September 20, 2023 • 61 mins
Melissa Obeid is all class and style.
Her long-term love affair with France is obvious in all she is and does… and inspired her to not only create, but redefine luxury in skin care with her brand La Fervance.
Packing her family up and moving to the other side of the world to create her masterpiece, this is a story not only of passion, but commitment and the unwavering discipline to bring a vision to life.
Prepare to be swept away and inspired as Melissa Obeid joins the buzz
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Melissa Abair is all class and style. Her long-term love
affair with France is obvious in all she is and
does and inspired her to not only create but redefine
luxury and skincare with her brand La V
packing her family up and moving across the world to
(00:25):
create her masterpiece. This is a story not only of
passion but commitment and the unwavering discipline to bring a
vision to life prepared to be swept away and inspired
as Melissa OBE joins the bus.
So welcome to the buzz. Melissa Arbi. Thank you for
joining
Speaker 2 (00:44):
me. Thank you, Mel. Wonderful to be here. Oh, I
Speaker 1 (00:49):
love that French, I think. Can we just, like, do
the whole thing? Your responses in French and you can
do German
Speaker 2 (00:54):
and I'll do French and we'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Sounds good. Look, I'm keen to jump straight in and
go back to where you were heading straight out of
high school. Was it uni? Was it? What? What industry
was calling you at that stage of your your young
Speaker 2 (01:08):
life? Well, it was definitely uni. I was raised in
a Lebanese family, So education is everything right? Um and
I love my
my uni years. I have wonderful memories of that time
and friends that I've maintained to today. Obviously we lose contact,
and then we reconnect. Um, but uni was fun, and
(01:29):
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I was
quite interested in PR and marketing, so I did a
bachelor of arts, I majored in media studies, and, uh
and then after uni, I went travelling, as the Australians
do six months with one of my school friends. I
went to school in Melbourne at the Academy of Mary Maculate,
(01:49):
which was a wonderful time. Yes. Yes. And, um, and
one of my school friends and I went on a
six month trip of Europe,
and it turned out to be a three year stint.
So as these things are and one thing led to
another and my parents were like, When are you coming home?
And keep in mind, this was back in the nineties,
(02:10):
so there were no mobile phones, mobile phones, no internet.
We had these. Maybe these Internet cafes I can't even recall.
But the the
Speaker 1 (02:19):
dial up
Speaker 2 (02:20):
and you'd have to go and line up if you
could find one or
was just reverse charges phone calls. So wherever I was
in the world or if I was in Greece and
it wasn't working, I'd be panicking. My parents aren't hearing
from me, so it's hard to fathom. Now I have teenagers,
and if I want to ban their phone from them
(02:42):
for something, I just think, Well, no, I can't because
I need to know where they are after school. And
here I was as a 21 year old travelling around
the world,
and my parents had no idea where I was until
I called. So that was an interesting time. But of
course we knew no better. So we just It was normal. Yeah.
So one thing led to another. I got to Rome,
(03:04):
loved it. So I stayed. I was in a there
with an Italian family.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Were you working a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And that was a wonderful time singing French English nursery
rhymes to the Children
and then, um, got to France and we were in Paris,
my friend and I, and due to return to Melbourne
the next week, and we were sitting in a restaurant.
My life is full of serendipity moments, sitting in a
(03:34):
in a cafe, looking at the F, the French USA
Contact magazine,
and Loretta said, Oh, look me. There's an ad here
for the Paris Fashion Institute. You should apply, I said, Oh,
don't be silly. We're going back to Australia next week.
She said, Just call. I dare you just call. So
of course, I took the Frank phone box, went to
the phone box, made the call, had an interview the
(03:55):
following day. I was accepted into the September seminar, which
was in six months' time. So we went back to London.
Loretta returned to Australia and there I found myself in
Earls Court. Knew no one had no job, no place
to live. I was in the hostel, and within two
days I had a place to live in West Kensington
with people who I've maintained a friendship with until today.
(04:18):
This is 30 years ago. I don't like to think
it was,
but anyway, let's be honest. Your your listeners need to
know the truth. And and I had a job and
I was temping and I had a wonderful time in London,
returned to Paris. I could not speak French. I studied
French at school, but I was not practising French.
(04:39):
So I was quite nervous about how you know, to
get get by there. So in a couple of days,
I found a place to live in the bail in
with a German girl, Um, who could not speak English. So, gosh,
he would have loved this character. So I learned French
living with who's a dear, dear friend of mine. She's
(05:00):
back in now. So we've maintained an incredible friendship, and, uh,
and when I was obviously quite fluent in French, I'd
be on the streets and people would say me, Where
are you from? In Germany, I said, I'm not German
and they say I was speaking French with a German
(05:23):
accent accent
Speaker 1 (05:25):
she had passed that on to
Speaker 2 (05:27):
correct. I think I've lost my German accent because they
don't ask me that anymore. But, uh, so that was Paris.
So I went back to do
the Paris Fashion Institute and Joan White, who is the
director of the PF I incredible woman. She pioneered this institute,
and and so many people have gone through and gone
on to do incredible things. She has become a mentor.
(05:48):
She her and I
have a wonderful, um, connection Still, she's based in Boston.
So I did that. And through that, I met the
European director of Barneys New York. And at the end
of the seminar, I was sitting in the apartment in
the Bastille, not wanting to return to Australia, particularly, and
the phone rang. And it was Lisa Horn, the European
director of Barneys New York. And she suggested I
(06:11):
do a, um, a stage, which is, like, work experience
with a friend of hers who ran a press office, um,
for a fashion label. So I went there the next
day to do a month, um, stage and it just
kept rolling on. So I worked with Patty Carroll, who
run that press office, and it was wonderful. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
So then just, um I guess what was the when
you
when Loretta found that ad in the paper? What? What
was it that drew you to it? Because obviously you're
from media. You're doing a pair. You're like, What was
it that made
Speaker 2 (06:42):
fashion in Paris? Yeah, OK, fashion in Paris. How could
you know? Simple and simple? Yeah. I'd always loved fashion.
And and I had always loved Paris and the idea
that
this ad was calling my name and it changed my
life absolutely changed. That was the turning point, Which from
(07:02):
which everything else that has happened in my life. And
there have been many stones since that sipping stone eventuated
at all.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So when you're going to, you know, in, in, in,
in those early in those early days, it would have
been pretty tough, obviously learning a new language and and
going to, you know, school in this space as well.
Were there any times where you thought? No. Do you
know what? I don't know.
This is for me. Or were you just driven that
Speaker 2 (07:31):
whole time? I never thought it wasn't for me, but
there were times that were difficult. I went to the
Sorbonne and actually at the went to the University of
the Sorbonne to study French civilization, which was essentially language
and grammar.
And it was just, you know, when you're living there
and you had a budget for so many months, um, travelling. Uh,
(07:54):
I then asked my parents to sell the car that
I had to to keep financing me. And when I
was working in the press office, you know, I was
being paid with clothes or because it was a It
was an interesting time, a challenging time. But I never
questioned whether I should be there. It was just the
difficulty of day to day
(08:15):
living and getting creative and wanting to stay and needing
a visa. And I could not obtain a visa because
by that stage I was 24 and in order to
have a friend, I now am a resident of France
so that we've spent so much money in the country
they've given us since creating. But um, you have to
prove that you could do something that a French person can't,
(08:37):
and at 24 that's
a bit complicated. So I had to come back to
Melbourne and my parents were missing me. So after three
years I returned and I continued on the fashion path.
Here I worked for the Australian Designer Collection Parade. I
worked on the first Melbourne Fashion Festival. I was a
backstage manager of the Gravel Street runway.
In 97 I worked on the second Melbourne Fashion Festival
(09:01):
and then I launched um, I co launched a menswear
label called Industry Melbourne. So Rodney did all of the
production and design. And I did the commercial, um, element.
I was putting together the press kits, uh, meeting with stores.
I would walk
into stores in Chapel Street, or when I went up
to Mardi Gras in Sydney, I would take the collection
(09:21):
and present it to stores in Oxford Street, and they
took it on. So everything I had learned from the
press office press office in Paris, I was able to
apply to my own label. And I learned from the best,
so I was able to deliver
a very, um Strong.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Absolutely. So did you. How did you get into that? Like,
was it a friend that you were talking to? Oh,
here's a gap in the market. Like what? How did
that ball start rolling?
Speaker 2 (09:48):
So it was a young designer who I met through
working on the Melbourne Fashion Festival. And, um, he was
very creative and had a lot of drive. And I
had the complementary skill set.
Uh, so we decided to create something together. So, uh,
I was 25 when I started my first business. And unfortunately,
(10:09):
with the cycle of production, um, you need to pay
for production before you're paid by your clients
as a young brand. It's quite difficult to maintain that
that cycle unless you have some significant funding. So after, um,
maybe a collection or two, we decided to wrap it up,
but it was an incredible experience.
(10:31):
And then I decided, Well, I want to work in advertising,
not having studied advertising as such, Um, that doesn't That
didn't deter me at all. So I just sent off,
mailed off back in the day, Um, just hundreds of
CV S to all the top advertising agencies. And eventually
I got a job at
Speaker 1 (10:53):
that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, it was incredible. I started off as creative coordinator
to Rob Bell,
and then I was soon promoted to account manager in
a couple of months, and that was incredible, too.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
So when you had come off the back of your
label and that was obviously you had a taste of
working for yourself then too, right? Did you Were you
not thinking
what made you decide to go back into working for
someone else when you had that taste of freedom and
that entrepreneurial, you know? Well,
Speaker 2 (11:26):
keep in mind that it had been years that I
hadn't had a real job. Quote unquote from the time
I left uni. Until that stage at 25 I had
been working either, um, as a work experience. So Paris
was mainly
And in Paris, I worked with Jean Paul Gaultier. I
(11:46):
work with Picasso, did jobs with Sonia Riel. So it
was a wonderful time. Because once you're in that circle
and you work well, people will just recommend you from
one thing to another to another. So I had an
incredible experience. I was also the backstage. Um, I was
also the wardrobe manager, um, on a film that was
(12:08):
to star Keanu Reeves and Greater called,
um, But the funding was pulled from that film at
the last minute, but I had all the measurements, so
that was wonderful. I was looking forward to that. And
I guess when that was pulled and I was hanging
on for that, I decided, Look, it's time to return
to Melbourne, but, um, I just needed a bit of stability,
(12:30):
I think. Yeah,
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I guess. Yeah. Go going back. I know we feel
like we're jumping around a little bit here, but going
back to working with those high profile you know, people.
What were some of the sort of key takeaways you
had from from them and working with
Speaker 2 (12:44):
them? Incredible. It was humility.
These were the biggest names in the world, and they
had their feet on the ground. They were humble. They
were kind. They were polite, They had humility, and they
never forgot where they came from. And I guess to
be Frank, When I returned to Melbourne and I was
working in fashion here,
(13:05):
I found sometimes the attitude was not so, um, humble
down to earth. Um, and I didn't appreciate, um, some
of the kind of vibes or the energy I was
feeling in the industry at that time. Uh, So I
decided that, uh, I was, you know, done with fashion, Um, for,
(13:30):
you know, for that point in time. And I wanted
to work in advertising, so he in,
and, uh, and working with the clients that I worked
with was incredible. It was an eye opener I established again. Incredible. Um,
friendships and, uh, mentor mentorships. I have had the good
(13:51):
fortune of having some incredible mentors in my life. It
sounds
Speaker 1 (13:54):
that when you moved from being in that you know,
fashion space and then, um, going No, I want to
change it up. I'm gonna This isn't necessarily for me
at the moment.
What did you learn about yourself over that transition period?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That change is good. Change is never final. Yeah, be flexible.
You just have to go with your gut intuition and
your and your instinct and what your intuition is telling you.
So fashion wasn't working for me. Um, so it was
time to move on, and I listened to
my tuition had told me advertising was where I needed
(14:30):
to be. So I was I created a successful career
in advertising. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Amazing. You're so clear. Like you. Sounds like you had
just so much clarity moving from one to the next.
Was that accurate? Is that
Speaker 2 (14:42):
accurate? Yeah, because without clarity or, um, confidence in your
what you're feeling or what You
You what you're telling yourself that you need to do.
