’s next on the to-do list. This is still a learning curve for me – I need to learn to wind down and rest every so often so I don’t end up burning out. Plus, the whole point of starting this business was so that I could be with Ruru more, so I would never want to lose sight of that!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We love the idea of Hungry Ruru being a small but recognisable part of sitting around the table at meal time each day. As a family, mealtimes are the highlight of our day, and we like to think Hungry Ruru can make a sometimes difficult, definitely messy but mostly enjoyable routine just that little bit easier.
Hungry Ruru is and has always been family oriented, so I hope that as our family grows, so will Hungry Ruru and the products we carry – that is why we have started an eco-kitchen range as what we do in the kitchen continues to change, and as we look to become even more environmentally conscious.
Something I hope will never change is our purpose and values – to promote practical, sustainable and affordable products for families. I hope Ruru will one day be proud of what we have accomplished when she finally realises all her bowls and plates have her name on them!
Visit the Hungry Ruru website to view their range of products and join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
