Mums build brand magic
A PAIR OF HIGHLY MOTIVATED FAR NORTH WOMEN ARE BREAKING NEW GROUND IN THE WORLD OF ONLINE START-UPS AND THEY’RE SHOWING OTHERS HOW IT CAN BE DONE, WRITES ALICIA NALLY
Bursting with energy, talking over the top of each other, giggling at shared memories yet to be explained, the creative chaos that is Rylee Venables and Rhiannon Johnson (above) is intoxicating.
The vibe is probably part excitement, part bewilderment at the success of Wolf and Geek Creative House, the duo’s flagship online marketing and communications business.
Wolf and Geek Creative House was named winner of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce’s marketing and communications excellence award.
BOTH MUMS TO TODDLERS, THE STORY OF HOW THE TWO WOMEN MET BEGAN AT AN AWARDS NIGHT ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO
BURSTING with energy, talking over the top of each other, giggling at shared memories yet to be explained, the creative chaos that is Rylee Venables and Rhiannon Johnson is intoxicating.
The vibe is probably part excitement, part bewilderment at the success of Wolf and Geek Creative House, the duo’s flagship online marketing and communications business.
With roots firmly in the Far North – Ms Venables is from Atherton and Ms Johnson a long-time Cairns local – Wolf and Geek Creative House was named winner of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce’s marketing and communications excellence award and the business was recently invited to be a part of Bossbabe Inc., a members-only online community for millennial women who are looking to build their own business online.
The pair’s other “brand babies”, Ju Ju Tea and Pretty Please Powderhouse, a blend of superfood powders for smoothies, are quickly gaining traction in the local food industry and are set to be merged in coming weeks.
If you think there is a lot going on, Ms Venables, the ‘wolf’ and owner of Atherton’s Petals & Pinecones cafe, and Ms Johnson, the ‘geek’ and Gilligan’s business development manager, agree.
But, if you think they have plans to stop creating anytime soon you would be wrong.
“I think we both consider each other serial entrepreneurs so I can’t imagine each other having just one project, but this as a business has grown exponentially for us in the past year,” Ms Venables, 29, said, her trademark animal ears atop her head.
“It started off as just a creative space where we could creative projects together and we’ve created a monster I think.”
Both mums to toddlers, the story of how the two women met at an awards night about four years ago and bonded over rallying online voters to boost a drawing of a cat Ms Johnson had done with her eyes closed, is as amusing as it is typical of the digital space they derive an income from.
“We just started doing things together,” Ms Johnson, 33, said.
“I was working at The Attic and organising a pin-up competition and (Rylee) was my first sponsor who really believed in this project everyone laughed at me for.
“I built my first website when I was 13. I have a very heavy digital background so anything that is electronic I
SO MANY PEOPLE IN CAIRNS THINK YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN SOUTH, YOU DON’T. JUST HAVE A CRACK AT IT UP HERE AND TEAM UP WITH PEOPLE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN HERE RYLEE VENABLES
can build it, brand it and set it up.
“I have an overly active imagination so that’s why I just want to keep creating. We get to do something new every day.”
Collaboration is the core of the Wolf and Geek business, something both Ms Venables and Ms Johnson say, is still undervalued in the Far North.
“But, it’s definitely improving. If you look back when we both started in businesses, 10 years ago, it was so unconventional to want to partner with other businesses and work together and create spaces and communities,” Ms Venables said.
“We really want to start that conversation about what it can do for your business.
“Don’t be scared of your competition. There’s enough for everyone.”
A Branding Badassery workshop is putting the pair’s money where their mouth is, almost literally.
The online forums share the lessons they have learned over the past decade and aim to inspire other start-ups of business owners to have a go.
“So many start-ups do come out of Cairns so we want to be part of putting us on the map,” Ms Johnson said.
“You’ve just got to be open to things. Don’t be scared of not being the smartest person in the room.”
With clients all over Australia, a base in Cairns has certainly not been a hindrance.
“Stop thinking your location will restrict the things you want to do,” Ms Venables said.
“So many people in Cairns think you have to go down south, you don’t. Just have a crack at it up here and team up with people and make it happen here.
“I think the clients from down south have been stoked to be able to connect with us because we so heavily use our digital forums because we are so far away.”