Hi, I'm Britney Saunders, and welcome to Big Business, the place where business is far from boring. And you have landed in one of my bonus episodes. If you don't know, my main episodes come out every Monday and on Wednesday, I have a little bonus episode which is just like a little bit of extra fun and I feel like today's episode in particular is a really fun one because we're going to be talking about something new and exciting that we're doing. And I'm joined by April. Hi, welcome back.
This is your second episode with.
Me, I know, thank you for having me.
What is your role for anyone that doesn't know who you are?
My role is brand executive, So I work really close with brit on all Things Fate and all things Britney Saunders.
Yeah. How exciting.
And if you missed our last bonus episode together, it was about you not getting the job that worked out anyway, you take a scroll through my episode, you'll find it it's one about like not hiring someone and working out in the end. And if you want to hear April's story about how she originally applied for a role at Fate and she didn't get the job, yep to her being here now over three years later. It's a great one. So feel free to go and listen to that if
you haven't. But let's just get straight into today's episode. What are we talking about today.
We're talking about Galazy, a very special project we've been working on for a very few years now.
Yeah, I think it's been two now, or maybe like just two or like a tiny bit over two years. So we thought we would kind of give you all a little sneak peek into what we have been working on. I've done some little snippets on my Instagram stories over the last two years, but we're gonna give you the inside scoop here on Big Business now for those of you that don't know. For two years now or just over two years, we have been working on a it's
a sub brand of Fate. It's like a little brand of its own, and it's called Glazy GLA z e Y, and we are coming out with our very own lip oils.
Very exciting.
You've tried them, Yeah, they're great, and this has been like one of the There's been quite a few projects that we've worked on over the years have taken a long time.
And this is probably one of the longest ones, and.
I feel like at so many stages I've wanted to give up on it, but we haven't, and hopefully that will pay.
Off one of the things I've always wanted to ask for it. We have so much on our plate already. Why are we starting to make lip oils?
That's a great question.
So years ago, like even before this glazy thing came to become what it is today, we connected with like a chemist or it's called a chemist, that's people that make beauty products. But we can also give people the tea on how to actually find a manufacturer of beauty products in this episode because it's easier than you think.
We made a connection in Newcastle. So the cool thing about Glazier is it's going to be made in Australia, Like we're making beauty products and they're made in Australia, Like a lot of beauty products are made overseas, and I don't think I could ever do that because I don't know. I just feel weird about things that are especially going on your face. I love that we're going to have these products locally made, especially right here in Newcastle,
and I feel like that's really cool. So anyway, years and years and years ago, we connected with this beauty manufacturer here in Newcastle. This might have even been before you work for me Apes. We were exploring creating a beauty range with this local manufacturer and we weren't thinking of lip oils at all. We were thinking like moisturizer. I think we want to do like a glow oil, and like we started sampling and everything, but then COVID happened and.
Then we just like didn't continue with that kind of thing.
And then so I guess it was after COVID times that we kind of reconnected with this manufacturer and said we'd actually like to kickstart this again. But instead of going with all the products that we were sampling earlier, but instead of going like all these body products kind of thing, let's just go simple and let's go a lip oil. I feel like it's just an evergreen product
that people will always want. I feel like none of us ever actually finish our liap products, like we just keep buying more and then you lose them or whatever. So that's how the idea came about. And for any of you wondering out there, like how do people manufacture beauty products? You can quite literally google like beauty manufacturers in your local area or your city, and you'll find places like that have full factories and it's really quite easy.
I say that, like, it's really quite easy.
I'll say the hard bit is, like you can contact beauty manufacturers in your area. The hard thing and where most people then wouldn't go through with it is the minimum order quantities are high, and I think that's what would stop a lot of especially small businesses, from going into beauty. So for us, for example, for every flavor that we make of our Glazy Tubes, we have to
make two thousand. So we're coming out with three flavors, so we have to make six thousand, and I'm like, I don't even know if I can sell six thousand, but that's the minimum. So that's what we're doing for our launch kind of And I guess that's where a lot of people would get stuck, especially if they are just starting a beauty business without a following like we have. That's where they'd get stuck with those minimum order quantities.
Whereas I think maybe if you were to go overseas and make your products, like with an overseas factory, those minimum order quantities might be lower.
So maybe that's why some people go overseas.
But honestly, if you've ever been interested in making anything like moisturizer, as beauty products, ten like whatever, you can quite literally google like beauty manufacturers local to me, and you will find all the massive factories. Just be mindful that the minimum order quantities will be really high. So that's how the idea of Glazy came about. Did I
ever think that we'd be stepping into beauty? No, Will this be just a one off thing maybe, or if it's a great success, like I don't see why we couldn't expand on Glazy and come out with more products, But yeah, we are just coming out with three flavors
in our lip oil. It took us a while to get the formula right, so when we were working with the manufacturer, we were kind of like we went to their factory and we actually made some up ourselves, and we were mixing all the ingredients and we really explained to them like what we wanted it to be, Like, we wanted it to be oily, but not to the
point where it was runny. And I remember the first few samples that we got, they were really runny because you put like an oil on your hot lips and it goes even more runny.
