SHINE’ing the Spotlight on…
Brigid Woolnough

KOKOPOD was birthed out of a desperate desire to connect with people. Looking back now, Brigid can reflect over its origin and clearly understand how it grew. Brigid was a newly stay at home Mum with a FIFO husband and the creative outlet of her career had been put on hold. After registering their home kitchen for commercial purposes, Brigid began making wedding cakes for friends & family. In the winter though, no-one was getting married so instead she made chocolates & sold them at the markets. This gave Brigid weekly social interactions as well as pocket money to purchase more chocolate to keep practicing. It wasn’t long before the chocolates outgrew the cakes and markets became a weekly occurrence, dominating Brisbane and often attending 3-4 markets per weekend. After 2 years, the home-based hobby grew further into a business with wholesale demand and kept continuing to grow. At some point, Brigid’s husband told her that they lived in “Willy Wonka’s house” as it had taken over their domestic space – so they decided to commercialise and relocate to the Sunshine Coast in a purpose-fit out factory. Brigid gave away teaching after her second child however at times she still teaches Entrepreneurial studies & some home-ec/science engagements in Private Brisbane Schools, as well as children’s chocolate workshops inside our CHOCOLATE LAB at The Ginger Factory.

KOKOPOD now employs a team of 12 and Brigid gets to work with amazing humans every day. Not a day goes by that she’s not grateful for the team she’s curated and the passion they have cumulatively for the brand and products they make, is undoubtedly felt by their customers Australia-wide. KOKOPOD now stocks 350+ retailers as well as a retail store inside The Ginger Factory and an online store as well. They also launched a second brand, NOMU NOMS in 2019 shortly before they won the “Sunshine Coast Business Award – Food & Agribusiness (small)”. KOKOPOD has many other activities in the pipe-line and are excited for what’s next!

Brigid, tell us about the different areas that you have worked and what brought you to the Sunshine Coast?

Prior to KOKOPOD, I was a school teacher and thoroughly enjoyed the creative & social outlet the classroom offered. I loved being with the children each day, and taking moments in time to capture the opportunity to learn through their innocent eyes. Whilst at university, I also spent 5 years as a Disability Support Carer for independent adults of high needs, and the role included connectivity into the community and striving for personal independence. In addition to this I was a Nanny for several loving families and worked in hospitality – the Franchise General Manager from when I was 14 is still a person I call today for business advice!

In understanding we needed to commercialise from our domestic space, my husband Dale rang all of the economic development sectors of council from Byron Bay to Hervey Bay and found that Sunshine Coast Council had the greatest offering for where our business was at the time. FAN has been integral for our growth and education – connections and learnings as well. The Sunshine Coast offered our family an opportunity for ‘the best of all worlds’  being that of education, business and lifestyle. We relocated from Brisbane in 2017 and haven’t looked back.

What made you want to work with chocolate and why is this important to you?

While on Maternity leave, I was searching for a creative outlet and missing social interaction. Chocolate became my medium of choice because it challenged me scientifically, artistically and mathematically. It’s an extremely calculated process and not something that can be learned by the book. It’s a skill developed only by time and technical practice….. that I had in spades. On top of that, the tasting of creations kept it interesting and sharing with loved ones gave a buzz of excitement in the air….so honestly there is never a dull day working with chocolate! I didn’t really realise it at the time, I was just a girl at home wanting to make chocolate and share it with people – but in hindsight I can see how all of these factors interlinked.

You have a thriving business that has more than tripled in size in recent years so would be working long hours and spending a lot of time working on expansion and in the business, how do you keep balance in your life?

KOKOPOD has definitely grown, in recent years tripled in size. Naturally, KOKOPOD is a life commitment and it has taken a long, hard road to get here. We are consistently working ON the business however still IN it as well – which itself is a true juggle. Life balance is probably not something I’m yet a PRO at with a FIFO Husband and 12 employees… However, being flexible with my work is what keeps it moving forward. We live and educate in a 1km radius of the factory so we don’t add unnecessary travel time to our schedules, and I’m always available for my family when they have something on at school or home…I just would need to work into the night to see it done. My schedule is definitely not M-F / 9-5 and I don’t believe it ever will be – I’m ok with that.

What traits do you think are important as a leader in business?

Leadership, I believe, is something you are ‘born’ into and adult with. You either have it or you don’t. Your life until you mature definitely shapes your values, your beliefs and your way of thinking and some people are able to utilise these for the greater good. My heart yearns for people, it always has and every working path I’ve engaged with has been with human interaction. KOKOPOD is an extension of that – it’s a business about connecting people and we just happen to do that with chocolate. Leading a team through that (chocolate) connection process hasn’t been difficult because we attract a certain kind of person inherently – naturally we’ve kissed a few frogs along the way but as a leader, I’ve learned to go with my gut, fail fast and pivot consistently. The greatest skill of any leader is interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence; once you have that, the world is your oyster.

You are now sought after as a speaker and mentor to talk about business start-ups, growth and entrepreneurship – how do you fit it all in and how do you pick who you want to work with and why?

Once someone works out how to increase the day from 24-30 hours, I’m sure my checklist will be filled daily. Being a busy person, I do have to be selective with my time and how it’s utilised. When choosing opportunities, there’s plenty to consider however at the core it has to be aligned with our personal values and those of KOKOPOD. Quality must be at its core, connection & longevity. It’s a fabulous feeling to be able to assist other start-ups on the questions no-one tells you in the beginning…each entrepreneur has an independent journey, however the struggles are often the same. I am ‘that’ person who calls whoever I can to find the help I need, and that is why FAN has been so important to our success. I’ve had IP, HR, packaging, supply, margin etc issues and just called whoever I can to find the help required. There’s no sense in pride when you are in a vulnerable situation – no one benefits from that! Sunshine Coast has a wonderful community of life-minded businesses often willing to share their insights and support. We are lucky to be here, and I like to pay it forward too.

And what’s next on the agenda for Brigid Woolnough?

We have SO much in the pipeline at the moment however our focus is really on foundational growth. Concreting KOKOPOD’s foundations so as we grow it’s as secure as possible and those leaps of growth aren’t top heavy. I wish I could share more however it’s top secret! Watch this space!

Favourite movie and why?

Dirty Dancing. The love story, the music, the dancing – it has it all!

Coast or City?

I actually like both. I’m an ‘in the mood’ sort of person so like to align with how I feel. So if it’s a rainy day, I like to slow down, and if I’m in the city I’m all for the shops and busyness. The coast though I think will always be my ‘home’ and place of grounding.

Who would you most like to meet and why?

I would really like to meet women who are 10  years ahead of the game than me and specifically with a family. I’m inspired to grow and learn more every day and love to connect with entrepreneurial women in a similar situation – it makes connections a little more seamless.

To find out more about Brigid & KOKOPOD head to:

Webpage
https://kokopod.com.au/about/

Facebook
@kokopodchocolate