In our latest What’s Cooking, we talk to Monica Meldrum, Founder of Whole Kids. Find out how Monica runs a very successful purpose driven business that is so much more than just the food they produce.
Your name: Monica Meldrum
Your business’ name: Whole Kids
Where are you based: Melbourne, Victoria
How would you describe the business you are in? Creating happy healthy lives for kids so it’s beyond food to making a difference to kids lives and the environment.
What do you love about your job? I really do love that we’re doing things differently and going up against the big guys. I love we engage closely with our customers and we’re creating a community. Feedback we receive daily from parents and that reminder we’re really making a difference. We have a great team at the moment and it’s building a team who are on the journey with us.
What part of your job would you gladly give away? Admin, day-to-day I get drawn into. There’s a process when you start a business you need to know. I learnt warehouse and logistics and because I did it in the beginning I could direct our full time employee [in this area] when we recruited one. Surround yourself with people who know more than you but it’s important to do the hard yards and then bring in specialists.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career? James (husband). He’s provided really good strategy and insight and we bounce off each other really well.
James introduced me to the notion that this business could be something more than a food business.
From a female perspective my mother and sister. When I was 16 I heard my mother speak and I was blown away. I heard a strong and confident woman. I think I get a lot of my strength from her.
If you were starting out in business again today, what advice would you give the younger you? Get a mentor much earlier on. Try not to figure out everything myself. I probably didn’t get a mentor because of my ego, trust and confidence.
You do reach a place where you know everything will be okay. I ask myself, what is the worst thing that can happen?!
Tea or Coffee
Tea
Sweet or Savoury
Savoury
Sunnyside Up or Down
Sunnyside Up
Red or White (meat or wine)
Red
Well Done or Rare
Rare (somewhere in the middle!)
Your go-to snack
A Whole Kids barefoot bar – a raw chocolate bar
Monica spoke at our Melbourne networking luncheon and brought many of us to tears with her story of triumph over big business and commitment to building local communities. Click here to see photos of that event.
For more about our events, visit here
We’d love to hear of your experience building your business or what inspires you about Monica’s story. Leave us a comment below.
The Females in Food team
What an inspiring interview and beautiful business Monica has built. A huge congrats. Great advice too regarding getting a mentor early on, I couldn’t agree more.
Hi Kate, isn’t Monica inspiring?! We feel so grateful that she is part of the #empoweredcollective. And couldn’t agree more with her and you about getting a mentor or belonging to a group as early as possible – we can’t do it all alone.