Neroli Brennan: This is Seeds for Success, a show where we have
Neroli Brennan: a good yarn about ag life, with producers who are
Neroli Brennan: having a go. On the show, you'll hear from farmers
Neroli Brennan: in New South Wales who are out there battling the elements,
Neroli Brennan: making tough calls, and getting the job done. You'll get a
Neroli Brennan: laugh out of some of their stories, and also pick
Neroli Brennan: up some knowhow along the way. I'm your host, Neroli Brennan. Today,
Neroli Brennan: we're chatting with Gabby Neal. Gabby hails from Condoblin, in
Neroli Brennan: Central West New South Wales, where she was born into
Neroli Brennan: a wool growing family, and has spent her childhood surrounded
Neroli Brennan: by Merino wool. Although Gabby has spent time in Sydney
Neroli Brennan: and New York fulfilling her passion for fashion and marketing,
Neroli Brennan: the pull to come home and contribute to her family
Neroli Brennan: business has remained strong. In this episode, Gabby shares with
Neroli Brennan: us how during the most recent drought, as she worked
Neroli Brennan: alongside her family feeding sheep, she developed an overwhelming need
Neroli Brennan: to help her family and the wool industry beyond the
Neroli Brennan: farm gates. And it was during this time that she
Neroli Brennan: realized there was a gap in the market, to promote
Neroli Brennan: this forgotten fiber to the fast fashion generation. As you'll hear,
Neroli Brennan: Gabby has drawn on her experience gained from working on
Neroli Brennan: the farm and in the fashion industry to launch her
Neroli Brennan: own sustainably produced wool clothing label, INTACT. And as Gabby explains,
Neroli Brennan: her clothing company aims to challenge the outdated perception of
Neroli Brennan: wool as a dent, winter- only choice, and showcase wool
Neroli Brennan: in a whole new light. Senior Land service officer, Jasmine Wells,
Neroli Brennan: caught up with Gabby while she was on a recent
Neroli Brennan: trip home to the family farm.
Jasmine Wells: Gabby, thanks so much for meeting me here today.
Gabby Neal: No, thank you. A pleasure to be here.
Jasmine Wells: Can you tell us a little bit about your label
Jasmine Wells: INTACT.? How it got started, and what does the label represent?
Gabby Neal: INTACT., first and foremost, is a new women's wear label aimed
Gabby Neal: at inspiring a new way to wear wool. I'm from
Gabby Neal: Condoblin, central New South Wales, and have grown up on
Gabby Neal: a property there with my mom and dad and two
Gabby Neal: oldest sisters. And from a young age, I've always had
Gabby Neal: an interest in fashion. My life has always entwined between
Gabby Neal: the two. One of my earliest fashion memories, as they say,
Gabby Neal: I was planning to run away from home. I had
Gabby Neal: my Paddington Bear suitcase, and packed my pink Ted, and
Gabby Neal: my good dress. And I think I got as far
Gabby Neal: as the silos, about 20 meters outside the house, before
Gabby Neal: I went over to Nana's, who lives about a hundred
Gabby Neal: meters from the house. So I think I've always just,
Gabby Neal: ongoing... Mum used to sew our clothes at home on
Gabby Neal: the dining table. And all my hand- me- downs from
Gabby Neal: the sisters. But yeah, always creative as well. So then
Gabby Neal: I did a stint on boarding school in Sydney, and
Gabby Neal: would always come home for the school holidays. We always
Gabby Neal: helping out on the farm, doing harvest, and mustering sheep.
Gabby Neal: I ended up going on to study fashion design and
Gabby Neal: business in Sydney. And then followed a career in marketing
Gabby Neal: and PR within the fashion landscape. I was lucky enough
Gabby Neal: to go over to New York at one stage, traveled between
Gabby Neal: Sydney and New York. It was about 2017, 2018. And the height
Gabby Neal: of the drought. And I was in New York and
Gabby Neal: I was just seeing what was happening back home on
Gabby Neal: the property and what everyone was going through. And on
Gabby Neal: the back of my mind, " What could I do?" Is
Gabby Neal: there anything, aside from using my platform in my landscape
Gabby Neal: to promote platforms like Buy From the Bush and things
Gabby Neal: like that? I was always thinking, " What could be my
Gabby Neal: contribution?" I had always been sewing my clothes, but at
Gabby Neal: the time I was a talent manager in Sydney, and
Gabby Neal: I'd come home for the Don Brown Wool Competition here
Gabby Neal: in Condo, and got speaking to a few people. And we
Gabby Neal: landed on, " Why young people, why aren't they wearing wool?
