Hi, I'm Britney Saunders and welcome to Big Business, the place where business is far from boring. And today I'm recording on gaddigl Land. Now I somehow manage to build an empire from the garage underneath my house and I'm here on Big Business to share it all with you, from the winds, the huge mistakes, the funny times and the challenging moments in between. So, whether you're in business yourself, perhaps you're not in the game at all, maybe you're just looking for some inspiration, or you simply just want to hear the tea.

Hi, I'm Britney Saunders and welcome to Big Business, the place where business is far from boring. And today I'm recording on gaddigl Land. Now I somehow manage to build an empire from the garage underneath my house and I'm here on Big Business to share it all with you, from the winds, the huge mistakes, the funny times and the challenging moments in between. So, whether you're in business yourself, perhaps you're not in the game at all, maybe you're just looking for some inspiration, or you simply just want to hear the tea.

This is the podcast for you. Now.

This is the podcast for you. Now.

Coming up on today's episode, I'm talking all things opening my fifth retail store in Paramatta, not in Westfield Paramatta, and I keep going to say fate Westfield Paramatta, but it's not Westfield. We are opening store number five in Paramatter and I'm going to run through with you the challenges that I have faced during the setup of this store, my biggest fears surrounding opening this store because even as it's it's a really exciting time, there's some things that I'm like shitting myself about, if I'm being honest. And I'm also going to share with you some of the really exciting things as well.

Coming up on today's episode, I'm talking all things opening my fifth retail store in Paramatta, not in Westfield Paramatta, and I keep going to say fate Westfield Paramatta, but it's not Westfield. We are opening store number five in Paramatter and I'm going to run through with you the challenges that I have faced during the setup of this store, my biggest fears surrounding opening this store because even as it's it's a really exciting time, there's some things that I'm like shitting myself about, if I'm being honest. And I'm also going to share with you some of the really exciting things as well.

So let's just get straight into it.

So let's just get straight into it.

We are mere weeks away from opening our fifth retail store in Paramattap quite literally weeks away. I don't know if by the time this episode is out, we will have already announced when our opening date is. We never like to announce our opening date too far in advance. So for the longest time, I've known our opening week, but we never like to say it in case something goes wrong, like you can never be too sure. And our poor staff, they're like, so when is the opening day? We're like, we can't really say yet. We think it's going to be this week. But we're in that period now where the store is like pretty much finished. It's finishing this week, but I'm recording this a week in advance, and it's all starting to happen. We have hired our entire Paramatta team, which is eleven people, so we have eleven new people that have joined the Fate Group. We call ourselves the Fate Group for fun, you know, like the cotton On Group.

We are mere weeks away from opening our fifth retail store in Paramattap quite literally weeks away. I don't know if by the time this episode is out, we will have already announced when our opening date is. We never like to announce our opening date too far in advance. So for the longest time, I've known our opening week, but we never like to say it in case something goes wrong, like you can never be too sure. And our poor staff, they're like, so when is the opening day? We're like, we can't really say yet. We think it's going to be this week. But we're in that period now where the store is like pretty much finished. It's finishing this week, but I'm recording this a week in advance, and it's all starting to happen. We have hired our entire Paramatta team, which is eleven people, so we have eleven new people that have joined the Fate Group. We call ourselves the Fate Group for fun, you know, like the cotton On Group.

But the Fate Group.

But the Fate Group.

Does that mean you have seventy one employees? Now?

Does that mean you have seventy one employees? Now?

I don't know how many exactly it is because I think, yeah, I think sixty something, and then we've got eleven new for Paramatter. When we open a new store, we always usually from like all of our past experiences, we always higher, maybe around like eight. But we just have this feeling with Paramatter that it's going to be bigger than all the others.

I don't know how many exactly it is because I think, yeah, I think sixty something, and then we've got eleven new for Paramatter. When we open a new store, we always usually from like all of our past experiences, we always higher, maybe around like eight. But we just have this feeling with Paramatter that it's going to be bigger than all the others.

And again we could be completely wrong.

And again we could be completely wrong.

And that's one thing I'm going to talk about in this episode today is not fucking knowing how it's going to go. But we've just gone bigger for Paramatter to cover our asses. So yeah, eleven new people can now call themselves Fate employees, which is so exciting and equally as terrifying all in one.

And that's one thing I'm going to talk about in this episode today is not fucking knowing how it's going to go. But we've just gone bigger for Paramatter to cover our asses. So yeah, eleven new people can now call themselves Fate employees, which is so exciting and equally as terrifying all in one.

So up until this point, Paramatter has.

So up until this point, Paramatter has.

Been a very interesting experience, to say the least. I never want to say too much because I'm scared of upsetting people, but let me just tell you this Paramatta store has challenged me the most out of all of our other stores. And I don't want to say too much because I get scared of who's going to fucking Listen, Let's just say, like, when you are opening retail stores, it's not everything is in your control and you just got to think outside the box of what I'm saying. But you know, when you have a retail store, you don't own the store. Someone else stars and you're working with other people outside of your business.

