We are both mums and we love collaborating with other local mothers! It is great to have associates that understand the chaos, challenges and funnies that arise when working around young children. This blog celebrates a few fabulous women we have been working with intensively to get our business off the ground.
Kimberley Wormald – Photographer
Kim is an internationally awarded nature photographer from the outer eastern Melbourne suburbs. How did she get involved in burial product photography? Well she also happens to be our mum!
Kim emigrated to Australia in 1981 and raised her three daughters to be environmentally-minded vegetarians. She has herself been a vegetarian since she was seventeen years old and has always been actively involved in protecting the environment and native wildlife. She once operated a wildlife shelter and is now the diligent custodian of a Land for Wildlife property that is a soft-release site for rehabilitated wildlife. Kim has organised (and won!) major local environmental campaigns, protected hooded plover breeding sites, spent hours sloshing through mud to feed helmeted honeyeaters, documented the recreational shooting of native waterbirds, and donated many photos to aid conservation groups with their campaigns.
Kim now has seven grandchildren, two dogs and a ride-on lawnmower, all of which keep her very busy! She loves writing (she is a published author), reading and gardening, but is truly in her element when tramping through the wilderness looking for critters to photograph.
Despite initially asking why we couldn’t just open a nice café, Mum has been an incredible supporter of our business and we are so grateful for her talents.
Kim’s website is https://www.lirralirra.com/
Leia Barrett – Designer and Creator
Leia is a mum of three who runs her own business creating amazing sewn products such as dollies, personal embroidery, cloth nappies and many other beautiful items. When we contacted her with a hooded poncho and a blanket and explained to her what we wanted made she instantly whipped out a piece of toweling and proceeded to create exactly what was in our minds! Soon our inventory was expanding with many more new designs which she has embraced with the same gusto and creativity.
We often conduct our business meetings with Leia at a local child-friendly café that boasts great vegan scones, plenty to occupy our children and very understanding owners. Other customers have been intrigued to see us roll out shroud prototypes on the table!
Leia is actively involved in her community, volunteering and the school and kinder that her daughters attend.
Nothing we suggest is too daunting for Leia and she has been critical in helping us realise our vision.
Leia’s business page is https://www.facebook.com/PixieandthePrincess
Natasha Turner – Web Design
We first met Natasha at a café which disastrously had removed the children’s toys due to Covid-19 restrictions. Consequently, Tamsin’s twins were running amok all over the cafe and Alyssa’s toddler was throwing a tantrum, all whilst Natasha’s little baby slept peacefully in his carrier like an angel! Due to all the pandemic lockdowns, since then all our business has been sorted out online so it is fortunate that we don’t mind Zoom and all share a love of communicating in GIFs.
Natasha is a mum of two (with an extra two in dog form!), she loves art and has travelled the world hunting out art galleries and admiring architecture. Natasha has two undergraduate degrees in design and construction management, a masters in education and is self-taught in web design. She is passionate about mental health, with a focus on perinatal issues, and has volunteered at many events and fundraisers for SANDS. Natasha is also concerned about her carbon footprint and makes an effort to support local businesses, buy eco-friendly products including cloth nappies for her baby, and limit her meat consumption.
We felt from the start that Natasha understood us and our business, and we are so proud of the website she has created. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have found her!
Natasha’s website is www.digitalyst.com.au
By Tamsin Ramone