CHINWAG: with Wiggles Piggles | Melbourne Lifestyle Photographer
Melbourne Lifestyle Photographer Leah Ladson
CHINWAG: with Wiggles Piggles
Zoe, the owner of Wiggles Piggles is THE most generous/thoughtful person! We ‘met’ (online) last year, when I did a call out for kids toys for a shoot I was working on. Zoe reached out and sent me some product to be included, and I was truly blown away by her generosity!
We created some awesome content, so I was absolutely stoked when Zoe came back to me to shoot some of her new stock. She shipped me a giant box, all the way from QLD, and just quietly… I had a ball unpacking this big box of amazing toys! And just to add to her awesomeness, Zoe snuck in a gift for each of my two Daughters – Safe to say, we LOVE Wiggles Wiggles here at LLP HQ!
Wiggles Piggles is the coolest online store. It isn’t just about toys, it has dinner ware & baby stuff too. If you need to buy a gift for a babe or kidlet… Go there… Now!
So… here we go, let’s meet Zoe!
- Let’s start with the deep questions… You are a new addition in a crayon box, which colour would you be? I’d say a light blue – I am generally pretty relaxed and calm for the most part!
- Why did you start your business? I took over Wiggles Piggles in Feb 2015. At the time the business was more of a hobby business for the previous owner, selling only wall decals and had pretty much been left dormant for around a year. It wasn’t ideal but the opportunity came up at the right time for me. I had been doing a corporate job for a decade prior which I had reached the end of the line with and I knew I needed to go in a completely different direction to be happy.
- What was your biggest business hurdle to overcome? I would have to say probably the emotional side of riding the rollercoaster that is small business life. There can be so many ups and downs just in the one day alone and that can be hard to manage when your running a business solo and feel like you haven’t got anyone to talk to. Thankfully I have met a few really nice fellow small business owners in through my travels with WP who have been such a great support network to lean on along the way.
- What is your biggest achievement to date? The store has managed to get into a couple of big magazine publications (Adore and Homes +) in the last year which made me pinch myself and feel pretty proud!
- What is your favourite 90’s jam? Gee thats a tough one!! I would have to probably be the Rockefella Skank by Fatboy Slim. I still love it to this day!
Tell us something that your customers might not know about you. My husband John and I had a “destination wedding” up in Far North Qld in front of only closest friends and family. No regrets at all about the small wedding, it was perfect!
- What is your favourite part of running your own business? I love the flexibility of running my own business and being my own boss. I can work when it suits me, run errands I need to do without asking the boss for permission to leave early and no longer have to sit in an office 9am-5pm every day. It is honestly is the most enjoyable and rewarding job I have ever had.
- What do you think about when you are alone in the car? Usually it involves what song I am going to put on next and crank up really loud!
- What are you excited for? To see how far WP can go. So far its grown quicker than I imagined it would, but I know that it can be taken a lot further. I have just launched some new themed collections and product bundles into the store which has had a great response so far. I am always thinking of ways to improve the store and make it better for customers so it really feel like I have only just scratched the surface!
- Who are you business idols? Who inspires you? Athletes have probably actually inspired on my business journey than anyone. Tennis has always been a big part of my life and Steffi Graf was my big idol when growing up. Fantastic work ethic, extremely determined but still incredibly modest after achieving so much. These days I am a fan of Rafael Nadal for the same reasons. I think you can learn a lot from athletes – so much can be gained from hard work and constantly pushing yourself to be better.
- How would you describe your job to a child? An absolute keeper!
- Tell us 5 fun facts about yourself (personal or business)
1. My previous profession was in the Insurance industry – completely different to what I am doing now!
2. We moved from Melbourne to Brisbane at the start of the year so while 2017 has definitely been challenging it has also been really invigorating
3. John has been my number one cheerleader in my business journey and is the unofficial head of WP sales – every chance he gets he sells the store to friends, family, work colleagues….literally no one is safe! 😉
4. Our dog Archie is a hit with our local couriers. It is not uncommon to see a driver ignoring parcels and instead squatting by the glass front door waving at him while he wags his tail back!
5. Keeping up with the Kardashians is my secret guilty pleasure. I cant stand the K’s but I also just can’t look away when its on. So bad I know!!
- Who should we follow on social media?
@babymacbeth – I genuinely look forward to Beth’s daily posts and IG stories with updates on her day. Where she lives in the Southern Highlands is completely stunning and the fact that she has her finger firmly on the pulse with Royal Family updates is just an added bonus!
@frontporchproperties – A female Brisbane based builder who is kicking massive goals in the construction industry! If you like character homes and colourful barn doors (YES!) you will definitely enjoy following Rachael.
@georgianlondon – A feast for the eyes of the most incredible architecture. An excellent account if your a fan of London and enjoy daydreaming about travel.
So there you have it folks, a small insight into the life of Mrs Wiggles Piggles! I think you’ll agree, she’s pretty darn special, and so is her shop!
Big Love, Leah
~ xoxo ~
Wanna see who else we have had a chinwag with? Click here
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