Gabby Neal: And why is it cotton and linens's having a huge
Gabby Neal: moment, but why not wool?" And it was the education
Gabby Neal: piece. Young people just weren't aware. They didn't know what
Gabby Neal: the benefits were. And it just wasn't as promoted as
Gabby Neal: much. So I thought, " I don't know." I just had
Gabby Neal: kept that in the back of my mind and I
Gabby Neal: went back to my job. And at the time I
Gabby Neal: was looking after this male model, amazing bloke, and he
Gabby Neal: got invited to the polo in Melbourne. So my job,
Gabby Neal: I had to find him a suit to wear, obviously.
Gabby Neal: I was just trying to think of what brands and
Gabby Neal: straightaway MJ Bale came to mind. So I went out,
Gabby Neal: sent an email to MJ Bale just pitching this concept.
Gabby Neal: And he had a couple hundred thousand Instagram followers at
Gabby Neal: that stage. And I didn't think much of it. And
Gabby Neal: then a couple weeks later got an email from them saying, "
Gabby Neal: Yep, amazing. We'd love to dress him and we'll do
Gabby Neal: our pursuit." So I was like, " Oh cool. Wow." So
Gabby Neal: then I had to go back to the model, and
Gabby Neal: be like, " Look, I've got you this amazing suit." And
Gabby Neal: he wasn't aware of MJ Bale and what that meant. So
Gabby Neal: I had to communicate that and explain, " You've got a
Gabby Neal: pretty good deal here, this is pretty great." So off
Gabby Neal: he went and he got measured up. And actually a
Gabby Neal: few months ago, when after I'd launched INTACT., I hit
Gabby Neal: him up and asked, " You still got this suit?" And
Gabby Neal: he came back to be like, " Yeah, it's the best bloody
Gabby Neal: suit I've had. It'll last lifetime. You could put that
Gabby Neal: thing in a shredder and it still won't die." I
Gabby Neal: thought that was pretty cool. But I think being able to
Gabby Neal: dress him, I think I really saw that was a
Gabby Neal: bit of a moment. I could educate a young person
Gabby Neal: about the benefits of wool, and get them to feel
Gabby Neal: and appreciate what it is and how it feels next
Gabby Neal: to skin. After that, yeah, I was like, " Why not?
Gabby Neal: Why can't I do this?" So I went about trying
Gabby Neal: to start my own label.
Jasmine Wells: That's one of the things about your label, Gab, is
Jasmine Wells: that you're trying to break that mindset that wool is
Jasmine Wells: not really one of the more fashionable fibers that we
Jasmine Wells: use. And you're trying to get that mindset away from
Jasmine Wells: it being a bit itchy and a bit rough. And I know
Jasmine Wells: I've seen some of your products and they're just really
Jasmine Wells: soft and quite fashionable. And they're not some big cable
Jasmine Wells: knit jumper.
Gabby Neal: Yeah, that's it. We really want to challenge those outdated
Gabby Neal: misconceptions of wool as an itchy, scratchy, winter- only fiber.
Gabby Neal: That your nana knitted, hand- me- downs thing. We really
Gabby Neal: want to showcase it in a new light. And I think that's just
Gabby Neal: the mission. It's inspiring a new way of wool. And
Gabby Neal: hopefully we can succeed.
Jasmine Wells: I have to admit, I should say for the listeners,
Jasmine Wells: full disclosure: Gabby's one of my surrogate sisters. So, she's
Jasmine Wells: my sister-in-law's sister. So we've spent many, many months in the
Jasmine Wells: paddocks, harvesting, or moving sheep together. And while she always
Jasmine Wells: looks glamorous, I've seen her looking not so glamorous. And
Jasmine Wells: when I heard that she was looking into this, I
Jasmine Wells: was like, " Wow." It's not something that is a talk
Jasmine Wells: on the two- way while you're out there doing this
Jasmine Wells: sort of stuff. But it makes perfect sense. So how
Jasmine Wells: has your family farm been an influence for you?