Then I think we, you know, can get a bit
lost just chasing our tail. So I've always been very clear, strong. Um,
(15:03):
strength of character has always been, um,
one of my you know, characteristics that got me through
Speaker 1 (15:10):
these roles. Like when you go back to, you know, fashion, um,
you know, fashion, and then you've got advertising, and and
and then you've got event management. They can actually be
pretty competitive. And and restless industries, too. Right? So what
are your What were your secrets to success in Thriving
in that space,
Speaker 2 (15:30):
blocking out the noise? It was very interesting, because when
I was, um,
when I was promoted from creative coordinator to account manager
on the list phone list near the phones, someone, um,
within the accounts department. Obviously took, um, Didn't take very well.
(15:50):
The fact that I had been promoted. I was an
account executive. I was account manager, so they put me
straight into a senior role. Um
uh, you know, immediately. And someone crossed out the manager, um, word, uh, and,
um and I saw that, but it just you know
what happens, Karen. When? When? When I'm faced with, um this, uh,
(16:13):
this type of noise or criticism or doubt it makes
me more motivated to succeed. Yeah, absolutely. It's like fuel
to the fire. I actually thank them for,
um but I'm always graceful. I know who did it,
and I actually crossed paths with her in London. A
couple of years later, we had a drink. And I never, um,
(16:36):
retaliate with the same, uh, negativity I refuse to, because
I won't bring myself to that to that
Speaker 1 (16:45):
level. I hear you. I love that
Speaker 2 (16:47):
that
Speaker 1 (16:48):
100% that does what
Speaker 2 (16:50):
happens next.
And then, um, I decided to get involved in my
father's business. My father has a a business which he
started in 1978.
He was a consultant for a lot of Australian companies
developing their export markets throughout the Middle East. And he
did so successfully, and many of these accounts continue to
(17:11):
this day. But when the Gulf War hit, he changed
the focus from export to import. So he became he
became a supplier to supermarket chains in Australia
and, um uh, by that stage, he was a bit
tired of, you know, dealing with the, you know, the
tender process over and over and sometimes, But he's so persistent,
(17:32):
like I see his files for a particular supermarket. Chains
would be massive, and he would never give up, and
he would keep tendering year after year.
So Dad and I worked together on obtaining the first
palette for the first Aldi store in 2000. And then
how's this for serendipity or irony? And then the marketing
(17:55):
manager from Sachin Sai, with whom I worked, phoned me
one day and he said, Ma, um, there's a I
know the recruiter for for the National Gallery of Victoria
and they're looking for someone. I think he would be
great
for that. And I said, Well, I don't know enough
about art He said, It doesn't matter. You're fantastic with people.
And it was actually for the marketing manager role. And
(18:17):
I knew it was way beyond what I was
capable of doing all my qualifications or experience. But I
went for it anyway, and it takes a lot of guts.
It takes a lot of guts because my meeting was
with the the the director, the, um, the CFO, uh,
the HR manager and I prepared, um, a marketing, um, presentation.
(18:42):
And I presented that in the in the in the interview.
So it was a very successful interview, but thankfully, thankfully,
someone with more skill set or the more appropriate skill
set for that role got the role. But because they
were so impressed by me. They created
a role for me or they didn't create. But they
(19:03):
moved on someone who was managing the membership division, and
they offered me the role of the membership manager, which
was perfect for me because I got to do marketing.
I got to do events. I created benefits. I was
speaking to people all day. Elderly young. It was just
the most perfect role. So when one door closes, it's
(19:25):
all good because it wasn't that was not the
for you. So it was wonderful. I had my Children.
I got married, I had my Children. And then I
started kids Club for, you know, kids and I started
premium membership. I also managed the corporate membership division. Uh,
almost 14 years. So I moved on in 2014, and, uh,
(19:47):
Doctor Gerard Vaughan was my director for the majority of
that time, and he was absolutely amazing.
Not only did he speak French, so whenever we passed
each other in the corridor, we got a bit of
French in there that he brought out the most incredible
exhibitions to the GV and lots of French ones. So
Speaker 1 (20:06):
what were your big takeaways in that 14 years.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Oh, goodness, um, again, be loyal to people, go to companies. Um,
and it was just the Oh, there were so many takeaways. Uh,
it was just the most incredible experience. But when I left,
it was time I had done everything I could possibly
doing that role very successfully. And I had so many
(20:32):
team members that came through. And whenever they needed a
reference for another role, I would give them the most
glowing reference, knowing they would always get the role. But
that was fine because I wanted them to grow.
It's just the, um, loyalty, I think, was my takeaway
loyalty to to the members loyalty to to the, you know,
to the institution, the value of that institution and what
(20:55):
it means for people. I never took that for granted.
Whenever I walked through those doors, I knew I was
walking in to carry on a legacy, and that was
what I did. And I loved it.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
So how does that come to a close?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
So it comes to a close with Jean Paul Gaultier.
I actually got to see him again. That was my
last exhibition. Um, and uh, he met Phoenix, which was wonderful,
wearing his Gaultier top, and, uh, he signed our, uh
I bought the big, um uh, catalogue.
And he signed it, Um, Phoenix and Melissa Melbourne. So
(21:35):
from 1996 in Paris to 2014 in Melbourne. So it
was lovely to see him again. Um, So I felt
that was full circle because I felt that, you know,
was the end of my time in Paris. And soon
after the MTV Music Awards, I returned to Melbourne.
And then to think that he was there at the
(21:55):
end of my time at the NGV in Melbourne on
the other side of the world, it was It was beautiful.
I loved it.
Uh, and also the second last exhibition was the Napoleon exhibition,
during which I discovered Napoleon's fascination with Australia, which actually
planted the seed for what became LA. So I left
the NGV in 2014, went to to dad's business and
(22:19):
decided I was going to develop skincare because I thought
food and beverage is fine.
And whilst I enjoy, um eating, you know, enjoying it.
I don't you know, selling it was not really my thing.
So I developed baby skin care. Australian made all natural.
And that's when I decided that there was a void
in the market for a luxury skincare product
(22:41):
that was of 100% natural origin. So that was the
beginnings of what became LA so
Speaker 1 (22:46):
natural baby products. Let's just go back a step as
Australian first, right? So, um, I mean, obviously with your
under
Speaker 2 (22:53):
private label
Speaker 1 (22:54):
background and exporting, importing all that sort of thing, it
would have, you know, made it a bit easier. But
were there any surprises going into that process that, you know,
may have, you know, taken you back a bit and
made you rethink things?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Not really. Um, I went to Sydney with Dad for
a meeting with one of his major clients, and I
presented the proposal and they loved it so much they
commissioned his business with developing the collection. So I worked
with the people who create some of Australia's biggest skincare
(23:28):
brands and develop those formulations, and it was all very
smooth sailing, so they were commercialised under private label, and
then I took that concept and pitched it to the
other
to the other majors.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
So if someone's, you know, if one a listener is
actually looking at developing their own product, what would you
say are sort of key first steps.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
You need to have a very clear proposition. I think
there is a saturation in the market at the moment
for So it's very easy for anyone to go to
a lab and say I'd like to launch a brand
and they will give you a menu of products that
have already been developed, Tested, um, certified. If you're looking
for certification and all you need to do is say, OK,
(24:11):
I'd like this that the other, uh, tweak it a
bit and then they launch it under their own label.
A lot of brands are doing that, Um, and they
create a marketing story around it and and pitch it
in that way. Um,
so that's not what we did with. So we started
from scratch from zero, and we did it in France,
(24:34):
which is a far more regulated skincare space to be
developing in in Australia, which is why we decided to
to my to my to my delight, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1 (24:47):
so But I mean, if you're looking you know, listening.
If there's an Australian
and they're keen to get started,
Speaker 2 (24:55):
how do you get started? So there's many companies that, um,
that are doing, um, skincare standard skincare. So you just
need to, you know, it's a quick Google, and you
can find them. And then it's just a question of
finding the one that resonates with you the products that,
um that you that one prefers, and then they can
(25:16):
do it that way. It's very easy to launch a
skincare brand. Is there any
Speaker 1 (25:20):
advice that you would
Speaker 2 (25:21):
have? It's not easy to launch a skincare brand from scratch. Yeah,
Speaker 1 (25:25):
yeah. So for that startup person, is there any advice
that you would have you know, anything to watch out
for anything you know, for the green person going into
that industry
Speaker 2 (25:37):
have a very clear, um,
idea a proposition. What's going to differentiate your brand? Um,
be very clear on the MOQS for, uh, volumes, um, packaging,
because sometimes the MOQS are minimum order quantities are very
high and they're prohibited for a new brand.
(25:58):
So be sure to know what they are before you
enter and have enough capital to get you over these initials.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
And that can be, you know, a really bit of
a stumbling block. Let's be honest. Startup capital like it
can be a bit of a tough one. So how
did you manage
Speaker 2 (26:17):
that? We sold a house. Yeah. So we So, um,
So, uh, I was working, um, in in Dad's business
developing the the skincare personal care category. And some friends
who were living in Boston came to visit us in
our new home in our wod. We had moved in
(26:39):
December 2015. They were there in May 2016, visiting Melbourne,
and they came to visit.
So we're having drinks on the, um and it was
just something that was not quite, you know, jelling with me.
I was missing France. I had turned 45. I had
just turned 45 and I was missing France. And it
was just And I thought, Is this it? Is this
(26:59):
going to be the rest of my life? Kids school
Drop off this that way.
And then, uh, Sam and Vicky were were there chatting
to Jamie and I and Sam, who's a real entrepreneur, said,
Why don't you just go to, you know, France for
a few months. I said, Sam, don't be silly. We've
just moved in new furniture, Children at the new school.
We're just settling in, he said. Oh, so what? You
(27:21):
can't compare that with the European experience. So, uh, we
we had a bit of
dialogue around that, and then as they were leaving his wife,
you know, Vicky said, they won't do it. He said,
I will. They made 100% $100 wager between them. $100
wager they left. This was a Saturday and Saturday night.
I made a few calls to my friends in France
(27:43):
just to get a bit of a vibe, you know?
And then Sunday morning, Jamie and I expected to wake
up thinking, What was that cocker, Maybe idea. What were
we thinking? Yes, but the idea gained momentum.
And within eight weeks we had packed up the house.
We had flown to Sydney, all four of us to
(28:03):
get the long stay visas, which was quite complex because
you have to do this dossier for each applicant and
it's very involved and detailed. So that was a full
time job just preparing that, um and I had enrolled
the Children at school in France and found accommodation. So
all of this happened within eight weeks. And on the
11th of July, 2016, we were on the plane
(28:26):
and we were off to France for six months. Apparently. Go.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Oh, my gosh. Now So where's your husband and all
of that? So he is he working?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
So Jamie was working in the family business as well?
Because my father So Dad developed a second arm of
that baby food, which I had actually inspired when he
came to visit me When I when I was feeding
my second child and I was using one of those
spouted things, um,
sprouted pouches. My first child only had home cooked food,
(28:56):
never anything from a packet breast fed him till he
was 22 months. And then I was working. I was
at the gallery at the time, and I had Phoenix
who was a toddler. And so I was using the
spouted pouches. And I said to Dad, You should pitch
this to to, um,
to your clients and he said, Write me a proposal.
So of course you know, between breastfeeding and Children and
(29:18):
maternity leave. I did, and instantly his business was commissioned
with creating the first private label baby food and sprouted pouches.
And then he
decided to be the master of his own destiny and
create a baby food manufacturing plant. And that's what Jamie
set up. And so once that was set up, we
(29:39):
decided that we had this window of opportunity. Phoenix was nine.
Venus was six. It was a perfect time. So we
thought we'd pop off for 3 to 6 months,
and, uh and there we There we were. We found
ourselves in France. We found ourselves in Paris for five weeks.
And that's where the inspiration for La Salvant actually really hit.
So you had a bit
Speaker 1 (30:00):
of an idea before you
Speaker 2 (30:01):
left? Yes, definitely. But I started working with, um Australian
cosmetic scientists on creating this, um, this luxury skincare brand
for for grown ups, Um, 100% natural effective.
