We’re BACK with ‘A Minute With Maha’. If you happened to miss the first post, this is a special series where we spend a minute (or two!) with Maha, and she answers your questions relating to different business and entrepreneurial topics. Whether you’re a want-to-be entrepreneur, a serial go-getter or even if you’re just looking for a bit of inspiration, these interviews are designed for you.
Last time, our interview was focused on the topic of ‘starting a new career’ and was all about what it took for Maha to switch careers, begin a business and make the move from the corporate world into a lifestyle related industry. Click here to view the post.
This week, we take a step further and look at what Maha’s job actually entails, and is aimed at giving you a behind the scenes look at what happens here at SWIISH. Maha will cover her day-to-day activities, explain the most challenging and rewarding parts of running the business and de-bunk some fashion business myths.
Maha is always happy to answer anything – whether it’s work related or even just her favourite ways to make fun of Sally (true!), so if there’s anything you want to know – leave a comment below or send us an email via hello@swiish.com.au and we’ll be sure to include it in upcoming posts.
There are so many elements to my job, it’s hard to wrap it all up into a few sentences. But I suppose that on a daily basis, I’m a business director, an editor and a buyer for our online store. Alongside Sally, I manage our various business activities and make sure everything at SWIISH is running smoothly.
Aside from that are two other major parts to my job – one is working with Sal to develop products for our SWIISH DELIISH range, which currently includes our Super Green Superfood Powder (available from our SWIISH online store), and our Super Green Smoothies frozen smoothie range, which is stocked in Coles, Woolies and IGA supermarkets across Australia. The other major part is being an author. We have released two recipe books now, and have another on the way.
In all seriousness, no two days are the same! Some days, I might be in the office planning next months shop collection, organising photoshoots, working on the new cookbook, editing website content or working with our graphic designer to fine tune our newsletters. Other days I might be out at meetings, buying stock or recipe testing. I really have to manage my time well and determine which tasks need to be prioritised each day.
I think people would be surprised that it’s not at all as glamorous as it might seem from Instagram! You don’t typically see me posting photos of Sal and I working late into the night trying to get on top of our emails, or cleaning our office, or doing runs to our storage facility to pick up more tumblers, or going to the post office, or crouching between two cars to get changed for a shoot in the freezing cold. Hahaha! People often say, “you must go to glam, fun events every day!” But the truth is, while there is the occasional event, it’s mostly very un-glamorous tasks like sales reporting and finance management and yes, cleaning our office! I work long hours in a fast-paced environment and at times it can be very full on. There are definitely lots of highs but also there are lows. Having a business is so tough – it’s just that you don’t always hear about or see photos on social media of the stresses, failures and rejections – but they do happen. At the end of the day though, I truly love my job. It’s my passion and my purpose and it’s all so worth it.
We have a few VERY exciting projects in progress. First, there’s our range of frozen Super Green Smoothies – we worked on this range for three years, so to see it come to life is incredible. What we’re most proud of is that it makes healthy eating (sipping!) accessible to people in a way that is quick, easy and affordable.
We’re also working on another Super Green Superfood Powder – this new one is especially for kids! It’s so exciting to be able to help parents with ensuring that the little ones are getting plenty of veggies, nutrients and superfoods.
And finally, there’s the new book we’ve been working on. It will be released in September. On top of some seriously delicious, healthy and easy recipes, we’ve also added some super exciting new elements that we know our readers are going to love.
I’m not really sure, so I had to ask them! This is what they wrote:
“She is driven, hard working and strong. The type of person who knows how to get shit done. She is vibrant, approachable and hilarious – lighting up the room every time she walks in. She is a go-getter, a forward-thinker and a fashionista.”
AWWWW you guys!!! I wish I had that emoji of the monkey covering his eyes right now. I’m chuffed. Thank you!
I wish someone had told me to dedicate more time to manage my own personal financial position and to budget properly, because more often than not when you’re starting out, you don’t get paid. You may not be paid for years. So whilst I just always trusted that it would somehow work out ok, it’s been much harder than I ever thought it would be. I probably would have said “no” way more often when asked to go out or do things, or gotten a flatmate to help pay the rent, if I knew how long it was going to take for me to earn even a teeny tiny salary.
Of course! To be truthful, I’m a serial lotto ticket buyer. For some reason, I always so certain I’m going to win. I guess that’s just the big believer in me. Ha ha! If I won the lotto I’d use the money to expand the business and kick-start some cool new projects (after I bought my beachside mansion, and my huuuuuuge yacht of course…)