Gabby Neal: Wool is something I've been surrounded by my entire life.
Gabby Neal: And I think growing up on a farm... Yeah, I've got
Gabby Neal: two older sisters and I think, at a young age, mom and
Gabby Neal: dad always trying to educate us about what they do,
Gabby Neal: and what the properties of wool are. And the supply chain,
Gabby Neal: and what it goes from on the back of the
Gabby Neal: sheep, and then the shearing shed, and where it goes
Gabby Neal: from there. Dad, we've been to the wool sales in
Gabby Neal: Sydney and we've gone to see how that all works.
Gabby Neal: Which is just absolutely incredible. Those wool auctions are some
Gabby Neal: of the fastest in the world, only behind tobacco. It
Gabby Neal: was pretty cool. And I think, yeah, growing up on
Gabby Neal: the farm has a young kid, we were always mustering
Gabby Neal: sheep, and had all that responsibility as a young age.
Gabby Neal: And I think you get a bit of confidence with
Gabby Neal: that. What I'm doing, and the farm, like I said,
Gabby Neal: the drought. I'm always linked to Condo, and the farm,
Gabby Neal: and wanting to do my bit. And I think this
Gabby Neal: is using my skillset, in a way. And my interest.
Gabby Neal: I might not be on the farm in 365 days
Gabby Neal: a year. But I'm there like you said, during harvest
Gabby Neal: and when they need. And in my way, this is
Gabby Neal: my small contribution. To promote an Aussie fiber, than one
Gabby Neal: that dad and my sister, now on the farm, what
Gabby Neal: they're trying to work towards as well.
Jasmine Wells: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And so how do you
Jasmine Wells: think working in agriculture... You're one of the women in
Jasmine Wells: ag. You mightn't be there every day, day in and out.
Jasmine Wells: But some days you're certainly one of the women getting
Jasmine Wells: down and dirty in the paddock. You're amongst it. And
Jasmine Wells: how do you think that's helped you build your confidence,
Jasmine Wells: and how that's helped with your business now? I think
Jasmine Wells: at the end of the day it shows. Going up
Jasmine Wells: a farm, seeing people work out there. And every day,
Jasmine Wells: sunrise to sunset, is the value of hard work. And
Jasmine Wells: if you are not going to do it, you've got
Jasmine Wells: to do it the next day. You've got to be
Jasmine Wells: able to make momentum. And you've got that responsibility. Just
Jasmine Wells: the intrinsically little tiddle bits, like feeding the dogs or
Jasmine Wells: collecting the eggs, and mustering sheep out at the back. You
Jasmine Wells: get that responsibility. So then when you're older and you're
Jasmine Wells: in certain circumstances, you're able to take charge and take
Jasmine Wells: the lead and go and get shit done. So I
Jasmine Wells: live on the south coast now and there was one
Jasmine Wells: moment, when I was testing out the singlet. I was
Jasmine Wells: went for a run along Mollymook there. And I saw a lady
Jasmine Wells: run past, and she had an Allbirds singlet on. And I
Jasmine Wells: saw the icon and I was running along. I was like, "
Jasmine Wells: Oh, that must... My mind, Allbird, the wool shoes, which
Jasmine Wells: are pretty cool." So I don't know, she was running along and then
Jasmine Wells: she stopped at the bubbler. And I was like, "Oh, I might just tap her on
Jasmine Wells: the shoulder and figure out what's it like to run
Jasmine Wells: in." And anyway, I tapped her on the shoulder and
Jasmine Wells: we got chatting and I was like, " Oh, that's the Allbird singlet, is that wool?"
Jasmine Wells: And she's like, " Yes." " Oh, I'm about to start my
Jasmine Wells: own label as well. And this is my wool singlet."
Jasmine Wells: And we got chatting, blah, blah, blah. And yeah, it
Jasmine Wells: turns out she's the fashion editor of the Australian Financial
Jasmine Wells: Review. So, what are the chances me just deciding, " Oh,
Jasmine Wells: I'm just going to take a chance and tap her
Jasmine Wells: on the shoulder." But yeah, the little moments like that.
