The support crew
Someone once said that “You have to put yourself out there to discover that your dreams are indeed possible"
As parents and small business owners, we know the above is true.
So when our children and the broader members of our community started the discussion around Indigenous inspired gifts and clothing we knew we needed to put together a strong support team to make this a success.
When we were deciding to go ahead with this endeavour it was decided by our families that even though this is Téa&Belle's business the support team needed to have the key skills to support, nurture, protect and above all, provide the business skills to give this the best possible chance of success for Téa and Belle.
We want these girls to know that if you have a dream you should follow it. We want to empower these young women with a sense of self and that with hard work you have the ability to have strong conversations, do good and effect change.
But, what sort of support crew was helpful for them to become the best they can be?
Téa&Belle collective's crew needed a strong team that had the following key members:
Legend
Every person wants someone they can look up to. Someone who has gone before them and been a trailblazer, a reminder that they too can do extraordinary things, a source of guidance and inspiration.
As a mum and a dad, it is by osmosis that our kids look to us as their legends. Dion and I and our extended families want to keep inspiring our children and to always be their legends.
Tactician
A tactician, the person in our lives that helps us make the best decisions to move forward with a goal and who also wants the same things as we do and who understands the challenges we will face and supports us 100%.
These are the people who must focus on the details of how best to implement the overall strategy for the Tea&Belle brand.
From the kids who have been in our kinship care, other siblings, aunties, uncles and grandparents are all our tacticians, we all have the same goals.
Logistics
Success takes lots of resources. We need someone who connects us with the resources we need – people, finance, technical stuff and information. The person who can help us find new avenues and new allies.
This person breaks through roadblocks and finds ways to make magic happen. They are resourceful and intelligent.
Dion Devow (Téa's Dad) business, Darkies Design, is an Indigenous clothing label that collaborates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and designers to produce contemporary Aboriginal themed apparel and print media. In 2014, his business was named ACT NAIDOC Indigenous Business of the Year.
The win inspired Dion Devow to then create the Canberra Business Yarning Circle alongside the Canberra Innovation Network to assist other Indigenous people to achieve business success.
With Dion, we have the tools necessary to build a great future for the Téa&Belle Brand.
Cheer Squad
This person or people are huge fans, strong supporters, and a rabid evangelist for the Téa&Belle brand. This is the voice of motivation.
There are two types of cheer squads. Those who are with you in pursuit of the goal (you work with them) and those you cheer you on in the background (your home and personal life). We need both!
Our home cheer squad includes all our family and gives us the motivation to make this happen.
Task Master
Someone who pushes you, who makes you think. Who motivates you to get up and go, and try, and make things happen. The taskmasters of this enterprise are many but this really is Téa and Belle, you couldn't meet two more tenacious girls!
Truth Teller
There are times when we get ahead of ourselves, we get full of ourselves, or we simply go off course a bit. Have you been to an Indigenous family gathering? They keep it real my friends :)
So our cheer squad is many and we are ready, are you ready to join our crew as our number one cheerleaders? We really hope so:)
