Interview of Dreamtime Aroha by Freya Bennett
Tell us a little bit about the team behind Dreamtime Aroha:
We are an Indigenous owned and operated married couple who have been together 10 years and are part of the LGBTQI+ community. We have 3 dogs and are connected closely to family.
Tell us a little bit about your business:
We make gorgeous First Nations Jarjums in ethically sourced material, we are ally friendly.
Where are you located?
Meanjin (Brisbane).
Where did the idea for your business come from?
We had one of our nieces come home from day care she said she hated her skin and wanted to be white, there were no Blak representation of any kind at the day care. This concerned us enough to take action.
How has it been going so far?
We have been overwhelmed by the positive response and feedback that we have received in the few months since we started and we are so grateful and appreciative of support from community.
What’s the hardest thing about running your own business?
Not being able to keep up with supply and demand. We work full time and my wife studies part time so our time is limited but we are making it work.
What’s the best part of running your own business?
Honestly, seeing the happy photos of children playing with our Jarjums. Childcare educators actually actively purchasing our Jarjums so they can put them in their daycares.
What’s the top tip you’d like to share with anyone keen to start a business?
Truly do something that you love and are passionate about and it will succeed don’t be afraid to ask other people for help and advice – every person we have reached out to has helped guide us and we are very thankful for that.