Jasmine Wells: I think it all just builds up and progresses over
Jasmine Wells: the years. But I think the confidence to put your
Jasmine Wells: hand up, and go out and do something, and do
Jasmine Wells: it yourself, and just ask questions and get it done.
Gabby Neal: Absolutely. Yeah, that I think that certainly shines through in your
Gabby Neal: personality. And so, you're committed to sustainability. Can you tell
Gabby Neal: us about INTACT. 's values around that?
Jasmine Wells: Yeah. I think first and foremost, wool is a natural
Jasmine Wells: fiber. It's circular, it's completely biodegradable. It's a natural wonder,
Jasmine Wells: which is incredible. And I think any business, and just
Jasmine Wells: generally we as a society, are moving towards a more
Jasmine Wells: sustainable life just in everyday things. Recycling, you're choosing not
Jasmine Wells: plastic bags at the grocery shop. We're all making those
Jasmine Wells: choices subconsciously throughout the day. And as a brand, especially
Jasmine Wells: a new one to market, it's a no- brainer. You
Jasmine Wells: can't not go into market not thinking about these things.
Jasmine Wells: We're quite lucky, INTACT. We started with the end in
Jasmine Wells: mind, using a fiber that is inherently natural, biodegradable, and
Jasmine Wells: circular. And we do, through other processes within the business,
Jasmine Wells: a lot of digital quotes and electronic receipts instead of
Jasmine Wells: printing them. When we ask for the manufacturers, they send
Jasmine Wells: the product over. Instead of having individual garment poly bags,
Jasmine Wells: we get them to bulk. So, it's reducing the amount
Jasmine Wells: of plastic. In Melbourne a couple months ago, I went
Jasmine Wells: to a trade show. And there was a few talks. And in
Jasmine Wells: the fashion side of things, that's a massive conversation at
Jasmine Wells: the moment. How can they reduce their footprint? What are
Jasmine Wells: the little things? And at this talk, they were going as
Jasmine Wells: far as to suggest removing one button, as opposed to
Jasmine Wells: having a full shirt full of buttons and the zips.
Jasmine Wells: And it's really considering what's that end of life going
Jasmine Wells: to be. And at the end, are you going to
Jasmine Wells: hand it down to your child? Or if it goes
Jasmine Wells: into landfill, how long's it going to take to decompose?
Jasmine Wells: And deconstructing the garments first before it goes into landfill?
Jasmine Wells: What about the thread you're using, the buttons? Are they
Jasmine Wells: plastic? Are they wood? It's just a really interesting time,
Jasmine Wells: I think, as well. There's so much innovation around it.
Jasmine Wells: But I think, as a brand, I would love to
Jasmine Wells: work towards a circular future. And wool itself, obviously... At
Jasmine Wells: the end of the day, you could probably throw it
Jasmine Wells: in the compost, in six months it'll probably provide those
Jasmine Wells: valuable nutrients back into the soil. But it's just something
Jasmine Wells: we're committed to. And I think the name, that says
Jasmine Wells: it quite a bit. We want to keep everyone's footprint
Jasmine Wells: and their wardrobes intact, and we want that kind of
Jasmine Wells: to be a fully circular future.
Gabby Neal: Gabby, where did you get the inspiration from, for the
Gabby Neal: name INTACT.?
Jasmine Wells: Yeah, it's actually, I was in the sheepyards with dad. I think
Jasmine Wells: he was trying to explain something about the process and
Jasmine Wells: how it goes. Anyway. And he made the comment, I think
Jasmine Wells: that's just how... It was a word that came up in industry,
Jasmine Wells: keep it intact. Or " That's how the system, process, something
Jasmine Wells: intact." And I was like, " Oh, that's pretty cool." Stuck
Jasmine Wells: with me. And we brainstormed a few other names. And
Jasmine Wells: that one I just kept coming back to. There's a
Jasmine Wells: few, a lot of other touch points that feed into
Jasmine Wells: it, I think. Wool, it's a circular fiber, it keeps from
Jasmine Wells: farm to fashion intact. And doing my bit to contribute
Jasmine Wells: to the wool industry, it might help it keep intact.
