When Honeymoon Inspiration Turns Into
A Successful Business
Interview with the founders of
lewin & reilly — organic skincare: Kim and Andi
by Lorna Morris
What are your backgrounds?
K: I was born in England and developed a love of beauty and dance from an early age. I studied classical ballet, musical theatre and contemporary/modern dance in England which led to many wonderful opportunities, including a job on a cruise ship travelling around the world where I met Andi.
A: I grew up in Gisborne, a small town in the North Island of New Zealand best known as the Chardonnay capital of NZ. Growing up surrounded by grapes, it was natural for me to gravitate toward wine and hospitality. After 10 years as a winemaker, I enjoyed a stint as a sommelier on a cruise ship travelling the world, where I met Kim.
How did you come up with the concept for lewin & reilly?
K & A: While on honeymoon in beautiful Aitiuaki (a hidden gem of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific), we were taken by the quality and richness of the natural produce everywhere around us. It got us thinking about how we could champion the wonderful ingredients grown in the South Pacific. This opened our eyes to the potent botanicals of Australia. After more than a year of research and test formulations, we were able to launch lewin & reilly.
Are you both working full-time on lewin & reilly now? If not, what else are you working on?
K: I am working full time on lewin & reilly. In addition to hand-crafting all lewin & reilly products, I work on securing stockists and distributors. Social media is also on my daily agenda.
A: While handling the graphic design, photography and accounts for lewin & reilly, I work full-time as a restaurant manager.
What has been the hardest part of starting your business?
K & A: On top of the obvious financial burden that comes with launching any small business, we are especially aware of the amount of time and energy required and how that has impacted on our social calendar and everyday lives.
And the best part?
K & A: Getting up every day knowing that we are following our dreams! Oh, that and when we get a BIG order or a lovely compliment from a customer or blogger!
What challenges do you have right now?
K & A: Gaining enough traction to secure international distributors and continuing to stand out in the organic beauty/skin care world.
What can a day at the lewin & reilly HQ be like?
K & A: From meditative days where I progress calmly through a long list of tasks, to manic days where we are making and then need to ship an order of over 250 products. There is always a lot to do!
You’ve had some great collaborations so far, how did those come about?
K & A: The organic industry is full of a lot of people who really believe in what they are doing and are always open to others looking to do good in this industry. We’ve been lucky to be helped by some very generous people along the way. Mainly we find each other through Instagram and Google.
What is next for lewin & reilly?
K & A: World domination! In all seriousness we are working on gaining more exposure in Australia and NZ through bloggers, editorial (magazines and online) and social media, plus expanding our reach to the U.S., U.K., Canada and South East Asia through distributors, stockists and bloggers.
Do you wish you had done anything differently?
K & A: There are a few things along the way that we could have done better or differently but had we not done these things the way we did, we wouldn’t have learned from them! That’s life, right?!
Have there been any resources that you have found particularly useful?
K & A: We love the internet! There is always a helpful website or forum to answer any questions you may have. The trick is knowing (or learning) which one of the hundred different answers is the best one for you! Discovering people like Tim Ferriss (his book ‘The Four Hour Workweek’ was a very enjoyable honeymoon read), Marianne Cantwell from Free Range Humans and other inspiring entrepreneurs has helped us through some of the difficult periods. We’ve also found the Shopify blog to be very useful indeed!
You are great at social media! What platform has worked best for you so far and why do you think that is?
K & A: Instagram! There is a very engaged audience on Instagram, hungry for great photos and original content. The organic community is huge on Instagram which bodes well for us. We also love the healthy lifestyle and aspirational communities that have found a home there.
I’m a big fan of your product (as you know!) and constantly recommend you guys to everyone. When are you launching in the UK?
K & A: We currently ship to the U.K. and are in the process of securing a U.K. distributor. You may even see our products on a few blogs there soon!
Lorna Morris is the editor of Hatch Journal and a freelance graphic designer. She is a big fan of nature and thinks the less chemicals we put into and onto our bodies the better. Anything not tested on the cute fur-babies of the world is a winner!