So I started the ball rolling here. I had briefed
them in, and then we went to France to have
this sabbatical for the Children to speak French because I
(30:24):
had spoken French to them. Um, from the time they
were born and to also research the luxury skincare space.
And it was at that time that we decided when
I was in Paraset what the ethos would be. And
it was like an epiphany like moment.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
OK? And what was that?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Well, going back to the Napoleon exhibition. Obviously I discovered
his fascination with Australia. So in 1800 he and Josephine's
fascination with Australia. But in 1800 he sent an expedition
to track the Australian coastline. Two ships the national,
the list and the Geo, and, uh, and a lot
(31:06):
of the names. The ports in South Australia, particularly but
French Island, have French names. They were named by that
particular expedition, but it was a very complete expedition. He had, um,
artists and, uh, Army generals. Obviously, he was planning to, uh,
to kick the English out. They had been here. They
had not been here that long. Had he not lost
at Waterloo, he would have. We would all be speaking French, but, um,
(31:31):
so and, uh, artists. So when the artists, um, came
across indigenous, um, the indigenous people in in Tasmania, they
sketched them beautifully. And in the exhibition, the most beautiful
sketches of the indigenous are the first people.
Uh, so this impacted me because I did not know this.
We did not learn this at school, that the that
(31:52):
the that the French had such an influence at that time.
So we planted a seed and then we had done.
We were living. We were in Paris for five weeks
and we had done a full day of sightseeing. And
of course, in Paris you see a poo everywhere the
end here, the end there the, um the column in place. Do.
And I was sitting on the balcony, um, towards the
(32:14):
end of August and the Children were asleep and I
was having my glass of red wine and I was
just thinking and I thought, well, this brand that I
had already started creating would actually be
a continuation of this fusion. So it returned three years later.
I forgot to tell you at the end of this story,
it returned three years later the expedition with over 200,000
(32:36):
species of flora and fauna which were introduced to France.
So the so the wattle, which many French people think
is French, the eucalyptus. They had kangaroo at their home
at Mara the Black Swan in the lake at man.
So this really impacted me this fusion. So,
uh, when I was sitting there with my glass of, uh,
(32:58):
red wine,
I decided that, um, that this, uh, brand would be
a continuation of that fusion. And it would have ingredients
from Australia and France in this brand. So that's where
the whole concept of started it was not called LA,
then it was not called anything, actually. Just it was
(33:19):
the concept, and and then we Then we moved to,
and we lived there
Speaker 1 (33:26):
and got it started. Right. OK, so what was the
time frame between the sort of original idea through to,
you know, it being on the shelves.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
So the original idea, uh would it took place in
2015 in Australia. Um, and then it evolved
into this new concept, and then we decided to actually
make it in France. Because for our target, um, audiences Asia, uh,
U SI think for luxury cosmetics made in France is important.
(34:01):
Um 2020 we launched right before the global pandemic. Good timing.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
So that's that's quite a decent period of it. Took
a
Speaker 2 (34:12):
long time. It took a long time to get it right,
Because not only
were we doing something that had not been done before
in terms of 100% natural composition with high, high, high
active ingredients, it was also the packaging. I wanted glass packaging,
not plastic. I wanted European made pack packaging. I wanted, um,
(34:34):
the outer packaging to be in, um, beautiful paper handcrafted.
So it's all very, uh, artisan
and getting the 100% natural composition to be stable took
a lot of time. They were telling me they they
could get it to 99.99% and that was the best
(34:54):
they could do. And I said, I can't launch something
that is, you know, 0.01% away from 100%. So keep trying.
So this takes time and obviously the the you know,
the way the French work is not necessarily the way
the the the Australians work. So we're used to doing
things at a certain point, quick turn around. And we've
(35:15):
got a smaller population, a population of 66 million. And
we were not the only skincare brand they were working for.
But we only worked with the best. I would literally
call the best. Um,
uh, labs and perfume Marie in class and, uh, tell
them my story. And initially they were quite perplexed that
how could I possibly be expecting they would work with
(35:37):
an unknown person brand? We weren't even a brand at
that point,
but I kept speaking and I hooked them and they said, Well,
you know, there's something interesting about your This is all
in French, of course, but there's something interesting come up
and present to us, and we will decide. So I
went up with Amy and the Children who were young
at that point younger
and presented that first presentation in 2016 2017 is still
(36:01):
as true today as it is then, because nothing has
changed about the ethos of the brand and instantly in
those meetings, they said we would love to work with you,
and we're still working with them to this day. But
it took time 100% natural.
Um, you know, 100% made in France, uh, highly active.
The packaging, the the testing, everything There were so many, um,
(36:25):
non negotiables that it did take time. But I was
not prepared to launch until it was perfect.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Absolutely.
So what? You know, that's a long time you've sold
your house, which is very much, you know, contributing to
to what? You're what you're doing. Did you ever get
to a point where things, you know did become a
bit tired and you needed to sort of rethink or
look at other revenue streams?
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Uh, the the The scary thing about it is that
both Jamie and I threw ourselves into this business. So
for four years, we had no income.
So we were living off. Yes, we were living off
the the the proceeds from that first our first time.
And that was a difficult decision because
that was the home in which our Children were, you know,
(37:14):
born in and raised in and the memories of the grandparents.
And it was very happily rented and and and, um,
it was fine. We had no reason to sell it normally.
But we got to this point where, uh, in order
to keep going, we need capital.
And Jamie said I was struggling with it for sentimental reasons,
(37:34):
and Jamie said, Well, that's fine. We don't have to
sell it, but we'll go back. I said, Well, I
don't want to go back He said, Well, then we
sell it and we stay, but I don't want to
sell it. But then I chat to Joan White, who
was who was my mentor, director of the Paris Fashion Institute.
And she said, Just take a Buddhist approach and thank
it for for everything that it's given you. It was
the beginning of Jamie and my relationship. The Children
(37:58):
and I did, and we sold it. So it was,
um it it it things were, you know, tight. Yeah,
things were tied educating our Children when we moved back
up to Paris. So we spent two years in, which
was incredible. And then we moved up to Paris. When
we came closer to commercialising LA. We put the Children
in private school in an international school. So huge expenses, rent,
(38:23):
car insurance, food
travel,
Speaker 1 (38:29):
just a real passion to just
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Oh, look, it's not for the faint hearted, I think,
to take a journey. An journey in any case, is challenging,
but to do so when both are working, working on
it with no other safety net via a stable income
is quite, um, is quite
(38:54):
challenging. You need a certain character to be able to
do that
Speaker 1 (38:57):
and to have a husband on the same page, too.
Like that's incredible,
Speaker 2 (39:03):
incredible. Jamie's been incredible, even sort of backtracking to when
we were deciding to leave. I was having doubts like, Oh,
but the Children have just started school, But But he's like,
It's OK. We can always, you know, come back. Let's
just do this now whilst we can. So it was
thanks to Jamie that we actually
did. And then when I decided, OK, we'll stay on.
And then we got the residency and we're staying on.
(39:25):
Then Jamie's getting homesick and he wanted to return. What
did you think? That you could actually get Mao in
France and expect that she was going
Speaker 1 (39:35):
back to me?
Speaker 2 (39:37):
So it wasn't an easy road, and we were raising
Children at the same time and
Speaker 1 (39:46):
biggest complication in all of that.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
There were quite a few. Um, well, my parents wanted
me back. So So trying to work through those, um,
feelings of that sense of, you know, obligation and and
and and duty as a daughter. But then also following
my own passion and my dream
(40:10):
that I had to do a lot of work around that.
And my grandmother, my grandmother was ageing I. I was
very close to her. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020.
Not being here for that was difficult. Um, so there
was a lot of reconciling my dream, pursuing my dream
(40:30):
versus
Speaker 1 (40:31):
your actual commitments or your
Speaker 2 (40:35):
sense of commitment. Um
uh, Jamie was homesick at certain. Certainly he doesn't speak French,
so it was difficult for him. So then there were,
You know, those those issues that would present and then
the the the Children leaving going to Paris was, you know,
was was a change. Um uh, them not having a
(40:58):
relationship with their grandparents for five years there there's those
and not having family
around them. Although we have friends that have become like family,
it's just it's not the same. So lots of things.
And as a woman, as a mother, as a wife,
we tend to, and a daughter we carry carry, carry.
So obviously, every time I speak to my grandmother, when
(41:20):
are you bringing these Children back home? So I can
see them and she loved my Children. I would take
them there every week. So we carry. And then when
we finally launched, after
spending tens of thousands of euro, maybe hundreds of thousands on,
you know, in living, you know, on living, um, you know,
in France the travel, the everything and the van, we, uh,
(41:43):
finally launched, and then the global pandemic hit. I had
the teenagers preteens at at home. Uh, the first one
in Europe was huge. Um, Australia was not, um, touched
by it at that point
time. So there was a lot of fear because we
didn't know what this virus was. And we were next
to Italy, And you remember the scenes coming out of Italy.
(42:05):
So we were cooped up. We needed AAA certificate to
leave our homes. It was very intense, and my family
was saying, Just come back now And Jamie was very
keen to leave immediately, and I prayed on it. I've
got a very strong faith. Um,
and I have some two prayer groups that I was
(42:27):
a part of. I still am, actually,
and, uh and we prayed together, and I felt that
God had brought me to that point Despite all the obstacles,
there were so many obstacles. Karen along the way, So
many obstacles, errors this, that so many difficulties that we
had to surmount to get to the launch of La Van.
(42:47):
And then we finally produced our first product, the and
then the pandemic hit. And I had all of this
pressure to return to Melbourne to return.
And I just felt it wasn't the right thing to do.
So I said, No, we stay. And that was huge because,
God forbid, had anything happened that would have been on
my on my shoulders on my conscience. But fortunately, it didn't, um,
(43:12):
we were all safe and well,
and we had actually started dialogue with one of the
biggest skincare niche beauty retailers throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and
South Africa. Skins Cosmetics in February, March and then the pandemic,
the con, the first conf. So we were all locked down.
(43:36):
So so all of Europe was locked down pretty much,
and I thought, Oh gosh, you know what an awful
time for this to be happening. But they continued the
discussion with us. They said, We love your product. We
want to launch it. And as soon as the, uh,
we had the in May we launched at Skins Cosmetics.
We were we had, um
uh, an online, uh, press launch. And we launched with
(44:00):
some very significant other brands. And our one product became
a best seller from the start.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
And this is online during the
Speaker 2 (44:08):
pandemic. Um, this was a press launch. It was online
during the pandemic. But once everything opened up and we
had the, um the so unconfined we, um
and we were allowed to be out and about. They
launched it in their stores, which reopened, and the ECO
now became a best seller from the start and a
and a favourite. And, um and we followed 18 months
(44:31):
later with the
Speaker 1 (44:33):
incredible thank
Speaker 2 (44:35):
you. Wow. It was just such an achievement because we
were an unknown brand had never launched a product before.
Nobody had heard of, uh and they
took us on. And I will never forget Skins cosmetics
for doing that. And obviously, once we're in skins, then
instant credibility and other doors would open. But those couple
(44:59):
of months of being confined with a new product and
a new brand, this sense of
urgency, this sense of sink or swim was so great,
but all along when people would, because the French are
quite risk averse. So when they knew that we had
sold the house and we were putting everything into this
business and both Jamie and I were working in it
with no other source of income, they thought we were
(45:20):
a bit, you know, nuts. But, um, Jamie and I
just felt the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
And it just, you know, I'm big into my my, um, mythology. Obviously,
Phoenix and Venus are my Children's names, but
there was a mythological story that I just kept remembering. Um, well,
this army, uh um, arrived at the enemy's, um, uh, coastline.
(45:44):
So they were not on home territory. They were far
away from home, and the captain burnt all their ships, and,
um and I've got goose bumps actually telling this story and,
you know, and he said to and they were a
smaller army, not on home ground. So all of this
and the, uh, general said to them the only way
to return home is to win, and they won.
(46:05):
And I just feel when you've got everything at stake
when you've got everything at stake, this sense of urgency.
We were there. Lockdown. Europe, far away from home, had
invested everything into this brand. And
so we had this sense of it. So it makes
you just go for it. And we did, and we succeeded.