Jasmine Wells: And promoting wool, it gives a natural choice and a
Jasmine Wells: natural alternative for others. And I think it keeps the wardrobe intact.
Jasmine Wells: There's a lot of different touch points to it. And
Jasmine Wells: that definitely stuck with me. And obviously when we worked
Jasmine Wells: with the designer to come up with the logo and
Jasmine Wells: the design and the branding, I really wanted that to
Jasmine Wells: kind of shine through. And so the " I," and there's
Jasmine Wells: a full stop at the end of INTACT. And it's
Jasmine Wells: a semicircle, so the full stop links back to the "
Jasmine Wells: I." So it keeps the name intact. On the " N"
Jasmine Wells: on the INTACT., obviously " N" is my last name, Neil. But
Jasmine Wells: there's a slight curve in the end that represents the
Jasmine Wells: yarn, the curve in the Merino wool yarn. And then
Jasmine Wells: yeah, the brand stamp is the two of them coming
Jasmine Wells: together. And they come together and it keeps it intact.
Jasmine Wells: It's a neat and tidy little... With a bow on it.
Gabby Neal: That's great. There's been a lot of thought going to
Gabby Neal: it. And it links back to where it all started,
Gabby Neal: which is what I love.
Jasmine Wells: Yeah. I think, from farm to fashion, keeping it intact.
Gabby Neal: I think that's brilliant. And so how did you go
Gabby Neal: about getting started? Did you go look at different manufacturers?
Gabby Neal: And where do you manufacture your goods? I know it's
Gabby Neal: a hundred percent Australian wool. Yeah, so I think when
Gabby Neal: we started my mission, I really wanted it to be
Gabby Neal: Australian made. Obviously Australian grow, Australian made. And as I
Gabby Neal: went through the process, I realized that was quite expensive.
Gabby Neal: And why a lot of brands are going offshore at
Gabby Neal: the moment. But also starting the business, and what I
Gabby Neal: went through there, it was very much just asking questions.
Gabby Neal: Obviously I did have formal studies in fashion, so I
Gabby Neal: had a top level idea of what went on. I
Gabby Neal: also went and interned for a designer in Sydney for a month
Gabby Neal: or so while I was in between jobs. And that
Gabby Neal: was just a tremendous... I learned so much how the
Gabby Neal: process there. But our garments, they're all knitted, so we
Gabby Neal: need a knitting machine. It's not just a sewing thing.
Gabby Neal: It's not cut and sew. So in terms of how
Gabby Neal: I went, obviously the first point of call was Woolmark,
Gabby Neal: AWI, they're the global authority on wool. And they have
Gabby Neal: a great team there, supporting people wanting to get into
Gabby Neal: wool. And they've got the Wool lab, which has got
Gabby Neal: all the amazing innovations and new product ranges that are
Gabby Neal: out there. And they've got some great contacts as well.
Gabby Neal: But I worked with a lady, and she had some
Gabby Neal: contacts to get me started, and we had our first
Gabby Neal: batch manufactured in China. Like I said, it wasn't the
Gabby Neal: first choice. But after you go along, you realize " At
Gabby Neal: the moment, they're the experts. They've got all the machines,
Gabby Neal: and wool gets exported over there, anyway. So it gets
Gabby Neal: clean and scoured, and all that processing is done overseas
Gabby Neal: anyway. So then it's more of an expense to get
Gabby Neal: it back to Australia. So I may as well get
Gabby Neal: it made while it's over there. And then get the
Gabby Neal: final garment sent back. But we're looking at changing up.
Gabby Neal: Vietnam's an up and coming region. India, as well. So
Gabby Neal: we're looking elsewhere. But like I said, they've been amazing
Gabby Neal: to work with. And Woolmark have been working through their contacts
Gabby Neal: as well, making sure we're using reliable people. And industry
Gabby Neal: recognized as well. Especially working with wool and the suppliers.
