#awinewith Suki McMaster
MEET Suki, founder of sukimcmaster.com
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
Amazing. Suki, welcome to Spark tv.
Suki McMaster (00:11):
Oh, thanks for having me here.
Danielle Lewis (00:13):
I'm so excited. I've been stalking you on the internet and I absolutely love your work and I love your business, so I'm so excited that you agreed to come and share your story with us.
Suki McMaster (00:27):
Oh, thank you. Yes, good to be here. Yes,
Danielle Lewis (00:30):
I'm excited. Well, let's just start by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Suki McMaster (00:35):
Okay. Hello everyone. I am Suki Mcma. I am an artist, shop owner, illustrator, freelancer. I do everything. So I put my artwork onto different products and I have a shop in South Melbourne Market, so the shop is about seven years old, and I do sell onlines, going to different markets wholesale. So yeah, do a bit of everything.
Danielle Lewis (00:59):
It's so cool and I just love it so much because your products are, as you said, you put your artwork on your products, and so they're just so gorgeous and so original. It's just incredible.
Suki McMaster (01:11):
Thank you. Yeah. So at the beginning, I want to have a homeware shop. So we started with some cushions, some cups. Then we realized a lot of people are buying the products for their kids. So we have the kids range collections. Then now, just probably last year, we realized that, oh, people like to decorate their home. So the wall art goes really well. So we focus on that, and now we have more tourists coming to Australia. So we have a lot of Choicey products as well. So it is go around and round. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (01:54):
But it's so cool. I mean, I love how it's like you wanted something and then you saw customers are buying this. So let's lean into that a little bit more. How did you get started even Did you just decide, I want a homeware store? Were you an artist already? Did you have a career? How did this happen?
Suki McMaster (02:12):
No, I was trained as an accountant.
Danielle Lewis (02:18):
I wasn't expecting that.
Suki McMaster (02:22):
Having Asian parents, they only want you to be a certain work in certain career. So what I'm doing now is exactly opposite what my parents want me to do. Not a good girl in their criteria, but I'm happy with what I do. So yes, I finished my uni. So I was born in Hong Kong. I came to Australia to do uni after I graduate. I just don't like numbers, I just hate it so much. It's a wake up call for me. It's like that's one thing that you don't want to do is, so I go, I actually worked in hospital for maybe five years. I worked in hospital doing to start a mean and an account and then all those backend stuff in a hospital. It's fun. It's nice to help people, but then I love to do creative stuff, so I'm constantly learning. So back in those days you read books, there is nothing much online. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (03:32):
True. Used. You're my vintage.
Suki McMaster (03:36):
Yes. So yeah, we're talking about 20, 20 years ago. So Internet's very limited. You don't even know where to search anyway, so I'm constantly at libraries and bookshop and yes. So I believe when you really want something, then you'll work it out. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (03:58):
Yeah, absolutely. So you were working at the hospital, but loved creative pursuits. You're reading these books, you're getting these ideas. What was the first leap you took?
Suki McMaster (04:10):
So as you can imagine, 20 years old, you need money. So I just started to make sewing some bags and then started to sell it on. Asie was very new at that point. So I did get some sales going on, but then uploading, ticking photos is pain in the ass. You just plus a full-time job, so you just don't want to do too much of that. Then I started to sell at the market, and then I realized, oh, it will be better if I have my own design. So yeah, that's how you want to be different. So I started to make my own patterns and all these, and yeah, it's just growing that way.
Danielle Lewis (05:02):
I know. That's so cool. And it's interesting, isn't it, starting it as a side hustle. So selling on Etsy, selling in the markets, and then discovering that you needed a point of difference. It's funny, when I look at your store now and your Instagram, it's like, it's so established. It's like you're so far along, but I guess everyone has to start somewhere.
Suki McMaster (05:28):
Yes. I think everyone start the same similar way we all do, and we all start with no money. We all start with dunno what to do, too many ideas, being creative, but you just have to stick to it. I think sometimes, especially in this time, so many people out there, everyone seems to be better than you, but you just have to keep trying. You just believe yourself. That's all I did. Yeah, it is hard.
Danielle Lewis (06:04):
It's hard, isn't it? But I love that because yes, there are lots of people doing different things, but there's always someone that will love your work. You won't be for everybody, but you'll definitely have, you'll be for somebody and you've just got to stick at it and find those people.
