#awinewith Belinda Scott
MEET Belinda
Belinda is the Founder of Puctto.
Find Belinda here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:05):
Belinda, welcome to Spark tv. Hello.
Belinda Scott (00:09):
Thank you for having me. Very excited to be chatting with you.
Danielle Lewis (00:12):
I know, I'm like, obviously everyone dialing in now. We've just spoken for 10 minutes. We haven't caught up in so long, so I'm just so excited to get into this chat. Let's just start off by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Belinda Scott (00:27):
Yep. I'm Belinda Scott and I'm the founder of PTO Holdings, which actually has two core products. One of them is pto, which is a virtual tryon tool for fashion retailers to install on their e-commerce stores. And then the second product, which has happened very quickly, is the Australian fashion platform, which kind of started out as a marketing tool for pto, but it's just sort of morphed into its own beast, which is so exciting. Super excited.
Danielle Lewis (00:57):
That is so cool. And I love this too because why don't we try and close online. This seems like you would see it in a movie back to the future or something, but when you think about it, why don't we actually try and close first? You think we, it's 2023 people come on,
Belinda Scott (01:15):
And I have been working on that idea for as a really, really long time, but people weren't really ready. But obviously now with everything that's happening, so we went to launch, we were actually looking for investment just before covid. We went to an angel group to do that, and then the pandemic was announced the very next day. So we sort of had to wait for all of that. And then people got it. I think by the end of that year, people went, oh shit. Yeah, no, there is a reason for it. But then when we stood then, so I'm just going to launch into all this other stuff.
Danielle Lewis (01:53):
Get into it, get into it. I love it.
Belinda Scott (01:56):
Well, and then after obviously retailers, because that was their only sales tool is that they didn't want to really insert tech because they were scared that it was going to break down their system. We had some bless some lovely ones that were early adopters that were happy to install it. But what was really good for us though was then just to go and talk to all the retailers. So I had so many meetings with retailers talking them through, knowing that they weren't going to install yet, but they sort of love the idea and were sort of ready for it. But that's the research that then led into the Australian fashion platform because they were struggling to stand out on all the social media platforms currently. And because they're global, it's hard for them to get found. Anyway, Google, they obviously have to pay a fortune just to get ads up the top. So that's kind of where we went. Well, shit, there's actually not really a really robust directory for just Australians for shoppers to find passion retailers new. And
Danielle Lewis (02:59):
Can you buy through the Australian fashion
Belinda Scott (03:01):
Platform? Yep. So the very, very first stage, so obviously we've got 5, 6, 7, 5 stages. The very, very first stage is literally just a directory listing that then opens their website. So you can just buy again from all find new retailers that way. And then there's a whole heap of stuff within that. Obviously pto, the try on is going to be the second stage so that people can try on within the platform as well.
Danielle Lewis (03:28):
That's so cool. And you're so right. It's really interesting. So I guess Covid was good in some ways, but bad in some ways. So business point of view, I think it just messed with everybody, but from a market point of view, it kind of forced changes, changed consumer behaviors that would've benefited you.
Belinda Scott (03:48):
It was sort of like a big reset. That's what I just keep saying. It was a reset for, well, for everything and in the fashion industry as well, and all of us really wasn't it? Well, totally.
Danielle Lewis (03:59):
I mean, I think about it now, living regionally. I now cannot try any clothes on right now, and I think about that. I'm one of those people that I'm like, I get so frustrated with shopping and I end up just buying the same clothes from the same labels because
Belinda Scott (04:16):
You know that That's right. And you know that whatever else, and that's the thing. There's so many, so the STAs, so Shopify's done stats and they're saying that there's 26,000 apparel stores in Australia. That's a lot. Yeah, huge. That's their stuff. And
Danielle Lewis (04:34):
I buy from five of them,
Belinda Scott (04:36):
And that's the thing they can't get found. They might have some amazing clothes and accessories and everything everywhere, but no one can find them. So that's what I'm passionate about, supporting small business as well. So it's those sort of micro to medium retailers that you go, you know what? We're all busting our guts to get stuff done. We should all be support supporting each other, and especially Australia now because we, things have had to change since Covid and shipping prices, all of this other stuff.