Gabby Neal: But yeah, the whole way, making sure that it's obviously
Gabby Neal: 1005 Australian Merino wool. But yeah. I got some samples
Gabby Neal: made. Did some drawings up, got some samples made. And
Gabby Neal: made some fittings. And you do that process back and forth,
Gabby Neal: just to get the right fit. And landed on the capsule
Gabby Neal: wardrobe that we've got at the moment. We've got a
Gabby Neal: singlet, a t- shirt and a long sleeve, and hoping
Gabby Neal: to expand that out. But yeah, it's been interesting. And
Gabby Neal: I'm forever learning. And I think it's been a really
Gabby Neal: exciting journey.
Jasmine Wells: It sounds exciting. And there's just so much more to
Jasmine Wells: it. Most of our listeners would've at some stage moved
Jasmine Wells: to mob sheep, and certainly worn wool. But there's just
Jasmine Wells: so much in between that people... Well, I know I
Jasmine Wells: hadn't really thought about it until we got talking. So
Jasmine Wells: do you think that our consumers understand the value of
Jasmine Wells: buying an Australian product? And really supporting that industry?
Gabby Neal: It's a really interesting question. Because I think, inherently, as
Gabby Neal: Australian consumers, we've been brought up to want to search
Gabby Neal: for Australian produce and Australian products. In terms of the
Gabby Neal: marketing, especially for us, we are heroing a homegrown fiber.
Gabby Neal: But at the end of the day, I do think...
Gabby Neal: Especially the way the economy is, as well... It comes
Gabby Neal: down to the wallet. Price is an incredible motivator, and it
Gabby Neal: does come down to whether it's designed and made in
Gabby Neal: Australia. Versus designed and made elsewhere. I think INTACT., short
Gabby Neal: term, we're coming out with a new range. And we've
Gabby Neal: got some exciting colors. And we're inspiring a new way
Gabby Neal: to web wool. So I'm excited to bring new products
Gabby Neal: to market that people wouldn't necessarily think would be wool.
Gabby Neal: Like the t- shirts, the singlets, the dresses. Your summer and spring
Gabby Neal: clothing. Medium, I'd love to have a bigger team and
Gabby Neal: bigger product range, and just a bigger presence. And I
Gabby Neal: think, eventually, it would be pretty cool to be the Allbirds of
Gabby Neal: Australia. I'd love to have INTACT. a household name. And
Gabby Neal: people wearing wool in summer, and understanding what Australian wool
Gabby Neal: means and where it comes from. Right through from rural
Gabby Neal: New South Wales, Australia, to the cities.
Jasmine Wells: I think it's very possible. What you've achieved in such
Jasmine Wells: a short time and your knowledge of the industry, I
Jasmine Wells: think that really shines through. Are you concerned about the
Jasmine Wells: wool industry?
Gabby Neal: My sister's on the farm and my parents as well.
Gabby Neal: And I'm lucky, in a position I can have a
Gabby Neal: bit of an understanding from what's happening on the farm,
Gabby Neal: and on the ground side of things, versus the fashion
Gabby Neal: end. And obviously we're all, it's a discerning at the
Gabby Neal: moment with skill shortages... Shearing, we know that's been a
Gabby Neal: bit of a hassle through Covid. But then it's also
Gabby Neal: two prong. 'Cause on the other side, on the where
Gabby Neal: Woolmark are doing some amazing things. There's some pretty incredible
Gabby Neal: innovations coming out. Hater Shapes did this amazing collaboration with Dion
Gabby Neal: Lee. And they came out with a wetsuit lined with
Gabby Neal: Australian Merino wool. And first thoughts, you would be like, "
Gabby Neal: Why is wool in a bloody wetsuit?" But yeah, it's obviously
Gabby Neal: once you understand the properties of wool, you realize that
Gabby Neal: it can work, and it serves a purpose. And at the
Gabby Neal: other end, your high fashion houses, they're obviously... Wool is
Gabby Neal: a premium luxury fiber, and it's woven into a lot
Gabby Neal: of their collections. But yeah, Woolmark are doing some amazing
Gabby Neal: things, and I... All those innovations and... That's what I
Gabby Neal: want to bring through Intact. I want to bring those
Gabby Neal: to market, and show them in a way so that
Gabby Neal: Joe Blow down the road can actually see what it
Gabby Neal: can be done. And what it can be transformed into.
