december/january 2009
13
"I didn't realise what I was
getting myself into, I was
just driven by the journey
and the creative drive"
"Part of me feels like I've learned as
much as I can learn but at the end of
every year I think `wow, I've learned so
much!" Natalie says.
In the early days, delegating and
staff management were her biggest
challenges.
"It was quite daunting. It was easy
for me to just do things myself. Also I
hadn't been an employee for very long
I didn't have the experience of what it
felt like to be an employee and it took me
a while to realise you needed a proper
structure ... all I knew was we needed to
get a lot done."
Despite the hard work involved in
balancing her business and family life
(she has three children under six) and
recently completing a book on be-
ing beautiful inside and out (Beauty
in Bloom), Natalie has no plans to
change course.
"I can't ever imagine myself doing
anything else in my life other than Bloom,
I'm just so passionate about it."
L
Natalie's
top
tips
for success
1.
Be passionate about your sole
purpose in business. If you don't have
passion it's hard to sustain a business
over the long term.
2.
Stay focused on the short term and
the long term because your long-term
brand strategy helps keeps the business
on target for the future.
3.
Surround yourself with like-minded,
passionate people
4.
Always do what you do with integrity
and never compromise. Consumers can
see through shortcuts.