Suki McMaster (06:23):
It takes a while to believe what you do because when I first start, I was really, I don't believe in all I do, I guess, that don't have that confidence. So whenever people buy something, I'm just like, oh my God, thank you so much. I'm almost like, you don't have to pay me. This is yours. You can have it. I was like that when I first started. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (06:49):
Oh my gosh. And how did you flex that confidence muscle? Did you have any secret or was it just a matter of just keep going?
Suki McMaster (06:59):
So working in the shop is really helpful. So if anyone starting to do this, I will suggest to do as many market as you can because you're going to meet so many crazy people that will give you so really bad comments and yes. But then one day you'll be thinking, well, you think this is bad, but someone's paying for it, so you're just not my people is here.
Danielle Lewis (07:31):
Yes. I love that. That's so true. That's the same in any product. There are people who don't like Louis Vuitton and you know what? They're not their people. You Exactly. You can't make those negative comments as a reason to stop trying
Suki McMaster (07:52):
And don't let people. So when I first have the shop, there are people are very, it's the cultural, it's different. They talk very strong, very dominant. I doesn't care dollars. You sell me this cup and that kind of attitude, and I will just say, okay, you can have it for $10, but is it all I worth? No. So after a while you really learn to say, no, this is $20, not $10. Will you go to a butcher to do the same thing? No, exactly.
Danielle Lewis (08:32):
I love that attitude. You've got to back yourself because I think people will try their best to take advantage. You're so right. No, who would walk into a butcher and negotiate.
Suki McMaster (08:44):
Yes, exactly. If you want the land shop, you bought the land chop.
Danielle Lewis (08:48):
Exactly. That's how much it costs that so good.
Suki McMaster (08:55):
But I think some culture they do have that they do want to bug and they do want to make you look down. Yeah. So interesting. The world's full of different people. Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (09:10):
I think that's such a great attitude to have. I think as you progress in business, it kind of just starts water off a duck's back. You're like, eh, people will be crazy. It's fine.
Suki McMaster (09:23):
There were people actually say to my face that, oh, that shopping backers $15 for this piece of sheets. Yeah. He said it to my face and I said, oh, this is my drawings. And he said, you call this art.
Danielle Lewis (09:40):
Oh my God.
Suki McMaster (09:41):
He said, I hope you are not offended, but I can do this.
Danielle Lewis (09:46):
Oh my God,
Suki McMaster (09:48):
Off you go, you do this.
Danielle Lewis (09:50):
Yeah. Go make your own shopping bag, mate. Oh my
Suki McMaster (09:54):
Gosh. Yeah. So you just learn every different people. Yes, yes.
Danielle Lewis (10:00):
Yeah. It's almost like confidence in business and backing yourself comes from taking the blows
Suki McMaster (10:08):
Very much. Yeah. Knowing everyone's different. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (10:13):
Yeah, I love that. So going then, you've built the confidence muscle at the markets, and then you've decided you need your own e-commerce store. Was that the next step for you?
Suki McMaster (10:26):
Yes. So that's all came from if one good thing from Covid, that's it.
Danielle Lewis (10:34):
Ah, awesome.
Suki McMaster (10:35):
Yes. Without, well, you always know, oh yeah, I need to do my website, but it's always like the bottom of the to-do list. Oh yeah. It's just, yeah, but covid happened. You just know that the world can shut down anytime, but then you can still have the option to work if you have the website working.
Danielle Lewis (11:02):
Yeah, that is such good advice. I agree with you. Sometimes we push things to the bottom of the pile, whether it be our website, whether it be our e-commerce or whether it be that course we wanted to create or that membership. We wanted to start anything. There's so many things that we think if only we had that we'd have a little bit more power in our business, a little bit more scale, but for some reason we put it off.
Suki McMaster (11:28):
Yeah, because you think it's not important. You'll be thinking, oh, I need to post that Instagram post is more, the most important thing in the world is actually not. Yes. Just that in control. The feelings of control is the most important, I think. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (11:47):
Yeah, absolutely.