We wanted it not.
To be sticky, but kind of tacky so that it would stay on the lips. So we for a while there we were getting new jars every week sent to our warehouse and testing them out. We're like, no, or it's too gritty or whatever. And we finally got that right. And then the thing that's been slowing us down for the longest time now is getting the packaging right. And we're going to make content all about our packaging journey because everything has kind of gone wrong yep, but that's
just a part of it. And we're at the point now where we've been working on this for so long that we don't want anything to be wrong, so we're kind of just like taking out time to get it absolutely right now. One thing that we've been discussing a lot in our workplace is how are we going to launch these? Because we've obviously been posting about it on my story and people know it's coming, but we still want to have like a big, successful launch and kind
of make a lot of noise about it. And I think because we've been working on this shit for so long. We want to do it justice and like put it out there in a big granday worth it. Yeah, and we very well may launch these one rounder lip oils and never do it again, or it might become like we have no idea what it's really going to make you, like, if it became bigger than fate, Oh my god, surely not.
But what are some of the fun ideas that we have been discussing apes about how we want to launch this, Because this is the thing, like, if you're making a product, it's one thing to spend two years making a product, making the product perfect, getting the packaging right, but then you've got to do it justice with your marketing as well.
And sure, we've got this already existing customer base. We could just put it on the website and to send out an email to be like, hey, we've got a new product, but we want to do something fun with it. We want to grab people's attention. So what are your ideas?
Well, I'm stealing one of your ideas that I thought was really cool and really different. Is you mentioned putting the product up on the website and having it be for free. Oh yeah, so putting a thousand units up for free, so our customers can buy them, try them, and fall in love with them that way. Yeah, and then they'll post about it on their socials for them people to start buying the product.
Yeah.
So that was one idea that we had just because we've been working on it for so long. We were just thinking, why don't we just go fuck it and go I've been working on this for two years.
You can get it for free.
And like, obviously that would be a huge cost to us, but that would be you know, part of our marketing cost is just giving away. However, many of these things for free, and then we were going to try and work in a way. I mean, we had this idea before we had our Fate Society Facebook group. We now have this amazing Facebook group that's called Society, so I feel like we could get our Fate Society community involved.
But we would love a way to give these out for free in exchange of feedback, and then we can then use all of those reviews that we get to then market it kind of in its official launch kind of thing.
Yep.
So that's one idea.
The thing with Glazy is we've got about five big ideas and we're just trying to figure out what angle we actually Yeah, if you listen to this episode and there's one idea in particular that stands out to you, let us know, slide into my DMS and let us know, or if you have any ideas outside of our ideas,
we would love to hear from you. So obviously, because we have four retail stores and I think by the time Glazy launchers, we're hoping to launch it in November, I feel like it'd be perfect to launch this in summer in the lead up to Christmas, because I think a little lip oil is like a great, perfect gift, Yeah, the perfect gift to give someone, and we're going to be selling them in trios and also just individually.
And we have a really cute match coming. I don't know if I was meant to say that, but it's really cute.
Yeah.
So we've done like Glazy merch as well, like cute hats and stuff, so we want to obviously get our stores involved as well. So then we've been floating the idea of how are we going to launch this in our stores. We're gonna have to do like a big Glazy Day in store.
A life size glazy in all the stores you reckon? Yes, where the fuck do we get one of those?
Mate? Have to google it?
Yeah, this is the thing.
You know, we obviously have fate and we know what we're doing, but there's so many things that we don't know what we're doing. Like if we want to get a life size glazy tube made for each store, where do we get one of those?
We quite literally just google things.
We're going to be googling get life size beauty product made.
For a shop display.
So yeah, we definitely, Well, I can see there being like a glazy day in our stores. And one idea that I feel all of us have had in the office is involving glazed doughnuts. Yes, definitely, like a donuts stand, like with donuts all lined up and then like a glazy in each one of them kind of thing, almost like a donut shop.
Yeap.
I feel like that would be a good, delicious Yeah, so we somehow have to make that happen.
Yes, So if there's any donut companies out there that want to.
Well, I think I got the email for Krispy Kreme because we've been commenting on Krispy Kreme's Instagram and I've been dming them saying do you have an email address for your media team or whatever? But I figured, if we can't get Krispy Kreme on board, maybe we can reach out to like local donut companies, like in the area of each of our stores and get them on board for a fun activation.
The other idea that we've had.
Is we could do a massive Glazy launch but make it revolved around Mecha.
Yeah. I love this idea.
So I've seen other brands do this before, where they've launched a beauty range or whatever, and then they do this whole social campaign, but it's about them saying, how good would my products look in Meca and you kind of take your products into Mecca and you find a little spot on a shelf and you kind of set it all up in there.
Like that would be really cool to do.
There's so many ideas, like, I don't know which one we actually want to do.
There was another one where we could send Glazy out to a whole heap of influencers that we already work with and not get them to push the product, but just simply apply it at the start of their video and then to catch people's attention to be.
Like, oh what that?
