#awinewith Annie Leo
MEET Annie, Founder of Paws for Change
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:05):
Annie, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Thank you for having me. And cheers. We were just getting excited about a little wine with, so I'm so excited because I'm off on holidays in the morning, so this is officially starting my break, so I couldn't think of a better way to start. So cheers to you.
Annie Leo (00:24):
Absolutely. Cheers to that. Cheers to being on holidays. Well for you.
Danielle Lewis (00:30):
So good. So good. Well, let's start out by telling everybody who you are and what you do.
Annie Leo (00:37):
Okay. My name is Annie Leo and I am the founder and director of a animal welfare charity called Pause for Change. So we are an Australian registered charity and we support locally, but we also have our own shelters in Bali. So I started that about five years ago, and a lot has happened in that time. So yeah, where do you want to start?
Danielle Lewis (01:04):
I know, and that's literally my mind just started spinning. I'm like, okay, so let's talk about that. So is it primarily shelters? So if there was an animal and are we talking all types of animals? Talk me through the logistics here.
Annie Leo (01:20):
Okay. I'm one of the original crazy dog ladies, so it's primarily dog rescue. And we started off, so I'm Adelaide based and we started off in South Australia just with taking some donations and very small range of products that we sold to raise money for our rescue work. And that's since developed into an online store. We're working on a wholesale program as well, so we sell things for dogs and dog lovers. So we've got things like our T-shirts, tote bags. I love that. That's so cute. We've got things like that, candles, caps, hoodies, all sorts of things for the people. And we've got the doggy bandanas and bow ties for the pups, and that's all made through disability employment programs. So we support that locally as well. People living with disability and we've got the online store, we're developing the wholesale program. We've also got donations obviously, so we're registered for tax deductible donations and we've got a program called Furry Godparents, a virtual adoption. So you can sponsor one of our rescue dogs and you get monthly pup dates to your inbox. And that's our dogs who are in barley. So as I say, we work locally with some of the smaller grassroots shelters. We've worked with Greyhound Rescue and some other, even the larger ones, R-S-P-C-A and a W Animal Welfare League. We've done projects with all of those, but specifically our own shelters are in Bali.
Danielle Lewis (02:57):
Wow, that is awesome. And such an evolution, which I'm really interested in diving a little bit deeper on, but how did this actually start? So okay, when you said the word pop dates, I went, hang on a second. Are you a marketing girl? How did you actually get started? What was the career beforehand?
Annie Leo (03:16):
Where did this go? Yeah,
(03:18):
Okay. So yes, I was involved in marketing and PR and all of that sort of stuff back in I felt like a million years ago. So I was always involved in that sort of area. And then I feel like I sort of fell into work that I enjoyed, but it wasn't my passion. There was something missing and I had just turned 50 at the time. I was looking for more, I was looking for something that really sparked a joy. So I started volunteering with a local rescue here, fostering and transporting dogs to vet appointments and things like that. And I just found any day that I was doing that, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. And so my partner said to me, look, why don't you do something in that realm? And because also I was supporting a lot of dog rescue charities, mainly overseas because we've got some great Australian rescue groups, but there's not a lot of animal welfare overseas, and I really wanted to support that.
(04:32):
So the problem was though that I never knew if they were legit, is the money getting through how much of the money was getting through? So again, my partner said, I think you should start your own charity. And I went, yeah, I'm going to look into that. Yeah, so that was five years ago and here we are. So I've brought the skills from that former life over to what I do now. There's still a lot of things that I'm learning as I go, being now a business owner and founder of a charity, there's always something that you're learning. But yeah, I'm grateful that I had a lot of skills to start with, I guess.
Danielle Lewis (05:12):
And how amazing, I love what you said about any day that you were doing the charity work and the volunteering was the day that you couldn't wipe the smile off your face. What a great indicator when we found something that actually lights us up.
Annie Leo (05:26):
Absolutely. Yeah. It was absolutely a light bulb moment for me that I just went, I really look forward to this and I feel like I'm contributing. I'm doing something worthwhile. And as I said, I've always been the crazy dog lady. So if I'm covered in dog hair and s slobber and puppy kisses and all of that sort of stuff, it's a great day.
Danielle Lewis (05:48):
That is so good. And now let me ask you this question because some people actually say, don't turn your hobby or don't your passion into a business because you'll come to resent it. Has that happened for you? Has there been any moments where you were like, oh, maybe I shouldn't have done this and I should have just stuck to that? What's it been like? You mentioned layering on being a business owner, having those challenges, learning all of those things. How do you feel now that you turned your passion into a business?
