Rebecca (00:01.045)
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Champagne Lounge podcast. Today I'm joined by the rather fabulous and rather colourful Emma Baker from GoodDayLifes .co. Welcome to the show, Emma.
Emma - Good Day (00:11.47)
Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
Rebecca (00:14.281)
I'm excited for this conversation for several reasons. I'm going to say you were my first Mudgey friend, right? we've just, I've just, anyone listening to the podcast will know that I tell the story of the fact that I was walking in the streets of Mudgey, just popping into shops and saying hello and is this your store? Tell me about it. Like, I don't know anyone. And you were one of the first shops I went into because the bright colored pink doors got my attention.
and we're the happiest, smileiest person. tell us a little bit about yourself and what brings you to Muji.
Emma - Good Day (00:46.477)
So we moved here four years ago from Sydney with my husband. Neither of us were from Sydney and it was during COVID and we were just over it. So we bought 20 acres out here in Mudgy about half an hour from town and just fell in love with the town completely like head over heels in love with it. I did a few other jobs. I worked in a winery and stuff when we first got here and then I opened the store almost exactly two years ago now. Yeah.
Rebecca (01:12.513)
exciting. 20 acres though, have you or your husband had any experience with farming before you took on that whole massive sort of other world of life of farm life or no?
Emma - Good Day (01:25.15)
a complete fish out of water. I had no idea what I was in for. I was just like, I bought some work boots, let's see how this goes. And then, but my husband grew up on farms. So he grew up regionally all around Australia from like Bundaberg to Aubrey to his family's up near Armidale now. So he had the skill level and I was just the bumbling fool going, let's put a tree here. That damn looks nice.
Rebecca (01:51.115)
Yeah, let's get this animal and I think you had one when I first met you, did you have multiple llamas as well that just appeared on your property or was that alpacas?
Emma - Good Day (01:57.664)
We did, we had two alpacas when we first met you. Sadly, only have one now. Little Freddy's no longer with us, but yeah, we have an alpaca and horses and chooks and at the moment we have three dogs. So it's a lot.
Rebecca (02:10.821)
That's a time and you've got a toddler and another one on the way like that's like organized chaos some would say.
Emma - Good Day (02:16.133)
Yeah, it is. You just kind of lean into the chaos a lot of the time, especially being pregnant now with that, yeah, second on the way. You're just like, I don't really know what's happening, but everyone's happy. So let's just roll with it.
Rebecca (02:26.345)
I love that. I love that because I've now coined my term. I'm a city import into country life. And like, you're definitely into country life with the farm world. Like, would you have lived in town or was that really not an option for you? were like, no, no, we want to live on it. We want to live on acreage. We want to do the animals thing. And are you running it like a farm?
Emma - Good Day (02:44.916)
We, it's more like a hobby farm. Like it's not like a real production farm, not in any way. I knew that I wasn't cut out for that, cause that was like a whole career in itself. And my husband didn't want to be a farmer per se, but we just wanted land. We looked at being in town when we were first moving out to the central west and Midwest region. We looked at being in a town, but to be honest, both of us said, if we're gonna do this, let's really.
do it, like let's be out of town, have land, that's why we came out here. My only request is that I didn't want to see a colour bond fence anywhere on the property.
Rebecca (03:26.322)
I love that I've just taken down a heap of old chicken coops and chicken runs at our place. And now my husband, Alex is calling it Cullabong City. And that is our next thing for spring is to plant some natives to cover up the Cullabong fence because we chose to go into town before getting acreage. So I feel you on that. They're ugly.
Emma - Good Day (03:41.106)
Yeah.
Emma - Good Day (03:46.161)
Yeah.
Rebecca (03:49.294)
You're living in country life, you've got the store and before we jump into the store, what was your background career wise? Because I mentioned that you're very colourful, obviously we're talking to this, we're talking on an audio platform, so not everyone's going to see the bright, shiny, colourful store in the background or anything like that. But what's your background and why the love of all things colour?
Emma - Good Day (04:10.025)
So I was a fashion designer before we moved to Madji. So I studied fashion straight out of high school and then went and worked in the industry in Sydney and then overseas as well and then back in Sydney. So I'd worked from a bunch of different labels because as a designer you just kind of fit into whatever theme and style that they do. So I did that for quite a few years and I definitely went through phases of not being colorful like in fashion, whenever one wears black and navy and that's what you do.
but it was never really me. so.
Rebecca (04:42.695)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. I can't see you wearing black and navy. Like, even when I popped into your store earlier today, you were wearing a black t -shirt with a sparkly silver skirt. Like, you know, it's got to have something in there.
