This fast-growing Brisbane lifestyle brand weaves its ‘bright and beautiful’ mission into more than just its products, with founder Ellen Powell investing in her largely young, female staff.
Ellen Powell's three tips for success
"Cultivate a team that is as passionate as you are about what they do.”
“Block out the white noise and trust yourself. So many people have opinions of how you should run your business and what you should do. It took me a long time to just go ‘no, this is how I want to do it,’ and now I have a happy thriving office.”
“Plan and invest in your future! Have systems set up long before you are ready so that you can scale quickly and easily.”
The Somewhere Co. founder Ellen Powell admits she’s a rule-breaker at heart. “I see a rule and I'm like: ‘I’m going to do this differently,” she says.
That sense of defiance, and Powell’s determination to zig when others zag, goes someway to explaining the success of the Brisbane lifestyle brand’s success over the past two years.
While other businesses have struggled to ride out the turbulence of the global pandemic, The Somewhere Co. has seen exponential growth, with revenue climbing by 250 per cent in the past year alone. And while many retailers leaned into e-commerce during the pandemic, Powell and her team made the leap to brick-and-mortar retail, launching three stores around Australia and growing its team to 40.
A flexible approach
Bricks and mortar were never part of the plan for The Somewhere Co, but Powell, a graphic designer, has never been afraid to switch tack. In fact, The Somewhere Co. started out in 2014, not as a homewares brand, but a stationery company called Blushing Confetti.
She then joined forces with her partner, who was entering the baby-bag business, and in 2020 they merged the two businesses under The Somewhere Co. banner. Today the brand offers “bright and beautiful” lifestyle products ranging from silicone bento boxes to gym bags and earrings.
Creating a passionate team
But The Somewhere Co.’s “bright and beautiful” mission doesn’t start and end with its products; it’s also an apt way to describe Powell’s creative approach to managing her burgeoning workforce.
Central to her strategy is the belief that creating a team of true “brand advocates,” who genuinely enjoy what they do, can drive real market cut through.
"A team who are passionate about what they do will treat the business as their own."
“I think cultivating a team who are really passionate about what they do [means] they treat the business as their own. Without them all working together, we probably wouldn't have seen the success that we have. Everyone gets in and gets it done [as a team],” Powell explains.
And the secret to creating true brand advocates? Having a blast at work every day!
“One of the feelings that I want the team – as well as our customers – to feel is playfulness and having fun at work. That playfulness is how we [create] a high performing team. We work hard, but we play hard.”
For proof, look no further than her email signature which describes her as CEO and Chief Trouble Maker.
"We work hard, but we play hard."
Powell endeavours to bring joy to all parts of the business, from the office décor to the brightly coloured shop fitouts and social media strategy.
Taking team building seriously
However, it’s The Somewhere Co.’s extensive schedule of team-building activities that really demonstrates Powell’s commitment to her staff.
Recent team-building activities include a gingerbread-house-making competition at Christmas, a day of team games hosted by drag queens, boat days on the Brisbane River, regular picnics in the park, outdoor and indoor movie sessions throughout the year featuring a vast array of treats, as well as regular burger and ice-cream orders and celebrating Galentine’s Day. Even after-work drinks go over and above the norm, with cocktail company Mr Consistent recently popping in to make Bloody Mary’s to celebrate their partnership.
The Somewhere Co. team is predominantly young and female, and Powell explains that she holds events aimed at helping her employees grow professionally and personally. Every quarter, she hosts Somewhere Sessions, which feature a wide range of guest speakers, from an astrologer to a property expert, vocal confidence coach and a clinical psychologist (who spoke about anxiety).
“It's always about the actual human being and empowering them to grow as a human being,” Powell explains.
Setting up a joyful space
Then there is the physical space in which they work. Somewhere Co. has a huge new warehouse and fulfilment centre, as well as a head office in Newstead.
"We have a beautiful office."
“We have a beautiful office; we’ve got a chill zone where you can go and chill in your bean bag, there’s beautiful art and murals around us ,” she says. The team is “constantly playing, it’s very creative, and there’s always photoshoots that everyone is involved in.”
The results of this approach are clear-cut for Powell.
“We get constant [positive] feedback when people go into the store or when they're dealing with a customer service team. Even if they come to us with a problem, they end up leaving [saying] ‘that was a really amazing experience’.
“I feel like if you had a team that didn't want to be there, you wouldn't be getting that same [customer] experience [and] you may lose that customer.”
That commitment to staff morale has also helped Powell build and grow her team at a time when many businesses are struggling to attract and retain skilled staff. “We've never really had an issue getting team members on board because they want to come and work in our fun office,” she says.
The important of team values
Powell’s approach to staff is directed by four foundational values, which are instilled in staff and guide every aspect of the business. New staff learn about the four pillars – authenticity, curiosity, community and accountability – during their induction and it’s a framework that is an integral part of the day-to-day running of the company.
"There is an expectation of how you show up in our office."
“It makes it so much easier. It's like setting a playing field to work towards. Everyone's different, however, there is an expectation of how you show up in our office,” she says.
How Afterpay helps grow The Somewhere Co.
While her commitment and dedication to building a fun-loving team has played an integral part in the business’ growth, so too did introducing Afterpay in 2020. It was an easy decision to make, Powell says because, “first and foremost our consumer wanted it”.
Offering Afterpay, both online and instore, has also helped drive sales.
“We launch limited editions,” Powell says. “We'll sell out really quickly, so if the [customer] can't afford it in that pay cycle, they can lean on Afterpay to help them out.”
Three tips for success
- “Cultivate a team that is as passionate as you are about what they do.”
- “Block out the white noise and trust yourself. So many people have opinions of how you should run your business and what you should do. It took me a long time to just go ‘no, this is how I want to do it,’ and now I have a happy thriving office.”
- “Plan and invest in your future! Have systems set up long before you are ready so that you can scale quickly and easily.”
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