Annie Leo (06:19):
I don't think there are any negatives to it. For me, my story has been, I guess that it was a passion, but I also feel like I found my purpose. So having worked for other people before you kind of clock on, you clock off. And like I say, I was enjoying what I was doing, but you never work harder than when you work for yourself. And you know what? It's triggered. That's why we have the wine with this interview. Exactly. So you do, you work really hard, but if it's your passion and it's your purpose, you don't mind because you know that it's something worthwhile. So I get so much joy from it still, even those days where I'm kind of clocking off at 11 o'clock at night and I'm trying to get really better with not doing that. I'm trying to get the work life balance and the wine work balance. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (07:13):
The funness,
Annie Leo (07:13):
Yes. But those days I don't mind putting in the effort because I know that it's something worthwhile and it does bring me joy.
Danielle Lewis (07:23):
I love that. I really do because I feel like people have heard the rhetoric of keep things separate and have the work-life balance and pursue things outside of a job. And I love to hear those stories where somebody has taken something that they're so passionate about because I couldn't agree with you more, I feel like. So it doesn't matter what you start a business in, it's going to be hard work. You are going to have the long days, you're going to have the feelings, but if it is aligned to something that you love and you feel that purpose and you feel like this is actually worth it and this is impactful, I think that's the hack because it makes the hard days a little easier.
Annie Leo (08:04):
Yeah, I think so too. And there are still hard days. As I said before, there's so much that I needed to learn and there's still things that I'm not great with. There's things that I'm really good at and I put my skills to. And then there's other things that I go like I don't know how to do that. And so I'm also a control freak as well. So it's not very easy for me to hand things over to people, but I'm learning that I can't do it all. I can't wear all the hats. And sometimes we need to reach out to people and say, look, I'm not sure about doing X, Y and Z, can you help me with this? Or we've just recently started getting into a volunteer base. So there's a lot of roles that can be done remotely as well. So things like people helping with the social media or your LinkedIn or writing blogs or all those sorts of things, they can be done remotely. And we've got some great volunteers that have put their hand up and said they're happy to help out because they also are passionate about the cause and they can see that it's going somewhere worthwhile. So yeah, I always said in the beginning I kept kind of going, all I wanted to do was start a charity and rescue dogs, and now I find I'm running a small business and a website and social media and all these kinds of things and it's like, but it's good.
Danielle Lewis (09:28):
I know, I actually saw an Instagram post today from a girlfriend who has a business and she made that exact comment. She's like, what people dunno about being a business owner, you're also the social media manager and you have to do this even if you hate social media. Exactly. It's interesting though. So what's it like for you managing all of those people? So volunteers, team, your yourself, all the moving parts, how do you find great people that are aligned to your mission?
Annie Leo (09:57):
It's a challenge. It is a challenge and it's evolved over those five years that we've been going as well. There were a lot of times that it's just me standing at the markets all day or running around at the fundraiser, wearing all the caps and doing everything. But that's the first way to burn out is trying to do it all yourself. So it has been an evolution and people have come and gone as well. So people want to help, which is fabulous, but they also have lives and they also have jobs and families and things. So yeah, there have been some good people that have stuck and then there's been some people that have come and gone and we're always looking for more volunteers or people to put their hand up and say, look, I can do two hours a week, or I can do this or I can do that. There is always something that we need help with. So anybody who's watching this, if you're interested in volunteering, please hit me up.
Danielle Lewis (10:52):
Oh my God, totally. We'll pop the website, we'll pop the socials in. So yes, that is so good. I love it. It's such the mantra of the business owner though, isn't it? The to-do list is never done. Seriously. You can always find a new thing to do.
Annie Leo (11:08):
Yes.
Danielle Lewis (11:09):
How do you balance that? So you mentioned sometimes on the days we're clock enough at 11 o'clock and mentioned doing everything yourself is a clear path to burnout. I totally appreciate that. How have you managed your own energy, your own motivation, your own health and wellness whilst being a business owner?
Annie Leo (11:31):
It's been a juggle and a struggle because I am such a, I'm all the wrong things that you want in a person. I am a control freak, I am a perfectionist, I'm all those sorts of things, but it's actually taught me a lot about letting go of those things, those not great parts of my personality. So you just have to, and I think I probably credit my kids for that as well. I mean they're adult kids, but they were sort of saying to me, look, you've got to spend some time on the weekend just doing what you love or just getting out and taking the dogs for walking or just simple things like that. So I have started trying to do that because you are only as good to your business or your charity or whatever it is as you are to yourself. So if you can't take care of yourself, you're not going to be able to turn up and show up and do what you need to for the business or the charity or the rescue dogs. In my case, it's pointless putting so much effort into it that I then collapse in a heap and I can't do anything. So they're the moments that you have to kind of go, yeah, you know what? I need to be kinder to myself, maybe clock off today, maybe step away from the computer this weekend. And you just have to remind yourself that taking care of you is taking care of your business.
