2017 was a massive year of growth for Salt Gypsy: we opened a retail store, Sea Bones, in the heart of Byron Bay with our good friend, Ming Nomchong, I fell pregnant, and we launched a new collection that really took off in the second half of the year. So much so, I literally could not keep up. It was, frankly, an exhausting year working 6-7 days a week managing two growing businesses while coping with 24/7 morning sickness...madness!
As a small, self-funded business operating solo for the past 5 years - wearing all of the hats and doing all of the things - making the decision to hire your first team member is a big step. Especially when you've been barely covering your own living costs and some weeks still don't even know how you're going to pay your rent or feed yourself. For every business, investing time and hard-earned money into building a dream team is a big risk.
So with all that in mind, when I first met Carly I was instantly struck by her friendly demeanour, quiet self-confidence and obvious surf froth. Here was a young woman ready for the challenge of growing with a small business - wearing all of the hats and doing all of the things - and I've been impressed and super stoked at how quickly she's picked up processes and taken ownership of her new position at HQ. And as we prepare for our new grommet to, literally, arrive any day now, we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to the lady behind our Hello inbox, the new legend packing & shipping all of your orders, and my personal Salt Gypsy lifesaver.
Team, meet Carly.
Where are you from and what’s the female surf community like there? I was born and raised in Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW. The bay itself rarely had waves so Mum would have to drive my girlfriends and I 20 minutes to the beach when we wanted to surf.
I haven’t lived in Jervis Bay since 2010 but it was always very boy-dominated scene. In saying that some of the best female surfers have come from the South Coast eg. Tyler Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons to name a few ☺
Maybe because they always had the boys to compete with!
You also worked on superyachts in the past – that must have been a pretty interesting experience! Where did you travel and what were some challenges/highlights of boat life? Interesting is a good way to put it. I spent 6 months in the Mediterranean working on a super yacht and saw some pretty incredible places. I went from Amsterdam to Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey. Travelling by boat was a very different and special way to see Europe.
I saw what it was like to live like the rich and famous and that money definitely doesn’t buy you happiness - or style!
I missed my friends, family, dog and the surf so much but it was a great way to make money and see the world at the same time. Nothing beats coming home to all the things you love!
Style us out in the lineup, what would you be wearing? Pink and Red Drifter Bottoms, Navy Turtleneck and my favourite Helen Kaminski woven hat.
Favourite surf spot or destination: Living in Byron Bay we’re so spoilt for spots to surf but The Pass is always my favourite. I travelled to Sri Lanka in 2016 and scored 2 weeks of pumping waves with some of my best friends. It was unintentionally the best surf trip I’ve had.
Top 10 essential surf travel items?
- I never surf without my woven hat
- Natural zinc
- Practical surf tops and bottoms
- Re-usable stainless steel drink bottle
- A friend (or multiple)
- Delicious snacks
- A sarong
- Pre/post surf tunes
- Longboard
- Aloe vera just incase!
A big thanks to our mate, Amber Jones, for following the Salt Gypsy crew around for a week and capturing BTS of our daily operations.
And a special thank you to Carly for joining the SG team and being thrown in the deep end the last few months - I don't know how I survived without you!
Need to talk to an actual human? Now you can. Contact Carly at: hello@saltgypsy.com or call us 0401284212
SHOP CARLY'S STYLE:
Turtleneck Rashguard in Poppy Red | Drifter Bottoms in Candy Pink/Poppy Red
