As a certified nutrition and wellness advisor, Keira turned her life-long passion for tasty food and healthy recipes into a successful business, launching Krumbled Foods from her bedroom, initially as a side hustle in 2017.
In her early 20s, Keira was diagnosed as pre-diabetic (insulin resistant) and was forced to quickly change the way she was living and what she was eating.
It was whilst she was studying nutrition and more specifically the direct link between sugar and poor health that Keira discovered a gap in the market.
Disappointed by the lack of transparency and the availability of tasty, low sugar snacks, Keira gathered a team of nutritionists and food scientists to develop some of the world’s first-to-market products, including the Krumbled functional snack Beauty Bites, power-packed health and beauty boosters, that slot perfectly into modern life, eliminating the need for several supplements.
In 2021, Keira gave birth to her son Hunter, after dealing with the challenges of IVF and endometriosis. She credits her business as a welcome distraction that kept her motivated through difficult times. Having been so transparent throughout her journey, Keira feels that it is important for her to continue being so in order to help others who find themselves in a similar position. As such Keira is happy to share her fertility journey and to discuss this during interviews.
Prior to launching Krumbled Foods in 2019, I worked at a digital marketing agency in Sydney and also began sharing my personal passion for food and cooking online. I was able to create a strong social media community of 500k+ under the name of @krumble, where I share various aspects of life from business success to my journey to motherhood, travel and all of the little moments in between. Some of my recipes have been published in Australian media publications such as Eat Well.
As Founder and CEO of two successful businesses, no two days ever look the same. From new product development and overseeing warehouse delivery schedules to managing an ever-growing team of 10 talented employees, retailer relations and executing the global expansion strategy, it’s exciting (and often chaotic) day to day.
On the weekends, I love spending time amongst nature, taking sunrise walks on the beach with my family, exploring new places (both within Australia and abroad) and of course, I’m deeply passionate about beauty, healthy living and wellness.
I always had aspirations and goals to help people, and this combined with my passion for beauty, health and wellbeing, sent me down this career path. Krumbled Foods started quite small, with the original product, Krumballs, selling in a number of boutique cafes in Bondi. Following this, the brand continued to evolve with the launch and continued success of Beauty Bites and further expand with the addition of Habitual Beauty.
Absolutely! In the early days, I learnt all the things not to do when starting a small business, so much so, that I could almost write a book about it. Some challenges I have experienced over the years vary from trademark infringement to the protection of IP. Like many businesses worldwide, COVID-19 presented an array of distribution and delivery challenges, however as a well established e-commerce store and launching into Australian grocery store, Coles, the brand was well placed to thrive during this time.
Personally, I experienced some challenges on my journey to motherhood; six miscarriages, my IVF experience and the emotional birth of my son Hunter. I shared my journey to give hope to women still trying for their families and to let them know they are not alone in their experience.
For what started as a side hustle in my living room, launching into the major Australian grocery retailer, Coles, alongside the global expansion into the United Kingdom, all within the first 16 months of operation, has been no mean feat for me and my team. I believe it’s a true testament to not only the product itself, but to the sheer determination and dedication in those very early days.
Despite a somewhat rocky start, experiencing some teething issues during the product development phases, I have always had the consumer at the forefront which is key to success. I’m a serial optimist and this alongside my determination, a true belief in the products and a desire to truly help people, were the major factors contributing to the success of Krumbled Foods.
Be ready to work long, hard hours in the early days (and still to this day, years later) and prepare yourself to encounter setbacks along the way. It’s also super important to know your business in and out + back to front and keep on top of your finances by tracking the return on investment for all activities and promotions. Finally, be prepared to learn as much as possible and once your business is established and successful, outsource to talented individuals/employees and trusted partners/suppliers.
As a female business owner and new mother, I’m very familiar with the challenges that women often face in the workplace when choosing to start a family and thereafter returning to the workforce. As my business expands, I’m committed to supporting and nourishing female talent as I build my team and understand the importance of flexibility for working mothers.
Simply put, always trust your instincts.
With a busy and exciting year ahead, I’m focused on the continued evolution of both Krumbled Foods and Habitual Beauty with the introduction of an array of new innovative and results driven products for consumers to enjoy. I’ll also be introducing a new brand into the marketplace later in 2022.
In 2020, I was selected for the Sephora Accelerator Program, an LVMH backed program that focuses on female founders to help spearhead their businesses in a global scale. One of only 30 female business owners worldwide accepted into the program from the sustainability, beauty and wellness industries which was a great honour.
