Homegrown and expanding

Homebodii founder Ingrid Bonnor’s homegrown creation is expanding. The business she founded before she was 30 just over 10 years ago - with a flagship store now in Pacific Fair - is opening five more nationally.

PORTIA LARGE: What made you jump out of your comfort zone and start your own thing?

INGRID BONNOR: Everything I did in my life I did backwards. I met my husband when I was 20. Had my son when I was 22. Got married when 23. Then worked for other people developing their brands and doing PR and marketing. I worked for a French beauty company and that was a really good grounding, allowed me to travel to Europe, understand the fundamentals of building a brand customer service quality product, and did a bit of work on the Home Shopping Network, which was really good. By the time I was 28,29. I’m like, I don’t want to get to the end of my life and say I never really had a crack at something of my own. I’ve been working on other people’s brands. And I’m like, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ I could fail. I used to do a bit of modelling. I hit up the designers and said when I got married there wasn’t really anything to wear pre-wedding – that whole segment didn’t exist – the matching pyjamas or the lace robe. And I said may I have your lace suppliers. I’ve got this idea to make some lace robes to wear prewedding. There was nothing. So I was fortunate to have a few model mates, roped them all in, got a photographer, built a little website, did six robes just as a passion project really.

PL: You were working full-time at this point with a side hustle?

IB: I was doing contract PR work and I had two little kids, so it was a juggle. Then out of the blue, I got an email from Urban Outfitters which is BHLDN, one of the biggest bridal stores in America. Really well known, huge following and they said they wanted to order some of the robes. I was literally at the post office at Nerang and I did a little giddy up, sidestep in the line with my parcels. They ordered – that was probably six months into the business. It was very exciting. It was industry recognition that someone else, other than me, loved what we were producing. And that robe has gone on to be the number one pinned bridal robe and Pinterest for brides, ever. That was the moment that really changed at all.

PL: And you modelled in your teens including for Calvin Klein?

IB: Late teens. I was never your typical model, I was always more of a curve model. Which was fortunate for me while I was at uni, I didn’t have to compete with the catwalk girls, I was the go-to size 10 and 12 girl. I could literally have my cake and eat it too. There was a small pool, it gave me an income through uni. Now it’s so embraced and it’s really good to see the industry embrace healthy looking women. Back then, it was still that supermodel Kate Moss era, which is completely unrealistic.

PL: What advice would you give to other young women looking to follow in your footsteps?

IB: You have to believe. Don’t be deterred by what other people say. Try and surround yourself with industry people that can give you some guidance and support. I get emails all the time from business coaches, and I’m like well, you show me the business that you’ve scaled and grown and then maybe I’d love to sit down and chat. There’s a lot of wisdom with age. I love talking to people in their 60s, 70s, 80s that have had life experience and the journey - there’s such a wealth of knowledge from those generations that you can take and it’s not really appreciated in society. Talking to people who have been there, done that, take the time and learn from their experiences.

PL: Having children quite young – did that show you other sides of yourself that have helped you be resilient in business along the way?

IB: That’s a good question. I don’t think I really grew up until I was 35 myself, so I was a kid having a kid. I certainly had a huge responsibility. Because I was a young mum, there was a bit of a stigma back then. So I really did want to say, ‘Hey, I’m also this as well separate to that identity’. Bringing two good people into the world – that’s my greatest achievement.

PL: You took them along on the journey. Was it uncomfortable breaking into an industry some would call saturated - and raising a family?

IB: It was challenging. There were nights I was up until 2am. Trying to be a mum, trying to give them opportunities. My mum was a ballet teacher and every afternoon my mum wasn’t home. On the occasion she was home and cooked cupcakes, which was a huge thing for me. So for me, picking my children up from school was a non negotiable. I might be the last one there but I was there. It’s not what you say to your children – it’s what you do. And modeling that behavior to them of hard work, dedication, you turn up, and you finish what you start. And you have grit. I’m proud of those life lessons. My son’s an apprentice now. And he’s gone at 5.30am, and he’s home at 4.30pm in the afternoon, and he hasn’t had a day off in a year and a half. So something must have gotten through to him.

PL: Are you a perfectionist?

IB: I’m not. That’s something that can hold people back. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. You’ve just got to get on with it and get the job done – do the best you can; because if you get stuck on the finer details – it’s gonna delay you. I want to surround myself with people better than me. You have to let go because we can’t be a master of all things. I’m ready to grow. The business is at a growth stage and you need to have trust and faith in other people. It’s not an individual journey. It’s teamwork, it’s collaborative. You have to find good people around you.