Been a very interesting experience, to say the least. I never want to say too much because I'm scared of upsetting people, but let me just tell you this Paramatta store has challenged me the most out of all of our other stores. And I don't want to say too much because I get scared of who's going to fucking Listen, Let's just say, like, when you are opening retail stores, it's not everything is in your control and you just got to think outside the box of what I'm saying. But you know, when you have a retail store, you don't own the store. Someone else stars and you're working with other people outside of your business.

So AJ and I have had.

So AJ and I have had.

Our fair share of hairs falling out over the last five to six months that we've been in this build of our store, and AJ's definitely seen another side of me at a few points there, and there's been so many times where I've just said, fuck it, why did we do this?

Our fair share of hairs falling out over the last five to six months that we've been in this build of our store, and AJ's definitely seen another side of me at a few points there, and there's been so many times where I've just said, fuck it, why did we do this?

Like moments of regret.

Like moments of regret.

But we can absolutely see the finish line now and it's all.

But we can absolutely see the finish line now and it's all.

Been worth it.

Been worth it.

And you know, in times over the last few months where we've been dealing with this paramatter stuff that's been happening, and I've felt like rage and anger and regret and why.

And you know, in times over the last few months where we've been dealing with this paramatter stuff that's been happening, and I've felt like rage and anger and regret and why.

The fuck have I done this? And what is this going to be like?

The fuck have I done this? And what is this going to be like?

If this is like this now, I just remind myself, like as cliche as it is, nothing good comes easy.

If this is like this now, I just remind myself, like as cliche as it is, nothing good comes easy.

I can't expect to.

I can't expect to.

Just open all these doors and it's just a walk in the park every single time, and it's hard to not compare it to other experiences, but this one hasn't been a walk in the Park and I can't say why because I don't know. I probably get sued, But anyway, we've fucking got there. We've got eleven new staff members, which is so exciting. I have nothing to do with the hiring of our retail teams and I will never take any credit for that. I have an amazing team at head office whose job it is to hire our new teams, to onboard our new teams. They've done a full induction day down in Paramatta. We always hire out like a creative office space kind of thing, and they do a whole training day. There's presentations, there's video tutorials, they have a whole day of going through like their onboarding and welcome to Fate. So they've done that last week, I think it was, and they've absolutely knocked.

Just open all these doors and it's just a walk in the park every single time, and it's hard to not compare it to other experiences, but this one hasn't been a walk in the Park and I can't say why because I don't know. I probably get sued, But anyway, we've fucking got there. We've got eleven new staff members, which is so exciting. I have nothing to do with the hiring of our retail teams and I will never take any credit for that. I have an amazing team at head office whose job it is to hire our new teams, to onboard our new teams. They've done a full induction day down in Paramatta. We always hire out like a creative office space kind of thing, and they do a whole training day. There's presentations, there's video tutorials, they have a whole day of going through like their onboarding and welcome to Fate. So they've done that last week, I think it was, and they've absolutely knocked.

It out of the park.

It out of the park.

With each store, our processes have become more and more refined, and it's actually amazing to see what my head office team have done with our whole onboarding process. If you saw it, you'd be like, wow, this is fucking so professional. So I take my hat off to my team at head office who have done all of that to orchestrate our Paramatta team coming on board. I've met the manager and assistant manager. They came to Newcastle for three days to do their like induction and training. Took them out for a nice dinner, both lovely girls. Super exciting for them to be stepping into these new roles. And I'm yet to meet the other team members, but it's just really exciting. So that's where we are at end this week. On Thursday and Friday, I'm setting up the store. So the setup begins, which is the fun bit. It's the fun bit, but your feet fucking hurt and your back kills like you would not believe the work that goes into setting up a store, like getting out every single piece of clothing and fucking hanging it up and steaming it. Just all those nitty gritty things. But that's what we absolutely love. We love this part that we're about to go into at the end of this week. And in saying all this, I thought I'd do an episode on my biggest fears going into store number five and also things that I'm excited about.

With each store, our processes have become more and more refined, and it's actually amazing to see what my head office team have done with our whole onboarding process. If you saw it, you'd be like, wow, this is fucking so professional. So I take my hat off to my team at head office who have done all of that to orchestrate our Paramatta team coming on board. I've met the manager and assistant manager. They came to Newcastle for three days to do their like induction and training. Took them out for a nice dinner, both lovely girls. Super exciting for them to be stepping into these new roles. And I'm yet to meet the other team members, but it's just really exciting. So that's where we are at end this week. On Thursday and Friday, I'm setting up the store. So the setup begins, which is the fun bit. It's the fun bit, but your feet fucking hurt and your back kills like you would not believe the work that goes into setting up a store, like getting out every single piece of clothing and fucking hanging it up and steaming it. Just all those nitty gritty things. But that's what we absolutely love. We love this part that we're about to go into at the end of this week. And in saying all this, I thought I'd do an episode on my biggest fears going into store number five and also things that I'm excited about.

So let's start with my fears.

So let's start with my fears.

