Hi, I'm Britney Saunders, and welcome to Big Business, the place where business is far from boring. And today I'm joined by a special guest, and this is a bonus episode. I thought I would drag one of my OG employees on the pod. Welcome April. Insert a massive applause.
Is this your first time ever being on a podcast?
Yes? Obviously.
How do you feel excited?
You listened to so many podcasts and now you're going to be able to listen to your own episode.
I listen to all your podcast and now it's going to be leaf my voice.
I thought it would be good to get April on for a bonus episode because April has been with me at Fate from what feels like the very beginning of Fate. It wasn't technically you've been with me for over three years. And I've said this before in a lot of my episodes, but for me, like the first two issues of Fate,
I always see it as like a trial period. You know, when I got my first little warehouse, but you were there essentially when we first moved into that big building where we had our Fate store downstairs and the office was upstairs and the warehouse I feel like that's where Fate began and that's where you came into the picture. So it feels like you've been with me forever. And one of the cool things is you have been with me as Fate has grown.
Like when you came on board, it was.
We were really small, and then look where we are now and you've seen it all. So I thought we could start out by talking through your career journey at Fate. Maybe give us a because I've got a little story that I like telling too, but give us an overview of what roles you've done in Fate over the last three plus years.
Okay, So I applied for a role at Fate through Seek as the social media assistant, but I actually didn't get it, which.
Was so sad.
And I remember this was back when I was doing all the interviewing and everything, and this was our first time ever hiring someone to be a social media assistant because for those first couple of years, it was just me doing all the content. And we finally got to that point where I was like, I think I'll get
someone to help. And we had I think five or six of you come through on the one day and we did back to back interviews all day in our office, and I really liked you, and I really liked Kim, who is also still with us, and so I liked them both and I wanted to give them both the job, but obviously we couldn't, and Kim ended up.
Getting the job and I got it over me.
I felt terrible, and I think the only thing that really came down to it was Kim had a tiny bit more experience in fashion. And the other thing was that I was really scared about Not that you can pick on someone for.
Where they lived, but April live lived and still.
Lives just over an hour away from our office, And because I was so new to hiring, I remember thinking, oh, she does live an hour away, Like, is she really going to want to drive an hour there and an hour home.
Three and a half years later, I'm still doing the same I'm still doing the drive.
So we didn't give a that role, which was devastating, but it kind of worked out for you what happened.
And then I didn't get the role, and then I got an email saying, hey, we'd love to jump on a call and offer you a different position. It's not the position you wanted, but there is always room for progression. And I actually got a warehouse assistant role packing orders with AJ and it was honestly so fun.
And I still remember the day that I sent you that email because I know in your interview you just really wanted to work at Faith, like that was your whole thing.
Is you just really want to work at Faith.
And then now this is again, we weren't packing that many orders every day, but we're getting a little bit busier and I thought, well, we could get someone else in the warehouse. So then I emailed you and said, hey, let's jump on a call. And I said, look, you can say no to this job offer, but I wanted to offer it to you anyway, and it's in the warehouse and you were just like yes, yes, there was no hesitation.
No. I feel like that's a great tip for anyone that really wants to work somewhere. If you don't get the job, send an email saying like, if any other decisions do pop up, I'd love to.
Be considered considered. Yeah.
I sent that email, and then I was considered for another role. And now look at me.
Now, so after you worked in the warehouse, how long did you work there?
Honestly, not that long, probably a few months, and then I started helping out doing the socials with Kim.
So then Kim's role kind of changed and she went more into doing our email marketing and she took that off me.
I was like, do you want to learn how to do this, Kim? She's like sure.
So then April ended up doing the job that I applied for anyway.
Exactly and it was only a few months down the track. And then you did that for a while in our socials team.
Yep, I did social media assistant, and then I got Social Media coordinator and I did that for a few years, like two years probably, and then I got the PR and marketing role, which was so much fun, so working with our influencers, planning events, our campaign shoots. And now I am brand executive for Fritz, So just working with Britt and helping her do all the fun stuff.
You're like my sidekick, a I'm the little sidekick.