Jasmine Wells: You mentioned Joe Blow. What is your target audience? Is
Jasmine Wells: there a specific target audience or...
Gabby Neal: Yeah. I think as a new business you go to
Gabby Neal: market with an idea of who your target customer is.
Gabby Neal: And it's been a couple months now, and we've realized
Gabby Neal: you've got to adapt, like any business. Our target market,
Gabby Neal: we'd love to inspire young people. Like Gen Z, that's
Gabby Neal: a major target market. But then also, when we put
Gabby Neal: the ads ad into the universe, we realize the skew
Gabby Neal: of demographic who are actually searching and typing in merino
Gabby Neal: wool clothing online. So it was really interesting. So you
Gabby Neal: can be quite general, as well. Also with the products
Gabby Neal: that you come out with, you can be really targeted.
Gabby Neal: In the capture wardrobe... The singlet can be the niece,
Gabby Neal: or the teenager, or the young person wearing it. And
Gabby Neal: then the T- shirt might be like, my mom loves
Gabby Neal: wearing her t- shirt, she wears it all the time.
Gabby Neal: I wear the t- shirt. I guess it's just the
Gabby Neal: different products, generally. At the moment it's women. Eventually, hopefully
Gabby Neal: we can expand. At the moment, women, probably age 25
Gabby Neal: plus is where we're looking at.
Jasmine Wells: And so you've used social media as your main platform
Jasmine Wells: to get the brand out there?
Gabby Neal: Yeah, definitely. So we have the website. And social media
Gabby Neal: has been a huge thing. Especially just, it's the way
Gabby Neal: you connect with everyone at the moment. Facebook, Instagram. TikTok has
Gabby Neal: been huge. Social media's just a great free resource to
Gabby Neal: leverage. And to get the brand out there. Definitely.
Jasmine Wells: And what steps would you recommend to a person who
Jasmine Wells: wants their product to stand out in what's already a
Jasmine Wells: crowded market?
Gabby Neal: You need a point of difference. They always say if
Gabby Neal: you want to start a business, you can either invent
Gabby Neal: something new. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, you
Gabby Neal: just have to do it better. And I think it's
Gabby Neal: just having that point of difference. For us, it's inspiring
Gabby Neal: a new way to wear wool. We're obviously doing summer and
Gabby Neal: spring items. But I think if you bringing new product
Gabby Neal: to market... In a saturated market, that is... You just
Gabby Neal: have to be loud and proud. Leverage social media, just
Gabby Neal: keep chatting. The more people you can network with and
Gabby Neal: chat with, the better. But I think you've got to
Gabby Neal: have a point of difference, and you've got to have
Gabby Neal: a strong mission statement. And I think, staying true to
Gabby Neal: that as well.
Jasmine Wells: What advice would you give to other people who are
Jasmine Wells: wanting to launch a new product?
Gabby Neal: First and foremost, getting the product up and running. And
Gabby Neal: if you're in that research phase, it's just asking questions.
Gabby Neal: You don't know what you don't know. And you'll never
Gabby Neal: know, until you ask questions. And I also think " If no's the
Gabby Neal: worst possible case scenario, then that's not a good enough
Gabby Neal: excuse." Keep going, just hustle, get momentum going. You've just
Gabby Neal: got to get shit done. Just ask questions.
Jasmine Wells: Yeah, that makes sense. Don't be afraid to hear, " No."
Gabby Neal: Yeah. And just keep going. And if you believe in
Gabby Neal: yourself and your product and your idea, it'll work out.
Gabby Neal: And just keep going. And I think that's the best
Gabby Neal: thing. And even for me... And I think we spent
Gabby Neal: about 12 months getting INTACT. up and running. But you
Gabby Neal: could tell a difference, what you put in is what
Gabby Neal: you get out. And building that momentum and running with
Gabby Neal: it. Launching a new product, especially what I was doing,
Gabby Neal: I'm not afraid to ask questions. I think it was like, "
Gabby Neal: Yeah, it's conversation." And most people, they're happy to help.
Gabby Neal: They're happy to give their insight. And I think just
Gabby Neal: keep going.