Danielle Lewis (05:09):
And you're so right. You are right. That's another thing, isn't it actually being able to support local where there is nowhere that you can go that is like, okay, yeah, I want to discover new Australian. I want to support local. I want to shop from home. This is incredible. So how did you come up with this idea? You said it was supposed to be the marketing strategy for pto. What was the plan? How did it morph?
Belinda Scott (05:33):
Oh, it's funny. This is so odd. I'm so sorry. I visualize stuff in my head. So if I can't see it as a video and it actually working then, and because I'm a graphic artist by trade, I then mock it all up in my head, but a lot of the time I mock up the stuff that's way down the track and it just, sorry. Sounds so weird. Everybody.
Danielle Lewis (05:58):
It annoys because you're like, I've got this grand vision
Belinda Scott (06:01):
And they'll go, here we go. And so that's what I've also learned is forget all the, I know where I want it to go and where it is going to go, but it's just bringing it back to the very, very simple thing, which is actually still a really good idea. There isn't anything sort of like that, but it's, I just love listening and talking to people and then just, it's almost like I can sort of see what their problems are and then just work out how to put it all together. Well, I think that sounds a bit arrogant, but I'm not trying to be arrogant. No, it
Danielle Lewis (06:29):
A skill. Everyone should have that. It's a really interesting point because that's what they say about startups, about business owners. It's like you should actually be having conversations with people, figuring out what problems they have and how you can solve them. And that's the key to success in business. So you are actually doing it
Belinda Scott (06:47):
Well, the problem is that you want the hockey stick that they say your business has to go like this with sales and stuff. That's true. But there's also a time where you do have to, it's just the talking, which doesn't look like anything to anybody else, but you know that you're doing the right thing in that there's all small little steps to get to it, I think.
Danielle Lewis (07:09):
Totally. And I think that those small little steps can be pretty frustrating for some business owners because they're like, why aren't I viral? Why haven't I gone viral?
Belinda Scott (07:18):
Yeah, that's right. It should have happened a long time ago.
Danielle Lewis (07:21):
Well, and we said that before we started recording. You and I have been in this for a long time. How has it been building a tech product? I know that oftentimes tech founders have that kind of road ahead of them where there is that research, there is the tech build, and it's hard. I'm a big proponent of sell things first, but you can't always do that with tech because it takes such a long time if you sell it. And then there's this huge lead time your customers.
Belinda Scott (07:52):
And so that's been part of our problem as well. So I guess when I started this in 2013, so it's like 10 year anniversary, 10 years
Danielle Lewis (08:04):
Success.
Belinda Scott (08:06):
Absolutely. So how it started for PTO was that I was sitting at home shopping. I loved shopping online, always have. So I was sitting at home looking at the clothes, and because I'm a graphic artist, I was then taking it, the clothes out into Photoshop, changing it over, and then putting it on my body so I could at least see the color. I like what a nerd, the color and everything so
Danielle Lewis (08:31):
Much when you're little and you have the paper. Yeah,
Belinda Scott (08:34):
Those cut out dolls. Yeah. Yeah. So it was kind of like that. And then I was sitting there going, well, why is no one doing this? So I dunno whether I was stupid or not. It is what it is. A learning curve is that they tell you you shouldn't actually build product first. But I didn't know any different, and I wasn't really a tech fan. I was a graphic artist by trade. I then found some, they were good developers actually on the Sunshine Coast, and they actually built, it was called the snappy dresser app. They built that for me. And it was only in the app store for a few months because again, another stupid thing, I took it down, but it had like 25,000 downloads in a small amount of time. And I kind of go, oh, if only I'd kept it. But then I kind of go, well, it morphed in.