The first one really dumb one, but it's a feeling that I have every single time we open a new store. I have the biggest fear of no one showing up, which I know is stupid, and I say this to my team every time we open a new store, what if no one comes?

The first one really dumb one, but it's a feeling that I have every single time we open a new store. I have the biggest fear of no one showing up, which I know is stupid, and I say this to my team every time we open a new store, what if no one comes?

Or what if only three people come. They're like, don't be fucking stupid, Like.

Or what if only three people come. They're like, don't be fucking stupid, Like.

We've got all these other stores that have had amazing openings. But I think it's just your inner little bully as well as a bit of imposter syndrome, just saying, what if we've made the wrong decision with this location on what if no one comes? So that's my first fear, and I guess on the same note, but completely opposite, I have another fear of it being too chaotic, that it becomes out of our control. All of our store openings so far have gotten bigger and bigger. Our last one was Hawthorne in Victoria at the end of last year, and that like knocked our socks off because it was a boutique store. We thought, oh, surely it won't be as big as the Westfields. Nah, it was the biggest one of all. And that line out the front just doesn't seem to go down, and it's like, holy fuck, are we even going to be able to get through this line?

We've got all these other stores that have had amazing openings. But I think it's just your inner little bully as well as a bit of imposter syndrome, just saying, what if we've made the wrong decision with this location on what if no one comes? So that's my first fear, and I guess on the same note, but completely opposite, I have another fear of it being too chaotic, that it becomes out of our control. All of our store openings so far have gotten bigger and bigger. Our last one was Hawthorne in Victoria at the end of last year, and that like knocked our socks off because it was a boutique store. We thought, oh, surely it won't be as big as the Westfields. Nah, it was the biggest one of all. And that line out the front just doesn't seem to go down, and it's like, holy fuck, are we even going to be able to get through this line?

In a day.

In a day.

So on one hand, I'm scared that no one's going to come, and at the same time, I'm worried too many people are going to come on the same day and then we're not gonna be able to get them all through the door. Because the thing is, like with our store, they're not department stores. Like we're not Kmart. We're not designed to have hundreds of people come through in a day, but we do. Like on our opening day for Hawthorne, I think we serve like three hundred and something customers, and that's a little boutique, Like a little boutique.

So on one hand, I'm scared that no one's going to come, and at the same time, I'm worried too many people are going to come on the same day and then we're not gonna be able to get them all through the door. Because the thing is, like with our store, they're not department stores. Like we're not Kmart. We're not designed to have hundreds of people come through in a day, but we do. Like on our opening day for Hawthorne, I think we serve like three hundred and something customers, and that's a little boutique, Like a little boutique.

With five change rooms.

With five change rooms.

We're not we're not kmart designed to have so many people come through, but we make it work. So that's my first fear, I guess, and that fear never goes away. I've spoken about it multiple times in other episodes about how you just always doubt yourself and I don't think that'll level go away. But I think having those fears is what keeps you humble, if I'm being honest. So yeah, I have a fear that no one's gonna come, and then I also have the fear that too many people are going to come, And I always hope that not everyone just comes. It's always really exciting when it's an opening day, like everyone wants to get there on the opening day. And then I always jump on our story and say not everyone needs to come on the one day, Like come the next day or the day after when it's calmed down, because I want people to have like the best experience possible in our stores. But a store opening is just not comparable to like a regular day to day trade, so they don't fully get that like amazing personal experience when we're trying so hard to get through three hundred people.

We're not we're not kmart designed to have so many people come through, but we make it work. So that's my first fear, I guess, and that fear never goes away. I've spoken about it multiple times in other episodes about how you just always doubt yourself and I don't think that'll level go away. But I think having those fears is what keeps you humble, if I'm being honest. So yeah, I have a fear that no one's gonna come, and then I also have the fear that too many people are going to come, And I always hope that not everyone just comes. It's always really exciting when it's an opening day, like everyone wants to get there on the opening day. And then I always jump on our story and say not everyone needs to come on the one day, Like come the next day or the day after when it's calmed down, because I want people to have like the best experience possible in our stores. But a store opening is just not comparable to like a regular day to day trade, so they don't fully get that like amazing personal experience when we're trying so hard to get through three hundred people.

But anyway, these are just the things that we deal with.

But anyway, these are just the things that we deal with.

My next fear with this new store and any store that we open, not just this one in particular, But my biggest fear of.

My next fear with this new store and any store that we open, not just this one in particular, But my biggest fear of.

All is the fear with the team.

All is the fear with the team.

We do the most thorough job of finding the perfect candidates for Fate, and we look at them as a team as well. We look at the manager and assistant manager and see how well they're going to work together, and we do so much training and onboarding and really drill our values into their heads. And you know, we want to find the right people that are the right fit for our company.

We do the most thorough job of finding the perfect candidates for Fate, and we look at them as a team as well. We look at the manager and assistant manager and see how well they're going to work together, and we do so much training and onboarding and really drill our values into their heads. And you know, we want to find the right people that are the right fit for our company.

But I think my.

But I think my.