And it was, you know, huge.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Congratulations. Thank you. I
Speaker 2 (46:28):
love it. But podcasts helped me a lot during that point.
So I have to say, this is why I love
doing podcasts because you need to know that other people
have been through this and have survived and have succeeded.
And it was
absolutely my podcast, my spiritual connection, my prayer. It absolutely
helped me waking up every day in confinement with the
(46:51):
kids and this new brand and all of these things
and people, the people closest to me were saying, Mel,
who is going to buy a 300? So $300 200 euro,
jar of cream when they're home, they're not working.
They you know, um, collecting pasta and toilet paper and whatever.
(47:12):
Who is going to buy it? How do you block
that out? I just Do I block out the noise.
I just believe in myself. I believe so much in
my vision and you've
Speaker 1 (47:23):
got this coming
Speaker 2 (47:24):
from the closest people to What's
Speaker 1 (47:26):
your response to
Speaker 2 (47:27):
them Like they're not Melissa Obeid. Yeah, I had I
had a very close person say to me, Why are
you doing this? So and so has launched a skincare brand.
And she's a model and she's struggling. What makes you
think anyone is going to buy your cream? I said.
But so and so And I won't mention the name
because everyone knows so and so.
(47:47):
But she's not Melissa Oban. I just believe in magic.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
Oh my God, I love you. You are so inspiring
Speaker 2 (47:57):
to believe in magic. And if you do, then you
can make anything happen. I was trying to get through
to my to the first Parisian store that took LA
and I was emailing and calling and emailing and calling
no response. So I walked in, Cecile and I walked in,
and she happened to be there. So I presented
the story and I sat down with her and I
(48:17):
showed her the product and she felt the product and
she said, Do you know how often I get solicited,
she said. I don't even respond to the emails. I said, Well,
I actually know because you haven't responded And she said,
But I love this so much and I love your
story and you're so charismatic and engaging. Your energy is contagious.
Bring some to me tomorrow and I'll take it on
and we're still there. That's three years ago. So that's
(48:39):
how I do things
Speaker 1 (48:40):
I love it so inspiring, so inspiring.
Now I know working through say, sustainability marks within a
business and finding the right solutions there can get pretty tough. Um,
how did you get advisors on board to help you? Yes,
Speaker 2 (48:56):
absolutely. We have an advisory body. They were invaluable, so
they would give us a lot of advice along the way.
Just about ST ST strategy. Strategic direction.
Um, but in terms of the in terms of the
product and the packaging and the concept, that was all
me and Jamie, Jamie and I. But we were speaking
to branding agencies and they were quoting ridiculous money to
(49:17):
tell us what our brand personality was, et cetera. And
Jamie would always say to me, Mao, nobody can tell
you what this brand is going to be because it's
your brand. So it's you and between Jamie and I,
we we created everything to do with the identity and
the branding and the personality. And
And we worked with the most incredible graphic designer who
I met by chance at a in a supermarket in Porto.
(49:41):
Um and, uh, she became our graphic designer, but it
was another serendipitous moment.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Love it.
So what gives you the most satisfaction in your business
right now?
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Uh, when So just before this, I had an early
morning zoom with the US and, uh, she had tried
the product and she told me it was the best
product she had ever tried. She was obsessed. So when
I hear the word obsessed by people who have access
to the biggest brands in the world
biggest luxury brand in the world so that that that's
that's very gratifying when people say that they have never
(50:17):
come across a brand like LA that when they use it,
they feel amazing that there's something quite tangible, energetic, energetically
tangible in the product. And I agree that there is.
I think it's the
love and the passion that everyone who has been involved
in the creation of Lavan has had towards a product.
I think their energies is in in in, in, in
(50:41):
to what the brand is today. So that gives me
enormous satisfaction. Good on you.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
What would you say? Your key character traits that, um,
you know that you attribute to your success. I know
we've spoken about, you know, um, determination and and self belief.
What are some of the other character traits?
Speaker 2 (51:01):
Fake it till you make it. I think you just
have to visualise and, um and and believe that you
are what you're,
um, attaining or what you're aiming to be. So getting
Speaker 1 (51:15):
your vision really
Speaker 2 (51:16):
clear? Very strong vision. Um, I, uh I meditate. I visualise.
I do a lot of grounding. I do a lot
of praying. This keeps me because it's not easy. And
some days you just feel so,
um, you know, there's just, uh, you know, you feel
you wonder. OK, where's this going? How is this going?
(51:38):
It's not an easy path. And anyone that pretends that
it is or gives this image and,
you know, I don't listen to noise, but I also
don't look at noise. I think particularly with social media now,
and brand founders sometimes can make it all look so glamorous.
And I don't do that because it's not real. I
could certainly do that. You know, whenever I'm in a
(51:59):
beautiful city or a beautiful hotel and Oh, look, here
I am. And here's what, but I don't Because making
people feel less than or insecure is not something that I, um,
enjoy doing but make keeping it real. Um, is so
I think I don't look at what, um, other people, um,
(52:23):
are doing as such, because I think at the end
of the day, we've all got our own, you know,
insecurities and issues and problems with the kids or whatever
it may be. So I think, you know, we really
have to just keep it real, um, integrity. I think
it's very important having very strong values, um, loyalty,
(52:45):
I think, uh, being just real and authentic. So when
people deal with me, So if you were to meet
someone from my primary school or secondary school or any
of my other jobs, they would know me and describe
me as I am today. I haven't changed I won't
change authenticity, I think is very important. And being true
to your word, Yeah,
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Absolutely.
Absolutely. So for the listeners passionate about what they do,
keen to start their own business regardless of industry. What
pearls of wisdom would you
Speaker 2 (53:15):
share? Pearls of wisdom Very. Be very clear about the
why be very clear about the problem that you are
hoping to solve. Um, have a very strong proposition that
is unique to you
because this is what will get you through. There are
so many skincare brands on the market. So what makes
(53:35):
LA vs different the fact that, um, we have, uh,
the French Australian. It's my story. So Australian living in France.
It's my story, the Napolean influence, the sustainability. It's unique.
So there's no other brand like LA, and there will
never be another brand like LA. The name is actually
the name of the basil we lived in in. So
(53:57):
it's our home,
and that is unique. So be very clear on the
on the why the problem being solved, but make it
very unique to you so no one else can emulate that.
And then when you're speaking to whether it's a product
or service or whatever it may be. When you are
promoting that and speaking to people about that, you can
speak from the heart because it's actually a part of you.
(54:19):
I love that and its
Speaker 1 (54:21):
brilliant advice.
So what's next for Melissa?
Speaker 2 (54:26):
OK, so Melissa, I've had so many things. I actually
started a networking group, Believe it or not. A couple
of weeks ago, with a dear friend of mine Betty Service,
we started a group called Connect Club, and this was
just spontaneous. We had a wonderful dinner with a couple
of friends a couple of months ago, and because I've
always connected people in in my roles, but also
personally. So when I'm in Paris, I'll get together, you know,
(54:48):
very well known, um, brand founders. A friend of mine's
with photographers with, you know, um uh, you know, magazine people,
and I'll get them together for a dinner, and then
they'll do business together. I love connecting people tell us. Yeah,
so it's called Connect Club. So we've we We had
our first dinner,
uh, last, uh, the last Friday of August, and we
(55:10):
have our next, um, at the end of September. So
that's we had 30 women to the first dinner, and
they all loved it. So that's another That's the side. Um,
I'm helping Dad out with some projects because I, I
can't not. And when I see an opportunity, I just
have to pursue it. So that's, um so that's fun.
And LA has such wonderful things planned. I'm actually off
(55:34):
to India. Well, I've got I'm off to India. Um,
in a couple of weeks, we're launching LA India. So
we have, uh, a big event happening at SoHo House
with the beauty editors there. So they the event, um,
managers are creating a beautiful event. Very pertinent, very elegant,
very LA. So we're working on that. And then, um
(55:58):
uh, I've got some events happening around France, and then
I'm off to Hong kong. Uh, and then the US, Um,
early next year. Uh, but we have new product launches,
so we have two products at the moment, So we've
become global. We're in 100 and 70 points of sale, um,
with two products and keep in mind too. We're still 100%
self funded. So there's, you know, the challenge there. Bootstrapping completely.
(56:22):
So we don't have any choice.
Speaker 1 (56:24):
Why? Why was
Speaker 2 (56:25):
that? Yeah,
uh, Autonoma or autonomy? Um, uh, I think is the
main one, at this point in time, because it is
such a heartfelt brand. It is such a personal story.
And we have done it on our own for so
long since 2015. So I think to take it to
(56:45):
the next level and then
have to answer to people around my around my brand.
It's not something I'm comfortable with yet We are looking
at scaling, and we are approached all the time by investors.
We have been, actually, even before we launched. They love
the concept so much constantly in the last,
(57:07):
you know, for seven years. Uh, but when we do
decide to do that, it will be with a partner
who can add significant value. Not just monetary, but everything else.
I think that's very important. So, um, considering we're still,
you know, bootstrapped, um, private,
privately funded, um, we, you know, super proud of our achievements. Um, whilst, um,
(57:31):
raising teens, they get more expensive as they get older.
And now my son started driving. So, um, he's got
his lessons and and all of that. But it's wonderful.
I have, you know, we have incredible Children who have
lived the life of journey. So my my, my my
son Phoenix is just like I'm not going to have
a job. I'm never working for someone. I'm going to
(57:53):
be
my own voice. I said yes, but, sweetheart, you have
to actually work for people first under. No, no, no.
So I think it is such a part of his DNA.
He's seeing his grandfather. He's seen his parents. They lived journey,
the fragrances, the packaging, everything we would test with the Children. So,
um and they're always giving us advice. Venus is telling
(58:15):
me how I need to do Tik tok and do
the whole thing. So it's wonderful. Hopefully, you know, they
might take it.
I don't mention that I don't want to put that
pressure on them. However, if they choose to, that would
be wonderful. So we have some new products that, um,
that we're working on, uh, that are exceptionally wonderful, exceptional products,
(58:37):
so they will be released. But always we'll keep the
collection tight because our ethos is multifunctional. Less is more so.
The two products thus far are quite complete. So we
don't want to,
um, introduce too many products because that goes against our
ethos and the sustainability and all of that. But there
are some exciting launches coming up for LA in the
(58:59):
next 12 to 24
Speaker 1 (59:00):
months. I am looking forward to staying tuned, I think.
Look, Melissa, you've been an absolute delight. I think you've
got so much to offer and you've offered so much already. You're,
um so grounded. So down to earth. I love everything
that you've, you know, spoken about here today. Your story
is so inspiring. Um,
Speaker 2 (59:21):
I've been inspired by incredible people, and I really do
take on, um what the character. What they've taught me
in terms of character and integrity and authenticity and the lessons.
And I love lessons. I love pearls of wisdom. Dad.
Dad had an old friend who has since passed away,
and he had four Children, and he was in his eighties.
And my Children were younger. And I said, Oh,
(59:43):
can you give me some, You know, pearls of wisdom,
like advice how to raise, you know, good Children. You've
raised such wonderful Children. He said, Well, they just learn
the rules of the house. He said you can't teach
them anything. They just learn the rules of the house
or how you are and how you interact is what
they will learn. So I love listening to wise people
and in doing this podcast and in when I was, um,
(01:00:07):
the NGV, I would go to my old secondary school,
the Academy of Mary Maculate for nine consecutive years. And
I'd be the inspirational speaker to the year 12 girls.
And I'd do that on my own time. And I
would stand there. And I'd say to them, if anything
that I say today inspires one of you to to
do something incredible with your life, then my time is
(01:00:28):
well spent. So I've been inspired by amazing people, and
I love to think that I can inspire others to,
uh, to achieve greatness in whatever it is that they
want to achieve.
Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Well, I know you've definitely done that today. Thank you.
Thank you for paying it forward to, um you know
the buzz.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
I love the buzz. Bumble bee. My name in Greek
means bumble bee honey bee. So it's very, very, very
Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
your passion, your commitment determination and dedication are are so
completely inspiring. Mercy
Got you.