Danielle Lewis (13:00):
I love that because it's very easy to feel guilty about making that decision when there are all of those things that you can add to the to-do list. Sometimes it is easy to go, well, I didn't try hard enough or I didn't push hard enough, but I love what you said. You are only as good to your business as your ability to show up and to take care of yourself and actually have that energy. So that's spot on. And you've mentioned actually, so you are a charity as well a couple of times. What's the difference been like do you think between straight business and then registering as a charity going through that process? Was that a difficult process or any tips for someone wanting to start a charity?
Annie Leo (13:44):
I think you just need a good team around you. So I had a good accountant and good lawyer who helped navigate all the documentation because we are a registered charity, so you have to report to the A CNC, which is the Australian Charity Network. So everything has to be done properly. And that wasn't one of my skill sets. I'm very, as much as I love a plan, I'm hopeless at the detail part. So it was really important for me to have that set up properly to start with. And then our annual reporting, I make sure that the accountant looks over all of that and everything is as it should be. Look, I'm sure it's probably the same as with a small business as well. You've got to have everything, all your documentation and all your reporting and the tax department and all those sorts of things. So it's very similar, but I just think being organized and making sure you've got everything correct from the get go is really important. Then you won't have those hiccups further down the track. And yeah, I think that if you are not good at that, get somebody who is.
Danielle Lewis (15:04):
Yeah, well, I guess it's one of those, it's probably one of those areas where you don't want to just kind of hack it together. You might say, I'm not great at social media, but I can probably figure it out myself. This is not one of those areas.
Annie Leo (15:18):
No, it's not. And I think in the beginning, because we've grown so much over these five years as well, so yes, we had all the paperwork and all the documents done properly from the get go, and you need to be prepared to pay the right people to make that happen. So the accountant and the lawyer, you want to make sure you've got good people who understand all of that. And I think also because we were supporting here, but we were also wanting to, I particularly wanted to start in Bali with our own shelters because I'd been going there with the family for holidays and I'd seen the plight of the dogs. So it was really important for me that I was able to operate there as well. And part of the evolution over these five years is we're now registered as a business and a charity in Indonesia as well. So we're registered in Australia and there because that allows us to then sell products or have business enterprises over there that can contribute to the running of the shelters as well. So again, it's just really important to get all of that documentation, particularly if you're dealing with different countries as well.
Danielle Lewis (16:24):
And it also sounds like it's been an evolution, so it wasn't something that, so you mentioned, yes, you've got to get that right from the start, but you can add, the business can evolve over time as you see new opportunities or you want to expand. So even that ability to set things up from the get go, but be open to what the evolution could look like.
Annie Leo (16:45):
Oh, absolutely. So in the beginning, as I said, I only had a very small, I had doggy bandanas and two candles, two funny quote candles that I was selling. So any kind of invoicing or that sort of accounting, I was just doing it myself just on a spreadsheet. And then as it got bigger and bigger, I realized I actually need to find a system to work with here. And the accountant was tearing his hair out. I'm just giving him little bits of paper and all sorts of things. So, so we have had to evolve through all of that, as I'm sure any business does. You start off thinking, okay, yeah, I can do this, I can do this. But it soon becomes apparent that you really need to invest in the proper programs to make life easier as well.
Danielle Lewis (17:33):
And I think that there's real value in not investing too heavily at the start and to experience the pain, experience, the process, what do I really need? What do I not need? And then go, okay, this is the part that's really taking off. I need to invest in systems and processes around that. Because I also think there's a little bit of, I guess, caution in over specking everything from the start without really knowing what is actually going to be a success or not a success. Oh,
Annie Leo (18:02):
Look, hundred percent, a hundred percent. We did that with products as well. We did everything. We started off with just that little range, as I said, and then we got into absolutely everything. We were doing collars and leads. We were doing doggy apparel, we were doing cups and mugs and just everything. And because I would see things that I'd like and I'd go, oh, we can do that and that would be really cool, and dah, dah, dah. And so we just went crazy with all these products and I've now realized you can't do that. You need to really streamline to what is working well and concentrate on that and do it really well. And that's one of the things I'm really proud of with our product range. They're different. They're not mass produced. As I said, the doggy apparel is locally made through the disability employment programs.