Biggest fear with opening any store is at the end of the day, no matter how much training and onboarding and everything that we do, we can't control how people get along. And that's a huge fear that I have as the owner, is we're putting eleven brand new people together and hoping that they're they're gonna get along and they're gonna work well together, and that's something that you can't control. I've learned to accept that we can do everything that we can on our end to ensure that they're going to have the best working environment and they're all gonna be supportive of one another. But at the end of the day, it'd be unrealistic to expect that we can control people's personalities getting along. Like it's just it's impossible and it's nothing to lose sleepover. But I just always have this feeling and hope in the back of my mind that everyone's gonna get along and no one's gonna hate one another.

Biggest fear with opening any store is at the end of the day, no matter how much training and onboarding and everything that we do, we can't control how people get along. And that's a huge fear that I have as the owner, is we're putting eleven brand new people together and hoping that they're they're gonna get along and they're gonna work well together, and that's something that you can't control. I've learned to accept that we can do everything that we can on our end to ensure that they're going to have the best working environment and they're all gonna be supportive of one another. But at the end of the day, it'd be unrealistic to expect that we can control people's personalities getting along. Like it's just it's impossible and it's nothing to lose sleepover. But I just always have this feeling and hope in the back of my mind that everyone's gonna get along and no one's gonna hate one another.

You know.

You know.

It's just all these little things, and we've dealt with stuff like that with every store opening, Like not everything is always one hundred percent smooth. Again, if it was like everyone would be opening retail stores and it'd be so fucking easy. There's always going to be challenges, especially with putting a brand new team together, but again, like all we can do is the best that we can do. And same for the new managers that we've employed. You know, we need to instill confidence in them that they know what they're doing with their team and we can just cross our fingers in toes and hope for the best. But from what I've heard, I haven't met the whole team, but from what I've heard, they all got.

It's just all these little things, and we've dealt with stuff like that with every store opening, Like not everything is always one hundred percent smooth. Again, if it was like everyone would be opening retail stores and it'd be so fucking easy. There's always going to be challenges, especially with putting a brand new team together, but again, like all we can do is the best that we can do. And same for the new managers that we've employed. You know, we need to instill confidence in them that they know what they're doing with their team and we can just cross our fingers in toes and hope for the best. But from what I've heard, I haven't met the whole team, but from what I've heard, they all got.

Along swimmingly at their.

Along swimmingly at their.

At their induction day that they had in Paramounta last week, which is so exciting and it's a freaking exciting time for them. Like how often do people get to come and work in a brand new store that has never existed before for a brand like Fate and they get to be there from the opening day, Like they were saying to our team that were there with them, do we get to work on the opening day? Like they were all so excited and really like all want to work on the very first day, But we can't always have eleven people on the floor on opening day. So yeah, whilst I'm saying these negative things and things that I'm scared about. It's not to say that it isn't like the most exciting thing in the world. It is the most exciting thing ever to be bringing a brand new team into a brand new store. But at the same time, as a business owner, I've got to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong, because you can't just go through life just like brushing them under the rug. So I definitely have my.

At their induction day that they had in Paramounta last week, which is so exciting and it's a freaking exciting time for them. Like how often do people get to come and work in a brand new store that has never existed before for a brand like Fate and they get to be there from the opening day, Like they were saying to our team that were there with them, do we get to work on the opening day? Like they were all so excited and really like all want to work on the very first day, But we can't always have eleven people on the floor on opening day. So yeah, whilst I'm saying these negative things and things that I'm scared about. It's not to say that it isn't like the most exciting thing in the world. It is the most exciting thing ever to be bringing a brand new team into a brand new store. But at the same time, as a business owner, I've got to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong, because you can't just go through life just like brushing them under the rug. So I definitely have my.

Have my fears.

Have my fears.

And the last fear I guess that I have, and this is a fear that I not only have with opening a brand new store, but I guess just having stores in general, is I have a fear of customers being disappointed if it's not what they wanted it to be. And again, I think it's unrealistic for me to set the expectation that everyone is going to have the absolute one hundred and ten percent best experience of their life.

And the last fear I guess that I have, and this is a fear that I not only have with opening a brand new store, but I guess just having stores in general, is I have a fear of customers being disappointed if it's not what they wanted it to be. And again, I think it's unrealistic for me to set the expectation that everyone is going to have the absolute one hundred and ten percent best experience of their life.

When they come to a fate store.

When they come to a fate store.

But I do have fears that maybe one day someone's going to come in and whoever's working is just gonna miss the mark. You know, they're going to be so caught up steaming something that they forget to say hello. Just all these little things are things that bring me fear, and I feel like that all falls back on me. And at the end of the day, I know it's not my fault, nor is it anyone's real fault. I mean, it can be if someone doesn't have the best experience in the world in a Fate store, but I can't help but feel like it's all my fault. If someone emails us and says, hey, I went into your new Paramount store the other day and the experience wasn't the greatest, I feel like fuck, Like I feel like a failure when that happens.

