As we are all acutely aware, starting a business can be an exhausting process - one that might not get less busy for quite some time. We are constantly bombarded with messages that we should make sure we keep our own ‘cups’ full, but sometimes that falls by the wayside in the rush of being CEO, marketing department, accounts and operations all at the same time. Maree Glading and Jessie Stanley of I Love Food Co are in the business of feeding others every day, but who’s feeding them? Not physically - but mentally and emotionally - so they can continue to forge ahead and make their already incredibly successful business even more successful.
the early years
It seems for a while, the answer to that question was ‘no one’, — least of all themselves. Starting a business just before having babies meant things were kind of chaotic for a while. Maree and Jessie launched their, now well-known, I Love Pies brand at Clevedon Farmers markets in 2008 and the first few years were really a bit of a blur for them both. “The business had only been running for nine months when Maree fell pregnant and for the next four years one of us, or the other, was having a baby (they have two children each now). It was really hard in those early days - we were sleep deprived with young kids and it was pretty mental. I’m so proud we got through that with the business and our friendship still intact,” says Jessie.
making good decisions
As the business grew, so did the children, and the pair found more space to step back and actually look at their own personal needs in order to be better businesswomen. “The great thing for us is that we are friends and we have each other, and once things got a bit more manageable, we were able to say ‘How do we take control of this? How do we make it easier? What do we want from this and what do we have to change for that to happen? We knew we couldn’t stop the train but we also knew there were ways to have more balance if we thought it through.” says Jessie. One of the big things for Maree was hiring staff who are smarter and more skilled than them in certain areas. “It took a lot of personal pressure off us surrounding ourselves with employees with core strengths in different areas to us. It freed up more of our energy to do the things we are really good at.”
“About two years ago I realised how much I needed balance and have been more diligent about finding those cracks and pockets of time to do what I need to be a better businesswoman.”
prioritising mental health
Jessie says one of her favourites is Freakonomics and the other is Gretchen Rubins’ ‘Happier’. “I love Gretchen Rubin’s as a contrast to business stuff because personal development, mindfulness and happiness are essential for sound mental health. And without sound mental health, it’s absolutely impossible to build good relationships with colleagues or make the best decisions for the business. About two years ago I realised how much I needed balance and have been more diligent about finding those cracks and pockets of time to do what I need to be a better businesswoman.”
good advice
Both Maree and Jessie agree that you really have to be quite deliberate about making sure you find the time to do things that will replenish your business energy. With young kids and a company that’s gone from a few pies at a market to an extensive range available nationwide and now in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Pacific Islands too, there’s no option to just ‘switch it all off’ for a while.
“Outsourcing is important, in and outside the business, to avoid feeling completely depleted.”