Success on Their Own Terms

Ready to toss the boss and strike out on your own? Three Spirited Woman readers did just that and found success as inspirational entrepreneurs.

DESIGNS ON LIFE

SW: Please tell us what Uberkate is all about.
KS: Uberkate is a jewellery and design studio. I hand-make personalised gold and silver jewellery. My signature piece, the Ubercircle, is all about connection. Sterling silver or gold is forged into circles and then embossed with the names, dates or words that touch people. Each piece is a one-off and will last a lifetime.

SW: When did you start the business and what were you doing before?
KS: I launched the business in July 2005 while I was working as a television producer at Channel 9 in Sydney. I was travel-producing on a show called Renovation Rescue, which I loved doing but more and more I found myself being distracted by jewellery making. My scripts were always covered in new designs! Friends in the industry started asking me to make them one-off pieces and the demand grew from there. My husband Adam and I decided to take a big risk and I left my wonderful job to start a fantastic new journey.

SW: What has been your greatest challenge as a business owner?
KS: My greatest challenge is to be a “manager/ director” of a business and not just the “jeweller/ designer”. I had no idea when I left my TV career that running a business was such a massive all-consuming job. When I left TV I had glamorous images in my head of spending all my time out in my little jewellery studio designing and making pretty things that people would just pop over and buy! This does happen, but I wanted to reach a wider audience hence the website www.uberkate.com.au.

SW: What has been the best and worst business advice you've received?
KS: Best advice… don’t eat chocolate while you have your jewellery torch on! I lost a whole block of Lindt when it melted. No, really the best advice has been to consolidate my designs and really focus on the pieces that touch people such as the ubercircles.
Worst advice… Don’t leave my wonderful career in TV to chase a dream that might not even pay me a wage.

SW: How has self-employment affected your family/personal life?
KS: I want to be around in the afternoons when my four-year-old starts school next year. Running my own business means I have flexible working hours, but I often have to work weekends/ evenings to get everything done. The best thing is, I’m in control of when I work.

SW: If you weren't doing this you would be...
KS: A chocolatier… I would love to make small chocolate jewels. It wouldn’t be a very successful business though.. I’d always be eating the profits!

Visit me at www.uberkate.com.au

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

For all those candle-lovers out there, Wicked Wix is a name you need to know. As a boutique creator of luxurious soy wax candles, Wicked Wix has grown from strength to strength since its launch in November 2006. From an original online presence, Wicked Wix candles are now available through selected retailers in WA, Victoria and NSW. SW speaks with Nichola Brown, the dynamo behind Wicked Wix, to discover how she ignited her passion.

SW: What makes Wicked Wix candles so different from other luxurious scented candle brands?
NB: All our products are hand poured in WA using premium grade natural waxes and oil. Our main point of difference is that we use only soy wax, which is 100% biodegradable. The wicks are also 100% cotton and our candles’ flavoured scents last a lot longer as all our fragrances are triple scented.

SW: What influenced your decision to start your own business?
NB: My business partner Tracy and I are both candle lovers and were looking for a more environmentally friendly alternative to paraffin candles. We couldn’t find what we wanted to buy so we realised there was an opportunity to start Wicked Wix.

SW: What were the most important steps you took to ensure it would be a success?
NB: Prior to launching Wicked Wix in late 2006, we needed to thoroughly research the need and desire for such a product in the marketplace. We also needed to weigh up how our natural candles would be accepted amongst an already massive choice of candles.

SW: What would you say has been your biggest challenge as a new business owner?
NB: Our biggest challenge as business owners has been to put our trust in others. Meeting the ever-growing demands of the marketplace is ultimately down to us, but without our suppliers being able to meet our demand it could mean disaster for the business. Luckily our suppliers have been very supportive and they have gone out of their way to help us succeed.

SW: If you weren¹t working on this project, you would be…
NB: If not working on this project I would more than likely be in an office somewhere, going about my day job and ultimately working towards helping someone else realise their dream instead of my own.

To find out more about Wicked Wix visit www.wickedwix.com.au

SPORTING CHANCES

Leonie Nichols turned her flair for marketing and love of sports into a lucrative international business.

SW: What is the nature of your business, Athlete for Your Event?
LN: Athlete for Your Event specialises in supplying elite sporting talent for guest speaking, corporate activities and experiences, and for entertainment and displays.

SW: How long has it taken you to get this business off the ground?
LN: Almost two years from conception to creation.

SW: What advice would you give another woman who is contemplating the transition to self-employment and dreams of being an entrepreneur?
LN: Well, it’s a lot of hard work but it can be very rewarding. Organisation, persistence and self-motivation are all key. Also, surrounding yourself with some good mentors is important.

SW: What have been the greatest challenges of your self-employment?
LN: You must keep yourself positive and motivated, especially when the going gets tough in the early stages of the business. Keep at it if you want to succeed.

SW: You have a global focus for the business, evidenced by the fact you live in the United States. Do you think there are greater opportunities overseas than in Australia?
LN: There are definitely great opportunities overseas as there are huge markets. It’s always good to expand your client portfolio when you are ready to do so, and overseas markets can give you that opportunity.

SW: If you weren’t doing this, you would be…
LN: I would be a marketing director at another company. Not nearly as much fun as doing it for myself!

[words] Lauren Langman + Kristie Kellahan