Spilling the Tea on the T in TLC

In this episode, the three of us finally sit Tina down and get the story we have been trying to record since day one. As the T in TLC, Tina is usually the one shining the light on everyone else. Tonight, we gently drag her into it. What unfolds is an honest, warm and funny look at how she built OmMade Organic Skincare, Hidden Treasure Tea, OmMade Meet the Maker and the OmMade Wellness Hub, and how each of these grew from her deep belief in natural health and helping people.

We talk about why Tina has no problem being the quiet achiever in the background, why being the centre of attention makes her want to pass out and how she still manages to run multiple businesses, mentor makers, support her community and empower people with natural health education. You will hear stories from the early days of kitchen-bench formulating, the moment she uncovered greenwashing in the skincare industry, the makers who have been with her since day one and the ripple effect of her knowledge in our own lives.

This episode is not just Tina’s journey. It is our chance to tell her what she will never say about herself, how she has shaped our businesses, our confidence and our families’ health, and why we are so proud of her. If you have ever wondered who the T in TLC really is, this is the tea.

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and introduction
00:28 Why talking about herself makes Tina almost pass out
01:11 VIP events and staying out of the spotlight
04:41 The spark that led to OmMade Meet the Maker
09:03 The realities of retail, makers and markets
21:12 How OmMade Organic Skincare began in Tina’s kitchen
24:05 The truth behind greenwashing
24:42 Building a business from nothing
25:12 Product evolution and customer favourites
26:32 Studying naturopathy and the link to formulating
27:13 Buying Hidden Treasure Tea
31:08 The birth of the OmMade Wellness Hub
33:06 Natural health education and the power of simple remedies
40:43 Challenges, growth and what is ahead
46:46 Our reflections and a whole lot of love for Tina

Catch Tina in the OmMade Wellness Hub

https://www.instagram.com/ommadewellnesshub/

See what Lauren is up to at Eco Play Therapy

https://www.instagram.com/ecoplaytherapy/

Let Cassie Concierge your life at Soluna Concierge. Currently on a break but relaunching soon.

https://www.instagram.com/soluna_concierge/

Transcript

Cassie: You ready?

Tina: Yep. Go. We’re on.

Cassie: Well, guess what. It is finally time for Tina. Yay.

Lauren: Yay.

Cassie: The T in TLC. Tonight we are talking about Tina’s journey, which is honestly amazing. She has done so many different things in her life. We are going to chat about how she got into what she is doing now, give everyone a bit of insight into who she is and what she does. Let’s get into it.

Lauren: And can I just say, we have actually tried to do this once before. Tina was supposed to be our first episode, because she is the T in TLC. We were going to go down the list, but sorry Tina, you kind of had a freak out, did you not?

Tina: I did.

Lauren: She started talking about her journey and her skincare and her teas and her life way back, and then suddenly she went really hot and felt like she was going to pass out.

Cassie: Dizzy, proper dizzy.

Lauren: And we did not put it down to the fact that we were talking about her and doing her episode. We were saying, maybe you need more water, maybe you have had too much caffeine, is it hot in here. Then I thought about your VIP events at the shops. You let other people stand up the front, run the show, and you stay out of the way.

Tina: I do not want to be in the spotlight.

Lauren: Exactly. You are the VIP, but I do not think people even realise it. They do not get to see you or hear you, because you do not want the credit. And you have just been interviewed again, have you not?

Tina: Yes. Adelaide Arcade have their Christmas gift guide, and they came to interview me. Microphone, lights, all of it. And the same thing happened. I suddenly got hot and dizzy. It is so weird.

Cassie: Mmm.

Tina: And we have been doing this, all of it, for seven years now. I was thinking back, I even sent Rachel to a radio interview once because I could not do it.

Lauren: But you are not a shy person. That is the thing. You are not shy at all.

Tina: I know.

Lauren: I feel like we can unpack this in this episode, why this happens. Because if you think back to our second episode, Family Dinner, when we briefly introduced ourselves, you edited that, and you cut so much of yourself out.

Cassie: You did. I listened to it again and I thought, hang on, she has cut most of her bit out.

Lauren: So there is something going on there.

Tina: I know I need to sort it out. And the reason I have to is, number one, yes, I have a podcast. It is fine if I talk about everyone else and not me, that is no problem. But I have another interview coming up.

Cassie: Yes.

Tina: South Aussie with Cosi, in Adelaide Arcade.

Lauren: Oh my gosh.

Cassie: How good is that.

Tina: And all I can think is, what if I nearly pass out in front of him. It is ridiculous.

Lauren: But can we just back up and say, that is huge, Tina. An interview with South Aussie with Cosi.

