A CHANCE encounter between two strangers at Bells Beach has seen the birth of a new local brand, Driftwood Goods.<\/p>\n
For someone juggling a longlist of occupations, including filmmaking, podcasting and photography, the idea of taking on another project seemed out of reach, but somehow John Teague made responsibility sound appealing.<\/p>\n
Having launched a range of candles last month with his American business partners Leo Silberman and Alexia Theodorakis, John says the brand\u2019s early success has exceeded his \u201clittle expectations\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt (Driftwood Goods) was a chance encounter with my partner (Leo), really. We met at Bells Beach. He was in Melbourne for a wedding and drove to Bells to have a look. We got to talking and it turns out he lives around the corner from where I was studying in New York (The Neighborhood Playhouse),\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just ended up having a lot in common. I was the last one in the carpark and as he was leaving, he asked me \u2018would you be interested in helping me out with a business idea?\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n
From there, the pair began fleshing out Leo\u2019s idea. Within a few months, a business plan was in motion. \u201cIt was one of those things where you just keep saying yes,\u201d says John.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t an a-huh moment for me. We have been through some testing periods, but to be honest, I went into this with no expectations. It\u2019s exceeded my little expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
What John loves most about his latest project is its capacity to showcase local talents.<\/p>\n
A self-described creative, the businessman hopes to expand Driftwood Goods into a must-have lifestyle label.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a creative myself, I have a lot of creative friends. I really like the idea of art infusing functionality,\u201d says John.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many talented people that live in our little area, and I love the thought of being able to collaborate and bring people together. We\u2019re looking to diversify, but we\u2019re not sure how it\u2019s going to look just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driftwood Goods\u2019 first line of candles are available online in four scents \u2013 vanilla and caramel, Persian lime and lemongrass, Melbourne coffee and Australian sandalwood.<\/p>\n
The design for Driftwood Goods\u2019 flagship product was created by Torquay illustrator Sophie Brain. The brand will continue to seek local talents to formulate its product, while also contributing five per cent of revenue to marine conservation organisation, Sea Shepherd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A CHANCE encounter between two strangers at Bells Beach has seen the birth of a new local brand, Driftwood Goods. For someone juggling a longlist of occupations, including filmmaking, podcasting and photography, the idea of taking on another project seemed out of reach, but somehow John Teague made responsibility sound appealing. Having launched a range […]<\/p>\n