One of the craziest things is like, you're obviously a great example in our company of career progression. You know, started in the warehouse and you've worked your way through four different roles pretty much in three plus years. And what's crazy is when you started with me, because fate was so new and I still didn't know what I was doing. Like I'm embarrassed to look back at myself then, but I feel like that's all business owners, like you
just start out and learn along the way. I never thought back then about career progression, Like that was not a thought because our company was still so small, Like I didn't even have that thought in my mind of all, oh, one day, these these girls are going to build careers with me. Like at that stage, it was really people just coming to do jobs, you know. And it's just been crazy to see over the last three to four years, like how much a lot of you have really progressed.
And that's something that we're now so big on and there's so much career progression in our company, and now it's something that like I'm really passionate about, Like I love seeing you girls kind of go from one role to another and work your way up kind of thing, and that's something that really excites me as a business owner. So it's been really cool to see and to think back to the beginning, and I never even thought that you I'd have careers for people, and here we are
saying it's crazy. What's your favorite part about working at Fate?
Everything? And I'm not just saying that, but everything is my favorite. We have the best team ever, we have the best customers ever, we have the best brand values, and we honestly just we work so hard, but we have so much fun while doing it. And it literally feels like I never work a day in my life because I love what I do.
That's so good apes I feel like that's something that a lot of people don't get to experience. And that's one thing that I'm really proud of as a business owner, is like I want to be able to provide people with jobs that they genuinely do love.
And sure you might have some.
Days where you're like fuck or like this sucks, no, you're shaking your hair.
I love it. Actually, I love my job, and I'm so I know how lucky I am to be able to say that it's a good thing.
Hey, I'm glad to be able to provide.
That to you.
Do you have a specific favorite memory.
I have a funny memory that I always I can relate back on is when I worked in the warehouse with Aj and we because we were so little, we didn't even have barcodes on our product.
We were doing everything so wrong.
So wrong, so wrong, So we decided, let's put barcodes on every single item in the warehouse. So it was a Saturday. I came in on a Saturday and we had to stick barcode labels on every single product in the warehouse. And by the end of it, we were literally he was in one aisle, I was in the other, laying on the ground because we're dead. Just put it, sticking these labels on, and we're like, oh my god, it's pretty funny.
Wow. The fact that we ever did.
I know for all your business owners out there, you'll get to a point if you do have physical products where you'll need barkdes Because for those first few years in our warehouse, we were just eyeballing everything. So customers would order six things, you'd go and manually pick those six things and then put them straight in the bag without like scanning, and.
You'd just be checking it yourself.
Whereas it's obviously you don't need barcodes from the beginning, but when you are getting more orders and you want to eliminate those stuff ups, barcodes are amazing and it is fucked. You have to put them all on yourself if you've already got all your stock there with you kind of thing. And now like our manufacturers put the barcodes on for us, we provide them to them before they're ship to us. But yeah, barcodes were a game changer for us, along with a lot of other things.
And then we went across the road and got a Brownie s lab from the bakery.
To celebrate the bargoes.
Do you have a least favorite memory from the last three to four years? I think I know one for you. Oh, you should share the story about our Churm Side store opening. Oh yes, I feel like that's your least favorite hemory.
So we were preparing to open in our cham Side store. We had an amazing opening day planned and that was yours and it was my baby. I did it all, like I invited everyone because we were having the event beforehand for influencer influencers and I invited everyone. I arranged a clawn machine with all Fate products in it and it was branded Fate.
What else did we We had a DJJ laurelsrel We had a girl coming to do like solder solder bracelets, Like we planned this massive event huge, and the two events like the opening day and the influencer event.
The day before we opened, we let ten customers come in and have a private shopping experience as.
Well giveaway, and we had did like thirty goodie bags or something like that was all you. And we got all brands on board, like Bond itcends quick flick like all these brands. So you orchestrated this whole, this whole grand opening, and I worked.
So hard on it and I was so excited. And then it got to the day before and I was at work and I was so sick, and the girls like, go home because you have to fly to Queensland tomorrow for the event. And I was like, no, I'm not going home. After like last minute things to do. I woke up the next day and I was not alive. I was so sick and had I still wanted to go, and even my mom said, there is no.