(18:59):
We do still have some doggy coats and things, but we're scaling that back. So they're just really prime beautiful, well done handmade coats. We don't do the mass produced cheap and cheerful stuff, which means we are a little bit more expensive. But I think what people like about it is it's unique. So we do a lot of the slogan teas, we do the funny slogan candles, the quote candles and the tote bags with just funny kind of quotes. And people love it because it's different, it's unique and it's quality driven. So we get a lot of repeat customers and they word of mouth customers because they can't find it anywhere else. So that's been one of the things that I've learned is don't do everything and just try and be across everything. Bring it back to what you do really well and do it well. And people will appreciate that.
Danielle Lewis (19:57):
Yeah, and I just love your point about making it unique as well. I think that there feels like there's so much of everything available to us now, especially through the rise of social media. So actually focusing in on yeah, exactly what you said, what are my strengths? How can I be different in the market? What are people actually buying and interested in and kind of experimenting from there. I think that's awesome. So talk to me about that growth. So over the last five years, how have you found your early customers? How have you grown the business? What have been kind of your tactics and strategies?
Annie Leo (20:36):
Strateg, you have to get in front of people? For my story, my story is getting in front of people because we had great products, but we had more than that. We had the story behind it, a hundred percent of everything of our proceeds from the sale of our products, a hundred percent of your donation, a hundred percent of your sponsorship of one of our dogs. It all goes directly to our rescue projects and people love that. And we would have, so I'd stand there, as I said at the markets and just get in front of people, tell them the story. That's how we started getting our customer base. Because also as a charity, I think we're quite unique as well in that we do give back a hundred percent. I don't take a salary from this, I never will. As I said, it's my passion. So everything that we bring in goes back to our rescue projects, and that's enabled us to do what we've done in Bali. We started off with a senior safe house. So this was probably three years ago now. We opened Barley's first Sanctuary or Safe House specifically for senior dogs.
(21:51):
And we've opened Barley's only sanctuary for special needs dogs. So they're the little wheelchair dogs need the mobility aids and the rehab. And now just this year, well just a couple of months ago, we opened Rescue Utopia, which is our brand new sanctuary set on 2200 square meters of land. And we've been able to bring in dogs from our other smaller safe houses and consolidate into that. So we've only been able to do that by putting everything back into that rescue work and the word of mouth that we get the supporter input, they believe in what we do because as I say, it's they're happy to buy the products because they're not just supporting a small business. They know it's actually going to help the rescue dogs as well, but they also know they're getting good quality. They're happy to tell people about it. So while it was me standing there at the markets telling everyone the story, now we've got all of our supporters are champions for our cause and they're telling everyone the story and it's grown that way.
Danielle Lewis (22:58):
I love that. I've spoken to a few people recently that either started at markets or still use markets as a part of their strategy because it's really hard to get that one-on-one personal in-person feedback any way else, unless you are asking people to jump on calls or whatever with you. The markets are a gold mine for customer feedback and also testing as well, talking to people, testing, selling to people, testing, what are they buying, what are they not buying? I think the markets are super underrated as a marketing channel.
Annie Leo (23:31):
I think so too. And as much as I hated doing them because only because I would have to lug all the stuff in at the pack down at the end, but the setup and the pack down I think is the part that I hated. But the talking to the people and interacting with the customers, and if we were at markets where they'd bring their dogs, I mean, obviously there's smile on my face and I'd be like, yay, this is a great day. So I still do them from time to time. I pick and choose what I do now, only because physically it's too taxing on me. So I pick and choose what I do now. But I do find that still getting in front of people and telling them our story is crucial to our growth. But I think you don't get that on the online store as much as we tell our story through our website.
(24:26):
You don't get that through the online store as much, but through our retailers. So we wholesale to certain retailers, a handful of retailers, and we are looking to expand that because they love having us in their store as well because they get to chat to people about the story. So we are now finding they're championing our cause as well, and they're able to tell people why they're stocking us, and their customers love that as well. They love that they're supporting a charity and what's behind it. So yeah, I think that's an area that we would really love to explore more and that then allows more people to find us, hear our story, and continue to grow, is the plan.
Danielle Lewis (25:17):
I love it. It is so good. How have you navigated running a physical business? So in Bali, having the physical locations, how have you navigated having a physical business in an overseas country?