(09:16):
So the reason I took it down is because then I was getting asked by a couple of retailers, oh, I'd like to have that on my online store. So then it sort of pivoted and moved on, whereas hindsight's a good thing and then it's kind of moved on from there. But then it was all the governance. So that's the other thing too. I didn't know all the governance and all of that stuff that goes behind business. So it was probably a really good four or five years of learning that I had a terrific co-founder as well that came on board to help. And she was terrific at all that. So I learned a massive amount. So to me, it's all sort of gone in stages. It was sort of testing the idea initially, then doing all the governance and the business stuff, then sort of moving on and now taking it on back over to myself is then the re-strategizing going, okay, I've learn so much in those 10 years that now I can sort of bring it all together.
Danielle Lewis (10:14):
I know. And I really love that because I think we undervalue time and I think we do kind of get mad at ourselves for, oh, I should have done this. I should have done that. Should have taken so much, why didn't I try this? Or why did I make that decision? But it's like everything just leads to the next thing. And I really strongly believe that it is us founders that just grip on and hold on and just keep going that are the ones that are successful.
Belinda Scott (10:44):
Well, there is something wrong with that. There is something wrong with this same thing because just the grit and determination and the belief in the product. I think if I wasn't talking to so many retailers all the time, and yes, they can just say nice things to you, but we've still got people installing the tech, and I'm not doing any advertising at the moment for PTO because I've got some upgrades I want to do. But if it wasn't for that, and then the retailers saying, yeah, you've got a great product. You're nearly there. Keep going. You would give up bloody hard. No one, no one tells you, you go blindly, yes, I can do this.
Danielle Lewis (11:24):
I know. It's hilarious, isn't it? I kind of reflected, I'm like, if anyone did tell me how hard it was, would I have
Belinda Scott (11:30):
Done it? No, you wouldn't believe them anyway. Really? Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (11:34):
It's like childbirth. Everyone says that. No one tells you how awful it is. I'm like, that's like goodness. Ownership. No one tells you how awful. It's
Belinda Scott (11:43):
No, absolutely. I probably
Danielle Lewis (11:44):
Shouldn't relate the two, should I?
Belinda Scott (11:46):
No, but they're exactly the same. I've got my two real children and my two baby products as yeah. Oh,
Danielle Lewis (11:55):
That's so good. I love it. So what have been, I don't know if you reflect on the last 10 years, I mean I love that you've taken everything as a step forward and as a learning. What have been the biggest challenges that you've had to overcome?
Belinda Scott (12:10):
Probably money and funding. That's probably been the biggest thing. Purely because it's taken so long and investors want to see that hockey stick go flying straight away for their investment, which is really hard when you know how hard you're working and you are not taking wage yourself because there's literally, you're just doing everything on minimal amount. And I think it's so important as well to find the right people. I've been extremely lucky for each sort of stage of this journey, having great people that have just sort of come along believed in the product or products and I guess me a bit too, just so we can all sort of work together. I thought you are the same. I'm sure I'm so passionate about work and ideas and stuff, but just it becomes so absorbed in that you need people like that as well, that are as mad as you're, because I just go, I love going somewhere and they're just talking about my product and it's not even about me. Big noting. I'm not big noting I'm not doing anything, but I'm so passionate about it. I could talk for ages about all the returns for retailers. You shouldn't be buying it all and getting free returns, not helping the retailers. So I've got a few issues.
Danielle Lewis (13:29):
I love that. So you mentioned investment, so has that been how it's funded to date?
Belinda Scott (13:35):
So my husband and I have put in a heck of a lot over that timeframe. Then we also went through the angel groups. So we've got Brisbane Angels investment, which is great because as you know, well it's probably more now, but it was only 2% of female founders get investment. It's probably, I'm sure.
Danielle Lewis (13:56):
No, it's not even more now. Literally it's just the same. It's just like now women get money.
Belinda Scott (14:04):
I don't understand. But we've also then got other government grants, which is terrific. So we have been lucky with that. And then we're also just doing crowdfunding. So there's a company called My Crowd, which is,
Danielle Lewis (14:18):
Yeah, they do it for female founders. They, I've just heard about them. Cool.