Cassie: It is amazing. And you have been our inspiration. Both of us have started our own businesses in the last few years. We would never have done that if it was not for you.

Tina: Oh, you would have.

Lauren: We would not. You are our inspiration. You are our role model. You show us that anything is possible.

Cassie: When we first started talking about your episode, I actually watched your face change. You looked like you were going to pass out.

Tina: I know.

Lauren: But you are incredible. You help us, you help everyone.

Cassie: You are capable of anything. When you say you are going to do something, you just do it, and you do it next level.

Lauren: You help everyone and you support everyone. You are amazing and inspirational, but you are so uncomfortable when the focus is on you.

Cassie: We will do the therapy part at the end. For now, let’s get into your story. Tina, where do you want to start? I love some of the jobs you have done, where you have travelled, all the things.

Tina: Why do we not start with where I am now.

Lauren: All right. Start from now and we can go back later. So what are you doing with yourself at the moment?

Tina: I actually created a brochure the other night to try to consolidate all the little businesses and projects I have going on. There are five main things I am doing right now. Number one is this podcast, which I absolutely love. I feel like everything I am doing is about getting information out and helping people, and the podcast does that. Tick.

Then there is OmMade Meet the Maker, the collaborative of local makers. We have four stores. We are in all the Westfields, plus Adelaide Arcade. We have just had our seventh birthday.

Lauren: Congratulations.

Tina: Thank you. That is also about helping people and sharing information. One thing I really love about the collective is bringing people into the store and getting them retail ready. We all come from markets, and I knew nothing when I first started. You learn as you go. I get a real buzz from people who have just started making something, they are a bit shy about it, and I can help with things like pricing and presentation. If you price too low, people think it is cheap. If you price too high, it might not move. How to set it up, what to focus on, that sort of thing. I find that fun and interesting.

Lauren: Yes.

Tina: The management of all the people is a little trickier.

Lauren: I was thinking that. You said earlier today you have how many makers now?

Tina: Forty two makers.

Lauren: So just explain, because some people listening might not know what you mean by a collaborative store or OmMade Meet the Maker, or why you have so many makers. How did you start this and what is the concept?

Cassie: Yes, what is the concept? It is brilliant.

Tina: In 2017 I got a shop through Renew Adelaide. Renew Adelaide takes empty spaces in the city and links them with start-up businesses. You can get free space for three months to a year. I managed to get a space in the city that way.

Lauren: Was that the one in the Central Markets?

Tina: No, this was before the big Central Market shop. It was in another building in the city.

Cassie: I remember seeing photos of it.

Tina: When that first Renew lease finished, the rent to stay there was too high. So I looked for a shared space and ended up on Wakefield Street with someone who turned out to be… not ideal.

Anyway, while I was there, the woman who used to work for Renew Adelaide, and was then working for Adelaide City Council, came to see me. She said, “I am now doing leasing for the Central Market and there is a little space under the travelator. I think it would be perfect for you.”

I was unsure, because you had to be open seven days a week. I said, I cannot do that on my own, but let me think about how I could use the space. Then I sat down and thought, I know all these people from markets. We all stand behind our own tables every weekend, lug everything in, pay stall fees, stand there for six to eight hours, then pack it all back into the car.

I thought, what if we use this space to set up a permanent market. Instead of all of us standing behind our own stalls, we take turns selling each other’s products.

Cassie: Genius. Such a good idea.

Tina: It took a lot of trust. I had to find really good people, because you have to trust that they will learn your products and care about them. And we have philosophies too. All local makers, sustainable where possible, no plastic packaging if we can avoid it. Like-minded people.

Lauren: So you are the boss.

Tina: I always say I am the founder. I take the legal and financial responsibility. But I always tell everyone, you are each other’s bosses. If someone is in store and they are not doing the right thing, not serving customers and just doing their own work, that affects up to twenty other small businesses. So everyone is accountable to everyone else.

Lauren: And the makers are not paid wages to be there, are they.

Tina: No. No one gets paid to work in the store. They keep one hundred percent of the sales of their own products, and everyone contributes four percent admin. That covers insurance, bags, overheads like the scheduling system, which alone is a few hundred dollars a month, and all those little things.

Cassie: And I just want to say, you keep deflecting. You came up with this concept. You created it, Tina. You motivated everyone. You executed it. The makers are amazing, but they would not be there if you had not created this collective.

Lauren: You gave them this opportunity.

Tina: It would not exist without them though.

Lauren: No, you all need each other, that is true, but you did create the structure.

Tina: Yes, I did.

Lauren: And the shops are beautiful. If I ever need a gift, that is my go to. The only problem is I leave with more for myself than for other people. Everything in those stores is beautiful.

