04/09/2025
✨10 years of Kindred Self - Part 1✨
Kindred Self began in a small vestibule of an old Croydon hall with One Small Room where I offered counselling & design. Just a few months later, the real dream arrived - a little shop on Jetty St in Grange became available. I kid you not, 5 years earlier I’d stood across the road from the same building & said to Denis, “One day, I want to have that little shop, I’m not sure what I will be doing there, but I really want it. It’s so cute!”
And somehow, I was chosen for a 3 year lease. Denis and I painted the door green, designed the space with a kitchenette, desk, mini shop and counselling nook - and from there, the story of Kindred Self really began.
With the help of the community, we planted a succulent garden out the front, shared endless cups of tea, & poured love into that little wellness hub. It often felt like I was just a kid playing shop keeper, yet it was the foundation for so much more. Many connections made, a sense of being in the world making a small difference.
Between 2015–2018 this tiny space became:�✨ Home to our launch tea party for about 40 peeps�✨ A stop on Sarah Shanahan shopping tour �✨ Host to a delightful SALA exhibition with Sarah Keane �✨ The perfect springboard to launch Kindred Self products into the world
This space also welcomed other starting out therapists - an energy healer, massage therapist, & my beautiful counselling friends Cherrie and Robyn, creating a true little wellness hub.
I also shared my aromatherapy knowledge on two Bali retreats with Anne from Barefoot and Thankful , popped up at markets like WOMAD & Bowerbird, & made connections with incredible women like Kirsty gutrecoverycentre and Tina OmMade Organic Skincare , who would later become such a big part of my business journey.
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth. By 2017 I had overcommitted, pushed myself too far & ended up with shingles on my face for the first time. Poor Denis had to cover our Marion Christmas pop-up solo! A bit of a bummer & a lesson learned as to what my limits were. But it was worth it in the end because the Marion pop-up gave me the funds to take the next big leap…
💚 In 2018, the Port Adelaide building I’d applied for when I also applied for the grange shop became available again. Our Marion popup gave me the ability to raise the required bank guarantee and go for it!
With one year left on my Grange lease, I partnered with Lauren Have You Met Charlie?, and we transformed the space into Concept Studio for pop-ups and workshops.
Looking back, I can hardly believe how much happened between 2015–2018. It was a season of energy, creativity, and joy. I’m endlessly grateful to Denis for being by my side through every project and wild idea. We may not have children together, but we’ve certainly birthed so many beautiful creations into the world.
Part 2 coming soon ✨ 2018-2025