Belinda Scott (14:23):
And because I'm based in Brisbane, they're based in Brisbane as well. So that's been terrific. So we're actually about to launch with that too. So
Danielle Lewis (14:32):
That process,
Belinda Scott (14:34):
There's a lot of paperwork. But the other thing is too, I actually am really liking it because they really do the due diligence so that the investors and the everyday people, it's got to be done properly. And so the process I think is more stringent than what angel groups or other investment companies do. So even just getting the offer document have gone back and forth so many times and I've done so much updates to that. But it's good because checking every single thing. So I feel confident we've had police checks done, we've done, that's not us, but they have to do that as well to make sure we're not dodgy. So yeah, I'm really enjoying the process. And the other good thing is that the reason I went down this route road was because after talking to so many retailers and family and friends who know have been working on it for so long, a lot of them say, oh, I'd love to put in some money. I'd love to support you in some way. And so it's from $249, you can invest, get a piece of shares up to obviously if you're not as sophisticated, up to 10,000. But so we're just constantly just talking to people and just saying, Hey, just so you know, there's no pressure, but if you want to invest to get some shares in pto, the Tryon and Australian fashion, you can, the opportunity's there.
Danielle Lewis (15:55):
That is so cool. And it's really, I love this idea of crowdfunding where it is like that, right? There are so many people that aren't sophisticated investors, but they do make a good wage and want to support friends, family, or just great ideas. I do love that my crowd is female founder backed because I was having this thought the other day that was like, I know we say, okay, only 2% of women get funded. How do we fix that problem? And I was reflecting on it and I was like, I think the only way we fix it is ourselves. I think women have to back other women. We have to
Belinda Scott (16:30):
Just absolutely, absolutely
Danielle Lewis (16:32):
Pockets and support
Belinda Scott (16:33):
Other, and see, I've never, when I was working in the magazines, my boss, she was female, found, she was female, she owned the business and I think out of 22 staff, there was 21 of us that were female. So I've never seen the male female thing so much. I've always just gone, well, we're all humans. We should be doing it anyway. So I've never understood the bias towards men, but I kind of think, well, you've just got to go out and do it yourself. If you can't worry about them running their own race, you just have to run your own race and find the people around you to help you, whether they're male or female. It's just, yeah,
Danielle Lewis (17:13):
I completely agree. You can't get bogged down in the stats and how negative it is and how bad it is. You do. You are so right. You do have to run your own race if you're going to get anywhere, you have to kind of go, I'm going to do it regardless.
Belinda Scott (17:28):
And I think we also have to be really careful. I'll go off on my tangent. I think we also have to be really careful because then I'm working with someone that's terrific and he's a bloke, white bloke living in the city. There's not many grants and opportunities for him now because he's the minority who's had all the funding before. So it's that fine line. But now he's on the other side of it as well going, oh, which I get and it's all odd, but I appreciate the funding that we're able to apply for.
Danielle Lewis (18:00):
Totally. And it's hilarious too. I remember one year I was buying as business, not business development, personal development for staff. I was buying business chicks, memberships for the girls. And then I was like, for the guys, I was like, oh, I don't know what, there's nothing for you. Women have gone out and created all of these platforms and networks and opportunities. And I went, I don't even know. I guess you guys just inherently are fine.
Belinda Scott (18:26):
That's right.
Danielle Lewis (18:27):
But it's funny, there are so many opportunities. Women, you do actually have to, I think forget about the big stats and just look and research in your area
Belinda Scott (18:37):
And just stay true to yourself as well
Danielle Lewis (18:41):
And back yourself. If there are ways to actually launch something without funding, do it in small pieces and get it to market actually just back yourself.
Belinda Scott (18:51):
Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (18:54):
That's so good. That's a great message for women everywhere. Just back yourself, I mean, good segue though. What do you think there's opportunity now to get started. If you had an idea today, is there opportunity for people to launch something new in markets today? And how would someone get started? What would be your advice? If I woke up this morning, I was like, I think I have a brilliant idea. What would you say?