But I do have fears that maybe one day someone's going to come in and whoever's working is just gonna miss the mark. You know, they're going to be so caught up steaming something that they forget to say hello. Just all these little things are things that bring me fear, and I feel like that all falls back on me. And at the end of the day, I know it's not my fault, nor is it anyone's real fault. I mean, it can be if someone doesn't have the best experience in the world in a Fate store, but I can't help but feel like it's all my fault. If someone emails us and says, hey, I went into your new Paramount store the other day and the experience wasn't the greatest, I feel like fuck, Like I feel like a failure when that happens.

What's the most and this is compared to all your other store openings, the most unexpected thing that has happened with this store being set up for you? In the process, Yeah, in the process, is there something that's happened You've been like, Wow, this is something that I didn't expect to happen. Hasn't happened with any other store, and you found like quite challenging. Yeah, there's a Lot's what's the one that stands out the most to you?

What's the most and this is compared to all your other store openings, the most unexpected thing that has happened with this store being set up for you? In the process, Yeah, in the process, is there something that's happened You've been like, Wow, this is something that I didn't expect to happen. Hasn't happened with any other store, and you found like quite challenging. Yeah, there's a Lot's what's the one that stands out the most to you?

One thing that I guess I've never had to think of with any other store, and it's just like popped up with Paramatter and it's just been a bit of like working out on the back end that we've never dealt with before.

One thing that I guess I've never had to think of with any other store, and it's just like popped up with Paramatter and it's just been a bit of like working out on the back end that we've never dealt with before.

It's really random.

It's really random.

So obviously this is a boutique store. We're not in Westfield, although we are just like underneath Westfield paramatter, so it's in a great location.

So obviously this is a boutique store. We're not in Westfield, although we are just like underneath Westfield paramatter, so it's in a great location.

But the loading dock, so the street that we're.

But the loading dock, so the street that we're.

On, it's like technically we're one hundred and twenty eight Milesden Street paramatter, but we're actually on Argyle Street.

On, it's like technically we're one hundred and twenty eight Milesden Street paramatter, but we're actually on Argyle Street.

You know how addresses are just weird like that.

You know how addresses are just weird like that.

So we're on Argyle Street and you can't stop out the front, so there's nowhere to stop. And we get stock deliveries like every single week, like we're sending out new arrivals or restocks to the store. And so there is a loading dock for our building and just the same as like a Westfields and stuff like there's always loading docks out the back. But the loading dock because this is just a small kind of building complex, it's not really built for like big trucks to come and do deliveries. So we figured out that we ship all of our stock with Star Trek out to our stores, which is just Australia Star Trek Star Trek, So we use Star Trek for our like business to business deliveries, which is our fate warehouse to our fate stores, and their delivery trucks are too tall for our loading dock at our fate Paramatta store.

So we're on Argyle Street and you can't stop out the front, so there's nowhere to stop. And we get stock deliveries like every single week, like we're sending out new arrivals or restocks to the store. And so there is a loading dock for our building and just the same as like a Westfields and stuff like there's always loading docks out the back. But the loading dock because this is just a small kind of building complex, it's not really built for like big trucks to come and do deliveries. So we figured out that we ship all of our stock with Star Trek out to our stores, which is just Australia Star Trek Star Trek, So we use Star Trek for our like business to business deliveries, which is our fate warehouse to our fate stores, and their delivery trucks are too tall for our loading dock at our fate Paramatta store.

What are you going to do?

What are you going to do?

We've had to like find another courier that has trucks that are lower in height but can still carry the amount of boxes that we need kind of thing.

We've had to like find another courier that has trucks that are lower in height but can still carry the amount of boxes that we need kind of thing.

And so are you only easy as if in courier for Paramatt.

And so are you only easy as if in courier for Paramatt.

And then sist yeap and like, they're not huge, They're not the huge, huge Australia Post trucks that you see. They're the smaller blue Star Trek ones. You've probably seen them getting around. Yeah, but they're just simply too tall and they can't fit in our loading dock, which is not you wouldn't think that that's that big of a deal, but it actually has been super annoying for us.

And then sist yeap and like, they're not huge, They're not the huge, huge Australia Post trucks that you see. They're the smaller blue Star Trek ones. You've probably seen them getting around. Yeah, but they're just simply too tall and they can't fit in our loading dock, which is not you wouldn't think that that's that big of a deal, but it actually has been super annoying for us.

When did you figure that out is when you a truck came.

When did you figure that out is when you a truck came.

No, we figured it out like a little while back when we started to build and the builders were coming in with like all their building materials and stuff, and so it's just been a bit of like logistics on the back end of like calling around to different truck companies. We've even put ads up online to try and find someone with a truck that you know, and because we have our Fate mobile, like our Fate van, but then that's limited by weight, like it can only hold eight hundred kilos or eight hundred times.

No, we figured it out like a little while back when we started to build and the builders were coming in with like all their building materials and stuff, and so it's just been a bit of like logistics on the back end of like calling around to different truck companies. We've even put ads up online to try and find someone with a truck that you know, and because we have our Fate mobile, like our Fate van, but then that's limited by weight, like it can only hold eight hundred kilos or eight hundred times.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Aj Tommy can't remember, just like I can take stock down, but I can't take our whole because our first shipment is huge.