Emma - Good Day (04:50.62)
Yeah, that's about as dull as I get. People now will stop me in the street and my G if I'm wearing black. Like if I'm wearing black active wear, someone will be like, are you okay? And I'm like, yeah, I'm just with my toddler and she's dirty.
But no, yeah, I've always just loved color and fun. And so when I got the opportunity to open the store, I knew that was the avenue I was gonna go down to. Of course we still have more basic stuff in the store for those who don't wanna wear bright pink with bright green like me. But I think there's just something joyful about color. And I think there's so much in the fashion industry that is quite dull and serious. And I just didn't wanna be part of that.
Rebecca (05:30.559)
Mm -hmm.
Rebecca (05:35.409)
I love that. It's sort of giving people permission almost to be creative and colourful and be a bit fun, I think. You obviously have so much fun in running the store and creating content for it like I've seen behind the scenes and obviously the shiny polished versions from the outside as well on socials. But how do you keep the fun up or is it just a case of it is fun and I'm just going to...
wrong with it like you would like you're doing on the farm I guess is that just the philosophy?
Emma - Good Day (06:06.662)
I think that is the philosophy. Like that being said, there are moments where I'm like, I don't feel fun today. Perfect example was first trimester of this pregnancy. I was like so exhausted, so sick. was so sick this time around and I just was exhausted as well. So that was a really hard time to keep the fun up, to keep that energy going. But I think it's a lot easier when I'm in the store because the store to me is such a happy place that I can't really help but...
Rebecca (06:33.121)
Mm.
Emma - Good Day (06:35.289)
be happy when I'm in here. Like if I'm just working behind the scenes and doing all the stressful stuff that comes with running a business, obviously sometimes you don't feel like the sparkliest of yourselves. But I think there is something about being in this space that just makes me happy and want to give that to other people as well, because got to get it from somewhere.
Rebecca (06:54.533)
You have to, have to, and if you're not around, you know, right, if you're not around the stuff that's going to bring you joy and bring you smiles, like I know if I'm in the wrong spot or the hotel room, if I'm traveling on the road just feels a bit, ugh, so I can't get up and be excited to go and present to a room full of people if it's a feeling, ugh, around me. So, no, to build that color and anyone that's in the background of my office, the artwork was picked up from Emma's shop. And in meeting different people and supporting those
Emma - Good Day (07:10.414)
Mm -hmm.
Rebecca (07:21.159)
local artists, you I ended up at Alex's art exhibition in Gunderwinde just last week on my drive home from Noosa and it's a whole circle of just supporting local and doing different things. where did, not all your items in your store are from regional retailers, but where did the art exhibition element come from? And explain that, because I love how that changes the store and brings in a different demographic of audience to both you and the artists that you have in the shop.
Emma - Good Day (07:50.712)
Yeah, so I mean, I've always been a big fan of art. I studied art as well in the past, so I've always been really interested in it. And then when we got the space that we did, which is a big old Salvation Army Citadel, so it's a big old musical essentially, we have these giant double height white walls. So I was kind looking around, I was like, I could just buy art for the shop and have permanent art that I thought really fit the aesthetic and that kind of thing.
But I've seen other shops do a similar model to this. And I was like, that just makes sense to me. It means we have fresh energy all the time. means the artists have a platform to sell their work, which is really hard for an artist to find a space to always sell their stuff. Like there's only so many galleries. we have... Exactly, yeah. Yeah. So it brings their art to a new person as well, who's just coming in to buy a dress, but then might walk away with a painting as well, which is really lovely. Yeah.
Rebecca (08:33.259)
And there's only so many people that go to galleries. Like I wouldn't be a gallery goer, yeah.
Rebecca (08:47.275)
We've all done that, but just make sure you check the measurements before you buy paintings online. I've definitely made a few faux pas on buying artwork because I liked the look of it and didn't actually check the dimensions.
Emma - Good Day (08:50.752)
You
Emma - Good Day (09:00.064)
I did have someone message me the other day about a measurement that she thought was in inches and not in centimeters. And I was like, no, babe.
Rebecca (09:08.961)
Gotta get that right. So in terms of picking those things and picking the items in your for someone that isn't in retail and is going, I really love the idea of owning and running a store. You touched on it earlier. There are some behind the scenes grumpy bits that aren't so sparkly and shiny. What have been the real, can you share the ups and the downs with us of what these two years have been like?
in building a retail store because for me I would have no comprehension it's quite frankly quite scary for me to even contemplate having a store full of things that I've had to purchase in advance and have rent on a space on like how's that journey been?