Cassie: And the experience is so different to the big commercial stores. You get to meet the maker. That is literally the name. You can talk to the person who made your product.

Tina: We still have a few original makers from day one in the Central Market. Gina, for example, who now has Lucky Mati, the Greek evil eye pieces and soaps. Her original thing was soap. I knew her from Plant 4. Day one she was in there, cleaning windows, straight into it. She is still with us and we are great friends.

Lauren: There is literally something for everyone. Skincare, teas, soaps, chocolate, jewellery, candles, plants, kids’ pottery, art, cards, hats. So many boxes ticked.

Tina: And that is part of the challenge. Since I started, there are probably thirty similar collectives that have popped up around Adelaide. It is good in one way, because it gives more local businesses space. It is also tricky, because it thins the talent pool. There are only so many creative businesses in Adelaide. You have to present well, play well with others, have a great product, be available for shifts. Often creatives have other jobs, because they cannot yet sustain themselves on their creative work.

A huge number of my makers now do it full time and have for years, but that transition period is tough. You know this, Lauren, working at school and running your business. You know this, Cassie, relaunching and still working. You cannot just quit and hope. It is a balance.

Cassie: And on top of that, you are competing with big mass produced corporations in Westfield, with huge budgets, big margins, and return policies that barely touch them. Your makers are working on tiny margins, making everything themselves.

Tina: Exactly. But our customers are different. We attract people who appreciate what we do. We have very little trouble with returns or breakages, and even theft is low compared to a lot of retail. People do not treat us like a chain store. They respect the products and the people behind them.

Cassie: I have worked in the stores over Christmas and I saw it firsthand. The repeat customers, how loyal they are, how they come in looking for their favourite product, happy to pay for quality. They tell their friends and family, and you get this beautiful word of mouth thing happening.

Lauren: And I walk in like the proud best friend going, Tina made this, Tina created this whole thing.

Tina: It is so weird hearing you say that.

Lauren: We are so proud of you. But let’s talk about the products you make and how that started.

Tina: It began with a blog called Wellness Mama. She is a Canadian woman. I do not know how I found her, but I started reading her blogs and DIY recipes.

Lauren: Was that after you became a mum?

Tina: It was actually when I was pregnant. We went through IVF to have Molly. When you are doing IVF, you try to reduce toxic load as much as possible. I had been a smoker, I drank, I used fragrance everywhere. At Repromed you are not even allowed to wear fragrance into the clinic, which really tells you something.

So I started reducing fragrance, cleaning up everything in the house, and as you go down that rabbit hole of reducing toxic load you realise, everything you touch is full of something. I started looking for products without fragrance, without preservatives, not 80 percent water, and I could not find what I wanted. So I started thinking, how can I make my own. That is when I found Wellness Mama and started making some of her recipes, then tweaking them and making them my own.

Cassie: In the kitchen at home.

Tina: Yes, in the kitchen, out at Andrews Farm. A few people started asking for them. I would make a batch, share some, then thought, maybe people might actually want to buy this. Back then there really was almost no truly natural skincare. We are talking 2012.

So I started with things like an insect repellent balm. I would make a bit of money, buy more shea butter, make another product, and so on. I started in 2012 and registered the business in 2013.

Lauren: And over time the range has grown and changed.

Tina: Yes. Products have come and gone. Some are a pain to make, like the Honey Pot lip balm, which everyone loves. I even put the recipe on my website once thinking people would make it themselves and stop buying it. They still buy it. No one wants to DIY it.

Lauren: It is so good though.

Tina: The whole idea has always been simple, high quality ingredients. Anyone could technically make these products if they wanted to, but I make it for them.

Cassie: And your credentials really back this up too. You studied naturopathy.

Tina: Yes. I studied naturopathy at Endeavour College. That is where I met Elliane, who started the Hidden Treasure Tea business. Herb botany and herbal manufacturing were some of my favourite subjects. We made balms and I made elderberry cough drops. I loved it. That side of it links directly into the skincare and the teas and now the Wellness Hub.

Lauren: Because the tea business was not originally yours.

Tina: No. Hidden Treasure Tea was originally Elliane’s. She is a qualified naturopath and works in clinic. She had created these beautiful medicinal teas. Most medicinal teas taste awful. You usually have tasty teas or medicinal teas. She somehow made a range that tastes good and is genuinely medicinal.

I knew her from study and had been recommending her teas to my skincare customers anyway. She eventually decided to focus fully on clinic work and was going to close the tea business. I begged her not to close it and offered to buy it. So I purchased the business, kept the formulas exactly the same, and scaled back to eight core blends with a rebrand.

Lauren: They are delicious. I have one every night.

