Some of you may not know that for the past 12 years I’ve been running a very successful wedding hire business in conjunction with my in-laws. We have won many awards including best wedding decorator in Adelaide five years running and even best wedding hire in all of Australia. I’ve loved doing the weddings. The emails, the meeting with brides to discuss their dreams and desires, to then get creative and decorate their wedding in a way they could only imagine.
I’ve always been a business woman. I started as a early teen who made Fimo jewellery and sold it all over Australia with my biggest achievement being the shop at Uluru buying my native Australian bird and animal jewellery and quite a lot of it! Kellie Ann’s Crafts actually had to register and ABN and declare income when it became too much to be just a hobby.
I have worked in my parents parasailing business run from the causeway in Victor Harbor back in the 2000’s. I had my elements of shipboard safety certificate which enabled me to work on board my Dad’s boat once I was 16, but even before that I was able to sit on the causeway and take bookings while Mum and Dad drove customers in the parasailing boat.
At age 18 my father and I went into business together with Strawberries Galore. I am sure many of you know the pancakes and ice cream vans that frequent many Ag shows and events. At the Royal we were for many years parked right next to the hack warm up ring and I always wished it was me riding instead of working in the vans. Mum, Dad and my brother Pete still run this business today!
I left the strawberries to start the wedding business with my mother in law back in 2007, a business which would grow bigger than either of us expected and keep us going for more than 12 years. It was a great business to have while my son was young, I could work from home during the week and on weekends my son would stay with his Dad and I’d go out to set up weddings.
When I split up with my husband a couple of years ago and the in-laws wanted to think about retirement we began to make a plan to sell the business and for me that meant I needed a new plan.
I’ve always been resourceful, moving out on my own after a 12 year relationship was a huge deal. I had to find a way to support myself and my son half time so that I could still enjoy the lifestyle we had always had. In the quiet times I cleaned houses as well as making stock ties (What’s In Stock) going back to work in the Strawberry van occasionally because no one can smash out pancakes quite like me (except maybe my sis in law) and most importantly the weddings every weekend.
I’m sure I could write another whole story on how I finally had the confidence to turn my horse passion into a career but I will save that for another day. I will say it had to do with an amazing woman who believed in me so much she wanted to buy me a horse so she could watch me hunt her.
I realised then that the thoughts I always had of “I don’t compete and therefore I’m not going to be recognised as good enough to train others” was rubbish and that many people were happy with the commonsense and knowledge I did have and were willing to pay me for my services.
I began offering my services to people to school and educate their horses in 2017. I took out insurance to make sure I covered myself and away I went! I can’t believe the following I’ve got today, the amazing clients I’ve met, the horses and people I’ve helped and the smiles I’ve helped put back on people’s faces😊