Jasmine Wells: And so you've had a few mentors and supporters along
Jasmine Wells: the way.
Gabby Neal: Proud to say I've had quite a few mentors at
Gabby Neal: different stages in my career. And they've all been female
Gabby Neal: as well, which has been amazing. But I think, coming
Gabby Neal: back, mom and dad on the farm, have been seeing
Gabby Neal: the operation there, running there. Growing up as a kid.
Gabby Neal: And I think you don't realize until you're a bit
Gabby Neal: of an adult what they did for you when you were a
Gabby Neal: kid. And what they were doing at the same time
Gabby Neal: as being mom and dad. And coming to your sporting
Gabby Neal: games on the weekend. And what they're actually going through. And
Gabby Neal: the drought, and putting us through school... Seeing how they
Gabby Neal: operate a business, and how they hold themselves, as well.
Gabby Neal: In the community and their attitudes to life. And I've obviously
Gabby Neal: had two amazing older sisters, and fully count you as
Gabby Neal: one of them. Putting me in my place every so
Gabby Neal: often. Showing me the way, letting me make mistakes along
Gabby Neal: the way as well. But yeah, I'm proud to say
Gabby Neal: I've got a lucky few mentors that I can lean
Gabby Neal: on, and ask questions when I need.
Jasmine Wells: So, people getting started. If they don't have that already,
Jasmine Wells: it's really important to seek that out, isn't it?
Gabby Neal: Yeah. It's figuring out what you want help with first.
Gabby Neal: And then I've found an amazing mentor. I've reached out
Gabby Neal: on LinkedIn, cold call. And Messenger. And asked " Do you
Gabby Neal: offer mentoring sessions?" And she did. But I think you got
Gabby Neal: to be clear about what you want help with. And
Gabby Neal: also, as well, at the end of the day, your
Gabby Neal: product better than anyone else. You should take on people's
Gabby Neal: feedback. But maybe it's not always right for you. But
Gabby Neal: I definitely think having someone that you can lean on...
Gabby Neal: My sister's been an amazing help getting the brand up
Gabby Neal: and running. It's just a different skillset, and a different viewpoint
Gabby Neal: on certain scenarios. But yeah, I don't think you need
Gabby Neal: to do things alone, whether that's just around the dining
Gabby Neal: table at night or if it's at the coffee shop.
Gabby Neal: Asking people for feedback is a huge thing. It's just
Gabby Neal: nice to have someone along the ride with you.
Jasmine Wells: And what does the immediate, more immediate, future hold for
Jasmine Wells: you? What are your plans over the next couple of months?
Gabby Neal: Next couple months, it's definitely working on the summer campaign.
Gabby Neal: So, promoting wool as a summer- friendly fiber. Like I
Gabby Neal: said, we've got some new colors, and some new items
Gabby Neal: coming out, which I'm really excited for. But I also
Gabby Neal: think I'm not looking ahead too much. I'm kind of
Gabby Neal: taking it day by day. And we've got some amazing
Gabby Neal: interviews scheduled on the blog, which is exciting. Getting people
Gabby Neal: wearing wool, and showing us how they're wearing wool. At
Gabby Neal: the moment we're also doing a lot of planning around
Gabby Neal: that education piece. What do people need to be educated
Gabby Neal: on? Versus what they want to be educated on. And
Gabby Neal: the social content piece. Yeah, in the meantime, it's just getting
Gabby Neal: people wearing wool in summer.
Jasmine Wells: And fitting harvest in there somewhere too.
Gabby Neal: Yes. Hopefully, we'll see with all this rain.
Jasmine Wells: True. There'll be a harvest.
Gabby Neal: Just... When.
Jasmine Wells: It just might mean a few mornings just to pulling out machines, and that's it.
Jasmine Wells: Well, maybe I might have some time to work on INTACT.
Gabby Neal: Absolutely. I think that's definitely the case.
Jasmine Wells: Thank you so much for your time today, Gabby.
Gabby Neal: No, thank you.
Jasmine Wells: I really appreciate it.
Gabby Neal: Thank you for having me.
Jasmine Wells: I'm excited to see what the future holds.
Gabby Neal: Yes, no. Thank you.
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