Tina: All the ingredients are backed by research. They are 100 percent medicinal herbs, no filler green tea or black tea. A lot of “medicinal” teas you see are mostly basic tea leaves with a sprinkle of the active herbs. These are all actives. That lined up perfectly with my skincare, which has no fillers either. Every ingredient is a hero ingredient.

In naturopathy you treat things holistically. People might come in with eczema or sensitivity. Yes, the cream helps the symptoms, but we also want to know what is going on inside. That is where the tea, and sometimes referrals to a naturopath, come in.

Lauren: So it is health from the inside out and the outside in. And your philosophy has always been, if you would not eat it, do not put it on your skin.

Tina: Exactly.

Cassie: And then all of that leads into the Wellness Hub.

Tina: Yes. Over the years more and more people started coming to me for natural health advice. Friends, family, customers, my sister sending people my way. My nephews, my kids, my friends’ kids. It became this word of mouth thing.

People are generally happy to use natural medicine and homeopathy, they just do not know what to use or where to get it. That is the whole point of the Wellness Hub. It is pure education.

The first part is a natural first aid kit. Things like charcoal for tummy upsets, yarrow for bleeding, slippery elm for digestive issues. Basic, practical first aid level remedies that anyone can use at home.

Lauren: I can vouch for charcoal, you have given me that when my stomach has flared and it has worked beautifully.

Tina: In naturopathy you always want to look at the whole person and the root cause, but in first aid situations there are simple natural things that can help. For burns, for example, there is research that suggests warm water rather than cold can be better for nerve tissue, plus remedies like Cantharis in homeopathic form, which can take the sting out very quickly.

The idea of the Hub is to show people what is possible, one thing at a time, and point them in the right direction. In the posts I share links for where I source things, but it can be overwhelming. That is why we have talked about eventually creating a physical first aid kit people can buy ready made.

Cassie: I would one hundred percent prefer to buy the kit you put together, rather than try to hunt everything down myself.

Tina: Exactly. People do not have time to navigate six websites and buy a kilo of every herb. Having it curated for them would help.

Cassie: I feel like there has never been a time like now where people are more open to looking outside the usual box. Many of us have tried the usual options, seen the side effects, and are desperate for alternatives for ourselves or our kids.

Tina: Yes. Often by the time people reach for natural options, they have tried everything else. And sometimes it still needs proper clinic work, referrals to a naturopath, testing, and a full case history. But for a lot of everyday first aid things, there are simple natural options that people just do not know about.

Lauren: And every time you tell any of these stories, you are completely fine. You light up. You can talk all day when it is about helping others. As soon as we turn it back to you, you clam up.

Cassie: Yes. That is my little theory. When we talk about your impact, your businesses, you freeze. When we talk about other people you have helped, you flow.

Lauren: You obviously need to earn money from all of this, and you should, but that is clearly not the main driver for you. Your first instinct is always, how can I help.

Tina: I do need to monetise the Hub more. I want to create a proper in-depth course that people can pay for and then walk away with knowledge, recipes, tools, and confidence to manage their family’s basic health naturally at home. That is the next step.

Cassie: And you absolutely should charge for that. You have built all of this, you have bills like everyone else, and you are providing life-changing information.

Tina: Tony Robbins says if you do not monetise and cannot sustain yourself, you cannot keep helping. I agree with that. Our generation often feels icky about money. The younger generation does not have that same block, which is probably healthier. They are more comfortable talking about themselves and proud of doing well. I actually envy that a little.

Lauren: You are getting better though. You have a podcast, you are putting your face in the shops, you are doing interviews. You are already stepping outside your comfort zone, and we are so proud of you for that.

Cassie: I honestly do not think people understand how much you help others, in so many different ways, mentally, physically, emotionally. Your passion and drive in everything you do is incredible. You get things done. You shy away from the spotlight, but you should be up on a pedestal.

Lauren: She really should.

Cassie: So to wrap up, Tina, is there anything you want to say to finish this episode? About OmMade Meet the Maker, the Wellness Hub, your skincare, your teas, anything at all.

Tina: I am just really thankful for how openly people are receiving what I am doing. I love that makers want to be in Meet the Maker. I love that people reach out to me for health advice. I love the feedback from customers about the skincare and the teas. I just really love the love for what I am doing.

Lauren: I love that.

Tina: That is basically it.

Lauren: And we love you. Thank you so much for sharing.

Tina: Thanks, guys.

Lauren: You did it. And you did not pass out once.

Cassie: You did. You got through it. And now you are ready for Cosi.

Tina: Oh my God.

Cassie: You can absolutely do this. Power woman.

Tina: Love yous.

Cassie: Love you.