TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE AND THEY LOVE IT
CANCER survivor and Helensvale entrepreneur Lori Phegan is unashamedly inappropriate.
And it’s this personality trait that’s enabled her to make a living out of selling politically incorrect homewares and gifts online through her business, The Inappropriate Gift Co. It has nearly 90,000 Instagram followers and 400,000 fans on Facebook.
Such is Ms Phegan’s success, she won gold at the 2021 AusMumpreneur Awards and was recognised as a rising star and for having the best e-commerce store.
“Our store is not for everyone, and as such, I wasn’t expecting to win,” she said. “Our vision is to be the home of inappropriate gifts but our purpose is all about making life fun again. As we age, we tend to lose that childish humour and joy – we want to bring it back.”
Ms Phegan, who spent 20 years in corporate human resources, said she took a risk when starting the business at 45. “I have not looked back; I have overcome financial hurdles and a cancer diagnosis so it hasn’t been easy. But creating gifts and laughs is what makes me happy and I am finally starting to reap some rewards,” she said.
AusMumpreneur network co-founder Katy Garner said the awards showed the passion of women who wanted to fulfil their entrepreneurial dreams as well as be great mums.