Annie Leo (25:32):
So I have got an amazing rescue partner. So when I was looking to get into Bali and support the dogs over there, I went looking at small solo rescuers over there. So people who were already knew the culture were doing something already but might've needed some help to really make a difference. And I met with a few people and visited a few sanctuaries, and there was one lady called Allison who was running a solo rescue program through Bali Rescue Dog Squad. And I met with her and instantly I went, you are it. I like, you're my people, you're my people. She knew what she was doing. She's an Australian lady as well, who had gone over there for holidays, saw the same thing, wanted to move over, make a difference. So we were already aligned in that purpose. We're very different in the way that we approach things, but we're working together towards a common goal.
(26:35):
So we partnered and that's when we started the Pause for Change, senior Safe House. Then we started Special Needs Safe House together when Aven, and now we've done Rescue Utopia together. So it's been, thanks to having that partnership over there that we've been able to do what we do. I couldn't do it from here remotely. And Allison is a dog whisperer. She is absolutely the bomb when it comes to that. So yeah, so it is crucial to have a really good partner on the ground who knows what they're doing. And yeah, so Bali Rescue Dog Squad and Pause For Change, officially, this is when I said we are registered now as a business and a charity in Indonesia. We officially did that, I think it was two years ago now. So all the steps with Allison and Barley Rescue Dog Squad have grown over those five years as well.
Danielle Lewis (27:32):
Any tips on going into a partnership with someone? Anything that you made sure were in place before moving forward with that?
Annie Leo (27:43):
No. No, we didn't. We just went, let's do this. And Alison had been working as a solo rescuer for quite a few, I think it was nine years or something before I came along. So it was probably more challenging for her to have a partner because she'd been doing it on her own for so long. And I think one of the main things for her was that she had developed this entity, Bali Rescue Dog Squad, and she didn't want that being swallowed up by, of course, something else that I'm bringing to the table. And I didn't want that either. I respected, I think it comes down to respect, mutual respect and a mutual plan and purpose. I knew where she had come from and where she wanted to go. I also knew what I was trying to develop, and I really respected what she was bringing to the table. And I think she really respected that having somebody like Pause for Change come on board could help the goals that she had as well. So it was really about being honest and being true to what you've already created, but where you want to go as a partnership as well.
Danielle Lewis (29:01):
Yeah, I absolutely love it. I think that's sometimes it just works. I think that we hear horror stories. I've experienced my own horror stories, and I always have generic tips for people in terms of having those conversations, setting expectations, having things in writing, blah, blah, blah. But sometimes you just know, and I love your comment about respect, you are both really passionate about achieving a common goal, and it is bigger than something like money. It is far bigger. It is legacy. It is impact. It is huge. I think that makes a big difference.
Annie Leo (29:39):
I think we are both such fierce independent females as well, that we're kind of in charge of our own entities. So it's almost like these two She wolves. I love that sussing each other out. And I'm not going to say that it has not been without yelling, crying, laughing, it's been everything. But at the end of the day, even if we've had our differences and we've had our spats, God, but it is that mutual respect of what we're trying to build and where we're going and what's important. At the end of the day, my feelings and my ego are not important at the end of the day. And neither is it for Allison. It's the dogs that are important at the end of the day. That's why we do what we do.
Danielle Lewis (30:29):
Oh my God, that is incredible. I absolutely love it. Annie, we could talk all day, but I love, that's it. Well, you've been doing all the talking, so you haven't had a chance. That is the one sidedness of a wine podcast is it's really, I get to have a wine and listen to a women in business. But no, I always love to wrap our podcast with one last piece of advice. So reflecting on the last five years in business, what would be a piece of advice that you would give to another woman who is currently on her business journey?
Annie Leo (31:05):
I would say don't be afraid to dream big. Don't be afraid to, I know it's a cliche, but shoot for the moon because you just never know. You might land amongst the stars, and if you don't try, you'll never get anywhere. If I had decided that I wanted my comfy little life and my little nine to five job, but I'd be very happy, I'm sure, but I wouldn't have found that passion and purpose that puts the big grin on my face every day. And so just do it. Just do it.
Danielle Lewis (31:40):
Oh, I love it so much. It's just so timely because I'm reading a couple of books and you know how sometimes things come into your universe as concepts, and that's something that's really showing up for me at the moment. I'm like, oh, I don't think I'm dreaming big enough. And it's currently is like this permission has just opened up. Why couldn't I do this? Why couldn't I be this solving this problem? So I love it. Dream big. This is so good. You are incredible. Annie, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. Wisdom on the Spark TV podcast. You're
Annie Leo (32:12):
Incredible. Thank you. Thank you for chatting with me. It was really lovely. Now I need to go and finish my wine. Absolutely.
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