Aj Tommy can't remember, just like I can take stock down, but I can't take our whole because our first shipment is huge.

Because it's a store full of stock.

Because it's a store full of stock.

So he's like, I'd have to do a thousand trips to get all the stock down there. But we've got there in the end, and we've like set up a new account with a new company. It's just been a whole lot of like admin and working shit out, but we've got there. And thank god we thought about this sooner, because otherwise we would have like come to opening and used Star Trek like we do with all the other the stores, and the truck would have got there and they're like, I can't pull up anywhere because there's nowhere for them to stop out the front. It is like bus zones and no stopping whatsoever. So that has been one surprising thing that's just like caught us off guard and we've gone, holy shit, we need to figure this out before we open. Moving on to the positives, those are my negative things that I have fears surrounding with opening a store, and I don't want anyone to like see those as bad things. As I said earlier, like this is a super exciting time for us to be opening a new store, but I guess being the owner of the company, I am gonna have my fears. I do have experience. I know the things that can go wrong. I know the shit that we've gone through with store opening, so it's only natural for me to have these fears.

So he's like, I'd have to do a thousand trips to get all the stock down there. But we've got there in the end, and we've like set up a new account with a new company. It's just been a whole lot of like admin and working shit out, but we've got there. And thank god we thought about this sooner, because otherwise we would have like come to opening and used Star Trek like we do with all the other the stores, and the truck would have got there and they're like, I can't pull up anywhere because there's nowhere for them to stop out the front. It is like bus zones and no stopping whatsoever. So that has been one surprising thing that's just like caught us off guard and we've gone, holy shit, we need to figure this out before we open. Moving on to the positives, those are my negative things that I have fears surrounding with opening a store, and I don't want anyone to like see those as bad things. As I said earlier, like this is a super exciting time for us to be opening a new store, but I guess being the owner of the company, I am gonna have my fears. I do have experience. I know the things that can go wrong. I know the shit that we've gone through with store opening, so it's only natural for me to have these fears.

And I think it's good to have fears.

And I think it's good to have fears.

You don't just want to think that everything's going to be smooth, sailing and amazing. You know, as soon as you open, there's gonna be stuff that goes wrong.

You don't just want to think that everything's going to be smooth, sailing and amazing. You know, as soon as you open, there's gonna be stuff that goes wrong.

And we're experienced.

And we're experienced.

Enough now to know how to handle fucking everything. I swear every business owner that I talk to, they're like, we've experienced it all. We can handle anything that the world throws at us. And I'm in that same position too. But let's move on to some positive things and things that I'm just genuinely so excited about number one. I guess I'm just so excited to be opening my fifth store. I can't believe that I even get to say that. I've spoken about this million times in earlier episodes. But when I opened my first Fate store, it was in a little shop that was downstairs from our office because the storeroom, the storeroom, the showroom was there, and I needed to do something with the space, so I thought, fuck it, let's open a store. I had no idea what I was doing, and back then, that was in twenty nineteen, I had no idea that I would ever open any other stores. So the fact that I can sit here today and say that I'm opening store number five is just absolutely wild and a dream come true. And I'm very grateful to be in the position that I'm in where I can afford to open more stores, because, as you all know, they are not fucking cheap. Another thing that I'm I'm super super excited about is to live the experience of people experiencing Fate for the first time. When we open new stores, a lot of people come and shop with us for the very first time in that store. Because a lot of people hate shopping online. They've been burnt too many times by ordering online, having stuff show up, having it be shit quality, the sizing doesn't fit, like we all know the feeling of just buying stuff online and not being right. So surprisingly enough, even though we have a die hard community with Fate, a lot of people come in and they say, this is my first time ever shopping at Fate, and I think that is so exciting and special, especially when I'm there at the opening. It's just really cool to have people come through the door and for them to put their hands on the clothes and say wow, you know, like everything feels amazing, Like that's just a really special moment for me. And I've said it again, I'll say it again in this episode. I've had people say like, no offense, but like I didn't expect it to be this good, and I take that as the biggest compliment ever. I think I'm still in a phase where I'm trying to convince people that Fate isn't just like some influencer brand, and I think my stores are a special way to do that because people can come in, feel everything, try everything on, and be like holy shit, like this is a legit brand.