If you're looking for some free resources to start creating
a buzz with your digital marketing, then go to be
(01:01:18):
sneeze marketing dot com dot a U backslash free. That's
Benes marketing dot com dot a U backslash free. Follow
the prompts and take advantage of our free resource library
and get your business buzzing.
Melissa Abair is all class and style. Her long-term love
affair with France is obvious in all she is and
does and inspired her to not only create but redefine
luxury and skincare with her brand La V
packing her family up and moving across the world to
(00:25):
create her masterpiece. This is a story not only of
passion but commitment and the unwavering discipline to bring a
vision to life prepared to be swept away and inspired
as Melissa OBE joins the bus.
So welcome to the buzz. Melissa Arbi. Thank you for
joining
Speaker 2 (00:44):
me. Thank you, Mel. Wonderful to be here. Oh, I
Speaker 1 (00:49):
love that French, I think. Can we just, like, do
the whole thing? Your responses in French and you can
do German
Speaker 2 (00:54):
and I'll do French and we'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Sounds good. Look, I'm keen to jump straight in and
go back to where you were heading straight out of
high school. Was it uni? Was it? What? What industry
was calling you at that stage of your your young
Speaker 2 (01:08):
life? Well, it was definitely uni. I was raised in
a Lebanese family, So education is everything right? Um and
I love my
my uni years. I have wonderful memories of that time
and friends that I've maintained to today. Obviously we lose contact,
and then we reconnect. Um, but uni was fun, and
(01:29):
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I was
quite interested in PR and marketing, so I did a
bachelor of arts, I majored in media studies, and, uh
and then after uni, I went travelling, as the Australians
do six months with one of my school friends. I
went to school in Melbourne at the Academy of Mary Maculate,
(01:49):
which was a wonderful time. Yes. Yes. And, um, and
one of my school friends and I went on a
six month trip of Europe,
and it turned out to be a three year stint.
So as these things are and one thing led to
another and my parents were like, When are you coming home?
And keep in mind, this was back in the nineties,
(02:10):
so there were no mobile phones, mobile phones, no internet.
We had these. Maybe these Internet cafes I can't even recall.
But the the
Speaker 1 (02:19):
dial up
Speaker 2 (02:20):
and you'd have to go and line up if you
could find one or
was just reverse charges phone calls. So wherever I was
in the world or if I was in Greece and
it wasn't working, I'd be panicking. My parents aren't hearing
from me, so it's hard to fathom. Now I have teenagers,
and if I want to ban their phone from them
(02:42):
for something, I just think, Well, no, I can't because
I need to know where they are after school. And
here I was as a 21 year old travelling around
the world,
and my parents had no idea where I was until
I called. So that was an interesting time. But of
course we knew no better. So we just It was normal. Yeah.
So one thing led to another. I got to Rome,
(03:04):
loved it. So I stayed. I was in a there
with an Italian family.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Were you working a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And that was a wonderful time singing French English nursery
rhymes to the Children
and then, um, got to France and we were in Paris,
my friend and I, and due to return to Melbourne
the next week, and we were sitting in a restaurant.
My life is full of serendipity moments, sitting in a
(03:34):
in a cafe, looking at the F, the French USA
Contact magazine,
and Loretta said, Oh, look me. There's an ad here
for the Paris Fashion Institute. You should apply, I said, Oh,
don't be silly. We're going back to Australia next week.
She said, Just call. I dare you just call. So
of course, I took the Frank phone box, went to
the phone box, made the call, had an interview the
(03:55):
following day. I was accepted into the September seminar, which
was in six months' time. So we went back to London.
Loretta returned to Australia and there I found myself in
Earls Court. Knew no one had no job, no place
to live. I was in the hostel, and within two
days I had a place to live in West Kensington
with people who I've maintained a friendship with until today.
(04:18):
This is 30 years ago. I don't like to think
it was,
but anyway, let's be honest. Your your listeners need to
know the truth. And and I had a job and
I was temping and I had a wonderful time in London,
returned to Paris. I could not speak French. I studied
French at school, but I was not practising French.
(04:39):
So I was quite nervous about how you know, to
get get by there. So in a couple of days,
I found a place to live in the bail in
with a German girl, Um, who could not speak English. So, gosh,
he would have loved this character. So I learned French
living with who's a dear, dear friend of mine. She's
(05:00):
back in now. So we've maintained an incredible friendship, and, uh,
and when I was obviously quite fluent in French, I'd
be on the streets and people would say me, Where
are you from? In Germany, I said, I'm not German
and they say I was speaking French with a German
(05:23):
accent accent
Speaker 1 (05:25):
she had passed that on to
Speaker 2 (05:27):
correct. I think I've lost my German accent because they
don't ask me that anymore. But, uh, so that was Paris.
So I went back to do
the Paris Fashion Institute and Joan White, who is the
director of the PF I incredible woman. She pioneered this institute,
and and so many people have gone through and gone
on to do incredible things. She has become a mentor.
(05:48):
She her and I
have a wonderful, um, connection Still, she's based in Boston.
So I did that. And through that, I met the
European director of Barneys New York. And at the end
of the seminar, I was sitting in the apartment in
the Bastille, not wanting to return to Australia, particularly, and
the phone rang. And it was Lisa Horn, the European
director of Barneys New York. And she suggested I
(06:11):
do a, um, a stage, which is, like, work experience
with a friend of hers who ran a press office, um,
for a fashion label. So I went there the next
day to do a month, um, stage and it just
kept rolling on. So I worked with Patty Carroll, who
run that press office, and it was wonderful. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
So then just, um I guess what was the when
you
when Loretta found that ad in the paper? What? What
was it that drew you to it? Because obviously you're
from media. You're doing a pair. You're like, What was
it that made
Speaker 2 (06:42):
fashion in Paris? Yeah, OK, fashion in Paris. How could
you know? Simple and simple? Yeah. I'd always loved fashion.
And and I had always loved Paris and the idea
that
this ad was calling my name and it changed my
life absolutely changed. That was the turning point, Which from
(07:02):
which everything else that has happened in my life. And
there have been many stones since that sipping stone eventuated
at all.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So when you're going to, you know, in, in, in,
in those early in those early days, it would have
been pretty tough, obviously learning a new language and and
going to, you know, school in this space as well.
Were there any times where you thought? No. Do you
know what? I don't know.
This is for me. Or were you just driven that
Speaker 2 (07:31):
whole time? I never thought it wasn't for me, but
there were times that were difficult. I went to the
Sorbonne and actually at the went to the University of
the Sorbonne to study French civilization, which was essentially language
and grammar.
And it was just, you know, when you're living there
and you had a budget for so many months, um, travelling. Uh,
(07:54):
I then asked my parents to sell the car that
I had to to keep financing me. And when I
was working in the press office, you know, I was
being paid with clothes or because it was a It
was an interesting time, a challenging time. But I never
questioned whether I should be there. It was just the
difficulty of day to day
(08:15):
living and getting creative and wanting to stay and needing
a visa. And I could not obtain a visa because
by that stage I was 24 and in order to
have a friend, I now am a resident of France
so that we've spent so much money in the country
they've given us since creating. But um, you have to
prove that you could do something that a French person can't,
(08:37):
and at 24 that's
a bit complicated. So I had to come back to
Melbourne and my parents were missing me. So after three
years I returned and I continued on the fashion path.
Here I worked for the Australian Designer Collection Parade. I
worked on the first Melbourne Fashion Festival. I was a
backstage manager of the Gravel Street runway.
In 97 I worked on the second Melbourne Fashion Festival
(09:01):
and then I launched um, I co launched a menswear
label called Industry Melbourne. So Rodney did all of the
production and design. And I did the commercial, um, element.
I was putting together the press kits, uh, meeting with stores.
I would walk
into stores in Chapel Street, or when I went up
to Mardi Gras in Sydney, I would take the collection
(09:21):
and present it to stores in Oxford Street, and they
took it on. So everything I had learned from the
press office press office in Paris, I was able to
apply to my own label. And I learned from the best,
so I was able to deliver
a very, um Strong.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Absolutely. So did you. How did you get into that? Like,
was it a friend that you were talking to? Oh,
here's a gap in the market. Like what? How did
that ball start rolling?
Speaker 2 (09:48):
So it was a young designer who I met through
working on the Melbourne Fashion Festival. And, um, he was
very creative and had a lot of drive. And I
had the complementary skill set.
Uh, so we decided to create something together. So, uh,
I was 25 when I started my first business. And unfortunately,
(10:09):
with the cycle of production, um, you need to pay
for production before you're paid by your clients
as a young brand. It's quite difficult to maintain that
that cycle unless you have some significant funding. So after, um,
maybe a collection or two, we decided to wrap it up,
but it was an incredible experience.
(10:31):
And then I decided, Well, I want to work in advertising,
not having studied advertising as such, Um, that doesn't That
didn't deter me at all. So I just sent off,
mailed off back in the day, Um, just hundreds of
CV S to all the top advertising agencies. And eventually
I got a job at
Speaker 1 (10:53):
that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, it was incredible. I started off as creative coordinator
to Rob Bell,
and then I was soon promoted to account manager in
a couple of months, and that was incredible, too.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
So when you had come off the back of your
label and that was obviously you had a taste of
working for yourself then too, right? Did you Were you
not thinking
what made you decide to go back into working for
someone else when you had that taste of freedom and
that entrepreneurial, you know? Well,
Speaker 2 (11:26):
keep in mind that it had been years that I
hadn't had a real job. Quote unquote from the time
I left uni. Until that stage at 25 I had
been working either, um, as a work experience. So Paris
was mainly
And in Paris, I worked with Jean Paul Gaultier. I
(11:46):
work with Picasso, did jobs with Sonia Riel. So it
was a wonderful time. Because once you're in that circle
and you work well, people will just recommend you from
one thing to another to another. So I had an
incredible experience. I was also the backstage. Um, I was
also the wardrobe manager, um, on a film that was
(12:08):
to star Keanu Reeves and Greater called,
um, But the funding was pulled from that film at
the last minute, but I had all the measurements, so
that was wonderful. I was looking forward to that. And
I guess when that was pulled and I was hanging
on for that, I decided, Look, it's time to return
to Melbourne, but, um, I just needed a bit of stability,
(12:30):
I think. Yeah,
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I guess. Yeah. Go going back. I know we feel
like we're jumping around a little bit here, but going
back to working with those high profile you know, people.
What were some of the sort of key takeaways you
had from from them and working with
Speaker 2 (12:44):
them? Incredible. It was humility.
These were the biggest names in the world, and they
had their feet on the ground. They were humble. They
were kind. They were polite, They had humility, and they
never forgot where they came from. And I guess to
be Frank, When I returned to Melbourne and I was
working in fashion here,
(13:05):
I found sometimes the attitude was not so, um, humble
down to earth. Um, and I didn't appreciate, um, some
of the kind of vibes or the energy I was
feeling in the industry at that time. Uh, So I
decided that, uh, I was, you know, done with fashion, Um, for,
(13:30):
you know, for that point in time. And I wanted
to work in advertising, so he in,
and, uh, and working with the clients that I worked
with was incredible. It was an eye opener I established again. Incredible. Um,
friendships and, uh, mentor mentorships. I have had the good
(13:51):
fortune of having some incredible mentors in my life. It
sounds
Speaker 1 (13:54):
that when you moved from being in that you know,
fashion space and then, um, going No, I want to
change it up. I'm gonna This isn't necessarily for me
at the moment.
What did you learn about yourself over that transition period?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That change is good. Change is never final. Yeah, be flexible.
You just have to go with your gut intuition and
your and your instinct and what your intuition is telling you.
So fashion wasn't working for me. Um, so it was
time to move on, and I listened to
my tuition had told me advertising was where I needed
(14:30):
to be. So I was I created a successful career
in advertising. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Amazing. You're so clear. Like you. Sounds like you had
just so much clarity moving from one to the next.
Was that accurate? Is that
Speaker 2 (14:42):
accurate? Yeah, because without clarity or, um, confidence in your
what you're feeling or what You
You what you're telling yourself that you need to do.