Suki McMaster (11:49):
Someone can end your list tomorrow. So you don't have a shop then what can you do? Oh my God. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (11:55):
It's so true. And even your point, posting the Instagram post isn't the most important thing. Instagram could shut down tomorrow.
Suki McMaster (12:01):
Exactly. Right. Yes. So you'd need to go to your email list.
Danielle Lewis (12:06):
It's so important. I was listening to somebody else's podcast this morning about email list, and I'm like, it's so true. People I know still don't have their email list. I'm like, how are you going to talk to people if you don't have an email list?
Suki McMaster (12:22):
But yes, obviously that email list is not on the top of their list. Not yet.
Danielle Lewis (12:26):
Exactly. They'll learn. They'll learn.
Suki McMaster (12:30):
Yes. Hopefully. Not in a hard way.
Danielle Lewis (12:32):
No, exactly. Okay, I love it. So now you've got this ecosystem of the retail, the e-commerce. What has been the secret, or maybe not the secret, but what's contributed to growth in your business? How have you found new customers over the years?
Suki McMaster (12:51):
We're very lucky. The shop do brings a lot of people in, and you just need to make sure the customer service is to the point. You have to train the people to give similar, not the same. No one can be the same, similar experience. Then I do a lot of market. I have been doing markets interstate, so starting from May, we are doing markets until December. We'll be traveling everywhere for, we only do markets, those big one, like three days. Ones very selective, but we used to, before Covid, we'll go Melbourne, elder Lake, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane driving. We're just driving.
Danielle Lewis (13:44):
So markets are that good for your business.
Suki McMaster (13:48):
It was good before it was really good, but it's just don't think about the money or think about the relationship that you're going to build. Because after a while, people expect to see you. People have that confidence to buy online because they saw you at the market. So when I first start, of course, money, of course, you do it for money, but there are days that you don't make that money back.
Danielle Lewis (14:21):
Yeah, wow.
Suki McMaster (14:23):
But don't get upset because you just don't know what's the next one. We'll cover it next time. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (14:32):
But that's such great advice. Just because perhaps you haven't sold product on that day doesn't mean you didn't speak to 20 potential customers who maybe picked up your card or maybe put their email down, and then now they are in your universe.
Suki McMaster (14:49):
They remember you, they, you think people don't, but if your products stand out enough, they do remember you. Yes. I guess. Yeah. I'm so colorful. Everything so people do remember, but yes, you just need that confidence. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (15:11):
Well, and I think people remember the stories, right? So amazing getting to meet the artist behind all of these amazing products at the markets. You can't do that with lots of brands anymore. If you went to Kmart, you're not meeting an artist, you're not meeting a designer. It's just the same crap everyone else has. This is when you go to the markets and meets the artisan. That's actually super cool. I think people want that experience these days.
Suki McMaster (15:40):
Like you'll be thinking, why do I go to coffee shop to pay $6 a cup of coffee? Why don't I make it home? Because you have that connection, you celebrating that time with a friend, and so that's the experience that you want to create with. I think a lot of people say, oh, retail is dying. But I think it's, you just need to look at it in different ways
Danielle Lewis (16:05):
And perhaps look at everything as connected. So it's not just about retail versus online. It's like how to both support each other.
Suki McMaster (16:12):
Absolutely. Yes. It is hard. It is not easy because the website doesn't talk. It doesn't have my face on it, but just try to create a similar experience. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (16:24):
That's so cool. I love it. And what do you think has been the biggest challenges over or the biggest challenge over your business career?
Suki McMaster (16:35):
Well, every day is a challenge.
Danielle Lewis (16:38):
You agree?
Suki McMaster (16:41):
If anyone asks me if they should start a business, I'll say, no, I find a job. No. If you like
Danielle Lewis (16:48):
Stress, then start a business.
Suki McMaster (16:52):
Exactly. Yes. It's different type. Yeah. It's rewarding, but it's very stressful. The biggest challenge is to find the right people to delegate the work to and to have realistic goals, which I always, I don't have realistic goals. I want to do a hundred things a day, but I can only do 10. And you have to be happy with 10. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (17:23):
And I think it becomes about you get better and better at figuring out what 10 you need to do and what are the 90 that you need to delegate to those people that you're trying your hardest to find the best people to do.
Suki McMaster (17:35):
Yes. And people let you down. People do. Oh, yes. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (17:42):
It really hurts when people let you down too. It does.