Belinda Scott (19:19):
I would probably, I was going to say, talk to people, but you've got to watch when you talk to people because they'll put their bias towards it going, oh no, you won't be able to do that. Well, that's the other thing. It's interesting over these 10 years, there's so many, I've spoken to a few people that I've told them about pto and then they've quite often gone, oh, I had that idea 10 years ago. Oh, good luck. It's really hard, Nicole, you
Danielle Lewis (19:44):
Never did it
Belinda Scott (19:46):
Well. So you've got to just be careful who you talk to. And so I probably scope everything out as much as you could learn online, as much as you can get the product and your ideas in a focus group. So for tech-wise, I'm in Brisbane and there's River City Labs. There's so many organizations that you can actually go and talk to, get mentoring and help just to work out where you need to go and even setting up your business structure and all of that. You need to have an idea on that, which I didn't initially yet working all that out as well. The other thing is too, you can't spend all the money on setting everything up and then it actually doesn't fly anyway. So it's that fine line of believing in the product, but also being a bit sort of strategic on where you go, I think.
Danielle Lewis (20:36):
Yeah, and I think you're so right, just being a little careful on who you do talk to, especially before you have nutted it out. Yeah, someone said that to me once that they were like, never take advice from someone who hasn't done what you want to do. And it's so true, right? Because everyone is very quick to dole out advice,
Belinda Scott (20:57):
Their opinions
Danielle Lewis (20:59):
When they're working in their nine to five secure job.
Belinda Scott (21:03):
That's right. Not
Danielle Lewis (21:04):
Taking risk on business.
Belinda Scott (21:06):
And the other thing is too, it's even knowing now of getting NDAs Nondisclosures signed, but again, it's that fine line of a lot of mentors won't sign that they see so many people, but it's also going well. You've got to also trust the people that you're talking to. If they are someone that's just been recommended or just someone off the street, you do have to be very careful as well. I guess
Danielle Lewis (21:29):
I remember at the start we were like, they were like, oh, should we not tell anybody? Should we get NDA assigned? And then as I reflect, I was like, no one would do this. It was so hard.
Belinda Scott (21:40):
Or keep doing it. Keep doing it.
Danielle Lewis (21:42):
Yeah, totally. It's hilarious. Actually, a girlfriend of mine who has a different kind of platform, she has been copied before, but they've never lasted. She's just outlasted everyone. And I'm like,
Belinda Scott (21:57):
She had the idea, so she knew the path forward and knew the end result of probably what she wanted or kind of where it was going to go. So that's why it's fine copying someone, but if you don't know what the end goal was, there's only so far you can get.
Danielle Lewis (22:13):
Totally. You're always just playing catch up coffee.
Belinda Scott (22:16):
Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (22:17):
I know. And it is interesting too, especially in tech, it's so expensive as well. People won't steal your ideas because they don't have the money to steal your
Belinda Scott (22:26):
Ideas. No. To do it and that's it. No, and it's also trusting your tech companies as well. We've been burnt before. I know I've spoken to you about that, but that's again, another learning curve. 80,000, 90,000 down the drain of not getting anything. And
Danielle Lewis (22:44):
Oh my God, I've been in the same situation. This is just a public service announcement. Totally. I've wasted, oh my God, probably in the realm of that as well. Like a hundred grand on stuff that just throw in the bin. And you think about that's years of salary if I was working and basically taking my salary and putting that into the development and only to, it'll just blow up in our face. Oh my God.
Belinda Scott (23:11):
And I stupidly quit my job way before I should have. So we've just been self-funding, living off what we've got Ram and
Danielle Lewis (23:22):
Noodles
Belinda Scott (23:24):
Trying to feed the children. So it has been extremely tough and I'd recommend waiting as holding out as long as you can because your product probably won't take off as quickly as what you think 10 years later. Still waiting.
Danielle Lewis (23:39):
I know. I always say that to people too. I'm like, but if it does, great problem to have then quit
Belinda Scott (23:45):
On
Danielle Lewis (23:45):
The side of caution.
Belinda Scott (23:46):
Yeah, agreed. Agreed.
Danielle Lewis (23:48):
Yeah. There's nothing like, I find financial stress is the worst kind of stress, I think. And if you quit your job, you are just adding in a layer of stress into this new baby business that's going to have all these other problems without, why would you do that?