Emma - Good Day (09:51.635)
It's been a wild ride. Because I like, have a lot of experience in the design industry and I have a lot of hospitality experience. Like I worked in hospitality a lot as well, but I had no retail experience really. I think I'd done one retail shift at a shop in Bondi Westfield once. So it was a real trust my gut kind of jump of going, I think I can do this. I know I have these skills, which was the...
knowledge of the industry, knowledge of fashion, knowledge of what's coming new. I I had my gut core design aesthetic, and then I knew I had to learn a whole heap of new things. So I think the ups and downs have definitely been like, yeah, the having the gut instinct to buy the good stuff and knowing what you're buying there, but then in conjunction with that managing the cashflow of when you're going to get that product in.
but knowing you can sell it to make enough of a profit, when to put things on sale, when to juggle all of that while also having a beautiful space has been the biggest learning curve. Like cashflow is king, but like man, is it tricky to master. And I still haven't.
Rebecca (11:01.066)
Mm
Rebecca (11:04.617)
I don't think anyone fully masters it though, particularly in an environment like we're in now. know, some days can be really busy and other days can just be crickets, right? Yeah.
Emma - Good Day (11:13.343)
Yeah, yeah, and you're standing in the store on what should be a busy day. Like we've had dead Saturdays and I'll be standing in here going, what is going on? Like, I don't know what we're doing. What are we doing wrong? What are we doing? Like, and then we'll have a hectic Monday and I'm like, but no one's even here. What's going on? We're, you know, we're a regional town center for tourism. It's Monday. What's happening?
Rebecca (11:38.987)
Yeah, so that's pretty hectic and that sounds like a roller coaster ride that is possibly slightly more scary than the one most people are on when they're running solopreneur businesses. What was it like for you navigating that with family and friends or particularly with your husband going, I've never done this and I'm going to outlay a significant amount of our savings or your money, we shouldn't issue one either of those, to do this.
What were those conversations like? Because I know what conversations are like in my household. And I know from the conversations inside the champagne lounge, the conversations that go on about someone that's got your normal nine to five versus the one that's got the ideas and the guts to go, just feels it and off we go. How have you navigated those conversations?
Emma - Good Day (12:25.489)
there's been great ones and there's been really hard ones and there's been ones where you go, why don't you just get this? But I think with my husband in particular, he's one of my biggest supporters. Luckily, he was a chef for a long time and now he's a shift worker out here. and he always had the dream of opening his own thing as well. And I think I always did too. So at least we were both on the same page that one of us was gonna do that at some point. We didn't know exactly when, but it was always in the cards for us.
And then I was on maternity leave when we opened the shop. And I think he just knows me well enough to know that I was gonna do something nuts, probably anyway.
Rebecca (13:04.569)
I love that you were on maternity leave when you opened this door. Like, yeah.
Emma - Good Day (13:07.82)
Yeah, my first daughter Olivia was four months old when we signed the lease, which is kind of insane to me now when I think back to it. I'm like, that was bold. Yeah, I think that's what maternity leave will do to some people. You just kind of have space to think. Well, we kind of don't as well, but you also have a lot of time when you're alone with this little human who can't talk. So there's a lot of your own thoughts going around your head. And my thoughts were...
Rebecca (13:13.237)
That's a lot.
Rebecca (13:18.241)
Yes.
Emma - Good Day (13:37.035)
open shop. So that was like, I think when I first approached my husband and said, this space is coming up for lease, I really want to, he was just like, we'll figure it out. if you can figure it out, go for gold, mate. Like we'll figure it out together as a family. And it was kind of as simple as that, at that beginning stage. Then there's been heaps of times after that, that, you know, I've been working like an absolute dog and he has too, and it's managing all the other stuff that comes along with family life that
Rebecca (13:38.795)
Nice.
Emma - Good Day (14:06.744)
We have to have hard conversations sometimes and say, okay, I can't work this day. We have to, I have to be stricter about that. Ollie has to do more daycare or we have to figure out just like the mix of all that. And then there's also been the conversations with family and friends who sometimes they just go, you guys are absolutely nuts. What are you doing? But like everyone's just been so supportive. And even though we don't have any family here in Mudgee.
Rebecca (14:27.435)
Yeah.
Emma - Good Day (14:33.306)
I've been so blown away with how supportive our friends in my GFB have being like, no, we can do that. We can help you with this. Do you need a hand in the shop? It's been really heartwarming to see that. Yeah.
Rebecca (14:43.423)
Yeah, yeah. And you know, like, I could go down the road of going, you know, boundaries and kids and things, but I think everyone's got to go down their own path with their own partner and family members to find what works for them. And it's always changing, right? It is always going to shift and change. as kids grow up or as business seasons get busier and slower, like all that's going to change. And the important factor there is to have those conversations. But you, you just said that you haven't got family here in town.
very much like me, like when you came to town four years ago, how did you go about building those friendships and that community that you have around you now? Like what steps did you take to build that? Because I'm pretty sure you probably weren't like me and pounded the streets going, hello, talk to me.
