270. Bootstrapping a business from start to $30m exit - Julie Mathers, Founder of Flora & Fauna and now CEO of Snuggle Hunny

“Do you want to work in a company where your values align or are you okay with the fact that they don't?”

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, we speak to Julie Mathers, Founder of Flora and Fauna and CEO of Snuggle Hunny, on being adventurous, bootstrapping a business, and first mover advantage.

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Julie and her husband Tom co-founded Flora & Fauna in 2014, an online store specialising in vegan and eco-friendly products, with a clear vision to be the most responsible retailer possible with the best customer service.

She sold the business in 2021 to an ASX-listed company and exited the business in February 2022. She is now the CEO and Owner of Snuggle Hunny, a fast-growing Australian baby brand.

Julie has over 30 years’ experience in retail and has worked across medium and large retailers before starting her entrepreneurial journey.

In 2018 she won the Telstra New South Wales Small and Succeeding Business Award, and was named Number 1 in the 2019 and 2021 “Top 50 People in Australian eCommerce” - she also took out the Industry Person of the Year at the 2021 Online Retail Industry Awards and 2022 Retail Fest.

In this episode we talk about:

✅  Being adventurous and treading a different path to your peers

✅  The genesis of Flora & Fauna and her “A-ha” moment

✅  The harsh realities of working for yourself

✅  Scaling a business without taking on investment and moving first in a crowded industry.

 

Connecting with Julie Mathers

You can connect with Julie via LinkedIn.

Books and resources

• Win Your Lottery - by Sharry Cramond

• When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - by Daniel Pink