Belinda Scott (24:06):
I know. I dunno. I've often wondered. Yeah, it is actually the hardest, I reckon that's more stressful than even someone taking a hundred grand for not finishing a debt product. That was stressful, but at least it was out of my control, whereas this wasn't my control. I could have stayed working for a job, but I didn't. It's that. Anyway,
Danielle Lewis (24:29):
So you mentioned you were a graphic artist and you were in magazines. How did you get from that to tech
Belinda Scott (24:37):
Also then there was a sort of, I did wedding invitations, and so it was print, print. So then we had, this is early on, I think like 2004, 2000, no, maybe five or six. So we were in a few extra news agencies, very minimal. We were just very lucky we went in not really knowing what we were doing. Again, that seems to be the way, I think
Danielle Lewis (25:02):
That that's the secret ingredient though. A little bit of naivety. Oh, I could do that.
Belinda Scott (25:07):
I remember us walking in there and they just had a spare wall. Someone else had taken down some stuff and we went, oh, we've got some invitations. Can we put them up? And so we basically had this massive wall, but when you think about it, I think it was by square footage. They've got some measurements and we had no idea. We just keep going back and restocking. Then my co-founder moved into state and it all got too hard, but we did have them online for a while, so I kind of was doing sort of e-commerce very basically with that. Then in Brisbane, the floods hit up year 2011. Oh, hang on. That was before, yeah, so 2011 and apps had only just started as in digital magazines and those sort of things. So it was early stage. The floods hit. I caught up with a friend at the time and she did sewing and patterns, and so I said, oh, we could do sort of digital or an app. And so we sort of went down that path and did sewing patterns. But again, and it was all printable with video instructions. It was actually really kind of cool.
(26:08):
But again, we were too early, whereas now it's everywhere. Oh my God.
Danielle Lewis (26:11):
I know. That's exactly what I was, just think she would've done well during Covid when everyone decided,
Belinda Scott (26:15):
Yeah, no, it was 10 years too early. Something,
Danielle Lewis (26:18):
Damn it.
Belinda Scott (26:19):
10 years again. But anyway, that kind of just ended, and then I was sitting at home shopping online going, oh my God, I've got all this experience dealing with developers, building apps, all of this stuff. And I just went, no. And so that's where it sort of morphed into snappy dresses. So then it's gone on from there. So I guess I've always just gone out and done stuff without realizing it. And whether it's that naivety or the stupidity or the, well,
Danielle Lewis (26:44):
Maybe curiosity that's a
Belinda Scott (26:45):
Good or give it a go,
Danielle Lewis (26:47):
Oh, I think I could do that. And then go down the rabbit hole of figuring it out.
Belinda Scott (26:51):
Yeah, and I guess I've also, one of my mottoes is that I don't want to be on my deathbed and not have given it a go going, oh, wish I'd done that 30 years ago, 40 years ago, or 50 years ago, depending how old I live. So I guess I do want to just try everything and just give it a good go. And also, I guess show my kids that you can just do anything. It doesn't matter if you hate school, don't do well at school, dunno what you're going to do because you'll find it out. You just have to find your passion and sort of go for it from there.
Danielle Lewis (27:27):
And I love that too, that curiosity, because I see so many people get bogged down in thinking they've got to have it all figured out or thinking they need to know what they want to be when they grow up or what the thing is. But it's like no one knows. Just I feel like it's just stumbling into the next thing and the next thing and the next thing until we finally go, oh my God, I love this and I'm willing to sacrifice my life for it. Yeah, I do love that. I do love that it's been the next thing and the next thing and having a great idea and just pursuing it and going, even if it didn't work, I took all of those learnings into the next thing that didn't work.
