Bloom designed the fi rst prod-
ucts of her fl edgling business
some greeting cards and a do-it-
yourself candle making kit. She
ed graphic design studies, it took only
six months into her fi rst job for Natalie
to realised she wanted more.
ther and his brother built the brand
from three stores to the expansive
chain Portmans is today. Although Na-
talie says her father protected her from
the business when she was growing up,
he taught her the principles of hard
work and focus.
you pick it up, and the entrepreneurial
spirit of `you never give up' and `eve-
rything is achievable' is in my blood,"
Natalie says.
husband, Brian who "can turn anything
into magic" and suggested she go into
business on her own.
I didn't realise what
I was getting myself
into, I was just driven
by the journey and the
creative drive," Natalie says.
however, Natalie says she prob-
ably wouldn't have done it.
mother of three. "It's hard to weather
the storms and the highs and lows busi-
ness brings. It's never ending, you can
never do enough. You can't ever slow
down because if you lose momentum,
you're out of the gameyou've always
got to be reinventing yourself and tak-
ing on initiatives and getting bigger
and better."
was a breath of fresh air in a beauty
industry monopolised by mainstream
cosmetic houses. Bloom's aromathera-
py-based products are now sold across
Australia and are exported around
let opened this year on Chapel Street,
Melbourne. Kylie Minogue and Olivia
Newton-John are Bloom fans, as well
as international supermodels Naomi
Campbell and Elle Macpherson
fear today than I was back then. I didn't
have to take risks because it was just so
in demand."
curve.