Emma - Good Day (15:29.145)
So we were really lucky when we moved here. When we initially moved here, I was actually still working in Sydney as a designer. And I was doing a few days here and then a few days back in Sydney. That just became a bit tiresome to me. Like I didn't mind going back and forth, but I didn't feel like I was really getting to know the community here because I was constantly going back to Sydney. So then I quit my fashion design job and started working in winery here. And that was a game changer for us in terms of building community.
because we really formed amazing relationships with the people that we worked with at that winery. And we're still all really, really good mates today. Like a few of us have had kids at the same time. So that's brought us even closer. So that was kind of like the foundation of our group here in Mudgee. And now we laugh because we've had that foundation. My husband now works at the mine. So we know a whole community through that. I know I have the shop. So we know a whole new community through that. So we laugh like walking down the street in Mudgee. can't really.
not run into someone you
Rebecca (16:29.407)
I love that about country towns. I just love it. Yeah. My husband was sat outside one of the local pubs the other, just the other day. And, with the dogs waiting for me to finish an event and someone saw me at the pub and she goes, you are here. said, yeah, it's just around the corner. She goes, someone was here with your dogs earlier. I'm like, that would be my husband. That's not as well known as me around town, but the dogs are known. So I do love that factor.
Emma - Good Day (16:52.95)
I love that.
Rebecca (16:58.889)
So in building those community things, you I jump in and do things, those following along, like I run the local magazine of Magi now, and that just saw something that I jumped into and went, let's do it. And you as a local business owner jumped into that and let's be part of that. what do you think the magic is around running businesses regionally in terms of supporting each other and keeping things going when we're all battling different journeys, different...
difficulties, different things behind the scenes. Like what do think the sort of magic working is so that everyone is supporting each other and being supported?
Emma - Good Day (17:35.391)
think that's kind of the magic behind it is the fact that it's a bit magic. Like I can't, you can't fully put it into words sometimes because I think it's just the community so small out here and we can all say that we're doing really awesome stuff. So you might as well support each other. Mudgee is really great in the sense of as well, we're all kind of doing different stuff. So we can all appreciate the other businesses in town by going, well, I don't do that, but she does a really good job of that or he does a really good job of that. So I'll send them that.
And I think that kind of almost like pushing people onto the next place is part of that magic. And knowing when you don't have that skill level or you don't have that particular product or whatever it is, whatever business you're in, but knowing, no, send them to that winery. Cause they're saying they really like Cab Sav. And I know that Cab Sav is really good. Or they're looking for a particular brand, which I know is down the high street. I don't have it, but send them down there anyway. there is a certain magic in that. And I think because we all know each other.
You're not in a big city where you don't know your neighbor. You literally know the person in the shop next door and like, you know their family, you know where they live. So you really want to support them as well. It's just as important as supporting yourself.
Rebecca (18:46.237)
I think you can always add into that magic, just the feeling of plenty, even when there isn't enough. There's always going to be enough, whether it's sharing different things, making sure you're promoting different things, creating different things, sending sales down the road. All of that is, there is enough for everyone to go around. And I think that's part of the sprinkle of the magic as well, which is beautiful. On a wider scale, one of the questions I ask everyone on the podcast is,
The Champagne Lounge is that virtual network that connects regional business women from across the country. How do you find that community and connecting with other regional business owners in other towns? How is that magic different and what does the wider community mean for you?
Emma - Good Day (19:31.847)
think it's that sense of like someone you've never met before can kind of really say literally two words and it can change your entire mentality about something. And I think that's the magic of that wider community because you when you know people so well in your own community, sometimes it becomes, you you know them so well. So it's that same thing. But when it's someone new and people may be doing the same thing in the wider community, but in a very different way. And it can give you that insight of, I hadn't thought about.
a really cool way to think about it which is yeah magic in itself I think as well.
Rebecca (20:06.745)
I love ourselves a little bit of magic and I love that it's here in Mudgee where we are across the country in the Champagne Lounge, like all the magic of everyone supporting each other. I think that's the beauty of it. for me, you know, listening to this conversation, I hope our listeners are taking away the comments to try something new, but to have those conversations because there is support out there in your towns and the wider spaces that will help you do whatever version of crazy is for you. Like I think that's probably crazy and bright is for you.
Emma - Good Day (20:33.052)
Yeah.
Rebecca (20:36.351)
Emma, thank you so much for coming on the show, for sharing your story, for being my first Mudgey person. And I'm gonna put all the links to you and your shop into the show notes so that people can come find you. Love having you in my world and we love having you as part of the community. So thanks for coming on the show.
Emma - Good Day (20:48.636)
Thank you.
Emma - Good Day (20:53.339)
Thank you so much.