Suki McMaster (17:45):
Yes. But you have to pick yourself up and this is your baby, so you just have to keep going. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (17:55):
I know. It is really hard sometimes. This is the poster for podcast for why not to start a business.
Suki McMaster (18:03):
Yes. I can give you a hundred reasons not to.
Danielle Lewis (18:07):
Oh my God, I love it. Well, what do you think? You said yes, it's stressful. Yes, there are challenges, but you also said that it's rewarding. What have you found is the most rewarding part of business for you?
Suki McMaster (18:23):
The most rewarding part is the connection of my products become someone's stories, some part of their life. So just yesterday, I have customers want to get 40 shopping back without telling me why. So I asked her, what is this for a party? And she actually, she said many years ago, she bought a cushions in my shop that looks like her dog cuddle that cushions every day and her dog recently passed away.
Danielle Lewis (18:57):
Oh no.
Suki McMaster (19:00):
And it's just knowing that my products is, it means something to someone.
Danielle Lewis (19:08):
Yeah. It's like that human connection and comfort.
Suki McMaster (19:13):
It is part of their story. It doesn't really matter why I draw that, but it is their stories. They continue. Yeah. That is unexpectedly rewarding. Yes. I always think, oh yeah, I'll make some money. I'll be good.
Danielle Lewis (19:31):
I know, and it's hard not to think like that when you've got to pay rent and you've got to pay telephone bills. Sometimes it's hard not to think, well, I need to sell X many things today. To be able to do that. Sometimes it's hard to remember, oh, hang on a second. I'm actually making an impact in people's lives.
Suki McMaster (19:49):
Yes, exactly. Yes. And also the shop is a mixture. So I have about 80% of my own products and I have 20%. The products are from local makers and designers, and it's nice to support these people that I believe in them because I was that person that really like, oh, can you have my products? You want to be seen? But it's a very crowded world that can help feel people that just to showcase their work, tell people their story, and I think this is really rewarding. It's a good thing that you can do. Yeah. Look, money. I remember when we first start the shop, we have $200 a day. I was like, oh, fantastic. I have $200 a day. But even you get $2,000 a day, it's still the same feeling. And you probably have more trouble with $2,000 a day, and you're just thinking you have less time compared to your $200 a day. So if you always go with the money, yes, it's good, but you have to have something else. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (21:07):
My God. That is so true. It's funny. I remember, I don't know why, but the first time I ever sold, this is a decade ago, the first time I sold this $99 thing. It was I did it. I did it. And I would never ever sell that. It'd be like a $5,000 thing now, but I just wanted a sale and a job so much that I sold it for nothing. But it was so exciting. I was like, someone is actually believing in me and giving me money in exchange for the thing that I told them I would do. And you're right now, you make so much more than that. But it's like, I don't know, you just focused happening next month. Who needs to get paid? Where's that Instagram post coming from? Lose connection to it, don't you?
Suki McMaster (21:59):
Yeah. The trouble that brings to me is just, oh my God,
Danielle Lewis (22:04):
We should just retire and move to Bali and do nothing. I'd last about three seconds and I'd get so bored.
Suki McMaster (22:12):
Oh yeah. Tell me about it. I don't think I can ever, ever retire. Yeah, I'll be always doing something same.
Danielle Lewis (22:19):
I think so too. Oh, I love it. Okay. Well, I always love to leave our conversations with one last piece of advice. So reflecting on your time in business, what would be one piece of advice that you would give to another woman on her journey in business?
Suki McMaster (22:40):
Start small.
Danielle Lewis (22:43):
I like that. I love that.
Suki McMaster (22:45):
Yes. Especially with creatives, you have so many ideas. So you want to do so many things. You think so many things that will work. You need to do that, but you don't. You just need to nail one thing. Perfect. Then you can start your next one. I make huge mistakes starting a huge collection. None of them sell, and I still have those at home. That's seven years ago. So yeah, if anyone's starting the business, focus on one thing and make it work for you. Yes.
Danielle Lewis (23:30):
I think that is amazing. Suki, you are incredible. Thank you so much for coming on Spark TV and sharing your journey with us.
Suki McMaster (23:39):
Thank you for having me. It.
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