Way of bawling your eyes out, there was no way I could go.
And I had all the.
Because this was last year, so this was like still like kind of post COVID times when it's like you really can't travel if you're unwell, and I had to.
I had some stuff in my I think I had the work phones and stuff. So I had to meet AJ and Kim at the airport for when they were leaving it. I cried the whole way there, and Kim grabbed the phones off me and I was just bawling my eyes and I was like, I want to go on, but I can't.
So then we had to like do an emergency flight. And then Kim, who was not involved in any of this and had to take over your job, and she came in your place, and because you were also doing all the content for the opening as well, and then we fully stop Kim her whole week change, and she came with.
Us and was there for three days and did it.
And poor Kim, I've gotten a lot better, but someone with content, I just like think of it and do it. So I didn't have a list of all the content I wanted to get, so Kim had to scramble and come up with ideas. And I felt horrible two ways, because I felt bad and I felt sick.
Yeah, that was not a good time for you. Then you would have had so much fomo.
Just so much FAM. I didn't even go on my socials because I was so upset seeing all the girls posts, I was like, fuck off.
For all the people out there listening who are employers and they have staff, or their boss or a manager, or they're even looking at hiring for the first time, what would you say should be important to them when it comes to looking after their employees, Like, what is it that you think employees are looking for?
Because there's if there's one thing, I think.
It's business owners don't appreciate their employees enough, or they take them for granted, or you know, treat them like shit. So if someone's just say they're hiring their first ever employee, what do you think should be important to that business owner?
I think it's important to not only see them as like an employee, but as a person, like you've always take really good care of your staff. And I think it's also really important for business owners to give their stuff the opportunity to grow within the business.
I think one of the hardest things with that as well, apes is being a business owner. And I know I've spoke about this on the pod before, is growing your business fast enough that is staff can grow with it. And I think that's where a lot of business owners would struggle, is they have these staff that are eager to grow, and they're like, I want to progress with the company. I want to grow with the company. But then you've got to try and grow the company quick
enough to keep up with that demand. So that's like another I guess that's a different point of view than that, but I think that is really important that people, you know, listen to their employees and give them opportunities and not just like push them into a corner and say that to a job and that's it. So great advice for those listening. Let's say they want to build a career, specifically in a small business, what would your advice be to them?
Like, what have you done?
Be passionate about the brand you work for? Like I am so beyond passionate about Fate. I love everything we do, and I believe in what we do so wholeheartedly that.
It's easy for me.
It was easy for me to grow because I was so committed, so enthusiastic.
And I love my job. People need to find a brand first that they want to grow in.
Kind of job you love, and then you'll never work a day in your life.
It's what they say. You heard it here.
First last question for you April. Yes, where do you see yourself and Fate in five years?
Well?
Domination, Well, domination, that's what you always say.
Nowhere I'm going to be in five years because I feel like like in Fate obviously, but I feel like.
I'm going to come back in five years. Believe, if you're actually still with.
It, I'm going to still be by your side in this podcast room, if I can tell you that right now. I reckon We'll be in New Zealand.
Oh you reckon, Yeah, you reckon. We have a store there.
Yeah, I reckon, I have a story in New Zealand one hundred percent.
Wow.
I reckon. We will have a lot of stores. I reckon. We'll be the best. We already are the best brand, the best fashioned brand. I reckon. We will still be killing our social media strategy, what we're good at the last three and a half years have been the best, and we've grown so much that I'm so excited to see where we are in the next fight.
I love that.
I love that you and like everyone at Fate like. I love how all of our staff refer to Fate as we like. There's never you never say you and like Fate apart from you like, it's very much.
We Yeah, Fate's my baby too. Yeah, it's all of ours. Yeah, it's our baby.
We love that.
Well, Apes, thanks for coming on this bonus episode.
Thanks for having me.
You got a tip of the week for everyone.
Smile when you're checking into a hotel and you might get an upgrade, and an upgrade.
Perfect done.