Enough now to know how to handle fucking everything. I swear every business owner that I talk to, they're like, we've experienced it all. We can handle anything that the world throws at us. And I'm in that same position too. But let's move on to some positive things and things that I'm just genuinely so excited about number one. I guess I'm just so excited to be opening my fifth store. I can't believe that I even get to say that. I've spoken about this million times in earlier episodes. But when I opened my first Fate store, it was in a little shop that was downstairs from our office because the storeroom, the storeroom, the showroom was there, and I needed to do something with the space, so I thought, fuck it, let's open a store. I had no idea what I was doing, and back then, that was in twenty nineteen, I had no idea that I would ever open any other stores. So the fact that I can sit here today and say that I'm opening store number five is just absolutely wild and a dream come true. And I'm very grateful to be in the position that I'm in where I can afford to open more stores, because, as you all know, they are not fucking cheap. Another thing that I'm I'm super super excited about is to live the experience of people experiencing Fate for the first time. When we open new stores, a lot of people come and shop with us for the very first time in that store. Because a lot of people hate shopping online. They've been burnt too many times by ordering online, having stuff show up, having it be shit quality, the sizing doesn't fit, like we all know the feeling of just buying stuff online and not being right. So surprisingly enough, even though we have a die hard community with Fate, a lot of people come in and they say, this is my first time ever shopping at Fate, and I think that is so exciting and special, especially when I'm there at the opening. It's just really cool to have people come through the door and for them to put their hands on the clothes and say wow, you know, like everything feels amazing, Like that's just a really special moment for me. And I've said it again, I'll say it again in this episode. I've had people say like, no offense, but like I didn't expect it to be this good, and I take that as the biggest compliment ever. I think I'm still in a phase where I'm trying to convince people that Fate isn't just like some influencer brand, and I think my stores are a special way to do that because people can come in, feel everything, try everything on, and be like holy shit, like this is a legit brand.

Well, You've got my mum wanting to come in and try, and so she might be at Fate paramatter eventually.

Well, You've got my mum wanting to come in and try, and so she might be at Fate paramatter eventually.

Is your mom still in the Central Coast. Yeah, she'd have to do a whole trip.

Is your mom still in the Central Coast. Yeah, she'd have to do a whole trip.

Yeah, well my grandparents live down here.

Yeah, well my grandparents live down here.

Oh perfect, just next to Para. Matter, let's make a whole trip of it. I love to bring her in for family fate. I'd love to bring her in for a VIP shopping experience.

Oh perfect, just next to Para. Matter, let's make a whole trip of it. I love to bring her in for family fate. I'd love to bring her in for a VIP shopping experience.

But yeah, that's one of the things that I'm most excited for is people experiencing Fate and seeing what we're all about. Because it's one thing for me to hype it up on social media the way that I do week in week out here on the podcast, but for people to walk in, I just love that. Like it's very selfish, but I love seeing people like going around on the racks, you know much absolutely everything when you're in a store, and to have them be like, oh my god, and they're saying their friends they feel this, Like it's just it makes me feel really good in what I'm doing, and it kind of really affirms to me what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing. It's very easy for me to get caught up in my own little world and bubble and just go to work every day Monday to Friday, blah blah blah.

But yeah, that's one of the things that I'm most excited for is people experiencing Fate and seeing what we're all about. Because it's one thing for me to hype it up on social media the way that I do week in week out here on the podcast, but for people to walk in, I just love that. Like it's very selfish, but I love seeing people like going around on the racks, you know much absolutely everything when you're in a store, and to have them be like, oh my god, and they're saying their friends they feel this, Like it's just it makes me feel really good in what I'm doing, and it kind of really affirms to me what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing. It's very easy for me to get caught up in my own little world and bubble and just go to work every day Monday to Friday, blah blah blah.

But then to get out.

But then to get out.

There and like experience a new store and have people see Fate in person and touch it and feel it and try it on, and people be excited and walk out with their hands full of bags like it. Just it's like a really big confidence boost for me, to be honest. Another positive thing that I'm excited for, which kind of goes off the back of like a negative, is I'm so excited to have a brand new team coming into Fate. As scary as that is and as scared as I am of the challenges that may come with eleven new people being under our wing, I'm equally as excited. I truly think, and I would hope that all of our store managers from all of our other stores out there would be able to vouch for me in this.

There and like experience a new store and have people see Fate in person and touch it and feel it and try it on, and people be excited and walk out with their hands full of bags like it. Just it's like a really big confidence boost for me, to be honest. Another positive thing that I'm excited for, which kind of goes off the back of like a negative, is I'm so excited to have a brand new team coming into Fate. As scary as that is and as scared as I am of the challenges that may come with eleven new people being under our wing, I'm equally as excited. I truly think, and I would hope that all of our store managers from all of our other stores out there would be able to vouch for me in this.

But I truly think.

But I truly think.

That the retail experience of Fate is like no other, and I'm just so excited to hopefully have created roles for people that they are going to enjoy going to work every day.

That the retail experience of Fate is like no other, and I'm just so excited to hopefully have created roles for people that they are going to enjoy going to work every day.

I hope that.

I hope that.

They can show up every day and feel completely supported by all of their team members. I hope that they can feel like they're comfortable in a beautiful environment.

They can show up every day and feel completely supported by all of their team members. I hope that they can feel like they're comfortable in a beautiful environment.

Let's be real, Fate stores are so nice.

Let's be real, Fate stores are so nice.

