Meet Bec from GlamSwag

As a mother of teenage boys Bec navigated countless sleep-overs, picnics, sporting events and beach trips, mostly in absolute discomfort. Inspired by a need to be comfortable whenever she was driven Bec to invent GlamSwag; a soft, feather-packed portable bed.

We interviewed four super women in business to understand what drives them to do what they do and what lessons they learnt along the way.

How did GlamSwag start?

I was in upstate New York for a dear friend’s wedding. It was Moroccan inspired and like being in Marrakesh in a beautiful Riad. Huge cushions everywhere, swathed in beautiful fabrics. I kept thinking how I’d love to recreate something like this at home. To chill on around the TV with my kids, for sleepovers and outdoor movie nights.

So, I scoured the internet to see if I could purchase something similar and there was nothing. I felt that I couldn’t be the only one who would love something like this. And that’s how the idea for the GlamSwag came about.

What is a GlamSwag ?

Put simply, the GlamSwag is a portable bed that you can roll up and take anywhere. A big, fat cloud of feathers wrapped in one of our beautiful covers.

Each of our luxurious covers are made from 100% French Flax linen. Pre-washed for the ultimate in softness and durability.

We’ve chosen linen for our new range because it’s soft, timeless and steeped in character and tradition.

People use them for all sorts of things including kids’ sleepovers, playrooms, on boats, camping and glamping, at the beach and for outdoor concerts!

We also just added the OutBack Swags to our product range.

For those of you who want a GlamSwag that’s a bit more “hardcore” then this is it!

With colours inspired by Australia’s vastly different landscapes and featuring a waterproof waxed canvas bottom and a soft cotton plaid top, they’re made for the outdoors.

How has it grown as a brand?

We launched in August, 2018 with our first range of Indian inspired GlamSwags and, at first, it was slow going. We decided then to try and produce a range of linen covers and after much searching found our wonderful Chinese supplier of French Flax linen covers. This was when things really got going, our customers loved them!

With the help of various fabulous influencers, Instagram and FB marketing we’ve been growing exponentially. We also gained some exposure in Sydney and Melbourne’s “Good Weekend” magazines which has helped us tremendously.

What has been an integral lesson in it all?

I think the greatest lesson we’ve learned is how valuable great customer service can be.

How do you juggle life and business as a mother?

In the beginning it was difficult keeping all the balls in the air. There was definitely a modicum of “mummy guilt”. However, my three boys have grown up with me always working so they understand that women work and that it is fulfilling and doesn’t mean that you love them any less. They are actually very proud of me, and they all now have a great work ethic.

How has being a woman influenced the business.

Basically I’m the GlamSwag market. I understand exactly what my customers want. This translates to our social media content, so I know what will appeal to our target market.

What have been some the biggest challenges?

Ha! Everything! Designing the GlamSwags was the easy part.

For someone with no knowledge of textile manufacturing that was a steep learning curve but we had lots of understanding and help from our suppliers so I think we have a pretty good handle on that now. But the biggest challenge has been logistics. What a nightmare! Delays in shipping from China. We have four different manufacturers there so storage and warehousing and then delivery to our customers have all been REALLY complicated. I think we’re

on top of storage and warehousing now but delivery to our customers is still a huge challenge. Our products are not heavy but they’re very bulky so to find the most cost-effective way to get them to our customers is a constant learning curve.

What has surprised you about running a business?

It’s bloody hard work!

What are you most proud of?

Bringing a product, and business, to life when before there was none. It’s a great feeling when our customers tell us how much they love the product.

I’m also proud of our sustainability. Linen originates from Flax, a humble plant which requires less water and fewer pesticides to cultivate than other fabrics.

We are also 100 per cent carbon neutral, which means we will measure, reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions where possible, doing our bit to protect and conserve the environment.

What is the focus of GlamSwag this year?

I would love to see the GlamSwag become recognised as a product that everyone needs in their life. We are in the process of developing some exciting new products that complement the GlamSwag. We would also love to break into the American market – but that is a while off!

Want to read about more rad women in business? Read interview with Mountain Culture founder HERE

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