Then I think we, you know, can get a bit
lost just chasing our tail. So I've always been very clear, strong. Um,
(15:03):
strength of character has always been, um,
one of my you know, characteristics that got me through
Speaker 1 (15:10):
these roles. Like when you go back to, you know, fashion, um,
you know, fashion, and then you've got advertising, and and
and then you've got event management. They can actually be
pretty competitive. And and restless industries, too. Right? So what
are your What were your secrets to success in Thriving
in that space,
Speaker 2 (15:30):
blocking out the noise? It was very interesting, because when
I was, um,
when I was promoted from creative coordinator to account manager
on the list phone list near the phones, someone, um,
within the accounts department. Obviously took, um, Didn't take very well.
(15:50):
The fact that I had been promoted. I was an
account executive. I was account manager, so they put me
straight into a senior role. Um
uh, you know, immediately. And someone crossed out the manager, um, word, uh, and,
um and I saw that, but it just you know
what happens, Karen. When? When? When I'm faced with, um this, uh,
(16:13):
this type of noise or criticism or doubt it makes
me more motivated to succeed. Yeah, absolutely. It's like fuel
to the fire. I actually thank them for,
um but I'm always graceful. I know who did it,
and I actually crossed paths with her in London. A
couple of years later, we had a drink. And I never, um,
(16:36):
retaliate with the same, uh, negativity I refuse to, because
I won't bring myself to that to that
Speaker 1 (16:45):
level. I hear you. I love that
Speaker 2 (16:47):
that
Speaker 1 (16:48):
100% that does what
Speaker 2 (16:50):
happens next.
And then, um, I decided to get involved in my
father's business. My father has a a business which he
started in 1978.
He was a consultant for a lot of Australian companies
developing their export markets throughout the Middle East. And he
did so successfully, and many of these accounts continue to
(17:11):
this day. But when the Gulf War hit, he changed
the focus from export to import. So he became he
became a supplier to supermarket chains in Australia
and, um uh, by that stage, he was a bit
tired of, you know, dealing with the, you know, the
tender process over and over and sometimes, But he's so persistent,
(17:32):
like I see his files for a particular supermarket. Chains
would be massive, and he would never give up, and
he would keep tendering year after year.
So Dad and I worked together on obtaining the first
palette for the first Aldi store in 2000. And then
how's this for serendipity or irony? And then the marketing
(17:55):
manager from Sachin Sai, with whom I worked, phoned me
one day and he said, Ma, um, there's a I
know the recruiter for for the National Gallery of Victoria
and they're looking for someone. I think he would be
great
for that. And I said, Well, I don't know enough
about art He said, It doesn't matter. You're fantastic with people.
And it was actually for the marketing manager role. And
(18:17):
I knew it was way beyond what I was
capable of doing all my qualifications or experience. But I
went for it anyway, and it takes a lot of guts.
It takes a lot of guts because my meeting was
with the the the director, the, um, the CFO, uh,
the HR manager and I prepared, um, a marketing, um, presentation.
(18:42):
And I presented that in the in the in the interview.
So it was a very successful interview, but thankfully, thankfully,
someone with more skill set or the more appropriate skill
set for that role got the role. But because they
were so impressed by me. They created
a role for me or they didn't create. But they
(19:03):
moved on someone who was managing the membership division, and
they offered me the role of the membership manager, which
was perfect for me because I got to do marketing.
I got to do events. I created benefits. I was
speaking to people all day. Elderly young. It was just
the most perfect role. So when one door closes, it's
(19:25):
all good because it wasn't that was not the
for you. So it was wonderful. I had my Children.
I got married, I had my Children. And then I
started kids Club for, you know, kids and I started
premium membership. I also managed the corporate membership division. Uh,
almost 14 years. So I moved on in 2014, and, uh,
(19:47):
Doctor Gerard Vaughan was my director for the majority of
that time, and he was absolutely amazing.
Not only did he speak French, so whenever we passed
each other in the corridor, we got a bit of
French in there that he brought out the most incredible
exhibitions to the GV and lots of French ones. So
Speaker 1 (20:06):
what were your big takeaways in that 14 years.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Oh, goodness, um, again, be loyal to people, go to companies. Um,
and it was just the Oh, there were so many takeaways. Uh,
it was just the most incredible experience. But when I left,
it was time I had done everything I could possibly
doing that role very successfully. And I had so many
(20:32):
team members that came through. And whenever they needed a
reference for another role, I would give them the most
glowing reference, knowing they would always get the role. But
that was fine because I wanted them to grow.
It's just the, um, loyalty, I think, was my takeaway
loyalty to to the members loyalty to to the, you know,
to the institution, the value of that institution and what
(20:55):
it means for people. I never took that for granted.
Whenever I walked through those doors, I knew I was
walking in to carry on a legacy, and that was
what I did. And I loved it.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
So how does that come to a close?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
So it comes to a close with Jean Paul Gaultier.
I actually got to see him again. That was my
last exhibition. Um, and uh, he met Phoenix, which was wonderful,
wearing his Gaultier top, and, uh, he signed our, uh
I bought the big, um uh, catalogue.
And he signed it, Um, Phoenix and Melissa Melbourne. So
(21:35):
from 1996 in Paris to 2014 in Melbourne. So it
was lovely to see him again. Um, So I felt
that was full circle because I felt that, you know,
was the end of my time in Paris. And soon
after the MTV Music Awards, I returned to Melbourne.
And then to think that he was there at the
(21:55):
end of my time at the NGV in Melbourne on
the other side of the world, it was It was beautiful.
I loved it.
Uh, and also the second last exhibition was the Napoleon exhibition,
during which I discovered Napoleon's fascination with Australia, which actually
planted the seed for what became LA. So I left
the NGV in 2014, went to to dad's business and
(22:19):
decided I was going to develop skincare because I thought
food and beverage is fine.
And whilst I enjoy, um eating, you know, enjoying it.
I don't you know, selling it was not really my thing.
So I developed baby skin care. Australian made all natural.
And that's when I decided that there was a void
in the market for a luxury skincare product
(22:41):
that was of 100% natural origin. So that was the
beginnings of what became LA so
Speaker 1 (22:46):
natural baby products. Let's just go back a step as
Australian first, right? So, um, I mean, obviously with your
under
Speaker 2 (22:53):
private label
Speaker 1 (22:54):
background and exporting, importing all that sort of thing, it
would have, you know, made it a bit easier. But
were there any surprises going into that process that, you know,
may have, you know, taken you back a bit and
made you rethink things?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Not really. Um, I went to Sydney with Dad for
a meeting with one of his major clients, and I
presented the proposal and they loved it so much they
commissioned his business with developing the collection. So I worked
with the people who create some of Australia's biggest skincare
(23:28):
brands and develop those formulations, and it was all very
smooth sailing, so they were commercialised under private label, and
then I took that concept and pitched it to the
other
to the other majors.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
So if someone's, you know, if one a listener is
actually looking at developing their own product, what would you
say are sort of key first steps.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
You need to have a very clear proposition. I think
there is a saturation in the market at the moment
for So it's very easy for anyone to go to
a lab and say I'd like to launch a brand
and they will give you a menu of products that
have already been developed, Tested, um, certified. If you're looking
for certification and all you need to do is say, OK,
(24:11):
I'd like this that the other, uh, tweak it a
bit and then they launch it under their own label.
A lot of brands are doing that, Um, and they
create a marketing story around it and and pitch it
in that way. Um,
so that's not what we did with. So we started
from scratch from zero, and we did it in France,
(24:34):
which is a far more regulated skincare space to be
developing in in Australia, which is why we decided to
to my to my to my delight, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1 (24:47):
so But I mean, if you're looking you know, listening.
If there's an Australian
and they're keen to get started,
Speaker 2 (24:55):
how do you get started? So there's many companies that, um,
that are doing, um, skincare standard skincare. So you just
need to, you know, it's a quick Google, and you
can find them. And then it's just a question of
finding the one that resonates with you the products that,
um that you that one prefers, and then they can
(25:16):
do it that way. It's very easy to launch a
skincare brand. Is there any
Speaker 1 (25:20):
advice that you would
Speaker 2 (25:21):
have? It's not easy to launch a skincare brand from scratch. Yeah,
Speaker 1 (25:25):
yeah. So for that startup person, is there any advice
that you would have you know, anything to watch out
for anything you know, for the green person going into
that industry
Speaker 2 (25:37):
have a very clear, um,
idea a proposition. What's going to differentiate your brand? Um,
be very clear on the MOQS for, uh, volumes, um, packaging,
because sometimes the MOQS are minimum order quantities are very
high and they're prohibited for a new brand.
(25:58):
So be sure to know what they are before you
enter and have enough capital to get you over these initials.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
And that can be, you know, a really bit of
a stumbling block. Let's be honest. Startup capital like it
can be a bit of a tough one. So how
did you manage
Speaker 2 (26:17):
that? We sold a house. Yeah. So we So, um,
So, uh, I was working, um, in in Dad's business
developing the the skincare personal care category. And some friends
who were living in Boston came to visit us in
our new home in our wod. We had moved in
(26:39):
December 2015. They were there in May 2016, visiting Melbourne,
and they came to visit.
So we're having drinks on the, um and it was
just something that was not quite, you know, jelling with me.
I was missing France. I had turned 45. I had
just turned 45 and I was missing France. And it
was just And I thought, Is this it? Is this
(26:59):
going to be the rest of my life? Kids school
Drop off this that way.
And then, uh, Sam and Vicky were were there chatting
to Jamie and I and Sam, who's a real entrepreneur, said,
Why don't you just go to, you know, France for
a few months. I said, Sam, don't be silly. We've
just moved in new furniture, Children at the new school.
We're just settling in, he said. Oh, so what? You
(27:21):
can't compare that with the European experience. So, uh, we
we had a bit of
dialogue around that, and then as they were leaving his wife,
you know, Vicky said, they won't do it. He said,
I will. They made 100% $100 wager between them. $100
wager they left. This was a Saturday and Saturday night.
I made a few calls to my friends in France
(27:43):
just to get a bit of a vibe, you know?
And then Sunday morning, Jamie and I expected to wake
up thinking, What was that cocker, Maybe idea. What were
we thinking? Yes, but the idea gained momentum.
And within eight weeks we had packed up the house.
We had flown to Sydney, all four of us to
(28:03):
get the long stay visas, which was quite complex because
you have to do this dossier for each applicant and
it's very involved and detailed. So that was a full
time job just preparing that, um and I had enrolled
the Children at school in France and found accommodation. So
all of this happened within eight weeks. And on the
11th of July, 2016, we were on the plane
(28:26):
and we were off to France for six months. Apparently. Go.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Oh, my gosh. Now So where's your husband and all
of that? So he is he working?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
So Jamie was working in the family business as well?
Because my father So Dad developed a second arm of
that baby food, which I had actually inspired when he
came to visit me When I when I was feeding
my second child and I was using one of those
spouted things, um,
sprouted pouches. My first child only had home cooked food,
(28:56):
never anything from a packet breast fed him till he
was 22 months. And then I was working. I was
at the gallery at the time, and I had Phoenix
who was a toddler. And so I was using the
spouted pouches. And I said to Dad, You should pitch
this to to, um,
to your clients and he said, Write me a proposal.
So of course you know, between breastfeeding and Children and
(29:18):
maternity leave. I did, and instantly his business was commissioned
with creating the first private label baby food and sprouted pouches.
And then he
decided to be the master of his own destiny and
create a baby food manufacturing plant. And that's what Jamie
set up. And so once that was set up, we
(29:39):
decided that we had this window of opportunity. Phoenix was nine.
Venus was six. It was a perfect time. So we
thought we'd pop off for 3 to 6 months,
and, uh and there we There we were. We found
ourselves in France. We found ourselves in Paris for five weeks.
And that's where the inspiration for La Salvant actually really hit.
So you had a bit
Speaker 1 (30:00):
of an idea before you
Speaker 2 (30:01):
left? Yes, definitely. But I started working with, um Australian
cosmetic scientists on creating this, um, this luxury skincare brand
for for grown ups, Um, 100% natural effective.
So I started the ball rolling here. I had briefed
them in, and then we went to France to have
this sabbatical for the Children to speak French because I
(30:24):
had spoken French to them. Um, from the time they
were born and to also research the luxury skincare space.
