What was a defining merry moment from when you first started Merry People?
"So I've had many defining moments, but one that comes to mind is probably getting my first stockist."
Hey there, my name is Dani and I am the Founder and CEO of Merry People. And I'm here for International Women's Day to answer the questions you asked me over on Instagram! Thank you so much for leaving questions and replies, I loved chatting with you about balancing mum life and work life, inspirational women and some defining merry moments at Merry People!
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Who is an inspirational woman in your life?
So, my mum has been really inspriing to me; she came to Australia in the early '80s. She's Indian and lived in Leongatha, a very small country town with mostly a white population. I've just always loved how she's been quite adventurous in her spirit, and she's really instilled values around happiness and being kind. They're definitely things that have been instilled in me as a child, and I would say have translated to my adult life.
How has being a mum shaped Merry People?
When I had Jack, I remember I was doing meetings the day after I had given birth. We were a smaller team than now, and while we were growing it was very much all hands on deck. I definitely found the first part of becoming a mum quite challenging and balancing that with work, with all the sleep deprivation and just trying to learn what I was doing.
And I really did struggle coming back to the office, I found that Merry People had grown and at times I felt like I was just hanging on. So when I created a parental policy, I wanted to reference my own experience, to make sure that Merry People that was a great place for my staff if they did want to become parents, and so that I can support them as best as I could on that journey.
What was a defining merry moment from when you first started Merry People?
So I've had many defining moments, but one that comes to mind is probably getting my first stockist. It was a store called Elwood 101, in Elwood Victoria. And I remember going in there and speaking to the owner and him loving my product and wanting to stock them. For me it was just this huge commercial affirmation that someone else really liked what I created, that wasn't my mum or one of my friends. So I was very excited when I got home from that conversation!
What's a defining merry moment from the last year?
So for me it's seeing so many people wear Merry People, and seeing so many people who have connected with the product and the brand. I often go to the dog park and I'll see someone wearing Merry People boots and I'll walk past and often say 'Great boots!' or 'Love your boots!'. And they'll comment very proudly 'Oh they're Merry People!'. And for me, it's such a lovely feeling that you come up with this idea and now someone is using their money to pay for your product and that's amazing.
I think also, it's my team. It's seeing the team grow and then also seeing individual people grow. People that have been with me over the years or months! I love seeing the growth that Merry People has had and that people have been able to grow throughout the journey.
Last week I put together a bit of a thank you video that really shows the growth of the team and how far we've come together! Here it is:
Watch the full chat with Dani on our Instagram under the highlight 'IWD Q&A'.
