Whoah baby! Organics from Aussie!
At the ABC Baby show in Vegas this year I had the pleasure of meeting some of the sweetest "impact makers" from literally around the world.
I wanted to share an example of one in particular who traveled all the way from Australia to showcase skin care products for children that she created for her own child Alex and it expanded to have *powerful impact* across many countries.
Talk about a mom on a mission! Meet Antonette Golikidis, Founder & Director of Little Innoscents.
When I met Antonette, I was impressed by her product, knowledge and showcase which is why I've decided to share with you all a little on her story :).
-Sunscreen, lotions, shampoo and soap + + yes please! I'll take it all!
Check out Antonette's wonderful products and see what she has to say when we ask her a few questions on her business!
What was the # 1 driver that made you turn your "idea" into something real?
Frustration and desire for completely chemical-free skincare for my own children drove me to create Little Innoscents.
When I fell pregnant with my first child, this changed a lot of things, as becoming a mother usually does. I did what most mums do and began searching for all the baby things that would help me to look after my baby’s health and skin and I was disappointed to find a limited range of products, which were often difficult to find, overly expensive, or offered misleading information.
I found that there were products out there claiming to be pure, natural and organic, however upon reading the labels closely I found that (although containing some organic ingredients); they also contained combinations of synthetic ingredients and preservatives within their formulations.
It was at this point that I decided to develop my own baby care range.
I began making up formulations and giving it to family and friends and the feedback I got was amazing, particularly in relation to treating ailments such as eczema, dermatitis, redness, itchiness and other skin complaints often seen in early childhood. My mission then became not only to provide to our consumers a product range that is organic, but effective in treating ailments, affordable and environmentally friendly
“I was so tired of ‘pretend’ organic companies misleading consumers with clever
marketing strategies which enabled them to promote ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ claims
without really having formulations that abide by this claim.”
What do you love most about your product?
I love that they are clean and honest and work a treat.
Have you connected with other brands who are also helping others with their invention?
I do run a lot of collaborations with likeminded businesses who share the same Ethos and philosophy to Little Innoscents.
Did you have prior experience with product manufacturing and what was the first thing you remember doing to start planning?
I’ve always loved natural health and coming from an Italian background was exposed to many traditional family recipes and remedies. I grew up on a berry farm in the Yarra valley where we often made our own foods and home remedies to treat various illnesses.
After working in a hectic fast paced environment as a professional sales person in the telecommunications industry, I realized I missed my roots so I decided to adapt a more holistic lifestyle that would enable me to find a balance in my work, family and health.
So I sought tertiary education and training in health science and natural therapies, which would enable me to work closer to people, help others, treat my children and family, at the same time as feeding my creative and passionate drive.
Little Innoscents was a simple creation of my values and ethos as a person. I have always regarded children as the little innocent ones who are brought on this earth for us to nurture and keep safe from all the bad habits and nasty environmental effects that we create throughout our lives growing up. Combined with beautiful signature scents I came up with the brand.
What's something you wish you had known when you started?
Everything, you think is going to be hard but you never quite know how hard it is until you sink your teeth and become 100% committed.
What's the most important thing you do every day for your business?
I try to take a step back and look at what is most important and my focus and work on that.
How have you balanced family life and business ownership?
Just like every mum I spend a lot of time marching orders and running around. My boys are very independent and have watched the business grow and seen the challenges I face and sometimes my time limitations. So the process is that get what we need to out of the way quickly so we have more “our “time together.
Motivated to solve a problem for your own children, maybe even start your own side business that could turn into something full time? You can do it! Anything is possible.
Hope you loved her story. We are so thankful she shared her thoughts with Handsocks!
XO,
Casey
Handsocks CEO