Not all business ideas will be met with open arms. In fact some of the best have evolved despite fierce opposition.
In this Business Podcast, I sit down with an entrepreneur who overcame criticism to build a successful brand.
Madelaine Scarf is the co-founder and general manager of TECMASK, a 100 per cent Australian owned business and leading provider of stylish disposable face masks.
After initially launching in Japan, the business has grown its sales YoY by 1917 per cent and is stocked in leading pharmacy retailers such as Priceline and Amcal.
Madelaine and I discuss:
- The entrepreneurial journey and how the idea for TECMASK came about
- Overcoming criticism and listening to your gut instinct when making business decisions
- The reality of owning your own business including the recent pandemic’s impact on demand
Madelaine Scarf co-founded TECMASK in 2015 along with her father, David Scarf, following a trip in 2012 to Japan, which saw her fall sick mid-flight that threatened to ruin her holiday.
What makes Madelaine’s entrepreneurial journey special is the feedback she received when first establishing TECMASK in Sydney’s Double Bay.
Her business was met with criticism with one person even walking in to tell her that her store was “going to fail”.
Realising the conversation around wearing face masks had to be changed, Madelaine focused on producing more fun and funky designs that would make the face masks more stylish, yet still functional.
Since 2015, Madelaine has been a catalyst in changing the way Australians think about face masks.