And it was at that time that we decided when
I was in Paraset what the ethos would be. And
it was like an epiphany like moment.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
OK? And what was that?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Well, going back to the Napoleon exhibition. Obviously I discovered
his fascination with Australia. So in 1800 he and Josephine's
fascination with Australia. But in 1800 he sent an expedition
to track the Australian coastline. Two ships the national,
the list and the Geo, and, uh, and a lot
(31:06):
of the names. The ports in South Australia, particularly but
French Island, have French names. They were named by that
particular expedition, but it was a very complete expedition. He had, um,
artists and, uh, Army generals. Obviously, he was planning to, uh,
to kick the English out. They had been here. They
had not been here that long. Had he not lost
at Waterloo, he would have. We would all be speaking French, but, um,
(31:31):
so and, uh, artists. So when the artists, um, came
across indigenous, um, the indigenous people in in Tasmania, they
sketched them beautifully. And in the exhibition, the most beautiful
sketches of the indigenous are the first people.
Uh, so this impacted me because I did not know this.
We did not learn this at school, that the that
(31:52):
the that the French had such an influence at that time.
So we planted a seed and then we had done.
We were living. We were in Paris for five weeks
and we had done a full day of sightseeing. And
of course, in Paris you see a poo everywhere the
end here, the end there the, um the column in place. Do.
And I was sitting on the balcony, um, towards the
(32:14):
end of August and the Children were asleep and I
was having my glass of red wine and I was
just thinking and I thought, well, this brand that I
had already started creating would actually be
a continuation of this fusion. So it returned three years later.
I forgot to tell you at the end of this story,
it returned three years later the expedition with over 200,000
(32:36):
species of flora and fauna which were introduced to France.
So the so the wattle, which many French people think
is French, the eucalyptus. They had kangaroo at their home
at Mara the Black Swan in the lake at man.
So this really impacted me this fusion. So,
uh, when I was sitting there with my glass of, uh,
(32:58):
red wine,
I decided that, um, that this, uh, brand would be
a continuation of that fusion. And it would have ingredients
from Australia and France in this brand. So that's where
the whole concept of started it was not called LA,
then it was not called anything, actually. Just it was
(33:19):
the concept, and and then we Then we moved to,
and we lived there
Speaker 1 (33:26):
and got it started. Right. OK, so what was the
time frame between the sort of original idea through to,
you know, it being on the shelves.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
So the original idea, uh would it took place in
2015 in Australia. Um, and then it evolved
into this new concept, and then we decided to actually
make it in France. Because for our target, um, audiences Asia, uh,
U SI think for luxury cosmetics made in France is important.
(34:01):
Um 2020 we launched right before the global pandemic. Good timing.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
So that's that's quite a decent period of it. Took
a
Speaker 2 (34:12):
long time. It took a long time to get it right,
Because not only
were we doing something that had not been done before
in terms of 100% natural composition with high, high, high
active ingredients, it was also the packaging. I wanted glass packaging,
not plastic. I wanted European made pack packaging. I wanted, um,
(34:34):
the outer packaging to be in, um, beautiful paper handcrafted.
So it's all very, uh, artisan
and getting the 100% natural composition to be stable took
a lot of time. They were telling me they they
could get it to 99.99% and that was the best
(34:54):
they could do. And I said, I can't launch something
that is, you know, 0.01% away from 100%. So keep trying.
So this takes time and obviously the the you know,
the way the French work is not necessarily the way
the the the Australians work. So we're used to doing
things at a certain point, quick turn around. And we've
(35:15):
got a smaller population, a population of 66 million. And
we were not the only skincare brand they were working for.
But we only worked with the best. I would literally
call the best. Um,
uh, labs and perfume Marie in class and, uh, tell
them my story. And initially they were quite perplexed that
how could I possibly be expecting they would work with
(35:37):
an unknown person brand? We weren't even a brand at
that point,
but I kept speaking and I hooked them and they said, Well,
you know, there's something interesting about your This is all
in French, of course, but there's something interesting come up
and present to us, and we will decide. So I
went up with Amy and the Children who were young
at that point younger
and presented that first presentation in 2016 2017 is still
(36:01):
as true today as it is then, because nothing has
changed about the ethos of the brand and instantly in
those meetings, they said we would love to work with you,
and we're still working with them to this day. But
it took time 100% natural.
Um, you know, 100% made in France, uh, highly active.
The packaging, the the testing, everything There were so many, um,
(36:25):
non negotiables that it did take time. But I was
not prepared to launch until it was perfect.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Absolutely.
So what? You know, that's a long time you've sold
your house, which is very much, you know, contributing to
to what? You're what you're doing. Did you ever get
to a point where things, you know did become a
bit tired and you needed to sort of rethink or
look at other revenue streams?
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Uh, the the The scary thing about it is that
both Jamie and I threw ourselves into this business. So
for four years, we had no income.
So we were living off. Yes, we were living off
the the the proceeds from that first our first time.
And that was a difficult decision because
that was the home in which our Children were, you know,
(37:14):
born in and raised in and the memories of the grandparents.
And it was very happily rented and and and, um,
it was fine. We had no reason to sell it normally.
But we got to this point where, uh, in order
to keep going, we need capital.
And Jamie said I was struggling with it for sentimental reasons,
(37:34):
and Jamie said, Well, that's fine. We don't have to
sell it, but we'll go back. I said, Well, I
don't want to go back He said, Well, then we
sell it and we stay, but I don't want to
sell it. But then I chat to Joan White, who
was who was my mentor, director of the Paris Fashion Institute.
And she said, Just take a Buddhist approach and thank
it for for everything that it's given you. It was
the beginning of Jamie and my relationship. The Children
(37:58):
and I did, and we sold it. So it was,
um it it it things were, you know, tight. Yeah,
things were tied educating our Children when we moved back
up to Paris. So we spent two years in, which
was incredible. And then we moved up to Paris. When
we came closer to commercialising LA. We put the Children
in private school in an international school. So huge expenses, rent,
(38:23):
car insurance, food
travel,
Speaker 1 (38:29):
just a real passion to just
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Oh, look, it's not for the faint hearted, I think,
to take a journey. An journey in any case, is challenging,
but to do so when both are working, working on
it with no other safety net via a stable income
is quite, um, is quite
(38:54):
challenging. You need a certain character to be able to
do that
Speaker 1 (38:57):
and to have a husband on the same page, too.
Like that's incredible,
Speaker 2 (39:03):
incredible. Jamie's been incredible, even sort of backtracking to when
we were deciding to leave. I was having doubts like, Oh,
but the Children have just started school, But But he's like,
It's OK. We can always, you know, come back. Let's
just do this now whilst we can. So it was
thanks to Jamie that we actually
did. And then when I decided, OK, we'll stay on.
And then we got the residency and we're staying on.
(39:25):
Then Jamie's getting homesick and he wanted to return. What
did you think? That you could actually get Mao in
France and expect that she was going
Speaker 1 (39:35):
back to me?
Speaker 2 (39:37):
So it wasn't an easy road, and we were raising
Children at the same time and
Speaker 1 (39:46):
biggest complication in all of that.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
There were quite a few. Um, well, my parents wanted
me back. So So trying to work through those, um,
feelings of that sense of, you know, obligation and and
and and duty as a daughter. But then also following
my own passion and my dream
(40:10):
that I had to do a lot of work around that.
And my grandmother, my grandmother was ageing I. I was
very close to her. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020.
Not being here for that was difficult. Um, so there
was a lot of reconciling my dream, pursuing my dream
(40:30):
versus
Speaker 1 (40:31):
your actual commitments or your
Speaker 2 (40:35):
sense of commitment. Um
uh, Jamie was homesick at certain. Certainly he doesn't speak French,
so it was difficult for him. So then there were,
You know, those those issues that would present and then
the the the Children leaving going to Paris was, you know,
was was a change. Um uh, them not having a
(40:58):
relationship with their grandparents for five years there there's those
and not having family
around them. Although we have friends that have become like family,
it's just it's not the same. So lots of things.
And as a woman, as a mother, as a wife,
we tend to, and a daughter we carry carry, carry.
So obviously, every time I speak to my grandmother, when
(41:20):
are you bringing these Children back home? So I can
see them and she loved my Children. I would take
them there every week. So we carry. And then when
we finally launched, after
spending tens of thousands of euro, maybe hundreds of thousands on,
you know, in living, you know, on living, um, you know,
in France the travel, the everything and the van, we, uh,
(41:43):
finally launched, and then the global pandemic hit. I had
the teenagers preteens at at home. Uh, the first one
in Europe was huge. Um, Australia was not, um, touched
by it at that point
time. So there was a lot of fear because we
didn't know what this virus was. And we were next
to Italy, And you remember the scenes coming out of Italy.
(42:05):
So we were cooped up. We needed AAA certificate to
leave our homes. It was very intense, and my family
was saying, Just come back now And Jamie was very
keen to leave immediately, and I prayed on it. I've
got a very strong faith. Um,
and I have some two prayer groups that I was
(42:27):
a part of. I still am, actually,
and, uh and we prayed together, and I felt that
God had brought me to that point Despite all the obstacles,
there were so many obstacles. Karen along the way, So
many obstacles, errors this, that so many difficulties that we
had to surmount to get to the launch of La Van.
(42:47):
And then we finally produced our first product, the and
then the pandemic hit. And I had all of this
pressure to return to Melbourne to return.
And I just felt it wasn't the right thing to do.
So I said, No, we stay. And that was huge because,
God forbid, had anything happened that would have been on
my on my shoulders on my conscience. But fortunately, it didn't, um,
(43:12):
we were all safe and well,
and we had actually started dialogue with one of the
biggest skincare niche beauty retailers throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and
South Africa. Skins Cosmetics in February, March and then the pandemic,
the con, the first conf. So we were all locked down.
(43:36):
So so all of Europe was locked down pretty much,
and I thought, Oh gosh, you know what an awful
time for this to be happening. But they continued the
discussion with us. They said, We love your product. We
want to launch it. And as soon as the, uh,
we had the in May we launched at Skins Cosmetics.
We were we had, um
uh, an online, uh, press launch. And we launched with
(44:00):
some very significant other brands. And our one product became
a best seller from the start.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
And this is online during the
Speaker 2 (44:08):
pandemic. Um, this was a press launch. It was online
during the pandemic. But once everything opened up and we
had the, um the so unconfined we, um
and we were allowed to be out and about. They
launched it in their stores, which reopened, and the ECO
now became a best seller from the start and a
and a favourite. And, um and we followed 18 months
(44:31):
later with the
Speaker 1 (44:33):
incredible thank
Speaker 2 (44:35):
you. Wow. It was just such an achievement because we
were an unknown brand had never launched a product before.
Nobody had heard of, uh and they
took us on. And I will never forget Skins cosmetics
for doing that. And obviously, once we're in skins, then
instant credibility and other doors would open. But those couple
(44:59):
of months of being confined with a new product and
a new brand, this sense of
urgency, this sense of sink or swim was so great,
but all along when people would, because the French are
quite risk averse. So when they knew that we had
sold the house and we were putting everything into this
business and both Jamie and I were working in it
with no other source of income, they thought we were
(45:20):
a bit, you know, nuts. But, um, Jamie and I
just felt the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
And it just, you know, I'm big into my my, um, mythology. Obviously,
Phoenix and Venus are my Children's names, but
there was a mythological story that I just kept remembering. Um, well,
this army, uh um, arrived at the enemy's, um, uh, coastline.
(45:44):
So they were not on home territory. They were far
away from home, and the captain burnt all their ships, and,
um and I've got goose bumps actually telling this story and,
you know, and he said to and they were a
smaller army, not on home ground. So all of this
and the, uh, general said to them the only way
to return home is to win, and they won.
(46:05):
And I just feel when you've got everything at stake
when you've got everything at stake, this sense of urgency.
We were there. Lockdown. Europe, far away from home, had
invested everything into this brand. And
so we had this sense of it. So it makes
you just go for it. And we did, and we succeeded.
And it was, you know, huge.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Congratulations. Thank you. I
Speaker 2 (46:28):
love it. But podcasts helped me a lot during that point.