I would love showing up there every day of working in that environment every day. I love that we don't have KPIs especially for the store manager who would generally feel so much pressure in a management role to be worrying about those numbers. Overall, it's just a really exciting time for a brand new team. And I'd say, like it's a It's not something that you get to experience every day working in retail. Is being there for the grand opening of this brand new store and being part of the excitement and the fact that our team gets to be then part of our community that is so special. Like if you ask any of our retail teams, like, what's one of their favorite things about working in a Fate store, it's like the community because everyone that comes in is just so nice and lovely and friendly and down to earth. So it's really exciting to know that there's this whole community that's going to be built around a store. And same goes for ongoing community as well. We have so many regulars that visit all of our stores, and I just think that in itself is so exciting, and they make friendships with our team members that work in the store every day, and they become familiar faces, and I think that in itself is just really special. There's so many other things that I'm so excited for, hopefully people being able to try on jeans like your mum and go, holy shit, these are the best jeans that I've ever had. I'm so excited to be opening a store that has size of six to twenty six in paramatter like how many other stores in Paramatta in Sydney have those sizes?

I would love showing up there every day of working in that environment every day. I love that we don't have KPIs especially for the store manager who would generally feel so much pressure in a management role to be worrying about those numbers. Overall, it's just a really exciting time for a brand new team. And I'd say, like it's a It's not something that you get to experience every day working in retail. Is being there for the grand opening of this brand new store and being part of the excitement and the fact that our team gets to be then part of our community that is so special. Like if you ask any of our retail teams, like, what's one of their favorite things about working in a Fate store, it's like the community because everyone that comes in is just so nice and lovely and friendly and down to earth. So it's really exciting to know that there's this whole community that's going to be built around a store. And same goes for ongoing community as well. We have so many regulars that visit all of our stores, and I just think that in itself is so exciting, and they make friendships with our team members that work in the store every day, and they become familiar faces, and I think that in itself is just really special. There's so many other things that I'm so excited for, hopefully people being able to try on jeans like your mum and go, holy shit, these are the best jeans that I've ever had. I'm so excited to be opening a store that has size of six to twenty six in paramatter like how many other stores in Paramatta in Sydney have those sizes?

There might be one or two.

There might be one or two.

I don't know exactly, but I am so glad to be able to bring my business and my brand and what I do to a new area in New South Wales. That in itself is super exciting and yeah, like everything else, there's so much to be excited about.

I don't know exactly, but I am so glad to be able to bring my business and my brand and what I do to a new area in New South Wales. That in itself is super exciting and yeah, like everything else, there's so much to be excited about.

There's also a lot to be nervous about.

There's also a lot to be nervous about.

But again, nothing good comes easy, and whatever challenges come our way from this brand new store, I'm ready to take them on head on.

But again, nothing good comes easy, and whatever challenges come our way from this brand new store, I'm ready to take them on head on.

Anyway, I'm going to leave you with my tip of the week.

Anyway, I'm going to leave you with my tip of the week.

As always, check the height of your loading docks, something I've never ever ever had to consider up until this point.

As always, check the height of your loading docks, something I've never ever ever had to consider up until this point.

Make sure if you're.

Make sure if you're.

Going to be getting deliveries to wherever you're setting up a business, that the height is suitable for regular delivery trucks, or be ready to go out and find a new Contractor we even put there's like a website that's like Uber but for truck drivers, and we put up an ad on there to be like we need someone to do weekly trips to Paramatta from Newcastle. Like we put out an ad and had all these truckies contacting us. Oh, anyway, make sure to check the height of the loading docks because you never.

Going to be getting deliveries to wherever you're setting up a business, that the height is suitable for regular delivery trucks, or be ready to go out and find a new Contractor we even put there's like a website that's like Uber but for truck drivers, and we put up an ad on there to be like we need someone to do weekly trips to Paramatta from Newcastle. Like we put out an ad and had all these truckies contacting us. Oh, anyway, make sure to check the height of the loading docks because you never.

Know when that's going to spring up on you.

Know when that's going to spring up on you.

Lucky, Lucky, we've figured out a solution, because if not, we would have had to just pull up and put the hazards on and hope for the best and cause an absolute traffic jam in Paramatta. Anyway, if you're still listening by this point and you're in western Sydney or anywhere near given the central coast, a Rimba's not that far from Paramatta. Have you even that way, come on down to Paramatta once we open.

Lucky, Lucky, we've figured out a solution, because if not, we would have had to just pull up and put the hazards on and hope for the best and cause an absolute traffic jam in Paramatta. Anyway, if you're still listening by this point and you're in western Sydney or anywhere near given the central coast, a Rimba's not that far from Paramatta. Have you even that way, come on down to Paramatta once we open.

We'll be announcing it soon.

We'll be announcing it soon.

If I haven't announced it already and it's in November, so it is.

If I haven't announced it already and it's in November, so it is.

Weeks away quite literally, like a week or two away. So yay to that and see you there, and.

Weeks away quite literally, like a week or two away. So yay to that and see you there, and.

That's all from me. I'll be back on Wednesday with a bonus episode. And remember to chase after your dreams as if they owe you money.

That's all from me. I'll be back on Wednesday with a bonus episode. And remember to chase after your dreams as if they owe you money.