Belinda Scott (28:10):
And that's the thing too. The world's changed so much. And even just with the metaverse coming up and all of the, which there's so much going on behind the scenes that we dunno about, but it's also, my son's in grade 12 this year. He doesn't like school. I hated school. He'll hate me if he ever watches this. He'll hate me saying, but I remember in grade seven or eight, I went to a parent teacher thing and they said, look, Jack, why don't you hand in your assignments and do your homework? And he said, which I would've said the same if I had the guts to do it. He goes, I just don't see the point of it, so why should I do it? And it's kind of been like that. And he's now in grade 12 and I go, oh, I get it. And I know you do have to tick the boxes, but I just think learning has changed so much and the world that unless there's a certain path you need to go to uni for, I just think it's just all going to be different.
Danielle Lewis (29:03):
Oh, I so agree. I was the same when I was in high school. I was like, I thought I was going to be a fashion designer. I ended up studying fashion at uni and I just didn't get it. I loved that one subject that I had and I just didn't understand why I had to do all of these things when I already knew what it was that I wanted to do. I remember sitting in the car with my mom crying, going, I don't understand why I have to do all of this stuff. I already know what I want to do. But I love that too. But the thing is, we reflect and I'm like, that was 20 years ago and schooling hasn't changed. And I'm like, yes, they have iPads in the classroom and things like that now, but it's like, you are so right. Learning today is so different. If I want to build an app, I can jump on, buy a course, teach myself how to code. You see it on the news every now and again, these 15 year olds, millionaires, they've learned to build an app. It's so different. It worries me about the whole school system. But I think it's also a good reminder to us maybe us oldies that it's like whatever we want to learn or figure out is available to us.
Belinda Scott (30:18):
Absolutely. I completely agree. So it just comes down to not having the bit of the official paperwork, which is
Danielle Lewis (30:27):
Like you said, unless there's a specific
Belinda Scott (30:29):
That's right. Obviously I'm not going to be doctor specialist. I did it online. Thank you.
Danielle Lewis (30:37):
Exactly. I'd prefer my surgeons to have the piece of paper.
Belinda Scott (30:40):
Yeah, that's right. I'm fine with that. Everybody
Danielle Lewis (30:42):
Else. Yeah, everyone else you have permission not to have the piece of paper. Oh my God, I love it so much. Okay, we could toggle day. Let's wrap this up. If there was a woman in business who has dialed into this right now and she is staring down the barrel of what you and I have stared down, which is a lot of hard work, a lot of challenges, is there a piece of advice that you might give her to keep going?
Belinda Scott (31:11):
I think just make sure you've got your belief in your product. Don't just do it because you want to save face. Sorry, that's not a very succinct thing. It doesn't have to, don't feel like you have to keep doing it because you've told people you have to do it. You have to really believe in your product and keep going. People can talk about how crazy you are still going. You have to have that belief and determination, I think. And I also think find your peeps, find the right peeps that are around, and also talk to other founders that are going through. So I've appreciated talking to you over the years as well, and a few others as well. Just go, you find your people. It is fricking hard. You don't realize how hard it is that it's not just you going through it. We're all going through, it's slightly different, but we're all going through the same shit. And it's just knowing that you're not mad.
Danielle Lewis (32:01):
And that's what it's too, right? Because especially if you don't have other business people in your life, and I didn't. I
Belinda Scott (32:09):
Didn't either, really?
Danielle Lewis (32:09):
Yeah. I never knew. And look, so I grew up in a family where both parents worked in the exact same business company for 30 plus years, which doesn't happen anymore. I never knew anyone that, I didn't even know you could start a business until I read a book and I was like, hang on a second. You just make shit up. So you are right. Finding people to talk to so that you know you're not crazy and that it is hard.
Belinda Scott (32:37):
And also just finding. So I was really lucky with that female magazine owner because she had the belief in all of us and me as well, so I could set up my own graphic design studio within her business. So I kind of always had that mentor without realizing how lucky I was. And that was actually abnormal and I didn't realize. So yeah, you just have to find people that inspire you to keep you going as well.
Danielle Lewis (33:01):
I love it. I love it so much. Belinda, thank you so much for sharing your honest story with Spark Community. It's so appreciated.
Belinda Scott (33:11):
No problem. Loved it. So thank you.
✨ Thank you to IP Australia for supporting the SPARK podcast and women in business ✨
