How I Got Here: The Founder of Australian homewares label En Gold on building an agile business
IMAGE VIA @STEFFANIE._BLL/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE AND IZZY WIGHT
“Like many businesses selling a product, the furniture industry isn’t easy. You have to really be driven and passionate to keep pushing through.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.
This week, we’re speaking to the CEO of En Gold International Group, Steffanie Ball. Her role involves heading up furniture labels En Gold Australia and En Gold International, homewares brand Yōli and the non-profit foundation, The Hiraya Foundation.
Steffanie’s background in art, fashion and interior design eventually led her to a career in furniture design and styling. “In order to get my foot in the door, I volunteered my time assisting and interning just to build a professional portfolio and worked really hard,” she says.
Starting her own label, En Gold, presented a whole new set of challenges, but Steffanie’s intuition and ability to build a strong brand identity has allowed the business to flourish over even “impossible mountains”. Here’s what she’s learned along the way.
What do you do and what’s your official job title?
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My official title is CEO of En Gold International Group. This includes overseeing En Gold Australia, En Gold International, our sister brand Yōli and the non-profit foundation The Hiraya Foundation.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start out with an internship/entry-level role and climb the ladder? Tell us the story.
I started out in the fashion industry as a wardrobe stylist. After living and working in the USA for six years, I moved back to Australia and studied interior design. I went into uni super focused and did well.
Both the fashion and interior industries are creative and competitive so in order to get my foot in the door, I volunteered my time assisting and interning just to build a professional portfolio and worked really hard. This ultimately led me to a career in commercial interior design and eventually… [I started] En Gold, shifting to furniture design and styling.
What challenges/hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now? Can you tell us about one in particular?
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Every phase of the brand has brought a new set of challenges, I could write a whole book! It feels like we have had every hurdle under the sun. During our big burst of growth, we were in the middle of the pandemic which came with logistical challenges and lengthy delays. We have had massive delivery issues, natural disasters, quality issues and staff turnover.
Nothing comes easy when trying to grow globally with a handcrafted, natural, heavy and fragile product. Some have felt like impossible mountains but what we have always done is remained very agile, listened closely to the business needs and reacted.
What do you want people to know about your industry/your role?
Like many businesses selling a product, the furniture industry isn’t easy. You have to really be driven and passionate to keep pushing through.
My role… has grown exponentially, [and] overseeing global operations often means that I am not involved in every touchpoint. However, I am still the sole designer for all of our new products. Designing and styling is what keeps me connected to what I love the most.
What’s the best part about your role?
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I have been given a unique opportunity to do what I love while representing and supporting my cultural heritage. The best part is seeing my designs come to life and being enjoyed in people’s homes, although this is a very small part of my day-to-day. These days, it’s still the most exciting part.
What would surprise people about your role?
Recently, the growth of En Gold has led me and my family to relocate to the Philippines. Now we are living in Cebu as I focus on the growth and operations of our international office.
I think people may be surprised that I never started En Gold with the plan to grow it into what it is today. It started as a side project while I was on maternity leave and flourished into something I never planned or imagined. The entire journey has been very personal and organic.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
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Everything that I’ve experienced, even the casual short-lived roles, [has] added to the unique skill set that is used within my role. I am a big advocate for retail and hospitality experience, [and] I strongly believe that having early experience in these roles will set you up for life skills that are crucial across many industries.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
A successful business is something that will come to you naturally and must be authentic and genuine. If you have to push really hard to even start with an idea, it may not be the right path. Let it come to you and when the time [is] right you will know exactly what to do.
What about a practical tip?
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Running a business isn’t all data and logic, it is a lot of intuition and gut instinct. Knowing your brand identity and being intuitively confident in your decisions has paved the way for me.
Read the rest of the How I Got Here series here.
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