So I have to say, this is why I love
doing podcasts because you need to know that other people
have been through this and have survived and have succeeded.
And it was
absolutely my podcast, my spiritual connection, my prayer. It absolutely
helped me waking up every day in confinement with the
(46:51):
kids and this new brand and all of these things
and people, the people closest to me were saying, Mel,
who is going to buy a 300? So $300 200 euro,
jar of cream when they're home, they're not working.
They you know, um, collecting pasta and toilet paper and whatever.
(47:12):
Who is going to buy it? How do you block
that out? I just Do I block out the noise.
I just believe in myself. I believe so much in
my vision and you've
Speaker 1 (47:23):
got this coming
Speaker 2 (47:24):
from the closest people to What's
Speaker 1 (47:26):
your response to
Speaker 2 (47:27):
them Like they're not Melissa Obeid. Yeah, I had I
had a very close person say to me, Why are
you doing this? So and so has launched a skincare brand.
And she's a model and she's struggling. What makes you
think anyone is going to buy your cream? I said.
But so and so And I won't mention the name
because everyone knows so and so.
(47:47):
But she's not Melissa Oban. I just believe in magic.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
Oh my God, I love you. You are so inspiring
Speaker 2 (47:57):
to believe in magic. And if you do, then you
can make anything happen. I was trying to get through
to my to the first Parisian store that took LA
and I was emailing and calling and emailing and calling
no response. So I walked in, Cecile and I walked in,
and she happened to be there. So I presented
the story and I sat down with her and I
(48:17):
showed her the product and she felt the product and
she said, Do you know how often I get solicited,
she said. I don't even respond to the emails. I said, Well,
I actually know because you haven't responded And she said,
But I love this so much and I love your
story and you're so charismatic and engaging. Your energy is contagious.
Bring some to me tomorrow and I'll take it on
and we're still there. That's three years ago. So that's
(48:39):
how I do things
Speaker 1 (48:40):
I love it so inspiring, so inspiring.
Now I know working through say, sustainability marks within a
business and finding the right solutions there can get pretty tough. Um,
how did you get advisors on board to help you? Yes,
Speaker 2 (48:56):
absolutely. We have an advisory body. They were invaluable, so
they would give us a lot of advice along the way.
Just about ST ST strategy. Strategic direction.
Um, but in terms of the in terms of the
product and the packaging and the concept, that was all
me and Jamie, Jamie and I. But we were speaking
to branding agencies and they were quoting ridiculous money to
(49:17):
tell us what our brand personality was, et cetera. And
Jamie would always say to me, Mao, nobody can tell
you what this brand is going to be because it's
your brand. So it's you and between Jamie and I,
we we created everything to do with the identity and
the branding and the personality. And
And we worked with the most incredible graphic designer who
I met by chance at a in a supermarket in Porto.
(49:41):
Um and, uh, she became our graphic designer, but it
was another serendipitous moment.
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Love it.
So what gives you the most satisfaction in your business
right now?
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Uh, when So just before this, I had an early
morning zoom with the US and, uh, she had tried
the product and she told me it was the best
product she had ever tried. She was obsessed. So when
I hear the word obsessed by people who have access
to the biggest brands in the world
biggest luxury brand in the world so that that that's
that's very gratifying when people say that they have never
(50:17):
come across a brand like LA that when they use it,
they feel amazing that there's something quite tangible, energetic, energetically
tangible in the product. And I agree that there is.
I think it's the
love and the passion that everyone who has been involved
in the creation of Lavan has had towards a product.
I think their energies is in in in, in, in
(50:41):
to what the brand is today. So that gives me
enormous satisfaction. Good on you.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
What would you say? Your key character traits that, um,
you know that you attribute to your success. I know
we've spoken about, you know, um, determination and and self belief.
What are some of the other character traits?
Speaker 2 (51:01):
Fake it till you make it. I think you just
have to visualise and, um and and believe that you
are what you're,
um, attaining or what you're aiming to be. So getting
Speaker 1 (51:15):
your vision really
Speaker 2 (51:16):
clear? Very strong vision. Um, I, uh I meditate. I visualise.
I do a lot of grounding. I do a lot
of praying. This keeps me because it's not easy. And
some days you just feel so,
um, you know, there's just, uh, you know, you feel
you wonder. OK, where's this going? How is this going?
(51:38):
It's not an easy path. And anyone that pretends that
it is or gives this image and,
you know, I don't listen to noise, but I also
don't look at noise. I think particularly with social media now,
and brand founders sometimes can make it all look so glamorous.
And I don't do that because it's not real. I
could certainly do that. You know, whenever I'm in a
(51:59):
beautiful city or a beautiful hotel and Oh, look, here
I am. And here's what, but I don't Because making
people feel less than or insecure is not something that I, um,
enjoy doing but make keeping it real. Um, is so
I think I don't look at what, um, other people, um,
(52:23):
are doing as such, because I think at the end
of the day, we've all got our own, you know,
insecurities and issues and problems with the kids or whatever
it may be. So I think, you know, we really
have to just keep it real, um, integrity. I think
it's very important having very strong values, um, loyalty,
(52:45):
I think, uh, being just real and authentic. So when
people deal with me, So if you were to meet
someone from my primary school or secondary school or any
of my other jobs, they would know me and describe
me as I am today. I haven't changed I won't
change authenticity, I think is very important. And being true
to your word, Yeah,
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Absolutely.
Absolutely. So for the listeners passionate about what they do,
keen to start their own business regardless of industry. What
pearls of wisdom would you
Speaker 2 (53:15):
share? Pearls of wisdom Very. Be very clear about the
why be very clear about the problem that you are
hoping to solve. Um, have a very strong proposition that
is unique to you
because this is what will get you through. There are
so many skincare brands on the market. So what makes
(53:35):
LA vs different the fact that, um, we have, uh,
the French Australian. It's my story. So Australian living in France.
It's my story, the Napolean influence, the sustainability. It's unique.
So there's no other brand like LA, and there will
never be another brand like LA. The name is actually
the name of the basil we lived in in. So
(53:57):
it's our home,
and that is unique. So be very clear on the
on the why the problem being solved, but make it
very unique to you so no one else can emulate that.
And then when you're speaking to whether it's a product
or service or whatever it may be. When you are
promoting that and speaking to people about that, you can
speak from the heart because it's actually a part of you.
(54:19):
I love that and its
Speaker 1 (54:21):
brilliant advice.
So what's next for Melissa?
Speaker 2 (54:26):
OK, so Melissa, I've had so many things. I actually
started a networking group, Believe it or not. A couple
of weeks ago, with a dear friend of mine Betty Service,
we started a group called Connect Club, and this was
just spontaneous. We had a wonderful dinner with a couple
of friends a couple of months ago, and because I've
always connected people in in my roles, but also
personally. So when I'm in Paris, I'll get together, you know,
(54:48):
very well known, um, brand founders. A friend of mine's
with photographers with, you know, um uh, you know, magazine people,
and I'll get them together for a dinner, and then
they'll do business together. I love connecting people tell us. Yeah,
so it's called Connect Club. So we've we We had
our first dinner,
uh, last, uh, the last Friday of August, and we
(55:10):
have our next, um, at the end of September. So
that's we had 30 women to the first dinner, and
they all loved it. So that's another That's the side. Um,
I'm helping Dad out with some projects because I, I
can't not. And when I see an opportunity, I just
have to pursue it. So that's, um so that's fun.
And LA has such wonderful things planned. I'm actually off
(55:34):
to India. Well, I've got I'm off to India. Um,
in a couple of weeks, we're launching LA India. So
we have, uh, a big event happening at SoHo House
with the beauty editors there. So they the event, um,
managers are creating a beautiful event. Very pertinent, very elegant,
very LA. So we're working on that. And then, um
(55:58):
uh, I've got some events happening around France, and then
I'm off to Hong kong. Uh, and then the US, Um,
early next year. Uh, but we have new product launches,
so we have two products at the moment, So we've
become global. We're in 100 and 70 points of sale, um,
with two products and keep in mind too. We're still 100%
self funded. So there's, you know, the challenge there. Bootstrapping completely.
(56:22):
So we don't have any choice.
Speaker 1 (56:24):
Why? Why was
Speaker 2 (56:25):
that? Yeah,
uh, Autonoma or autonomy? Um, uh, I think is the
main one, at this point in time, because it is
such a heartfelt brand. It is such a personal story.
And we have done it on our own for so
long since 2015. So I think to take it to
(56:45):
the next level and then
have to answer to people around my around my brand.
It's not something I'm comfortable with yet We are looking
at scaling, and we are approached all the time by investors.
We have been, actually, even before we launched. They love
the concept so much constantly in the last,
(57:07):
you know, for seven years. Uh, but when we do
decide to do that, it will be with a partner
who can add significant value. Not just monetary, but everything else.
I think that's very important. So, um, considering we're still,
you know, bootstrapped, um, private,
privately funded, um, we, you know, super proud of our achievements. Um, whilst, um,
(57:31):
raising teens, they get more expensive as they get older.
And now my son started driving. So, um, he's got
his lessons and and all of that. But it's wonderful.
I have, you know, we have incredible Children who have
lived the life of journey. So my my, my my
son Phoenix is just like I'm not going to have
a job. I'm never working for someone. I'm going to
(57:53):
be
my own voice. I said yes, but, sweetheart, you have
to actually work for people first under. No, no, no.
So I think it is such a part of his DNA.
He's seeing his grandfather. He's seen his parents. They lived journey,
the fragrances, the packaging, everything we would test with the Children. So,
um and they're always giving us advice. Venus is telling
(58:15):
me how I need to do Tik tok and do
the whole thing. So it's wonderful. Hopefully, you know, they
might take it.
I don't mention that I don't want to put that
pressure on them. However, if they choose to, that would
be wonderful. So we have some new products that, um,
that we're working on, uh, that are exceptionally wonderful, exceptional products,
(58:37):
so they will be released. But always we'll keep the
collection tight because our ethos is multifunctional. Less is more so.
The two products thus far are quite complete. So we
don't want to,
um, introduce too many products because that goes against our
ethos and the sustainability and all of that. But there
are some exciting launches coming up for LA in the
(58:59):
next 12 to 24
Speaker 1 (59:00):
months. I am looking forward to staying tuned, I think.
Look, Melissa, you've been an absolute delight. I think you've
got so much to offer and you've offered so much already. You're,
um so grounded. So down to earth. I love everything
that you've, you know, spoken about here today. Your story
is so inspiring. Um,
Speaker 2 (59:21):
I've been inspired by incredible people, and I really do
take on, um what the character. What they've taught me
in terms of character and integrity and authenticity and the lessons.
And I love lessons. I love pearls of wisdom. Dad.
Dad had an old friend who has since passed away,
and he had four Children, and he was in his eighties.
And my Children were younger. And I said, Oh,
(59:43):
can you give me some, You know, pearls of wisdom,
like advice how to raise, you know, good Children. You've
raised such wonderful Children. He said, Well, they just learn
the rules of the house. He said you can't teach
them anything. They just learn the rules of the house
or how you are and how you interact is what
they will learn. So I love listening to wise people
and in doing this podcast and in when I was, um,
(01:00:07):
the NGV, I would go to my old secondary school,
the Academy of Mary Maculate for nine consecutive years. And
I'd be the inspirational speaker to the year 12 girls.
And I'd do that on my own time. And I
would stand there. And I'd say to them, if anything
that I say today inspires one of you to to
do something incredible with your life, then my time is
(01:00:28):
well spent. So I've been inspired by amazing people, and
I love to think that I can inspire others to,
uh, to achieve greatness in whatever it is that they
want to achieve.
Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Well, I know you've definitely done that today. Thank you.
Thank you for paying it forward to, um you know
the buzz.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
I love the buzz. Bumble bee. My name in Greek
means bumble bee honey bee. So it's very, very, very
Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
your passion, your commitment determination and dedication are are so
completely inspiring. Mercy
Got you.
If you're looking for some free resources to start creating
a buzz with your digital marketing, then go to be
(01:01:18):
sneeze marketing dot com dot a U backslash free. That's
Benes marketing dot com dot a U backslash free. Follow
the prompts and take advantage of our free resource library
and get your business buzzing.
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