Raw. Organic. Clean ... and bringing a smile to Australia

Raw. Organic. Clean. Allergy friendly. FODMAP friendly. Australian made and owned.

Sound like a dream? Before I make my big reveal of what I’m  talking about, what drove me to write a blog about this product is because it’s made and owned by a mum who knows what it’s like to have kids with allergies, who ran out of options and decided to make it happen, for her son, for her family and for herself. It is gaining huge momentum with health gurus like Pete Evans and Don Toleman  promoting this product.

So move over vegemite, Everymite has landed!

I was lucky enough to be able to chat with Cinnamon, mum of 3 boys and creator of this wonderful product. As Cinnamon explained:

“Having food intolerances is tough. Really tough. I had a small child with food intolerances to yeast, soy, gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts, melons and potato.  It is very difficult to find foods that you don’t have to always make. It is difficult to travel, eat out, and just do normal things like everyone else”

To have numerous food allergies or intolerances can be debilitating and isolating for many people.  There were no alternatives to Vegemite, for example, that my son could safely eat so over a few years I created one”

At first Cinnamon made Everymite for family friends  but the product gained fast momentum and escalated to her local community and now is Australia wide. It has gained so much momentum that Cinnamon has now released 3 versions of Everymite: Original, Salt reduced and FODMAP friendly.  As Cinnamon says: “ there is huge demand, even from people who don’t have food intolerances yet love EveryMite because it gives them a healthier spread – one that is preservative-free and nutrient dense”

But has it always been success and smooth sailing? Starting a business for any mum – or family – is hard work financially, emotionally and physically.

As Cinnamon recalls:

“The main challenges I have faced is knowing what to do and being prepared. I had never developed a product and brought it to market before. I have also never ran or owned a small business. I had never even been in business before! “

Learning through experience is what most mums do from start up costs, bringing a product into the market, trademarking, and for Cinnamon it was important to provide a safe product so time and money spent on food testing and consultation with food safety agencies was a critical process for Cinnamon. As she recalls:

“I prioritised spending my money on testing and advice I worked to save money on things like advertising and book keeping. As such I needed to save money in other areas. I developed my own website, I marketed my own product, I approached stores to generate sales, I learnt how to book keep, and I learnt how to (try to) negotiate with wholesalers, and I worked out freight, postage etc”

While talking to Cinnamon the biggest aspect of this amazing mum that resonated with me, is her work ethic and the example she has set for her children. When asking her how she has juggled mum life and developing her business, there was one thing that really resonated with me which Cinnamon explained so beautifully:

“It has been tricky and I have had to make a lot of sacrifices. I was working a lot at the start of starting my business to fund it. I then have had to stop working so much as EveryMite has gotten busier as I cannot manage everything,

I have been lucky to lean on friends and family for support when needed. My middle son, 19years old, was about to go to Uni when I started EveryMite. Unknowingly, and unprepared for the interest, EveryMite grew and my son deferred his studies to help me. He worked alongside me for almost a year. Without him there was no way I would be where I am today. He has now left home to joining the army and he still asks me all the time how EveryMite is going as he is so interested”

Cinnamon has had wonderful support from her husband, family and friends who have helped pack orders, work late nights and even had her mother in law fly from New Zealand to help during busy periods. Cinnamon has since found a manufacturer and distributor to ease the workload for her however she still works her job before starting Everymite as small business does take time to become profitable. So this had me curious, what drives such a busy mum to keep going with this business, what inspires and motivates her?

Cinnamon couldn’t have summed it up any better:

“To bring just one product to the market that can make life easier for these people, people like us, is what motivates me every day. I receive so many emails and messages to say thank you. I have had Mothers call me to thank me as their son can not eat a vegemite like spread. Women that have said that they now take it with them in their bag and on holidays as it assists them with food options. People that tell me that they haven't eaten Vegemite in years however loved it...and now that there is EveryMite they are in heaven.”

At the end of the day as mums, as parents, we do all these extraordinary things for our kids, and this is how it began for Cinnamon. So what are her words of wisdom to share with us when it comes to what she wants her kids to learn from her:

“To be honest, real, caring and hard working. My children have always seen me work hard. It's important that they know that things don’t just happen, and that we have to work hard to make them happen”

I have always been real and honest with them. Don’t be discouraged if someone attacks who you are...if you know you are alright, just keep going.”

Cinnamon has shown her kids to care for others and why this is important, through her engagement with society she has been a role model for her children. Everymite has even set up a small charity and community engagement section to give something back to the community.

And what are her words of wisdom for others starting a business?

“I would tell them to take small steps. Do the research. Try different things. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but make them small ones you can recover from. Do believe in yourself, and be positive about what you can achieve. I would also say to be flexible, and be prepared that there are going to be challenges, but that’s okay as that’s part of the journey”

For full interview click here: Full Interview: Everymite