aussieBum is growing up - teething, identity, labels, confidence... etc:

o.k so Christmas and everything in between has come and gone, and I have lost my train of thought since the last post – apologies… I can be a very excitable person, and you will begin to notice as you continue reading that I easily stray from one idea to the next and get lost for a couple of days, don't worry I will come back to everything I miss;) This Blog is more an honest look at how I think and things that engage me today and the ones that have influenced me over the years….

Since I've had some time to reflect- i.e. Christmas with the family in Melbourne - today I'm going to explore aussieBum as a culture - and the nature and values of the brand that I believe in so strongly...

What strikes me most about being in business in general is that it seems a lot of companies strive towards a kind of perfection that negates their humanity – almost as though they are superior to the average person, and even the people who work at the company. I obviously do not believe that this is a sustainable business model…

I’ve worked for a lot of people in a lot of jobs before aussieBum, where I saw how detrimental the effects of this attitude can be – and I think it is the case no matter what company you work for- in that if people and products are not nurtured they will not be the best quality nor will they produce their best work… Maybe I am more sensitive to this as I left home at 15 and I see the people I work with as part of the aussieBum team even family – everyone contributing to the company’s success.

Anyways back to the 15 year old me, while going to school during the day, I worked in a pub nights. I do not know how I managed to talk my way into that job, but I do know- that this is where I really got my education and built strong value system(yes it sounds strange;), But- as anyone who has worked in a pub knows- there are many many different types of people all with their own set of life situations that do not fit neatly into the categories of success and failure that society at large projects, and I learned a lot about people and life quickly…


I guess that because I left home and worked at a pub, this is when the label of ‘failure’ began to stick to me, and I think it was around this time that I decided that I was going to change my destiny, and even though it took a little bit of time to do this – I still go back to that feeling of defiance- which it turns out is the feeling that has driven me to succeed and push myslef to grow everyday, which actually is kind of exciting now, and I don’t think this will ever change…


From an early age I knew I was different and did not fit into my surroundings of suburban Melbourne, where the big news was; 'who was renovating their house, or who was in detention this week??' pfff;) (even though I can see how that life makes so many content).


and even though I joke about these experiences today – they shaped my values and outlook on life – I was the under dog and in many ways still am – as is Australia in world markets… I think this is why staying to true to ones beginnings is a huge part of aussieBum’s value system, I never started aussieBum with the intention of getting rich. The company is driven by survival and sustainability - I remember what it feels like to be powerless, and broke – it was not fun and not fair, but we have to get on with it and that’s life… It is - however - never impossible to change your life in a meaningful way, once you have established a core value system that is based on passion and integrity...


Sean.