Yeah, so like a subtle product placement. That's another idea of ours. We could do influencer like an influencer event, or we could do a influencer slash community event as well. It's really just endless the stuff that we can do. So now one huge part of our jobs is which one Which one do we do? I feel like we can probably do bits of all of them. I feel like the Mecca one would gain a lot of traction, yeah, but.
Would perform really well on socials.
It two would be good too, but I think I feel like we'd get kicked out if we like went into Mecca and set up a fake little stand in there to be like, how good would this product be in Mecca? And then wouldn't it be cool if we got like the customers that were in Mecca to like sample it.
While they're definitely yeah, they'd be like, girls, what are you doing?
No?
Not today, But that would be a good social video getting Mecca customers to trial. If I'm like, oh, it's so good and Mecha stock lazy, Well that's another thing as well. Like obviously everything we do it fate. It's just on fate, Like everything's exclusively ours. We don't stock anywhere else. We don't wholesale out to other retailers. And
that's the other thing with this whole beauty side. If this does go well, like maybe we will have the opportunity to put ourselves into stores, whether it's Mecha or Priceline. And again, I have no idea how to do any of this shit, but it's nothing that we can't figure out. I also thought, before we like wrap up the episode, also tell everyone a little bit about the flavors. We've got Original glaze, We've got Strawberry glaze, so Original is clear and it has a bit of vanilla flavoring in it.
And then Strawberry is obviously pink with strawberry flavoring and scent. And then we've got my personal favorite, which I think will be the least popular, which is Cherry. It's red, but the colors are like really soft and subtle, like you.
Could wear them little tinted, yeah every day.
That's another thing that I kind of went ah fuck with when we started this whole journey, was knowing I think Strawberry and Original are going to be the front runners, and I know Cherry isn't going.
To be as popular still I still have to make.
Yeah, So for our launch, we're making two thousand strawberry, two thousand original and two thousand cherry. But I know the cherry is going to be the one that doesn't sell as quick. So then that's on us to market the cherry even more because it's the best one.
Just saying. And I'll tell you all another thing.
Whilst you get these minimum order quantities with your life suppliers of like the product itself, we then even had to buy more packaging without tubes. They're in a squeezy tube and they've got the screw on lid and then like a silicone lip applicator, And because we wanted to make the tube all one color, we had to order ten thousand of each. Ten thousand strawberry, ten thousand original and ten thousand cherry.
So that's exactly what we've done.
Whereas if we kept the lid white, we didn't have to order ten thousand of each. It's because we've like custom pantoned the packaging. And there's another popular lip brand out there that has the squeeze tube but the lids are white.
Do you know what brand? It is?
No Summer Fridays. Oh of es, And have you noticed that all their lids are white? I have, Yeah, So we could have kept it like that, and then I think the minimum order quantity, I think it could have been like way less, like five thousand or even less like maybe two and a half thousand per flavor. But because we wanted them to have that all one color look, we just made that commitment.
Attention to detail.
Yeah, and it.
Looks better, I think, like having the lid the same color as the tube.
And you'll see like there's a lot of lip.
Oil brands and lip balm brands out there that have the white lids, and that's like a cost saving so interesting.
You never ever think that would be something.
No, but it is because they're not coloring the lid or making the custom colored lid.
But I just went, fuck it. It's going to cost a whole lot more. But I want the tubes.
I want the tubes to be all one color. And we'll only hope that, Like we've got thirty thousand tubes and we're filling six thousand of them for our launch. We will only hope that from our marketing and our people.
We've got lots of packaging exactly.
We hope that we, you know, can maybe sell six thousand units. Obviously, have no expectations of selling that many on a launch. That's a lot of fucking lip tubes to sell. But eventually we hope that we can sell them, and then we can refill and like relaunch those three original flavors. And as we've said, this could be an absolute round or it could be the most amazing thing
that we've ever done. And that's just a risk that I'm willing to take and try something new, give something new to our community, kind of push in a different direction of us being in beauty, and gosh, if it goes well and if people respond to it well, then I'm all for, you know, exploring other products. I don't think I mean never say never, but I don't think I would ever be keen on doing products that essentially solve a problem.
I don't think I could.
See us coming out with like moisturizer that's good for acne or anything like that. I feel like I want to leave that to the absolute pros, And that kind of scares me. I guess like I feel a little safer that we're making clothes. You know, We're not we might be saving people by giving them the best pair of jeans I've ever tried, exactly, and I feel like
with a lip oil, we can't really go wrong. I mean, some people may not like it, but I feel like it's an easier product compared to doing actual targeted skincare. But yeah, it's exciting, something fun, and we're looking forward to kind of launching it into the world and going finally yeah, because it's just been such.
A long time in the making. So yeah, that's our inside scoop on Glazy, so exciting slide into our DMS.
If you want to give us any ideas or if any of these stand out.
To you, and when it does launch, please buy the Cherry.
It's my favorite one. I love cherry flavored anything like fake cherry flavored stuff, and I just love a little red tint. That's all for today's bonus episode, and I'll see you all on Monday for my main And thanks Apes for joining me once again.
Thank you for having me