Essential Child: Interview
April 22, 2009
Charlipop has been privelaged to be interviewed by Essential Child, the new magazine being distribued in the mid-North coat region. I thought the interview might be of interest to my fellow Charlipop followers, as it shares a little of who I am and how we came to be. Be inspired!
Here is a copy of the ad, below is a copy of unedited interview questions and answers (with a few more details) in text version if you can’t easily read the image copy:
Original Unedited Questions & Answers
Age (do you mind?)? 33 for the second year in a row (I honestly thought I was already 33 last year so got a nice surprise when I stopped guessing, and calculated how old I really was)
Location? Coffs Coast – we recently moved to Coffs from the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, to join family who live here. So far, loving it – particularly the storm shows as my husband and I are avid storm watchers. I think we moved to the right place for it!
Charlipop Kids seems like a unique online store concept. Tell us about it: what do you do; how do you do it; how long have you been doing it for, etc? That’s a lot of questions!! I am an online retailer of the most delectable children’s clothing in the world! Originally 3 stores, we have now combined to be a Charlipop Kids World, selling Designer, Preloved (with a high preference to designer) and Treasures – a store where you will never pay full retail! Some of the popular brands I stock in my feature Designer store are Ouch, Run Scotty Run, Alphabet, Me Too, Room 7, Krickets, Ecoboo & many more! I have a particular drawing to bright and colourful clothing! Charlipop Kids Designer first started in August 2007, with Preloved in November 2007 and Treasures in 2008. We became a Charlipop Kids World only recently in 2009 with a jazzy new website and shopping cart. And how do I do it? All by myself!! This will be the year however to grow, grow, grow! I am now at a point where I can barely keep up with all that is required, so I may just be needing staff in the mid-North coast sometime in the future! Keep your eyes peeled!
What inspired you to start Charlipop Kids? I started as a hobby selling preloved on ebay, to support with a bit of extra cash being a stay-at-home Mum. It was so successful and with ebay costs sky-rocketing, I figured I might as well start my own online store. Little did I know it would grow to be the size it is today with many thousands of clothing items at any one time!! I began buying some stock from a shop that had closed down. This gave me a good sampling of brands particularly designer, and from there I sourced the brands I most wanted to sell in my own store. Owning a business is a much larger task than I ever imagined though! Specifically however, what inspired me? It was actually a today-tonight program about other stay at home mums who had become business women from their own home. And I figured why not – I could do that! And so I did!
What did you do before Charlipops? Did your past career/s or experience lead you to where you are today? I’m a bit of a liquorice allsorts! I am actually a Primary School Teacher who was studying Masters of Education while on family leave. I have taught grades 3,4, 5 and computers/learning technologies. However early on I wanted to be a graphic designer, and have also worked substantially in the photographic industry (in photo labs and the like) and have spent time working in retail and as a nanny. Strangely all these experiences (graphics, photography, computers, teaching, working with kids) has benefited what I do now – as running an online business is extremely multi-faceted, as you need to be able to know how to take good quality photographs, use online multi-media, know about retail and of course have a passion for fashion!
Can you tell me about your family? Who lives in your house? I am married to Bryan – you will often find him volunteering for the SES and RFS around Coffs. I have 2 daughters. Charlotte aged 4.5 who attends pre-school this year, and Poppy aged 2.5 who is a stay at home kid with me! Both prove to be invaluable helping in my business, as they’ll both quickly tell me what they love or don’t love (‘eww that’s for boys’), give me business inspiration (‘Mum you should sell clothes for the Mummy’s too’) and help packing (‘help hang Mummy’). It was my daughter’s Charli and Poppy that together formed the name ‘Charlipop Kids’!
Hectic household or tranquil abode? Somewhere in the middle, though heading more towards hectic simply because of what the business entails. Still trying to find that balance!
How do you manage your workload around parenthood? Still working that one out! It has been much easier this year now that Charli is at pre-school. Kids needs come first and I make sure there are a certain number of activities I take the children to. Every Friday we go without fail to Tabatinga play centre in Coffs – it gives me one full morning where it is just the girls and I, with no other distractions. I usually send my newsletter out on a Thursday night, turn off the computer for ¾ of the day and enjoy time with them. I also do the majority if work at nights once the girls are asleep!
What would you do with an extra $50,000? Personally or for the business? Personally, we’d use that for a house deposit and re-enter the property market! For the business, I’d definitely open my own store in Coffs Harbour – but not a typical retail more a distribution centre where people can pop in casually to buy clothing as well.
What is your long-term career goal? Where can you see yourself in the future? I have so many things I still want to do!! Of course grow Charlipop Kids into a much larger store as said above. But I also have other desires – I would love to be a children’s author one day and re-ignite my passion for art and photography. Not sure whether I will go back to teaching. I am definitely though no. 1 a Mummy-preneur so I am sure I will no doubt find other business ventures to pursue!
What’s your idea of a perfect day? Body-boarding from morning til night. I have always loved the surf, which is another reason we have moved here by the coast. I grew up in NSW and lived in Grafton for a while – and my Dad used to take us body-boarding and swimming almost every weekend. It was a little hard to surf in the Dandenong Ranges! But body-boarding for a day – takes me a way! One day I’ll learn to surf too, and then my perfect day will be surfing from morning til night!
What is a piece of advice you often heed? Or alternatively, what’s the number one piece of advice you give to others? Just do it! If you have an idea you believe can work, don’t sit around planning it for 12 months because sure as you know, someone else will! I’m not a time waster. When I said I was going to start my own business, there was nothing stopping me especially any lack of experience or knowledge – all that you can learn along the way! Can’t isn’t a word in my dictionary! However I’m still to take heed of all the advice about relaxing and all that entails.
Any favourite quotes? Anything Seth Godin say! He is my business guru and inspiration! Be a purple cow. Read www.sethgodin.com
Who inspires you the most? Actually, other WAHMs (Work at Home Mums) because I know first-hand what a huge commitment it is to both work and be a mum at the same time. My Opa was also a source of my inspiration. I have fond memories of touring Melbourne Theatre Company as a child where he was the stage director and artist, photographer and designer of many sets for live theatre performances. He taught me to love computers as to the end, he self-taught everything about the IT world. I loved his ‘I-can-do’ attitude and helped me believe that ‘I-can-do-to’. J
Until next time! xx Kat